NKD x3 (Knife purchases)

[Criticalt]

Sooo, the other day I went to the Blade HQ website to sign up for a notification for the new Spyderco PM2 Tanto dropping on Wednesday.
While looking around the site I remembered I wanted a Manix 2 CruCarta (CruWear and Micarta). Then I saw the digi camo G10 Para 3 in a DLC s45vn blade. I couldn't decide which one I wanted more....then I saw they had a few Kershaw Bel-Aire XL in 3V left....

So.....I have zero willpower sometimes!

 

[FP1201]

Sooo, the other day I went to the Blade HQ website to sign up for a notification for the new Spyderco PM2 Tanto dropping on Wednesday.
While looking around the site I remembered I wanted a Manix 2 CruCarta (CruWear and Micarta). Then I saw the digi camo G10 Para 3 in a DLC s45vn blade. I couldn't decide which one I wanted more....then I saw they had a few Kershaw Bel-Aire XL in 3V left....

So.....I have zero willpower sometimes!
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So, being a knife accumulator I decided to look at the wholesaler we use....damn, Kershaw's have gotten expensive! I never really though of the Kershaw line being higher priced, but lots of their folders start at $125. dealer cost.

 

[Criticalt]

So, being a knife accumulator I decided to look at the wholesaler we use....damn, Kershaw's have gotten expensive! I never really though of the Kershaw line being higher priced, but lots of their folders start at $125. dealer cost.

Kershaw has a wide range of knives. Their USA made stuff is more expensive, but right with, or less than their competition.
They are well known for using very well heat treated steel, which has always been a issue with many companies.
Over the last year a few guys have started testing steel for HRC.
The "Steel Hardness Lab" is run by a guy named Taylor. Many knife companies have begun mentioning him in their advertising, that's how influential his testing has become.
There are several companies who have proven to go above and beyond with their steel. Most notably Spyderco and Kershaw. However, a few have fallen short, and in fact have been lying about their heat treatments for years....Benchmade and Demko just to name two.
As you probably know, the HRC is very important in a steel. A couple numbers below the recommended HRC can make a steel almost worthless. For instance...Magnacut at the suggested 62-63 HRC is very tough, with great edge retention. Magnacut at 59-60 is not so great, you might as well save your money and buy a $60 Buck in 420HC.
15V steel at 64+ HRC will stay sharp for a LOOOONG time, 15V at 61-62 HRC will dull quickly and can roll an edge.
Even Kershaws older knives, before the recent testing results, come in at 63-64 HRC with their Magnacut.
This Bel-Aire XL in 3V I bought was $200, and I know the 3V is at its very best. Benchmade would charge $350 for this knife. Chris Reeves would charge $500+. And their steel is questionable.
You can get a $25 Chinese Kershaw in 7cr steel, but their USA stuff is literally a different thing all together. USA made Kershaw has become maybe the most suggested knives by knife guys, to new comers. It hard to go wrong with a USA Kershaw.

Knife Steel Hardness Database

steelhardnesslab.com

 

[FP1201]

Kershaw has a wide range of knives. Their USA made stuff is more expensive, but right with, or less than their competition.
They are well known for using very well heat treated steel, which has always been a issue with many companies.
Over the last year a few guys have started testing steel for HRC.
The "Steel Hardness Lab" is run by a guy named Taylor. Many knife companies have begun mentioning him in their advertising, that's how influential his testing has become.
There are several companies who have proven to go above and beyond with their steel. Most notably Spyderco and Kershaw. However, a few have fallen short, and in fact have been lying about their heat treatments for years....Benchmade and Demko just to name two.
As you probably know, the HRC is very important in a steel. A couple numbers below the recommended HRC can make a steel almost worthless. For instance...Magnacut at the suggested 62-63 HRC is very tough, with great edge retention. Magnacut at 59-60 is not so great, you might as well save your money and buy a $60 Buck in 420HC.
15V steel at 64+ HRC will stay sharp for a LOOOONG time, 15V at 61-62 HRC will dull quickly and can roll an edge.
Even Kershaws older knives, before the recent testing results, come in at 63-64 HRC with their Magnacut.
This Bel-Aire XL in 3V I bought was $200, and I know the 3V is at its very best. Benchmade would charge $350 for this knife. Chris Reeves would charge $500+. And their steel is questionable.
You can get a $25 Chinese Kershaw in 7cr steel, but their USA stuff is literally a different thing all together. USA made Kershaw has become maybe the most suggested knives by knife guys, to new comers. It hard to go wrong with a USA Kershaw.

