# The Great Ongoing Knife Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 15, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-knife-thread/546778 "2010-07-15T14:33:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-knife-thread/546778/1 "2010-07-15T14:33:23Z")
Prompted by [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=570847). Coincidentally, I’ve been digging through Johnny’s Big Box-O-Knives and then the pocket knife thread came up. There’s a thread where I had questions about a [SPAX tool](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=566029) a friend gave me, and another on [Buck knives](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=566021). I dug out one of my [Imperial Fish Knifes](http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/collectible-schrade-imperial-ireland-fish) (a POS, but I could probably shave with it). I also pulled out my oldest kukri. Now that’s a _real_ POS! I think it’s a ‘decorative souvenir’, rather than something intended to be used. I recently got another kukri that I intend to [modify](http://www.m4040.com/Survival/Ghurka/Khukri%20Modification.htm). I think that years ago I listed my Victorinox ‘collection’, and mentioned a few in the thread linked at the top of this post. So here’s a thread to talk about knives! Pocket knives, new, vintage, collectible, military, rescue, big, small… Have at it! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-knife-thread/546778/2 "2010-07-15T14:57:09Z")
Good lord, man! How am I supposed to know all the knives I own? Without leaving my chair at the computer, I have at hand: a set of Gil Hibben throwing knives (which usually are used as letter-openers) a mid-sized Gerber Paraframe a Leatherman Juice CS4 Who knows what the rest of the house holds? I know I own a couple of Swiss Army knives, every Juice model ever made, a couple of cheap Leatherman knock-offs, 3 or 4 different Buck knives, 5 or 6 different Gerber folders, a Wave, my dad’s old K-Bar, several Case pen knives I inherited from my father, several hand-made knives of various sizes and functions inherited from my grand-father, a Gerber Guardian, a couple of [CIA letter openers](http://www.defensedevices.com/cialetop.html), several other “non-metallic” knive-type objects and a handful of micro-tools. This isn’t counting the various axes, swords, etc. that are scattered around the place as well. Knives, I has a few. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-knife-thread/546778/3 "2010-07-15T15:04:32Z")
My favorite kitchen knives have wooden handles. This is not supposed to be sanitary (anymore.) But as far as I know no one has ever fallen ill after eating my food. There’s something about the feel of them in my hand which is much more appealing than metal or plastic. And my favorite kitchen knife of all is an old deer-skinning knife I inherited from my uncle. It holds an edge forever. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-knife-thread/546778/4 "2010-07-15T15:06:02Z")
Speaking of ‘hand-made’ knives, the Big Box-O-Knives contain a couple of Austrian military blades. I’d like to polish one and put on some nice wood scales. I’d like to put the other into its original condition, if only I could find original plastic handles. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-knife-thread/546778/5 "2010-07-15T15:26:11Z")
Years ago I bought [this blade](https://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=1457&osCsid=8d1d53b95863defc40613d6cd7e41651) and assembled a knife from it. I bought a thick piece of brass stock, cut it into an oval, and cut a rectangular hole in it. A bit of polishing, and _voilà!_ a nice guard! The scales are plain rosewood, held on by brass rivets. I made a scabbard for it out of leather. It’s a simple folded one, riveted and sewn along the back, with a belt loop folded over and sewn to the back. The knife is pretty useless since it’s so big. Good for chopping, but I have several other knives that are better ‘camp knives’, and I have a regular-sized and machete-sized kukri for chopping – as well as a couple of G.I.-issue machetes. Still, the bowie is neat to have and to have made. I have a Russell Green River knife, but I can’t find a picture of it. It’s an 1840s-style with a straight blade and checkered walnut scales. I have two CSA kit-knives of the same pattern, but with plain beechwood scales. One of them might be in the kitchen drawer, or else it might be in the Box-O-Knives. The other has never been used, nor has the Russell. The Russell, BTW, is very nice (much nicer than the kits) and is very sharp. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-knife-thread/546778/6 "2010-07-15T15:35:01Z")
I has a couple myself. My Grandfather gave me my first little Case pocketknife when I was about 8, and I’ve collected knives ever since. [These](http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v677/ural/misc/?action=view¤t=Picture10442Medium.jpg)are most of my EDC buddies. They live in a basket in my dresser drawer and I pick what I feel like every day. Went to the gun & knife show a couple of weeks ago, so it doesn’t have the latest handful… My 12yo daughter spied [this](http://www.whitetigersportsshop.com/pages/bowie/bowie/lg210513.jpg)one at the show and had to add it to her collection. We’re so proud. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-knife-thread/546778/7 "2010-07-15T17:40:24Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > My 12yo daughter spied [this](http://www.whitetigersportsshop.com/pages/bowie/bowie/lg210513.jpg)one at the show and had to add it to her collection. We’re so proud. Pretty! Just the thing a girl should have to ward off unwanted advances! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-knife-thread/546778/8 "2010-07-15T17:48:48Z")
