the problem with the tester is that the speed you use is the biggest factor, you have to go as slow as possible to get the most accurate results, and everyone is going to do a different speed even the same person could. imho you shouldnt trust anyone you see using it but its a great way to check your own edges. not that you cant use them for reasons in videos, but you really need to trust the user
@NeevesKnives Exactly Jerad!!! Well said. I have always thought the same thing. No one could possibly use the exact same pressure/speed every single time and every person would be using different amounts of pressure/speed also.
I've used the corkscrew to screw the knife into the toilet door of more than one dive bar where the coat hook's gone missing. Also as a wedge between the door and the jamb when the lock's missing too 😂 Needless to say, don't do this to a nice door - but I happen to enjoy the class of establishments where this would just be considered "adding character".
Corkscrew makes a great crud scraper, on things like the edges of phone screens and stuff. It's not so sharp that it'll damage the item, but it's sharp enough that it'll be able to get whatever you want out.
Besides untying knots & opening wines and the obvious we use the cork screw as a holder for a laser pointer, magnetic rod, a small tube of sanitizer (fire starter). We also use it for pulling out plugs (plastic or wood), mostly as a scriber when in the fields. We were taught how to use it to tell time & as a compass. There must be other usages but we're just learning. Cheers from Australia.
You should drop a special card into each of the boxes (or sign each of the boxes) of the knives you show, sell them as the “DCA Special, as seen on TH-cam.”
Thanks, as always, Thomas and Mr. Andersen. The corkscrews on my SAKs (and my Ruike multi-knife) come in handy for a number of really specific things, including the ones you've mentioned. 1) Bottles that have a really small opening, created by a plastic insert to the mouth of the bottle, can be VERY annoying. Corkscrew pops that sucker right out and allows a more free flow of whatever is in the bottle. 2) I also find them to be helpful paracord tools, not only for untying, but also as anchors to hold one end taut while working on another part of the weave/lanyard.3) Last but not least, corkscrews also turn out to be very useful for pressing tiny, recessed reset buttons on certain cable modems.
For my bearings, if I’m not disassembling the knife, I flush with rubbing alcohol. It works well to break down crud. Then just let it dry and use some kpl only if necessary. The pivot oil will attract dirt so use conservatively.
Doesn't sound too bad. A lot of companies use bearings in nylon cages which I was worried about at first, but turns out Nylon is pretty resistant to it. I wouldn't use acetone as a quick substitution though, it can mess those cages up, and a fair amount of handle scale materials.
I use my SAK corkscrew to help manipulate split rings. The knife blade might be damaged, and the flat head screwdriver is too blunt, so the corkscrew is the way to go.
As a recently retired dentist, I used handpieces with lube-free ceramic bearings for nearly 30 years. The easiest and most thorough way to clean those bearings, IMO, was to soak them in 100% ethanol (think Everclear). The next best was 91% Isopropyl alcohol (readily available at grocery stores and pharmacies). I usually soaked them for 10-15 minutes and swirled the small beaker periodically. Then rinsed well with distilled water (cover the drain with a gauze pad or paper towel.) They came out clean and restored the speed of the handpiece to its original 430,000 rpms. I NEVER applied lubricant. The manufacturer of the ceramic bearings cautioned against it. If it worked for my high speed handpieces, it will certainly work for knife bearings. CAUTION...make sure your bearing race can withstand the alcohol!
430,000 rpm is nothing like the speed that knives bearings go. That is a bonkers high speed. A 14" small car tire on a car going 100mph only spins at about 7500 rpm. The quality of bearings does change things, a lot. The kind of bearing also matters. Most bearings are made to be lubricated with either oil or heavy grease. This also could be good or bad for attracting more dirt and grime from outside, or affect corrosion.
don’t forget the Mike from TA Outdoors tip about the corkscrew! you can saw hard-to-reach branches by screwing the cork of a multitool with a saw blade into the end of a sturdy enough stick and affixing the waggly end of the tool with some paracord!
I use the corkscrew on a SAK for removing the pit of an avocado, which I eat a lot. I also store a small size paperclip in it, which has lots of uses, especially since it's disposable so you can bend it up. Small size paperclips fit perfectly in there if you put it in right.
Ah the corkscrew! Even if I never used it, I’d still love it just because, to me, it’s so iconic. But, I do use it…quite often for: getting crud out from under my fingernails, pulling out staples, starting holes in wood or drywall (just did this once, but it worked), hold my little eyeglass screwdriver, general crud removal in tiny crevices, popping balloons (just because it’s fun), and as a fidgeting thing. And yes, mostly use it to untie knots and open the very occasional bottle of wine.
For flushing out a flolder in the cleaning process, I take mine into the bathroom and use my waterpik on high to wash all the crude out. Follow with compressed air to blow all the remaining water out and lube if you want. On that note, how about a discussion on lubes for knives? Thanks a million - really enjoy the videos John
As for the lanyard, you can make it even more "quick release " by adding a carabiner that can be attached to a belt loop, pack, or just about anything with a loop. 👍
Hey everyone, enjoy the show as always, i'm in need of a small fixed blade knife as a companion to my Esee 6 that i use for camping, bushcraft and bugout practice, what i really need is something with a thinner profile 2.5" to 3.5" blade for easier cutting than a large knife, $200 max budget.
I agree with the BESS testers. Most folks find a decently consistent way to test knives, and the numbers vary a bit, but by and large they're consistent enough for someone to gauge their knives to themselves. The way anyone else does it though, won't transfer to your own setup and experience. The tension difference on the cutting media (unless you use the clips), how fast you shove the blade through (slower is better)... there's too many variables to empirically measure the absolute sharpness of an edge with it though. It's a great way to gauge your progress when you're learning freehand sharpening though. It's funny, I use Tuf Glide mostly as a solvent for tape glue and the corrosion coating for storage. Usually use some light weight pivot oils for lubricity applications though.
