The Cutlery Shoppe

[Guest Robert]

Yeah, it's the sharpest knife right out of the box I have ever seen.

Kershaw makes another model that's about a half inch smaller than the Blur, but looks just like it. I think it's called the Leak. Ken Onion designs all these. I might get one of those too, but not with another tanto blade. I want one with a standard blade, unserrated preferably.

Edited September 25, 2010 by Robert

[Guest Robert]

Here it is. There are dozens of varieties of the Leek knife. I want this one.

http://www.amazon.com/Kershaw-Onion-Black-Folding-Knife/dp/B0009VC9ZE/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=IPQ4ZS7HAMIPD&colid=4YM7MN1Q469I

[Guest RedRatSnake]

Very nice design and very pointy ~

[Guest]

So I'm looking for a recommendation here from someone who wants the best all purpose knife they can get for under 50 bucks.

I mean a kind of knife that will do all the "knifey" things that someone could reasonably expect to do if they had to go it alone in the wild for a while.

I have a large "for show" knife that I wear as a warning when I'm in the woods, but I want something that wouldn't need sharpening for a while and will still get the job done.

I want a recommendation on the best all purpose knife you know of. It doesn't have to be a folder. The under 50 bucks is just a best case reality check. Then I can buy two!

[Guest]

Well Pez, there are two knives from Gerber that I really like. One is called the Epic and is MSRP at around 55 bucks. The other is called the LMF. That one is MSRP at around 140 bucks. Just realize that if you look around online or in stores, you can often find knives for 25 to 30% less than MSRP.

The Epic I've not actually had the opportunity to play with, but its gotten some great reviews. Just ignore the silly built-in bottle opener on the butt end.

Now the LMF I have played around with. Its a great knife. Well thought out design and well built. Great fit and finish as well.

A pet peeve of mine are crummy sheaths. Ive seen some rather pricey fixed blades where it almost seems like the sheath was an afterthought. Cheap, thin leather. Not very secure. Uncomfortable to wear.

Not so with the LMF. The model I encountered came with a ballistic nylon sheath that was well built and held the knife very firmly.

For around a hundred bucks, you cant go wrong. They also make a variety of color combinations to suit your unique tastes.

Here they are.

http://www.gerbergear.com/index.php/product/id/423[/img]

http://www.gerbergear.com/index.php/product/id/139[/img]

Edited September 25, 2010 by DevouredbyVermn

[Guest]

So I'm looking for a recommendation here from someone who wants the best all purpose knife they can get for under 50 bucks.

I mean a kind of knife that will do all the "knifey" things that someone could reasonably expect to do if they had to go it alone in the wild for a while.

I want a recommendation on the best all purpose knife you know of. It doesn't have to be a folder. The under 50 bucks is just a best case reality check. Then I can buy two!

Benchmade 551 Griptilian Knife $85...treat youself, spend the extra $35 and buy the last knife you'll ever purchase.

[Guest]

My constant companion whenever I'm in the woods.

[Guest]

A Ka-Bar is another good choice. Personally, I'd go with one of the Zytel handled models. Check out the website, they offer the Becker series of knives as well. I had the opportunity to try out the Campanion model and it's a great all around knife.

If I can just throw this out there. I would always suggest that you actually handle a knife before you buy it.

Some knives just dont fit right or feel right for some people.

I've heard people say that they bought a knife thru a catalog or from an online store, and when they got it, there was just something about it that they didn't like, so they never used it. Shame to have a good blade sitting in a drawer somewhere unused.

I myself am guilty of this. I bought a Buck Nighthawk a few years back, and when I got it, I just didn't like the fit of it in my hand. I found the handle too short. So, I gave it away to a relative and he loves it.

Try gun shops, sporting goods stores, gunshows, or hunting and fishing expos. All of these will usually have a variety of knives that you can try out.

Good luck finding yourself a new knife, and let us know what you end up with.

I've posted this info before in a couple other places, but I'll throw it out here as well.

There's a product that I use on all my cutlery as well as my guns that does a great job in protecting against rust as well as making the cleaning of your gun a snap. It's called Mili-Tec. It's basically a metal conditioner.

I was sent a small bottle and I used it on my .45 and I can't say how much I love this stuff.

