I think this was prior to the Conor McGregor vs. Khalid Khabib (or whatever his name is) fight. I could be wrong. I don't watch MMA but I know Conor is Irish.
@@SeemsLogical This was actually right before the boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. (serial domestic abuser) and Conor McGregor (trash talking Irishman).
I'm a mechanical watch guy myself, with a small (5 piece) collection. However, I have bought and recommended quartz for members of my family who care more about accuracy, reliability and cost. If they don't love the idea of a little mechanical machine on their wrist, then it doesn't make sense for them to have it because I think it's cool.
Nick I was recently lost in the woods and starving luckily I had a cold steel which I was able to pound into a tree then stand on to reach the food stash that I had previously put there
Kevin cleary you couldn't have carried over a rock or two? And don't say you were too weak to do so, if that were the case, you wouldn't have been able hammer the damn thing in. Plus, like he said, in every day Life is unnecessary, every day Life doesn't involve starving in the woods.
What a time to be alive. I've seen black and white TV give way to color give way to cable give way to HD cable, the birth and mass proliferation of the internet, mobile/smart phones being fucking everywhere, and china making excellent knives.
So you're saying the Tri-Ad lock is as necessary for normal knife functioning as bronze-phosphor washers? *ducking and running for cover while wearing pre-distressed jeans*
I sort of agree with the quartz thing, however once working in a place that has absurd amounts of electromagnetic radiation and other electrical "spill over". I learned to wear mechanical watches and then kinetic. I love the mechanicals, however the Kinetic is where it's at. No batteries to purchase ever and no worries about leaving the watch in the drawer for the weekend, it won't lose time, like a mechanical. I've had a Seiko Ti model for nearly a decade and it's the most worry free watch I've ever owned. I would purchase another if something bad happened to it. Now I'm off to acid stonewash a bunch of Shivers, which by the way looks kinda cool, but more importantly adds a little rust protection on a high carbon steel for those who edc the knives and don't exactly take care of them. If I send you one, I'll make sure to mirror polish and then lightly sand blast so you can spend a few minutes every day oiling it.
Yup. You shouldn't be using an expensive folder with a ridiculous locking mechanism for anything that would need it. Buy some beater Moras for 15 bucks and abuse the hell out of them. Keep your folder for its convenience, action, and your personal taste for what you carry on light duty.
cryptocognomen I'm still laughin at this. Tomorrow Nick will be quoted at church. (I gotta figure out how to make that happen... but yeah. It's gonna happen.)
Great video as always. The only one I disagree on is the dislike of a Stonewash. To me, it's not that ugly, improves rust resistance noticeably, and is great at hiding wear. Realistically, nobody is gonna abuse a knife to enough of an extent that the finish on it goes from a satin to a Stonewash like you suggested. I break down a lot of cardboard, and that finish is great for disguising the times I've hit a staple or dropped it. Living in a humid area by the coast, I've had plenty of stainless knives develop rust spots, but not the acid stonewashed ones. Sometimes they get them on the edge itself, which is how I know it's the finish that's protecting it, not a different steel to some of the others. Interestingly, I think that blades with a higher polish are more 'scary' looking than black stonewashing is. Might be because I live in the UK, where just about any knife is considered a weapon, but I'd rather have something matte black like a stonewash just because it doesn't catch the eye as much due to the lack of shine. To me that seems kinda important when doing cutting tasks in a crowd of sheeple. That said, I love a shiny knife on anything that isn't a beater. A lot of my favourite knives are shiny because, as you said, the sheen of steel is beautiful. It also shows up grinds a lot better, which is great on a higher end knife with lovely, sharp grind lines. But that's just my two cents on the issue. Stonewash is functional, satin is beautiful.
They are indeed. And as long as you remember they are slip-joints (and that they are knives not pry bars) they'll handle most if not all the everyday jobs you're likely to encounter.
In my opinion acid washed blades are a good compromise between black "tactical" blades and shiny polished one I dont realy want a blade thats realy dark and "scary" looking but i dont want one that has more bling to it than the weird lovechild between Mr.T and a Discoball
I see this whole thing as a diy project, as in for the most part (I'm looking at you cold steel), you can put a nice acid wash or a stone wash or a wishy washy wash on your knife so you can make it your own. Of course, this would void warranty 99.9% of the time. Also, don't come crying to me about messing up your chris reeve with a failed acid wash, opinels are cheap enough for any of us to stupidly experiment on
Even if you are batoning with a folder it wouldn't matter how strong the lock is if you're doing it right. That's because you're supposed to release the lock on the folder to baton with it.
My opinion on price. Put the Delica, PM2, and the shelischeich Bowie against each other. Are you going to notice one going dull faster? Is one going to break? Is one more or less comfortable? The delica is probably going to dull faster than the others, but besides that, what are you buying for $100+? You're buying the fun of owning a cool knife. And there's nothing wrong with that, I like cool stuff. But it's silly to pretend that a $300 knife made of S35VN is better than a $150 knife made of the same stuff. 50% of the stuff I do with my pocket knife would be done just as well with a disposable razor blade. But I use a 150 benchmade 940 knife because I like it and using it is something that brings me joy. But I'm not going to BS myself that I couldn't do everything with a Rat-2 instead.
That's a pretty silly argument, imo. The Slysz Bowie honestly has some pretty amazing F&F, and I love it far more than almost every other Spydie. I rarely have to sharpen it as well. Heat treatment is almost always perfect, and it's endured some pretty brutal labor. I used it to pry an old rusted over window open, which snapped my PM2 the night before.
Amazing F&F. Pocket Jewelry. And congrats on breaking a $130 knife on a job better suited for a $10 prybar. Using any knife to pry has to be regarded as abuse, and unless you broke the handle (in which case, we come back to don't use a folding knife), you would be better served with a cheaper knife with a less hard, and therefore brittle, blade.
Barney The Dinosaur They have this new thing, now- they call them "prybars" Just busting ur balls- I've done similar dumb crap with many of mine- necessity is a mother!
1. Never. I've never had a lock of any kind fail, and I work my knives. 2.Unfortunately domestic made knives cost more, we're paying inflated prices for prestige. 3.Here I disagree, Black Knives Matter! 4. Agreed, Ganzo Firebird knives are superior at the cost. 5. Batteries wear out=no time. Get a nice self winding watch from Accutron.
Lock strength doesn't matter all that much....but having an extremely strong lock still just makes me feel good every time I use my knife so I'm just gonna keep using cold steel. Also CTS XHP is a great steel so win win
You make me miss my best friend’s mother, an Italian Jewish lady from the Bronx. She was a great cook and we played hundreds of games of Backgammon together. So whatever I’m doin’ I can put any of your videos on while I’m doing something else, and have some good memories. Thanks for being you, Nick!☝🏼😬
I've had a lock sort-of fail on me in the past and get this--it was a Cold Steel lock-back Voyager. To be fair, it was an older pre-triad lock-back. What caused it was a tiny amount of pocket lint (about the size of a grain of rice) that somehow got between the lock-bar and blade causing it to fail to lock when opened--the lock bar wouldn't drop down into place as the lint acted as a blocking wedge. My own controversial views: Lanyard beads -especially skull beads are for man-children that never grew out of their 13-year old mall ninja phase; Forced homemade patina's look terrible--every bit as fake as your acid wash example; Sharpening is a basic life skill everyone should know; Japanese "high-end" kitchen knives are for the most part, overly fragile, "artsy" trash that will chip when used on anything harder than a refrigerated carrot. IMO they have little place in Western cooking. Also, plain carbon steel kitchen knives belong in the bad old days of the past.
I agree with what you said, except if I have folder that's longer than 3", I like knowing the hinge and lock are stronger. The big blade is more apt to be used hard to cut and pry.
Totally agree on the acid etch thing. People ask me to do that to SAK parts and I just say no I don't do that. Why make the part ugly and have worse action and open up the surface to potential rust.
I had an extremely scary sharp SOG trident lock fail on me while making holes into plastic that cut into the bone of my finger. Lock strength is very important to me now.
