I’ve got a Ganzo Firebird that generally I’m happy with to open boxes, but it did chip prying an old staple out of some ply wood, so I wouldn’t say it’s “hard use” blade.
I've got a Ganzo Firebird that generally I'm happy with to open boxes, but it did chip prying an old staple out of some ply wood, so I wouldn't say it's "hard use" blade.
I’ve got a Ganzo Firebird that generally I’m happy with to open boxes, but it did chip prying an old staple out of some ply wood, so I wouldn’t say it’s “hard use” blade.
Knives aren’t made for prying.
It’s hard to argue with that statement, but it’s also an over simplification. A good outdoor/utility knife should be able to pop a staple out. Not a heavy construction staple either. Not really upset, it was less then $15 bucks. If it happened to a $40 knife or above I personally would never buy that brand again. As it stands I give these as gifts.
It's hard to argue with that statement, but it's also an over simplification. A good outdoor/utility knife should be able to pop a staple out. Not a heavy construction staple either. Not really upset, it was less then $15 bucks. If it happened to a $40 knife or above I personally would never buy that brand again. As it stands I give these as gifts.
Was that too simple for you?
Knives of any value are not made for prying, unless they have a pry bar, and if you damage a tool by misusing it, don't expect any sympathy from me.
When the truth is so simple, stating that truth is not considered an over simplification.
It’s hard to argue with that statement, but it’s also an over simplification. A good outdoor/utility knife should be able to pop a staple out. Not a heavy construction staple either. Not really upset, it was less then $15 bucks. If it happened to a $40 knife or above I personally would never buy that brand again. As it stands I give these as gifts.
Was that too simple for you?
Knives of any value are not made for prying, and if you damage a tool by misusing it, don’t expect any sympathy from me.
When the truth is so simple, stating that truth is not considered an over simplification.
It’s just stating the truth.
ha. ok. no one asked for sympathy. the not simple part of the discussion is that in outdoor or emergency situations you may have to use your knife for a variety of tasks. knowing you have a blade that can withstand a little extra punishment is something that I appreciate. if that’s not how you feel. no worries.
Kershaw Fraxion is on sale for $22 on Amazon, nice manual knife on kvt bearings, extremely light weight
The Fraxion is a real gem for what it is. Some people complain that the detent is too stiff but it breaks in to what I’d call “perfect”. It’s strong enough to stay closed when carried loose in a pocket. It snaps open without fail. It is surprisingly comfortable for how small it is. Some people say the overlay on one side looks strange but handling it, you’ll notice that it provides purchase points for your fingers in certain contexts.
Of course it isn’t perfect. I don’t love the clip so I removed it. Like I said, this knife is great for loose pocket carry. Mine is ground so that it smiles up at the base of the blade and that can be a pain when sharpening. (It’s probably best to fix it right away with a total reprofile on course diamond.) It’s also 8Cr13Mov but at $22, who cares? This knife has so much going for it at such a good price. Honestly, I wish all my flippers had a detent this strong.
Kershaw Fraxion is on sale for $22 on Amazon, nice manual knife on kvt bearings, extremely light weight
The Fraxion is a real gem for what it is. Some people complain that the detent is too stiff but it breaks in to what I’d call “perfect”. It’s strong enough to stay closed when carried loose in a pocket. It snaps open without fail. It is surprisingly comfortable for how small it is. Some people say the overlay on one side looks strange but handling it, you’ll notice that it provides purchase points for your fingers in certain contexts.
Of course it isn’t perfect. I don’t love the clip so I removed it. Like I said, this knife is great for loose pocket carry. Mine is ground so that it smiles up at the base of the blade and that can be a pain when sharpening. (It’s probably best to fix it right away with a total reprofile on course diamond.) It’s also 8Cr13Mov but at $22, who cares? This knife has so much going for it at such a good price. Honestly, I wish all my flippers had a detent this strong.
