The Mastiff wrote:Nice Gerber Ken. Is that a HSS ( M2) one? Just curious. It's a nice cut of wood.
Thanks Joe. no, it's (IIRC) 440C. Bought it in 78-79 along with the folding Hunter, also 440C and Rosewood (one beast of a heavy folder ) I also got my two L6s back then. An MK I and a MK II.
Only own two Framelocks in Ti, I prefer Linerlocks and G10 and CF, no more sticky Micarta either, I will say that Ti does have appeal with me, just not to use, weight, grip and symetry are more important. I rather place my users in a pouch than have a clip on them, just more comfy to hold for me!
I do believe the first Outburst of not liking Ti is most deffinitely "walk the plank" kinda talk though.
I have a special place in my heart, er...head, for Ti. I have two small H shaped plates in my skull made of Ti from having a brain biopsy. I'm intrigued by the material, but don't know if I would want to EDC it. I would much rather see it used in bolsters with polished G10 scales.
I'm not a fan of framelocks, be they RIL or compression, but titanium makes perfect sense for them as it offers the best combination of lightness and strength. OTOH, I can't honestly see the sense of ti scales on a midlock, but I know there are those who like it.
I don't like FRN at all. I acknowledge that functionally it's great, but I think it looks & feels cheap. My first 3 Spydies were FRN (Ladybug 3, Dragonfly 2, Delica 4), but I haven't bought anything FRN since then. At this point, the only FRN I'd spend money on is something from the Salt series.
Great thread started by a dislike. I only have one titanium anything. Sage4. The bolsters started scratching immediately. Not a problem, I expected it. So, I stonewashed the blade and bolsters (liners too). Made different scales also so it doesn't look the same anymore. But I am getting to play with different materials. I hesitated on the Chaparral ti because a beautiful handle may not stay that way. The 3rd Chap will be ti also it seems. Both are beautiful IMO. So, anyone have any info on the Chaparral ti handles appearance after use? The ti on the Sage4 developed significant scratches without me knowing how. I felt they were deep enough I should have known when they happened (dropping, scraping against something, etc.) If I get a knife for a beautiful handle and I want it to stay that way I wouldn't want a knife that the handle wouldn't still look good after use. That is use with no babying. CF looks great and still looks great after use without babying it.
I like grip. The more the better no matter how I get it. The two ways I know of are "grippyness" of material or ergonomics. Never liked SS handles no matter how good the ergos are though.
I LOVE FRN. As far as a knife handle material I can't see anything wrong with it. The BEST thing is it is not expensive. I've tried G-10 enough to know I like it a lot too but not more than FRN enough to justify the additional cost. So, for me there are only two D'fly's. The VG-10 and the ZDP-189 models. Don't get me wrong. I have and will buy G-10. What I find strange is I can buy G-10 very cheap to make my own scales with but the knifes with G-10 handles are so much more expensive than some other materials. Manufacturing cost? Don't know or care really. I do like the FRN to have liners in the model though, just for additional strength if needed. But, that has nothing to do with the material. Then comes the manufacturing. Spyderco's bi-directional mold provides about as good a grip as I've felt on any object. By changing the angle of the texturing you get a great grip in forward and reverse cuts. Someone mentioned FRN looking cheap. Not sure exactly what he meant (inexpensive or not durable). These are different issues. Probably meant inexpensive which I would agree with. A "dressy" knife would probably not have FRN handles.
jackknifeh wrote:I LOVE FRN. As far as a knife handle material I can't see anything wrong with it. The BEST thing is it is not expensive. I've tried G-10 enough to know I like it a lot too but not more than FRN enough to justify the additional cost. So, for me there are only two D'fly's. The VG-10 and the ZDP-189 models. Don't get me wrong. I have and will buy G-10. What I find strange is I can buy G-10 very cheap to make my own scales with but the knifes with G-10 handles are so much more expensive than some other materials. Manufacturing cost? Don't know or care really. I do like the FRN to have liners in the model though, just for additional strength if needed. But, that has nothing to do with the material. Then comes the manufacturing. Spyderco's bi-directional mold provides about as good a grip as I've felt on any object. By changing the angle of the texturing you get a great grip in forward and reverse cuts. Someone mentioned FRN looking cheap. Not sure exactly what he meant (inexpensive or not durable). These are different issues. Probably meant inexpensive which I would agree with. A "dressy" knife would probably not have FRN handles.
I'm with ya all the way Jack :) .
The bi-directional and fish scale patterns are quite grippy and imo don't feel very cheap. They also slide easily in and out of pocket but stay in your hand. If I had to pick a material to cut with all day it would be FRN hands-down. The price savings is immense as well.
For me, G10 attempts to accomplish a ton. It's grippy but the ply-peel pattern is soulless. If my hand was rectangular instead of a squishy mitt it would be the ideal handle design and material. Ergonomics are more than sticky scales and jimping, in fact, as Ed Schempp has shown with his designs there are better ways to keep the hand in-place.
Blerv wrote:If my hand was rectangular instead of a squishy mitt it would be the ideal handle design and material.
This is a really good point. I like G10 only if it's well shaped. ie with the same shape as a competing material. Most G10 handles on knives are shaped like cheap coffins and I don't like that at all. Machining is expensive, so I suspect that manufacturers do as little of it as possible. The Halpern Titanium Option 4 Mule scales are a good example of G10 done well, IMO. I'll take a knife that fits my hand over one that doesn't regardless of the handle material.
The bi-directional and fish scale patterns are quite grippy and imo don't feel very cheap. They also slide easily in and out of pocket but stay in your hand. If I had to pick a material to cut with all day it would be FRN hands-down. The price savings is immense as well.
For me, G10 attempts to accomplish a ton. It's grippy but the ply-peel pattern is soulless. If my hand was rectangular instead of a squishy mitt it would be the ideal handle design and material. Ergonomics are more than sticky scales and jimping, in fact, as Ed Schempp has shown with his designs there are better ways to keep the hand in-place.
The peel-ply is nice IMO but takes away from any attractiveness if that is an issue with a particular knife. The G-10 I have made scales of I've had sand-blasted by a forum friend and I really like that. The G-10 I've bought and used is not all that attractive anyway. I have just made a set of scales for my Sage4 from G-10 that I like the color but it's the first.
I have one black/blue layered scale made for my GB that I may ask the guy to blast because I can't get it "pretty" enough to NOT get the grippyness the blasted texture provides. I'm looking forward to these because the GB is a WORK knife if you choose no matter how beautiful it is. :) You can take off the G-10 (work) scales and put the CF ones back on in a minute. Very cool IMO. :)
Sorry to side-track the thread. Happened before I knew it.
Well, put me in the pro-G10/anti-FRN camp. Love the way good G10 looks & feels. Don't much care for the way even good FRN looks or feels. I tolerate it on my Ladybug3 Hawkbill Salt because I have no choice & I just dig that little knife. But if they made it in G10 I'd have that instead. I have FRN on a few other knives, but always it irks me it's there! :)
Apparently, arachnophobia is not a condition from which I suffer.... :spyder:
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+1 for Jakeknife & Blerv's posts...Titanium IMHO is very unattractive when it is just in a plain satin finish ala Sage 2...BUT when Titanium goes through a stonewash such as on the Southard Flipper it's beauty is quite exquisite with a surprising illusion of depth and flecks of color. A good year of "pocketwashing" against keys, coins, etc. did wonders to add character to the otherwise pedestrian finish on my Sage 2...good thread!
) I also got my two L6s back then. An MK I and a MK II.