The mechanical aspect of luxury watches is akin to the quality aspects of higher-end folders being more pleasurable to own and use, than say, your VG-10 Delica in the EDC knife world (as you suggested in an earlier brilliant Delica video of yours). My 2017 Rolex Datejust 41 w/ proprietary Rolex COSC-certified movement is accurate to within +/- 2 seconds a day; with a >70-hr power reserve. Phenomenal in performance as far as mechanical automatics, yet still not quite as perfect in functionality to that of a cheap quartz-powered movement in a resin case... Yet it is far more pleasurable to own and wear, and makes daily living just that much more special. Not a counterpoint to anything you've said - I think you may or even have previously stated as such in the aforementioned Delica video... Just my comment/take to this superb video! Thanks Nick! -Sid
I wear mechanical watches exclusively. I put up with having to reset it every so often because it’s fast. I do this because I like having a little fully mechanical machine on my wrist. That being said, he’s totally right. Performance and accuracy wise, quartz kills it every time, unless you’re using an Omega with a master chronometer moment or a Grand Seiko with a spring drive movement.
I have had two lock failures in my life and they were on cheaply built crap. One was a liner lock and the other was a frame lock. I won't buy a CRKT to this day because of the failure on a K.I.S.S. frame lock. However, I agree that lock strength has been overplayed. Fixed blades should be used in "hard use" situations.
I may be the only person in the world that didn't find the Triad lock hard to use, even one handed. I don't get all the hate, but hey, everyone's entitled to their own opinions.
Nick Shabazz I didn't even know the Triad lock system had fanboys, though given that this is the internet, I probably should have guessed. The more inane a subject, the more furor it seemingly ignites. Thanks for the reply, appreciate your work. Keep the videos rolling, haven't seen one yet I didn't enjoy.
I regularly carry my $200+ knives. It really is just a matter of perspective. When I started collecting knives about four years ago, I was afraid to carry even my Paramilitary 2, as it was the most expensive knife I had ever purchased (at the time). Nowadays I consider it one of my beater knives. There are also lots of $200+ knives that are very much not art pieces. My Benchmade Crooked River cost about that much, and I put it in the same beater knife category as my PM2...Though I feel I over payed for the Crooked River by at least $50
Christopher Backus problem with European police (outside the UK where effectively it's an even bigger problem). They can confiscate your knife without the requirement to give you a reason. Should you want it back you have to go through criminal court to do so. Should you lose this, you risk a criminal record for carrying a deadly weapon. So I only carry my budget knives as I know police will take any chance to score a free premium blade through this law.
Nick: linner locks are a real problem in low temperatures and the folder can close onto your fingers. A back lock is always safer and it will work flawlessly in as low as -54 degrees C (my experience). Best from Greenland.
What about six of my nine zt's locks failing from a spine tap, not a whack mind you. The angle on the tang where it engages the lockbar is cut too steep causing the lockbar to slip off the tang with minimal stress placed on the knife's spine. Are these knives I can trust? They are failing from the type of spine taps I've seen you do on several of your videos.
Do you think there's a big difference between acid washing the blade and the handle? I mean the slysz bowie you have on the table there could be polished titanium. I guess it depends on the grade but you get the idea.
Lock strength on stuff like Tri-Ads and AXIS locks are more about piece of mind and confidence while using. I've had frame locks and liner locks fail. They're close to your $20 exemption, but from big name makers. In the spirit of naming names it was a Gerber Remix and a CRKT Squid and CRKT Swindle. Swindle was twisting through a hard block of cheese, the Squid and Remix only locked up about 70% of the time they were deployed.
Having just read what I previously wrote, there is one caveat, however. I do value sturdiness. No matter how much I paid for its, I will not be pleased if it gives up too easily. I remember the old Timex adds. "Takes a licking, but keeps on ticking!" It's been a long time since that was true!
My (American) ZT 0808 was $200. I used it to cut into some cheapo plastic packaging. The blade chipped and the tip broke. My (Chinese) Schrade 501 was $15. I used it to cut through a heavy truck strap (the industrial ones, not the nylon ones you get at Wal-Mart). Slight blade wiggle. adjusted it with my Torx screw. Wiggle's gone and lock's tight.
I agree that 99% of watch wearers could easily buy and wear one quartz watch. I wear quartz beater watches for work frequently. I do still have a passion for the truly amazing nature of mechanical watches that started when I saw my great grandfathers pocket watch and my grandfathers wristwatch, both of which I have inherited. Horology is a study that intrigues me, but even I admit that watch addiction, and for that matter all addiction, is a serious problem.
Truth. Of all the expensive hobbies I've ever allowed myself to be sucked into, watch collecting is the most ruinous. I've recently bought a grail piece and now I've sort of sworn off it entirely - buy once, cry once.
I've been saying the same thing for years in forums-The return on knives over $250ish really decreases.. I still like having a strong lock even though I use my knives to cut..
Rd 1 - You're wrong Rd 2 - You're right Rd 3 - You're wrong Rd 4 - You're right Rd 5 - You're right 3 out of 5 ain't bad Nick. The correct answers to Rd 1 and Rd 3 were... 1 - Folding fixed blades offer the best of both worlds. I hike a lot and always carry a strong locker. They avoid the forced open carry laws affecting fixed blades in some states and usually weigh less than the equivalent fixed blade and sheath combo. You'll rarely need that strength that's true, so by that thinking you'll rarely need a fixed blade, why put up with the stess of carrying one then? Just take a folder that in a pinch is virtually as strong. 3 - Acid Etching not only looks great but kills reflection, protects against corrosion, allows more graceful ageing and looks great (So important it had to be said twice). And there's nothing wrong with distressed jeans. Love the channel Nick, keep it up.
I agree with you all across the table. I buy my knives to use for certain tasks weather they cost $50 or $250 & if they get use marks, so be it because they're tools & not status symbols. Same with a watch whatever the cost, they can both be used as a navigation tool if they stop telling time. They can be used as sundials too!
I've had boker kwaikens fail under regular piercing use in soft material. My buddy had his zt0562 fail opening a package. Both errors with production which made us buy more expensive knives that are cared for more during production
Rodrigo Teresa I'm with you on that. 5 or 6 ounces may be heavy for some, but I rarely if ever notice that kind of weight. Granted, that may just be because my knife is the only thing in my pocket, but still. If it's under like 7 or 8 ounces, it's just fine.
In answer to your question, at 1 min 22 secs - the pathetically flimsy lock springs in my 940 failed for the second time in two years with very gentle fruit-peeling, pencil sharpening use. As you said, the Benchmade Anthem lock-spring system may be better if they were implemented for all Benchmades. But as this is financially and practically un-feasable, the entire Benchmade range of knives will have to make do with an inherently 'weak-by-design' by lock system.
I've never had any poor experiences with axis lock springs, but I only have one Benchmade knife. All of my other axis locks are inexpensive Chinese knock offs. Maybe it's because they use beefier springs than Benchmade
I don't disagree with you about the quartz watches.., but I don't put much value in splitting nanoseconds or whatever. For my purposes (and, I think most peoples) a watch that loses a minute a week is fine. I'm not a pilot or computer tech. Adjusting the watch a couple times a month is simply not a huge bother. As long as it runs, and keeps relatively good time, I'm happy.
about 2 months ago i had a boker bonfire fail on me and it cut threw a lil bit of tendon on my flicking thumb so ive been trying to get my thumb strenght back but now once in a while my thumb actually gets locked up and then snaps pretty rough when it bends again ..... and it happend when i swung it at a hanging rope to see if it would cut threw it witch it did but it also swung shut on my thumb =[
I'm someone that buys used, and I still just have to agree with your acid wash point lmfao I want more of these types of videos! Love your content brother
Distressed lol i once bought ab aluminum canera case at half off. Because it had a big scratch on the front. A year later i couldn't figure out which one was the original scratch
My Contego lock failed on me, saw the bone. Benchmade paid for it but I don't trust axis locks anymore. So I bought a 4 max. And I'm 12 and a half thank you very much!
The lock strength is just nice to have. When camping, your fixed blade is usually with your stuff in the backpack, and it's nice to be able to cut some wood or whatever without digging through your belongings and not worry about the knife. And these Tri-Ads handle batoning very well indeed.
I know quartz is a lot more accurate, and it is better, and they are way cheaper, but there is something about how much goes into each movement for each mechanical watch, I really appreciate the movement, it really is impressive, luxury watches like omega are really impressive, a watch I really think is amazing is the Breitling Navitimer, you should look at it, its the first true pilots watch, the movement is really impressive.
