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Outdoor Wonders you should get out more ... |
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If you're unfamiliar with knives, you may have no idea of what makes a good knife for camping, hiking or "general use." When searching for information or opinion, you may find that some well-respected people "in the know" swear by large choppers while others who seem just as knowledgeable prefer small pocket knives. If you're unfamiliar with knives, you may have no idea of what makes a good knife for camping, hiking or "general use." When searching for information or opinion, you may find that some well-respected people "in the know" swear by large choppers while others who seem just as knowledgeable prefer small pocket knives. |
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Things to Consider - When you consider purchasing a knife, you may wish to consider the following things: · What are you going to use the knife for? · What the knife is made from? · What is the best blade length for the job(s)? · What is the optimal blade thickness for the job(s)? · Heat treatment and blade hardness - does it matter? · Do you want a Folder or Fixed-blade? · How much do you want to pay? "Daily Carry" - many knife enthusiasts have a knife that they prefer to carry with them whenever possible. My so-called daily carry is a folding Swiss Army Knife, typically referred to as the 'SAK.' It's made by Victorinox and called the Recruit model. It's priced around $15-20 in most stores. I use it daily for opening packages, cutting string and general chores. When I want to carry a slightly smaller knife, I carry a Schrade Uncle Henry stockman model. It too, costs about $15-20. Knife Uses - When I'm camping or hiking, I may augment my folding daily carry with a larger fixed blade "camp knife" which is used for other chores such as chopping firewood, or for speeding up the construction of shelters, but I will still have my daily carry. It will be used for cleaning fish or game or whittling. Knife Materials - To say that there are many materials that knives can be made from is an understatement. These materials are gauged in the world of knives based these blade properties: · edge retention - how long they stay sharp · corrosion resistance - how quickly they rust or resist rusting · toughness - how they resist chipping or denting on the edge The desirability of each of these depends on what you plan to use the knife for. In general, softer edges dent while harder edges chip. Most modern knives are made of either carbon steel or stainless steel. In general, carbon steel knives will out perform stainless steel knives in the areas of edge retention but stainless steel knives have the advantage when it comes to corrosion resistance but there are exceptions and cases where the opposite may be true. Also, a high carbon steel may be coated with numerous agents to retard corrosion. These agents include epoxy, Titanium Nitride (TiN) or black oxide. Among the various steels, there is a lot of variety and a lot of differing opinion as to which material is better suited for a given blade. There are many steels that make fine and functional knives, but remember that as far as steels are concerned, one cannot make a good knife from bad steel. To further provide choice for knife blades, there are other classes of blades being produced from cobalt alloys such as Talonite and Stellite. Also, ceramics are being used to produce ultra hard blades. In addition to blade options, there are a myriad of choices for handle materials. Natural materials such as wood, horn, bone and ivory are beautiful and functional, but may check or crack over time. Natural materials can be made more durable by undergoing a process called stabilization. Stabilization usually involves forcing liquid plastic into the natural material to make it less susceptible to such cracking that aging may cause. Manmade handle materials such as nylon, delrin, kraton or micarta (a phenolic laminate) may be more durable and last longer, but might not be considered as appealing by some. Blade Thickness - will of course vary based on your intended use. I prefer my fixed blade to be fairly stout. 1/8" or 3/16" seems to be a good spine thickness for me for fixed blades. My folding knives probably have a blade thickness of about 1/16" on average. Blade Length - again varies based on use. When it comes to fixed blade knives, I have blades with lengths varying from 4 inches to 10 inches. At this time, I like a length between 5-8 inches for most general chopping or outdoors activities.. My folding SAK has two blades, a larger clip blade measuring about 2 3/4" and a smaller pen blade measuring about 1 1/4". Heat Treatment and Blade Hardness - in order to make a piece of steel perform like a knife, it needs to be heat treated. The exact method of heat treatment will vary based on the material (i.e. the steel) being treated. Generally, heat treating is started by heating the steel until it loses its magnetic property, keeping that temperature for a set period of time, then by rapid quenching the heated steel in water, oil or other materials. This process will vary based on the requirements of the particular steel being treated. Also, a certain steel may be perform best with multiple heat/quench cycles. Last stage in the treatment can often include subjecting the blade to other temperatures, both hot and cold, to optimize the abilities of the steel. Heat treating is both an art and a science; there are as many opinions of optimal heat treating as there are optimal steels where knife making is concerned. Heat treating and steel share a symbiotic relationship. Bad heat treating can make good steel into a bad knife; likewise, good heat treating can make a mediocre steel perform better than expected. Talonite and the cobalt alloys do not require heat treatment. The Rockwell C Scale - Hardness in knife steel is generally measured using the Rockwell C, or Rc Scale. Values for steel they generally range from 54-61. This measurement is an imperfect method of measuring a "good" heat treat, as an Rc value for one steel may vary based on the blade's size, thickness and intended use. Further, one blade may intentionally have several sections with different Rc values. This is referred to as "Differential Tempering". A differentially tempered blade may designed to have a softer spine to absorb shock and a harder edge for cutting. Cost - Everyone has a budget. Remember that there are plenty of fine, functional knives in every price range. Your research should help you decide what knife is best for you based on the concerns listed above. |
