I bought a bunch of knives

[Big Frank]

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.

[Big Frank]

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.

[Big Frank]

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

[Big Frank]

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

[Big Frank]

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.

[Sponsor]

[Big Frank]

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.

[Big Frank]

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. 

[Big Frank]

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

[Big Frank]

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.

[Big Frank]

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.