I'm like 4 years late to this. 1, I mostly agree. I've never had a lock fail on decent knife I've paid decent money for. Even the people in the comments who claim the lock is important cite design factors that aren't about raw strength. I'd say here that most people like a certain margin of safety in a locking knife though, so we'll tend to favor a little bit stronger design for hard use. Say we're more likely to favor liner locks in light use knives and maybe an Axis or Compression or good old back lock for harder use. 2, It's not from experience since I have never spent anywhere near as much on a knife as Nick but its pretty easy to prove even in theory. Exhibit A the Chris Reeve Mnandi. Not a thing wrong with the knife (I hope, I want to buy one some day), but if you buy a base model its made from S45V. If you spend extra $$ they'll switch you to Damasteel which is objectively a WORSE steel. 3, I agree on distressed knife finishes. In fact I probably have stronger feelings on this than Nick. I generally want everything polished and shiny. He's more tolerant of stone washed and patterned finishes than me. 4, I mostly agree. One caveat though. People like his buddy Pete from Cedric and Aida who keep track of rockwell hardness (that giant spreadsheet he shares for free under his videos) seem to indicate that even fairly expensive Chinese makers tend to not really optimally heat treat their knives. In fact when it comes to running a steel type as hard as recommended it seems the tendency is Chris Reeve>>Spyderco>>Benchmade>>ZT>>> anything from China. Like M390 from a Chinese maker (we're talking someone good like Kizer) might be run at like 54 RC. Of course this is just one area. I once owned a $15 Ganzo with an Axis lock that was objectively almost as well quality controlled as a Benchmade (and it was in 440C so the heat treat was also probably excellent), and I accidentally bought a fake Benchmade 943 Osborne a year or two ago on Ebay and the first indication I had that it was a counterfeit was ironically that the QC was BETTER than on either of the 2 real 940 series Osbornes that I previously bought. 5, Not only do I agree, I feel stronger about this than Nick does in practice. I really don't prefer mechanical watches, and while if I were rich enough I could waste tens of thousands on watches, I don't really ever want to own another mechanical watch.
I've had a knife-lock fail on me, however it was not over 30 dollars (although it was on a big sale and in SEK/Swedish Crowns and not USD so I don't know exactly how it matched up to USD at the time). I did not abuse it at all. It was a somewhat slow decline of just getting way out of center and being unable to be fixed with tweaking to the point it scraped the edge of the blade against the handle when closing. I still could use it for a little while as a fixed blade when I was too uncomfortable folding it until it just wasn't worth it anymore as it got worse and worse. I only lightly used it and not that much either before I scrapped it due to these problems. A large part of the issues were due to the quality of the knife and lock though, and not the lock-system itself. But like I said, it was less than 30 USD "or so".
im trying to choose between the spyderco roc, the benchmade 940, and the mcusta katana but its a hard decision because i like the overall style of the mcusta and the blade shape and usability of the roc but i also like a lot about the 940. which one should i get or does anyone have any other reccomendations
First things first, what you wanting the knife to do and what are you looking to spend? Each of the knives you mention are significantly different. From your list exclusively - for normal EDC use, it would be hard to beat the Benchmade 940 - its a classic. I have recently fallen head over heals in love with my Spyderco Sage 5 and - though my collection runs the gamut of quality and cost - I think it may well be the best knife out there for the money.
1. A lock has never failed on me. I come from slipjoints and I've NEVER cut myself from the blade closing on me. 2. Completely agree, mu cutoff is at $200 and for that price you get MORE than you'll even need. 3. To each their own. I Love the stonewash on Cold Steel knives but I know you're not a fan of the company's policy. 4. The Chinese are trying hard and it's obvious in their high end, USA manufacturing has gotten lazy and QC is loose. That goes for Taiwan too, Taichung Spyderco knives are leagues ahead of Golden Colorado. 5. Watches are not my thing. I enjoy your content dude, keep it up!
I totally agree. I think it's better to have a lock that has better action and reasonable lock strength for edc. I sold off all my small cold steel knives because honestly it's not necessary. But but on knife like the Rajah 2 , a tri ad lock is a necessity and I am using it as it designed which is hacking through the jungle.
Mechanical watches these days are good for showing appreciation to the craft of watchsmiths/clockmakers and keeping it alive as a craft, as well as simply liking the idea of them. It's also fun sitting there and watching the little spinny things go around. But yeah, a £20 digital Casio watch or something will tell the time just as well - if not better - for a fraction of a fraction of the cost.
I've honestly come to a point with folding knives that I prefer less expensive ones. While people constantly trash Aus 8, 420 hc, ctsbd1, etc, I find knives in the 30-60 dollar range preform very well as long as heat treating is done correctly. Sure, I may have to sharpen my aus 8 a little more, but it is faster and eaiser to sharpen than d2, 154, etc. I spend less time getting the edge I want and notice only small amounts of different for my every day needs. Also, if I lose or sometimes even give away, a raven, tenacious, rat 1, etc, I don't have cry about it. I just order another and move on. Basically, if you're a collector, that is great, but I'm not sure your every day man is really going to notice any real difference.
I basically agree about lock strength - any well-made knife should hold up to normal use, and the differing breaking points are abstract distinctions. That said, I have had a ZT framelock fail on me...I got an (apparently defective) 0450 that closed on my me minutes after unboxing. I was gleefully flipping my new knife when pressure on the back from my second finger closed the blade on my thumb.
Agree 100% on diminishing returns. The most expensive folder I've bought is 595 but I did then drop another 300 in customizing it. I've done so fully aware that none of those 300-800 dollar knives give me anything my ZTs don't except for something different or exclusive. As far as your 4th point I disagree. Now, I have no issues with Taiwan, good to go there. But China? At work I buy a few million dollars a year worth of raw materials (steel) from China. Our other suppliers in Germany, Austria, and some limited US companies can't keep up so we're forced to use the Chinese mills. We have to perform independent destructive testing on every batch because the material certs they send you aren't worth the paper they are printed one. We're not even buying high-end steels all the time. Some of it is simple 41xx series and they still botch the heat treat. I doubt I would ever use a $300 Chinese knife hard enough to find out that the materials weren't as advertised and I just don't want to take that chance.
I am not a big watch guy, the only ones I've owned are the cheap casios and recently, a seiko 5. I have to say I really expected to break it while playing basket ball, climbing a mountain, or skateboarding, but it has survived all of those so far. That said I've only had it for a few months, so who knows how long until it breaks. Anyways, to me there are only 4 things I care about in a watch, 1: it tells the time. 2: It looks nice. 3: Its fairly durable. 4: Its fairly comfortable. For a watch that cost me 50 bucks to meet all of those completely, and be mechanical automatic movement which is pretty neat, I don't really see any reason (for a guy like me who isn't super into watches) to care at all weather a watch is quarts or automatic.
Concerning your most controversial point, I have a point too to further spark the controversy :P It's that a so called generic movement like ETA isn't worse than in-house movements, the difference is relative a matter of opinion, not factually of quality of technical superiority, that it's mostly a bragging point to have an in-house movement and a gimmick, to raise the price of the watch, an ETA movement will be much cheaper to service and you can service your watch with any watchmaker/shop, whereas with an in-house movement you can only service with the brand itself or authorized shops, that will pay a commission to the brand, which in my opinion is a very anti-consumer practice and an ugly thing
To further develop my argument, many watch brands will threaten you in losing your authenticity of your watch if you service your in-house watch with a third party shop (that isn't an authorized boutique or shop from the band itself) and they will consider your watch counterfeit.. we actually went through a situation like this, my dad took his watch, of which the band is considered one of the top horological swiss brands, to his trusty watch shop here in my town, for a service and regulation of the movement. I'm not going to mention names, but this brands most popular line is a blue-blooded tree.. he took the watch to his friend a very experienced watchmaker at this shop, and he told my dad that the movement wasn't more complicated than a certain generic ETA, that it was almost the same, and the watchmaker services the watch for my dad, later my dad knew from the brand themsves that he lost the authenticity certificate of the watch because someone who wasn't an authorized shop opened the watch and serviced it... that in order to regain the authenticity certificate he my dad had to send the watch to them for a "full-service" that including polishing of the case costed more than 3 thousand dollars....