15:56 To hold the micro screw driver of course haha! Besides pulling corks. And you can also kind of make do to use is as a parcel hook, but parcels don't have strings anymore, so there is that. lol
Fungibility is the ability of a good or asset to be readily interchanged for another of like kind. Fudge-able refers to variability or ability to invent or adjust results. You're welcome! 😊
The data cutting can be easily analyzed statistically. That's the proper way to evaluate your data. If you are comparing one knive to another, a simple t test can be used, available in most spreadsheets. If you want to compare 3 knives, you can use a simple ANOVA, also usually available in most spreadsheets. Pretty simple really and used by scientists around the world.
For the lanyard question, nite ize has this tether which is a stretchy coil with 2 s-biners. Might be worth it to check out. I've connected it to flashlights and other things that I'm worried might fall out due a bad pocket clip.
Mineral oil is the best! Also for cleaning! (I use Ballistol, it's not clear colored, so maybe it has extra stuff to deal with cleaning and treating wood.😱) Question: Is that so? ^^
Hey DCA, I was watching some older-ish videos and I caught the one showcasing the bowker double detent barlow flipper. I was wondering if there are more knives out there with the classic slip joint designs/patterns that are now available with the "modern convenience's" i.e. one handed opening, pocket clip, fidget friendly and with or without locks. Love the channel, keep up the good work!
You said empirical but I think you meant dispositive. Those measurements are empirical, because they are objectively verifiable real data. They just have a high degree of variance, and a decent amount of that variance can be impacted by the operator. I think you did a great job getting your point across. The more repeatable a result the better the data is. And you started off with the correct example of that. If you did this 5 times you'd get five different results.
Id love a good Fixed blade that is a happy middle ground. something that mixes the tops el pionero and maybe civivi propugnator(maybe this is the knife I'm looking for). It's an urban survival knife. it can help cook, open boxes, and be self defense if the needs arise. But might also be good for camping/ bush crafting. A Jack of all trades master of none type knife that is a good 1 time purchase until I could afford to get more specialized knives. Thank you if you tackle this lengthy question. If not thank you for what you do.
DCA On the topic of sharpness, I have seen statements that a leather strop - if used with a heavy hand - could actually round over the edge. Thinking about this, I wonder if using micro-film lapping film on a solid back (ie, 3M lapping film with a self-adhesive back) applied to say a WorkSharp Ceramic stone would work as well as well, if not better than the WorkSharp leather hone - you can get the film in 0.3micron as is the compound on the WorkSharp strop?? Second question is about strops, your video only talked about the classic compounds - green/black/etc. Why not mention the diamond compound option, especially for the hard super steels? Thanks a ton in advance - keep up the great work on the videos - John
I like to jog off the beaten path. I was wondering if you have a knife and sheath combo that straps around the ankle and wouldn’t be to cumbersome? 4-5 inches, fixed blade, between $100-$200. Thank you! Awesome content as well! Y’all all stay well!
Option (A) wheel grinder in the basement, option (B) a stone by the sink in the kitchen, or option (C) a work sharp in the living room while watching TH-cam videos.
With all the different steels available now on the PM2 what would you consider as the best choice for a EDC not hard use option? I Mostly use my knife for opening things and food prep.
Hi DCA, I just got a ZT0652TI and love it. However, I'm more used to carrying knives with a 3 to 3.25 inch blade. Are there any alternatives in that size range that have the same feel/features in that size range? If under $200, even better.
Hi DCA, Can I ask if steel hardness is a limiting factor for how sharp a knife can get? For example, given the same sharpening process with same angle of the edge and grind type, will a steel type hardened to RC 62-63 always be sharper than a steel type for which the maximum hardness is RC 58-59? Or can every steel type be sharpened to approximately the same degree, and then it's just a matter of how long the edge will hold its sharpness? Hope it makes sense, as I'm fully aware of the multitude of factors determining the properties of the various steel types. Thanks for great content, always enjoy watching your channel.
How about folding knives under $50 and $100 with flush mount, recessed screw pocket clips? Bonus for blockout plates in instances of reverse pocket clips.
I have a five knife collection - Deka Hogue (Magnacut), Ketuo Triad (M390), Reate EXO-M (Elmax), Manix 2 Stormtrooper (REX45), Civivi FG Vision (Nitro V) - what is the best degree angle to put on them for EDC tasks, nothing heavy duty just boxes, wrappers, and occasional fruit. Thank you and love the channel. I do own the plastic work sharp sharpener station but recently purchase DMT 6” sharpening stones.
For a lot of the higher end (powder metallurgy) steels that aren't going to be subject to crazy hard use, 15 degrees is my favorite. Mixed with a slicey blade geometry, that gives me an effortless feel through cardboard and ilk like a boxcutter blade, but the edge isn't too fragile for other materials should the need arise. I generally go up to 17 degrees for the good ingot steels like Nitro-V, 154CM, 14C28N and VG10. Nitro-V is a super tough steel, but the wear resistance is less than the PM steels, so having a touch more steel up to the apex seems to help me out a bit (I tell myself there's more material to wear away before I need to resharpen but I doubt there's truth to that). It's all subjective though. Some blade geometries are thicker for strength so those angles would be way too low. I'm also sure that some folks think that 15 degrees is too low in general. It's all about finding what you like. If you want to experiment before doing it to one of your more pricey knives, I'd suggest getting something like a stainless Opinel #6 or #8. They're under $20, it has 12C27 steel (lesser, but similar to Nitro-V) and has a very thin blade geometry similar to the Civivi FG Vision and Manix 2. You can try out all sorts of angles and varying grits of abrasives on that with little effort before you commit on your EDCs.
