Have I Become A Knife Snob?

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sonofodin

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Am I a knife snob if I look down at "lesser" steels? Or am I just quality conscious when it comes to the grade of steel I buy? When it comes to steel, I look for something thats going to become VERY sharp and STAY sharp for as long as possible. Blade designs/materials are also a big factor, beyond visual appeasements. Take this for example:
Opinel makes a very nice pocket knife. I, however, would not carry one because I don't care for the basic carbon steel.
Case makes classic knives and have for a long time, but I don't care for the Surgical Stainless.
Buck makes kick butt knives, but I just don't like 420HC.
Don't ask about Gerber.
Perhaps I am spoiled because I prefer Aus 6, Aus 8, N690, VG-10, BG-42, ATS34, etc. I just simply wont buy a knife that has steel that I don't think is very quality. What do you think?
 
I don't think it matters what you buy. It's that attitude where someone feels they have to advertose the superiority of their equipment to everyone else and inform them that what they have is inferior. So no your not a snob if you just prefer high quality stuff. But you are if you go tell everyone else that theirs is inferior to yours and how they should have what you have.
 
Your money. Spend it however you like. Others can do the same. What will make you a snob is when you can't resist telling someone who bought something not to your taste how foolish he was,
 
It's not a dumb thing to do, to pick good alloys. After all, the knife is only as good as the steel. That being said, sometimes even alloys that are often regarded as "cheap" or "inferior" by alot of folks have really just earned an unduly deserved bad rep because they are not always heat treated and tempered exactly the way they should be. Example: 1095 or L2 can make a great knife blade if it's done right, but they seem to be considered inferior these days.

Jason
 
I've never even heard of L2, but I agree about the over-all concern being ATTITUDE.

Note to Built4Comfort: Read what everyone wrote, and then re-read my post. Notice I said nothing about advertising this to people, only personal, private views on materials.
 
Actually, L6 is the holy grail of sword makers and 420HC was the finest stuff around before the advent of super steels.

Of course, focusing solely on blade steels is the mistake most neophytes make. A blade is composed of material, heat treat and grind. No one thing supersedes the other. A properly heat treated "humble" 440C will shame expensive badly ground and badly heat treated 154 CM.
 
What does Benchmade use in their knives? I am a huge fan as the autos I have dont need sharpening very often at all! If I had a Katana or whatever I'd want it made out of Benchmade type steel :D

There is nothing wrong with being excited about good quality knives as there are too many knife manufacturers out there who are not.

And they STILL want to charge big money for a mediocre product....
 
I like all the steels pretty much , heck I still make and use blades from 1095 and 01 , cause it works ! I like S30v , CPM154 , 154CM , ats34 as well ,
however I dont refuse to buy a knife because of a lower cost steel , depends on what the product is selling for $ wise also , how the HT was done , blade geometry , etc.

Snob ? nah , perhaps just consider yourself educated on what you like best :)

me ? certified knife geek , proud of it. :)
 
Haha! I noticed that alot of company's, such as Boker, try to sell knives for hundreds of dollars when it's simply 440C. Or, some Buck knives go for big cash (as far as Buck goes) simply because it has an exotic handle and only 420HC. I'd rather take that money and buy something that costs less and has a better steel. HSO, your totally right. These are things I also take into consideration. I have an old Buck Mentor with the camo sheath/handle thats 10 kinds of sharper compared to my CRKT M-16, which is AUS 8 and TiNi coated. Unfortunetly, that Buck cannot touch my SOG Field Pup OR Seal Pup as far as sharpness. This brings me to another good question, I have one of the older sheaths for my Seal Pup which was plastic and caused alot of wear on the coating of my blade. Is there any way I can restore some of the coating or at least color? I have since stored it in an old Case flap sheath. I think SOG's products are way cool and browsing their site yesterday noticed that they applied a cryo-heat treat to the Twitch II Limited Edition that I got. I'd like to call/mail cold steel and see if they would trade my Aus 8 Ti Lite for a VG-1, but I doubt they would trade :eek:. I've got a CRKT Sawtooth 2000 and Komodo 7 I should post pictures of. They are pretty spiffy and according to CRKT, whom I talked to, are both made out of Aus 6. I think the only other Cold Steel knife that interests me is the Recon 1. I wanted one of those before I got my Ti-Lite and I still want one....:rolleyes:
 
Cold Steel has some fanastic selections, albet somewhat pricey, but as a self-proclaimed "knife snob" maybe affordablity isn't a major factor. they have a DVD available free that portrays the rigorous stress testing they put their products through.
www.coldsteel.com
they sold me.
 
Kydex is known for rubbing on the knife, not much you can do about it. That's also why I don't like it! :) You may be able to send it back to be recoated but that's about it and the Kydex will rub it off again.
 
