Simple small red-handled Victorinox scout knife something something as an EDC (it is usually in my back bag) but for other stuff (more serious use), a ZT0452CF (on the right in the picture). It is built like a tank and has very nice ergos and size.
what do you guys use for pocket knives?
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Keith Sinclair
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I bought JKI 6K diamond stone late last year for hard to sharpen stainless & other steels found in folders. Had the 1K stone for years used it for many things including garden tools.
Yesterday sharpened 3 folders Older Hap 40, Para 2, & Endela K390.
Hap 40 sharpened quite a few times in past.
Para 2 M4 steel was sharp OOTB have been using it hiking every week. The Endela K390 not as sharp OOTB have used it as well first time sharpening these two blades. All with just the 1K - 6K diamond stones.
Thinned a little behind the edge with 1K slightly lifting off stone after each stroke. Esp. with diamond stone at low angles don't want to scratch blade face. Then cut in micro bevel with 1K. That stone cuts a micro well.
No need to lift off stone at higher micro angle.
Than move to 6K refining the micro bevel with higher grit. Than refining it more using very light pressure at same angle can hardly feel burr, easy to remove with light lateral stroke. Was pleased to find the the 6K diamond acts like regular higher grit stones using light pressure to refine to a very sharp edge.
The Para 2 was able to get edge little better than original. The K390 can safely say quite a bit better than original edge. Just using two JKI diamond stones. Of coarse none of these blades were really dull so starting at 1K was fine.
Hap 40
Para 2 M4 steel
Endela K390 steel
Yesterday sharpened 3 folders Older Hap 40, Para 2, & Endela K390.
Hap 40 sharpened quite a few times in past.
Para 2 M4 steel was sharp OOTB have been using it hiking every week. The Endela K390 not as sharp OOTB have used it as well first time sharpening these two blades. All with just the 1K - 6K diamond stones.
Thinned a little behind the edge with 1K slightly lifting off stone after each stroke. Esp. with diamond stone at low angles don't want to scratch blade face. Then cut in micro bevel with 1K. That stone cuts a micro well.
No need to lift off stone at higher micro angle.
Than move to 6K refining the micro bevel with higher grit. Than refining it more using very light pressure at same angle can hardly feel burr, easy to remove with light lateral stroke. Was pleased to find the the 6K diamond acts like regular higher grit stones using light pressure to refine to a very sharp edge.
The Para 2 was able to get edge little better than original. The K390 can safely say quite a bit better than original edge. Just using two JKI diamond stones. Of coarse none of these blades were really dull so starting at 1K was fine.
Hap 40
Para 2 M4 steel
Endela K390 steel
Skylar303
Wannabe Stone/Razor/Knife Enthusiasts
I picked up a few used leeks on auction that needed repair but blade was good. 
I liked carrying one of those at one point was my EDC. But nowadays I find myself with a good ole' Leatherman. I have more use for the attachments than just a blade.
My EDC Leatherman next to one I forgot I had and found in the drawer when I pulled my other ones out...
In my defense I bought them like 15 years ago and haven't had to switch yet. 2 old Swiss, classic was my pops. And my EDC Leek and a newer-ish one because it's special to me so I don't use that one.
And another older Leatherman. Forgot to add.
Edit - For anyone else it annoyed, I did go back and clean my greasy prints off the Leatherman before putting it away.
I liked carrying one of those at one point was my EDC. But nowadays I find myself with a good ole' Leatherman. I have more use for the attachments than just a blade.
My EDC Leatherman next to one I forgot I had and found in the drawer when I pulled my other ones out...
In my defense I bought them like 15 years ago and haven't had to switch yet. 2 old Swiss, classic was my pops. And my EDC Leek and a newer-ish one because it's special to me so I don't use that one.
And another older Leatherman. Forgot to add.
Edit - For anyone else it annoyed, I did go back and clean my greasy prints off the Leatherman before putting it away.
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Keith Sinclair
Senior Member
Those Ken Onion design leeks have been around a long time. I have found the sharp pointy tip very useful for carry blade.
Keith Sinclair
Senior Member
Have a swiss army that open bottles of beer with
the flat screwdriver part serves to open stubborn pasticcio shells.
the flat screwdriver part serves to open stubborn pasticcio shells.Acidfly
Active Member
This one came back to me after I had given up on it, for the second time now. Here's to hoping this is the last time I misplace it.
Yeah, don't go losing that one. They'll never make them again.
Jess Horn is a legend and his custom's are gorgeous and of course, now highly sought after.
It's the flat ground version that Spyderco ended up not selecting for their maker collab line (they took the hollow ground one). I'd feel bad for how I use it, if it wasn't so perfect for the task that it feels custom designed. I'll give it a true refresh/refurbish once I feel a little bit more confident in some of my skills with the intent to keep it that way going forward.