I recently lost my whole knife collection to a house fire and am looking at the daunting task of restarting from scratch. I know I still want to collect knives but every time i enter a store or go online the excitement to get a new knife is gone. 1. if you had to restart you whole collection on a very small budget, what knife would you pick up? 2. have you ever lost the "love" for collecting knives along your journey and if so how'd you bring it back. thanks. edit: I guess I should say that my favorite knife before the accident was a custom bugout with s90v and i really miss that knife but anytime i go to replace it seems to cost to much. or maybe it doesn't give me the same feeling my old one did. for whatever reason I cant seem to pull the trigger
Hi, DCA And Thomas.. I have been having a problem picking a pocket fixed blade because most of the best options have weak sheaths... What is your best ideas for a knife with a leather sheath or pocket slip if you will that stays attached to the pocket as I draw the knife from my pocket. Maybe a leather pocket sheath with an integrated ulti clip? Any help is much appreciated 👍 thanks for the videos I love them and look forward to them
I just got a Bear & Son Damascus Bowie, largely because I wanted a Damascus/pattern-welded blade, and it's my only forged blade. I love the beauty of the steel, but I'm wondering whether there is any performance advantage to this type of blade. Thanks in advance, and many thanks for your series.
Hey DCA and friends, I am a big fan of Chris Reeve folding knives like the Sebenza and Inkosi but I wish they made a knife with a liner lock. Are there any USA made knives with a liner lock and above 3 inch blades in the $200 to $400 price range that might fit the bill?
Way back in High School ( million years ago ).My buddy broke his key off in a VW bug IGN cylinder. Used my corkscrew to turn the cylinder and start the car. Not a Genius, I was cold and wanted to go home.
Heres my question. Can you recommend a good front pocket fixed blade? One that does not eat all your pocket space but still a three to four finger grip.
I use my wives sonic cleaner for her jewellery to clean my folders. Warm water a little detergent and let it do its thing. I’m always worried I won’t be able to get the knife back together. It’s always worked well so far.
If my tomatoes are squishy and I apply pressure on it with my chef knife like I would this tester, it would absolutely crush the tomato. However if I slice the tomato, it goes right through it and makes a clean cut. See where I’m going with this?
I am really not trying to be a salesperson spokesman or something, but I want to let you know that Ballistol also deals with rust nicely. You can also set it sit for a bit before you wipe it off. =) Because I really don't know if that clear mineral oil also does that. D:
Question for toughness in fixed blade. Please help. I'm looking to get one with great handle that can be used for long periods of time. Most importantly, I'm confused on what to get. Budget makes me look at 14c28n and then I can look at other stainless like 3V or AEBL, etc. Is 14c28n a good knife to look at? (Joker knives) or should I just bite the bullet and go with 3V? I want to be rough w it w out having it chip or snap. Just wanting it to be a work horse for bushcraft and jackassery. Not abusive. I don't care about edge for I can sharpen and really rely on a working edge. Looking at 4-5inch max (entertain me w shorter or longer options) and around $100-$180ish price range. Entertain me on a high end, too. Thanks guys!
Hello KnifeCenter crew, I want to pass down some knives and was wondering what might be some of the best handle materials to do so? I was thinking about micarta because it will absorb my hands oil in it. What are your thoughts? Would copper, brass, or snail trails from titanium be better? Thank you for all the contents!
Hey DCA! My brother lives in Hawaii and is really big into kayak fishing on the ocean and looking for a knife to carry to help dispatch fish after pulling them in the kayak. Do you have any recommendations and it would be a big bonus if it had a sheath and could be worn on the upper portion of the arm for easy access. Thanks
Hello DCA. Which of the various kinds of locking mechanisms used in folding knives do you consider to be the strongest and /or have the most rigid lockup? Thanks
Hey DCA, I have been thinking about purchasing a folding knife with a serrated edge so two part question, what steels are going to hold up the best and which companies make the best serrations. Thanks.
Speaking of OTFs, I am starting to get into them and I am wondering why aluminum is the predominant material for the chassis. I have seen a few dual materials, and only Benchmade with something with full nonmetal material, at least on the KC website. Is it a cost thing? Durability? Because Microtech does it?
Hey DCA, I’m looking for an old school slip joint style knife that has good walk and talk but doesn’t break the bank. Looking for something sub 150, thanks!
When you see someone running around with these sharpness measuring machines making vids with one cut using an unsteady hand, where people's reputations can be ruined, it's definitely not a good thing. It also makes me wonder if these same people actually calibrate their precision digital scales before they use them or take basic precautions to ensure best results (AC supply or fresh batteries, not having electronic devices next to a digital scale, allowing them to be in room temperature long enough if stored in a cold/hot place, or even ensuring that they're level).
Hey DCA, I found an old SAK that was sitting in a basement window sill for years. One of the handle scales was very faded. My question is, what, if any, handle materials are NOT affected by UV rays and won't fade? Thanks.
WD40 isn't designed as a lubricant. Sure the packaging says that, and it certainly can act like one. But its really just waxes and oils dissolved in a slow drying solvent that also has mild lubricating properties. The "danger" WSD40 poses is that the leftover film of oily waxes can adhere things together. Especially small, flat, tight tolerance parts that have lots of surface are in contact with each other. Guns and high end folding knives is what I'm saying. It will keep them from rusting, won't do anything irreversible, but it can cause problems. It's designed to prevent corrosion for a short period of time over an insane temperature range. Internal rocket components, as cold propellants and cold upper atmosphere combined with air friction heating, makes hard to prevent corrosion from water. Hard enough to require *40* different attempts to develop an effective Water Displacing film.
I would say never use WD-40 on any knife with plastic parts as WD -40 will break down plastic. I found that hard way with machines a lot of plastic and rubber part that designated slowly. Don't know what it does to handles but I would just use mineral oil. Question what do suggest for a person having trouble with sharping a longer knife of s35vn. I love freehand sharpening and I have no problem with any sub 4" any suggestions? Surious question what knife would the Theodore Roosevelt use as president. And if not Theodore then how about Ronald Reagan? And I am mad I want to see more mirror polished slip joints if they exist and what are thoughts on them in general... Okay i am not really mad but still interested. Edit: and I use the cork screws to clean ink under my finger nails.
Hey DCA! I never know how to present my Condor mini Duku to my friends: big knife, small machete, kind of a chopper? Can you clear the difference between those categories? Thx
Edge tester? That's what your off-hand thumb is for. Why do you think you have two thumbs? One to hold the knife and the other to test the edge (and to accidentally cut in my case).