My dad and I collected pocket knives throughout my childhood. He and mom were antique dealers on the side, so we cruised our share of shows, fairs, garage sales, what have you. We (as if I was involved in paying at age 10 ;)) had stuff like a bunch of vintage Winchester, Remington, Case, Russell, Keen Kutter and so many others. My dad was also into curiosity knives - he had a [Case Astronaut Knife](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.earthtothemoon.com/survival_knife_a.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.earthtothemoon.com/gt_iii_survival_knife.html&usg=__qh0YXSsRvwIcnNRwvUBify4DBqo=&h=280&w=650&sz=25&hl=en&start=7&itbs=1&tbnid=3n8sFOEmYdlzlM:&tbnh=59&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcase%2Bastronaut%2Bknife%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1)for years. He had a few with Damascene blades and one Boker with a ceramic blade - I think I have that one in storage somewhere 😉 He still has a number of them - like his Winchester 1920, the grandaddy of collectible US folding-blade knives… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-knife-thread/546778/9 "2010-07-15T18:21:53Z")
I am attracted to knives, but have managed to keep the number within reason. Oh, wait a second. . . Yeah, never mind. ---
**Author:** ![TheoS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@TheoS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheoS)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-knife-thread/546778/10 "2010-07-15T21:17:40Z")
Summer of 1969- two friends and myself drive from St. Louis to Tijuana to buy switch bladed knives. We purchased 2-dozen, broke two or three on the way back, lost a few, gave a few away, ruined a few from getting sand in the hinge mechanism, kept one or two for ourselves and sold the remaining two or three to another friend for cheaper than we paid for them… It was so much fun. My favorite knife is an 8" global Chef’s knife- I treat it a lot better than the switch-blades! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-knife-thread/546778/11 "2010-07-15T22:03:51Z")
One of my favorite knives is a fileting knife that I bought at a craft show in Anchorage. It has a nice, flexible blade about 8" long, and a caribou horn handle with the outline of the state on it. Looks like a souvenir, works like a fisherman’s dream. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-knife-thread/546778/12 "2010-07-15T23:05:16Z")
If you are in Portland, make an appointment for the Leatherman factory tour. (And wear good shoes - they won’t let you in with sandals.) Very cool tour, you get to be on the floor right next to the machines, and there is a factory store also. I was pleased I had my Leatherman tool I got as a conference gift on me during the tour. The factory is quite close to the airport, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-knife-thread/546778/13 "2010-07-16T02:00:38Z")
I have a Busse Nuclear Meltdown SF Natural Outlaw. It is unconditionally guaranteed forever. If I somehow manage to break it, Busse will fix it. It’s made of a special magical steel called INFI. I’ve used it to shave and I’ve used it as a prybar. You can hack through cinder blocks with it. [http://www.hogcult.com/gear\_img/knives/busse-nmsfno.jpg](http://www.hogcult.com/gear_img/knives/busse-nmsfno.jpg) It is the most perfectly beautiful and functional object I own. I want its big brother the Combat Mistress, and will own one someday. For EDC, more often than not, I find myself carrying the Spyderco S [http://images.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/spyderc/images/sp109slp.jpg](http://images.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/spyderc/images/sp109slp.jpg) It’s reasonably priced, has a good cool factor, is nonthreatening and incredibly light. Very useful design, not compromised by the skeletonizing. For big folders I have a lone wolf Harsey D2 and a Benchmade Rukus, which are not particularly useful, though they are cool. My other main EDC is a Benchmade 890: [http://images.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/bnchmd/images/BM890.jpg](http://images.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/bnchmd/images/BM890.jpg) It’s really really nice, but a little heavy and threatening in appearance. I like the assisted opening and the glass breaker feature at the base. I have a Benchmade 580 which I don’t really use: [http://images.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/bnchmd/images/barrage.jpg](http://images.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/bnchmd/images/barrage.jpg) I have a Benchmade Kulgera axis lock which I’ve carried and beaten up and abused. I’m a huge fan of the Axis lock [http://images.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/bnchmd/images/BM930P.jpg](http://images.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/bnchmd/images/BM930P.jpg) Beautiful knife. Spyderco Endura 4 ffg which is nice, but I don’t ever carry. I have a benchmade Osborne 940: [http://images.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/bnchmd/images/940p.jpg](http://images.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/bnchmd/images/940p.jpg) This is probably the perfect Every day carry knife, but mine got ruined when I lost in the backyard for a winter. Mine’s workable right now, but I’m ashamed of what I did to it, and don’t carry it. I have a a bunch of other stuff, swiss army knives, Kershaws, a Cold Steel stilleto, some bucks, an RTAK 2, Sog Flash 2 that I don’t like very much, some goofy pocket knives that I won’t mention, and a pretty broad collection of multitools. I always have a multitool in my briefcase, one in each car, a smaller one on my keychain, and I always carry a knife for utility purposes. I think it’s unreasonable not to have one on your person. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-knife-thread/546778/14 "2010-07-16T02:58:28Z")
So what did I do today? Went to Shooter’s (in Jacksonville) just to look at things… Ended up with [this](http://sogknives.com/store/PE18.html). Not exactly EDC, but what the hell.