Knife question

[Frode]

Hi all,
Hope this isn't the wrong place to start...
I've been enjoying learning the bow making process for just over a year now, learning about rasps, and shaves, and whatnot, but when it comes to knives, I'm a complete noob.  I slept through that part of Scouts.  The best pocket knife I had was a company logo freebee about as long as the last two joints on your little finger, locking blade, good edge, just right for splinters, sharpening pencils, etc.  Kept in on my key ring, hardly knew it was there, and, of course, ended up donating it to the TSA.

So now that I'm actually working with wood, I'm wondering, what type of knife would be good for general use.  Small enough to carry (I don't need a great whacking bush knife), but tough enough for a little carving, and other daily uses.  Folding? Not?  Type?  I'm not necessarily looking for brands (don't want to violate the advertisers rules  ), unless someone wants to PM me, more for types or styles, and maybe how you use them.  Pics are always good, too.
A really, really noob question, I know, but admitting you're a city kid is the first step on the road to recovery, right? 
Thanks,
Frode

[Pat B]

If you cabn find a Shrade Old Timer they are great little jack knives. Usually 2 blades and excellent carbon steel. They used to come in sizes from a small pen knife up to about a 4" handle folded up. Still not too big. Another all around good knife is a sod buster. More utilitarian than beautiful.
  Try to find a knife with good carbon blades. They sharpen easier, stay sharp and if you use it it won't rust.

[Frode]

Thanks, Pat!  I will start there!
Frode

[JW_Halverson]

I gotta echo Pat, those Old Timers and Schrade products were excellent.  I have wished to have back all of them that I have lost.  I seem to be able to get good edges on them and keep 'em that way much longer than the modern stainless steel blades. 

I found two old Imperial pocket knives a couple years ago in a second hand store.  They were all rusted to heck, but cleaned up nice.  They were a little soft, needed to get a few licks on the steel on a very regular basis, but I grieved when I lost the last of them, too. 

My favorite was a copper handled spade blade folding knife without any marks whatsoever.  It was hard carbon steel that held an edge like diamond and sharpened with just a stroke or two.  I left that one behind somewhere up north of Belle Fourche in some Bureaus of Land Management canyons rabbit hunting one winter.  I hunted that canyon for 3 hours looking for the knife and still get sad thinking about it. 

Ain't never wore out a pocket knife in my life, but I have seeded the planet with about a hundred by my guess.

[Frode]

Thanks, JW!
In my brief searches under those names I see some real art there, real nice work.  I had some kind of pocket knife when I was a wee lad, but didn't know what to do with it, so I just lugged it around until I lost it.  What I do remember, now that I think about it, was my dad's old black handled two blade electricians pocket knife, which made more of an impression on me, because, while I didn't know what to do with my knife, he would pull his out and, voila, wires stripped, screws tightened, new light switch installed.  And that was a tool!  I haven't thought about that in years.

Frode

[stickbender]

     Personally, I prefer the old case pocket knives, but as far as I am concerned, you just can't beat the swiss army knife.  I have about four of them.  I have a swiss army, florist knife, that I keep for general use, and my swiss army lock back, and my swiss army, tinkerer, in my pocket.  For an all around knock about, fixed blade knife, I have several Swedish army knives.  I buy them for gifts.   They are carbon steel, and will shave you, and are tough little knives, and pretty inexpensive.  I buy them through Sportsman's guide, 2 for 22 or so dollars.  They are comfortable, and handy.  They make great back pack knives.  Great for whittling, and gutting and skinning a deer also.  I like knives period.  I have a Chinese made Remington two bladed trapper model I keep in my pocket also. It is well made, and holds a good edge.   I generally have about five pocket knives, in my pocket, not including the one on my Gerber multitool, on my side.     Like I said I like knives.  I am always buying one or two at the gun show, or somewhere.   But get one that is quality made, and has a good steel for the blade.  You should have broke the blade before giving it over to the voyeurs, and gropers at the tsa.  If you must fly, let them grope you, do NOT go for the body scan.  You are getting a lot of cell damage, to manly parts, and brain, & other organs and promoting skin and other cancers.  When they say it is safe, they are LYING !  But back to the knives, get one that fits your need, and is comfortable to carry.  I like a multi blad, so I can use one for general cutting, and one for when I need a good sharp blade.  Good luck, and enjoy a fine edged tool.

                                                                                 Wayne

[Frode]

     Personally, I prefer the old case pocket knives, but as far as I am concerned, you just can't beat the swiss army knife...  For an all around knock about, fixed blade knife, I have several Swedish army knives...

More noob questions, why fixed blade or folding?  What's the advantage of one over the other, or is it a matter of usage?  Although, I'd have to agree, one good knife is good, so two good knives would be good, too  .