Hi T & DCA! I’m looking for a premium, hollow grind, barlow knife. I love the “little bro jack” from Jack Wolf, but looking for something closer to the $150ish mark. A little higher or lower is fine. Any recommendations? 🙂
There are millions of case, frost, etc made for decades……so so much less expensive than Jack Wolf…..unless you want the pringles type can and cartoon patch…..really….super high quality nick knives with surgical sharp blades….if nick knives are your thing….or….or….just get a Spyderco maxamet knife and your great grandchildren might have to resharpen it….maybe :)
@KnifeCenter what are some knives with Magnacut blades that won't break the bank? Any under 100USD, any in the 100-200 price range and is there a grail knife you'd recommend?
@andyjaniszewski2130 thanks for the reply but I was asking about a traditional knife and not a multi-tool. I have a leatherman free p4 for work without a Magnacut blade and to be frank I don't really care for it as a designated knife, it's great in a pinch but if I can use a knife or any of the designated tools without my leatherman then that's what I do.
The need to be ( 1 atom ) sharp is nothing more than bragging rights. Real use sharpness is what matters. A “ dull “ blade may be better overall for a woodsman but not a surgeon. A woodsman will need one bode for 6 hours straight and a surgeon will use 10-30 blades in an hour.
I have always wondered if an edge tester will give you different numbers with different edge bevel on the same given blade geometry. All things being equal, I feel like a laid back bevel will give a lower number even if a broader bevel is the same or even sharper.
About the cleaver/chef knife question and Norway: Be aware of Norwegian knife laws. You need to have a good utilitarian reason to carry a knife in public here.
First in the Knife Community to actually say that WD-40 isn't a lub. Correct and I've had it pit D2 blades that were hanging in my shop for final assembly. It is band from my shop. Period! The Bess Test. It will give the relative sharpness for push cuts, but how often other than a Chef does one use a push cut? Hardly ever. It cannot measure the different sharpnesses in for insance differing micro teeth sizes and directions in steels with high carbides. Any of the high Vanadium steels for instance that cut faster, longer and stay sharper longer are often sharpened with a slightly courser edge. Something the Bess Can not test for.. I see so many even professionals punch the edge thru the wire. Even the highly TS Prof comp;any shows their test in this way. Totally fasle way to test with a Bess Tester. Slow, easy, softly or not at all! Anything else is cheating the test. KnifeMaker/Retired after 47+ years in the shop.
Bad take on the BESS tester. Of course there's uncontrollable variables. That's true for CATRA too; which by the way, is an entirely different test. I don't know who you have seen presenting these without taking averages, but that's the only way I see them used. The BESS tester is the most controlled way available to consumers to compare sharpness among different people. It's not perfect, but it's definitely a lot better than people cutting news paper and shaving their arm hair. If you want to talk about uncontrollable variables, all those methods have the same factors influencing them as the BESS testers, and MUCH more because of the testing media itself. That's where the BESS system actually shines, because contrary to what Thomas claimed, the BESS media is standardized for thickness, hardness, and moisture content--nothing that can be said for people's hair or old newspaper. Love your videos, guys, and I usually don't disagree with you, but this one is a little misleading if you ask me, especially suggesting that most people don't average the results. If you want proof how universal BESS numbers actually are: Thomas' knife scored a 300? I know from that, that it will scrape off some coarse arm/leg hair along with some skin flakes, will push cut printer paper but nothing thinner, draw cut phonebook paper, and barely bite your finger pads on a three finger test. So it's at least as descriptive and meaningful as any of those tests. The difference is that it's not subjective. Going back to CATRA, which is used to test edge retention, I have to think about that other TH-camr out there who cuts up cissal rope and then test cuts printer paper at different intervals. You'll see him making extremely subjective determinations on a knife such as when it "catches" the paper. Meanwhile, is the cissal rope standardized? Is the paper? If you performed the same testing with a BESS tester, you'd at least control for a few more variables and have an objective average to compare with.
Edge testers are great for self improvement on your sharpening skills. But as a comparison tool for determining who sharpens the best, or which knife company is the sharpest? Not the best tool for that job.
Testing factory edges for sharpness is possibly the biggest waste of time someone can do. There is absolutely zero point at factory edge sharpness it means nothing.
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the problem with the tester is that the speed you use is the biggest factor, you have to go as slow as possible to get the most accurate results, and everyone is going to do a different speed even the same person could. imho you shouldnt trust anyone you see using it but its a great way to check your own edges. not that you cant use them for reasons in videos, but you really need to trust the user
Or.... knife center is in the business of selling product. Why would they want to test anything they sell.
Well said @Neeves
@@yo.aj6391for good consumer relations... I felt that would be obvious.
Neeves knives and Knife Center! Yay!
@NeevesKnives Exactly Jerad!!! Well said. I have always thought the same thing. No one could possibly use the exact same pressure/speed every single time and every person would be using different amounts of pressure/speed also.
Here for the Hitchhiker’s Guide love.
I've used the corkscrew to screw the knife into the toilet door of more than one dive bar where the coat hook's gone missing.
Also as a wedge between the door and the jamb when the lock's missing too 😂
Needless to say, don't do this to a nice door - but I happen to enjoy the class of establishments where this would just be considered "adding character".
Corkscrew makes a great crud scraper, on things like the edges of phone screens and stuff. It's not so sharp that it'll damage the item, but it's sharp enough that it'll be able to get whatever you want out.
My third major use for the corkscrew is to remove the dowels from screws without ruining them (or the wall).
Besides untying knots & opening wines and the obvious we use the cork screw as a holder for a laser pointer, magnetic rod, a small tube of sanitizer (fire starter). We also use it for pulling out plugs (plastic or wood), mostly as a scriber when in the fields. We were taught how to use it to tell time & as a compass. There must be other usages but we're just learning. Cheers from Australia.
Where were you raised. We didn't get that much information in Newcastle NSW .
You should drop a special card into each of the boxes (or sign each of the boxes) of the knives you show, sell them as the “DCA Special, as seen on TH-cam.”
