Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

Discuss Spyderco's products and history.
vivi
Member
Posts: 13846
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:15 am

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#21

Post by vivi »

These are situations where my experience has contradicted things I've heard on the internet. I don't care to dip my toes in the universal truth debate.

Factory edges come optimized for your needs. Factory edges are a compromise between cutting ability and durability. For many tasks they come overly thick. One can generally get much better performance using thin edge angles.

Lockbacks cannot be closed one handed, and are slow. I've made numerous videos showing multiple ways to close them one handed, and showing they can be as fast to operate as any other folding knife lock.

Carrying tip up is slower than tip down. Work on your draw. Instead of pinching the very butt end of the knife with your thumb an index finger, slide your thumb as far into your pocket as you can, then wrap your fingers around the clip and draw. When I draw a tip up knife it comes out of my pocket in the same grip I use while opening the knife, no adjustment required.

Serrated knives are difficult to sharpen. It's easy, it just requires a different technique.

You can't chop or baton wood with a folder. Neither is a big deal with the right technique. I've done both with everything from Opinels to Voyagers XLs.

You can't baton with a hidden tang fixed blade. 10 years of doing just that with an Aqua Salt would disagree.

X steel doesn't take a good edge. Chances are the issue exists in the interface between knife and sharpening medium ;)

Linerless knives are too weak compared to linered knives. I have never seen someone give me an example of something a knife with liners can do a linerless one cannot. I EDC a linerless knife and I've put it through worse abuse than most linered knives will see.

Edges ground at 8-12dps are not practical for EDC. While they can require being more careful in certain situations, for the majority of what folks use EDC knives for, the only difference will be superior cutting ability.

Can't baton with stainless steels. Buy a $10 Mora and try to break it batoning.

Can't spark a firesteel with stainless or H1. I've seen a few variations of this posted. Not sure how the claim H1 can't make sparks got started, but both coated and uncoated H1 spark ferro rods just fine. It has more to do with how sharp your spine is than which type of steel it is IMO.

X lock can't be operated with a single finger. Out of all the Spydercos I've tried, there wasn't a single one I couldn't close while operating the lock with just one finger. Though it isn't fun trying to do with the uncaged ball lock :D

Knives make good choppers. Just buy a **** axe. They're really good at what they do. You're better off with a $20 Fiskars hatchet and a $12 Mora than a Busse Battle Mistress IMO.
Last edited by vivi on Sat Aug 17, 2019 12:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
:unicorn
The Meat man
Member
Posts: 5856
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 8:01 pm
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#22

Post by The Meat man »

Wartstein wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 11:48 am
The Meat man wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 11:42 am
ferider wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 8:25 am

Otherwise a good thread; here is a Myth to add to your list:

- High HRC is equal high wear resistance

Carry on :)
This is a myth?
Perhaps you mean that higher HRC doesn't automatically mean steel A will have higher wear resistance than steel B?
There are other factors but HRC most certainly does have some affect on a steel's wear resistance.

I am not good enough in English to be sure, but doesn' t "equal" mean there is a 100% correlation? (Which (100%) is certainly not true in this case, right? )
You're right on the meaning, but in some cases it would be 100% true; e.g., if you have two knives with the same blade steel, and one of them is HRC 55 and the other is HRC 65. The higher HRC in this case would absolutely equal higher wear resistance.

The statement seems to imply that HRC has no bearing on wear resistance, which isn't true. Granted, there are many other factors that affect this parameter to a greater degree than steel hardness (carbide volume and type, primarily), but HRC does have its part to play.
- Connor

"What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
vivi
Member
Posts: 13846
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:15 am

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#23

Post by vivi »

If you take the RC so high chipping becomes an issue, edge retention takes a dramatic dive :)
:unicorn
The Meat man
Member
Posts: 5856
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 8:01 pm
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#24

Post by The Meat man »

Vivi wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 12:13 pm
If you take the RC so high chipping becomes an issue, edge retention takes a dramatic dive :)
The question was about wear resistance, not edge retention, but yeah, I guess the real answer would be, "it depends".
Still, I wouldn't call it an out-and-out myth.
- Connor

"What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
User avatar
Pelagic
Member
Posts: 2440
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2018 5:49 pm
Location: East Coast/Nomadic

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#25

Post by Pelagic »

In cases where a knife of significantly higher HRC is out-cut by a knife of significantly lower HRC, other variables are playing an extremely strong role, to the point at which I'd wonder why the 2 knives are being compared. CATRA testing is based off 3 main variables (edge geometry, composition, hardness) for a reason. If the other variables are at least close (and you're not comparing 1045 to REX 121 or box cutter geometry versus hatchet geometry), the blade of higher HRC will out-cut the blade of lower HRC the vast majority of the time. Of course, HRC isn't everything, but downplaying hardness any more than that is disingenuous. It's a major factor.