My pistol is stainless. I'd go to the club and dump a bunch of rounds thru it. I'd then have to come home and use a brass brush to clean off the fouling on the slide, barrel, and barrel bushing.

I put this Mili-Tec stuff on the gun, went to the club, and when I came home I was able to essentially wipe all the fouling right off.

You put this product on your gun, and do some shooting. The heat bonds it to the metal. It lubricates as well as helps make cleanup a snap.

For use on cutlery just put a couple of drops on the blade and spread it around the entire thing. Then just use a hair dryer to heat it up. Wipe off the excess and there you are. No rust, and anything you get on the blade will wipe right off.

At work I carry a small folder that takes regular utility knife blades. As you know, they will rust. I tried this Mili-Tec stuff on one of the blades. After about a month of carrying this thing everyday at work, there was no rust on the blade when I finally had to change it after it got dull.

[Guest]

Hey thanks for the recommendations guys! I'll check em out for sure!

[Guest watch1]

I have used knives of all types for work and skinning game down through the years. As for folding pocket knife that is light weight and slim, I carry my Schrade USA SP2. You can still find them on Ebay from time to time. It's just a nice feeling handy little lockback pocket knife.

I bought a few of those inexpensive "rough rider" knifes. They come super sharp and seem to be a well made knife of 440 steel. I haven't used them much but they seem to hold an edge pretty well.

I think Case makes some good knives but is over rated. I only like lockback or fixed blades and Case is limited in the lockback production.

I got interested in Damascus steel after learning there were a few folks making Alabama damascus steel Knives. Working with damascus steel is a true art and makes some beautiful knives.

http://www.damascusknife.com/knifpage.htm

True "Damascus" steel is hard to find. The art was almost lost and even today they are still looking into the just how and what was used to make true damascus steel like they did in the past.

The damascus steel just has a different look and feel from any other knife steel and many hand made knife makers and even a few production well known makers like Case and Boker make damascus knives.

Here is just one of the many makers of handmade damascus knives: http://www.pridgencustomknives.com/gallery.htm

One you see and feel damascus steel you will know why it was prized by those that used it in the past.

Just watch out for that cheap India/Pakistan so called damascus steel.

Mike (watch1)

[masterbarber]

[Guest Robert]

Masterbarber, isn't that a chef's knife for carving a roast?

Those are all good recommendations. I really like the Kershaw knives right now. I paid $60 for the Blur. It's about the right size for an all around good knife, with a 3&3/4 inch blade there isn't much you can't do with it.

For the best all around cutting, shaping, clamping, snipping, etc. tool you need to get a multitool, like a Gerber Black Diesel. It's about $53 and if it's good enough for the military to use, it's good enough for anybody.

http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-22-01545-Diesel-Multi-Plier-Sheath/dp/B000EDVU2K

[Guest]

Hey folks, had to throw in my 2 cents. The top knife is my daily carry Kershaw automatic knife, SHARP! The second one down is a new older Kershaw Ken Onion design. The bottom knife is an SOG Flash Tanto I carried for years til I got the Kershaw automatic.

Well sory folks, once again it seems I can't post pics but they are all great knives!

Edited September 25, 2010 by MarkMc

[Huntster]

For skinning bigfeet and other critters I've gone away from the folders. I found it getting tougher and tougher to get them clean afterwards. The fixed blades clean up quickly and easily.

I also found this design to be absolutely wonderful:

The gut hook also works extremely well on the initial cut down the inside of legs, which I used to find to be a PIA with a blade. The gut hook makes it a single movement operation down each leg.

For head and face skinning (turning eyes, nose, and lips), I actually prefer cheap, flexible paring blade:

Like a fish filet knife, the thinner and more flexible the blade, the better.

For skinning the little guys (weasels, martens, etc), it's time for an X-Acto knife:

For hacking out the brush around a dead moose, I use this machete:

Edited September 25, 2010 by Huntster

[Huntster]

Has anybody found a small, easy to use field sharpener that will put a 25 degree edge on a blade?

I use a Lansky to sharpen my blades, but it's not practical when in the field working on an animal as large as a moose in the brush. Most of the quickie sharpeners I've tried suck.