Nick, I just recently ordered a Spyderco Delica and a Spyderco Dragonfly. I'm looking forward to getting them and trying them out. I agree with most of your points in this video. Particularly that paying over $300 for a knife is somewhat ridiculous. My edc is still the Kershaw Oso Sweet, but I want to check out the Spyderco knives and some others. Happy collecting.
I used to prefer mechanical watches, and chronographs in particular. Now, I prefer digital watches, set to the 24hr time, with solar charging and time set by the radio signal from the atomic clock. I also like to have the say of the week showing. I often have to log the time an event occurs or when a check was done and I am not permitted to use a smart watch or carry a mobile phone, since I work in secure facilities. I often work enough that I forget what day it is and I have gone to work too many times on weekends thinking it was a week day. As an old guy who once liked everything analog, I have adapted to digital.
Buying a factory distressed knife to 'hide the wear' is possibly the strangest excuse I've ever heard. I bought a broken, out-of-warranty washing machine because I knew that if I bought a new one it would be out of warranty and break one day in the future.
I refuse to buy or carry liner/frame lock knives. I've had them fail and cut me. The way you grip the knife can easily compromise the holding power, especially during hard use(when lock failure is the most dangerous). Just two cents but I don't comment often; this is a deeply held opinion
Hey guys I need help, I'm wanting a new EDC work knife, I'm just stumped on what to get, I think I've narrowed it down to the kizer sunburst, the steel will cutjack c22m, the ZT 0450 and the lion steel tre, any input would be appreciated :)
I own the lion steel tre and like it but don't recommend it as an EDC. Also don't buy the Kizer sunburst because you will mess up the pivot screw trying to take the knife apart and clean it. For the same price you would spend on the steel will you could buy a Ruike knife which I believe is a better value. The zt 0450 is a great knife but over a $100 more than the ruike. You should buy a Sanrenmu Land 910 plus for $15 which will blow you away and is my first choice. In fact you should buy this knife even if you choose one of the others.
The reason I have been looking at those 4 in particular is the fact that I live in the UK unfortunately, and so I am limited for choice, and these had high quality steel for a reasonable price, also the QC from these companies so I've heard, is pretty good where as Benchmade can be hit or Miss, again so I've heard, and I've not really looked at spiderco cause I personally don't like how they look, I know in the grand scheme of things that's not really important but I do want something that is pleasing to look at.
When I say EDC I mean for work, as I work everyday, I wouldn't carry it in public and my job does permit me to have a locking blade, so that is not an issue, I am familiar with heinnie and have bought from them in the past but I find knivesandtools.co.uk have better prices.
Overall I agree with your watch opinion. The reason I prefer Mechanical watches is definitely the fun factor of wearing old technology that is still functional today. The second reason though is because I never replace the batteries in my quartz watches and end up losing them or throwing them out. This may be because I've never owned an expensive quartz watch but then I'd prefer to buy a mechanical at that price lol.
I completely agree except for the last one. Wrist watches are obsolete. If you want to make a fashion statement wear a pocket watch, otherwise use your phone.
I'd love to see industry figures, but my take is that fewer and fewer people wear a watch, especially younger folks...and if they do, it's a "smart" watch or a pedometer. I Wonder where the industry will be in a generation?
You must not have a job that requires intensive record keeping. I have to record times all damn day. Every time I do something at work, I have to write down the time. Reaching into my pocket for my phone 1,000 times a day is not ideal, especially when phones are not supposed to be out on the production floor. In short, they have their uses, not everyone has their phone in their hands at all times, and not everyone wants to have to pull out their phone every time they need to know what time it is.
I had a Spyderco Police model lockback fail on me while stabbing a tire I won't buy any lockback knives any more.......also if you keep a lockback knife in your pocket and lint gets into the locking pocket in the blade, it won't completely lock up cause the lint will be trapped in there this doesn't happen with liner locks or compression locks because there's somewhere for the lint to go instead of getting trapped in the locking pocket of the blade
There are some really good Quartz watches out there, like the Oceanus Casio that is on my wrist. day-in-day out, but I do have a small collection of Automatics, which I wear for best, simply because I love the technical design and functionality of these wonderful works of art. My EDC knife is a Spyderco, with Titanium sides and CPM M4 Tool Steel blade. I am seriously considering a Benchmade Infidel Dual-function OTF in flat black, if only because I like the 'threatening' design and it might be useful for self defence one day!
Hi Nick, I think I agree with just about everything you say here, particularly regarding the knives. I also agree, in principle, about watches. I have an old Omega Seamaster that my father bought in about 1960. I bit the bullet & had it completely refurbished - new mainspring, the works - about 5 years ago. It wasn't cheap! I wear it on a piece of nylon webbing around my neck. The old man would probably be horrified but I work with ceramics (often up to my armpits in mud) & use power tools a lot. My mode of carry keeps this little gem safe from the daily rigours. It keeps adequate time for my purposes as long as I remember to wind it. If I need hair splitting accuracy I have a stop watch app on my iPod. That said, I have an old Swiss stop watch which I use for developing film. At intervals as small as 1/10th of a second I am buggered if I can pick the difference between the mechanical stop watch & the iPod app! I like the fact that I can give the mechanical a couple of winds & get to work without having to worry about battery charge... Horses for courses.
The triad lock keeps the blade from folding up on my fingers when I'm stabbing pig carcasses and car hoods.
I've done that with a buck 110. Had it for about 3 years, ended up sharpening it enough that it had a bit of a recurve when I gave it away.
also the triad lock is the best when trying to field dress a Buick
+will boss I laughed way harder at this than I should have.
I put the pig carcasses on my cars hood. Then start the stabbing process.
Sour
Now that's efficiency right there.
Two daily cutting chores in one go!
"serial domestic abuser is getting into a fight with a trash talking irishman" the absolute best description I've heard in my entire life.
I still sont get it who is he talking about
All 13 of us find it very offensive
I think this was prior to the Conor McGregor vs. Khalid Khabib (or whatever his name is) fight. I could be wrong. I don't watch MMA but I know Conor is Irish.
@@SeemsLogical This was actually right before the boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. (serial domestic abuser) and Conor McGregor (trash talking Irishman).
@@DieYuppieScum91 thanks for the clarification.
"That's not a problem with the knife.. That's a problem with the YOU".... CLASSIC!!!!
I'm a mechanical watch guy myself, with a small (5 piece) collection. However, I have bought and recommended quartz for members of my family who care more about accuracy, reliability and cost. If they don't love the idea of a little mechanical machine on their wrist, then it doesn't make sense for them to have it because I think it's cool.
To me that’s the appeal of mechanical watches as well. You have a self operating machine that requires nothing else added to it to work indefinitely
@@mikewithers472 same. Love that its very old tech that you can still use today.
Sure.if they just want a watch that look nice it's perfectly fine
Nick I was recently lost in the woods and starving luckily I had a cold steel which I was able to pound into a tree then stand on to reach the food stash that I had previously put there
Kevin, what episode was that? 26 or 27? Riveting wilderness series man! When's the next one coming? 😉😜🤣🤣
Kevin cleary you couldn't have carried over a rock or two? And don't say you were too weak to do so, if that were the case, you wouldn't have been able hammer the damn thing in. Plus, like he said, in every day Life is unnecessary, every day Life doesn't involve starving in the woods.
and it's a good thing he left a map with the food stash at the exact location he knew he would be lost at...lol
where2tour all part of his brilliant plan. Almost so smart that you'd think he wouldn't have gotten lost in the first place
Haha
What a time to be alive. I've seen black and white TV give way to color give way to cable give way to HD cable, the birth and mass proliferation of the internet, mobile/smart phones being fucking everywhere, and china making excellent knives.
So true! Some of us can appreciate just how damn good we have it. Spoiled for choice is what we say down South...
So you're saying the Tri-Ad lock is as necessary for normal knife functioning as bronze-phosphor washers?
*ducking and running for cover while wearing pre-distressed jeans*
+Charles Collier 🤣
I sort of agree with the quartz thing, however once working in a place that has absurd amounts of electromagnetic radiation and other electrical "spill over". I learned to wear mechanical watches and then kinetic. I love the mechanicals, however the Kinetic is where it's at. No batteries to purchase ever and no worries about leaving the watch in the drawer for the weekend, it won't lose time, like a mechanical. I've had a Seiko Ti model for nearly a decade and it's the most worry free watch I've ever owned. I would purchase another if something bad happened to it.
