Knives

Brief descriptions of some of my favourite knives

In no particular order, these are the ones I use the most, for different tasks. I think what they may have in common is that they're designed with their function primarily in mind, with looks a secondary consideration. Anyway, a knife which is pleasing to the hand has a better chance of becoming one of my favourites rather than one which merely looks good.

The ones I use and carry the most

Benchmade 960.
Al Mar Falcon Ultralight - Very lightweight and convenient folder.
Moki Blossom - Elegant little folder, performs very well.
Benchmade 921 Switchback - Practical, good blade shape. Haven't figured out what the small blade is good for.
Fällkniven WM1 - Very good small utility knife.

The kitchen knives I use most

I've had lots of kitchen knives during the years, but I've found I like it better to only have and use a smaller number of better ones. These are some of them.

Fällkniven K2 - Very good handle and edge.
A Nakiri - Useful shape for chopping vegetables
Fällkniven K1 - Thin bladed high performance knife.
Benchmade 201+ Activator - Not designed as a kitchen knife, but very nice to use there.
Benchmade 180 Outbounder - Not designed as a kitchen knife, but still very useful.
Zwilling J.A. Henckels bread knife - Good handle.

Other knives

These are either favourites because I like to use them, only I don't have occasion use them very often (which means some of them are no longer with me), or they're intersting in some other way.

Fällkniven F1 - The Swedish Air Force's air crew survival knife, very good for general utility.
Fällkniven S1 - Very good medium sized general purpose knife. Approved for USN/USMC aircrew use as a survival knife.
Sissipuukko M.95 - Very good medium sized general purpose knife.
EKA Nordic W11 - Nice general purpose outdoors knife, which works well in the kitchen too.
Randall Model 26 - Well made very functional knife.
KJ Eriksson Mora 2000 - Modern outdoors Mora knife
EKA Outside Chef - Practical folding cooking knife.
Spyderco Jester - Small and light folder.
Opinel - Inexpensive folders which perform well.
Marttiini - Utility knives.
Schrade Lake & Walker - Lightweight medium sized folder.
Executive Edge - Small shirt pocket folder.
Benchmade 750 Pinnacle - Sturdy folder, performs well.
A handmade Russian hunting knife
Nepalese khukris
Japanese woodworking knives
Two Japanese utility knives
Hattori Hamono SK-170 Santoku Kumo - Very good handmade kitchen knife with 63 layer stainless blade.
The Japanese "49 layer knife" - For when a smaller kitchen knife is better.
Böker Ceramic C-X - Sometimes a ceramic blade can be useful in the kitchen.

Opinions and facts

How strong folder locks are needed, and is there such a thing as a survival folder?
Are lanyards and lanyard holes really necessary?
How useful are serrations?
How big and heavy knives are useful, compared to axes?
Can you manage without kitchen knives?
A brief practical steel test, 12C27 vs CPM-400V.
How come I think many folders have their clips fitted wrong?
Steel compositions and designations.

Modifications and designs

Personalizing an F1.
Fitting a new clip to a Starmate.
A user knife made to my design and specifications.

External links

Handla knivar i Sverige? Jag kan rekommendera Knivkompaniet, 08-654 88 98, Norr Mälarstrand 26, Stockholm. (Ring först och kolla när de har öppet.)

Most of the links below haven't been checked since 2002...

Discussion forums

Sharpening

Steve's Knife Sharpening Site
Knives and sharpening - From Survival cooking with Simon Mulholland.
The D&S Scary Sharp(TM) System

Some interesting patents

The Axis lock patent, notice how "body member 62" has evolved.
I think this is the Spyderco round hole patent, although it says "depression" instead of hole. The clip doesn't look quite like the ones we're used to either.
The rolling lock.

Other reviews and comments about some knives mentioned above

Cliff Stamp on Fällkniven S1, F1 and WM1.

Other useful and interesting stuff

Marion David Poff has a very useful site with knife-related information and links to further information.
Cliff Stamp has a good knife site, of which I think the reviews section is the most useful.
Alligator's hobby - Knives is a site with well written knife reviews.
BladeForums.com Links has lots of links in several categories.
Blades International - an online knife magazine.
Tälja - from the Swedish site Lägerelden ("The Camp Fire") - illustrates different ways of cutting
1. Hand stationary, supported against the knee
2. Pulling both hands apart simultaneously
3. Arm locked straight, push with shoulder
4. Towards the chest, both elbows supported against the chest
5. Small movements, the thumb on the other side of the wood
6. Held like a pen, always cut away from yourself
How did an original tanto look: Americanized tanto
Some nice knives: Japanese masterpieces
A Japanese knife shop, where you can find images interesting Japanese ones: factory and custom made.
Seki Cutlery Association - links to some interesting Japanese makers.
The Key Role of Impurities in Ancient Damascus Steel Blades
Technical data on G-10: Glass-Based Phenolics
Information on different kinds of Micarta
History of traditional European knives, England - Sheffield
Knife handling and cutting technique - Related to kitchen knives. By a manufacturer.

Swedish custom knife makers

Svensk knivförening, the Swedish Knife Association

Scandinavian knife manufacturers

Fällkniven AB.
EKA-knivar.
Frosts Knivfabrik AB. In 1891 Frost Erik Ersson went to produce nothing but knives, he had made some before that.
KJ Eriksson AB. Started by Krång Johan Eriksson in 1912, worked at Frost (of which now 36% is owned by KJ Eriksson) some time before that. Site in Swedish, but the catalog in PDF has photos.
Karesuandokniven.
Marttiini.
Brusletto.
Helle (not their own web site).