Thanks, as always, Thomas and Mr. Andersen. The corkscrews on my SAKs (and my Ruike multi-knife) come in handy for a number of really specific things, including the ones you've mentioned. 1) Bottles that have a really small opening, created by a plastic insert to the mouth of the bottle, can be VERY annoying. Corkscrew pops that sucker right out and allows a more free flow of whatever is in the bottle. 2) I also find them to be helpful paracord tools, not only for untying, but also as anchors to hold one end taut while working on another part of the weave/lanyard.3) Last but not least, corkscrews also turn out to be very useful for pressing tiny, recessed reset buttons on certain cable modems.
I've used the corkscrew to remove 0-rings, cir-clips and rawlplugs from walls and to untie knots.
For my bearings, if I’m not disassembling the knife, I flush with rubbing alcohol. It works well to break down crud. Then just let it dry and use some kpl only if necessary. The pivot oil will attract dirt so use conservatively.
Doesn't sound too bad. A lot of companies use bearings in nylon cages which I was worried about at first, but turns out Nylon is pretty resistant to it. I wouldn't use acetone as a quick substitution though, it can mess those cages up, and a fair amount of handle scale materials.
I use my SAK corkscrew to help manipulate split rings. The knife blade might be damaged, and the flat head screwdriver is too blunt, so the corkscrew is the way to go.
As a recently retired dentist, I used handpieces with lube-free ceramic bearings for nearly 30 years. The easiest and most thorough way to clean those bearings, IMO, was to soak them in 100% ethanol (think Everclear). The next best was 91% Isopropyl alcohol (readily available at grocery stores and pharmacies). I usually soaked them for 10-15 minutes and swirled the small beaker periodically. Then rinsed well with distilled water (cover the drain with a gauze pad or paper towel.) They came out clean and restored the speed of the handpiece to its original 430,000 rpms. I NEVER applied lubricant. The manufacturer of the ceramic bearings cautioned against it. If it worked for my high speed handpieces, it will certainly work for knife bearings. CAUTION...make sure your bearing race can withstand the alcohol!
You had nice hand pieces!
430,000 rpm is nothing like the speed that knives bearings go. That is a bonkers high speed.
A 14" small car tire on a car going 100mph only spins at about 7500 rpm.
The quality of bearings does change things, a lot. The kind of bearing also matters. Most bearings are made to be lubricated with either oil or heavy grease. This also could be good or bad for attracting more dirt and grime from outside, or affect corrosion.
Was not expecting a Douglas Adams reference in a knifecenter video.
don’t forget the Mike from TA Outdoors tip about the corkscrew! you can saw hard-to-reach branches by screwing the cork of a multitool with a saw blade into the end of a sturdy enough stick and affixing the waggly end of the tool with some paracord!
That Hitchhiker’s Guide reference!
I use the corkscrew on a SAK for removing the pit of an avocado, which I eat a lot. I also store a small size paperclip in it, which has lots of uses, especially since it's disposable so you can bend it up. Small size paperclips fit perfectly in there if you put it in right.
I didn’t know the pits were edible😉
@@thechumpsbeendumped.7797 I didn't word that very well!
Ah the corkscrew! Even if I never used it, I’d still love it just because, to me, it’s so iconic. But, I do use it…quite often for: getting crud out from under my fingernails, pulling out staples, starting holes in wood or drywall (just did this once, but it worked), hold my little eyeglass screwdriver, general crud removal in tiny crevices, popping balloons (just because it’s fun), and as a fidgeting thing. And yes, mostly use it to untie knots and open the very occasional bottle of wine.
For flushing out a flolder in the cleaning process, I take mine into the bathroom and use my waterpik on high to wash all the crude out. Follow with compressed air to blow all the remaining water out and lube if you want. On that note, how about a discussion on lubes for knives?
Thanks a million - really enjoy the videos
John
As for the lanyard, you can make it even more "quick release " by adding a carabiner that can be attached to a belt loop, pack, or just about anything with a loop. 👍
Hey everyone, enjoy the show as always, i'm in need of a small fixed blade knife as a companion to my Esee 6 that i use for camping, bushcraft and bugout practice, what i really need is something with a thinner profile 2.5" to 3.5" blade for easier cutting than a large knife, $200 max budget.
I agree with the BESS testers. Most folks find a decently consistent way to test knives, and the numbers vary a bit, but by and large they're consistent enough for someone to gauge their knives to themselves. The way anyone else does it though, won't transfer to your own setup and experience. The tension difference on the cutting media (unless you use the clips), how fast you shove the blade through (slower is better)... there's too many variables to empirically measure the absolute sharpness of an edge with it though. It's a great way to gauge your progress when you're learning freehand sharpening though.
It's funny, I use Tuf Glide mostly as a solvent for tape glue and the corrosion coating for storage. Usually use some light weight pivot oils for lubricity applications though.
15:56 To hold the micro screw driver of course haha!
Besides pulling corks.
And you can also kind of make do to use is as a parcel hook, but parcels don't have strings anymore, so there is that. lol
Fungibility is the ability of a good or asset to be readily interchanged for another of like kind. Fudge-able refers to variability or ability to invent or adjust results. You're welcome! 😊
The data cutting can be easily analyzed statistically. That's the proper way to evaluate your data. If you are comparing one knive to another, a simple t test can be used, available in most spreadsheets. If you want to compare 3 knives, you can use a simple ANOVA, also usually available in most spreadsheets. Pretty simple really and used by scientists around the world.
For the lanyard question, nite ize has this tether which is a stretchy coil with 2 s-biners. Might be worth it to check out. I've connected it to flashlights and other things that I'm worried might fall out due a bad pocket clip.
So, what is the benchmark for the sharpness tester?
Mineral oil is the best! Also for cleaning!
(I use Ballistol, it's not clear colored, so maybe it has extra stuff to deal with cleaning and treating wood.😱)
Question: Is that so? ^^
Hey DCA, I was watching some older-ish videos and I caught the one showcasing the bowker double detent barlow flipper. I was wondering if there are more knives out there with the classic slip joint designs/patterns that are now available with the "modern convenience's" i.e. one handed opening, pocket clip, fidget friendly and with or without locks. Love the channel, keep up the good work!
