# Blades of TLF



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Thought this might be a good winter topic to kick off - I'll start...

This is what I carry most days - it's a Southern Grind Spider Monkey. It has a 3.25" S35VN steel blade, a textured carbon fiber handle, and a titanium liner/lock. Southern Grind is a Georgia-based knife company started by Zac Brown (Zac Brown Band). They offer some nice American made blades, and they say the company helps support his passion project: Camp Southern Ground.
















Anyone else into (or just enjoy) knives (kitchen, EDC, or otherwise) or sharpening? Something I'm on a mission to do is become more proficient at sharpening.


----------



## wardconnor (Mar 25, 2017)

I am not into knifes all that much because I can never keep track of them. I was just given an Old Timer 80T and a Kershaw 3820 knife for Christmas. I'm going to try hard to keep one of them in my pocket.

I have had this sharpener for a few years now. I use it for sharpening kitchen knifes. It works awesome. Cuts paper easily when done. I have yet to try using it on the pocket knife.


----------



## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

I may have to revisit this thread later to post my small collection, mostly of Spyderco knives which I'm a HUGE fan of.


----------



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Mightyquinn said:


> I may have to revisit this thread later to post my small collection, mostly of Spyderco knives which I'm a HUGE fan of.


Looking forward to it!  :thumbup:


----------



## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Here is my small collection of knives that I have. I started collecting knives during my second deployment to Iraq in 2008, I also learned how to sharpen knives while over there too since it was something to kill time with and take your mind off from being so far away from home. I'm a huge fan of Spyderco knives as their quality is second to none and I like how they use different steels in their knives as you can definitely tell a difference in different steel when cutting. My favorite steel is ZDP-189 and it a very hard steel that keeps an edge.


















From Top to Bottom:

Spyderco Delica4 in ZDP-189 w/British Racing Green FRN handle with Combo Edge. This one is in my EDC work rotation.
Spyderco Endura4 in ZDP-189 w/British Racing Green FRM handle with Combo Edge. This one is in my EDC work rotation.
Spyderco Delica4 Flat Grind in ZDP-189 w/British Racing Green FRN handle with Plain Edge. This one is in my EDC rotation.
Spyderco Delica4 Flat Grind in VG-10 w/Foliage Green FRN handle with Plain Edge. This one is in my EDC rotation.
Spyderco Native Tan Spyder Edge in CPM S30V w/Tan FRN handle(Special Edition "Operation Iraqi Freedom"). I do not generally carry this one.


















From Top to Bottom:

Spyderco Sage Flat Grind in CPM S30V w/Carbon Fiber handle with Plain Edge.
Spyderco ParaMilitary Flat Grind in CPM D2 w/OD green G10 handle.
Spyderco ParaMilitary Flat Grind in CPM S30V w/Digi Camo G10 handle.
Surefire EW-04 Delta in CPM S30V w/Titanium handle
Benchmade Mini Auto Presidio in 154CM w/aluminum handle(Auto Opener)

I don't generally EDC any of these knives but may start working them into my rotation.


















From Top to Bottom:

Spyderco JumpMaster Spyder Edge in H1 Steel w/FRN handle
Spyderco Orange Assist Spyder Edge in VG10 w/FRN handle

Even though I was never a JumpMaster in the Army, I still like the knife due to the fact that it has Jump Wings on it and it is related to what I did while in the Army. Now it is just used in the garage to do any cutting any needed and works great at cutting pieces of sod :thumbup:

The Orange Assist is kept in my wife's(TOG) car since it has a whistle and window breaker built into it.


















From Top to Bottom:

Benchmade Monochrome Combo Edge in N690 Steel w/Aluminum handle(kept on counter to open letters/packages)
CRKT M16-14T Combo Edge in AUS8 w/Titanium handle
SOG Trident Combo Edge in AUS8 w/Glass Reinforced Nylon handle
Spyderco Ladybug Flat Grind in ZDP-189 w/FRN handle(kept on counter to open letters/packages)
Spyderco Ladybug Spyder Edge in H1 steel w/FRN handle(kept at wife's desk upstairs for any cutting needs)

The first 3 knives are the ones I had before I got into the whole "knife thing". They are all decent knives with decent steel so I still keep them around but are not used very often.

