A good client, a conspiracy nut I've mentioned before, came over last night for sharpening. After an endless blather about a religious tangent he is pursuing, he finally finished his coffee, gathered up his tracts, paid me and wandered to the door. As an afterthought, I remembered to show him the little Mantis.

I explained the features of the knife, told him about the alloy and my plans of incorporating such a tool into the life of a biker. As I did, I handed him the little knife.

His first action? He gripped it in the traditional "saber stance" and opined that it would be good as a defensive weapon...yikes.

Some folks never learn. As he held one the best recent innovations in cutlery technology, his first inclination was "to destroy." And my guess is that he will find a distributor and buy one, seeking only to acquire a new weapon. As you know, I detest such silly periodicals as TK and Soldier of Fiction. Granted they have the right to publish any drek they choose. But in professing this mindset they trample out any opposing ideas for the romantic thrill that never existed in society anyway.

Trained OPS personal are an exception, even within our Armed Forces. And they are rarely found amidst overweight, aging suburban dwellers. These idiots would seek taking a wet brick and then write tomes heralding the excellence of fired clay building materials within fierce Navy SEAL combat.

While this Mantis might indeed find its way into the pocket of a deployed soldier--and it should, it's a wonderful tool--it will more likely cook a meal or a open a package from home as opposed to taking a beach head. That is, until TK learns of the knife's existence....

I see my knife as a tool first and foremost. As for self defence, I'm more the brick, or 2x4 or .38 kind of guy, never bring a knife to a gun fight lesson always stayed with me. I have always been lucky enough to have what I needed, and the level of tool is based on my usage. I have the finest tools money can buy for my business, and since your business is knives I'd expect a "Pro" to have no less. But, I wouldn't expect you to have a 240 dollar, magnesium worm saw to cut the occasional 2x4, no you'd be better off served with a "home owner $40" grade tool that does what you need and you don't have a bunch of money tied up in a production tool that even though very cool, will never be used to it's potential. I understand that $40 to you for a knife of such quality is an unbelievable deal and you are providing information to all of us and I do appreciate it, believe me ITs the same as me telling you they have the worm saw on sale for $150, its a great deal IF you need something like that. You don't need to buy a $800 miter/bevel saw to make one picture frame... and I'd never think just because I use one you need one too. Truth be told, I'd really love your opinion on tools that I would actually have a use for and those that are indeed at value like the knife I got. Its a solid - heavy duty - seemingly indestructible tool that does what I need it for... and it's pretty bad ass to boot.

Fair enough question and a legitmate concern.

I have always felt that for bikers, outdoorsmen, hard-hats and wilderness campers the best edged tool *period* is the Buck 112. Not the 110, but the 112. If you like or need a fixed blade then get the 102 or the 105.

Timeless, easy to sharpen, easy to carry, sold anywhere and reasonably priced. Great factory guarantee.

https://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb23 ... 001-24.jpg

This is what I'm talking about.

Smith & Wesson CK50:

Technical Details

Stainless steel blade
G10 black handle
Drop point blade
Comes with a nylon sheath

Product Description
From the Manufacturer
3.717" Blade, 5.481" Closed, 7.70oz.
Product Description
ATTRIBUTES Blade Detail: Plain Edge Blade Length (inches): 3.72 Blade Material: 440C Carry System: Pocket Clip Handle Material: Black Aluminum Lock Style: Liner Lock Overall Length (inches): 9.19


Good points / bad points?

Keep in mind the price of this knife was 12 bucks.

I can sell (and I don't) the slightly smaller model, the 5D. I get charged about 7 bucks for the knife. It's made in China, it sharpens like a candy bar. Frankly, an insult to the deployed troops who really are 'extreme special ops.'

You get what you pay for.

I thought this might be a real example of what I'm talking about.

I am building my weekly order for Blue Ridge Knives, I'm a reseller. I just added a Smith & Wesson Extreme OPS SW5D to my order. My cost is 7.54, or about an afternoon's ride on Betty while shagging for coffee.

It's in stock, and when it comes I'm going to sharpen and polish the edge the way I always do. I will make sure it's toasty sharp. Pictures will be posted.

During that time I hope RK researches this slate of SW knives a bit, and then after seeing the real-deal knife and its new edge, we'll see if he'll reach into his jeans to actually buy the thing.

Somewhere at this moment as we speak, a rickshaw owner from a Beijing slum has just noticed that someone has stolen his bumper. And another fine SW knife is scheduled to be crafted...

OK, for 12 bucks, when I leave it on the picnic table....
For 12 bucks when it falls out of my pocket...
What I'm saying is I don't need an 800 dollar edge to cut steak or someones seat belt...
Is the metal really stainless? Yup.
Is it a real knife? Yup.
Is it bad ass? Yup.
Will it suit the Tourist? NOPE!
I'm not a professional knife anything... 12 bucks is an awesome deal for that knife.
I used the money I saved to get my teeth fixed...

Think of it like this, I'm a bicycle professional,
Everything short of building custom wheels.
I think all your tools and bikes should be pro level. Bikes start at around 10k, so for your once a year bike ride you need to get the top of the line Eddy Merckx Carbon with All DA components - around 11,5k with wheels.
Basically that's what you sound like to me when you tell me the what I already know, the bike you bought at Walmart to suit your needs is a big piece of crap. But it works for you, now, how do I adjust the gears?

This is where you have to be careful with the word 'stainless.' It's only the American definition that the chromium content is 12%. That said, the alloy D2 is great stuff, chisel and drill steel. And on hard-use knives like "Knives of Alaska." That is 11% chromium, and in reality that isn't enough to matter except for our definition.

Opinel makes great knives. I doubt their blend has that much content.

However, the overall idea is performance and safety. Cheap alloys might be over-hardened. They can chip or simply snap. Not good in survival knives or motorcycle axles. Early 4130 chrome-moly frames needed any welds heat-relieved or it shattered.

I handle a lot of knives. And knives to me are like warm socks, good brakes or liquor without fusel oils. Yes, you can buy cheaper stuff at any flea market. A knife is a tool. You buy good six-point deep-wells, you also buy good knives.

Is a +300 dollar Zero Tolerance knife worth the money. Yes, it is.

If you're buying I"ll take one, cause that's the only way I'll ever own anything like it.
I've never "snapped" a blade on any knife.
If you do than you're not using it right.
So when I have the extra $288 to buy lets say an axe, a screwdriver, a whole tool kit at sears....
Re lace a racing wheel...
The tools I have are what I "need" and good enough is just that.

i have a couple "autos' that are just like that from Smith... nice little knives.