Now I'm off to acid stonewash a bunch of Shivers, which by the way looks kinda cool, but more importantly adds a little rust protection on a high carbon steel for those who edc the knives and don't exactly take care of them. If I send you one, I'll make sure to mirror polish and then lightly sand blast so you can spend a few minutes every day oiling it.
Yup. You shouldn't be using an expensive folder with a ridiculous locking mechanism for anything that would need it.
Buy some beater Moras for 15 bucks and abuse the hell out of them. Keep your folder for its convenience, action, and your personal taste for what you carry on light duty.
"Nuttier than a bag of squirrel turds"
This is why I love your videos. Keep up the outstanding videos Nick, always appreciate you and what you do!
cryptocognomen I'm still laughin at this. Tomorrow Nick will be quoted at church.
(I gotta figure out how to make that happen... but yeah. It's gonna happen.)
1:24 that action sounded beautiful.
SHLLLLLLLLLLLACK
Great video as always. The only one I disagree on is the dislike of a Stonewash. To me, it's not that ugly, improves rust resistance noticeably, and is great at hiding wear. Realistically, nobody is gonna abuse a knife to enough of an extent that the finish on it goes from a satin to a Stonewash like you suggested. I break down a lot of cardboard, and that finish is great for disguising the times I've hit a staple or dropped it. Living in a humid area by the coast, I've had plenty of stainless knives develop rust spots, but not the acid stonewashed ones. Sometimes they get them on the edge itself, which is how I know it's the finish that's protecting it, not a different steel to some of the others.
Interestingly, I think that blades with a higher polish are more 'scary' looking than black stonewashing is. Might be because I live in the UK, where just about any knife is considered a weapon, but I'd rather have something matte black like a stonewash just because it doesn't catch the eye as much due to the lack of shine. To me that seems kinda important when doing cutting tasks in a crowd of sheeple.
That said, I love a shiny knife on anything that isn't a beater. A lot of my favourite knives are shiny because, as you said, the sheen of steel is beautiful. It also shows up grinds a lot better, which is great on a higher end knife with lovely, sharp grind lines.
But that's just my two cents on the issue. Stonewash is functional, satin is beautiful.
Slipjoints are perfectly good knives.
(flinches in anticipation of a stoning)
They are indeed. And as long as you remember they are slip-joints (and that they are knives not pry bars) they'll handle most if not all the everyday jobs you're likely to encounter.
In my opinion acid washed blades are a good compromise between black "tactical" blades and shiny polished one
I dont realy want a blade thats realy dark and "scary" looking but i dont want one that has more bling to it than the weird lovechild between Mr.T and a Discoball
So no Rockstead knives then?
Same, I love the look of acid wash. Not to fond of very shiny high-polish blades.
HÆRRIS stonewash is better! Mirror stonewash is the best.
Now, what's annoying is high gloss black blades...
I see this whole thing as a diy project, as in for the most part (I'm looking at you cold steel), you can put a nice acid wash or a stone wash or a wishy washy wash on your knife so you can make it your own. Of course, this would void warranty 99.9% of the time. Also, don't come crying to me about messing up your chris reeve with a failed acid wash, opinels are cheap enough for any of us to stupidly experiment on
Even if you are batoning with a folder it wouldn't matter how strong the lock is if you're doing it right. That's because you're supposed to release the lock on the folder to baton with it.
My opinion on price. Put the Delica, PM2, and the shelischeich Bowie against each other. Are you going to notice one going dull faster? Is one going to break? Is one more or less comfortable?
The delica is probably going to dull faster than the others, but besides that, what are you buying for $100+? You're buying the fun of owning a cool knife. And there's nothing wrong with that, I like cool stuff. But it's silly to pretend that a $300 knife made of S35VN is better than a $150 knife made of the same stuff.
50% of the stuff I do with my pocket knife would be done just as well with a disposable razor blade. But I use a 150 benchmade 940 knife because I like it and using it is something that brings me joy. But I'm not going to BS myself that I couldn't do everything with a Rat-2 instead.
That's a pretty silly argument, imo. The Slysz Bowie honestly has some pretty amazing F&F, and I love it far more than almost every other Spydie. I rarely have to sharpen it as well. Heat treatment is almost always perfect, and it's endured some pretty brutal labor. I used it to pry an old rusted over window open, which snapped my PM2 the night before.
AzureBeat I love my Rat 2. Just sayin.
Amazing F&F. Pocket Jewelry.
And congrats on breaking a $130 knife on a job better suited for a $10 prybar. Using any knife to pry has to be regarded as abuse, and unless you broke the handle (in which case, we come back to don't use a folding knife), you would be better served with a cheaper knife with a less hard, and therefore brittle, blade.
Barney The Dinosaur They have this new thing, now- they call them "prybars" Just busting ur balls- I've done similar dumb crap with many of mine- necessity is a mother!
@@barneythedinosaur9760 You sound like a slow learner.
1. Never. I've never had a lock of any kind fail, and I work my knives.
2.Unfortunately domestic made knives cost more, we're paying inflated prices for prestige.
3.Here I disagree, Black Knives Matter!
4. Agreed, Ganzo Firebird knives are superior at the cost.
5. Batteries wear out=no time. Get a nice self winding watch from Accutron.
Nick you forgot to talk about the danger zones of the curve of diminishing returns like going into Medford knives introduces a negative curve.
Lock strength doesn't matter all that much....but having an extremely strong lock still just makes me feel good every time I use my knife so I'm just gonna keep using cold steel. Also CTS XHP is a great steel so win win
You make me miss my best friend’s mother, an Italian Jewish lady from the Bronx. She was a great cook and we played hundreds of games of Backgammon together. So whatever I’m doin’ I can put any of your videos on while I’m doing something else, and have some good memories. Thanks for being you, Nick!☝🏼😬
The TacForce marketing department called and want to use that catchy slogan in 2018:
TacForce!! We're Unsafe, That's What We Do!! 😉
I've had a lock sort-of fail on me in the past and get this--it was a Cold Steel lock-back Voyager. To be fair, it was an older pre-triad lock-back. What caused it was a tiny amount of pocket lint (about the size of a grain of rice) that somehow got between the lock-bar and blade causing it to fail to lock when opened--the lock bar wouldn't drop down into place as the lint acted as a blocking wedge.
My own controversial views:
Lanyard beads -especially skull beads are for man-children that never grew out of their 13-year old mall ninja phase;
Forced homemade patina's look terrible--every bit as fake as your acid wash example;
Sharpening is a basic life skill everyone should know;
Japanese "high-end" kitchen knives are for the most part, overly fragile, "artsy" trash that will chip when used on anything harder than a refrigerated carrot. IMO they have little place in Western cooking. Also, plain carbon steel kitchen knives belong in the bad old days of the past.
I agree with what you said, except if I have folder that's longer than 3", I like knowing the hinge and lock are stronger. The big blade is more apt to be used hard to cut and pry.
Totally agree on the acid etch thing. People ask me to do that to SAK parts and I just say no I don't do that. Why make the part ugly and have worse action and open up the surface to potential rust.
I had an extremely scary sharp SOG trident lock fail on me while making holes into plastic that cut into the bone of my finger. Lock strength is very important to me now.
I basically agree with all of this. Good job!
Advanced Knife Bro Hey bro! Looks like no one escapes the nick xD
Gear reviewers inevitably dabble in “philosophy” videos.
Hands down, sir, yours are some of the best.
The mechanical aspect of luxury watches is akin to the quality aspects of higher-end folders being more pleasurable to own and use, than say, your VG-10 Delica in the EDC knife world (as you suggested in an earlier brilliant Delica video of yours).
My 2017 Rolex Datejust 41 w/ proprietary Rolex COSC-certified movement is accurate to within +/- 2 seconds a day; with a >70-hr power reserve. Phenomenal in performance as far as mechanical automatics, yet still not quite as perfect in functionality to that of a cheap quartz-powered movement in a resin case...
Yet it is far more pleasurable to own and wear, and makes daily living just that much more special.
Not a counterpoint to anything you've said - I think you may or even have previously stated as such in the aforementioned Delica video...
