Looking for a well made knife

In the "woods" pack a rigging ax and a knife..

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That is what I use most often ( at least something similar ) and what I never intend to be without if I am to be a days walk from the homestead .
 
My planer runs M-42.........but I pay a premium for them..

I've made several marking/striking knifes out of old 1/8" HSS knifes, I don't know their chemical composition but the only thing I did was run 'em up to 500º in the oven and bring 'em down slowly after I ground them...

They hold an edge okay, but not like good German chisels.:o

Someone who knows what a striking knife is cannot be all bad. :)

I used to make plane irons from M2. I would forge 1" lathe bits to rough dimension, then grind. A chamfer plane I made in 1984 is still razor sharp and has yet to be re-honed. I still use it.

Years ago I'd designed chisels that had replaceable cutting edges. I always felt it such a terrible waste to see a finely made chisel become waste after the business end was ground away to nothing with the years. I also designed a beryllium copper plane that takes a lignum vitae sole and had an adjusting mechanism similar to a Primus.

I do like to design tooling.
 
Before I popped for an expensive hand made tool [knife or ax], I'd buy a serviceable tool and use it for a while...

See what you like, what you dislike and then make the decision on upgrading..

Unless you can luck into a quality antique...
 
I know many of the finest knife makers in the world - personally, that is. If you seek a custom, I can put you in touch.

Take a look at the work of Mike Mooney at http://moonblades.com He does very nice work and compared with many others his prices are not bad. Mike is a good man and one of "us". Queen Creek, AZ.

One of my closest friends does some of the finest knives around, but he is $$ and may not even be interested. But if you really want a superlative functional knife, he is one of the people to see. He made a fabulous combat knife for one of his sons who is part of SEAL Team VII. He gets requests for copies.

WOW! Some of those knives are among the most beautiful I've ever seen!
 
Before I popped for an expensive hand made tool [knife or ax], I'd buy a serviceable tool and use it for a while...

See what you like, what you dislike and then make the decision on upgrading..

Unless you can luck into a quality antique...

Good Point. I will definitely want to hold any in my hands before buying. A must for purchasing hand tools.
 
Before I popped for an expensive hand made tool [knife or ax], I'd buy a serviceable tool and use it for a while...

See what you like, what you dislike and then make the decision on upgrading..

Unless you can luck into a quality antique...

Nothing like a quality antique.
 
I was in one of the local pawn shops last week checking the rifle and silver dollar inventory out , see if there was anything I thought I needed :). Guy had a glass case full of some very nice , older and some hand made mid size knives.Most marked under $40.Might be worth looking in your local area , times being what they have been past few years with employment....
 
Does anyone have any feedback on any knife sharpening systems? So far, I am seriously considering Edge Pro, KME, and Wicked Edge, and maybe Spyderco.
 
Does anyone have any feedback on any knife sharpening systems? So far, I am seriously considering Edge Pro, KME, and Wicked Edge, and maybe Spyderco.

Pick one and learn to use it, then pick another and learn it..

I've settled on a home-made set-up.... I advise everyone who asks to learn to sharpen without the aid of jigs-n-fixtures.

Whet/oil-stones, sandpaper, ceramic, diamond etc...All work well in experienced hands.
 
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Pick one and learn to use it, then pick another and learn it..

I've settled on a home-made set-up.... I advise everyone who asks to learn to sharpen without the aid of jigs-n-fixtures.

Whet/oil-stones, sandpaper, ceramic, diamond etc...All work well in experienced hands.

After trying an electric Chef's Choice from Costco (returned it because my knives weren't very sharp) I bought an expensive Shun double-sided whetstone (300/1000) and had no luck there, either. From what I understand, it is difficult to get a good edge from the manual whetstone approach because one cannot really keep the same exact angle to the stone throughout the sharpening session. It seemed like the 300 side was starting to get it sharp but then after using the 1000 side it went back to feeling dull. I've heard that under scientific scrutiny, the baddest knife geeks on the planet cannot get a super good edge by simply eyeballing it with a whetstone. Sounds like you would disagree. Thanks for the input.
 
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Well I've been sharpening hunting/kitchen knifes, plane irons and chisels for well over 40 years but I'd expect some "knife geek" would know better:o

Honestly it's a muscle memory thing, once you get the hang of it you can sharpen with just about anything...if you don't want to invest the time then jig/fixtures/guides are the way to go..



[edit] here's a link to some of the better stones on the market

http://hmsenterprises.com/webstore/shaptonstones.com.html
 
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Well I've been sharpening hunting/kitchen knifes, plane irons and chisels for well over 40 years but I'd expect some "knife geek" would know better:o

Honestly it's a muscle memory thing, once you get the hang of it you can sharpen with just about anything...if you don't want to invest the time then jig/fixtures/guides are the way to go..



[edit] here's a link to some of the better stones on the market

http://hmsenterprises.com/webstore/shaptonstones.com.html

Thank you very much for the link. P.S. I bought the Shun because I was under the impression that they were some of the finest.
 
Thank you very much for the link. P.S. I bought the Shun because I was under the impression that they were some of the finest.

Unsolicited advice....

I wouldn't pop for expensive sharpening equipment until you learn how to sharpen and care for your equipment..

[kinda like getting a 911 turbo for your 16th B-day]
 
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