Hey folks,

I'm looking to buy a new knife and was wanting to get some opinions/ideas on what's out on the market now or what you all have experience with.

I don't have my heart set on either fixed blade or folding blade.
What are your opinions on best uses for each?
I'm wanting something fairly light but still something I can do some productive (positive) damage with.

Another consideration: College kid on a budget...however, I understand it would be a long term investment.

All information and opinions are much appreciated in advance!

Gerber Paraframe from Wal-Mart.

Check out the Mora Allround for a fixed blade on a budget. Any of the Moras will do the job and are excellent for food prep and general cutting chores.

For food prep and light use, the Victorinox paring knives are 0.75oz and $4.75. For something similar with a sheath, the Dexter Russell Net and Twine knife is a very handy and light too.

Scroll down to see photos of the Dexter Russell with the sheath adapted:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=41234

Nothing wrong with Swiss Army knives for utility/cost.

For a quality folder, I like the Benchmade Griptilian.

The Sanrenmu GB-763 knife is a super buy for a smaller folder with an excellent lock.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=54203&skip_to_post=457037#457037

The Spyderco Byrd line has a number of good folding knives. Sierra Trading Post often has deals on them. The Meadowlark 2 is a good balance of weight and size and is lefty friendly: http://www.bladeauthority.com/product_p/by04psbk2.htm

Edited by dwambaugh on 11/09/2011 19:53:48 MST.

For a locking folder, the Benchmade Griptilian is one of the best deals around. It's a very durable knife with one of the strongest locks made. They generally have great steel, and come quite sharp. There are a number of different models, including minis, which are of course smaller and lighter. For a high quality knife, they are quite cheap.

For a non-folding knife, the Bark River NorthStar is an excellent knife. It is one of Bark River's lighter weight models, is available in A2 (not stainless) and CPM 3V (almost stainless). Both are very tough steels. Bark River uses a convex grind, which is an older grind that stands up well to outdoor use without needing to be sharpened every time you whittle a twig. However, Barkies are not cheap!

There are a bazillion knife designs out there. It's hard to recommend anything without knowing your requirements/prefences. What do you want to do with it? Cut cord? Process firewood? Is it just for emergencies? Does it need to be rustproof? Do you want it to be quickly deployed? Do you want a serrated blade?

"Fairly light" is a relative term. For some people an 8oz knife is fairly light, for others it's a brick.

+1 on the gerbers, decent quality and easily available at Walmarts etc. I found a really good deal on one of the bigger CRKT knives. A couple of the serated teeth have broken off. Now to be fair I was using the knife pretty hard (splitting kiddling on a ridiculously wet campout in NY). Good knife though. Seems to take forever to sharpen.
If you want to spend more money I really liked my spiderco till I misplace it. It was very sharp and held up well to a lot of abuse. My cousin got an updated model and its even better.

OK, brace yourself for 100 different responses, a debate on metallurgy, and countless $100 + offerings.

Here's my take.

Mora Bushcraft model, with the 4" blade.
http://www.shop.bushcraftnorthwest.com/product.sc?productId=9&categoryId=2

My experience:
Bought one of these many, many years ago. While it may not be fancy enough to satisfy the real aficionados out there, it's an awesome, practical chore knife. Not tactical (I really hate "tactical" looking stuff these days), more like something you'd find in your Scandinavian Grandma & Grandpa's kitchen drawer. Came plenty sharp. I think the size is great. It cuts tomatoes and spreads butter as well as it carves wood. I find the handle size/shape very comfortable. It's easy to sharpen. You can also carve/customize the handle yourself.
It's cheap enough that you don't have to worry about really using it (I use to use it to cut saltwater bait...you won't see fancy knives doing that), dropping it, etc.

That said, I lost faith, thought I'd try a "better" knife, and picked up an ESEE Izula. While it's a decent knife for what it is, I hate the feel of it compared to the Mora. The blade, in my opinion, is too short for food prep (not long enough to easily slice food) and the handle is short and uncomfortable in the hand.

