Katz Black Kat Knife

I love this knife.

Bad points. It's stainless, hollow ground, very thick and the handle will give you blisters if you use it for too long.

Good points. That shape!

It's feels natural to flip it between different grips depending on the job at hand. It's light in the hand, but good for chopping. The jimping is perfect for a midships grip when cutting vegetables straight into the pot. For any piercing jobs the curve puts the wrist at a much stronger angle. The sheath works fine and is very light.

Living alone under canvas in an area notorious for big cats I feel comfortable with this knife beside me. Not that it would do me any good in a big cat situation but the reassurance is there. I wanted one for years but only bought it because it was half-price.

www.weapons-universe.com...

a reply to: Kester

Thanks, my friend!

I just found one of these on Ebay based on your info, and put it on my watch list. I really don't 'need' to spend the money hah, but maybe someone else here on ATS needs it faster hahahah … great evaluation, nice knife, great thread!

a reply to: Kester

That's the shape I always wanted in a piece of NONsulphurized D2,
Kester. I think some good wrangler's glove about 1/4 in thick for that checkered
double cut file of a grip, though. Yeow, I got a blister on my cornea just
lookin' at it!
It's too bad David Yellowhorse doesn't make many fixed blades under $400
anymore... but God they're worth it. I saw one of his old stag handles on
eBay (for about four hours, POOF*) for only 650. Yeah I cried.
That blackie, though.. you can always take the sharp corners off the micarta
to about half the height so your skin stays on after a couple bags of carrots.
Half price? It was a SUPER deal!

a reply to: Kester

One word for the manufacturer + model denomination.

Fallkniven A1

In its class there is nothing like it.

Don’t compromise.

I was fortunate to get hold of a couple of them about 7yrs ago.

MR

a reply to: Kester

kabar



or a kukri



?

a reply to: Liquesence

I have both of those!!

I luvs me some k-bar!!

This past weekend I bought a "damascus" knife, and a small, well, battleaxe (it's nearly big enough to play one on TV!) both made by a gentleman in Oklahoma. I honed up the knife today, it didn't need much, and tried it out. Sweet!! Well worth the 90 dollars I paid for it.

The axe should work very well, too. Trimming up trees and what-not...or just hangin' on the wall.

a reply to: seagull

I do own a Ka Bar, but not the one I pictured. I have the traditional leather handle with a smooth blade. They are incredibly reliable and versatile survival knives. The one pictured is better suited for all weather, since the stock won't swell if wet.

I don't have a kukri, but they are equally, if not more (imo), important as a survival knife, for the fact they can cut, chop, hack, etc, both plants, wood, and animal.

I had a nice tomahawk I made from a shingling hammer years ago, but that was stolen (long story).

I need to invest in a good tomahawk.

a reply to: Liquesence

I've got one of these.
bushcraftuk.com.../gransfors-bruks-french-trade-axe.71350/

Made by this lady. www.st.nu...

I got it in trade for some handmade clothing. Even without paying cash for it I had a hard time bringing myself to use it, it seems so precious. It cuts superbly.

a reply to: Kester

I like the shape, always liked drop point design its really like the most useful design you can have on a knife for a variety of tasks. But thats about it now a days on any production knifes. I found that the simpler designs are way more useful then any fancy design or any extra added feature.

And gimping on the back of the knife for thumb placement I find it pretty much useless, also the more I use knifes or make them, the more I find that really the simple designs are not only more functional there just better over all. Never understood the whole rambo survival thing with the saw tooth on the back of the spine or the hollow handle or any of that, its just adds on a bunch of not functioning and useless gimmicks on a knife. And anything not full tang, pretty sure it would break at the handle if you tried battoning through even camp fire kindling wood.

And if the knife is as thick as you say, see why they did a hollow grind on it. But still a full flat grind to the top of the spine would be better.

My most used knife is probably this one. I made it a year ago now or so. Its stainless and around the right size for everyday use, from camping to food, to piecing and gutting game, to wood and bushcraft tasks. I really cant think of a better design for an all around everything and use knife.


Also, in my opinion, stainless steel, or at least the most common one AEB-L and the derivatives of it, of which there are plenty as companies just change minor things up give it a new name and so they dont have to pay royalties, that are out there in production knifes, as its the cheapest and most abundant stainless steel out there.

Is a way better material and steel then all of the normal carbon steels you would see in knifes, that includes 1090, even D2, or even things like 01 or other carbon steels. I think a simple stainless steel like AEB-L, would beat them all.

After so long really the only advantage carbon steel would have on a knife is only in large knifes, and any knife used for impact tasks, and things like swords. And in fact I think simple stainless steels like AEB-L if done right would even be better at that then most low grade carbon steels. Other then that, in every other factor stainless steels, especially in small knifes such as hunting, bushcraft even, or especially kitchen knifes, will win out on most if not all categories, the biggest being the edge when used for cutting tasks lasts a lot longer due to the chromium carbides, then would your regular run of the mill carbon steel.

Only carbon steels that would do better is more fancier steels like m4 or rex 121. Of which you will likely never see in a production knife.

I really dont see why people hate on stainless steel at all.