Unscientific Knife Battles

[Netherend]

I have enough knives in my collection that I have been having fun experimenting with by using two different knives for the same task and evaluating how they handle the task to determine which knife I found better for the task. I figured this would be a fun place to share the experience.

Disclosure: I sharpened both knives using my Sharpmaker to the same angle. The task was not a test on edge retention between the steels but rather more a test of edge geometry and build for the task. This is not scientific in any way. I am just having fun using my knives.

The first thing I noticed when prepping food with my folders was how great they are at cutting through food. I often use my knives in the garden where I open bags of mulch or at work where I am cutting through boxes or velcro and I did not take the time to appreciate how awesome these things are at slicing through food.


The Objective: Making Tacos
The knives: Paramilitary 2 with S90V Steel vs Pacific Salt 2 with LC200N Steel
Objects Cut: 6 Bell Peppers, Two avocados, 8 yellow onions, Cilantro, Ground beef packaging, Taco Shell packaging.

I started with the onions.
The PM2 coasted through the hard round onions like a breeze. I still needed to be careful with the process because the onions and could roll. I cut 4 onions with the pm2 then chopped them.

The Pacific Salt was up next. The Pac Salt also coasted through the onions like they were paper. I was surprised at how much more control over the cutting I felt with the Pacific Salt. The flatter belly of the Pac Salt seemed better equipped to handle the small round onions



Point:1 Pacific Salt

Next were the Bell Peppers

PM2 -I started by holding the pepper in hand and cutting thin slices off of the pepper. It felt like I was shaving the pepper with the PM2. It was an absolute pleasure to use on a bell pepper. The forward choil made control over the slices easy.

The Pacific Salt- The pacific salt cut through bell peppers like a kitchen knife. The flat belly reminded me of a pairing knife that I use in the kitchen . The cuts that I made with the Pacific Salt were thicker than that of the PM2 . The Pacific salt really shined at chopping a few of the peppers but I preferred to keep them sliced and not diced.



In the end I would say that they were both equal in the task

Point:1 to PM2
Point:1 to the Pacific Salt

Next up was the cilantro

The PM2 cut through the first bunch of cilantro pretty easily. For smaller chopping and cuts, it was frustrating. Did it work? Yes. Do I want to use it for cilantro again? No

The Pacific Salt was far easier to use for Cilantro. The flatter belly made it easier than the PM2 at the task. Neither of them were particularly enjoyable for cutting cilantro.

Avocados-

I cut my Avocados in half and scoop them out with a spoon. It is a simple task but one that felt different between the two knives.

The PM2 zipped around the avocado without effort. The shape of the PM2 seems to be perfect for cutting around an object.

The Pacific Salt got the job done but required more adjustment of the avocado than the pm2.

Point: 1 PM2

Clean up

The PM2 has a great open back design that makes it easy to clean and dry. I use an old toothbrush to clean my knives and it did not take long to clean. Drying the PM2 is another story. The blade itself is easy to dry however the pivot can capture water so I find that I hand dry my PM2 with a cloth and then stick it in front of a fan to push the moisture out of the pivot and liners. It is an annoying process but I like to take care of my knives.

The Pacific Salt is lazy proof ,but its not just the rustproof nature. The pivot on the FRN does not hold water the same way as the G10 on the PM2. I have a non salt Delica that captures less water in its liners and pivot than my PM2 does. With any of my knives, I get anxious when I fold them up for awhile and open them to discover that they have a layer of fog or moisture in them because of the pivot or liners.

I think that FRN is generally better about not trapping water than G10. It also helps that the FRN models that I own typically are far more simple than the phosphor bronze washers or pivots of the G10 models.

Not all injected molded plastic knives are pleasant to clean. You ever try to get cilantro out of an axis lock?

Cleaning
Point:1 Pacific Salt


The final product

Both knives are great knives. I have carried both knives as an EDC and would not trade or sell either of them. If your objective is to make tacos and your only choice of knife is between a Pacific Salt (Or Endura) and a Paramilitary 2 then I recommend using the Pacific Salt/Endura.

I would love to hear similar comparisons from some of the folk on this forum. I have learned a ton about pocket folders from you all.

