That should be a concave water stone, not convex.

Maybe I am cheap but the lowest price on one of these I could find is about $150 (google shoping search). I think I will hold what I have for now.

Spyderco makes awesome knives, but doesnt need sharpening? Come on... clean about 20 fat hogs and then see! chopping... hacking? Do they also come with a lifetime warranty and if mi buy one and it becomes dull do i get a new one?!

To All: Change "never needs sharpening" to "seldom needs sharpening." In any event, they hold an edge a long,long time.

Dave, thanks for keeping us up on this. I never appreciated the usefulness of a large knife until my wife and kids gave me a Ka-bar for Father's Day. Now I never go into the woods without it on me or in the truck. When I pull it out to split wood, my friends say, "Wow, I didn't know it could do that". The Ka-bar might need a brother and a sister by the names of Spyderco and Fallkniven.

You had a knife test in the Magazine a while back that included a Spyderco fixed blade (FB01) that was designed by Bill Moran. I thought it was an odd knife (had the same sheath as above knife). I happened to stumble into one at a Cabela's and when I held it I fell in love. I have never felt anything so light and well balanced and from your test I know that I can hammer it in to a stump and it will be OK. Well I finally found one at a price I like and I will own it soon.

Thanks for the input,

Spud

to PbHead: If you're looking for a source of leather sheaths, made for your knife, plain or fancy, cheap or expensive, go to treestumpleather.com. Chris Kravitt has probably made 20 for me over the years.

Do I have to send it to Japan for sharpening? I'm glad the blade is made of unobtainium, and that it costs somewhat less than an aircraft carrier, but about $60 will get you a knife that does the job from Buck, and it comes in a nice leather sheath. Unfortunately for the folks who make and sell them, it will outlast you and probably your kids too.

Sorry but I'll stick with my Estwing fixed hunter. It works great and its made in the USA.

I guess the thought of a knife that I can't resharpen myself goes against the grain. A knife is the simplest tool there is; I can see paying to have a computer fixed, but having to sharpen a knife with a credit card just never had any appeal. Spyderco makes great knives and I have a couple, but they can keep that one.

I don't think a flogging around the fleet would be appropriate for missing the appearance of a new knife, but I think a flogging on general principles is a very good idea. General principles being; 1) you have more guns than I,2) you have more and better knives than I,3) you get to hunt more exotic places than I, 4) you like cats!!
I'll think of other good reasons, and list them later.

PS = this whole thing about Dave Petzal liking cats -- I think he's just proving his manhood.

There's a few biker types in my neighborhood who think they are especially ferocious because they have Pit Bull Terriers. They strut around the neighborhood with their dogs on chain leashes wearing studded collars. Big deal. The biker dude that I'm afraid of is the one who is crazy enough to walk down the street with his french poodle! The other guys are saying, "Better beware of my dog!" That guy is saying "you'd better beware of me!"

Dave, I'm giving you a wide berth if you walk down my street strokin' some cat.

Knives? I thought you were the gun nut.

I have strange luck with knives. When I 1st outfitted myself for SCUBA diving the 'The Knife' by Scubapro caught my fancy. Cost me $40 and I lost it on the 1st dive. I went thru several more knives until I bought a 'garanteed to rust' one made of Chineese SS(circa 1977) for $8. The $8 knife dove with me around the world for 25 years and is still in one of my tool boxes. So I guess I'm saying , buy enuff knife and nothing more. I usually buy from the low end of the Gerber line. Good, dependable knives. Usually buy two at a time as that significantly shortens the mourning time when one is lost :-)

Nice knife, but I'll stick with my Cold Steel knives. Spyderco are ok, but way too overpriced for the quality. Surprisingly, the best one I ever used was my father's old Boy Scout Sheath Knife made by Marbles. Polished Steel Blade, not stainless, sharper than a razor and holds an edge like no other knife I've used.

An old man once told me:
"In the mountains knives and rifles quickly become nothing more than tools", "Never take anything to the mountains that you can't replace because it might not come back", and regarding your health and well being "The mountains don't care".
I choose all my equipment carefully prior to a trip deep into the hills and take care of it when there. It usually takes care of me.
By the way I have an old spayed solid white female cat who lives outside 24/7 12 months of the year regardless of temperature. She turns down efforts to have her visit the laundry room on a subzero evening. I don't even know where she sleeps as she only shows up to eat at night. Her ears are short and round from frostbite. I have had her 14 years and she was an adult when I got her. Very gentle with people. One tough old gal who is loved by the entire family.

If you use a Spyderco sharpener on a rolled edge you end up with a flat edge... a sharp flat edge, but not a rolled edge. You need a credit card to get one of those.

As for dogs vs cats, I am reminded of the words of a wise man; a dog says, "You feed me, shelter me, love me and take care of me... you must be God!" Whereas a cat says, "You feed me, shelter me, love me and take care of me... I must be God!" My wife and daughters have cats; I have dogs.

There is no useful purpose to have cats unless they are good mousers, we have had several cats over the years, only one was worthwhile and earned his keep, and he was the only cat I ever shed a tear for when he died.
Dogs on the other hand are a deterrent to people considering breaking into your home at the very least, which makes them worth the room they take up. We have a Rottweiler for just this reason, she will hold up an intruder long enough for me to wake up and retire the thug.

As to the knives, good Lord I can buy a cheap pistol for what they want for them! What can you possibly put into a knife to make it cost over $100?????

Zermoid:

I feel like you do. A knife that takes a lot of hand fitting would be one thing; you'd probably have to pay $10 for a handmade paper clip these days. So I understand why you have to pay $300 for a DiamondBlade friction forged blade. But for a factory knife that's mostly machine made, especially a simple design like a fixed blade with a matte polish and composite handle, I too wonder what we are getting for our money. Maybe it's the rolled edge.

I agree with DEP. I like cats, bar-b-qued, fried, grilled, or just running around being cats. As for the knives, I probably will never have anything that pricey in my inventory, A, because I like what I have, and B, because I am perfectly capable of sharpening a knife, axe, hand axe, etc., etc.
On the other hand, check out the Larado Bowie
on the Cold Steel website. Now there is a useful tool for urban warfare, walking your poodle dog, large pine trees, picking your teeth, or skinning cats!

as far as long lasting edges i know a old SOG guy who bought his "hunting knife" in the late 60' and claims it can hold an edge after cutting through the roof of a car, has never lost its black and must be sent away to be resharpened though he has never had to in 50 years. and as for dogs and cats. ive had and love both. but as robert heinlein said, cats are independent creatures, while a dog no matter how hard he tries will be nothing but a slave.