This is basically my collection and I used to have about double this but decided to sell them since they were just going to be sitting around and decided to just keep the ones I REALLY liked, plus from the money I got from selling the other knives is how I bought my first reel mower :lol:

I will make another post later on what I use to keep everything sharp and in shape. In the last year to year and a half, I have started slowly changing all our kitchen knives over to Shun knives at will post about that too at a later time. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have about my collection or just knives in general and I would be happy to answer them.


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

^ cool. I have shun knifes in the kitchen too. I'm interested to see how you sharpen them.


----------



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Mightyquinn said:


> Here is my small collection of knives...


Wow! :shock:

Nice collection!


----------



## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

When I started getting into knives, I obviously needed to learn how to sharpen them so at the time, I read great reviews about the Spyderco SharpMaker. So, I picked one up on Amazon and started honing my skills. It's fairly easy system to use and it will put a great edge on a knife. All you basically have to do is keep the knife straight as possible as you run it down the sharpening stones that are already preset at 15° and 20°. If you have some knives that are in really rough shape or need to be re-profiled, I would highly recommend getting the Spyderco Diamond Stones, as they will definitely cut down on the time it takes to get your edge back into shape where it will take a finer edge. I am a huge fan of the Sharpmaker and still have mine even though I no longer use it. There is a little bit of a learning curve when it comes to using it and it comes with a very good instructional DVD that teaches you how to use it. After using it a few times you will start to feel what a sharp knife is suppose to feel like while running it across the stones and it will take you no time at all to put a good edge on your knife. I would recommend practicing on a knife that you don't mind messing up a little as you hone your skills.










Once I started down the rabbit hole of knives and my collection started to grow it was getting too time consuming to sharpen all my knives at once with the Spyderco, so I started looking at other options and came across theKen Onion Work Sharp Edition. Once I bought this, my whole world changed, it made sharpening knives a whole lot easier and faster and gave me a ton of options in the process. I could sharpen all my EDC(work and regular) and kitchen knives in about an hour as it only take a few minutes per knife to get the job done. It comes with 5 different grit belts that allow you to get the edge you are looking for and you can adjust the angle of your edge from 15°-30°, so there is a ton more options depending on the kind of knife you have. The other advantage to the KOWS is that you can turn it into a belt sander that will sharpen your rotary mower blades and any other outdoor tools you have (shovels, axes........). There are a ton of videos on YouTube about this sharpener and all the different things it can do. The belt set that comes with it will last you quite awhile before needing to buy anymore. I will say that with this sharpener, you can mess up a knife a lot faster/easier than you can with the Sharpmaker I talked about above, so make sure you learn with a knife you don't mind messing up.










Both of these sharpeners are great but it comes down to time for me. The Spyderco is great if you only have a few knives you need to sharpen every so often and is also a great travel kit too as it all stores in that one case. If you have a kitchen set and a few EDC knives that you would like to sharpen then the KO Work Sharp would probably be the better of the two and it would also put a great edge on your mower blades and yard too also. I would also like to add that whichever sharpener you get, just know that it will take some time initially to get the edge on your knives with the sharpener you have, as they are putting a different kind of edge on the knife then what came from the factory, but once you get that edge on the knife, each subsequent sharpening will be easier and faster as your skill improves. I also recommend getting a LED Pocket Microscope to help you see what you are doing while you are sharpening your knife. It's amazing what you can see with the microscope and how it can help you get the edge you are looking for.

I hope this was somewhat informative and please ask any questions you might have of if you would like me to expand on anything I posted above.


----------



## mrigney (Jun 6, 2017)

So my knife collection is still small. But I do have a couple of really nice axes that I picked up in Sweden last year. If anyone has done much reading about axes, you'll know that Gransfors Bruks is one of the most respected axe makers in the world. They've been doing it the right way for a long time now. Really difficult to get in the US at a reasonable price. So, when I was over there, I grabbed a small splitting axe and a hatchet. Some of the best investments I"ve made. Great for splittling 1-2 cords a year to use in my wood stove.