I've since lost my Mora and I've been using the Izula...but I miss my original.
Will either get another Mora ($12, you can't go wrong) or an Opinel No.10 with corkscrew.

http://www.opiknife.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Opinel-knives-no-10-Corkscrew-picnic&cat=11

I had a paraframe for a couple of years, actually 3, and loved them for daily carry. Lightweight and slender. The only problem I ever had with one was that the locking mechanism lost its rigidity after a while and the blade would collapse occasionally. But I had that particular one for a long time and used it heavily until I lost it. I carry a CRKT m21 now and its my favorite pocket knife I've owned. Its a little more hefty than the paraframe. It has the liner lock and then an additional lock that locks the liner lock. So its closer to being a fixed blade when open.

I personally carry a gerber prodigy in the woods. I like having a fixed blade and I like the size of it. I think it's bigger than what most people would recommend here, but I love it. For me its not too big or too small. Just right. Plus its under $50.
- I do think that they have changed the blade material since I bought mine though. I'm not positive what kind of steel they use now.

On my scale:
CRKT m21 = 3.6oz
Prodigy (knife only) = 7.4oz

I like neck knifes a lot as well. I don't own one at the moment, but I'm thinking about getting one. Lightweight fixed blades. I this one caught my eye today:

http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/TM4900/

Its 440 steel but I didn't see what grade. Most likely 440a. Seems like a good knife and a good price. Plus its only 1.6oz

>lightest weight - single razor blade
>light but easier to use - Dermasafe
>the all-you-need - Swiss army classic
>various folders of various quality - ????
>food prep - Kuhn Rikon
>wood working - Mora

I like the Mora #1 and have been using it for a few years, but I think I'd like the #2 better due to a slightly longer blade and larger handle. The #2 is the same model Craig linked to above. The #1 is 2.8 oz with sheath. I like a fixed blade because one of the most important tasks I expect a knife to do is preparing wet firewood by splitting it. Folding knives don't hold up well to batoning when doing this.

See this review with important warnings about the design and lack of a blade guard:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JaoSZ0rb_I

If it's too scary, get the Mora 711. The #1 and #2 are also available with guards.

I purchased several different models here:

http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html

I really like my ESEE Izula. I great sheath knife for every day carry or for small wood chores while base camping or bush crafting. Look on eBay you can find them for $50 on there. But for backpacking a derma safe is plenty of knife.
Dustin

Finger guards are designed to protect the fingers when using a stabbing motion.
In daily use you never need to "stab" anything with ay real power behind it- enough to force the fingers forward onto the blade.
Moras with guards on them are intended for children. I read somewhere that being allowed to use a normal knife is one of those coming of age moments.

What happens if you're being mauled my a bear? You'll cut your fingers.

"What happens if you're being mauled my a bear?"

throw your Mora at it and run....

Swiss Army Classic/Signature .75 ounces
Gerber LST .6 ounces
Spyderco Ladybug 3 .6 ounces
Spyderco LBK .5 ounces

And a new one I discovered yesterday
-Leatherman Style multi tool .8 ounces, I am thinking of getting this one.

Edited by WarrenGreer on 11/09/2011 21:15:54 MST.

www.mantisknives.com

I have 4 from this guy, very high quality and well designed.

Completely depends on what you want to do with your knife.
I am not one needing to split wood with a knife, no do I think a large knife is "needed" for survival bush craft. I have had several knives and over time and find a little blade is plenty for my needs.

Currently carry a CRKT Ken Onion Eros2. 22g. 2" blade, titanium frame.

Edited by BER on 11/09/2011 21:18:20 MST.

I think you should really carry a fixed blade. There isn't much of a reason to carry a folder. I baton with my knife a lot.
Even if it's just batoning through a stick to make a pot holder, sectioning a long stick to make a set of stakes, or knocking off bows. Those tasks are very light on your blade, but not good on a folder. You can knock a liner lock loose pretty easy that way.
And then if you get stuck in a bad situation, you might need to baton it hard to cut shelter poles or cut dry wood.
I like a 3.5 inch puuko with a stick tang that goes all the way through. Much lighter than a full exposed tang and just as strong if it actually goes all the way through and is well tempered. 1/8th inch is about right, not too chunky. Kydex is probably the lightest sheath option.

