Posted: 12/23/2007 9:00:02 AM EDT
| Title says it all, which manufacturer ships the sharpest knives? |
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I bought one of these 2 weeks ago and is the sharpest knife I've ever owned. buckknives.com/catalog/detail/414/233 |
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My Spyderco Endura in ZDP-189 steel came with a VERY sharp factory edge. Emerson knives come sharp as hell as well. My custom Bob Dozier knives also come very sharp. None of this really matters if you plan on using the knife. What matters most is what type steel it is, how well it is heat treated and thus how well the knife holds an edge and how easily it is sharpened. |
Which is why I just bought my second Benchmade 710.........in M2 
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Where did you find the 710 in M2? I love my 710 D2, but would like in in M2. |
| A factory sharp knife is great.....but what about one that will actually hold an edge? It seems like every knive I've owned will dull pretty fast, even after cutting a few pieces of rope or cardboard. Who makes a knife with some really good quality steel that will hold an edge for a long time? |
D2 or M2 make for good knife steels. The heat treat matters as well though. Some people recommend getting a Benchmade in D2 and having it re-heat treated. Bob Dozier does a perfect job of heat treating his D2 knives. ETA: ZDP-189 is supposed to be the new magic steel. I just got a Spyderco made from it. We'll see how it goes. |
The blade that I just bought (see above) is made of "154CM". I have no idea what that means or if it will hold an edge. 
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154CM is good stuff. Its not the latest/greatest "SUPER STEEL!" but it is a great steel with good edge retention and will serve you well. Overall sharpness from the factory? Probably Spyderco for factory sharpness. Both my Delica and Endura would take hair above the skin out of the box. my Microtech Halo was stupid sharp as well, but I've only got one microtech so I can't say overall. The absolute sharpest knife I ever got out of the box was a Benchmade 943 Osbourne in S30V. The thing would push cut tissue paper easily. |
So far I've avoided both issues with mine. Of course I just screwed myself with that statement. Use only wood\poly cutting blocks, no frozen food or bone chopping, hand wash and do not drop. I think that last one has almost gotten me the most. It must be a mental thing since I never have that issue with my steel knives. 
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Properly designed blades, those of the correct thickness and edge angle, made of S30V steel, in addition to being incredibly sharp, hold an edge extremely well. The Boker ceramics, are even sharper and will hold an edge longer, but they must be sent back to the factory for sharpening. |
I have one in D2 also but I found the M2 at a local shop and it was NIB. They took it in trade on other knives. The 710 has become my absolute favorite EDC. |
| You know, There are a ton of fancy steel alloys out there for knife blades. And everyone talks of the qualities and detractions of the various steels. I bought this CS GI Tanto thing that looks like a Strider rip off. And I have beat the shit out of it. I have pounded on it, pried with it, chopped, hammoered, you name it. And it holds a very sharp edge,and has not failed in any way. They are made of 1055 steel IIRC. My KaBars take a regular beating too, 1095 steel. IMHO, basice carbon steel is hard to beat. It takes a great edge and is a useable tool.. |
Agreed; but ceramics don't make good utility knives because it's easy to break the blades. |
No argument there. I don't think one would even survive a trip through my garage let alone to the woods for actual use. |
No doubt! The 710 is the perfect folding knife design. |
thats a good point, what should i be looking for in a knife that will hold an edge well? |
+1 |
| I'm not sure what difference it makes, as it doesn't last long with use, and a man surely must be able to put a razor's edge on his blades anyway, but the sharpest out-of-the-box knives I've bought are butcher's knives made by Forschner. We use them for butchering deer. They both take a very sharp edge with minimal effort and maintain it fairly well. |
I think that the Bechmade 710 D2 is the answer to all folding knife questions. |
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Check out this manufacturer up in the middle of nowhere. Knives A2 steel, real convex grind, Ala Marbles from 20 years ago. For pocket knives, almost all are manufactured using the same techniques so it is probably a wash. Edge holding ability is a function of blade geometry as much as steel. Joe ETA: Ceramic technology is advancing and some new makes are very durable. They are also mortgage the house expensive. |
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I like this one pretty good www.emersonknives.com/Tact_index.html i will be using it for utility purposes cutting zip ties, rope etc so the blade design will help out holding the material... only thing im not sure about if it has a pocket clip..... does anybody know? |
| Some of you may laugh as these are probably considered lower end knives, but I've owned 4 (lost one still have the others) Smith and Wesson SWAT knives and each of them has been razor sharp (all have shaved hair off my arm) right out of the box. I carry the medium or small (despite breaking the clip on the small) every day and use and abuse the hell out of them. They maintain an edge well and when I finally manage to dull them less than half an hour with some break free and a whetstone will bring them back to a razor edge no matter how badly I've dulled the blade on cardboard wood or anything else. At around 40 bucks each they've performed like much more expensive knives. |
Which one? I think all of them have a clip. |
The Combat Karambit folder, i guess i posted the wrong URL.... |
I would get a different knife for general utility use. Has the Benchmade 710 been mentioned in this thread yet? 
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| I've had the Spyderco Endura in ZDP189 for a year now. Out of the box, it was scary sharp. I used my edgepro with polishing tapes to give it a mirror polished edge in January and have not needed to touch it since. It will easily do a pull cut through a corrugated cardboard box and is hair-popping sharp. This is my second Endura my first lasted 12 years of daily carry and use, hard to beat for under $100. |