You said empirical but I think you meant dispositive. Those measurements are empirical, because they are objectively verifiable real data. They just have a high degree of variance, and a decent amount of that variance can be impacted by the operator. I think you did a great job getting your point across. The more repeatable a result the better the data is. And you started off with the correct example of that. If you did this 5 times you'd get five different results.
As always, great video funny and informative, thanks for all the excellent work!
Serious question… what’s THE knife/ knives to carry at a backyard bbq, that you could use to slice up the delicious food?
Id love a good Fixed blade that is a happy middle ground. something that mixes the tops el pionero and maybe civivi propugnator(maybe this is the knife I'm looking for). It's an urban survival knife. it can help cook, open boxes, and be self defense if the needs arise. But might also be good for camping/ bush crafting. A Jack of all trades master of none type knife that is a good 1 time purchase until I could afford to get more specialized knives. Thank you if you tackle this lengthy question. If not thank you for what you do.
Swiss corkscrews are easy to bend near handle. Great picks etc.
DCA
On the topic of sharpness, I have seen statements that a leather strop - if used with a heavy hand - could actually round over the edge. Thinking about this, I wonder if using micro-film lapping film on a solid back (ie, 3M lapping film with a self-adhesive back) applied to say a WorkSharp Ceramic stone would work as well as well, if not better than the WorkSharp leather hone - you can get the film in 0.3micron as is the compound on the WorkSharp strop??
Second question is about strops, your video only talked about the classic compounds - green/black/etc. Why not mention the diamond compound option, especially for the hard super steels?
Thanks a ton in advance - keep up the great work on the videos -
John
I like to jog off the beaten path. I was wondering if you have a knife and sheath combo that straps around the ankle and wouldn’t be to cumbersome? 4-5 inches, fixed blade, between $100-$200. Thank you! Awesome content as well! Y’all all stay well!
I've never trusted those sharpness testers but they do make for entertaining content
Option (A) wheel grinder in the basement, option (B) a stone by the sink in the kitchen, or option (C) a work sharp in the living room while watching TH-cam videos.
With all the different steels available now on the PM2 what would you consider as the best choice for a EDC not hard use option? I Mostly use my knife for opening things and food prep.
Hey David.
Could you review some of the BeaverCraft knives ?
Thanks for your content, very informative.
Hi DCA, I just got a ZT0652TI and love it. However, I'm more used to carrying knives with a 3 to 3.25 inch blade. Are there any alternatives in that size range that have the same feel/features in that size range? If under $200, even better.
Hi DCA,
Can I ask if steel hardness is a limiting factor for how sharp a knife can get? For example, given the same sharpening process with same angle of the edge and grind type, will a steel type hardened to RC 62-63 always be sharper than a steel type for which the maximum hardness is RC 58-59? Or can every steel type be sharpened to approximately the same degree, and then it's just a matter of how long the edge will hold its sharpness? Hope it makes sense, as I'm fully aware of the multitude of factors determining the properties of the various steel types.
Thanks for great content, always enjoy watching your channel.
How about folding knives under $50 and $100 with flush mount, recessed screw pocket clips? Bonus for blockout plates in instances of reverse pocket clips.
I have a five knife collection - Deka Hogue (Magnacut), Ketuo Triad (M390), Reate EXO-M (Elmax), Manix 2 Stormtrooper (REX45), Civivi FG Vision (Nitro V) - what is the best degree angle to put on them for EDC tasks, nothing heavy duty just boxes, wrappers, and occasional fruit. Thank you and love the channel. I do own the plastic work sharp sharpener station but recently purchase DMT 6” sharpening stones.
Try neeves knives . That's his bag .
For a lot of the higher end (powder metallurgy) steels that aren't going to be subject to crazy hard use, 15 degrees is my favorite. Mixed with a slicey blade geometry, that gives me an effortless feel through cardboard and ilk like a boxcutter blade, but the edge isn't too fragile for other materials should the need arise.
I generally go up to 17 degrees for the good ingot steels like Nitro-V, 154CM, 14C28N and VG10. Nitro-V is a super tough steel, but the wear resistance is less than the PM steels, so having a touch more steel up to the apex seems to help me out a bit (I tell myself there's more material to wear away before I need to resharpen but I doubt there's truth to that).
It's all subjective though. Some blade geometries are thicker for strength so those angles would be way too low. I'm also sure that some folks think that 15 degrees is too low in general. It's all about finding what you like.
If you want to experiment before doing it to one of your more pricey knives, I'd suggest getting something like a stainless Opinel #6 or #8. They're under $20, it has 12C27 steel (lesser, but similar to Nitro-V) and has a very thin blade geometry similar to the Civivi FG Vision and Manix 2. You can try out all sorts of angles and varying grits of abrasives on that with little effort before you commit on your EDCs.
@@JerryLoffelbein thank you for the detailed reply. I really do appreciate both replies. Take care.
Should I rub Japanese choji oil on high carbon steels like Rockstead? I think the cloves are often mixed with mineral oil.
I recently lost my whole knife collection to a house fire and am looking at the daunting task of restarting from scratch. I know I still want to collect knives but every time i enter a store or go online the excitement to get a new knife is gone. 1. if you had to restart you whole collection on a very small budget, what knife would you pick up? 2. have you ever lost the "love" for collecting knives along your journey and if so how'd you bring it back. thanks. edit: I guess I should say that my favorite knife before the accident was a custom bugout with s90v and i really miss that knife but anytime i go to replace it seems to cost to much. or maybe it doesn't give me the same feeling my old one did. for whatever reason I cant seem to pull the trigger
Hi, DCA And Thomas.. I have been having a problem picking a pocket fixed blade because most of the best options have weak sheaths... What is your best ideas for a knife with a leather sheath or pocket slip if you will that stays attached to the pocket as I draw the knife from my pocket. Maybe a leather pocket sheath with an integrated ulti clip? Any help is much appreciated 👍 thanks for the videos I love them and look forward to them
I just got a Bear & Son Damascus Bowie, largely because I wanted a Damascus/pattern-welded blade, and it's my only forged blade. I love the beauty of the steel, but I'm wondering whether there is any performance advantage to this type of blade. Thanks in advance, and many thanks for your series.
