knives - but not the usual discussion

[bdcochran]

Some thoughts and what I do.

I was a knife dealer and at the time of the First Gulf War, I received a call on behalf of Marine Corp unit requesting the then new Spydero Endura. The uses were abusive - ranging to puncturing 50 gallon drums. The knife was worn down to a nub and then another of the same model was obtained.I raised objections that there were better knives available, but this is they wanted.

This is what I learned:

Have multiples of what works for you. They wanted a small, useful knife that could be slipped into a pocket.

Maintenance of the knife

I purchased and refurbished many used and TSA seized knives over the years. Uniformly, they were dirty in the internals if they were folders. None of them needed sharpening beyond a few passes in a Worksharp. So if you carry a pocket knife in your pocket clean it at least once a year. If you store knives, do not store in leather sheaths and lubricate every few years. Every one of my knives, hatchets, swords, tomahawks has an appropriate sheath.I make carry a folder in a pocket, but I still have a sheath available for it.

Stop watching the b.s. videos on shaving hair off of an arm. . . . unless you are a sushi chef. Learn what sharpness is needed for the application. Combat Helmet was a Korean War movie I enjoyed as a kid. You don't sharpen a combat knife and if you don't know why you shouldn't, do the research.

Sheaths and modifications

1. the skills are in you, not the knife. My first knife training was with a Ernie Emerson designed thumb stud Benchmade knife. From the whistle in a deep pocket carry to throat height on a dummy, 1.1 second - and people can do better. Can you dress a quail, carve a turkey, do a prime rib like you see in a restaurant?
2. I watched a lot of youtube videos on modifications of sheaths, where a knife could be carried on a person. Usually, the quality of a sheath provided to you with a knife is not high and won't work for you. Do you realize that tomahawks, machetes, swords may come into your possession and you just have to find a solution when there is nothing by way of a sheath. You may not have leather making or wood making skills.
It was fun modifying inexpensive Mora knife sheaths.
It was challenging to make over the back carry sheath for a machete.
The hardest thing was finding a guy who specialized in making Japanese wood sword sheaths. I had to redesign the traditional sheath so that 550 cord could be attached for an over the back (or pack) carry.
My defacto carry sheath for a quality folder was either a Benchmade small or large sheath. There is also another guy who makes a series of bidirectional material sheaths . Bidirectional means horizonral or vertical carry. The cheap folders got Pakistani sheaths.
The Spec-ops sheaths provide the most options for people who might carry fixed blade combat or survival type knives.

Availability

1. I have a variety of knives in the car, with extra if there is a companion.
2. I have a letter basket at the front door with folders in it - grab one when leaving the house.
3. every windbreaker/coat already has a folder and possibly a leatherman tool.
4. next to the computer, I have fixed blades and folders.
5. I was a widower with a small child. Guns were a no-no. There was also the anticipation of home burglaries by curious children who would come to the house. So every bedroom door has a coat hook upon which is a fixed blade knife hanging upside down in a sheath.
6. I gifted folders and inexpensive fixed blades to my nieces/nephews/siblings to car carry - I may be visiting some day.
7. What the price is of a basic Mora knife with a modified sheath? It is under $20!

[Mac66]

More about the modified mora sheath please?

Here's mine...

[bdcochran]

Mora modifications:
1. you look on youtube
2. I have done the conventional 550 cord wrap.
3. I have done the ranger band wrap. Get an old bicycle inner tube, cut across and end up with the equivalent of a rubber band.
4. drill holes through handle like should in you picture - add 550 cord.
5. you see the equivalent of the ranger band on the knife to the left. If you run 550 under the ranger bands from the top to bottom of the sheath and then over the ranger bands the length of the sheath, then you can turn the knife/sheath horizontally along a belt line and then made two separate loops around the inside of the belt (against the jeans) and then under the outside of the 550 cord and you have a horizontal carry sheath.

By the way, the ranger band wrap around any fixed blade sheath is good to provide a platform toe attach items to a fixed blade sheath. I doubt that in most cases, it is necessary to attach a fire starter. You can attach small items like a flat Photon light or a key chain light, a pen, small small pad of paper.

[bdcochran]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ULRT ... y3kDT-KDIQ

This website does excellent reviews of knives. Most of the members already have whatever knives they want or think that they need. A couple of years ago, I made some vows: 1. no more restoring tools, swords, knives, hatchets, axes as an avocation; 2. no more purchases. I have broken the vow of not purchasing any more knives. The three I bought in last year were based upon his recommendations and they were excellent.