The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Knives & Blades => Topic started by: Big Frank on December 27, 2022, 06:17:52 AM
-
One of my brothers bought guns online for Black Friday and Cyber Monday and had them shipped to a local dealer. I can't afford to buy new guns, so I bought a bunch of knives instead. The smallest one is my backup knife that sits horizontally on my belt on the left side, in case I need to use a knife with my left hand. It's the SOG Snarl and it's only 4.3" overall with a 2.3" blade. The biggest one I bought is a Cold Steel Luzon. It comes in Medium and Large. Of course I got the (ridiculously) large one. It's 13 1/2" long with a 7 1/2" long blade. As big as it is, it only weighs 9.3oz, and it flips open easier than most of my smaller flippers. It has a sliding lock that makes it so you can't press the liner lock in to fold it, and a big plastic clip, instead of metal, that won't wear out your clothes. It's named after the largest and most populous island in the Philippines, and the handles are reminiscent of bamboo. I bought a whole mess of knives, but that's the long and the short of it. ;D I'll post more here later.
-
Both of those with pics are nice looking.
I usually buy mine in bulk from Cutlery Corner...nothing so nice as this.
-
I just copy-pasta pics from the websites when they have good ones showing what I want to show. I got a SOG-TAC AU COMPACT- STRAIGHT EDGE and a SOG-TAC AU COMPACT - TANTO, SERRATED. I think AU designates automatic, since they are both automatics. They seem to open kind of slow but I haven't oiled them yet. They're more COMPACT versions of the SOG-TAC AU as the name suggests. They also make a sub-2 inch Californicator-legal version, called the SOG-TAC AU COMPACT CA SPECIAL. It has the same handle as the SOG-TAC AU COMPACT but a short blade. I wouldn't mind having a full-size handle with the compact blades. It's 1/2" longer and a good bit heavier. These all have a lock on them so they don't open in your pocket, which I think is a good thing. You just push the opening switch forward to put the safety on. Pull it back one click to go from safe to "fire", or all the way past the click to open in one movement, with no wasted motion.
Here's what my two knives look like, plus a CA Special and full-size together, along with the specs for all 3 models. The CA Specials come in tanto or straight edges, non-serrated only. The compact and full-size give you 4 choices.
P.S. Some people look down their noses at D2 tool steel as a blade steel but done right as this cryo-treated D2 is supposed to be, it's good stuff. Or so I've read. It seems like just a few years ago it was supposed to be really good steel and only a few custom knife makers were using it. And now, all of a sudden, it's no good anymore.
-
Cold Steel makes a tomahawk called the Trench Hawk, and another one called the War Hawk. The Trench Hawk has been around longer and comes with 3 choices of handle color with matching Secure-Ex sheath. The War Hawk comes in any color you want, as long as it's black. It also has a Secure-Ex sheath made just for it. The $7.99 polypropylene replacement handles are available in all 3 colors, and fit both tomahawks. I bought a War Hawk with 2 extra handles and I have all 3 colors. Plain black is boring so I put the O.D. Green handle on, and the FDE handle is still in its plastic bag until I break the green one. The War Hawk costs $5 more than the Trench Hawk but in a comparison video I watched on YouTube, it looked like it was worth it. The blade is slightly longer and heavier.
I was putting my spare handles away two days ago when I had an idea. I have an 11" x 12" steel plate 1/4" thick, the same thickness as the tomahawk blades. So I took my blade off and traced the outline on the steel plate. I traced a pattern for a double sided axe, rotated the blade 180 degrees, and traced it out 2 more times to make it look like the head of a battle axe. Instead of having a curve like the top of the handle I decided to put a point on the top of the axe head. If I do cut this out, and I think I will eventually, it's going to be difficult and take days to make into a battle axe. After I get it cut out and the powder coat wheeled off, I'll need to taper the last 2" of the tang down to about 1/2 thickness to fit the handle, plus grind both blades. The steel plate was part of the mount for the snow and dirt plow blade on my first ATV. Those who beat their plowshares into swords will end up plowing for those who have swords. I'd rather beat my plow mount into a battle axe. I already have enough swords.
