Need a New Pocket Knife

[gman2304]

http://www.deadwoodknives.com/c-12166-sodbuster.aspx

I really like the case xx sodbuster/sodbusterjr knives. I've lost 2 Hen and Rooster knives, so I'm done with the expensive pocket knives as daily carriers.

 

[Jim K]

A folding razor knife with disposable blades for me. Razor sharp blades and easy to sharpen, just toss the old blade and pop in a new one.

 

[danthaman1980]

Originally Posted By: Gebo
Most of you guys are too "modern" for me. I'm looking for a more traditional style.

Wing tip shoes, button down colors, single blade razor, Blackberry phones, tried and true...



How much do you want to spend?

In the $100 (+/-) range, Great Eastern Cutlery probably makes some of the nicest traditionals. But they are carbon steel (not stainless), so while they will rust if not properly cared for, they take a nice edge and are easy to sharpen. If you're looking for a single blade lockback, look at their #72 pattern.

Queen Cutlery makes some nice traditionals as well; Look for one in D2 steel (semi-stainless). They do make some single blade knives, but they're not terribly common.

In the sub-$50 range, Case makes some good knives. Not quite the same league as GEC or Queen, but quite serviceable and a good value. Look for one in 'CV' steel (a chrome-vanadium carbon steel; not stainless but holds a decent edge and super easy to sharpen). Avoid their 'tru-sharp' steel unless you like to sharpen your knife all the time.

Buck also makes some good lockback knives in the ~$40-50 range. Look for one that is made in the USA with their 420HC steel. They won't hold their edge the same way most of the the $100+ knives do, but they are still quite serviceable. Avoid their 420J2 steel unless you enjoy attempting to sharpen your knife all the time only to realize it isn't worth the effort.

Your absolute best value for 'traditional' knives, though, is a decent Victorinox swiss army knife with Alox (aluminum) scales. Take a look at the Alox Cadet, Alox Pioneer, Alox Pioneer X, or Alox Farmer.

If you're willing to really spend some $$$ - take a look at some of the knives that Fallkniven has to offer. Their Tre Kronor line is quite nice - though I don't own one yet, I will try them out at some point.

If/when you're willing to venture into modern folding knives, go buy a Spyderco Delica 4 with VG-10 steel. Trust me. Best $65 you could spend on a folding knife. I have knives that cost me 4 times as much, and I end up carrying my Delica. (my Spyderco Native 5 Lightweight gets honorable mention; I carried that one more often until my girlfriend decided to claim it as her own)

Pretty much what Geauxtiger said back on page 1. He knows his stuff.

 

[DBMaster]

Originally Posted By: danthaman1980
Your absolute best value for 'traditional' knives, though, is a decent Victorinox swiss army knife with Alox (aluminum) scales. Take a look at the Alox Cadet, Alox Pioneer, Alox Pioneer X, or Alox Farmer.


I have one of these. You can maintain a VERY sharp edge easily, it looks good, and it fits easily in the pocket. It has a very strong backspring.

Alox Solo

 

[DBMaster]

Look up Gibbs' rule #9.

 

[Gasbuggy]

I love my Kershaw Speedsafe

 

[DBMaster]

Why limit yourself to 1? I have about a dozen and I rotate them every few days. None were expensive. The costliest one was a Case small Texas toothpick that cost $35. I guess you could call them accessories for men.

 

[pandus13]

knew a guy who had a victorinox/swissarmy for at least 12 years, including a our of duty in war ridden Yugoslavia. still kept a sharp edge, and had all the original components in the knife (except scratches on the handle)

[off-topic]
quick question: beside cutting boxes and sharpening a pencil/stick, what do you use a pocket knife for?
i'm more used to mini-multitools: i have a keychain smallie always in my jeans and a victorinox evolution and a leatherman squirt in my backpack (except coming close to airports).
[/off-topic]

 

[DBMaster]

I mostly just play with them. I can open and close almost all of mine one-handed, left or right hand. The slip joints with strong back springs are not one-handed knives, though. I open packages and letters and sometimes cut fruit. Overall, I have them more to satisfy my sharpening hobby than to cut things. I find sharpening to be soothing for some reason.