Some of my favorite myths:
"Diamonds are a necessity for sharpening high alloy steels"
"If you can't get it extremely sharp, you're doing something wrong in sharpening"
"You get what you pay for" (involves perception, but also performance)
"If it isn't extremely thin bte, it's not a good cutting tool"
"if you experience edge damage, you're not using the knife properly"
Pancake wrote:
Wed Aug 14, 2019 10:20 pm
Are you a magician? :eek:
Nate wrote:
Thu Apr 04, 2019 4:32 pm
You're the lone wolf of truth howling into the winds of ignorance
Doeswhateveraspidercan wrote:
Sat Jun 15, 2019 9:17 pm
You are a nobody got it?
User avatar
Mako109
Member
Posts: 1080
Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2008 11:43 pm
Location: Seattle/San Francisco, USA

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#26

Post by Mako109 »

Vivi wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 12:07 pm

You can't chop or baton wood with a folder. Neither is a big deal with the right technique. I've done both with everything from Opinels to Voyagers XLs.
+1. You got to this before me.
zuludelta
Member
Posts: 757
Joined: Sun Aug 11, 2019 12:54 pm

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#27

Post by zuludelta »

cycleguy wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 7:53 am
Knives without locks are no good ... Wouldn't ever consider owning one of them!!! Nope, not true ... the UK PenKnife is a wonderful user!!!
QFT. I use locking folders at work, but for light-duty "convenience cutting" tasks around the house, it's hard to beat a UKPK for ease of use & carry. The UKPK is also an outstanding value... the CQI'd CTS-BD1N version offers great bang for buck & IMO is the best "budget knife" in the Spyderco catalogue despite not being marketed as such (IIRC, tests conducted by Pete from the Cedric & Ada YouTube channel places CTS-BD1N as between CPM-S30V & VG-10 in terms of edge retention & about on par with VG-10 & CPM-S110V in terms of corrosion resistance).
User avatar
standy99
Member
Posts: 2205
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2017 11:07 am
Location: Between Broome and Cairns somewhere

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#28

Post by standy99 »

Expensive knives are always better than cheaper knives = myth
Im a vegetarian as technically cows are made of grass and water.
User avatar
Bloke
Member
Posts: 5424
Joined: Fri May 13, 2016 12:43 am
Location: Sydney, Australia.

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#29

Post by Bloke »

Placing a knife under the bed of a woman giving birth is believed to ease her pain during labor.

Hard to confirm as knives aren’t allowed into hospitals here. :rolleyes:
A day without laughter is a day wasted. ~ Charlie Chaplin
User avatar
standy99
Member
Posts: 2205
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2017 11:07 am
Location: Between Broome and Cairns somewhere

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#30

Post by standy99 »

Bloke wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 9:58 pm
Placing a knife under the bed of a woman giving birth is believed to ease her pain during labor.

Hard to confirm as knives aren’t allowed into hospitals here. :rolleyes:


Unless you have a hospital knife
5882BC41-391F-4A2C-92CC-D15ABEA18B94.jpeg
https://www.theskalpel.com/buy
Im a vegetarian as technically cows are made of grass and water.
Tims
Member
Posts: 541
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2018 4:25 pm
Location: Australia

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#31

Post by Tims »

Bloke wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 9:58 pm
Placing a knife under the bed of a woman giving birth is believed to ease her pain during labor.

Hard to confirm as knives aren’t allowed into hospitals here. :rolleyes:
This reminded me of Irish faerie folklore. To ward of changelings you placed a knife in the crib of a child or bed of an adult.

Knives feature heavily in folklore and superstition. Probably worth a thread of it’s own!
User avatar
Deadboxhero
Member
Posts: 2146
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2016 4:35 am
Contact:

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#32

Post by Deadboxhero »

"harder steel is too brittle to use"

"One can sharpen any steel at any hardness with ceramic for the BEST edge"

"If the edge chips it's the HT and steel not improper use, edge fatique and improper edge geometry for the given task"

"Knives are the sharpest from the factory"

"Higher HRC doesn't matter"

"A tough soft steel can be very thin and put into the role of a harder strong steel and perform better"

"Fancy steel replaces sharpening"

"Highest wear resistance always means the most edge holding in real world for all users and applications."

"Toughness means the edge is invincible"

"HRC is the most important thing"

"People need thick knives to be prepared for ninjas"

"I never make a burr when I sharpen, no burr will be seen with SEM"

"Edges that roll are good"
Big Brown Bear
https://www.youtube.com/user/shawnhouston
Triple B Handmade Knives
User avatar
ferider
Member
Posts: 812
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2017 1:41 pm
Location: California
Contact:

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#33

Post by ferider »

Wartstein wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 11:48 am
The Meat man wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 11:42 am
ferider wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 8:25 am

Otherwise a good thread; here is a Myth to add to your list:

- High HRC is equal high wear resistance

Carry on :)
This is a myth?
Perhaps you mean that higher HRC doesn't automatically mean steel A will have higher wear resistance than steel B?
There are other factors but HRC most certainly does have some affect on a steel's wear resistance.