[Netherend]

One correction to make- I placed the pm2 and the pacific salt in front of a fan. The pm2 dried faster this time .

[zuludelta]

Great idea for a thread. I've very rarely used folders for food prep, and more out of boredom than anything else. I've used a UKPK to slice vegetables & fruits (thin blade makes it a great slicer, but its blade length means it can't span across larger produce).

[bdblue]

This is an interesting read. It is good to see people using their knives, I carry my Spyderco knives but don't get to use them as much as I would like, however I cringe thinking about cutting something mushy like an avocado with a folding knife.

Which knife is better for the task? This is interesting to think about. My normal knife carry like I said doesn't allow a knife to be used for a lot of things and the things it gets used for are somewhat random, IOW very difficult to evaluate one knife against another. Having regular uses would make comparison a lot easier. That may be why we like to watch people doing rope cutting tests or cardboard cutting tests, this is a more direct way to compare performance of two knives. We like to be able to point to evidence that one knife is better than another.

[mtb]

fun thread!
recently I have similar "project" ongoing.... cycling through my knives in the kitchen (one of the reason I jumped into the Mule chase )

keep it up!

[bleasure]

this is really good.

out of all the folding knives i own, if i had to use them for food, i feel i'd reach for my stretch 2 first. on the other end, i've been surprised that in a pinch, the wolfspyder hasn't been as abyssmal as i'd expected.

[JSumm]

This is a great thread! Thanks for the time and pictures. I take my Pac Salt camping everytime because I know someone is going to ask for a knife for food prep and it is perfect. Also great for when they ultimately wash it and fold it up to dry.

[Bemo]

This will be fun to watch. Now if you threw the Stretch 2 in... heck or even the Stretch Xl...

[99Dirk]

Keep up the comparisons and sharing your experiences.

Food prep has been much easier IMO with ~ 4" folders. Brings back memories from scout days using No. 10 & No. 12's for food prep. Out of my Spydies the Caribbean is probably best, but I would love to try the Drunken or Chef with their handle geometries in the kitchen.

[TkoK83Spy]

Spend $20 and get a Z-cut and you'll never consider a folder again, for food.

[kennethsime]

Agree that this kind of real-world, anecdotal experience is a great thread - thanks for sharing, Netherend.

I have used folders for food prep mostly out of boredom, as ZuluDelta mentioned. When I did, I found the thinner + longer the blade, the better. The Stretch and the Military are great options.

I feel like you can't beat a good sharp chef's knife, though - especially one with a nice thin grind.

[Doc Dan]

True, a Z-Cut or other thin kitchen knife would be better, but that was not the point of his experiment. He was specifically comparing these two knives. I could have saved him some time, but not the fun, and told him the Endura/ Pac Salt would be the better performer.

[James Y]

The vast majority of my kitchen knife work is done with my Victorinox kitchen knives. But only recently I began trying out some of my folders in the kitchen again, for the fun of it, on certain occasions. I used to do it a lot, but had stopped sometime back. I think my favorite Spyderco folder for slicing certain foods is my leaf-bladed, PE Caribbean. It's taken me awhile (a couple of years) to put it back into my carry and using rotation.

However, my actual kitchen knives still rule during cooking, though.

Jim

[huyfishin]

I can't wrap my head around using folders in my home kitchen when I spend so much on my Shun blades. I like my kitchen blades large,super thin and slicey.

Very interesting experiment! Not gonna lie I have tried with a couple of my folders just to test them out.

[Netherend]

I decided to have some more fun with my folders. This time I decided to put my 3 inch folders through what some forum posts say is impossible...cutting an apple

The objective: Cut up two apples with a 3 inch folder
The knives: S30 V Delica, LC200N Native, S30V Para 3 G10

Much like my previous post, I sharpened them to the same angle on my sharpmaker and this is not a test of steel. It is more just an amateur's review of the blade geometry .

First up was the Delica:
The Delica was very good at making thin slices. It was not so great at cutting the apple in large chunks. I got the knife stuck in the apple more than once. When I started to make thin slices, the Delica really shined.