 

[Cadenza]

I carried a Buck Cadet for 40 years and rotated it with a Case small Stockman.
Now about all I carry is a Spyderco Manbug in zdp189. Small, useful, always sharp.

 

[DBMaster]

The Manbug is a nice little knife! I have a Sanrenmu H03 that is a bit similar in style. It doesn't have a super steel blade. It's 8Cr13MoV, but it takes a very keen edge and only cost me about $10.

 

[linkbelt]

Just ordered: Case Sodbuster Jr. from Deadwood Knives for $25.45 including first class shipping.

 

[DBMaster]

^That's a good choice! Did you go Tru-Sharp Stainless or chrome vanadium? I have one of the yellow Delrin handled CV versions. It picked up a nice patina when I cut up some guavas with it.

 

[jcwit]

Originally Posted By: linkbelt
Just ordered: Case Sodbuster Jr. from Deadwood Knives for $25.45 including first class shipping.


One of the best.

Man alive have prices ever gone up! Wife had a booth at the Shipshewana Flea Mkt. 25+ years ago, Case, Kissing Crane, and of course cheap, cheap knives. The full size Case Sodbuster knives we sold for $15.00.

But thats inflation I guess, hey wait, they claim there is no inflation.

 

[linkbelt]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
^That's a good choice! Did you go Tru-Sharp Stainless or chrome vanadium? I have one of the yellow Delrin handled CV versions. It picked up a nice patina when I cut up some guavas with it.


CV

 

[bunnspecial]

Originally Posted By: linkbelt
Originally Posted By: DBMaster
^That's a good choice! Did you go Tru-Sharp Stainless or chrome vanadium? I have one of the yellow Delrin handled CV versions. It picked up a nice patina when I cut up some guavas with it.


CV


Excellent choice.

I have very few SS Case knives, and much prefer the their CV steel. IMO, it's easier to sharpen, takes a sharper edge, and holds it better than the standard Tru-Sharp stainless. That's not to say that Case stainless is bad, but I love their CV steel.

Keep the blades oiled and they will look like new forever, although I've occasionally run into minor rust spotting when carried on a hot day. I quit fighting it and finally just let my blades patina...it makes them look like the knives my grandfather carried(and that I now have and even carry occasionally) and actually keeps them from rusting.

I got my every day Stockman started by leaving it in a peach overnight...you'll see a lot of suggestions for how to "jump start" patina. Most involve fruit, but smearing mustard on the blade also works. If you want it to look like the patina on a real working knife, though, you have to actually use the knife

. Doing something to jumpstart it just gets a nice base coat on things.

 

[DBMaster]

I put a very nice black patina on a small Opinel (#4) using boiled white vinegar. The Opinel carbon steel knives are like razor blades.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: Silk

I've carried a carbon steel Opinel for maybe a decade. Can't, AFAIK get them in Taiwan, but I bought another two (SS this time) in Japan recently.

Kinda "Coals to Newcastle" but I didn't have time to research "classic" Japanese knives.

They have a locking blade and a fairly fine point, but they aren't super-strong, so if you have survivalist aspirations/tendencies, you might want something beefier.

 

[Cristobal]

Opinels are great because they are effective and dirt cheap.

If you want to spend money and want grace, get a Sunfish by Great Eastern, or one of the nicer offerings by Queen.

http://greateasterncutlery.net/blog/patterns/patterns-31-56/36-sunfish/

http://www.queencutlery.com/Work_Horse_Series.html

 

[bunnspecial]

Since there's some discussion now of less expensive knives, my BIL has gotten pretty big into Rough Riders. They are very traditional looking knives that could pass as a Case or the like from a few feet away. From what I've seen, the steel is good and takes a good edge, and the construction seems solid. Most are in the $10-20 range.