I am not good enough in English to be sure, but doesn' t "equal" mean there is a 100% correlation? (Which (100%) is certainly not true in this case, right? )
Yes, I meant it in the logical sense: if A follows from B, and B follows from A, then A = B.

Examples are my Cruwear and Rex 45 Militaries and PM2: I cherish both, but the Cruwear knives wear slower.
Monty
Member
Posts: 421
Joined: Tue Jun 18, 2019 11:49 am
Location: South of DC

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#34

Post by Monty »

Never bring a knife to a gunfight... Hey it's better than nothing.

Dull knives are useless... I wouldn't want to be stabbed with a butter knife.

Chinese knives are junk. I think we all know the rebuttal to that one.
User avatar
Pelagic
Member
Posts: 2440
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2018 5:49 pm
Location: East Coast/Nomadic

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#35

Post by Pelagic »

This is one of the oldest ones ever.

"Sharp knives are more dangerous than dull ones"
Pancake wrote:
Wed Aug 14, 2019 10:20 pm
Are you a magician? :eek:
Nate wrote:
Thu Apr 04, 2019 4:32 pm
You're the lone wolf of truth howling into the winds of ignorance
Doeswhateveraspidercan wrote:
Sat Jun 15, 2019 9:17 pm
You are a nobody got it?
bagsnatcher
Member
Posts: 111
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2018 4:08 pm

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#36

Post by bagsnatcher »

rangefinder wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 10:28 am
Image
https://xkcd.com/386/

It's difficult to unlock a compression lock wearing gloves.

Some variation of this has been posted a number of times. So I went through my house and put on every pair of gloves I own and tried unlocking a PM2. These included light casual gloves, thicker insulated winter gloves, heavy leather work gloves, even some very thick MIG welding gloves. And I had no issues unlocking the PM2 wearing any of the gloves.

Does that mean my experience is universally true for everyone? Or even true for all compression locks? No. I typically wear a men's size M glove, but I could easily see how someone who wears XL gloves could have difficulty doing this. Just because something is possible for one person (or knife) does not make it universally true.
Never an issue.
The Meat man
Member
Posts: 5856
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 8:01 pm
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#37

Post by The Meat man »

rangefinder wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 10:28 am
Ha! Never read xkcd much but I'm a big fan of Randall Monroe's What If? blog and book.
- Connor

"What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
User avatar
Pancake
Member
Posts: 1146
Joined: Sat Jun 01, 2019 4:52 am

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#38

Post by Pancake »

Monty wrote:
Sun Aug 18, 2019 5:08 pm
Never bring a knife to a gunfight...
https://youtu.be/7YyBtMxZgQs

I am sorry but could not resist :D
In the pocket: Chaparral FRN, Native Chief, Police 4 K390, Pacific Salt SE, Manix 2 G10 REX45
User avatar
rabbitanarchy14
Member
Posts: 561
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2019 4:25 am
Location: Michigan, USA, Earth

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#39

Post by rabbitanarchy14 »

here is one of my myths that i am getting tired of hearing. that it is hard or impossible to use a blade smaller than 3.5" to 4".
absolute and complete rubbish. if you are not able to use a normal size knife 3" or anything smaller you obviously started the myth.
will it work better for some applications yes, BUT NOT EVERYTHING. you can use a normal sized knife and do most things with it.
192.168.0.1 -Para 3 G10 M390 Red, Dice XHP, Lil Native Rex 45 comp, Manix 2 M390 G10 BR, PM2 M390 DLC BL, PM2 k390 RGreen, Cat BD1N, Dragonfly 2 k390
Saving for - Lil Native K390, D'allara 3, UTX-70
Instruments- Kimber EVO, SA Hellcat, SW Shield Plus 9
User avatar
Pelagic
Member
Posts: 2440
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2018 5:49 pm
Location: East Coast/Nomadic

Re: Knife myths you should not accept as true a priori (meant to be a POSITIVE thread!)

#40

Post by Pelagic »

rabbitanarchy14 wrote:
Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:29 am
here is one of my myths that i am getting tired of hearing. that it is hard or impossible to use a blade smaller than 3.5" to 4".
absolute and complete rubbish. if you are not able to use a normal size knife 3" or anything smaller you obviously started the myth.
will it work better for some applications yes, BUT NOT EVERYTHING. you can use a normal sized knife and do most things with it.
Lol? As much as I like bigger knives I don't think anyone takes it to that extreme. I personally need them for my own safety and the safety of my crewmembers. I don't have time to cut a 4 inch thick rope with a lil Native in an emergency. I grab a 4 inch blade.
Pancake wrote:
Wed Aug 14, 2019 10:20 pm
Are you a magician? :eek:
Nate wrote:
Thu Apr 04, 2019 4:32 pm
You're the lone wolf of truth howling into the winds of ignorance
Doeswhateveraspidercan wrote:
Sat Jun 15, 2019 9:17 pm
You are a nobody got it?
Post Reply