[ rss / options / help ]
post ]
[ b / iq / g / zoo ] [ e / news / lab ] [ v / nom / pol / eco / emo / 101 / shed ]
[ art / A / beat / boo / com / fat / job / lit / map / mph / poof / £$€¥ / spo / uhu / uni / x / y ] [ * | sfw | o ]
logo
grow

Return ]

Posting mode: Reply
Reply ]
Subject   (reply to 1142)
Message
File  []
close
buck vantage.jpg
114211421142
>> No. 1142 Anonymous
22nd July 2010
Thursday 11:27 pm
1142 spacer
I seek advice from the adventurers of /eco/. I am looking for some decent knife-buying ideas. After years of putting up with everything from terrible knives with metal that holds an edge like cheese to outright dangerous folding knives that dream of tasting human flesh I've decided to buy one or two decent well made or good value ones.

I'm not looking for combat ones or giant Rambo ones for carving my way through Vietnam. More the practical everyday knives, hunting, camping or carving types.

My thoughts were perhaps an Opinel No. 7 or 8 - incredibly cheap and seems to be well throught of and a neat package. The benefit of it being so cheap is I won't be afraid to use and abuse it whenever, while it is still good enough to do the job properly. Shame that they don't fall within the 'legal carry' because of the locking ring or else I'd keep one as my new handy pen knife all the time. A Buck Vantage (also good value and seems well made) is a tempting option for me. The value for money seems to be high with this (although more expensive than the previous option it does have more features and I was considering this one could be my better one that is abused less than the cheaper Opinel and I could keep it handy in the house or shed.

Any info on knives you find particularly useful or suitable for whittling/carving and such would also be useful, as well as general use as a tool (possibly sheath knives too). I would like to have one handy for these things, as well as some light touching up of the occasional shed project.

Obviously the ridiculous laws in this country mean that basically anything safe and useful as a tool is illegal, so I'm not even bothering to make it a certain length to suit the law (just whatever is most practical, whether that is two inches or four) and non-locking (much prefer locking knives for safety) and just getting the right tools and only carry it when I need it, in the countryside/woods or within my own boundaries and therefore can be excused for that reason.

So any favourites or experience with good tools you can share?
Expand all images.
>> No. 1143 Anonymous
23rd July 2010
Friday 12:22 am
1143 spacer
>>1142
Spyderco make some neat and practical knives. They're not the cheapest, but generally produce decent quality output; if in doubt, they are also mainstream enough to find ample reviews online for any particular model you develop an interest in.

The downside is that they, too, have locking blades and, worse yet, have one-hand opening mechanisms, which (as I understand it) makes them double-plus ungood from a legal perspective.
>> No. 1144 Anonymous
23rd July 2010
Friday 10:01 am
1144 spacer
>>1143

Having had non-locking knives close on my hand in the past and knowing others that have had it I am just going to ignore that part of the law as safety comes first for me. Cheers for the suggestion.
>> No. 1145 Anonymous
23rd July 2010
Friday 10:55 am
1145 spacer
My views on knives can be found here: http://britfa.gs/eco/res/97.html
>> No. 1146 Anonymous
23rd July 2010
Friday 11:21 am
1146 spacer
>>1145

Thanks. Ideal bit of reading there. That appears to be a very practical tool and one that should last a lifetime.
>> No. 1147 Anonymous
23rd July 2010
Friday 11:23 am
1147 spacer
>>1146

Well mine has lasted ages and is still going strong. I think you can buy them online in the UK.

On a sort of unrelated note, does anyone know the legal situation around bringing souvenir knives into the UK, or even posting them home?
>> No. 1148 Anonymous
23rd July 2010
Friday 11:44 am
1148 spacer
>>1147

You can bring knives on the hold luggage still when travelling. Just not carry on. UK legal knives only, unless you wish to run the risk of being stung. It seems that some travellers and collectors recommend phoning ahead if you're bringing in a lot of knives, but I've no idea if that means a suitcase full or a half dozen. For postage from abroad, I know that the customs units are being inconsistent with their application of the law and some are seizing knives that others will let through (such as the buck knife pictured above being confiscated while coming in from abroad despite being legally and openly on sale in UK shops).
>> No. 1149 Anonymous
23rd July 2010
Friday 11:49 am
1149 spacer
>>1148
>>no idea if that means a suitcase full or a half dozen.