Now through 6/9, Laguiole Imports is running a 10% off sale with code FLASH10.
https://www.laguiole-imports.com/
https://www.laguiole-imports.com/
Keith Sinclair
Senior Member
With those price in upgraded handles. I like the black horn clean & nice contrast to the steel liners & pins.
I've stayed off the Benchmade train for so long but this saddle mountain skinner felt so good in-hand. I got the S30V one, discounts+dividend from REI made it far more palatable.
boomchakabowwow
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i have one Benchmade fixed blade and it is the 200 Puukko. i have it so sharp, and it is a great hunting knife. sheath sucks, so i have a kydex for it.
my "knife-Life" thing has run it's course. thankfully. i just want to keep a few users around and call it good. i am almost tempted to sell my Carothers, which took me almost 2 years to find (at a regular price)
my "knife-Life" thing has run it's course. thankfully. i just want to keep a few users around and call it good. i am almost tempted to sell my Carothers, which took me almost 2 years to find (at a regular price)
I got this Benchmade 945 Mini Osborne for $40 from a friend who won it in a raffle. I can’t see myself paying full price on one of these but it’s still a very nice daily carry.
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NotAddictedYet
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Nice knife! Sadly with MSRP going up and up that's really the way to get Benchmade nowadays. Raffle, used, pawn shops or the rare sales from retailer. Love my mini bugout.
boomchakabowwow
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$40??!!! wow. (i'll give you $50?
)
I had a benchmade mini griptilian but found I prefer a full-size handle, so I gave it to my son
most days I've been carrying both of these
the osborne 940 required quite a lot of thinning behind the edge
most days I've been carrying both of these
the osborne 940 required quite a lot of thinning behind the edge
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Yeah agreed, overpriced msrp these days but still good knives if you find them at the right price.
I like the bugout too. I haven’t tried the mini but I have a full size with some applied weapons tech scales and it’s great.
Lol I was surprised too. We were at a charity golf event and I could tell he wasn’t stoked on winning the knife so I offered what cash I had on me for it. He gladly took it and spent the cash at the bar and I got the knife for cheap. Win win!$40??!!! wow. (i'll give you $50?
Just bought another one from JE Made, his Gunstock slipjoint in S35VN, pretty cool
Finally replaced my ~20 year old Delica in AUS-6c with this. Boxes and tape watch out!
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The problem with being a kitchen knife enthusiast, and getting pocket knives, is that you have a kind of distinctive angle on things. I didn't fully appreciate my burly Hinderer XM-18 Wharncliffe until I had knocked off the shoulders and thinned it down some. Now I love it, but I have to wonder whether I'm not quite appreciating something I'm supposed to appreciate.
I really am not a huge fan of how thick behind the edge almost all folding knives are currently.
I feel like we are still in the aftereffects of the "overbuilt" phase that was popular with that.
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Unfortunately for a lot of really thin stuff you gotta go custom. There are some decently thin productions though. I believe the chap is 8-9 thou btw, shiros are consistently around 12...but yeah your average pm2, sebenza, Benchmade is decently thick out the box. I have gotten many knives reground by friends which have made them way better
Civivi did one of the more recent ones that is like 8 thou. I can never remember the name but. The geometry is among the best out there for edc stuff. Though i guess thats not saying much lol.
My pm2 out of the box geometry was like 25 thousandths.
I blame all the “toughness” testing guy, yeah I buy a folding knife to cut tapes, boxes and apples, don’t care about stabbing into a steel plate, no Lynn Thompson I’m not interested in triad lock
Some people use pocket knives like pry-bars, badly chip or break them - and then complain all over the world wide web how poor the knife is and how their claim was not accepted.
Plus it is much harder to grind a thin blade than a thick one.
With that said - I also tend to regrind some of my pocket knives for a better cutting and worse prying performance.
Plus it is much harder to grind a thin blade than a thick one.
With that said - I also tend to regrind some of my pocket knives for a better cutting and worse prying performance.
All true, but also kind of funny that in the olden days of lockless slipjoints made out of 1095 and the like they tended to be very thin and great cutters. Somehow with the invention of locks on folders people decided these are fixed blades or pry bars or metal cutting tools or screwdrivers. Somehow the culture of using knives for cutting morphed into using knives for everything else making them bad cutters in the process.
Yeah. When typing the reply mentioning the overbuilt thing. This is exactly what i had in mind.
A lot of the older knives had much thinner blades. They managed to make it work.
Also the civivi i mentioned. I cant remember the exact price, but. Im 99% sure its under $100.
The only real reason i think the makers went that direction is what be said about people misusing the knives, then complaining. Or claiming them on warranty.