Since a hatchet and a splitting axe leave me with a hole in my axe collection, I placed an order last May for a camp axe from Liam Hoffman, an axe maker in North Carolina who makes some stellar axes (and knives, too...go check out his webpage, instagram, etc). It should be arriving sometime early summer. He's currently closed down orders until spring b/c of demand. The wait time when I ordered was 12-14 months and had grown since then to 18. Mine should look something like this:



I also do a bit of knife sharpening as a side hustle. It's small, so I still do everything by hand. Earlier this year picked up the TSProf Knife Sharpening System and have been thoroughly impressed with it. Just ordered a new jig that will allow convex grinds. Looking forward to that. I second Mightyquinn's advice to get the microscope. Besides being useful, just really cool to see the edge take shape as you sharpen!

TSProf:


----------



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

mrigney said:


> ...But I do have a couple of really nice axes...


Very cool. I'm guilty of chasing the next best thing technology has to offer sometimes, but I think it's always very refreshing to see examples of quality timeless craftsmanship. :thumbup:



mrigney said:


> ...Earlier this year picked up the TSProf Knife Sharpening System and have been thoroughly impressed with it...


I have watched several videos about the TSProf - they are really nice. I have a Wicked Edge, but embarrassed to say I haven't spent _any_ time with it yet. It's one of those things I want to wait until I have some time to sit and really focus on, which is unfortunately easier said than done. I think I have up through 1000 grit diamond stones, which I'm hoping will get me started with some nice utility edges, then maybe I'll explore the micron lapping films and strops.

What stones do you use with the TSProf? And do you have any good beginner advice?


----------



## MarkAguglia (Jul 13, 2017)

mrigney said:


> So my knife collection is still small. But I do have a couple of really nice axes that I picked up in Sweden last year. If anyone has done much reading about axes, you'll know that Gransfors Bruks is one of the most respected axe makers in the world. They've been doing it the right way for a long time now. Really difficult to get in the US at a reasonable price. So, when I was over there, I grabbed a small splitting axe and a hatchet. Some of the best investments I"ve made. Great for splittling 1-2 cords a year to use in my wood stove.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice!! I love my Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe!


----------



## gene_stl (Oct 29, 2017)

> I second Mightyquinn's advice to get the microscope. Besides being useful, just really cool to see the edge take shape as you sharpen!


I am the microscope whisperer. If anybody want's a microscope or any other implement of magnification you would be well advised to consult with me. I can either help you find what you want or I may have it on hand and need to sell it to replace the money I am spending on lawn equipment and chemicals. Stereo microscopes are a wonderful invention.
What you want is something from this page.
In the eighties I sold these to Surgeons and dentists. They were from Chermany and England and started at about 2,000 each. Now they are free from China. It is always better to use both eyes.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xdental+loupe.TRS0&_nkw=dental+loupe&_sacat=0


----------



## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

Here's a shot of my blades:


----------



## Paul M (Sep 2, 2018)

Hand made by Jason Hawk from the TV show "Mountain Man"


----------



## craigdt (Apr 21, 2018)

Morakniv
TOPS/Buck Nighthawk
TOPS Rhino
KaBar
TOPS US Combat 
Esee 3
KaBar TDI
TOPS Ferret


----------



## daniel3507 (Jul 31, 2018)

mrigney said:


> So my knife collection is still small. But I do have a couple of really nice axes that I picked up in Sweden last year. If anyone has done much reading about axes, you'll know that Gransfors Bruks is one of the most respected axe makers in the world. They've been doing it the right way for a long time now. Really difficult to get in the US at a reasonable price. So, when I was over there, I grabbed a small splitting axe and a hatchet. Some of the best investments I"ve made. Great for splittling 1-2 cords a year to use in my wood stove.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I didn't think I wanted an axe till I saw your post. Suddenly, I think a new camping axe and hatchet is a necessity.


----------



## mrigney (Jun 6, 2017)

So sorry for the late really slow reply @daniel3507. I've been out of the forum world the last few months...too much travel for work. I finally received my Liam Hoffman camp axe after about a 19 month wait. Was worth it. It's unlike anything I've ever seen/used in an axe. Care of craftmanship, quality of the steel and edge. But honestly, what stood out to me most is the quality of the handle. Hoffman handmakes each handle and it shows. The Gransfors heads are nice, and the handles are nice (way nicer than any other commercial axes I"ve seen/used), but the Hoffman handle is on a different level. I'll take some pictures this afternoon and try to get them posted.


----------

