AFI opinions vs non AFI opinions

[Evil D]

I wasn't really sure what to title this thread as, I just didn't want to detail another thread so I made a thread about it.

My best friend is not a knife AFI but he carries and uses knives daily for all manner of things including probably things he shouldn't be using a pocket knife for and he has been a sort of guinea pig for testing knives as I've gifted him a few knives and I sharpen them for him so I get some long term use and more importantly opinions from someone who's definitely a knife USER but is not jaded by the knife community.

The last knife I gave him was a full SE Salt 2 which he really loved but later came to me asking if they made the same knife in combo edge. He said he really likes serrations and for almost all his uses they perform better, but there are times when he needs to make cutting board style cuts or carve things where serrations don't work.

I find his opinions to be really valuable because he isn't part of the knife community, he doesn't follow trends and he isn't on any forums, he isn't jaded or influenced whatsoever by anyone so his opinions are 100% based on real world uses and all out performance.

When it comes to opinions I really shy away from most, I really don't follow people on social media or YouTube so my preferences are based on my needs and uses, but I find his preference for combo edges very intriguing because I've generally avoided them in the past (admittedly) because I'm a little jaded by the knife community's general distaste for them. The fact that my friend is such an outsider and I guess "free thinking" makes me wonder if I haven't given combo edges a fair chance and maybe I'm missing out on something.

Anyway, not sure what sort of discussion there is here, I just thought it was interesting.

[JuPaul]

My husband is definitely not a knife afi, but has carried a knife his whole adult life, including in the marines. The last knife he bought was plain edge, and it was his first ever that wasn't CE (other than maybe the SAK he had as a kid). I remember him saying at the time "I don't know, I feel like a pocket knife should have some serrations." Seems like a pretty common sentiment amongst non-afi knife users.

[Deadboxhero]

Non Afi Dream knife.

1. Rust Proof

2. Thick enough edge and grind geometry so it doesn't chip regardless of how it's used.

3. A friend that does all the sharpening for free lmao :D

[prndltech]

A good friend of mine, actually my “mentor” as some would call him, is a professional taxidermist. He owns and uses all kinds of knives, plain edge for some things, fully serrated for other things. Even has a few spydercos. The knife in his pocket is a combo edge knife and he prefers to carry a combo edge and has for the almost 20 years I’ve known him. When I asked him why, he said it has the capacity to handle whatever he needs to make into 2 pieces, or open whatever he needs to open.

[Doc Dan]

I like opinions based on real world use doing real world tasks. I think a good test for a knife is to give one with x attributes to a user who is not an aficionado and have them use it. Then, after a month or two quiz them on their experiences.

[prndltech]

I wish they made a combo edge military

[standy99]

Find carrying a PE there is a few times I might need a SE and with carrying a SE there is a lot more times I wished it was a PE.
Have carried a combo before but find I always only sharpened the PE as the SE didn’t get as blunt. This led to blade distortion after a few times. So now I just carry one or the other.

[Evil D]

Find carrying a PE there is a few times I might need a SE and with carrying a SE there is a lot more times I wished it was a PE.
Have carried a combo before but find I always only sharpened the PE as the SE didn’t get as blunt. This led to blade distortion after a few times. So now I just carry one or the other.

One reason he says he likes CE is because even if the PE gets dull, the serrations will always cut. I think part of his experience and preferences may be due to never really using quality knives with steels that hold an edge, and maybe because he's doing harsh things with the PE portion that causes it to dull faster.

[JD Spydo]

This is interesting in many ways. Because when I talk to all my "non-knife" friends who tend to show interest in carrying an EDC folder they all have a lot of similarities. Most of the guys and almost all of the ladies I know mostly prefer the Swiss Army knives when I show them the folders I have on hand.

I would also say that 90% of the "non-knife" people I talk to have no idea on the huge differences between high quality serrations like the ones Spyderco produces and put them up against the low dollar "Rip-Mart" units :rolleyes: But when I point out to them just how good a high quality serrated blade performs with really good blade steel I seem to have hardly no problem selling about half of them them on Spyderedged units as well as other high quality SE blades.

It also never fails to amuse me when I show a "non-knife" person something high quality like my M390 Military, C-60 Ayoob or one of my PM2 models>> they usually come back with something like " I can get a knife just as good as yours at a local flea market for $5 to $10 ">>> when I hear them say stuff like that it just makes me shake my head. Bottom line: When it comes to knives most of the general public have very little knowledge on high or low quality cutlery at at all>> or in SE or PE for that matter.