EDMW Knife Collectors

[mamba2012]

Thanks Vespaguy and Mamba,

I've definitely seen Andre's work and i truly like the flipping action on his customs just not the looks lol. Not sure if he is willing to depart from his usual models but no harm asking.

As for the the price of Tuffknives, i honestly am not sure if they really go for 2k? I've seen a switch in the secondary mkt for 1.8k so i presume the brand new price is lower, considering US's knife inflation is insane. Thats the reason why i just emailed him to get a "quotation"

Anyway that being said, I will definitely learn from your experiences and advice and definitely not get sucked into a fad (i hope) hahha. Thanks alot really appreciate it.

Recon1-2.8k,2.3k for 2 tuffknives switches. 1.8k,2k.same difference. Rockstar attitude as vespa mentioned. Also,his books are closed.

 

[vespaguy]

liberte egalite fratenite

my thoughts are with the Parisians and the people of France today, having woken up to the terrible news. The Islamic terrorists and criminals must be stopped using extreme measures, and their supporters taken to task too (by this I mean their sympathizers whether individuals or countries).

I hope such events never reach our shores.

 

[mamba2012]

Thanks Vespaguy and Mamba,

I've definitely seen Andre's work and i truly like the flipping action on his customs just not the looks lol. Not sure if he is willing to depart from his usual models but no harm asking.

As for the the price of Tuffknives, i honestly am not sure if they really go for 2k? I've seen a switch in the secondary mkt for 1.8k so i presume the brand new price is lower, considering US's knife inflation is insane. Thats the reason why i just emailed him to get a "quotation"

Anyway that being said, I will definitely learn from your experiences and advice and definitely not get sucked into a fad (i hope) hahha. Thanks alot really appreciate it.

Do update us on what u are getting/have gotten. It'll be interesting to see someone taking a different collecting direction.

 

[TheBUSTED]

Do update us on what u are getting/have gotten. It'll be interesting to see someone taking a different collecting direction.

Hahha i definitely will. Did a look around and i must say, I agree with you both. Just saw Tuffknives's latest auction and it was insane! Really not worth the price.

Contacted Andre recently but he's in NY knife show so he is uncontactable (what bad timing) but definitely would like to have one of his customs.

Will definitely update once things are firmed up !

 

[vespaguy]

OU31 looks quite good, not quite super steel like s90/110/m390 but probably up there with S35VN - it can attain high hardness though, some have stated up to 64RC. Seems to have 3% vanadium! I used to own two very different pieces, both now sold regrettably. It's quite far out there, he has his own style I think. The handles seem to be wide on his newer pieces (like Nemoto) but I don't know if it is the proportions or that it is really wide.

 

[Stevejobless]

With 3x the vanadium and molybdenum carbide content of D2 and also 3x the toughness at 64hrc working hardness. I consider it super steel category. But maybe not the same class as those you list.
What are your impressions of the Kiku knives that you owned? The convex grind looks really thick and obtuse on them. Doesn't look like they will cut well. Just realized that even at those absurd prices, most of the nicer pieces are sold out.

 

[vespaguy]

Not sure Kiku hardens it to 64RC? What I know about the Japanese makers is that they will claim superlative feats, but at high hardness, blades will chip, it comes with the territory. Now that's not to say it's not possible but there will be some compromises. For Rockstead, I don't know how hard they harden but the edge itself isn't very thin. I just prefer thinner edges.

Anyway for the Kikus, they weren't users to me (one was very aggressive looking, the other was purely for aesthetics) - so I can't say anything about the performance.

PS: not every blade is a user. Whilst I like using, I'm mostly a collector as my users just won't fail

ok, I found some old pics which I don't mind sharing for the interest of the community. I think it was 10 years ago. A decade haha





this one is ultra rare - I really wish I could get it back. I doubt people even know Kiku did things like this.

 

[vespaguy]

and another blast from the past to promote the beauty of traditional fixies over modern folders lol this is a takeshi saji. very nice - I wish I never sold it but at one stage I was mostly after custom folders too and when you have limited funds, you need to make hard decisions.

 

[vespaguy]

Yes Kiku OU31 knives are 65 hrc. Seem to chop fine from the vids I seen.

All 3 blades are beautiful. Especially the Tanto and that last one with layered steel. I can understand not using them. There isn't a whole lot you can use karambit for except maybe fight a big cat on equal terms. Its claws vs your claw.

all nature's critters have claws (spyderco quote)

65RC? I think you should go try them out. I am normally not a fan of knives in the 6-8" blade length range. They're too heavy/unwieldy for the 'small' work and too short for the 'big' work...at least for me.