Here are images off Cold Steel's site for the Trench Hawk in various colors, Trench Hawk vs. War Hawk comparison pic and specs, how my War Hawk looks with the O.D. Green handle, and what my battle axe might look like if I do make one.
-
I've been carrying a Kershaw Ken Onion designed 1550 for years now, actually decades. Like a Sig, it just falls into my hand and works every time. The flip blade has proved invaluable over the years, especially on the ranch.
I lost mine, and temporarily was using a broken-tip factory reject I bought back in the days when I did not know that that's what the XXXX on the blade meant, and I had set aside as a backup.
Anyhow, I went to the site that Derrick of VGG calls "evil-bay", and holy crap, I had no idea what these things are now worth. people were asking - and getting - well over $150 for this knife, when retail they used to be $45 or so. One guy was asking $350 for a new one.
I picked up a used one for about $70, and after blowing it out and soaking it in CLP, I got it to function reasonably well. So my quandary is finding something that fit and worked so nicely as the 1550 that doesn't break the bank. Tough to do these days when knives are sold in sealed packs you need the knife to open.
-
Anyhow, I went to the site that Derrick of VGG calls "evil-bay", and holy crap, I had no idea what these things are now worth. people were asking - and getting - well over $150 for this knife, when retail they used to be $45 or so. One guy was asking $350 for a new one.
Wow. I have been carrying one for a few years now myself. I have 2 of them, one with a partially serrated blade. I had no idea they were in such demand. I bought mine new for about $ 35.00 or so if memory serves.
-
I have a couple Kershaw Ken Onion knives that are EDC, one is a Model 1620H3, the other is a 1620 ST with the 1/2 serrated blade.I need to ship them back to get the spring replaced in one and the safety lock on both.
-
Not knives, but I also got from Cold Steel a Chinese Sword Breaker, and a Heavy Duty Cane. On rare occasions I use my rattan staff when I walk, to ease the weight on one side or the other. I've had knee pain for close to 50 years, I think as a result of my legs being straightened out and put in casts when I was a baby. And for several years it's felt like I have arthritis in both hips. I have it nearly everywhere they check for it, but haven't had x-rays on my hips. So I thought a cane would look better and work better for me. Besides the other bad joints, I have arthritis in every vertebrae, and pull muscles in my back a lot more often than you may think. The handle of the cane is only big enough to hold onto with 3 fingers, but if I lay my trigger finger along side of it I can get a good grip (without a negligent discharge). ;) I put a D-ring in the hole in the handle and have it hanging on a hook. Too bad the only D-ring I had isn't thicker.
I already have an African Walking Stick but the head of it's too big to get a good grip on. I've been thinking about putting it on the lathe and turning it down, but my lathe is only 36" long IIRC, and I would need to buy a bed extension. The sword breaker is light enough to wield one-handed but the pommel allows for a solid hand-and-a-half grip. It's a few inches shorter than my Warrior Series Katana, and my katana is a few inches shorter than my Grosse Messer (big knife). The blade on the Grosse Messer is fairly thin and it's too flexible IMO. I wasn't expecting a floppy bladed sword, and I like the katana a lot better. And my katana looks better than the new model. My guard is a lot fancier looking. It has the same kind of ray skin grip and 2 brass "lucky charms" as I like to call them*. Cold Steel has a boken with a braided look grip on it now that looks a lot better than mine, but it's built the same way. A thick band of rubber is slid over the blade to hold the guard on.
I bought a Secure-Ex Sheath with a neck chain for my Delta Dart, and since the Delta Dart costs less than the sheath I bought another one of those too. Now I have a spare, in case I have to leave the first one somewhere. Like embedded deeply into someone who desperately deserves to be stabbed. Of course I took the steel ring off the handle so it can pass though metal detectors undetected. I have plenty more knives to post next time. Like I said, I bought a bunch of them.
* The menuki are the decorative metal ornaments that are woven under the tsuka-ito (handle wrapping). These ornaments were originally made to hide the mekugi pins that secure the tsuka to the tang of the blade. They are normally positioned forward on one side and back on the other. These are your hand positions with the menuki fitting into your palms. Since it had been attached under the Tsukamaki (the handle of the Japanese sword wrapped by thread), Menuki played an essential role in making it easier to grip the handle of the sword.
