OTF Knife Question

[Jv22]

Does that mean you don't carry a high standard? Inquiring minds need to know

Hi standards, Hi powers, Hi points, they're all the same, right @solv3nt ??

 

[Member 34319]

I've seen plenty of knives I question the $$$ on. Out the fronts aren't the most expensive, just different. $300 for a knife isn't a lot for some.

I'm honestly contemplating a leather man right now that is $80, which is about $40 more than I'd be willing to spend. So $$$ means different things to different people when it comes to different things.

 

[Jv22]

I've seen plenty of knives I question the $$$ on. Out the fronts aren't the most expensive, just different. $300 for a knife isn't a lot for some.

I'm honestly contemplating a leather man right now that is $80, which is about $40 more than I'd be willing to spend. So $$$ means different things to different people when it comes to different things.

And you're totally right. You have to decide what's a good knife for you, for what you intend to use it for and price it accordingly. Unless you have gobs of Covid Cash and its burning holes in your pocket

 

[Member 34319]

And you're totally right. You have to decide what's a good knife for you, for what you intend to use it for and price it accordingly. Unless you have gobs of Covid Cash and its burning holes in your pocket

If you got at least 1 kid, the government pays for a $300 knife each month!

 

[Kruel J]

There's something to be said about saving up for quality over buying every cheap POS that comes along. This holds true to many things we talk about here at NWFA.

"I can't afford a $300 knife or a $500 red dot. But look at all these $40 knives I have and $100 red dots I got on Amazon".

 

[oldcorpgunny]

I can no longer use my OTF because the slide button is too difficult to push with my arthritic old thumbs. So it's back to my K-bar

 

[Jv22]

I can no longer use my OTF because the slide button is too difficult to push with my arthritic old thumbs. So it's back to my K-bar

I'm sorry buddy, which OTF is it ? I have some with stiff springs on the button and others are loose and sloppy

 

[Captain O]

A good OTF can be a serviceable knife. If it has a tight lockup, good steel, and a reliable firing mechanism (solid construction).

1. Good steel (D2) or better.
2. A tight lockup (minimal blade movement) when either closed or open.

The most important is...

3. Solid construction. Durability under hard use makes all the difference in both price and value.

If you have all three, the knife should perform as well as any other folding knife. If you are missing one of these elements, the "weakest link" will fail at the most inopportune of times. If you want an excellent OTF, you'll wind up spending $300.00+ for it. but it is like any other tool. If you buy the best, it won't let you down when you need it most.

 

[Jv22]

Also, we all keep talking about our knives but we haven't seen many Pics? Here's a couple of mine. Mont Blanc pencil for size reference (and added class ofcourse)


Edit- Yes apparently I love the Tanto style of blades. And yes the two on the right are cheapy's

 

[Captain O]

"I have some with stiff springs on the button and others are loose and sloppy."

Don't drag my sister-in-law into this!

 

[Kruel J]

I can no longer use my OTF because the slide button is too difficult to push with my arthritic old thumbs. So it's back to my K-bar

Funny enough, I figured out I needed ulnar nerve relocation surgery when I couldn't operate my Infidel.

 

[oldcorpgunny]

I'm sorry buddy, which OTF is it ? I have some with stiff springs on the button and others are loose and sloppy

It's a Chinese copy of a microtechnology.

 

[thorborg]

I have an old HK I would not have paid the 200 + price but my wife saw me handling it on several occasions and bought it for my birthday many years ago. turns out it is worth the price. Both edge retention and smoothness of action and slide.

 

[Captain O]

I have an old HK I would not have paid the 200 + price but my wife saw me handling it on several occasions and bought it for my birthday many years ago. turns out it is worth the price. Both edge retention and smoothness of action and slide.
View attachment 1061886

The perfect blade profile and made by Benchmade. Today, that blade would cost north of $400.00

 

[Hawaiian]

Guns, knives, tools, electronics, and a bunch of other stuff. Buy what you like and buy the very best that you can afford. Buy quality and only cry once.

 

[Captain O]

I stopped buying crap a long time ago. "Click therapy" is fun, but a strong, well-made automatic folder (either side-opening or OTF) can be a great "working tool". Look up the Buck110 Automatic in S30V steel and you'll see precisely what I mean. Gerber also puts out a wonderful 06 side-opening Auto that's good for either hunting or tactical use. The selection of blade profile (with, or without serrations) will determine the purpose of the knife.

It is that simple.

 

[Member 53328]

I am a fan of fixed blades. No mechanical moving parts, springs, ect.

 

[Captain O]

I am a fan of fixed blades. No mechanical moving parts, springs, ect.

That's all well and good. I like a nice KaBar USN Mark 1 Deck Knife to use as a good hunting blade. You must admit modern automatics aren't your granddaddy's "toad stabbers". The Italian Stiletto blades (as well as the Fairbairn-Sykes British Commando Knife) are great "tactical" (battle/killing) implements. The modern automatic MUST be a "multi-purpose" tool.

(BTW, the original USN Mark 1 Deck Knife was based on a 1926 hunting knife pattern). It was adopted in 1942 and manufactured by at least seven knifemakers. IMHO, the modern Kabar USN Mark 1 with a synthetic grip is just about the perfect "basic" hunting knife. It has just about everything you need (The 1095 Chromium-Vanadium steel handles just about everything you can throw at it).

When I was a "salty sailor" they were phasing the old Mark 1 out and replacing it with the Mark 2. As a "deck knife" (opening packages, cutting line, and other general deck chores, the original Mark 1 was hard to beat. It still is. The old Mark 1 still "punches above its weight" in the hunting field, acquitting itself rather well. (Not bad for a 90+-year-old pattern, eh)?

Aside from that, the automatic folder had its place on my father's hip holster. Alongside his old Fishtail Picklock sat a marlinspike with an adjustable-end wrench silver-soldered at the top. 90% of the time, this combination served his needs quite well. (And this was from the 1930s until he retired from the Navy in June of 1956).

Don't tell me that he didn't know what he was doing from 1936 through 1956. He was one of the original "Frogmen" (Underwater Demolition Team) members. He survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, (by a hair's breadth) WWII, and the Korean Conflict. A man has to rely on the equipment that works. All of us "Bluejackets" knew this and it helped us survive.

Modern automatic knives have exceeded those of the old knives and have been battle-proven for more than a decade. You can believe me when I tell you the equipment has improved with the times. Gerber's 06 Automatic recently celebrated a decade of service both at home and abroad. Best of all, it is made in Oregon with Premium S30V steel.

Time marches on.