Knife Chat: Slicing to the meat of all things sharp

[Lodewijk]

Removed the factory coat with paint & epoxy stripper, and to force the patina I just soaked an old undershirt rag with distilled white vinegar and wrapped the blade with it, then left it in a baking dish with something under the pommel to keep the leather handle from getting wet.

Checked progress after 60 minutes, re-wrapped, turned it over and re-soaked for another 60, and then did one more time for about 30 or 45 minutes. Kept the rag dripping wet, used a bunch of vinegar up.

This obviously takes a while but I'm OK with going slow. You can go with hot vinegar to make it faster but it stinks and my wife would not tolerate that.

I've never seen a mustard patina that I thought looked good, they all end up kind of gloppy-looking to me.

From what I understand apple cider vinegar usually comes out a little darker than white but I haven't tried.

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

Yeah, the mustard patina thing I tried just looked awful. I kept it like that for a couple years and it wasn't until 2020 rolled around that I sanded off the crappy patina.

I might try the vinegar patina, but I think using that cold blue stuff might give me a more consistent finish. After my failure with the mustard patina, I'm a bit hesitant to try doing a vinegar patina.

[flybynight]

Yeah, the mustard patina thing I tried just looked awful. I kept it like that for a couple years and it wasn't until 2020 rolled around that I sanded off the crappy patina.

I might try the vinegar patina, but I think using that cold blue stuff might give me a more consistent finish. After my failure  depth of the blade/hilt when the knife was dipped into it. I would heat the with the mustard patina, I'm a bit hesitant to try doing a vinegar patina.

I used vinegar to force a patina on a carbon steel Mora  a couple years ago .  I used a soda bottle with the top cut off and dipped the blade in the vinegar. I heated the vinegar in the microwave and kept the blade in the solution until it stopped bubbling.  Then removed and reheated the vinegar. 

[Moab]

Look up bleach etching. I used it on my ESEE 5. But use alot of vaseline to orotect blade edge and anyplace else you dont want it. Takes maybe 15 to 20 minutes or less. 

[MacWa77ace]

This just arrived today.

Zero Tolerance 0452CF 4.1" flipper. My first 'expensive' folder. I'm very pleased. Especially since after I ordered it I kept watching youtube reviews, and one guy said that he had a couple 'cons' regarding the knife. One being that the clip sat the knife too high in your pocket and the other that the detent was too stiff and made the knife hard to open. I don't find either of these issues on my knife.

The standard clip sits the knife really low, lower than my Kershaw Blur. And this thing opens, locks, and for a framelock, it unlocks one handed smooth like butter. There are no wiggles or wobbles so its solid as a rock.

If you notice the pocket clip on the ZT is on the tail and not the pivot point, so deploying this requires a different technique than the Blur who's clip is on the pivot point. I was worried about this a little when considering it, because I prefer thumbstud deployment to flipper, but now that I have it I've already got that worked out.

Now just have to cut myself with it like I do [accidentally] playing around with any 'new' knife.

4.1" ZT vs 3.4" Blur



  ZT 0452CF carbon fiber/titanium
I literally don't even notice it in my pocket.

  Kershaw Tanto Blur [~14 years old]



Additionally I had sent my Kershaw Blur into KIA USA for warranty work again and got it back repaired. Zero Tolerance and Kershaw are part of the KIA USA LTD umbrella so same warranties. The Blur is also a knife that has no wiggles or wobbles and I've been carrying it since 2006. But its actually #2 because I lost my first one shortly after I got it. I think its still in my hedges somewhere, I lost it doing yardwork. But that incident made me worried that I'd lose an expensive knife, but I haven't lost a pocket folder since 2007-8. My EDC folder retention and tracking skills being what they are today, I guess it was time. 

[Rednex]

Mac i have had the Bure ( non serrated) since ummm 03 i think and just picked the same ZT up 3 weeks ago from a guy at work. One thing with 99% of frame locks and me, then i use the flipper in my right hand. I hold it tight so i don't flip it out of my hand and unintentionally hold it closed.

[Lodewijk]

Anyone have an opinion on the Becker Tac Tool / BK3?

I didn't even know it existed until I looted a goofy-looking knife in State of Decay 2 a few weeks ago... a bunch of research later it looks like 1) something I would 100% laugh my ass off using and 2) a potentially useful addition to a suburban go bag bag or car bag.

I'd do the obvious mods... get rid of the epoxy coat, find micarta scales, sharpen the spine for a firesteel, etc.

[tirls]

Anyone have an opinion on the Becker Tac Tool / BK3?

I´m still not convinced of those survival type knifes.

If you want to chop a tree or bash something in, take a hatchet, axe or whatever tool is appropriate, if you desperately want a knife to chop something get a machete. For the weight of it you can carry something like a Victorinox and a small hand hatchet or folding saw with the advantage of having a sharp blade that doesn´t get damaged, multiple other tools depending on the swiss army knife configuration and a tool that does a proper job.