Next up was the Native 5:
There is something about the way that the Native 5 locks in to your hand that inspires control and confidence over cuts. While the Native 5 could not make the thin slices that the Delica made, I felt completely in control over my cuts. The Native's grip was made for precision. Much like the PM2, that forward choil really makes a difference for control though I would group the Native and its grip closer to the Manix 2. The Manix 2 is also one of those knives that locks firmly into your hand.

Last up was the Para 3 with G10 Handles:
The Para 3 is not a thin slicing knife but that does not mean that it was difficult to cut an apple with it. . It separates whatever it cuts. The Para 3 has a thick blade . When I cut the apples it was as if the knife said to the apple "You are going to separate and make room for me." It shined at cutting wedges. It was sort of like how Scandi grinds are useful for wood cuts. As I cut through the apple, it had no choice but to split apart as it reached the top of the blade. I could cut halfway through the apple, twist my hand and split the apple. While the para 3 does have the choil like the native, it felt slightly less secure than the native in hand. The para 3 and the Delica felt like two different weight classes for the same sport. The Para 3 was a heavy weight boxer, while the Delica was the feather weight. They both felt similar in hand.

If your goal is to cut up an apple for yourself and all that you have is a 3 inch folder then I I would recommend the Native 5 as the safest and easiest to use.

If your goal is to cut thin slices of apple for a dish or a salad, and you only have a 3 inch folder then the Delica is the best for the job

If your goal is to cut up an apple into wedges or pretend that you have a tiny axe that you are using to split an apple, and you only have a 3 inch folder then the Para 3 is the way to go.

Clean up and drying: I used a toothbrush, some Dawn dish detergent and a towel to dry the blade.

The Delica was fairly easy to clean. I ran water through it. It did take the longest to dry. The pivot had some moisture in it for about a half hour.

The Native salt rinsed with ease and dried within 10 minutes. There is not much to worry about with the Native 5. The linerless G10 model and the FRN model are both pretty straightforward. They are similar to the Delica in that they are back locks but they do not have skeletonized liners so they tend to dry faster.

The Para 3 has both G10 and skeletonized liners but that open back construction meant that it dried the fastest. It was dry within 5 minutes. The para 3 dries faster than the pm2. There is something about that stout little handle that lets air flow through it with easy.

The easiest for cleaning and drying: I am going to give this one to the Para 3. The para 3 lightweight does not even have liners so I speculate that it probably dries even faster than the g10 model. The open back design makes cleaning out your knife much easier than with a back lock. The easier it is for air the flow into the knife, the faster it dries. This is why I can dry my Manix g10 faster than I can dry my Manix lightweight. The G10 design breathes.

[Netherend]

I can't wrap my head around using folders in my home kitchen when I spend so much on my Shun blades. I like my kitchen blades large,super thin and slicey.

Very interesting experiment! Not gonna lie I have tried with a couple of my folders just to test them out.

I was tempted to reach for a kitchen knife when I starting cutting the cilantro but stuck with the folders for the experiment.

[Netherend]

Keep up the comparisons and sharing your experiences.

Food prep has been much easier IMO with ~ 4" folders. Brings back memories from scout days using No. 10 & No. 12's for food prep. Out of my Spydies the Caribbean is probably best, but I would love to try the Drunken or Chef with their handle geometries in the kitchen.

I would love to try out the Caribbean and the Chef.

I recently went on a vacation where I rented house with 2 toddlers and 3 other adults and was stuck with only a three inch folder for an entire week for all cutting needs. The house had no knives in it at all. All of our food prep, package opening etc was done with my three inch folder. It changed how I viewed folders.

[Netherend]

Spend $20 and get a Z-cut and you'll never consider a folder again, for food.

I just ordered one. Thanks for the heads up on this one. It was totally under my radar

[TkoK83Spy]

Spend $20 and get a Z-cut and you'll never consider a folder again, for food.

I just ordered one. Thanks for the heads up on this one. It was totally under my radar

Fantastic knives! Pretty thin, so not great for heavy cutting but they really excel with fruits, veggies, different cuts of meats. We've got a J.A. Henckels knife block...but my wife always grabs for a Z cut!

[Urkilnmesmalls]

I use a kapara in the kitchen all the time. It’s excellent for slicing cooked an uncooked meats, vegetables, pretty much all my uses. I would really love one in lc200n or magnacut and possibly even FRN if they could keep the contoured shape.