For the vast majority of my hiking I don't even need a razor blade, but I'd still carry a tiny victorinox just for the scissors.

On the other hand sometimes I bring a fixed blade (moras are awesome... 10 bucks, 3oz, full tang kinda, batons wood like a champ), sometimes I bring a multitool, and sometimes a combination of the above.

But for the vast majority of on-trail hiking on the east coast in 3 season conditions... You don't even "need" anything, it's just a matter of convenience really.


I'll second the idea that folders are pretty much pointless. Either a knife can baton wood or it can't. If it can't, it may as well be as tiny as possible. You probably could baton with some folders though, I dunno.


My suggestion to the OP would be to pick up a mora and pick up a leatherman style (basically just a nicer version of the victorinox... blade, scissors,file, tweezers).

Edited by hosaphone on 11/10/2011 00:01:20 MST.

I'm gonna +1 the Mora. Hell, even if you don't like/use it for backpacking, for $10 it's worth getting even if you just use it in the garage or garden.

If you're on a budget, a Mora will perform just as well as many $100+ knives, although it certainly won't look like one.
They are cheap, so no harm in losing it. The scandi bevel is easy for anyone to sharpen free hand, and will teach you proper technique that will be carried over to other secondary beveled knives.
Also, being a fixed blade it "...can do some productive(positive) damage."

That being said, if the most you are ever going to do with a knife is cut open a bag or pick out a splinter, then a victronix classic will be more than adequate, and probably a little lighter.

P.S. If you decide on the Mora, check out www.ragweedforge.com $6 shipping no matter how much you buy, and great customer service. They also sell several other brands and blank blades if you ever feel adventurous enough to make your own handle. I have no association with the above company, just a very satisfied long time customer.

I got a Spyderco Ladybug for the trail as I pre-cut most things at home but I'm not quite ready to drop down to a little blade (see Mike Clelland's new book - he stores it in little cardboard envelope). We also have a Leatherman Style and Micra that I've been playing with at home. A little razor blade would be the cheapest option. The Ladybug has been great.

A 2.5ft samurai sword, because you can use sharpening stones from river beds to keep that baby sharp. Plus the extra sense of mental security. Multi purpose.

Any blade over 4" long is unnecessary. A Swiss Army Knife has served me well for many years of vigorous outdoor use. Personally, I think the ability to "baton" is overrated. I have never needed that capability, even getting firewood in very adverse conditions.

@Don:
Funny how so many people put such a high value on a knife's ability to baton. In all my 27 years of camping and building camp fires in the sierras I have not once needed to baton wood for a fire or otherwise. On that note, I've never "needed" to use a saw or axe either.(not that I never "have") Even if you do want to baton for whatever reason, with proper technique you can baton with even a thin folding knife.

Most campfire sized wood can easily be broken between two close trees, and there always seems to be an abundance of different sizes of dead/dry wood wherever I car camp or backpack.

The most use my knives get are from cleaning fish/game, surgery, and fashioning a tent peg if I happen to lose one or forget them all together.

Leatherman "style"

0.81 oz

Scissors, knife, tweezers. Higher quality than swiss arm classic.

The knife is almost razor sharp, very thin blade thats ground on only one side like a razor, one of the sharpest out of the package blades Ive had.

Edited by livingontheroad on 11/10/2011 06:25:59 MST.

as others have said- depends- I've hiked w/ just a SAK classic and got by pretty well

I use a wood stove now and have since gone to a small fixed blade (a wide variety of them actually) that I set up as a "kit" that is worn around my neck- in addition to the knife I include a small firesteel, little bit of tinder, some Spectra cord, a photon light and a whistle- total weight for the whole kit and kaboodle is under 4 oz- the knife (Izula) is 2.0 oz on it's own

I've found it a good size for food prep, cleaning fish/fowl, light fire prep, etc- it's also orange so when I set it done I don't lose it :)

I agree with one of the other posters -- it's impossible to make a good recommendation without a little more knowledge of what you want to do with a knife. Do you want to sharpen sticks, gut fish, build shelters, open MH meals, hunt deer with your bare hands? The ends dictate the means.