Just my comment/take to this superb video! Thanks Nick!
-Sid
I wear mechanical watches exclusively. I put up with having to reset it every so often because it’s fast. I do this because I like having a little fully mechanical machine on my wrist. That being said, he’s totally right. Performance and accuracy wise, quartz kills it every time, unless you’re using an Omega with a master chronometer moment or a Grand Seiko with a spring drive movement.
Love your take on incremental improvements. Statistically, the biggest increase in anything is going from zero to one.
I have had two lock failures in my life and they were on cheaply built crap. One was a liner lock and the other was a frame lock. I won't buy a CRKT to this day because of the failure on a K.I.S.S. frame lock. However, I agree that lock strength has been overplayed. Fixed blades should be used in "hard use" situations.
The Z hunter, poor poor Z Hunter! You speak so badly of the little guy! Give the him a break, not every knife can be born a Sebenza!
I completely agree with all you've just said, I was really surprised at how much I liked my Kizer mini domin when I got it...
Nick, in many ways, this is the best video on your channel. Exceptional job. Fun and honest. And accurate.
I may be the only person in the world that didn't find the Triad lock hard to use, even one handed. I don't get all the hate, but hey, everyone's entitled to their own opinions.
I don't hate it at all, it's a fine lock. It's just not the second coming like many fanboys seem to believe!
Nick Shabazz I didn't even know the Triad lock system had fanboys, though given that this is the internet, I probably should have guessed. The more inane a subject, the more furor it seemingly ignites.
Thanks for the reply, appreciate your work. Keep the videos rolling, haven't seen one yet I didn't enjoy.
you can modify the back spring so it's easier to use without affecting it's strength . The ApostleP offers it .
I don't bother with knives over $120. I'd be way too nervous to carry it. Beyond $200, it's an art piece.
I regularly carry my $200+ knives. It really is just a matter of perspective. When I started collecting knives about four years ago, I was afraid to carry even my Paramilitary 2, as it was the most expensive knife I had ever purchased (at the time). Nowadays I consider it one of my beater knives.
There are also lots of $200+ knives that are very much not art pieces. My Benchmade Crooked River cost about that much, and I put it in the same beater knife category as my PM2...Though I feel I over payed for the Crooked River by at least $50
But the Spyderco PM2 is the best knife. You are really missing out. This thing is a workhorse! Is $175ish.
Christopher Backus problem with European police (outside the UK where effectively it's an even bigger problem). They can confiscate your knife without the requirement to give you a reason. Should you want it back you have to go through criminal court to do so. Should you lose this, you risk a criminal record for carrying a deadly weapon. So I only carry my budget knives as I know police will take any chance to score a free premium blade through this law.
That's in CAD, Pm2 USD is $125 of so.
Bob Mc big mac 170 to 240 euros here for the PM2 (depending on the finish). I'll let you convert that to USD yourself.
Nick: linner locks are a real problem in low temperatures and the folder can close onto your fingers. A back lock is always safer and it will work flawlessly in as low as -54 degrees C (my experience). Best from Greenland.
What about six of my nine zt's locks failing from a spine tap, not a whack mind you. The angle on the tang where it engages the lockbar is cut too steep causing the lockbar to slip off the tang with minimal stress placed on the knife's spine. Are these knives I can trust? They are failing from the type of spine taps I've seen you do on several of your videos.
Do you think there's a big difference between acid washing the blade and the handle? I mean the slysz bowie you have on the table there could be polished titanium. I guess it depends on the grade but you get the idea.
Lock strength on stuff like Tri-Ads and AXIS locks are more about piece of mind and confidence while using.
I've had frame locks and liner locks fail. They're close to your $20 exemption, but from big name makers. In the spirit of naming names it was a Gerber Remix and a CRKT Squid and CRKT Swindle. Swindle was twisting through a hard block of cheese, the Squid and Remix only locked up about 70% of the time they were deployed.
you are absolutely right about watches. I wear a panerai luminor GMT but a quartz is easier in everyday use
Having just read what I previously wrote, there is one caveat, however. I do value sturdiness. No matter how much I paid for its, I will not be pleased if it gives up too easily. I remember the old Timex adds. "Takes a licking, but keeps on ticking!" It's been a long time since that was true!
Here’s my controversial statement: I buy what I like. That’s all.
Fashion is weird. If you put a hole in your pants the value goes down. If someone manufactures the pants with a hole then the value jumps up.
My (American) ZT 0808 was $200. I used it to cut into some cheapo plastic packaging. The blade chipped and the tip broke.
My (Chinese) Schrade 501 was $15. I used it to cut through a heavy truck strap (the industrial ones, not the nylon ones you get at Wal-Mart). Slight blade wiggle. adjusted it with my Torx screw. Wiggle's gone and lock's tight.
I agree that 99% of watch wearers could easily buy and wear one quartz watch. I wear quartz beater watches for work frequently. I do still have a passion for the truly amazing nature of mechanical watches that started when I saw my great grandfathers pocket watch and my grandfathers wristwatch, both of which I have inherited. Horology is a study that intrigues me, but even I admit that watch addiction, and for that matter all addiction, is a serious problem.
Truth. Of all the expensive hobbies I've ever allowed myself to be sucked into, watch collecting is the most ruinous. I've recently bought a grail piece and now I've sort of sworn off it entirely - buy once, cry once.
I liked how you left the watch on the table the whole time. It gives the viewer an idea how much effort it takes to make an 11 min video.
You didn't make it clear in your video. Do you or don't you wear pre-distressed and/or acid washed jeans?
+therealweenis Hah. I distress mine myself.
Nick Shabazz that sounds very distressing.
Damnit Nick your intros are gold
I've been saying the same thing for years in forums-The return on knives over $250ish really decreases..
I still like having a strong lock even though I use my knives to cut..
Rd 1 - You're wrong
Rd 2 - You're right
Rd 3 - You're wrong
Rd 4 - You're right
Rd 5 - You're right
3 out of 5 ain't bad Nick.
The correct answers to Rd 1 and Rd 3 were...
1 - Folding fixed blades offer the best of both worlds. I hike a lot and always carry a strong locker. They avoid the forced open carry laws affecting fixed blades in some states and usually weigh less than the equivalent fixed blade and sheath combo. You'll rarely need that strength that's true, so by that thinking you'll rarely need a fixed blade, why put up with the stess of carrying one then? Just take a folder that in a pinch is virtually as strong.
3 - Acid Etching not only looks great but kills reflection, protects against corrosion, allows more graceful ageing and looks great (So important it had to be said twice).
And there's nothing wrong with distressed jeans.
Love the channel Nick, keep it up.
What is the second knife from the left. The titanium Spyderco?
Agree about the jeans, not the the blade. To me acid wash just looks cool on some blades. Great video as always!
I agree with you all across the table. I buy my knives to use for certain tasks weather they cost $50 or $250
& if they get use marks, so be it because they're tools & not status symbols. Same with a watch whatever
the cost, they can both be used as a navigation tool if they stop telling time. They can be used as sundials too!
hahaha.. I love your personality Nick! I've bought knives based on your reviews with no complaints. Keep um coming!
I've had boker kwaikens fail under regular piercing use in soft material. My buddy had his zt0562 fail opening a package. Both errors with production which made us buy more expensive knives that are cared for more during production
Here's mine: Aside from ridiculous stuff like Medford Marauders and whatnot, you shouldn't let weight ruin a knife for you.
Rodrigo Teresa I'm with you on that. 5 or 6 ounces may be heavy for some, but I rarely if ever notice that kind of weight. Granted, that may just be because my knife is the only thing in my pocket, but still. If it's under like 7 or 8 ounces, it's just fine.
In answer to your question, at 1 min 22 secs - the pathetically flimsy lock springs in my 940 failed for the second time in two years with very gentle fruit-peeling, pencil sharpening use. As you said, the Benchmade Anthem lock-spring system may be better if they were implemented for all Benchmades. But as this is financially and practically un-feasable, the entire Benchmade range of knives will have to make do with an inherently 'weak-by-design' by lock system.
I've never had any poor experiences with axis lock springs, but I only have one Benchmade knife. All of my other axis locks are inexpensive Chinese knock offs. Maybe it's because they use beefier springs than Benchmade
Christopher Backus - maybe you're right..!!
