OT: Source for decent knives?

I can thoroughly recommend the Gerber range, not the cheapest things in the world but by far the best in my opioion, i've worked in the marine industry for many years, and quite a bit of it on the water. They've never let me down and have always been replaced because of being lost as opposed to corrosion or breakage.

Dave

yep - I've never bought any knife online/mail-order, nor am I likely to. Choosing a knife is a similar process to choosing a guitar. Amongst other things, the individual unit has to 'feel right'.

schoolyard bling?

The handles made of leather are very comfortable and wear well.

Good luck - seems every knife maker has become infatuated with shiny blades.

Meant to add: have you tried your local huntin' fishin' shootin' shop?

Apparently you local Police Station will have quite a few they don't know what to do with ;-)

Richard

Not yet, given that nothing's local to me, I have to find one first! Anyone got any good ones in the Dorset/Somerset/Wiltshire area?

I'd have thought the only ones handed in would be rusty old bayonets or ornamental gurkha knives, decent ones would be actually in use!

Mind you Lee could set up a lucrative sideline in flogging trinket knives on the side ;-)

aye - and any reports of confiscated knives found to be already coated in finger printing dust are mere media fabrication.

The Glock Field Knife 78 is a good all-round knife, although it probably is a bit long (some 11 inches overall)

On or around Tue, 22 Aug 2006 11:04:17 +0100, "William Tasso" enlightened us thusly:

mind, modern stainless steel is a bloody sight better than it used to be.

still prefer a plain steel blade though. well, not too plain - hardened, obv.

It used to be said that land rover spring leaves were a nice bit of steel for making knife blades from. never actually finished the one I started making, so I can't vouch for that.

Try

Famous?

No kidding - Price: £235.00 (inc VAT) & out of stock too! but you can sign up to the waiting list.

Marketing driven demand at its finest ;)

Famous 'cos he's always recommending it in his programs (well he would wouldn't he!) Hand forged by one guy is the last I read, hence the waiting list and the price. There are some other nice blades on the site though...

Yeah, side-facing rivets in a wooden handle don't float my boat! The rest of the knives aren't what I'm after either, rubber handles etc.

I'd already decided on a Gransfors axe in another store, I quite like their double-headed competition throwing axe but I don't think I'll go for it ;-)

You can get better from army surplus stores, but still not what I'm after though.

This is looking more like it, will try to find how to get them in the UK.

In which case I'd suggest a secondhand elwell hedge laying billhook, a large folding pull saw (gomboy) and one of the smaller opinels.

Here's one I prepared earlier:

AJH

I've got the saws, including a bowsaw and a surprisingly useful "pocket chainsaw" which works much better than I'd hoped.

What advantages does the billhook have over a more conventional machete?

Shorter, better control of the cut because of the hook, less likely to glance off and the ability to move things with it.

AJH

On or around Tue, 22 Aug 2006 14:01:11 +0100, Ian Rawlings enlightened us thusly:

depends on how they're done, though. If done properly the whole thing is smooth, and it's still probably the best way of actually getting the handle to stay on.