Some of us just like knives -- the weight, the aesthetics, the fit, form and function... sure, it flies in the face of going ultralight, but it's a great luxury to have on hand. My wife, for instance, is happiest going hiking if she's got a Spyderco with her; her favorite is a Spyderco Stretch, 4.4oz, but just a beautiful knife. It's her security blanket, and that's fine by me.

If I'm by myself, I'll usually take one of the tiny SAKs... tweezers and scissors are the most important functions for most times I need it. If I'm taking a group, I'll take a midsized SAK and a second, simple blade that usually sees duty sharpening sticks to cook over a fire.

For overall functionality, nothing beats a SAK or small Leatherman for 99% of most needs on the trail, especially for those of us who spend most of our lives in the urbs/suburbs. If you're a more pure survivalist on the other hand, I'd definitely go with a single, simple fixed blade like a Mora.

I have a Benchmade Teather that would seem to be a good option for most uses. It's one piece with a plain blade. For the weight, I can't think of a folder that would be as durable.

In my experience I've never NEEDED anything more than a small folder. One problem with small folders however, is that they often are not very accessable. They are often stowed away in some pocket which means it takes effort to take it out when you need it. Most SAK's are also a little fiddly to open. This does not make you WANT to use your knife.

Because I like my knife to be readily available I carry a fixed blade on my hip (I also prefer the look of it, but that's irrelevant). The fact that I can use the knife in one single move makes me enjoy using it a lot more. When I hike in a group my knife is often the only one that is used because it's the only one that's always immediately available.

Other things to consider:
-Serrated or not? Unless you have to cut a lot of rope I would go for a non-serrated blade. It's easier to sharpen and it gives a cleaner cut.
-Stainless or carbon steel? Stainless steel is usually not truly rust proof, but rust resistant. Stainless steel is usually relatively soft (easy to sharpen, but doesn't keep an edge very well), but it can withstand a lot of punnishment (slightly more than carbon steel) before it breaks (good for batonning).
Carbon steel knives rust a lot easier (although it's not much of a problem if you keep the knife dry), but they're generally speaking sharper and keep their edge longer. Some brands (Helle and Mora for example) offer laminated blades that are stainless on the outside and have a carbon steel core/cutting edge. These are generally very good blades.

If you are looking for a truly good blade for relatively little money (in my case I spent about 20 euro for a knife that would cost 70-120 euro commercially), I can recommend making one yourself. It's a lot of fun to make your own handle and sheath for a purchased blade blank and you can get very nice and professional looking results. It's probably not as light as some of the alternatives, but it's a lot more fun. If you wish to know more about this, send me a PM.

Opinel #8, in stainless or carbon--pick your poison. They're sharp, well-designed, lightweight and lock very securely.

You don't *need* 90% of of everything you carry, but that doesn't mean that stuff isn't useful or convenient to your style of outdoorsmanship.

Meticulous planners that spend all of their time on safe well maintained trail shouldn't need more than food, shoes, water, shelter, insulation, and the shelter and shoes are certainly optional.

For those of us that like things a little crazier, or who like bushcrafting, extensive cooking, or find themselves getting themselves into adverse situations often, a real knife can be a serious boon.

Necessary? It's a highly subjective word.

My favorite is a Al Mar ultralight Falcon
3.25" blade of AUS 8 steel
4" carbon fiber handle
1.2 oz. with spring clip removed ( has lanyard hole)
razor sharp with partial serration capable of sawing sizable limbs

Not cheap, but a lot of knife for the weight

I hadn't heard of Al Mar knives before. Can they take abuse and keep an edge? They look pretty good. I'm not too good at sharpening, as i never seem to get them as sharp as they originaly were.
And i do some batoning with a knife if i'm using a wood stove. Due to the amount of rain we get here, you sometimes have to dig for dry fuel.

Edited by MikefaeDundee on 11/11/2011 09:29:23 MST.

When I am counting ounces I carry my CRKT Ritter RSK Mk5

http://www.dougritter.com/rsk_mk5.htm

Otherwise, I carry a Mora #1 or one of my sod busters.