Knife Steel Hardness Database

steelhardnesslab.com

I didn't realize (until I saw the USA on your knife) that Kershaw had American made knives, I thought they were all imports...then again, I thought "Buck Knives" were All American until I bought one at WM and when I opened the package I read "Made in China" I was so disgusted I threw the damn thing away. (which was stupid, but that's me)
For imports I've had good service with the CRKT line, but the one knife I'm literally nekked without is a VIctornox Swiss Army Knife; I don't know what kind of steel they use, but it takes and keeps a working edge pretty well; it's not a defensive knife, but an edged cutting tool.

 

[Criticalt]

I didn't realize (until I saw the USA on your knife) that Kershaw had American made knives, I thought they were all imports...then again, I thought "Buck Knives" were All American until I bought one at WM and when I opened the package I read "Made in China" I was so disgusted I threw the damn thing away. (which was stupid, but that's me)
For imports I've had good service with the CRKT line, but the one knife I'm literally nekked without is a VIctornox Swiss Army Knife; I don't know what kind of steel they use, but it takes and keeps a working edge pretty well; it's not a defensive knife, but an edged cutting tool.

Buck is another good one.
Their Chinese stuff is blah, but their USA stuff is pretty good, but WAY overpriced. They also have some quality control issues I hear they are working on.
They recently started using Magnacut in place of their 425m steel on some models. Even though Buck has the BOS heat treating business right on their property, they brought in Larrin Thomas, the inventor of Magnacut to help make the steel perfect.
Bucks BOS heat treating was developed by Paul Bos, the OG of heat treating steel. Every modern heat treating technique used today was "invented" by Paul Bos. He was the guy who found that using oil of different temperatures instead of water for quenching knife steel would allow super high hardness without cracking the steel. That is the single biggest advancement in knife steel ever.
But, Buck has went insane with their prices. A Buck 110 folder in Magnacut is between $220-$300....that is absurd. Meanwhile, the Kershaw Bel-Aire in Magnacut, the most recommended knife by knife guys today, are $130-$150....and they are "better" knives.
Larrin Thomas has a PhD in Metallurgy, and is the #1 knife steel guy alive. Here is some nerdy information from his website, Knife Steel Nerds.

Factory vs Custom Heat Treating of Knives - Knife Steel Nerds

New experiments comparing performance of small shop custom heat treating against large-scale commercial heat treating of blade steels.

knifesteelnerds.com

 

[Criticalt]

I didn't realize (until I saw the USA on your knife) that Kershaw had American made knives, I thought they were all imports...then again, I thought "Buck Knives" were All American until I bought one at WM and when I opened the package I read "Made in China" I was so disgusted I threw the damn thing away. (which was stupid, but that's me)
For imports I've had good service with the CRKT line, but the one knife I'm literally nekked without is a VIctornox Swiss Army Knife; I don't know what kind of steel they use, but it takes and keeps a working edge pretty well; it's not a defensive knife, but an edged cutting tool.

Oh yeah, I forgot the point of my post.
I have a LOT of knives, I refuse to say how many......because I dont know. Somewhere over 100, but below 300.

The modern day "high value" Chinese and Taiwanese knives made today hit WAY above their price. If you're less concerned about steel, and like fit and function, this is absolutely the way to go.
Companies like Civivi, Vosteed, Kizer, QSP, Petrified Fish, Bestechman, Kancept, Kizer....way too many to name, make incredibly well made knives in the $30-$100 range.
They use budget steels like 14c28n, D2, AEB-L, 154CM, Nitro V.....which are all good steels, but none have great edge retention, which is pretty important in a edc folder. Heck, 14c28n is the toughest knife steel made today, and is used in $30 knives. But it dulls very quickly. It is a Swedish Sandvik steel made originally for razor blades. Its tougher than tungsten carbide in blade form!

My edc around our property for the last decade has been an Esee Izula fixed blade in 1095, and one of many folders....currently a Spyderco Stretch XL in Bohler k390...the BEST steel in the world....in my opinion.
I use the Izula for stuff like cutting holes in buckets, picking hooves, and who knows when you need to stab through a car hood!
The folder is used for cutting food for goats, opening feed bags, cutting rope, and other light-moderate work. When off property I carry a Spyderco...obviously my favorite knife brand.
Esee knives are tough, and they have the best warranty in the business...period.
If the knife breaks, you get a new one...period.
Even if you tell them you misused it, they replace it, forever...no limit....period.
This last winter I broke my 9 year old Izula while chipping ice. They sent a new one.
Here is what I carry around the property.
They dont look like this anymore, they were new in this picture a few months ago. The Esee isn't super small, the Spyderco is almost 10 inches....its an XL.

 

[FP1201]

You mentioned Swedish steel and inexpensive: I believe the Mora Knives hold that title...I used to buy them by the display case (~20) every now and then from Ragnar out towards Buffalo, give them away at Christmas, or sell them at the Gun Shows...not crazy about the plastic sheaths, but the blades are wicked sharp and the edge seems to last pretty well given the utilitarian nature of them.