Thanks valkman, I might do that some time. I could almost swear the kydex sheath wears directly on the edge of my ODA If I do not pull it in and out just right. I like leather sheaths 90% of the time. The other 10 is when I am fishing. Then and only then do I prefer plastics. I think I will replace the sheath with one of the newer ones and get a new sheath for the Field Pup where the guy put it in the sheath backwards and made a hole :rolleyes:. I'll probably have one made or make one myself for my ODA. Oddly enough both of my CRKT field knives have really nice leather sheaths...kudos to them...
 
Alloy snobbery is a slippery slope. At what point do you stop? Every alloy has its advantages and drawbacks. You have to weigh the options and choose according to your planned usage. I love ATS-34 in pocket knives but don't care for it in a large fixed blade. D2 makes for an excellent general purpose fixed blade but is sub-optimal for a large chopper. 5160 has great shock strength and toughness but is prone to corrosion.

Try them all and decide for yourself what best suits you. Don't buy the hype of the alloy-of-the-month club.

Rick
 
If I had a Katana or whatever I'd want it made out of Benchmade type steel
Click to expand...

Not a good idea. A steel that works well in one application won't always work well in all applications. Swords have to handle impact without breaking while a switchblade doesn't. A great knife blade "blown up" to a katana would probably snap on first impact. That's why you see stainless steel "katanas" snap when banged against something. Too brittle for the application. A sword blade "blown down" to a swichblade would be tough, but it probably wouldn't sharpen terribly well or hold an edge as well as a good knife steel.

The application should dictate the steel, heat treat, bevel for the blade since a knife/kukri/sword all have different requirements.
 
I guess I am a real aloof type of knife-steel snob! My last two knives, bought in the last month or so, are of S30V. The fixed blade is a drop point 4.125" with Ti-Al-N coating, a rosewood handle, and a brass fingerguard and butt. It included a very nice leather holster. The lockback plain blade folder is well made, with an FRN handle.

I am also a cheapskate. The fixed blade is an 'Alaskan Guide Series' Buck Vanguard special at Cabela's - # 25-51-6493 - NRA Special $59.99. The folder is a Spyderco C41PBK 'Native' in S30V from Wally World - $39.48! Yep, I became a member of the hi-tech knife steel fixed and folder snob patrol for ~$110 total, S&H and S/T inc. And... did I mention that they were both made in the USA?

I've had a regular SS Buck Vanguard for some time - it'll still be my user... that new one is too pretty... That folder was inexpensive enough - it may replace my dull Kershaw Blur or Scallion as my EDC...

Stainz
 
I see it as a mark of common sense, and of attempting to achieve a point of rationality...the most (best) for the least. Darned respectable. So, now, please do me a favor.

I would like to purchase a high quality pocket knife. I think max legal in MI is 3.5", and I would like to keep it less than $100.00, unless you can convince me that it will last for like 200 years. :) What pocket knife do you suggest. Oh yes, and I prefer American-made if possible. If not possible, import will have to do.

Please PM me or post it here. I'll check back.

Thanks,

Doc2005
 
It's Ok...we're likely all snobs about something.

I myself am a beer snob, and wish to be a fly rod/shotgun/1911 snob, I just don't have the cash to be snobbish about those items.

Snob all you want about items you're passionate about, you're among friends here.

Smoke
 
I buy a little of everything. Heck, I even have some cheap chinese Frost Cutlery blades and I have some pretty pricey things too. I have my favorites which I commonly mention here. Buy what meets the intended use. Try one of each and put them through their paces. It's fun and then you can become an expert after you have a few hundred. I'm no expert or snob. I just buy what I like. Have been buying a lot of SOG blades in the last year or so.
 
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In that case Smoke, I'm a computer snob, knife snob, gun snob, guitar snob, cigar snob, pipe tobacco snob, cigarette snob, uh...:D woman snob :what:. Yes I said it...

Oh AND music snob due to my snotty views on underground Black/Death/Viking Metal.

We, The Soldiers Of Wotan, We Spread Terror And Spill Blood, By Mijolnir We Will Crush Weakness, Thus Beginning Our Reign. Soldiers Of Wotan, Give Us Your Power And Knowledge! Call From Asgard And Live Once Again, In Our Spirits You Dwell, And You Will Forever Reign!! - Ad Hominem - Planet Zog/The End
 
Doc2005: Your request is pretty vague for a "good" pocket knife for under $100. I'm going to take a chance and suggest a folder. Check out the Schatt & Morgan line at http://www.cumberlandknifeworks.com/

They are excellent pocket knives; any of them. You pick the design and size.

For something less expensive, the Spyderco Native model that is available at many Walmarts are a pretty darn good knife for $40.
 
Yeah man I really, NO REALLY REALLY want to snag one of those Natives at wally world. Might do it with my first paycheck if its not spent on uniforms and dates or cigars :rolleyes:.
 
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