Mike,

One thing to consider about sharpening, is that many of these stainless super alloys that are so touted for edge retention, pay for that in being nearly impossible for the average person to sharpen.

The justification to the makers however, is that 90% of knife buyers don't ever even attempt to sharpen, much less have a clue how to do it correctly, so they're building a reputation off having a knife that stays sharp from the factory as long as possible. Huge numbers of knives just get throw away once they get dull, so I guess I can't blame them.


Simple carbon steels like 1095, 1084, W2, and low alloy steels tool and spring steels like 5160, and to a lesser degree D2, O2 etc, are super easy to put a hair popping edge on, and can be maintained with a few swipes on a strop or sandpaper. Yes you have to sharpen it often to maintain that edge, but it's easy as pie, and with the proper edge geometry you can keep a strong "working" edge, for a very long time.


It's why many serious knife users prefer non-stainless steels for working knives, although there are some really good stainless varieties these days that'll hold a great edge and are reasonably easy to sharpen. My experience with 12c27 and ATS-34 have been good in that regard for instance.

Ultimately though, the steel is only a small part of the equation, even the best steel can be a poor performer without the right heat-treat regimen. That's one of the reasons why I'm such a proponent of Bark River's knives as a "production" choice. The convex grinds and their superior understanding of the HT for the steel's they use out perform many top of price range options that utilize more exotic steel.

Even though I'm making knives more than anything else anymore, my Bravo Necker 2 is still my daily user and I've beaten it to hell and back, it never fails to perform up to my expectations.

Thanks for the info, Javan. Very informative.

FYI I'm told Bass Pro Shop will resharpen knives for you for $5. If you have one of those really hard to sharpen knives this might be worth it occassionally assuming they do a good job. My sharpening kit cost something like $20 and I'm just now starting to resharpen a couple of knives I bought a couple years ago. They held their edges great but they take forever to sharpen too.

Javan wrote, "One thing to consider about sharpening, is that many of these stainless super alloys that are so touted for edge retention, pay for that in being nearly impossible for the average person to sharpen."

Amen on that. My Benchmade Griptilian is 154CM steel it is hard to sharpen. I went to diamond hones and that solved the problem. I use a Spyderco Sharpmaker ceramic hone set for most of my other knives and it works great for the softer steels. It sharpens my carbon steel Mora, any of the stainless Swiss Army knives and Chinese steels like 8Cr12MoV. The triangle hones are the only way to fly with serrated blades.

The knife i carry when using a woodstove or a kettle is the Rat Izula. It wasn't too sharp when i got it (it wouldn't shave any hair off my arm), and knowing nothing about knives, i can't get a good edge on it. It still works, but i feel it could do better according to the way some folk talk about the razor edge they get on theirs.
I bought this stone to sharpen it, but can't get the hang of it.
Obviously it's my ignorance. :)

Here's a few good videos on sharpening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjKd3g9GFG8

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPRiJ_YnSCI

But, just like there's more than one way to skin a cat, there's more than one way to sharpen the knife before skinning the cat.

Edited by AndyF on 11/12/2011 10:11:37 MST.

Thanks Andy. I've seen them before, and every video on Youtube, i think.
I'll eventually get a knife sharp enough to shave with.

How did Ray get the nails out of the tree afterwards?:)

Edited by MikefaeDundee on 11/12/2011 11:14:27 MST.

I also like the Mora knives for the price and quality. For a good fixed blade knife under $30. I also use the Gerber Profile. Coldsteel makes several affordable fixed blades in the same price range. A little bit more money will get you a good Ka-Bar or a Buck 119, Bark Rivers are great knives but yes they are expensive. My Gunny ran $120. My Gossman PSK ran $92 but worth it.

For folders, I use Victorinox SAK's in my survival kits, Schrade and Case are good too.

A good quality fixed blade will last a lifetime (or more likely, until you lose it), so I don't think $100-200 is an outrageous investment, even for someone that doesn't feel the allure of high end cutlery, but obviously I'm biased.

Mora's are great abusers, but I've broken a bunch of em, enough to have justified at least one higher end knife. Not trying to disparage them as awesome tools however, if you're *interested* in knife work, they're awesome to beat up, and great to hone your skills on, so to speak, and remain one of the best values period, along with the Opinels.