I don't disagree with you about the quartz watches.., but I don't put much value in splitting nanoseconds or whatever. For my purposes (and, I think most peoples) a watch that loses a minute a week is fine. I'm not a pilot or computer tech. Adjusting the watch a couple times a month is simply not a huge bother. As long as it runs, and keeps relatively good time, I'm happy.
about 2 months ago i had a boker bonfire fail on me and it cut threw a lil bit of tendon on my flicking thumb so ive been trying to get my thumb strenght back but now once in a while my thumb actually gets locked up and then snaps pretty rough when it bends again ..... and it happend when i swung it at a hanging rope to see if it would cut threw it witch it did but it also swung shut on my thumb =[
I'm someone that buys used, and I still just have to agree with your acid wash point lmfao I want more of these types of videos! Love your content brother
Distressed lol i once bought ab aluminum canera case at half off. Because it had a big scratch on the front. A year later i couldn't figure out which one was the original scratch
My Contego lock failed on me, saw the bone. Benchmade paid for it but I don't trust axis locks anymore. So I bought a 4 max. And I'm 12 and a half thank you very much!
The lock strength is just nice to have. When camping, your fixed blade is usually with your stuff in the backpack, and it's nice to be able to cut some wood or whatever without digging through your belongings and not worry about the knife.
And these Tri-Ads handle batoning very well indeed.
I know quartz is a lot more accurate, and it is better, and they are way cheaper, but there is something about how much goes into each movement for each mechanical watch, I really appreciate the movement, it really is impressive, luxury watches like omega are really impressive, a watch I really think is amazing is the Breitling Navitimer, you should look at it, its the first true pilots watch, the movement is really impressive.
I'm like 4 years late to this.
1, I mostly agree. I've never had a lock fail on decent knife I've paid decent money for. Even the people in the comments who claim the lock is important cite design factors that aren't about raw strength. I'd say here that most people like a certain margin of safety in a locking knife though, so we'll tend to favor a little bit stronger design for hard use. Say we're more likely to favor liner locks in light use knives and maybe an Axis or Compression or good old back lock for harder use.
2, It's not from experience since I have never spent anywhere near as much on a knife as Nick but its pretty easy to prove even in theory. Exhibit A the Chris Reeve Mnandi. Not a thing wrong with the knife (I hope, I want to buy one some day), but if you buy a base model its made from S45V. If you spend extra $$ they'll switch you to Damasteel which is objectively a WORSE steel.
3, I agree on distressed knife finishes. In fact I probably have stronger feelings on this than Nick. I generally want everything polished and shiny. He's more tolerant of stone washed and patterned finishes than me.
4, I mostly agree. One caveat though. People like his buddy Pete from Cedric and Aida who keep track of rockwell hardness (that giant spreadsheet he shares for free under his videos) seem to indicate that even fairly expensive Chinese makers tend to not really optimally heat treat their knives. In fact when it comes to running a steel type as hard as recommended it seems the tendency is Chris Reeve>>Spyderco>>Benchmade>>ZT>>> anything from China. Like M390 from a Chinese maker (we're talking someone good like Kizer) might be run at like 54 RC. Of course this is just one area. I once owned a $15 Ganzo with an Axis lock that was objectively almost as well quality controlled as a Benchmade (and it was in 440C so the heat treat was also probably excellent), and I accidentally bought a fake Benchmade 943 Osborne a year or two ago on Ebay and the first indication I had that it was a counterfeit was ironically that the QC was BETTER than on either of the 2 real 940 series Osbornes that I previously bought.
5, Not only do I agree, I feel stronger about this than Nick does in practice. I really don't prefer mechanical watches, and while if I were rich enough I could waste tens of thousands on watches, I don't really ever want to own another mechanical watch.
I've had a knife-lock fail on me, however it was not over 30 dollars (although it was on a big sale and in SEK/Swedish Crowns and not USD so I don't know exactly how it matched up to USD at the time).
I did not abuse it at all. It was a somewhat slow decline of just getting way out of center and being unable to be fixed with tweaking to the point it scraped the edge of the blade against the handle when closing. I still could use it for a little while as a fixed blade when I was too uncomfortable folding it until it just wasn't worth it anymore as it got worse and worse.
I only lightly used it and not that much either before I scrapped it due to these problems. A large part of the issues were due to the quality of the knife and lock though, and not the lock-system itself. But like I said, it was less than 30 USD "or so".
im trying to choose between the spyderco roc, the benchmade 940, and the mcusta katana but its a hard decision because i like the overall style of the mcusta and the blade shape and usability of the roc but i also like a lot about the 940. which one should i get or does anyone have any other reccomendations
First things first, what you wanting the knife to do and what are you looking to spend? Each of the knives you mention are significantly different. From your list exclusively - for normal EDC use, it would be hard to beat the Benchmade 940 - its a classic. I have recently fallen head over heals in love with my Spyderco Sage 5 and - though my collection runs the gamut of quality and cost - I think it may well be the best knife out there for the money.
1. A lock has never failed on me. I come from slipjoints and I've NEVER cut myself from the blade closing on me.
2. Completely agree, mu cutoff is at $200 and for that price you get MORE than you'll even need.
3. To each their own. I Love the stonewash on Cold Steel knives but I know you're not a fan of the company's policy.
4. The Chinese are trying hard and it's obvious in their high end, USA manufacturing has gotten lazy and QC is loose. That goes for Taiwan too, Taichung Spyderco knives are leagues ahead of Golden Colorado.
5. Watches are not my thing.
I enjoy your content dude, keep it up!
"Nuttier than a bag of squirrel turds." One for the ages.
I totally agree. I think it's better to have a lock that has better action and reasonable lock strength for edc.
I sold off all my small cold steel knives because honestly it's not necessary. But but on knife like the Rajah 2 , a tri ad lock is a necessity and I am using it as it designed which is hacking through the jungle.
What you said about the "distressed look"
Some people just like it, acid wash and stone wash can just look good for some people.
Wow. Agree 100 percent with every point. Grand Seiko quartz watches are pieces of true art and mechanical mastery.
Advanced Knife Bro sheds a tear at the comment about baton-ing
At least he's testing for an audience!
Also dang nick is spicy in this video lol
Nick Shabazz You and AKB are my two favorite knife reviewers; keep up the great videos!
Mechanical watches these days are good for showing appreciation to the craft of watchsmiths/clockmakers and keeping it alive as a craft, as well as simply liking the idea of them. It's also fun sitting there and watching the little spinny things go around. But yeah, a £20 digital Casio watch or something will tell the time just as well - if not better - for a fraction of a fraction of the cost.
Nick- I found this more good analysis than controversial.
I've honestly come to a point with folding knives that I prefer less expensive ones. While people constantly trash Aus 8, 420 hc, ctsbd1, etc, I find knives in the 30-60 dollar range preform very well as long as heat treating is done correctly. Sure, I may have to sharpen my aus 8 a little more, but it is faster and eaiser to sharpen than d2, 154, etc. I spend less time getting the edge I want and notice only small amounts of different for my every day needs. Also, if I lose or sometimes even give away, a raven, tenacious, rat 1, etc, I don't have cry about it. I just order another and move on. Basically, if you're a collector, that is great, but I'm not sure your every day man is really going to notice any real difference.
I basically agree about lock strength - any well-made knife should hold up to normal use, and the differing breaking points are abstract distinctions. That said, I have had a ZT framelock fail on me...I got an (apparently defective) 0450 that closed on my me minutes after unboxing. I was gleefully flipping my new knife when pressure on the back from my second finger closed the blade on my thumb.
Agree 100% on diminishing returns. The most expensive folder I've bought is 595 but I did then drop another 300 in customizing it.
I've done so fully aware that none of those 300-800 dollar knives give me anything my ZTs don't except for something different or exclusive.
As far as your 4th point I disagree. Now, I have no issues with Taiwan, good to go there. But China? At work I buy a few million dollars a year worth of raw materials (steel) from China. Our other suppliers in Germany, Austria, and some limited US companies can't keep up so we're forced to use the Chinese mills. We have to perform independent destructive testing on every batch because the material certs they send you aren't worth the paper they are printed one. We're not even buying high-end steels all the time. Some of it is simple 41xx series and they still botch the heat treat. I doubt I would ever use a $300 Chinese knife hard enough to find out that the materials weren't as advertised and I just don't want to take that chance.