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Parts of the Fixed Blade Knife Ever wonder what each part of a knife is called? This diagram shows what each part of a fixed blade knife is called. Bear in mind that not every knife has all of these components. Briefly, the some of the parts of a fixed blade knife include: · Blade - obviously, it's what makes a knife a knife. · Handle - you need something to hold onto. There are several handle options and many, many materials to make the handle from. · Edge - it's the sharp part of the blade. · Spine - the top part of the blade. · Tang - the part of the knife covered by the handle. Can be hidden or exposed. There are several types of tang design. · Ricasso - the part of the blade between the edge and the guard. · Guard - an optional protective piece which prevents your hand or fingers from accidentally being cut; not all knives have them. Also called a hilt. · Choil - an optional indentation on the blade that allows you to choke up on the blade for finer control. · False Edge - a section of the spine, usually located near the point, that is beveled, but not sharp. · Swedge - a sharpened false edge. · Spacers - alternate materials which are added to the handle for decoration. They can be made of any number of natural or manmade materials. · Butt cap - a material added to the butt of a knife for decoration or to be used as a hammer-type tool. Usually metal. The butt cap can be attached to a blade by pinning, soldering or by threading the tang and butt cap like a nut and bolt. · Pin - a metal rod driven through the handle and tang to better secure the blade. · Finger Grooves - areas cut or shaped into the handle to provide better grip or control of the knife. Escuteon Plate (not shown) - a decorative plate imbedded into the handle. |
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A Review of the Camillus CUDA Talon and the Rob Simonich Nighthawk Neck Knife I was fortunate enough to win a Camillus CUDA Talon in a random drawing at Bladeforums.Com. This knife is a collaboration between custom designer and pioneering Talonite knife smith Rob Simonich, Tom Walz of Carbide Processors, the makers of Talonite and Camillus Cutlery's CUDA division. In addition to receiving this prize, a very generous Tom Walz gave me a prototype neck knife made of Talonite that was designed and crafted by the late Rob Simonich. Although the two models are not the same, this wonderful gift affords me the opportunity to sort of compare and contrast the two knives designed by Rob. Impressions of Talonite - I've read a little about this material and am very pleased to actually own not one but two knives made from it. Talonite's main detraction is probably its price point - somewhere around $150 per pound. There is, however, an almost mystical aura that surrounds the material. The price may contribute to this aura. My initial impression upon taking my Talon out of its box for the first time was one of awe. There seemed to be a heft to the Talon that I would not expect out of a knife of the same size made from steel. Design - My compliments go out to Rob Simonich on the design of both knives. The Talon's ergonomics are fantastic! The neck knife, with an overall length of about 5 3/4", has sleek ridges that my fingers easily find for a secure grip. Fit & Finish - I have to say that on both knives, the fit of the parts and the finish on the knives are very well done. The neck knife is the first piece of Rob's work that I've been able to touch and examine in detail and I'm very impressed with the workmanship. The polished Carbon Fiber scales gleam and remind me somewhat of tortoise shell with the pattern revealed. The blade itself is satin finished, and the pride that Rob has in his work is very evident in the attention he pays to details such as deburring of the lanyard hole and the edges of the Talonite. He obviously put some time into this knife. The kydex neck sheath fits like a glove and is secured by a dog tag-type chain encased in a 550 parachute cord sleeve. The workmanship of the sheath matches that of the knife itself. Like many people, I've seen my share of sloppy production blades, but that is definitely not the case with the Talon. The CUDA production team have kept up their end of the bargain with Rob in bringing this knife to market. For Camillus and Rob, and for the public, it's a win-win situation. The public gets better access to Rob's design and Camillus has stayed true to the heart and soul of Rob's vision, while providing us with a greater number of Talonite knives through this limited production. The Talon's G10 handle scales are sort of satin finished, smooth and comfortable. The blade shows just a hint of grinder marks; this is to be expected in a production Talonite knife. After all, Camillus reports that it can take up to 5 times longer to grind this stuff than their traditional steels! To the touch, the blade is smooth and the factory edge is sharp. Camillus definitely as scored a major coup bringing this blade to the public in large quantities. Camillus has provided a kydex sheath that is well made and provides a range of options for wearing the knife. The Edge - both knives came sharp enough to shave out of their respective boxes. The hone on Rob's custom was better but I simply chalk that up to the personal attention of a maker versus the mass-produced blade. This comment is not intended as a dig on the part of Camillus. I'm sure they have production constraints that prohibit that sort of personalized attention for each knife. Overall, Camillus' edge is sharp out of the box, as mentioned earlier. To Be Continued - I'll be adding to this review as I put these fine knives through their paces. |
