Makoto Pat
Member
Just got my favorite alert status from U.S. Postal Services- Out for delivery!
Posts: 503
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Post by Makoto Pat on Jan 16, 2011 22:39:50 GMT
We shall wait patiently for the oven to finish and see what comes out.
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Post by frankthebunny on Jan 20, 2011 18:52:38 GMT
Hi guys, a buddy of mine is going into the Navy soon and has given me a knife that his friend gave him upon returning from the Army (or Marines, forgot) anyway, it is a Gerber folder with a false edge back and lower serrated section and what I believe is a kraton handle. it says "combat folder" on one side of the blade and Gerber U.S.A. on the other with the addition of a signature (not sure who it is) it feels very sturdy but incredibly light and has a locking mechanism which is nice and functions well. the metal seems to be sandblasted or coated with a non reflective substance and the sharp edge is indeed very sharp. it came in a soft case that can be secured vertically or horizontally. from what I was told, it was standard issue for everyone there. here are a couple of pictures I took last night - what do you think?
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Post by TodaPower on Jan 20, 2011 19:42:17 GMT
Frank, I have liked that knife for a while, but never actually purchased it. One even came with an ATS-34 blade, not sure the steel on that one.
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Post by nihontoman on Jan 20, 2011 20:07:49 GMT
Congrats, that knife looks very good. it is probably the only folding "dagger" design I like.
I believe it is made of some mystery steel that gerber doesn't specify, but as many said, it is not a high end steel - it is soft and doesn't hold an edge longer than "better" steels, but considering the functional design that is a purely tactical combat blade, soft steel isn't an issue here IMHO.
oh, by the way, it is called Gerber Applegate-Fairbairn Combat Folder. the signatures are their's....
oh, also, you can sharpen that upper false edge and not worry about carrying it folded in your pocket, cause the blade is completely hidden in the handle when closed, so it can be a true double edged folder.
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Post by frankthebunny on Jan 20, 2011 20:18:03 GMT
I don't think it says what steel type anywhere on the knife but I'll check again tonight
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Sébastien
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Post by Sébastien on Jan 21, 2011 14:21:55 GMT
Nice knife Frank. Seems like a tactical, combat folder to me. I know NutnFancy did a review of it.
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Post by Miekka on Jan 22, 2011 4:19:11 GMT
Got my Buck/Tops CSAR and Vantage Pro folders from UPS today after two and a half weeks on backorder.
The CSAR is a massive folder and not something I'd consider for EDC in most states because it's so beefy that I think any officer who saw it would be suspicious. However, it would make a great combat folder or survival knife. CSAR does stand for Combat Search and Rescue after all. Definitely my new favorite folder.
The Vantage Pro is a tad disappointing. The centering issue that was supposed to be addressed a few years ago was present on the one I received. When closed, the blade skews to one side slightly and barely has some space between the blade and one of the liners. The problem is that a minuscule nob on the liner to keep the whole liner and blade from rubbing together is pressing too hard against the blade when closed. Because there is still a tiny amount of space between the blade and the liner, it is not harmful, but it is a bit of an eye sore. I am probably going to have to adjust the pivot to try and fix it. Otherwise I am just going to leave it as it is. They could have easily fixed the issue by putting a small indent where the nob meets the blade like Gerber did on their Paraframe line, and the knife would would open with a simple flick of the wrist.
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Sébastien
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Post by Sébastien on Jan 22, 2011 5:12:46 GMT
Nice stuff Miekka. I have been eyeing some of these Buck/Tops knives. They just started selling a new, tanto fixed-blade version of their CSAR folder.
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Post by Miekka on Jan 22, 2011 5:33:11 GMT
Thanks. If you ever plan on picking it up as a sturdy tactical knife, I definitely recommend the G10 handles. Strong and the texture makes sure there is no possibility of slipping. Only downside is how darn bulky the knife if and the pocket clip way too tight. I have a hard time even clipping it on my jean's pocket. Luckily it comes with sheath, albeit bulky like the knife.