Interesting. I’m the opposite, I like the ease with which my Scallion flips out (and I’ve never had it open by accident… yet?). My Leek takes a bit more to start with its heavier blade, but still good; however my Volt II takes quite a push (which you’d probably like).
We’re all different. Maybe that’s why they make so many different models.
ha. ok. no one asked for sympathy. the not simple part of the discussion is that in outdoor or emergency situations you may have to use your knife for a variety of tasks. knowing you have a blade that can withstand a little extra punishment is something that I appreciate. if that's not how you feel. no worries.
I never said anyone asked for sympathy.
And when you abuse your tools, don't be surprised when they break, no matter what you paid for them.
Kershaw Fraxion is on sale for $22 on Amazon, nice manual knife on kvt bearings, extremely light weight
The Fraxion is a real gem for what it is. Some people complain that the detent is too stiff but it breaks in to what I’d call “perfect”. It’s strong enough to stay closed when carried loose in a pocket. It snaps open without fail. It is surprisingly comfortable for how small it is. Some people say the overlay on one side looks strange but handling it, you’ll notice that it provides purchase points for your fingers in certain contexts.
Of course it isn’t perfect. I don’t love the clip so I removed it. Like I said, this knife is great for loose pocket carry. Mine is ground so that it smiles up at the base of the blade and that can be a pain when sharpening. (It’s probably best to fix it right away with a total reprofile on course diamond.) It’s also 8Cr13Mov but at $22, who cares? This knife has so much going for it at such a good price. Honestly, I wish all my flippers had a detent this strong.
Interesting. I’m the opposite, I like the ease with which my Scallion flips out (and I’ve never had it open by accident… yet?). My Leek takes a bit more to start with its heavier blade, but still good; however my Volt II takes quite a push (which you’d probably like).
We’re all different. Maybe that’s why they make so many different models.
The non assisted models need stronger detent to transfer the force applied from your finger to the blade so it swings fully out. I have a ton of speedsafe assisted Kershaws, but I’m really enjoying these manual bearing models like the fraxion, atmos and natrix, they all fly open and drop shut with one hand, a lot of fun to fidget with.
Interesting. I’m the opposite, I like the ease with which my Scallion flips out (and I’ve never had it happen by accident… yet?). My Leek takes a bit more to start with its heavier blade, but still good; however my Volt II takes quite a push (which you’d probably like).
We’re all different. Maybe that’s why they make so many different models.
As Blackbeard mentioned, these are different types of action. The knives you mention have assisted actions via the Kershaw Speedsafe mechanism. I’ve carried quite a few Speedsafe knives over the years, including the Leek and the Volt II. I actually had a Dividend in my shirt pocket yesterday. When done well, Speedsafe both helps a knife to stay closed and lets it open with a magic touch.
In a manual action, you build tension by pushing your finger against the flipper tab. You push through the detent. It breaks and the knife opens. With a weaker detent, proper opening is much more dependent on technique. A strong detent helps to build tension and ensure a snappy opening. With the Speedsafe, there is a little more play as energy builds with the torsion bar. There is a little hill to climb and then when you clear the top of the hill, the torsion bar springs the knife open. It’s a nifty little mechanism and has a distinct feel.
Speedsafe can be reliable and satisfying. However, there’s something special about a good manual action.
I’ve got a Ganzo Firebird that generally I’m happy with to open boxes, but it did chip prying an old staple out of some ply wood, so I wouldn’t say it’s “hard use” blade.
well, there’s the blade thickness, the geometry, the alloy and the hardness. these determine how much abuse a knife can handle.
the firebird is D2 with a high hardness, so it should keep an edge longer, but doesns’t allow for much abuse. cheap knives are usually much softer, the blade deforms instead of chipping.