If you want a knife for self defence I´d choose a different one and even then I think it´s worth a thought to not use a knife at all, unless you have experience with knife fighting you´re just as likely to injure yourself. I´ve done martial arts up to 1. Dan and I´d choose a stick over a knife if I´d have the choice. The use of those knifes is in my opinion in very limited specific areas only.

If you simply like big, goofy knifes that´s another thing.

[Lodewijk]

Anyone have an opinion on the Becker Tac Tool / BK3?

I´m still not convinced of those survival type knifes.

If you want to chop a tree or bash something in, take a hatchet, axe or whatever tool is appropriate, if you desperately want a knife to chop something get a machete. For the weight of it you can carry something like a Victorinox and a small hand hatchet or folding saw with the advantage of having a sharp blade that doesn´t get damaged, multiple other tools depending on the swiss army knife configuration and a tool that does a proper job.

If you want a knife for self defence I´d choose a different one and even then I think it´s worth a thought to not use a knife at all, unless you have experience with knife fighting you´re just as likely to injure yourself. I´ve done martial arts up to 1. Dan and I´d choose a stick over a knife if I´d have the choice. The use of those knifes is in my opinion in very limited specific areas only.

If you simply like big, goofy knifes that´s another thing.

Yeah its in a weird spot for sure, but it almost seems like that might make it worthwhile for where I live and what I'd use it for.

It's not a chopper, but I live on a treeless prairie where the biggest thing is scrub oak. There's nothing to chop. The grind is weird for splitting, but there's nothing to split. And firemaking is like a distant concern, because we're under a burn ban all the time. It's not a defensive knife, which is fine because any bag I'd stick it in will have a firearm.

It looks like a literal sharpened prybar that can be pressed into other uses. I almost see using that to break stuff, force things open, etc. I do that often enough.

I mean... this would be in addition to the primary use. Which is "being ridiculous."

[tirls]

The Terävä Skrama by Varusteleka looks a bit like that. I´m not sure how it is for where you live, but here that one is a lot cheaper.
I´d still be anxious to damage my cutting tool and probably take a small underarm length prybar or claw hammer with a small folding knife instead. I just can´t imagine using it for normal knife purposes, imagine needing to cut a piece of salami with it while your buddies are watching.

[Lodewijk]

The Terävä Skrama by Varusteleka looks a bit like that. I´m not sure how it is for where you live, but here that one is a lot cheaper.
I´d still be anxious to damage my cutting tool and probably take a small underarm length prybar or claw hammer with a small folding knife instead. I just can´t imagine using it for normal knife purposes, imagine needing to cut a piece of salami with it while your buddies are watching.

Skrama 200 is about $110 before shipping... cheapest I've seen the Becker is $120. Similar-ish?

Just to be transparent the (time to butcher some Finnish) Jakaaripuukko 140 is what I have in my go bag now. This would probably go in the car.

[tirls]

Skrama 200 is about $110 before shipping... cheapest I've seen the Becker is $120. Similar-ish?

68 versus 180 (currently not available) here from what I´ve found. 

[Lodewijk]

Skrama 200 is about $110 before shipping... cheapest I've seen the Becker is $120. Similar-ish?

68 versus 180 (currently not available) here from what I´ve found.

Becker with a sheath for $120:

https://www.smkw.com/kabar-becker-tactool

Skrama 200 with a sheath for $105:

https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/terava-skrama-200-carbon-steel/63759

Skrama has a much nicer sheath if it's like the puukko but it's also probably simpler to make  so I would expect the Becker to cost a little more in terms of the tool itself.

[Rednex]

Not as big but, the CountyComm EOD Robotics Breacher Bar & CERT Bar. I have the larger one and the kydex sheath they sell for i for extra. Many moons ago they ran like $20 USD , now they run $37.95 USD

 https://countycomm.com/products/eod-robotics-breacher-bar?_pos=1&_sid=4328ef8b9&_ss=r

Nowi did a paracord wrap handle on mine. I used it at work for prying doors and stuff, splitting door jambs for fun, beat it with a 26 oz waffle faced hammer, and sharpened the " blade edges" to chisel wood. The only thing wrong  after ummm 8 or so years is my handle wrap sucks. I stuffed it into a crack and stood on it.

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

Not as big but, the CountyComm EOD Robotics Breacher Bar & CERT Bar. I have the larger one and the kydex sheath they sell for i for extra. Many moons ago they ran like $20 USD , now they run $37.95 USD

 https://countycomm.com/products/eod-robotics-breacher-bar?_pos=1&_sid=4328ef8b9&_ss=r

Nowi did a paracord wrap handle on mine. I used it at work for prying doors and stuff, splitting door jambs for fun, beat it with a 26 oz waffle faced hammer, and sharpened the " blade edges" to chisel wood. The only thing wrong  after ummm 8 or so years is my handle wrap sucks. I stuffed it into a crack and stood on it.