My plan to import customised /iq/ Kukhuri knives is in ruin.
>> No. 1150 Anonymous
23rd July 2010
Friday 11:56 am
1150 spacer
>>1149

You can probably still do it without much trouble. Those are legal. The suggestion to phone ahead was simply to reduce the chances of anyone freaking out when they find a suitcase with lots of metal stuffed in it.
>> No. 1151 Anonymous
23rd July 2010
Friday 12:14 pm
1151 spacer
>>1150

In fact I recall photographers doing similar, but mostly so they can get their bags properly checked the old-fashioned way and not have to worry about potential damage or sticky fingers. A call plenty time ahead to arrange it sorts out a lot of problems before they happen.
>> No. 1152 Anonymous
23rd July 2010
Friday 4:47 pm
1152 spacer
Personally I like an Opinel - they're cheap but seriously well built, and hold an edge well. I like them because they're so replaceable, though - It's all very well having a blade tempered in the fires at the heart of a volcano and a handle made from unicorn tusk, but if you drop it in the sea you'd be gutted. Drop an Opinel, you have three more in your bag and you can get another six when you get back home. They also look really cool.
>> No. 1153 Anonymous
23rd July 2010
Friday 8:25 pm
1153 spacer
>>1152

This has pretty much swung it for me to get one of these. I can easily get one for about six or seven pounds. So cheap I can use it and not worry at all and I've not heard anyone say the steel was rubbish so far. Easily replacable too.

I'll still be looking for others, but that can be my cheapie handy one. Maybe a middle ground one (fixed or locking folder) and eventually a heavier sheath one (the Sami one sounds impressive, actually).

In a surprising show of differences in culture and how far we have fallen I saw that Opinel market a "children's knife" that despite the safety features of it is still not possible for a kid to carry or buy here. Seems that France haven't fallen for the safety-obessed madness the UK has. When I think how the police and other authorities here would weep and wail at the very idea of a child or anyone else carrying such a thing...oh for the good old days when children had their prized pocket knife and scouts and similar would use sheath knives from an early age.

I know I make it a point that any kids that will be near my tools, etc. will know the basics on how they work and how they can be safely handled, instead of locking them away and then letting them stumble into them in igorance at some point. I know I learned quickly as a kid from using tools and getting the odd little scrape.

Come on, UK. Don't let France show us up as fearful pansies. Britain needs more /eco/ types willing to get their hands dirty and muck around with tools.
>> No. 1169 Anonymous
24th July 2010
Saturday 10:02 am
1169 spacer
>>1153
My father bought me a opinel knife when i was a child, which i used for every meal, i only cut myself once when i used a different knife.
Their is now a flood of nostalgia.
>> No. 1170 Anonymous
24th July 2010
Saturday 11:04 am
1170 spacer
>>1169

Just wait, you'll end up caving in and buying another or digging out your old one.

The traditional ones they make now don't seem to have changed in decades. You can even get them on Amazon pretty cheaply.
>> No. 1171 Anonymous
24th July 2010
Saturday 12:14 pm
1171 spacer
My Opinel arrived today! That was quick. Nice little knife. Good shape of handle, very light in the hand, the locking mechanism works well and locks it closed or open. The blade is a nice shape for me and it works well for cleaning up wood and a little whittling, would work nice for eating or other camping work too, likely. I always liked eating apples with a knife.

Blade comes with a ground edge but needs to be properly sharpened on a stone to get that razor edge. Point is very sharp out of the box though. Value for money would make this a 10/10. I'm already thinking of buying a second one so I can customise the handle, maybe replace the wood, do some engraving, etc. without worry.

I plan on testing it out some more later today for general use and likely some whittling. I can see this getting a lot of use in the shed and home.
>> No. 1173 Anonymous
24th July 2010
Saturday 6:51 pm
1173 spacer
>>1171

Latest update. sharpened the blade and I was able to shave the hair off my arm with it. Nice one, France.