If you want a reasonably inexpensive no-nonsense performer that'll last as long as you can keep up with it, the BR's are one of the top choices IMHO. Esee (used to be RAT) is another great and often cheaper option, the Izula can't be beat for the money, although their bigger stuff tends to be chunky and weighty for my tastes, and I don't find it performs as well. They have a much better warranty however, pretty much no questions asked replacement if it breaks, so that's one thing to consider.


Anyway, lots of great options, but it really depends on your intended use, and desires.

I agree w/ Javan the BR knives are very nice. I had one but just didn't like the feel of it in my hand ( I didn't have the scales on it) and didn't care for the kydex sheath it came with, but I will say it is an exceptionally well made knife. Everybody is different in what they like.

I ended up going with an ESEE Izula 2 with scales. I love it. great sheath, great feel, easy to maintain the edge to razor sharp. I did convex the edge though.

Aye, the stock Bravo Necker/2 without scales has sharp corners that aren't very comfy, but I find it more comfortable with scales than the Izula models with scales.

I lost my BN2 outside for a couple of months, and when I found it, the hardware had rusted (bolts) and there was some light rust all around, so I stripped it, knocked all the sharp corners off, and polished the whole thing. Pretty much perfect without the scales now.


The Izula's sheath however is much better, and I believe much lighter also? It's some kind of injection molded plastic I think, industrially made perhaps? Kydex is strong and very durable, but the BN-2 kydex weighs almost as much as the knife itself.


For someone looking for something bigger and more functional however, the BR Aurora or North Star are very hard to beat for the price, and the full height convex grind is easy as hell to maintain and holds a working edge forever.


The Esee's utilize a flat grind with a relatively obtuse factory secondary bevel, so convexing the edge or re-grinding it is almost a given, but the price and the warranty make it a stellar value regardless.

What is the easiest way to convex an edge?

I use a thick mousepad w/ varying grits of paper depending on the edge- if your just starting the convex edge probably start w/ 220 working your way up to 1000 or 1500, then I go to a leather strop w/ green compound

here's a couple of how to's

http://www.knivesshipfree.com/pages.php?pID=27&CDpath=2&keywords=convex

http://www.knivesshipfree.com/pages.php?pID=4&CDpath=0&keywords=convex

I recommend a scrap of walmart blue foam CCF sleeping pad. They run $6-8 in the camping section, and it has the appropriate resistance and stiffness needed. Most mouse pads are no longer made in such a way as to be suitable anymore.

It'll take some practice, but should be well worth the effort, since after you get the basics down, and have established a good convex edge, getting it back to shaving sharp will only take a minute or two.

@ Christopher
"What is the easiest way to convex an edge?"

If you're asking about convexing a straight angle ground edge, then a small belt grinder is the easiest. Second easiest is using a series of sandpaper grits as described above.

For maintaining any edge, the wood and leather pad with a wax-baste fine grinding paste ("black" is the best for most uses - see ksf.com for purchasing these), and lightly dragging the edge backwards is the easiest and best.

@Mike. Thanks for those links. The video tutorial is the best i've seen for a novice sharpener like myself. I'll get a kit put together based on that. I'll use some old blue foam i have instead of a mouse-mat though. Cheers for that Javan.
The BR compounds are too expensive to get shipped over here, so i'll try various lapping/grinding compounds i have at my (engineering)workplace.

Edited by MikefaeDundee on 11/13/2011 07:49:37 MST.

I live in the Pacific Northwest and do plenty of shoulder season camping. So there's lots of wood and lots of moisture everywhere I hike in the spring and fall. In these circumstances, carrying a knife capable of batoning wood is key to my enjoyment of my nights on these trips.

The Ka-Bar BK14 "eskabar" knife is perfect for these purposes. It's a collaboration between ESEE and Ka-Bar to produce a knife with a handle like the Izula but the blade of the BK11 "becker necker". With a sheath, the thing weighs 4oz but it's a tank of a knife. I use it for food prep, gutting fish, and batoning.