Hey DCA and friends,
I am a big fan of Chris Reeve folding knives like the Sebenza and Inkosi but I wish they made a knife with a liner lock. Are there any USA made knives with a liner lock and above 3 inch blades in the $200 to $400 price range that might fit the bill?
Thanks DCA, I have a question. For what reason, other than legal, would someone want a non-locking folder?
Way back in High School ( million years ago ).My buddy broke his key off in a VW bug IGN cylinder. Used my corkscrew to turn the cylinder
and start the car. Not a Genius, I was cold and wanted to go home.
Connecticut has a limit of 1.5" for automatic opening knives. Are assisteted opening knifes automatic?
Heres my question. Can you recommend a good front pocket fixed blade? One that does not eat all your pocket space but still a three to four finger grip.
I wonder how dry graphite would be
Soap and warm water, break cleaner, drying, Small amounts of Ballistol, drops not spray can.
Perhaps you can show how to tie your shoes on your next video. 😂😂😂 Thanks DC and Thomas!
I use my wives sonic cleaner for her jewellery to clean my folders. Warm water a little detergent and let it do its thing. I’m always worried I won’t be able to get the knife back together. It’s always worked well so far.
Why are makers going back to partially serrated blades? Ive seen a lot lately. I've never experienced any practical benefits for it
If my tomatoes are squishy and I apply pressure on it with my chef knife like I would this tester, it would absolutely crush the tomato. However if I slice the tomato, it goes right through it and makes a clean cut. See where I’m going with this?
I am really not trying to be a salesperson spokesman or something, but I want to let you know that Ballistol also deals with rust nicely. You can also set it sit for a bit before you wipe it off. =)
Because I really don't know if that clear mineral oil also does that. D:
Okay I looked at it and the description says so! Silly me! : >
I use CLP on my folders. Maybe it's not ideal, but in the military we used it on everything short of our food.
my GOTO aswell
This is the best topic to discuss???
Do you know if there will be a button-lock version of the Magnacut Swordfish from Bestech?
Question for toughness in fixed blade. Please help. I'm looking to get one with great handle that can be used for long periods of time. Most importantly, I'm confused on what to get. Budget makes me look at 14c28n and then I can look at other stainless like 3V or AEBL, etc. Is 14c28n a good knife to look at? (Joker knives) or should I just bite the bullet and go with 3V? I want to be rough w it w out having it chip or snap. Just wanting it to be a work horse for bushcraft and jackassery. Not abusive. I don't care about edge for I can sharpen and really rely on a working edge. Looking at 4-5inch max (entertain me w shorter or longer options) and around $100-$180ish price range. Entertain me on a high end, too. Thanks guys!
Hello KnifeCenter crew, I want to pass down some knives and was wondering what might be some of the best handle materials to do so? I was thinking about micarta because it will absorb my hands oil in it. What are your thoughts? Would copper, brass, or snail trails from titanium be better? Thank you for all the contents!
Hey DCA! My brother lives in Hawaii and is really big into kayak fishing on the ocean and looking for a knife to carry to help dispatch fish after pulling them in the kayak. Do you have any recommendations and it would be a big bonus if it had a sheath and could be worn on the upper portion of the arm for easy access. Thanks
What were the most coveted steels at different times?
Hello DCA. Which of the various kinds of locking mechanisms used in folding knives do you consider to be the strongest and /or have the most rigid lockup? Thanks
Hey DCA, I have been thinking about purchasing a folding knife with a serrated edge so two part question, what steels are going to hold up the best and which companies make the best serrations. Thanks.
I deem my knife sharp if it'll shave hair on my arm. I like that better than the paper slice. My hair grows back, and I don't generate trash.
Speaking of OTFs, I am starting to get into them and I am wondering why aluminum is the predominant material for the chassis. I have seen a few dual materials, and only Benchmade with something with full nonmetal material, at least on the KC website. Is it a cost thing? Durability? Because Microtech does it?
Hey DCA, I’m looking for an old school slip joint style knife that has good walk and talk but doesn’t break the bank. Looking for something sub 150, thanks!
When you see someone running around with these sharpness measuring machines making vids with one cut using an unsteady hand, where people's reputations can be ruined, it's definitely not a good thing. It also makes me wonder if these same people actually calibrate their precision digital scales before they use them or take basic precautions to ensure best results (AC supply or fresh batteries, not having electronic devices next to a digital scale, allowing them to be in room temperature long enough if stored in a cold/hot place, or even ensuring that they're level).
What are your thoughts on Swisstech gear and AUS8 STEEL
Hey DCA, I found an old SAK that was sitting in a basement window sill for years. One of the handle scales was very faded. My question is, what, if any, handle materials are NOT affected by UV rays and won't fade? Thanks.
If I forget Valentines Day, the LAST thing I am going to give my (most probably former) sweetheart is a knife. What are you…nuts?!
WD40 isn't designed as a lubricant. Sure the packaging says that, and it certainly can act like one. But its really just waxes and oils dissolved in a slow drying solvent that also has mild lubricating properties.
The "danger" WSD40 poses is that the leftover film of oily waxes can adhere things together. Especially small, flat, tight tolerance parts that have lots of surface are in contact with each other.
Guns and high end folding knives is what I'm saying. It will keep them from rusting, won't do anything irreversible, but it can cause problems.
It's designed to prevent corrosion for a short period of time over an insane temperature range. Internal rocket components, as cold propellants and cold upper atmosphere combined with air friction heating, makes hard to prevent corrosion from water. Hard enough to require *40* different attempts to develop an effective Water Displacing film.
Bugout or Deka?
Did DCA say "fungible"? 😅
In regards to the Serbian Knife would the Benchmade Custom Station Knife be included in that genre? What about the Tops Knives XXX Dicer?
