Spyderco has a famous line that goes something like “before we made sharp things, we made things sharp.” Unknown to many knife knuts, Spyderco originally made sharpeners. Their current and most modern sharpening device is the Sharpmaker. It uses the Louis Graves invention of the stick-shaped sharpening hone and a molded base. The sticks are set in the base in one of two angles, 30 or 40 degrees. This gives the user a constant angle to work with. The knife is helf straight up and down and dragged along both sticks (one at a time). Holding the knife straight up and down is easier than holding it at a 30 degree angle to a flat sharpening stone.

I have posted before about the Buck Mayo TNT. It is a great knife and a great bargain at $150 (street price). But at around $30, the Buck Mayo Hilo (and the larger version called the Cutback) are great bargains as well.

The Buck Mayo Hilo is a framelock very a very elegant design. It feels good in the hand, and has good grip security despite lacking any real finger guard. The blade is very functional for utility tasks, and the lockup is very solid.

Knives come in a huge variety of steels. Which there are different levels of quality when it comes to cutlery steel, in general no steel is “better” than another. They are just different and fit different needs.

There are three basic criteria for judging a steel, hardness (specifically edge retention), toughness, and stain resistance. Contrary to popular belief, a harder steel will usually NOT be tougher. Harder steels are generally more brittle. Thing glass versus plastic. The tougher steels tend to be softer. So a very hard steel is great for a utility knife or a pocket knife. They will hold an edge for a long time and are generally not needed to perform very heavy duty work. For a harder use knife a softer steel is often preferred because it will not chip or crack as easily. The steel will bend or deform instead of breaking (again, think glass).

The KA-BAR USMC knife is one of the most well-known military or combat knives in the world. It gained popularity during World War II as the USMC knife. Its popularity continued in later wars.

KA-BAR is actually a knife company, not a style of knife. KA-BAR makes other knives as well. However, the USMC knife of WWII is such an icon that it is simply called “The KA-BAR”. Even when other cutlery companies made similar knives for the USMC (to help meet the demand that KA-BAR could not meet alone), they are called KA-BARs.

The Buck 119 Special is a classic production hunting knife. In many ways it is like the larger fixed blade version of the Buck 110 Folding Hunter. They both use a very exaggerated clip point and a hollow grind. While this combination is not super rare, the way that Buck does it certainly gives it a very classic Buck silhouette.

Slipjoint folders were some of the first folding knives ever. While they are not the only traditional folding mechanism, they are the one that has remained the most popular in the modern age. Slipjoint use a backspring (just like a lock back), but not notch to lock the blade open. The spring has a flat side that mates with the flat tang on the knife. They lock together sort of like a clutch. When enough pressure is applied to the spine of the blade, it pushes the backspring out of the way and allows the blade to close. While there is no actual lock or release mechanism, the slipjoint is not a friction folder (which stays open purely from the friction at the pivot).

A Mora is a traditional Swedish hunting knife. Moras are characterized by a lack of guard, a straight spine (as opposed to a drop or clip point), and a Scandinavian grind. A Scandinavian grind is similar to a flat grind, or a saber grind, only there is no final bevel. Instead of the flat saber grind having a secondary or final edge grind, it continues on (at the same angle) and becomes the edge.

If you have never heard of an Opinel knife, go buy one. How can I suggest to someone that they buy a knife they have never heard of? Because it is extremely cheap and capable. If you do not like it, no big deal. But if you do, then you just got a great knife for a little money. Opinels are such classics that everyone should try one.

Bob Loveless was one of the first knifemakers to start the modern era of American handmade and custom knifemaking. Bob Loveless started making knives because he went to buy a knife from Abercrombie and Fitch to purchase a Randall knife. After learning the wait period was so long, he decided to make his own knives instead. He came back to Abercrombie and Fitch with some of his knives, and they placed an order.

Most people have heard of Kit Carson, but not Kit Carson the knifemaker. Kit Carson (the knifemaker…) has been making custom tactical knives for years and is one of the most respected tactical knife designers. His designs are practical and well-thought-out, not just designed to look “tactical” and scary.

CRKT (Columbia River Knife and Tool) has created production versions of several of Kit Carson’s M-16 model. These CRKT M-16s range from inexpensive models with AUS-4 blades and Zytel (plastic) handles, to high-end models with titanium handles and AUS-8 blades.