Frode

[Sparrow]

Folders carry around easier. Pocket.  Fixed blades you gotta have a scabbard,usually on your belt and people look at you and go "Oh My God "! A knife, Ahhhhhhh...... I'm talking urban here.  (I hate urban !)..( They are even worse about guns).
  Fixed blade,you don't have to worry about a weak lockup and it folding up on you,cutting you up or worse, putting a big nick in the back of a bow your scraping.. Or, they are so long, that if the did fold, they would still be too long to fit in a pocket. (My big fish knives come to mind).  Knives are like guns. You don't hunt elk with the same gun you hunt squirrels with that you hunt turkeys with etc... thing is, they are relatively cheap and easier to keep than dogs or women. I admit to having a particular love for edged things, but not too bad,I have wittled ( Har..Har..! ) the # of knives I own down to only a couple of hundred.  Kitchen (I cook) fish,game,wood carving,pocket utility, etc...etc...extra's for when I lose one.   Anyway  The whole deal is they are tools and you need a bunch of them .   My wife ask me why I need so many knives, or guns, or bows, or arrows. I ask her why she needs so many clothes and shoes.  She says it ain't the same but ...? !  Really. Yeah !  "THEY" always are right. 
 Right ?....Yeah, They are.  Plus it just feels good to go buy a nice, useful knife of good quality.
 They are great trade Items and make good gifts for friends that have everything. 'specially if you make it yourself .  '  Frank

[Frode]

Folders carry around easier. Pocket.  Fixed blades you gotta have a scabbard... Fixed blade,you don't have to worry about a weak lockup and it folding up on you... Plus it just feels good to go buy a nice, useful knife of good quality.
 They are great trade Items and make good gifts for friends that have everything. 'specially if you make it yourself .  '  Frank

Makes sense.  I do have one other folding knife, doesn't lock at all, always trying to fold up on me.  The trade and gift part sounds good.  Here in the next year I'm going to start making bows for all my great nephews, which will probably make me both the most favorite and least favorite great uncle in the bunch.  But I can guarantee that all those dads would side with me if they got knives in the deal  .

Thanks,
Frode 

[JW_Halverson]

..and then there is the knife that G Fred Asbell would approve of, my neck knife.  It's made from a sawmill bandsaw blade, cutting edge is about 3 1/2 inches long, shaped like a short chef's knife and the bevels are set at 15 degrees on each side so that the cutting edge is VERY thin and scary sharp.  The handles are cherry wood pinned with two fine brass rivets.  It was made by a retired college professor, Dr. Gary Chappell in my muzzleloading club.  Whole thing is under 6 inches long, but works very nice. 

I've skinned deer, quartered them out, filleted fish, cleaned rabbits, cut patches for the gun, etc.  And it's right at hand around the neck.

[Frode]

..and then there is the knife that G Fred Asbell would approve of, my neck knife.  It's made from a sawmill bandsaw blade, cutting edge is about 3 1/2 inches long, shaped like a short chef's knife and the bevels are set at 15 degrees on each side so that the cutting edge is VERY thin and scary sharp.  The handles are cherry wood pinned with two fine brass rivets.  It was made by a retired college professor, Dr. Gary Chappell in my muzzleloading club.  Whole thing is under 6 inches long, but works very nice. 

I've skinned deer, quartered them out, filleted fish, cleaned rabbits, cut patches for the gun, etc.  And it's right at hand around the neck.

Sounds real fine!  Got a picture, by chance?
Frode

[sailordad]

Frode, i am partial to the Buck 110 folder and the Schrade Uncle henry folder(almost identical to each other)
both are lock back knives,made from top quality steels.they fit nicely in the pocket bit also come with belt sheaths.

i do make my own knives to.i make them from old skill saw blades.
99% of the time they turn out pretty nice.i go with a little steeper angle than 15*(thats close to a razor blade edge angle)
i put put my edges on at 25*,stays sharp longer and just does a better job as a utility blade vs a custom work blade.the less angle the easier they become to dull
and need sharpening more often.but the key is the quality of hardening it,if its too hard you cant realy get a good edge,if its not hard enough the edge
will roll over easy and you will need to sharpen it quit often then.

[Frode]

Thanks, sailordad!
Looking at that, I half think some form of Buck knife was what I had when I was a kid (8 or 9?).  I remember the wood and brass!  I don't think I ever did anything but sharpen sticks and pencils with it, but back then you just didn't go out without your pocket knife.  You just didn't.
Wouldn't mind seeing pictures of your knives, as well, if you're so inclined!

Frode

[sailordad]

Frode, if you go to page #3 in this forum(around the camp fire)i have a thread titled "stickers"
these are my most recent knives(steel anyhow)that i have finished up,just need to make sheaths now

someone awhile back posted a build along on how to make knives from saw blades
i followed that and didnt have any issues

[HoBow]

Just curious where you all get your rivets for the handles?