Hi Teus, Absolutely, it all figures in. Mine is the G727m so maybe not Firebird. It’s 440c. The edge is very hard and has held up well for two years against cardboard/zipties/cord etc. In this case I was changing the cross over in an old set of speakers and there was a 50 year old staple in a 50 year old piece of plywood on the inside and just thought I would pop it out with the tip of the knife as that is what was in my hand. A portion of the edge crumbled like sand. I presume the edge just got very hot then cold or something in the manufacturing process and was probably harder and more brittle than it really should be. Is it my fault. Sure is. Will I trust it in important situations. Nope. Is it still a good value at $15. Yup.
Will probably stick with something like this if steel abuse is on the horizon :).
Thanks to Fasttech I learned about an interesting kind of knife, a folder designed to take scalpel blades: https://www.fasttech.com/p/9719201
I really like the promise of a very sharp blade with minimal maintenance but 20 mm blade just won’t work for me.
There was a discussion in the FT thread about different blades:
The FT knife (also available elsewhere but FT is the cheapes source I’ve seen so far) uses #11 blades and the folded picture above shows there’s little chance of it fitting something larger.
If there was a folder that could accept blades #20, #21 or #22….maybe even #10….or similar – I would be very glad to try it.
Does anyone know such blade?…
It’s hard to argue with that statement, but it’s also an over simplification. A good outdoor/utility knife should be able to pop a staple out. Not a heavy construction staple either. Not really upset, it was less then $15 bucks. If it happened to a $40 knife or above I personally would never buy that brand again. As it stands I give these as gifts.
Was that too simple for you?
Knives of any value are not made for prying, unless they have a pry bar, and if you damage a tool by misusing it, don’t expect any sympathy from me.
When the truth is so simple, stating that truth is not considered an over simplification.
It’s just stating the truth.
Not the truth, your truth.
What is a mouth made for ? Eating, biting, articulating phonemes, playing wind instruments, etc ?
A knife’s blade is a bar of metal with a cutting edge, as is, it can have many more uses than a basic straight cut.
Thanks to Fasttech I learned about an interesting kind of knife, a folder designed to take scalpel blades: https://www.fasttech.com/p/9719201
I really like the promise of a very sharp blade with minimal maintenance but 20 mm blade just won’t work for me.
There was a discussion in the FT thread about different blades:
The FT knife (also available elsewhere but FT is the cheapes source I’ve seen so far) uses #11 blades and the folded picture above shows there’s little chance of it fitting something larger.
If there was a folder that could accept blades #20, #21 or #22….maybe even #10….or similar – I would be very glad to try it.
Does anyone know such blade?…
Thanks to Fasttech I learned about an interesting kind of knife, a folder designed to take scalpel blades: https://www.fasttech.com/p/9719201
I really like the promise of a very sharp blade with minimal maintenance but 20 mm blade just won’t work for me.
There was a discussion in the FT thread about different blades:
The FT knife (also available elsewhere but FT is the cheapes source I’ve seen so far) uses #11 blades and the folded picture above shows there’s little chance of it fitting something larger.
If there was a folder that could accept blades #20, #21 or #22….maybe even #10….or similar – I would be very glad to try it.
Does anyone know such blade?…
Personally, I carry a MiniChamp :-), but have a Kershaw Cinder that I sometimes carry.
Thanks.
I looked it up. It indeed looks like #10 would fit, though that’s not certain. Fasttech has them for only a slightly higher price w/out coupon; waiting for another 15-20% discount would drop the price to about $23-$24 shipped.
Considering that #10 blade is likely too small to be good for me anyway, that’s a little more expensive than I’d like….especially that I found other options:
$15, takes #22 blades.
81 mm is a little long considering the still-very-short blade. Well, most scalpel folders that I found are like that.
There are a few exceptions with non-standard blades, namely Havalon and Gerber. Though they produce only even bigger knives which are simply not good for me.
It's hard to argue with that statement, but it's also an over simplification. A good outdoor/utility knife should be able to pop a staple out. Not a heavy construction staple either. Not really upset, it was less then $15 bucks. If it happened to a $40 knife or above I personally would never buy that brand again. As it stands I give these as gifts.