That's what I was thinking about when the Becker BK3 was mentioned, but I couldn't remember the name.

[tirls]

Not as big but, the CountyComm EOD Robotics Breacher Bar & CERT Bar. I have the larger one and the kydex sheath they sell for i for extra. Many moons ago they ran like $20 USD , now they run $37.95 USD

 https://countycomm.com/products/eod-robotics-breacher-bar?_pos=1&_sid=4328ef8b9&_ss=r

That one seems more like a usable tool that has been sharpened because why not. I like that one.
Another thing it reminds me off is a kiridashi. They are dirt cheap and do come in blanks, but I haven´t seen a large one yet.

[MacWa77ace]

Mac i have had the Bure ( non serrated) since ummm 03 i think and just picked the same ZT up 3 weeks ago from a guy at work. One thing with 99% of frame locks and me, then i use the flipper in my right hand. I hold it tight so i don't flip it out of my hand and unintentionally hold it closed.

There is a 'sweet spot' of grip tightness IMO. I don't want to grip to loose of course, but also don't want to grip so tight I lose the small motor skills. So I grip just tight enough that if I bump my hand while deploying the knife it won't fall out of my hand.

I'm using the same one handed deploy technique on my Cryo II assisted open frame lock as my Blur which both are very fast one handed deploys. But the Cryo being a framelock with tight tolerances, it is really difficult to do a one handed re-holster [pocket]. The Blur being a liner lock its easy to just use your thumb to unlock the knife and flip it closed. But with the Cryo I have to flip it over 180 degrees so the frame lock is facing away from my thumb, my thumb resting on the spine of the knife, and then use my index fingernail to unlock it. That makes it easy. I can unlock it with my thumb but its really hard to unlock and even harder if you accidentally put any pressure on the blade when trying to unlock it.

The ZT flipper is also a framelock but that one is easy to unlock one handed using my thumb. I've looked at the difference between the ZT and the Cryo trying to figure out why one is harder to unlock than the other and the only thing I can figure is that the notch on the framelock that allows it to flex is thicker on the Cryo. And then the blade sort of pushes agains the lock pretty tight, which makes for extra pressure to push against when sliding the lock over.

Anyone have an opinion on the Becker Tac Tool / BK3?

I didn't even know it existed until I looted a goofy-looking knife in State of Decay 2 a few weeks ago... a bunch of research later it looks like 1) something I would 100% laugh my ass off using and 2) a potentially useful addition to a suburban go bag bag or car bag.

I'd do the obvious mods... get rid of the epoxy coat, find micarta scales, sharpen the spine for a firesteel, etc.

I've had it in my 'to buy' list for a couple years now, but there's to many things in front of it to buy and I've already got 2 urban/suburban 2nd line carry knives. So it keeps getting pushed back.

It seems like a viable carry tool for a second line rig. But definitely for urban or suburban use. Not for woodcraft IMO.

I will eventually get it unless someone else comes up with a better design at a better price.

[Mr. E. Monkey]

I think it was a discussion on here that prompted me, but either way, I just bought a Ganzo Firebird on Amazon.  (The F759M model.)  Looks like a copy of a Spyderco.  I figured if it works decently enough, I'd rather break or lose it than my Spyderco.  

It's light, and it feels cheaper, but for $16, I expected that.  But so far (okay, less than 24 hours later), it seems decent enough.  And it's freakishly sharp, right out of the box, so that's pretty nice.  For light daily-ish use, it's probably a good choice. 

[flybynight]

I think it was a discussion on here that prompted me, but either way, I just bought a Ganzo Firebird on Amazon.  (The F759M model.)  Looks like a copy of a Spyderco.  I figured if it works decently enough, I'd rather break or lose it than my Spyderco. 

It's light, and it feels cheaper, but for $16, I expected that.  But so far (okay, less than 24 hours later), it seems decent enough.  And it's freakishly sharp, right out of the box, so that's pretty nice.  For light daily-ish use, it's probably a good choice. 

I should have posted ( or maybe I did and don't remember )

https://www.amazon.com/Ganzo-G734-BK-Folding-outdoor-PTM/dp/B07C2BV5JX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=20DFT5L4A3FFU&keywords=G734&qid=1662689015&sprefix=g734%2Caps%2C254&sr=8-1

I carried spydercos for  almost twenty years  until they became too expensive for my forgetful self,
  Bought that model and it's the most  similar knife I've found. A little heavier , but good action Sharp and re sharpened well.  Finally able to open  a knife like I used to with the spyderco's.  I got it with green handles. Thought I bought it on amazon but doesn't show in my orders. Weird

[Mr. E. Monkey]

That does look like a really good copy.  Mine has done a great job of opening a few boxes so far, and aside from the not-as-round thumb hole, it does look and feel pretty similar.  The handle material is textured like the Endura, but the material has a slightly different feel--you can tell it's not the same plastic, but I haven't broken it yet! 


I will keep that one on the list if I lose/break this one.