The dilemma of the century, you know without a doubt that you want to shell out some decent cash on a new knife but you haven’t the faintest clue what to look for in a knife. You’re not alone, we get hundreds upon thousands of people wondering the same thing. Should I get a fixed blade or a folder? What blade shape is the best for what I’m going to be doing? It’s not that we’re tired of the questions, we’re actually shocked no one has had the stones to make an easy to understand guide to knives. So….. being the absolute gear junkies that we are, we’ve crafted our own.
Although it doesn’t answer every single knife question known to man, it gives you the right amount of information to make the best decision possible on your next knife and we hope its an OPMOD blade. If you really want to learn every thing there is to know about knives as well as a little bit of everything in between, head over to our How-To-Guides.
Now that you have all of this information, what knife are you going to buy next?
If it goes bang or has to deal with the outdoors then I am most likely passionate about it. If I'm not at the gun range then I'm either hiking, mountain biking or kayaking. Follow along as I dive into outdoor gear related products and topics.
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4 Responses to Cut To The Chase: A Gear Junkies Guide To Knives
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O.K., I’m about to go on another rant about knives. Actually about blades in general. There is not one knife in exestance, at least in production, that will fill all needs in a survival situation. Period! Therefore, I wish to put my two cents worth in. I routinely carry at least two or more knives on me at any time. That’s including at Church. I have a very understanding pastor who’s also a blade nut as well. I carry a liner loch 4 & 1/2 inch tanto half-serrated blade pocket clip pocket knife with a spring assisted mechanism. The psychological effect of an 1/8 thick blade jumping out has gotten attention numerous times, keeping me from going further than calmly using the tip to clean my fingernails, as if that was the intention all along. I would not recommend this approach unless you are ready to follow through on the bluff if it goes South on you. My pocket knife is sturdy enough for me to rely on unless my opponent comes out with a baseball bat or equivalent means of serious damage causing equipment.
My second full time carry is a Gerber multi-tool. The pliers, saw, screwdrivers, etc.have saved me hunting a tool box many times. At work one night, I took apart a water fountain flooding the building.
This being said, I wouldn’t want to rely on either as my onlt survival knife.That job goes to a machete I have modified to my specifications. I took a saw back off-the-shelf surplus machete and put my own touches to it. The tip two inches have been filed by hand down to a knife edge, as has the four inshes next to the hilt. I can peel an apple with no problem with this blade. This leaves twelve inches of the broadest part of the blade for chopping brush or cutting and splitting firewood. The saw back has received a touch from a small triangular file, giving a diagonal cross cut, which makes a better saw. I’m not saying this is the ultimate blade to have if the SHTF, but you can bet I will have it with menaturally, I’ll also have several other knives, aves, hatchets, and firearms when that happens.
Jeremy,
Nice review and advice for the novice. There is (arguably) as much discussion concerning the best all around carry knife as there is in what is the best handgun, rifle, etc. And of course everyone has an opinion and their favorite. I am an admitted knife junkie, but I think you left off an important factor in choosing a knife to buy. First and foremost to me is customer service and what do they do if you have “problems”. What does their “limited warranty” really mean and how difficult is it for you to get them to live up to YOUR expectation of the knife. Incidentally, in my opinion Bark River Knives seems to have the best in the industry as they will also include sharpening your knife as part of the lifetime warranty. Just include $15 for shipping and handling when you send it to the factory. See their website for details (I have no association with this company other than as a satisfied customer)
I have also had experience with Kershaw, Spyderco, and Benchmade all were outstanding experiences and corrected issues and or replaced knives quickly and w/o issue. I am sure your readers will note several more who have great service as well. I have never had to send knives to Gerber or Cold Steel but I am sure their warranty practices are great.
Thanks Crawford, I’d have to say that most of the well known knife brands have got to where they are by taking care of their customers.
I have been a lover of edged steel from the young age of awareness of the edge. In my youth I aways said that not having a knife with me made me feel naked !
I have quite a collection. But for me it depends on the situation I’m going into. When I hunt,I carry a drop point fixed blade( Cold Steel ) on my belt or in my pack and a folding knife( Gerber) in my pocket.The drop point is only used for field dressing my game. The folding knife for everything else i need to cut. When out and about my EDC is a Kershaw assisted folder, and I always dress with a Bowen Buckle double edge knife and a CRTK neck knife. If I go fishing I take a filet knife(G10) and a Spiderco Pacific H1 which won’t rust. When I work at work or around the house I carry a Leatherman and a Stanley utility that I can change blades when they go dull. I’m sorry but I can’t get enough knives. It never ceases to amaze me that someone is making a new knife with a new application of steel and/or edge design. What fits one person won’t fit another and his desire of use. I have even designed and made my own knifes for hunting and personal carry and just to hold and look at. I sharpen all my knives myself with Arkansas stones, diamond rods and GATCO kits because a dull knife to me is useless and dangerous to use.