Not a bad little knife. Used it for dressing up some tricky corners on a wooden item too. Cleaned it up a treat. Nice to see that Europe can still make cheap items that are good value.
>> No. 1192 Anonymous
28th July 2010
Wednesday 12:08 am
1192 spacer
>>1171
> My Opinel arrived today!

Mind if I ask where you got it from?
>> No. 1194 Anonymous
28th July 2010
Wednesday 5:21 pm
1194 spacer
>>1192

Amazon have a large range of them on the cheap. eBay used to have a good range of knives and swords but media hysteria and Mothers Against Fun scuppered that.
>> No. 1196 Anonymous
29th July 2010
Thursday 12:47 am
1196 spacer
>>1194

Amazon also have the blades in carbon steel or stainless and with oak or beech handles, as well as the "children's knife" safety model (ideal if you've got a sprog you want to teach to be handy or use a knife by giving them one of their own).
>> No. 1197 Anonymous
29th July 2010
Thursday 2:16 am
1197 spacer
>>1171

I am very glad that I managed to contribute something to /eco/ for once. Enjoy it, knifem8.
>> No. 1198 Anonymous
29th July 2010
Thursday 2:26 am
1198 spacer
>>1197

Knife already has come in handy for shed work and loaned out briefly to people who also thought it handy. Spreading the love.

That hefty knife mentioned above looks very desirable though. It might not be "pretty" but to me the sheer funcionality of it makes it so very desirable for me.
>> No. 1200 Anonymous
29th July 2010
Thursday 3:50 pm
1200 spacer
>>1194
I was more interested in the specific place the person ordered theirs from, but thanks for the advice none the less. Speaking of swords, by the way, if you intend to purchase such a thing I can recommend "Armour Class". They're primarily re-enactment oriented, but do offer the option of semi-sharp blades which, with some honing skill, can be made to be actually sharp. Stick to their slash-oriented weapons (the rapiers they produce are off-balance) and you're golden. The only downside is the waiting list of 6-9 months.
>> No. 1201 Anonymous
30th July 2010
Friday 7:29 am
1201 spacer
>>1200
>>re-enactment oriented

Do they sell cloaks?
>> No. 1202 Anonymous
30th July 2010
Friday 8:44 am
1202 spacer
>>1201
No.
>> No. 1203 Anonymous
30th July 2010
Friday 12:30 pm
1203 spacer
>>1200
http://www.battleorders.co.uk/

I know this bloke and what he doesn't have you probably don't want (and he could get that, too).
>> No. 1204 Anonymous
30th July 2010
Friday 1:29 pm
1204 spacer
>>1203

This looks to be more collector's stuff for putting on the walls and shelves rather than things like that Sami knife for chopping wood and being abused.
>> No. 1205 Anonymous
30th July 2010
Friday 3:33 pm
1205 spacer
>>1204

There is that, but he does a lot for the re-enactment and martial arts lot. When he turns up at seminars he's got a lot of handy kit.
>> No. 1206 Anonymous
30th July 2010
Friday 4:13 pm
1206 spacer
>>1205

But I don't want to pay a collector's or artist price for a tool that will be used daily. It's not for display in a gallery. I'd rather the money went towards getting something purely practical.
>> No. 1207 Anonymous
31st July 2010
Saturday 7:20 am
1207 spacer
>>1206

Oh Ray!
>> No. 1208 Anonymous
31st July 2010
Saturday 4:28 pm
1208 spacer
>>1207

...pardon?
>> No. 1209 Anonymous
1st August 2010
Sunday 5:02 am
1209 spacer
>>1208

He was replying to a post which sounded like it was written by Ray Mears.
>> No. 1210 Anonymous
1st August 2010
Sunday 9:54 pm
1210 spacer
>>1209

Ah, got it, ta.
>> No. 1212 Anonymous
2nd August 2010
Monday 5:00 pm
1212 spacer
>>1142

I'm sorely tempted to order that Buck knife.
>> No. 1283 Anonymous
19th August 2010
Thursday 1:27 pm
1283 spacer
I love my Opinels, but I had a mini disaster today... I dropped my No. 6 which defied physics by landing point down on a concrete floor, snapping the blade in half.

I guess I'll just order a new one.

Return ]
whiteline

Delete Post []
Password