Was that too simple for you?
Knives of any value are not made for prying, unless they have a pry bar, and if you damage a tool by misusing it, don't expect any sympathy from me.
When the truth is so simple, stating that truth is not considered an over simplification.
It's just stating the truth.
Not the truth, your truth. What is a mouth made for ? Eating, biting, articulating phonemes, playing wind instruments, etc ? A knife’s blade is a bar of metal with a cutting edge, as is, it can have many more uses than a basic straight cut.
If you're ignorant enough to use your knife for prying things, at least don't be surprised when you have bad results.
Knife blades aren't made for prying.
You're very likely to weaken or damage your blade if you ignorantly use it for prying.
And the weakening or damage may not be visible at first.
If you want to abuse your tools, be my guest, but don't tell me that knife blades are made for prying.
And if you decide to sell a tool that you abused, I hope you're honest enough to let the public know that you abused the tool in the past.
I’m sure they aren’t made to use as a screwdriver either, but guess what?
If the knife is the only tool I have available at that juncture it will be used for whatever it takes to get us out of a jam.
It’s not like these knives are family heirlooms, they are a tool and should be used and abused if needed, as such.
JMHO,
your’s sounds like it will vary and that’s cool.
Later,
Keith
—
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it sometimes rhymes,” Mark Twain
…
After the Apocalypse there will be only 2 things left alive, Cockroaches and Keith Richards
“You’ll develop like a herd mentality,”
“It’s gonna be herd-developed and that’s gonna happen.”
I’ve seen guys use Makita Impact Drivers as hammers becasue they were too lazy to go to the tool trailer so yeah some people do not care when the tool is not their’s.
Flat Earthers, Woo .
Now, what about the folks who believe in Hollow Earth?
P.S. I don’t lend tools or pickup trucks/trailers , I’ll help you fix it with my tools though.
—
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it sometimes rhymes,” Mark Twain
…
After the Apocalypse there will be only 2 things left alive, Cockroaches and Keith Richards
“You’ll develop like a herd mentality,”
“It’s gonna be herd-developed and that’s gonna happen.”
I’ve got a Ganzo Firebird that generally I’m happy with to open boxes, but it did chip prying an old staple out of some ply wood, so I wouldn’t say it’s “hard use” blade.
Knives aren't made for prying.
How to Post Images on BLF // Many knives for sale (USA only)
How to move a thread // WTS Brand New Timex Expedition Vibe Shock Camo Watch (USA only)
It’s hard to argue with that statement, but it’s also an over simplification. A good outdoor/utility knife should be able to pop a staple out. Not a heavy construction staple either. Not really upset, it was less then $15 bucks. If it happened to a $40 knife or above I personally would never buy that brand again. As it stands I give these as gifts.
Was that too simple for you?
Knives of any value are not made for prying, unless they have a pry bar, and if you damage a tool by misusing it, don't expect any sympathy from me.
When the truth is so simple, stating that truth is not considered an over simplification.
It's just stating the truth.
How to Post Images on BLF // Many knives for sale (USA only)
How to move a thread // WTS Brand New Timex Expedition Vibe Shock Camo Watch (USA only)
ha. ok. no one asked for sympathy. the not simple part of the discussion is that in outdoor or emergency situations you may have to use your knife for a variety of tasks. knowing you have a blade that can withstand a little extra punishment is something that I appreciate. if that’s not how you feel. no worries.
And by the way, I’m happy I did test it a little before taking it to do something important.
The Fraxion is a real gem for what it is. Some people complain that the detent is too stiff but it breaks in to what I’d call “perfect”. It’s strong enough to stay closed when carried loose in a pocket. It snaps open without fail. It is surprisingly comfortable for how small it is. Some people say the overlay on one side looks strange but handling it, you’ll notice that it provides purchase points for your fingers in certain contexts.
