Pocketknives/Kitchen Knives/Fixed Blades
-
I’m looking at buying my first high(er) end knife this summer. There are a number of Spyderco knives that have caught by eye including an iteration of the Native, but does anyone have intel on or experience with Bestech?
Their Pebble knife is very attractive and is the sort of size I’m looking for. It also has what I think of as a utilitarian blade which will suit my everyday needs …
-
I’m looking at buying my first high(er) end knife this summer. There are a number of Spyderco knives that have caught by eye including an iteration of the Native, but does anyone have intel on or experience with Bestech?
Their Pebble knife is very attractive and is the sort of size I’m looking for. It also has what I think of as a utilitarian blade which will suit my everyday needs …
I know that the Bestech Junzi has had some great reviews over at Hennie, not handled one in person though. I have one of the UK legal Hinderer’s which I really like but I would say that the quality of the Spyderco stuff is second to none and the leaf shaped blade looks non-threatening and is pretty practical for edc imo.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
Bestech seems like they’re one of several knife companies out of China that are using some impressive levels of machining to make knives out of okay flavored steels.
I’m a noob in this particular area. What you’re saying is that the high quality of machining, of average metals gives a decent blade at a lower price? Or is the steel going to start out well but lose degrade?
@Cutlasshound i actually find the Spyderco blades scary looking [emoji1] very attractive, but scary looking. I’m leaning towards Spyderco for sure, as the variety available, even in Norway, is impressive so choosing something in terms of size, practical application and quality is not a problem. The only area in which choice is poor with Spyderco is colour, not my biggest priority for a 100-300USD knife though.
Typically these things are very expensive here, but ordering from abroad will incur heavy customs duty so the difference is not huge at the end of the day. I have a fixed blade hunting knife, and general outdoors knife already, both domestically made and of decent enough quality. My edc is an inexpensive Gerber Scout and a vintage SAK with grooming attatchments. So I’m looking for upgrades to those and well as something with a decent locking mechanism I can have with me for carpentry/building work.
-
@neph93 I'd go with the Spyderco for sure.
If you want to try a work around on the duty by ordering to the UK and having it sent on, I'd be happy to help
-
@neph93 I'd go with the Spyderco for sure.
If you want to try a work around on the duty by ordering to the UK and having it sent on, I'd be happy to help
That is very kind of you sir. The thought had occurred but the Norwegian customs, while quicker than the Germans are just as evil when it comes to scanning packages and comparing contents to inventory. If anything comes up funny they open the package and find the cost of the item. Then charge you for the “service” along with VAT and a load of other crap [emoji1]
-
@neph93 I'd go with the Spyderco for sure.
If you want to try a work around on the duty by ordering to the UK and having it sent on, I'd be happy to help
I tried that previously and had zero luck actually posting as Royal Mail, Parcelforce etc refused to post!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
Truth be told, the best knife, absolutely the best workhorse you can buy, is the Reeve Sebenza… I am still hoping I can one day save DougNg's life cause I owe him for recommending that to me... I've been using mine for close to a decade... It's a fucking lifer... And it is ALWAYS my go to knife...
That being said: it's a big wallop of cash and if you're not sure what you're looking for it just might not be the thing for you... So I'd try out some different sized/ styled Spydercos and see what fits best...
-
Agree with @Seul, I had a large sebenza for a few years and it was the mutts nuts.
Sold it in the end as it's not legal carry over here being over 3" blade and locking, and it's an expensive bit of kit to not be able to carry all the time.
However, they've now got the Impinda which is still a touch over 3", but is a slipjoint. Still not quite legal here, but more legal than a frame lock. So I'm fairly tempted by that…
-
I've foregone the dream of getting a Hinderer 3.0 simply because it is not what I need… However: a Reeve Mnandi with a nice bit of wood?.. I mean: it's a bit like buying a fancy watch for those special occasions... Maybe when you have to stab royalty (class war now!)...
You'll have to agree that they are beauiful...
-
Bestech seems like they’re one of several knife companies out of China that are using some impressive levels of machining to make knives out of okay flavored steels.
I’m a noob in this particular area. What you’re saying is that the high quality of machining, of average metals gives a decent blade at a lower price? Or is the steel going to start out well but lose degrade?