I am not a big watch guy, the only ones I've owned are the cheap casios and recently, a seiko 5. I have to say I really expected to break it while playing basket ball, climbing a mountain, or skateboarding, but it has survived all of those so far. That said I've only had it for a few months, so who knows how long until it breaks. Anyways, to me there are only 4 things I care about in a watch, 1: it tells the time. 2: It looks nice. 3: Its fairly durable. 4: Its fairly comfortable. For a watch that cost me 50 bucks to meet all of those completely, and be mechanical automatic movement which is pretty neat, I don't really see any reason (for a guy like me who isn't super into watches) to care at all weather a watch is quarts or automatic.
Concerning your most controversial point, I have a point too to further spark the controversy :P
It's that a so called generic movement like ETA isn't worse than in-house movements, the difference is relative a matter of opinion, not factually of quality of technical superiority, that it's mostly a bragging point to have an in-house movement and a gimmick, to raise the price of the watch, an ETA movement will be much cheaper to service and you can service your watch with any watchmaker/shop, whereas with an in-house movement you can only service with the brand itself or authorized shops, that will pay a commission to the brand, which in my opinion is a very anti-consumer practice and an ugly thing
To further develop my argument, many watch brands will threaten you in losing your authenticity of your watch if you service your in-house watch with a third party shop (that isn't an authorized boutique or shop from the band itself) and they will consider your watch counterfeit..
we actually went through a situation like this, my dad took his watch, of which the band is considered one of the top horological swiss brands, to his trusty watch shop here in my town, for a service and regulation of the movement. I'm not going to mention names, but this brands most popular line is a blue-blooded tree.. he took the watch to his friend a very experienced watchmaker at this shop, and he told my dad that the movement wasn't more complicated than a certain generic ETA, that it was almost the same, and the watchmaker services the watch for my dad, later my dad knew from the brand themsves that he lost the authenticity certificate of the watch because someone who wasn't an authorized shop opened the watch and serviced it... that in order to regain the authenticity certificate he my dad had to send the watch to them for a "full-service" that including polishing of the case costed more than 3 thousand dollars....
Nick, I just recently ordered a Spyderco Delica and a Spyderco Dragonfly. I'm looking forward to getting them and trying them out. I agree with most of your points in this video. Particularly that paying over $300 for a knife is somewhat ridiculous. My edc is still the Kershaw Oso Sweet, but I want to check out the Spyderco knives and some others. Happy collecting.
For watches, I prefer the Timex Ironman. I like the digital display, the durability, and for $40 the cost is very reasonable.
You called the Z Hunter terrible. Is it opposite day or something?
I used to prefer mechanical watches, and chronographs in particular. Now, I prefer digital watches, set to the 24hr time, with solar charging and time set by the radio signal from the atomic clock. I also like to have the say of the week showing. I often have to log the time an event occurs or when a check was done and I am not permitted to use a smart watch or carry a mobile phone, since I work in secure facilities. I often work enough that I forget what day it is and I have gone to work too many times on weekends thinking it was a week day. As an old guy who once liked everything analog, I have adapted to digital.
To point #2, you are right that you do not /necessarily/ get better over 300. But you CAN do much better if you pick the right choosing.
Do you own or recommend any non locking knives?
Buying a factory distressed knife to 'hide the wear' is possibly the strangest excuse I've ever heard. I bought a broken, out-of-warranty washing machine because I knew that if I bought a new one it would be out of warranty and break one day in the future.
I refuse to buy or carry liner/frame lock knives. I've had them fail and cut me. The way you grip the knife can easily compromise the holding power, especially during hard use(when lock failure is the most dangerous). Just two cents but I don't comment often; this is a deeply held opinion
Hey guys I need help, I'm wanting a new EDC work knife, I'm just stumped on what to get, I think I've narrowed it down to the kizer sunburst, the steel will cutjack c22m, the ZT 0450 and the lion steel tre, any input would be appreciated :)
I own the lion steel tre and like it but don't recommend it as an EDC. Also don't buy the Kizer sunburst because you will mess up the pivot screw trying to take the knife apart and clean it. For the same price you would spend on the steel will you could buy a Ruike knife which I believe is a better value. The zt 0450 is a great knife but over a $100 more than the ruike. You should buy a Sanrenmu Land 910 plus for $15 which will blow you away and is my first choice. In fact you should buy this knife even if you choose one of the others.
The reason I have been looking at those 4 in particular is the fact that I live in the UK unfortunately, and so I am limited for choice, and these had high quality steel for a reasonable price, also the QC from these companies so I've heard, is pretty good where as Benchmade can be hit or Miss, again so I've heard, and I've not really looked at spiderco cause I personally don't like how they look, I know in the grand scheme of things that's not really important but I do want something that is pleasing to look at.
When I say EDC I mean for work, as I work everyday, I wouldn't carry it in public and my job does permit me to have a locking blade, so that is not an issue, I am familiar with heinnie and have bought from them in the past but I find knivesandtools.co.uk have better prices.
Overall I agree with your watch opinion. The reason I prefer Mechanical watches is definitely the fun factor of wearing old technology that is still functional today. The second reason though is because I never replace the batteries in my quartz watches and end up losing them or throwing them out. This may be because I've never owned an expensive quartz watch but then I'd prefer to buy a mechanical at that price lol.
I completely agree except for the last one. Wrist watches are obsolete. If you want to make a fashion statement wear a pocket watch, otherwise use your phone.
I'd love to see industry figures, but my take is that fewer and fewer people wear a watch, especially younger folks...and if they do, it's a "smart" watch or a pedometer. I Wonder where the industry will be in a generation?
You must not have a job that requires intensive record keeping. I have to record times all damn day. Every time I do something at work, I have to write down the time. Reaching into my pocket for my phone 1,000 times a day is not ideal, especially when phones are not supposed to be out on the production floor. In short, they have their uses, not everyone has their phone in their hands at all times, and not everyone wants to have to pull out their phone every time they need to know what time it is.
Some work places don't allow phones 😉
I had a Spyderco Police model lockback fail on me while stabbing a tire
I won't buy any lockback knives any more.......also if you keep a lockback knife in your pocket and lint gets into the locking pocket in the blade, it won't completely lock up cause the lint will be trapped in there
this doesn't happen with liner locks or compression locks because there's somewhere for the lint to go instead of getting trapped in the locking pocket of the blade
There are some really good Quartz watches out there, like the Oceanus Casio that is on my wrist. day-in-day out, but I do have a small collection of Automatics, which I wear for best, simply because I love the technical design and functionality of these wonderful works of art. My EDC knife is a Spyderco, with Titanium sides and CPM M4 Tool Steel blade. I am seriously considering a Benchmade Infidel Dual-function OTF in flat black, if only because I like the 'threatening' design and it might be useful for self defence one day!
Nick, is that Boker available on BladeHQ?
What is the watch on the right?
Hi Nick, I think I agree with just about everything you say here, particularly regarding the knives. I also agree, in principle, about watches. I have an old Omega Seamaster that my father bought in about 1960. I bit the bullet & had it completely refurbished - new mainspring, the works - about 5 years ago. It wasn't cheap! I wear it on a piece of nylon webbing around my neck. The old man would probably be horrified but I work with ceramics (often up to my armpits in mud) & use power tools a lot. My mode of carry keeps this little gem safe from the daily rigours. It keeps adequate time for my purposes as long as I remember to wind it. If I need hair splitting accuracy I have a stop watch app on my iPod. That said, I have an old Swiss stop watch which I use for developing film. At intervals as small as 1/10th of a second I am buggered if I can pick the difference between the mechanical stop watch & the iPod app! I like the fact that I can give the mechanical a couple of winds & get to work without having to worry about battery charge... Horses for courses.
I have abused knives often in my line of work and have not ever have a lock fail...good point!
So wait!!! Your not mentioning flashlights proves that I do, in fact, need a 5k lumen edc light, Ha! I knew it!
Agree with everything, but the acid stone wash finish... I love me some dirty douchey blades.
What is the brand of the 4th knife in line?
Thanks
Liong Mah Warrior One
How do you feel about solar powered watches? Personally I have a a Pulsar Solar which I love but would be interested in your opinion
Name of green acid washed knife ?