Fine cutlery, EDC, and pocket jewelry": Here we post reviews, recommendations, tips about and appreciation of.

[RJman]

The knives with me on a day-to-day basis, lately:

James Brand “The Kline” (thanks again, @LA Guy. Love this knife!)

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On my keychain is a vintage sterling silver Tiffany/Victorinox Swiss Army knife

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I’ll take pictures of my other knives at some point, but I keep forgetting to do that. Love the content on here though.

the first time I had heard of Tiffany's was the GI Joe episode where someone gave a GI Joe a Tiffany's sterling Swiss Army knife.

 

[RJman]

BTW foo size-shamed me about it, but here's my knife, by l'Atelier de Sauveterre, which made the knives for Arnys. Shagreen on snakewood, goldplated screws for some reason.

 

[LA Guy]

BTW foo size-shamed me about it, but here's my knife, by l'Atelier de Sauveterre, which made the knives for Arnys. Shagreen on snakewood, goldplated screws for some reason.

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Nice. You guys are really into the really traditional patterns. I find them nice to look at, but not particularly convenient to use, and very uncomfortable in pocket. But some if the work is definitely well executed.

 

[TheFoo]

BTW foo size-shamed me about it, but here's my knife, by l'Atelier de Sauveterre, which made the knives for Arnys. Shagreen on snakewood, goldplated screws for some reason.

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Nice. You guys are really into the really traditional patterns. I find them nice to look at, but not particularly convenient to use, and very uncomfortable in pocket. But some if the work is definitely well executed.

He said my Sebenza was scary looking.

 

[LA Guy]

He said my Sebenza was scary looking.

Anything coming to an acute tip is scary to a lot of people unaccustomed to being around knives. Thought that's not me, it's a sentiment I respect. I often carry smaller sheepsfoot or sheepsfoot like knives in pocket for other people's comfort levels. One often carried knive is a Wilkins custom Leafstorm with bronzed titanium handles, which is a little nugget of a knife. l really hope that he makes a "wharncliffe" one with a damasteel blade and titanium handle that I can snatch up with the quickness.

Otherwise, I often tuck a jigged ti QSP mini Penguin (https://www.traditionalpocketknives...n-mini-knife-qs130s-gray-jigged-titanium-m390) into the fifth pocket, if I know that a person in the group is uncomfortable with knives.

i Also have some true friction folders for areas with the most restrictive laws.

 

[RJman]

He said my Sebenza was scary looking.

Foo's and my exchange:

 

[TheFoo]

Foo's and my exchange:

Exactly as I remember it as well.

 

[TheFoo]

BTW foo size-shamed me about it, but here's my knife, by l'Atelier de Sauveterre, which made the knives for Arnys. Shagreen on snakewood, goldplated screws for some reason.

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What do you know about the steel? Learning about Damascus as we speak.

I love the look of gold screws—but seems they are all just plated. For good reason I assume, as I suppose solid gold would be too weak/soft.

 

[LA Guy]

What do you know about the steel? Learning about Damascus as we speak.

I love the look of gold screws—but seems they are all just plated. For good reason I assume, as I suppose solid gold would be too weak/soft.

Gold capped and gold plates screws, yes. Gold? The threads would be stripped in seconds, and the screws would 100% break. I don't even like titanium screws. The reason for titanium is for weight reduction vs. Steel, and elastic strength, though spring steel is probably better, objectively. Titanium screws, especially of pocket knife size, can break pretty easily. When I am finishing tightening up something, I use the bit with no driver, just so I will not overtighten and potentially break the screw.

 

[TheFoo]

By the way, had a chance to buy the latest Ray Laconico knife (see below). He is asking $925, but the steel is “only” S35VN. I asked him why not S45VN or Magnacut, thinking he might have a very interesting and compelling answer, but he told me he just uses what’s laying around. Did not make me feel like spending a grand.

 

[RJman]

What do you know about the steel? Learning about Damascus as we speak.

I love the look of gold screws—but seems they are all just plated. For good reason I assume, as I suppose solid gold would be too weak/soft.

Alas, I've forgotten anything I knew about the steel. But the knife is a handmade one-off. I couldn't care less about the gold plating of the screws, it's a ridiculous flourish.

 

[LA Guy]

By the way, had a chance to buy the latest Ray Laconico knife (see below). He is asking $925, but the steel is “only” S35VN. I asked him why not S45VN or Magnacut, thinking he might have a very interesting and compelling answer, but he told me he just uses what’s laying around. Did not make me feel like spending a grand.

Knife makers who were not originally hobbyists get annoyed by this type of question. If he was rude, I get it though.

The truth is that the difference between S35VN and S45VN is marginal, and for many use cases, whether S45VN is an upgrade. It's closer to S30V, which is the precursor of S35VN. The joke is that eventually, things will come around to S30V.

Magnacut is a different animal. Everyone wants it, and he is going to be hard pressed to find it. Remember, the steel is bought in bulk, and the purchase sizes make the most sense for large production runs. Custom makers need very little, and often just pick up steel from jobbers. If I had to guess, unless you are committed to using just Magnacut for your next 50 knives, it would seem onerous to get a bunch of it right now/

Many, if not most, custom makers using stainless use a lot of RWL-34 and 154CM, mostly because they are easy to work with, polish, hand satin, etc...

The answer is honest, To him, the steels are functionally the same, and he knows that they are the same for their customers.

You have the right, of course, to care. And if he was rude, that to me would be good reason to not deal with him. There are plenty of good custom makers.

 

[TheFoo]

Knife makers who were not originally hobbyists get annoyed by this type of question. If he was rude, I get it though.

The truth is that the difference between S35VN and S45VN is marginal, and for many use cases, whether S45VN is an upgrade. It's closer to S30V, which is the precursor of S35VN. The joke is that eventually, things will come around to S30V.

Magnacut is a different animal. Everyone wants it, and he is going to be hard pressed to find it. Remember, the steel is bought in bulk, and the purchase sizes make the most sense for large production runs. Custom makers need very little, and often just pick up steel from jobbers. If I had to guess, unless you are committed to using just Magnacut for your next 50 knives, it would seem onerous to get a bunch of it right now/

Many, if not most, custom makers using stainless use a lot of RWL-34 and 154CM, mostly because they are easy to work with, polish, hand satin, etc...

The answer is honest, To him, the steels are functionally the same, and he knows that they are the same for their customers.

You have the right, of course, to care. And if he was rude, that to me would be good reason to not deal with him. There are plenty of good custom makers.

No, he wasn’t rude at all. Maybe not particularly forthcoming/informative, but nothing wrong with his tone or words.

 

[LA Guy]

No, he wasn’t rude at all. Maybe not particularly forthcoming/informative, but nothing wrong with his tone or words.

I looked up the insta post. It was prototype of something that will most likely be a production knife. He just wanted to get the design right. The blade steel was nearly certainly not a consideration in the slightest. If you want something special, one of a kind, and now, get it. If not, and you like the design, you can wait 1-2 years, and get the production, which will work just as well.

 

[TheFoo]

I looked up the insta post. It was prototype of something that will most likely be a production knife. He just wanted to get the design right. The blade steel was nearly certainly not a consideration in the slightest. If you want something special, one of a kind, and now, get it. If not, and you like the design, you can wait 1-2 years, and get the production, which will work just as well.

Meh. I personally don’t put a premium on being first or unique for unique’s sake. Feel like my Sebenza, at roughly the same price, gives me more of what I care about.