-
Does anyone else think the grossse messer sword looks a lot like an overgrown WWI bayonet on steroids? Like the M1917 Enfield bayonet they put on trench guns, or the Pattern 1907 bayonet for the SMLE rifle?
-
Does anyone else think the grossse messer sword looks a lot like an overgrown WWI bayonet on steroids? Like the M1917 Enfield bayonet they put on trench guns, or the Pattern 1907 bayonet for the SMLE rifle?
It made me stop and look closely, resembles the heck out of the Graz bayonet that somehow my family acquired, not sure how. It sits with my g/grandfather's Civil War sabres from when he was Captain of the 15th US Colored Troop in service at The Crater and in NC.
-
I see the resemblance. The Model 1874 sword bayonet for the Fusil Modèle 1874 or Gras. The handles on many of the old bayonets look like a lot like my one sword.
-
I found a picture online of my SOG Stout FLK (frame lock), Blue and Stonewash color that they're no longer selling. It is indeed a stout feeling knife, but not too big. If you choke up your grip on the choil it feels like a bigger knife in your hand. The blade is only 2.62" long, but it's 0.15" thick and locks up tight. The old expression short and stout is an apt description. It also flicks open easier than most of my other knives, including the assisted opening ones. I've included a picture of an O.D. Green version with the same stonewash blade and G10 handle so you can get a better look. They have an all-black version, too, among others.
And here's a pic from SOG's website of my ESCAPE FL (frame lock) that's named after their ESCAPE, shown below that. The Escape has a line cutter integrated in the handle (perfect for cutting cord, string, seat belts, etc.), a glass breaker for extreme emergencies, their patent-pending wire stripper, and extra line cutter blades (which are stored under the handle slab). It's a lockback, and the name Escape seems appropriate. The ESCAPE FL has NO line cutter, NO glass breaker, and NO wire stripper. I hope I never need it to ESCAPE since it has no extra tools to do so. If I'm wearing my Leatherman Tread LT I can use its carbide glass breaker to break out a car window, assuming I'm not panicking or forgetting it's there.
-
Here's my Aegis AT in the Forest & Moss color scheme. It's an unusual knife for a couple of reasons. SOG's patented Assisted Technology (AT) XR Lock gives you fast, easy, one-handed opening with either hand, and solid lock-up once its open. The 2 button blade release makes sure it won't accidentally close, but it's easy to close with your thumb and fingers of either hand. And it has an ambidextrous safety on the back of the handle. It's a rocker switch that won't let the knife open with the safety on. When you flip the safety off you can use it as a thumbrest. The blade is 3.1" long, 1/10" too long for me to carry into the township, so I put it in my first aid kit in the Yukon. I'll always have a good sharp knife in there, along with the scissors and bandages and stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj2gi5WCUXQ&t=1s
-
I bought an AD-15 LITE from Cold Steel. It's a more affordable version of the AD-15 designed by Andrew Demko. They also have an AD-10 LITE, a more affordable version of the AD-10 designed by Andrew Demko, along with regular production model AD-15 and AD-10 knives. All of them are a fraction of the price of the custom versions he makes. The Tri-Ad lock of the AD-10 can support hundreds and hundreds of pounds of weight on the handle before it fails. I've been looking for a video and finally found it, where Andrew Demko explains how precise the lock has to be made, and why he came up with the Scorpion lock of the AD-15. It's about halfway through the second video. Inventing new kinds of locks is what he likes to do, and he came up with something that's an improvement of the Tri-Ad lock.
I'm including pictures of the AD-10, AD-10 LITE, AD-15, and AD-15 LITE. The descriptions of the pictures include the prices at Cold Steel. My AD-15 LITE and Large Luzon are my fidget toys. I've been carrying the SOG Escape FL. The 3" blade is the maximum I dare carry, and I like the long straight edge. They call it a sheepsfoot blade but it's not even close to being that. It's more like a Wharncliffe blade. I'll post some more knives next week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_YLx2jieFM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpAT60YSrZY
-
I bought a Colt Limited Edition Buck Bantam Knife in the recent bunch. Here are pictures of an identical size Buck 284 Bantam Knife so you can get a better look at it. It's a nice little knife with a 2 3/4" blade.