The blade geometry for the knives is described as a "modified tanto" by Buck, but it's more of a cross between an American tanto, a drop, and a spew point. The tip is a bit short like an American tanto, but the belly is rounded off rather than having an acute one like that normally does. It's really hard to place.
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Sébastien
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Post by Sébastien on Jan 22, 2011 5:48:53 GMT
Yeah, I've seem Buck/Tops tanto point, it looks a bit weird, but seems like a welcome change from all those tanto points on the market. Here's a link to the fixed-blade knife that I was refering too ; www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store ... U0690BKSTP And another new Buck knife, this time a large survival blade ; www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store ... U0060BKSBH (it looks really great but is pricey IMO)
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Post by Miekka on Jan 22, 2011 6:12:26 GMT
Usually I would be a bit worried about 420 for a fixed knife, especially a combat based one, but the guy in charge of heat treating at Buck is supposed to be one of the best in the business. For a Buck, it does look expensive, but I think that is the first knife I have seen them use 5160 steel. It has to be one of the largest to date as well. If the same guy who does their regular heat treating is working on that knife too, it will be a great knife I think. I hope that little notch doesn't prevent the blade from being used for batoning though...
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Post by vince on Jan 22, 2011 17:35:33 GMT
I saw the review for the Hoodlum in "Tactical knives" but am totally confused. They said that this was a Tops knife. I thought that this may have been a collaboration with Buck. I was on the Tops website and did not see anything. Oh well, the review states that this is a light weight chopper ( it did a number on a Locus log). This knife had a great review. I will have to get myself one. Here is the link to the review. www.tactical-life.com/online/tactical-knives/hoodlum-hell-hound/
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Post by Miekka on Jan 24, 2011 1:56:57 GMT
Fixed the Vantage Pro centering problem today by just barely tightening the pivot screw. Had to put a slightly wider washer in the CSAR-T though because the bar designed to stop the back of the blade is sandwiched between two thin tiny washers that are a bit too thin so they wiggle around. They do not wiggle around anymore, but something in the knife is still rattling even after I checked to make sure everything is tight. It seems structurally sound regardless, but it bugs the heck out of me. Usually Buck doesn't let even little things like these two flaws slip by QC
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Sébastien
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Post by Sébastien on Jan 24, 2011 2:10:52 GMT
Sad thing, I hope this is a late-friday afternoon made knife and not a sign of design mistake or weakness. I've heard that Buck is usually very commited to making high-quality products.
Edit : Thanks for that link Vince. These knife mag reviews are fun because they offer extra infos and pcitures about their knives. However, I have yet to read a knife mag review that says a knife is bad, or who even dares to name a con in a knife model. I heard some mags get paid by knives companies to review their products... Kinda decreases those mags objectivity IMHO.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2011 11:30:10 GMT
I love this subforum, and the topics in here. I present you with the "knife" that started my whole collection and general knife-fever : A German Model S84/98 bayonet. arms2armor.com/Bayonets/grms8498.htmI do not have pics of my bayonet yet (my camera is with my parents) but I'll put them up ASAP. It's not in perfect condition but I'm working on restoring it. There is actually quite a logn story behind this particular knife!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2011 21:41:40 GMT
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Sébastien
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Post by Sébastien on Jan 24, 2011 23:28:49 GMT
Oh so pretty ........
What's that big Spyderco fixed-blade knife ?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2011 0:14:51 GMT
That is the Jerry Hossom Forester. Made in Italy. N690Co steel and Micarta handle. It's a discontinued model. The dealer that I usually buy from had a couple left-over, so I had to grab one !
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Post by Miekka on Jan 25, 2011 3:13:51 GMT
I think someone is a Cold Steel fan
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Post by Tendrax on Jan 25, 2011 4:47:03 GMT
[/img] [im g]http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr352/R1-Dave/Weapons2012/005.jpg[/img] i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr352/R1-Dave/014.jpg[/img] Got a few more but haven't added pics yet. Blade crazy ! [/quote] God that is beautiful. Also, got enough spotlights? Lol. BTW, what is your opinion on the Magnum Kukri Machete? Personally it's my go to blade in case of zombies, but I'm kind of curious what someone else thinks.
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