Yes, the kwaiken is especially missed. I was lucky to spot it all those years ago on ebay. The seller had 3 different unique kikus, I would've bought 2 if I had money.

As for the Takeshi, I like sumingashi too, and the laminate/cladding is stainless and the core is shirogami (white steel - a simple yet high hardness carbon steel that takes a crazy sharp edge and sharpens easily too).

 

[vespaguy]

btw, to all the lurkers, do share pics of your interesting blades. Don't be shy!

 

[Stevejobless]

Typo. Should be 64RC. His blades range from 4" - well over 10" for the choppers. Now if only i got a spare $1000 USD lying around for a Kiku.

 

[mamba2012]

btw, to all the lurkers, do share pics of your interesting blades. Don't be shy!

I agree. Sharing = more knives to discuss. As far as a I know, there are some shiro, direware, thorburn, rassenti and medford collectors out here. Anybody have anything else to bring to the table? Please share some pics of what you have. It helps to keep the thread alive (;

 

[Rock-kun]

I agree. Sharing = more knives to discuss. As far as a I know, there are some shiro, direware, thorburn, rassenti and medford collectors out here. Anybody have anything else to bring to the table? Please share some pics of what you have. It helps to keep the thread alive (;

I highly doubt anyone in here will want to see my >50 cheapo S&Ws, Sanrenmus and Enlans.

 

[mamba2012]

I highly doubt anyone in here will want to see my >50 cheapo S&Ws, Sanrenmus and Enlans.

This can be a point of discussion too With having so many of such pieces, why not consider bumping up to productions (Spyderco, zt, etc) or even midtechs? What's your thought process?

 

[Rock-kun]

TWhat's your thought process?

A knife is supposed to be dirt cheap, looks reasonably nice, have a semi-decent steel that can cut hard stuff like cardboard and cable ties and retains its edge under such use for at least a week.

No need for classy stuff like titanium handles or lockbars, or supersteels like S30V. 7Cr17 and 8Cr13MoV are good enough, but bottom barrel steels like 3Cr13 are not.

 

[Stevejobless]

8Cr13Mov comparable to Aus8?

Another way to look at it. The money for buying multiple dirt cheap folders added up can buy you a mid range Spyderco with VG10/S30V in the $100- $200 range.

 

[Rock-kun]

8Cr13Mov comparable to Aus8?

Another way to look at it. The money for buying multiple dirt cheap folders added up can buy you a mid range Spyderco with VG10/S30V in the $100- $200 range.

It keeps things interesting since there's a large variety to pick and choose from everyday. Plus the heartpain involved is totally negligible if it gets lost somehow, especially during reservist.

 

[mamba2012]

8Cr13Mov comparable to Aus8?

Another way to look at it. The money for buying multiple dirt cheap folders added up can buy you a mid range Spyderco with VG10/S30V in the $100- $200 range.

My thoughts exactly. But I agree... 50++= choices, choices and more choices.

 

[Shikiwaru]

Some "supersteel" knives to consider if you're looking at getting a first "good knife" this Black Friday.

S30V - Buck Vantage (you can upsize it for an additional cost)

This is a really good choice. Heat treat from Buck has always been exceptional, made in USA at a reasonable price point.



S35VN - Kizer Sunburst

I own one myself and this has been a great performing knife so far. For a pretty reasonable price, you get S35VN and aluminum handles. S35VN might not be as easy to sharpen if you're used to sharpening the likes of 8Cr13MoV, but edge holding is significantly better.



CTS-XHP - Cold Steel Hold Out III

Cold Steel knives have become more awesome since their switch to the higher end steels. At this price point, the Hold Out III is probably the cheapest CTS-XHP folder on the market. You also get the fabled strength of Tri-Ad lock in this knife. This knife is pretty lightweight compared to most of Cold Steel's offerings.



VG-10 - Spyderco Delica 4 FFG

Probably the quintessential working man's pocket knife as suggested by its namesake (Delica is an abbreviation for delivery car in Japanese). VG-10 may not be as good as the higher tier supersteels, but it is easy to sharpen and takes a scary edge. Another point to note is that Spyderco will be enforcing MAP by next year, so grab the Delica at whatever reasonable price you see online while you can.

 

[vespaguy]

Probably the quintessential working man's pocket knife as suggested by its namesake (Delica is an abbreviation for delivery car in Japanese).

now that's a nugget of info I did not know

and is 'endura' something as well?