Of course it isn’t perfect. I don’t love the clip so I removed it. Like I said, this knife is great for loose pocket carry. Mine is ground so that it smiles up at the base of the blade and that can be a pain when sharpening. (It’s probably best to fix it right away with a total reprofile on course diamond.) It’s also 8Cr13Mov but at $22, who cares? This knife has so much going for it at such a good price. Honestly, I wish all my flippers had a detent this strong.
We’re all different. Maybe that’s why they make so many different models.
I never said anyone asked for sympathy.
And when you abuse your tools, don't be surprised when they break, no matter what you paid for them.
How to Post Images on BLF // Many knives for sale (USA only)
How to move a thread // WTS Brand New Timex Expedition Vibe Shock Camo Watch (USA only)
The non assisted models need stronger detent to transfer the force applied from your finger to the blade so it swings fully out. I have a ton of speedsafe assisted Kershaws, but I’m really enjoying these manual bearing models like the fraxion, atmos and natrix, they all fly open and drop shut with one hand, a lot of fun to fidget with.
As Blackbeard mentioned, these are different types of action. The knives you mention have assisted actions via the Kershaw Speedsafe mechanism. I’ve carried quite a few Speedsafe knives over the years, including the Leek and the Volt II. I actually had a Dividend in my shirt pocket yesterday. When done well, Speedsafe both helps a knife to stay closed and lets it open with a magic touch.
In a manual action, you build tension by pushing your finger against the flipper tab. You push through the detent. It breaks and the knife opens. With a weaker detent, proper opening is much more dependent on technique. A strong detent helps to build tension and ensure a snappy opening. With the Speedsafe, there is a little more play as energy builds with the torsion bar. There is a little hill to climb and then when you clear the top of the hill, the torsion bar springs the knife open. It’s a nifty little mechanism and has a distinct feel.
Speedsafe can be reliable and satisfying. However, there’s something special about a good manual action.
well, there’s the blade thickness, the geometry, the alloy and the hardness. these determine how much abuse a knife can handle.
the firebird is D2 with a high hardness, so it should keep an edge longer, but doesns’t allow for much abuse. cheap knives are usually much softer, the blade deforms instead of chipping.
Hi Teus, Absolutely, it all figures in. Mine is the G727m so maybe not Firebird. It’s 440c. The edge is very hard and has held up well for two years against cardboard/zipties/cord etc. In this case I was changing the cross over in an old set of speakers and there was a 50 year old staple in a 50 year old piece of plywood on the inside and just thought I would pop it out with the tip of the knife as that is what was in my hand. A portion of the edge crumbled like sand. I presume the edge just got very hot then cold or something in the manufacturing process and was probably harder and more brittle than it really should be. Is it my fault. Sure is. Will I trust it in important situations. Nope. Is it still a good value at $15. Yup.
Will probably stick with something like this if steel abuse is on the horizon :).
It is absolutely worth keeping a junk knife for rough and dirty tasks.
Is there any good deal for the Ganzo FH41?
It’s $26 shipped here on Ali with the $4 off store coupon.
isti
Also got the multitool, that’s how I originally learned about Ganzo. It’s all very nice.
My Ganzo F7551 just arrived. Decent size portable cleaver.
Good choice. It is one of my favorite knife! And super comfortable.
It’s also a good base for modding!
isti
Thanks to Fasttech I learned about an interesting kind of knife, a folder designed to take scalpel blades:
https://www.fasttech.com/p/9719201
I really like the promise of a very sharp blade with minimal maintenance but 20 mm blade just won’t work for me.
There was a discussion in the FT thread about different blades:
The FT knife (also available elsewhere but FT is the cheapes source I’ve seen so far) uses #11 blades and the folded picture above shows there’s little chance of it fitting something larger.
If there was a folder that could accept blades #20, #21 or #22….maybe even #10….or similar – I would be very glad to try it.
Does anyone know such blade?…
Not the truth, your truth.