-
I couldn't remember the name of this knife, and unlike most of them it doesn't have the name on the blade. I couldn't find the cardboard blister pack either and finally had to look up my order at Midway. It's a Gerber EVO Jr. with a plain edge. It came with a $10 Mullet multi-tool free. This was one of the hardest opening knives I ever owned until I loosened up the pivot screw. Now I can flip it open with the flipper, but still can't with the thumb studs. The handle is too tiny to hold onto and get any traction to push against. I may put some non-skid tape on it because the steel handles are so slippery. I watched a YouTube video of a guy testing a half dozen of these $10 and less mini mult-tools. and the Mullet came out the winner in his opinion.
-
I completely forgot about the Browning Patriot EDC knife and Cold Steel Verdict knife I bought. They were in a cardboard box with a bunch of the other knives. The Browning Patriot has a 2 7/8" blade which is ideal for me when I need a sub-3" blade, which is most of the time I go anywhere. It's a spring-assisted flipper and a frame lock. This has to be one of the easiest opening knives I've ever owned. The blade is D2 tool steel and the knife was unfortunately was made in China.
-
My Cold Steel Verdict is the Clip Point - FDE version. They also have a nice looking spear point and a tanto, and all 3 blade style come with both black and FDE glass-filled nylon handles. The 3-inch blade is stonewashed 4116 stainless steel. I believe that's Krupp steel from Germany, or made to the same formula. It has the super-sturdy Tri-Ad lock. There are some Verdict knives with black blades that cost almost double the price of the other Verdicts. They have AUS-10 Japanese stainless steel and G10 handles. Other than materials they're the same. Other than being completely different they're the same thing. :)
Here's mine, a black spear point, and a more expensive version of a tanto.
I forgot to mention, it's made in Taiwan which isn't as bad as China. And it's a mid-lock instead of a liner-lock or frame-lock. I don't have to stick my thumb in front of the blade as I press against it. Hardly any knives I've bought in the last couple of years were lock-backs or mid-locks. And the handle is big enough for me to put my thumb on the generously sized stud and control the blade so I can ease it open.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vn_iWyLzhQ
-
Although not new by any means, it's even been discontinued, I've only recently started wearing one of my Cold Steel tanto blade Para Edge neck knives. The blade is 3" long right to the hilt, which isn't how most blades are measured. They typically only measure the sharpened portion of the edge, which is only 2 5/8". Sometimes when I buy knives on sale I buy 2 of them like I did with these. It seems like it would be easy to lose, and I have a spare.
P.S. The blade is AUS 6A steel and the knives are made in Japan. The handles are Kraton synthetic rubber. Pretty good quality for what they are. The tanto is the heaviest one a 1.4 ounces.
-
I found an online ad for them where they're out of stock, and I found a Cold Steel catalog online from 1999 or thereabout. The knife is only sharpened on one side, the left side, which is great for left-handed people. Nearly every knife you see for sale that's only sharpened on one side will be sharpened on the left side so it looks good when a right handed person holds it. But it's sharpened on the wrong side for them to use most effectively. You want the flat side of the blade to go straight down when you cut, and the angled side to push things away on your strong side. Like when you're chopping vegetables, you want them going away from you. I remember seeing knives for sale once that you could order with the bevel on the left or right, so whether you were right or left-handed, you could have the proper side sharpened, or have the wrong side sharpened so it looks good when you hold it and show it off.
All of the Para Edge knives have a piece of para cord or some other type of cord for the sheath but mine has a black steel bead necklace. It's a plain old dog tag chain except it's black, and it took me awhile to figure out why mine is different. I put the dog tag chain on it several years ago and forgot all about it. If someone grabs hold of that cord around your neck they can strangle you to death. If they grab hold of a dog tag chain and pull on it, it won't feel very good, but it will break before you can be strangled with it. I don't know what the breaking strength is but I know I've broken them by accident when I was in the army.