Mike if you don't have any luck finding the appropriate compounds (there are a *ton* of options, some simpler than others), shoot me a message and I'll send you some.


I only use green chrome buffing compound personally for stropping, but I've got huge blocks on hand. It has a very light cut and high polish, I use it charged in my cork belts on my grinder for final edge work on knives I make.

You can probably find suitable stuff from a jeweler, but you need something with a little "cut" to it. Red rouge isn't really effective, but a lot of platinum compounds will work great.


Personally though, I find the field solution of a strip of 2x8 blue foam and 3 pieces of high grit paper to be the lightest best option. I don't bother with a strop in that case, a strip of wet/dry automotive paper or equivalent, in 1200 grit, 1500 grit, and 2000 grit will serve you well, and may honestly be overkill. You can probably do just fine with 1 or 2, you've just got to figure out at what point you need to touch it up with the paper for it to be optimal.

You can even glue one grit to each side, maybe like 550grit and 1200grit would keep your knife working hard but be capable of taking out some big nicks if needed.

One thing though, I recommend buying high quality paper, otherwise it'll stop cutting after a few swipes and be useless. I like Rhynowet sheets, but 3M or something like that you can buy retail and is reasonably good. AO paper breaks down real fast when used with metal in fine grits though, so SiC is recommendable in higher grits from my experience.

Thanks Mike and Stephen I'm going to have to give this a try.

I've been carrying a Cold Steel Roach Belly ($16.00 new) as a fixed blade and a Buck Summit ($10 off of eBay as TSA confiscated knife) as a folder. I carry both and usually at least one more.
If you end up in a survival situation, a knife (any knife) is going to be the most helpful thing you have along.

OP, what is it that you need the knife for?

There is no definite right or wrong, rather just an issue of preference. Those who carry knives as a hobby usually own a lot of them due to trial and error of figuring out what they really like.

Fixed blades are nice but it really depends on what you need it for. For everyday carry (EDC), I'd think a folding knife is easier to deal with since it's more portable, it's not necessarily weaker than a fixed blade if made well, just have to be careful of the line lock which keeps it secured when in use. If you intend on using it a lot, you don't have to spend big bucks on one, just look for something that's easy to maintain and something you won't freak out on if you accidentally damage it. Sheath is not an issue since the handle is the sheath unless you want to keep in a case on your belt.

Fixed blades IMO are better for specific use like trail hiking, camping but if you EDC, you need to think about the sheath. It's better for heavier duty work I think but depending on your location, it may not be feasible to carry a fixed blade around in public.

I'm not a fan of serrations but if you simply want a knife to show off to friends, they do make the blade look less boring but in practical use, I don't care for them.

Personally folding knives and many mini fixed blades are really cool but I find that for general use, something like a multi-tool works better for EDC like a Leatherman with the tools you intend on using. I carry a Leatherman Charge Ti multi-tool and it's built like a tank.

Hope you find what you're looking for. Just don't think too much about spending too much on your first pocket/portable knife.

Thanks for the kind offer, Javan, but i should be ok. I've been looking at UK knife forums, and have found a few compounds that folk use over here.

Some good info there James, and I'd like to comment on a couple of things.

1) Another (and I think the major) detractor for serrations is also the inability of most home sharpening setups to maintain them. You need special sharpening rods to sharpen those serrations, and they don't really serve much significant function, unless you often let your knife get dull and have to resort to sawing at a rope instead of cutting it.

2) One thing to consider regarding the EDC ability of a knife are your local laws about concealed carry of a knife. For instance, North Carolina where I now reside, allows no fixed blade concealed carry, and only very limited *legal* carry of a small folder. Open carry is completely legal, and I've strolled around town with some of my prized Khukri collection pieces on my hip a number of times here. Even with a concealed weapon's permit in my state, you can't carry a concealed knife. Thus, I no longer carry my necker around my neck, which is probably good because I think it was giving me back pains.


So, as James mentioned, it's really important to decide what you need the knife to do, what situations you'll be using it in, and what other variables like legalities might factor in.


Also, some people just love folders, and some people don't. I'm in the don't camp. Once I have the knife in my hand, I want it ready to go to task. That's just my preference, but I like simplicity.