What is a mouth made for ? Eating, biting, articulating phonemes, playing wind instruments, etc ?
A knife’s blade is a bar of metal with a cutting edge, as is, it can have many more uses than a basic straight cut.
Hmm, the NiteCore NTK05 looks like there’s room for a fatter blade. FreeMe has it at $25. Here’s a lock’s review.
Personally, I carry a MiniChamp :-), but have a Kershaw Cinder that I sometimes carry.
More Photons!
Thanks.
I looked it up. It indeed looks like #10 would fit, though that’s not certain. Fasttech has them for only a slightly higher price w/out coupon; waiting for another 15-20% discount would drop the price to about $23-$24 shipped.
Considering that #10 blade is likely too small to be good for me anyway, that’s a little more expensive than I’d like….especially that I found other options:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000306725903.html
$15, takes #22 blades.
81 mm is a little long considering the still-very-short blade. Well, most scalpel folders that I found are like that.
There are a few exceptions with non-standard blades, namely Havalon and Gerber. Though they produce only even bigger knives which are simply not good for me.
Look for local source for scalpel blades.
Many available.
Mike
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. George Carlin
Anyone offended by my signature please fill Complaint Form. Thank you.
If a lot of people listen to Slayer, the world would be a better place to live" - Tommy Wiseau
If you're ignorant enough to use your knife for prying things, at least don't be surprised when you have bad results.
Knife blades aren't made for prying.
You're very likely to weaken or damage your blade if you ignorantly use it for prying.
And the weakening or damage may not be visible at first.
If you want to abuse your tools, be my guest, but don't tell me that knife blades are made for prying.
And if you decide to sell a tool that you abused, I hope you're honest enough to let the public know that you abused the tool in the past.
How to Post Images on BLF // Many knives for sale (USA only)
How to move a thread // WTS Brand New Timex Expedition Vibe Shock Camo Watch (USA only)
I’m sure they aren’t made to use as a screwdriver either, but guess what?
If the knife is the only tool I have available at that juncture it will be used for whatever it takes to get us out of a jam.
It’s not like these knives are family heirlooms, they are a tool and should be used and abused if needed, as such.
JMHO, your’s sounds like it will vary and that’s cool.
Later,
Keith
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it sometimes rhymes,” Mark Twain
…
After the Apocalypse there will be only 2 things left alive, Cockroaches and Keith Richards
“You’ll develop like a herd mentality,”
“It’s gonna be herd-developed and that’s gonna happen.”
Yep it already happened
Of course anyone can abuse their tools as they like.
Just admit that it IS abuse, and that the tools were never meant to be used that way.
When someone asks me to borrow my tools, I always ask what their intentions are because I don't want anyone to abuse my tools, myself included.
You might be surprised how many people think it's okay to pry something with a knife blade.
I think they outnumber the flat Earthers, which is kinda sad.
How to Post Images on BLF // Many knives for sale (USA only)
How to move a thread // WTS Brand New Timex Expedition Vibe Shock Camo Watch (USA only)
I’ve seen guys use Makita Impact Drivers as hammers becasue they were too lazy to go to the tool trailer so yeah some people do not care when the tool is not their’s.
Flat Earthers, Woo .
Now, what about the folks who believe in Hollow Earth?
We have a micro brewer in Oxford, PA called Hollow Earth brewing
https://www.facebook.com/Hollow-Earth-Brewing-321367801373224/
Later………………. gotta get back in the portal.
P.S. I don’t lend tools or pickup trucks/trailers , I’ll help you fix it with my tools though.
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it sometimes rhymes,” Mark Twain
…
After the Apocalypse there will be only 2 things left alive, Cockroaches and Keith Richards
“You’ll develop like a herd mentality,”
“It’s gonna be herd-developed and that’s gonna happen.”
Yep it already happened
Small size makes this Titanium Alloy Utility Folding Knife (that comes with 10 blade replacement: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000225727356.html) very convenient as keyring blade:
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