VG10 is the steel they used in the Pebble. It’s a good steel, will hold its edge for a reasonable amount of time and will sharpen easily. “Super steels” cost more, hold an edge for a much longer time but are a pain in the ass to sharpen.
I would use a super steel for a knife I carried every day and went home where I could get to my belt sander to touch up the edge and an okay steel for traveling or camping. I can sharpen an ok steel with a rock or a coffee cup when it gets dull.
In your price range I’d also look at kershaw, zero tolerance, Benchmade, lion steel and fallkniven
-
I’ve bought and sold quite a few Spyderco’s and have read up on even more. Which ones are available to you? I’d be interested in seeing the range. They make so many different styles out of so many different steels from so many different countries that it would be fair to say that some are better than others, notwithstanding personal preference. It would also be easy to get more knife than you’re looking for if you have simple needs which could present a pain in the ass sharpening situation.
-
That was a very useful explanation Doug, thanks.
In your price range I’d also look at kershaw, zero tolerance, Benchmade, lion steel and fallkniven
ZT, Benchmade, and Fallkniven all have models available from the Norwegian outlets I have access to, but they are all at the upper end og my price bracket, or beyond it. The choice is much more limited too. But I’m emmersing myself in this so look forward to exploring some more.
-
I’ve bought and sold quite a few Spyderco’s and have read up on even more. Which ones are available to you? I’d be interested in seeing the range. They make so many different styles out of so many different steels from so many different countries that it would be fair to say that some are better than others, notwithstanding personal preference. It would also be easy to get more knife than you’re looking for if you have simple needs which could present a pain in the ass sharpening situation.
The outlets i have an OK selection in stock and can get quite a range if I want to wait a month. When I get to a PC I’ll post some more links.
Good point regarding steel types. I will consider it going forward.
-
The ZT I got through you, Matt, is ever the party piece… I cut the neck of a bottle of wine, a clean cut, at a BBQ some weeks ago... There had been a rather substantial bit of drinking but it still got quite the response...
https://www.knivesandtools.be/nl/pt/-zero-tolerance-470-zakmes-dmitry-sinkevich-design.htm
-
The US, Taiwan and Japan made Spydercos are all pretty good quality. The US made knives are generally the most expensive, the Taiwan made knives have excellent build quality, the Japan made knives are generally one step above Spyderco's Chinese made budget line. I would say the Taiwan made knives are a higher quality than the Japanese made knives.
VG10 is a decent steel that is easy to sharpen. They are usually used for the Japanese made line.
S30v and S35v is used in their US made line. These steels can be a pain in the ass to sharpen if you're not patient or are willing to use power tools.
They use BD1 once in awhile, it's a nice steel for the kitchen because it doesn't rust easily.
There are some other steels that they use, but it's not all that common. M390 will hold an edge for a long time but it's a nightmare to sharpen without power tools. N390 on the other hand is basically CPM154, which is my all time favorite steel. CPM154 isn't in vogue anymore, but it is a really nice balance of edge retention and ease of sharpening.In general, blades made of CPM154 are excellent bang for the buck.
-
Anything more complex than S30V is getting into nuance that only really matters to knife people. The different steel compositions are interesting if you're into that sort of thing but if you want a knife that works well and is easy to maintain then @DougNg makes fair points. I have the Sypderco Sharpmaker and it works pretty well on S30V. I'd have to pay for the diamond rods if I wanted to use it on anything harder than that and I'm not going to do that.
That said, I do have 20CV, S90V, S110V and M4 which I haven't sharpened yet but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
@Seul That ZT is awesome. The blade is so pointy and the size and weight are really nice. I'm not sad I let it go but I do envy your having it for champagne parties. It's def a champagne party knife.
I pulled the trigger on a Spydiechef yesterday which has LC200N steel. It's supposed to be one of the most corrosion resistant steels out there and I'm looking forward to using it for some campground food prep. The Spyderco Swayback will be out soon which is also by Marcin Slyz (sp?) but I can't really get into the shape. If a Slyz Bowie popped up somewhere I'd seriously consider the marital strife that would ensue.
Get a Native. You can't go wrong there. Great knife with a great shape and great back lock. If you don't have a Spyderco it's a nice place to start.