Hey DCA, Can leaving your knife in a leather sheath, cause rust to a carbon steel knife?
Not quite as bad as leaving it at the beach but close . Yes .
I would say never use WD-40 on any knife with plastic parts as WD -40 will break down plastic. I found that hard way with machines a lot of plastic and rubber part that designated slowly. Don't know what it does to handles but I would just use mineral oil.
Question what do suggest for a person having trouble with sharping a longer knife of s35vn. I love freehand sharpening and I have no problem with any sub 4" any suggestions?
Surious question what knife would the Theodore Roosevelt use as president. And if not Theodore then how about Ronald Reagan?
And I am mad I want to see more mirror polished slip joints if they exist and what are thoughts on them in general... Okay i am not really mad but still interested.
Edit: and I use the cork screws to clean ink under my finger nails.
Hey DCA! I never know how to present my Condor mini Duku to my friends: big knife, small machete, kind of a chopper? Can you clear the difference between those categories? Thx
Yeah, best out of 3 or 4. It's not concrete, just a general guide. 🤷🏽♂️👍🏽
Edge tester? That's what your off-hand thumb is for. Why do you think you have two thumbs? One to hold the knife and the other to test the edge (and to accidentally cut in my case).
Hi T & DCA! I’m looking for a premium, hollow grind, barlow knife. I love the “little bro jack” from Jack Wolf, but looking for something closer to the $150ish mark. A little higher or lower is fine. Any recommendations? 🙂
There are millions of case, frost, etc made for decades……so so much less expensive than Jack Wolf…..unless you want the pringles type can and cartoon patch…..really….super high quality nick knives with surgical sharp blades….if nick knives are your thing….or….or….just get a Spyderco maxamet knife and your great grandchildren might have to resharpen it….maybe :)
Ok… most serious question… let’s see what superheroes carry which knives?! Captain America, Ironman, Batman, Aquaman… maybe beyond that… Indiana Jones, Reacher,
@KnifeCenter what are some knives with Magnacut blades that won't break the bank? Any under 100USD, any in the 100-200 price range and is there a grail knife you'd recommend?
@andyjaniszewski2130 thanks for the reply but I was asking about a traditional knife and not a multi-tool. I have a leatherman free p4 for work without a Magnacut blade and to be frank I don't really care for it as a designated knife, it's great in a pinch but if I can use a knife or any of the designated tools without my leatherman then that's what I do.
The need to be ( 1 atom ) sharp is nothing more than bragging rights. Real use sharpness is what matters. A “ dull “ blade may be better overall for a woodsman but not a surgeon. A woodsman will need one bode for 6 hours straight and a surgeon will use 10-30 blades in an hour.
I have always wondered if an edge tester will give you different numbers with different edge bevel on the same given blade geometry. All things being equal, I feel like a laid back bevel will give a lower number even if a broader bevel is the same or even sharper.
About the cleaver/chef knife question and Norway: Be aware of Norwegian knife laws. You need to have a good utilitarian reason to carry a knife in public here.
First in the Knife Community to actually say that WD-40 isn't a lub. Correct and I've had it pit D2 blades that were hanging in my shop for final assembly. It is band from my shop. Period!
The Bess Test. It will give the relative sharpness for push cuts, but how often other than a Chef does one use a push cut? Hardly ever. It cannot measure the different sharpnesses in for insance differing micro teeth sizes and directions in steels with high carbides. Any of the high Vanadium steels for instance that cut faster, longer and stay sharper longer are often sharpened with a slightly courser edge. Something the Bess Can not test for..
I see so many even professionals punch the edge thru the wire. Even the highly TS Prof comp;any shows their test in this way. Totally fasle way to test with a Bess Tester. Slow, easy, softly or not at all! Anything else is cheating the test.
KnifeMaker/Retired after 47+ years in the shop.
YES! 🥰
OCD-4-EDC, DOES ALL NEW SPYDERCOS, HE'S GREAT,
143 to you all, too
Bad take on the BESS tester. Of course there's uncontrollable variables. That's true for CATRA too; which by the way, is an entirely different test. I don't know who you have seen presenting these without taking averages, but that's the only way I see them used.
The BESS tester is the most controlled way available to consumers to compare sharpness among different people. It's not perfect, but it's definitely a lot better than people cutting news paper and shaving their arm hair. If you want to talk about uncontrollable variables, all those methods have the same factors influencing them as the BESS testers, and MUCH more because of the testing media itself. That's where the BESS system actually shines, because contrary to what Thomas claimed, the BESS media is standardized for thickness, hardness, and moisture content--nothing that can be said for people's hair or old newspaper.
Love your videos, guys, and I usually don't disagree with you, but this one is a little misleading if you ask me, especially suggesting that most people don't average the results. If you want proof how universal BESS numbers actually are: Thomas' knife scored a 300? I know from that, that it will scrape off some coarse arm/leg hair along with some skin flakes, will push cut printer paper but nothing thinner, draw cut phonebook paper, and barely bite your finger pads on a three finger test. So it's at least as descriptive and meaningful as any of those tests.
The difference is that it's not subjective. Going back to CATRA, which is used to test edge retention, I have to think about that other TH-camr out there who cuts up cissal rope and then test cuts printer paper at different intervals. You'll see him making extremely subjective determinations on a knife such as when it "catches" the paper. Meanwhile, is the cissal rope standardized? Is the paper? If you performed the same testing with a BESS tester, you'd at least control for a few more variables and have an objective average to compare with.
yeeeeee, serbian knives
Edge testers are great for self improvement on your sharpening skills. But as a comparison tool for determining who sharpens the best, or which knife company is the sharpest? Not the best tool for that job.
Testing factory edges for sharpness is possibly the biggest waste of time someone can do. There is absolutely zero point at factory edge sharpness it means nothing.
When has buying 2 Microtech’s ever got you out of trouble with a wife/hirlfriend? Never is the Answer Never
Razor sharpness all cool, but can the edge hold that sharpness? >:D