Knife Buyer's Guide

Whether you hunt, camp, wither or go to work every day, the right knife makes your life easier. But which knife is the right one? Just typing the word "knife" in an Internet search and hitting hits an overwhelming amount of options. Heck, even reducing it and typing something as specific as "skinning knife" leaves you with seemingly innumerable choices. But do not worry - this buyer's guide will help you narrow down the choices so you can choose the knife you need.

Knives by application

• Boning - Should have a thin blade of 5 "to 6½" in length. You will need a fairly stiff blade to debone big game, while a flexible blade is preferred for turkeys or upland birds.

• Skinning - Generally short with a deep fall, limiting the impact zone. Ideal for working in restricted areas when catching an animal.

• Slicing - Have a narrow, slender blade, typically 8 "to 12" overall length, that is effective in cutting ultrathin meat slices. The more flexible the blade is, the easier the thin cuts are to cut. Special slicers have a curved tip or scimitar to help in tight places, such as between the wing and the chest of the birds.

• Everyday-Carry (EDC) - must be small and light. However, if your knife is excessively small, some of the tasks you encounter throughout the day may be too difficult to handle. A knife with a 3 "blade is often a good balance between compactness and functionality, but it may not be perfect for everyone, considering what you do the most every day to decide which EDC buy.

• Tactical - Designed for self-defense, but many can double as EDC knives. They are usually dark in color to facilitate concealment. Tactical knives with foldable blades that are easy to hide usually have an assisted opening for quick access. Deep pocket clips that mount near the end of the handle are often used, so the little knife is visible when attached to the a pocket. Fixed blade knives are more difficult to hide and carry, but they are stronger and offer instant access.

• Replaceable Blade - With these damascus steel hunting Knives, you will never have to sharpen a blade. Blades are dispensable and replacements are relatively inexpensive, so when a blade becomes dull, you simply change to a razor. They are used for many applications, from skinning to slicing.

• Fixed or folding blade - Fixed blade knives are stronger while folding knives are more compact and therefore easier to transport.

Blade materials

The blades are made of a wide variety of materials and each has its own advantages. There are advantages and disadvantages to each material. Here is a list of the most common materials you will encounter when shopping for the ideal blade.

• Crucible - Developed by Crucible Steel for the cutlery industry and known as the pinnacle of knife making. It is tempered for hardness, which makes it excellent for holding an edge. In addition, it is extremely resistant to corrosion, which guarantees that it will last for years, but hard enough to sharpen.

• High carbon steel - also called cutlery steel. Maintains an excellent edge and is easy to sharpen. Higher carbon content means increased blade hardness. The disadvantages of high carbon steel are that it is somewhat brittle, has a tendency to rust and reacts with acids and alkalis, which causes its discoloration. Discoloration does not affect its performance.

• Stainless Steel - Excellent if you want a blade that will not fade, but this alloy is a real chore to sharpen once it loses its edge. However, extreme hardness helps the blade hold its original edge longer.

• Titanium - Ideal for all-purpose knives. Lightweight, durable and keeps the sharpness longer than steel. Relatively easy to sharpen. Titanium-coated knives or knives with titanium edges do not have the same quality as those made exclusively of titanium or titanium alloys. Since sharpening removes metal, titanium coated blades have a shorter life.

• Ceramics - Light, hard, dense, space-age material, stronger than steel, but much more fragile. Ceramic blades maintain a significantly longer edge than steel and can be made of much thinner blades, making cutting much easier. They are best used for slicing and should never be used for chopping because of their fragility. Unlike steel, their hardness makes them impermeable to chemical reactions with acidic or alkaline foods. Diamonds are used to sharpen and repair chips

Construction

The hardness of a blade is to say: use a Rockwell machine that forces a small indenter into the surface of the metal. The depth of penetration is correlated with a reading of the scale A, B or C at the Rockwell hardness scale. A higher number is attributed to the harder steel that allows less penetration. Blade steels are measured on the "C" scale (Rc) and range from Rc 55-60. In comparison, a diamond is in the 80s on the Rockwell "C".

Stainless steel carries a number of industry designations, usually with a number such as 154 or 420, followed by alpha characters like CM or HC. The numerical value indicates the quantity of each element used, and the letters indicate the alloys used. The 1.05% carbon, 0.5% manganese, 0.4% to 0.55% molybdenum and 14.0% chromium. Therefore, 154 indicates 1% carbon, 0.5% manganese and 0.4% molybdenum. CM indicates chromium. This category of steel is used by specialty knife manufacturers. The table below compares the most common markup materials in terms of durability, corrosion resistance, and edge quality.