What's your "go to" pocket knife?

johnk · May 30, 2012

I have a Buck 100 and a 110FG -with finger grooves. Gutted and boned many deer with them and they hold a great edge.

Domush · May 30, 2012

I like a knife which sharpens well, won't sag my thin shorts' pocket and I won't worry about losing. Mostly the last part.

This one is my go-to for now: Walmart.com: Ozark Trail Folding Knife: Camping

Costs a whopping $8 (sometimes $5 on sale), clips in any front pocket I own without feeling heavy, opens with one hand, has a great size blade, has pretty wood trim

, won't ever rust and holds an edge well enough for me to not have to carry a sharpener around.

For a sharpener, I live by this one: [ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004WFTW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=quickview-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004WFTW"]Double Sided Diafold Sharpener[/ame]. I can sharpen anything at all with it (including my axe, router bits, drill bits and auger bits) without so much as scuffing the sharpener, yet it works like a dream. Easily one of the top purchases I've ever made. No more cutting with dull knives in the kitchen ever again.

smilinjak · May 30, 2012

If you aren't getting shaving sharp with the Lansky system either you aren't doing the dance the way it is called or you are very unlucky. Use the 25 degree slot and be sure to stroke from heel to point the same number of strokes per pass same number of passes on each side. Having the rod properly set in the hone holder is vital as is using plenty of oil. If you are out of honing oil Baby Oil does an excellent job. The shaving sharp edge at this angle is a good compromise, it cuts and stays sharp as long as you don't use the blade to open tomato cans. You will want to alternate sides of the blade about every 10 passes with the coarse hone, 5 passes with medium and 2 passes with the fine one.

Depmandog · May 30, 2012

Nissan197 said:
I have two. The first one is a Craftsman 3 blade, which is stamped "U.S.A.". I lost it for a year and got a Buck, which is stamped "China". I am so glad I found my Craftsman. They have the same size blades, but the Craftsman is quite a bit heavier than the Buck.

One of my knives is a Craftsman single blade folder. Heavy bugger. Got my first one about 25 years ago, came with a belt case. Many moons ago I was in a bind and forced to use the knife as a screwdriver to make an emergency repair. Destroyed the blade tip. Took it back to Sears, uttered the magic words "lifetime warranty", and left with a brand new knife.

As far as knife sharpening, anytime I am close to Bass Pro in Springfield (Missouri) I stop and have my knives sharpened by their sharpening service with their cardboard wheels. Best sharpening job ever!! They charge in the neighborhood of a buck and half an inch.

You can purchase the wheels and sharpen your own at the link below.

http://www.razorknife.com/abproducts.htm

EE_Bota · May 31, 2012

hydro2 said:
I use one of these. There are pages and pages on the blade forum on these. This works very very well.

I spent about an hour reading reviews and considering this as a sharpener. Now I have one in my basket at Amazon. So many of the reviews were from folks like me, the sharpening impaired. A few were from folks who use knives all the time, and know how to sharpen well, but figure they would rather use that time doing something else. A appreciate the suggestion, and I will have one in around 10 days. I think I will like it.

JDgreen227 · May 31, 2012

Depmandog tells us about Craftsman knives, I have one of their folding lockbacks and a few jackknives purchased about 1990 as well as one of their "100 year anniversary" models. Sure, they have a lifetime warranty but odds are if I took one of mine in they would give me a cheapo China made knife to replace my USA made model.

EE_Bota · May 31, 2012

smilinjak said:
If you aren't getting shaving sharp with the Lansky system either you aren't doing the dance the way it is called or you are very unlucky. Use the 25 degree slot and be sure to stroke from heel to point the same number of strokes per pass same number of passes on each side. Having the rod properly set in the hone holder is vital as is using plenty of oil. If you are out of honing oil Baby Oil does an excellent job. The shaving sharp edge at this angle is a good compromise, it cuts and stays sharp as long as you don't use the blade to open tomato cans. You will want to alternate sides of the blade about every 10 passes with the coarse hone, 5 passes with medium and 2 passes with the fine one.

Your comments on the number of passes it new to me, and may help me. Also, I am going the try the "listening" approach.

I have been attempting to get a keen edge since childhood, and I have never been pleased with my results. It could be something as simple as not being able to tell whether something is truly sharp.

For example, I have used my knife at work, and I think is it dull. A mechanic says "try mine, it's really sharp" and I try it and say "thanks" while thinking "this one is duller than my own."

Some people move their finger along the edge and feel for some sort of sensation to tell if it is sharp. I did that once as a kid on the edge of an ax, and split my finger open. Usually, now, I try to see what it will do on newspaper.

A couple of days ago, I was trying to sharpen a knife, and I was displeased, so I attempted to see the edge using two ganged magnifying lenses...it looked fine to me, but it won't shave anything, and I have seen sharper. A swipe across paper was disappointing.

I am getting the belt sharpener, and I'm keeping the Lansky system too, and together they are going to sharpen all my knives, blades and axes sharp enough to suit me, and it is going to happen before July 1, and that's all there is to it. It's on my mind and it is going to happen.

hydro2 · May 31, 2012

EE_Bota said:
I spent about an hour reading reviews and considering this as a sharpener. Now I have one in my basket at Amazon. So many of the reviews were from folks like me, the sharpening impaired. A few were from folks who use knives all the time, and know how to sharpen well, but figure they would rather use that time doing something else. A appreciate the suggestion, and I will have one in around 10 days. I think I will like it.

It will get your knife shaving sharp in very little time. I have tried many different sharpeners. This one is amazing.

300UGUY · May 31, 2012

I thought I sharpened knives pretty good, but my fil, a former butcher, does it much better. He uses a stone and a leather strap. Old german stuff, for a old german.

JDgreen227 · May 31, 2012

300UGUY said:
I thought I sharpened knives pretty good, but my fil, a former butcher, does it much better. He uses a stone and a leather strap. Old german stuff, for a old german.

Anyone have decent results using a sharpening steel such as is often furnished with kitchen knife sets? Back about '85 we had a temp guy working with us who tried to show my boss how to sharpen hunting knives with one of those steels. The guy was whipping the knife and steel around like a pair of nunchucks :laughing: and I still laugh when I think of his demonstration.