When I lose a knife, I LOSE it - replacement advise

[BehindBlueI's]

You deserve nice things. Here are a few options that come to mind:

Benchmade Triage
https://www.bladehq.com/item--Benchm...-Triage--78783

Benchmade SOCP (on the big side...)

If OTFs are legal for you...
Microtech UTX-85 serrated or similar

Yeah, I'm not willing to put $300 in a knife to do the sort of things I do with a knife.

[MickAK]

I find partial serrations annoying. The serrated part is often too small to be of much use and the lack of continuity messes with usage. Serrations are handy for cutting line, but full with maybe a small section non serrated at the end for fine work seems a better design. If you keep it sharp and aren't regularly cutting mooring lines the lack of serrations probably won't be a factor for you.

If you get that knife I would remove the screws and apply threadlocker and reinstall, as cheap knives will have cheap fasteners that back out, get loose, and damage the threads doing so.

The blade steel is 8Cr13MoV. That's fine if the manufacturing process went well. If it didn't it's not, but that's the way it is with a lot of things nowadays, including expensive products.

[BehindBlueI's]

I find partial serrations annoying. The serrated part is often too small to be of much use and the lack of continuity messes with usage. Serrations are handy for cutting line, but full with maybe a small section non serrated at the end for fine work seems a better design. If you keep it sharp and aren't regularly cutting mooring lines the lack of serrations probably won't be a factor for you.

If you get that knife I would remove the screws and apply threadlocker and reinstall, as cheap knives will have cheap fasteners that back out, get loose, and damage the threads doing so.

The blade steel is 8Cr13MoV. That's fine if the manufacturing process went well. If it didn't it's not, but that's the way it is with a lot of things nowadays, including expensive products.

I went with serrations the first time because I carried it on duty and had the occasional seat belt to cut after breaking a window. Now, that's not much of a concern for me.

[MickAK]

I went with serrations the first time because I carried it on duty and had the occasional seat belt to cut after breaking a window. Now, that's not much of a concern for me.

Do small serrated portions help considerably with belt cuts? I've practiced cutting a couple belts with a CP after shooting up junkers but it's not something I've practiced with a person in the vehicle. I have belt cutters in my vehicles. Anything you've learned in actual practice that would be handy to know?

[mmc45414]

Maybe retitle the thread:
Jimmy Hoffa gets a new knife

[revchuck38]

If you like Kershaw's stuff, prefer US production, and want to save a few bucks, you might want to check out Kershawguy's seconds page. My Leek is from that site and I can't find why it's a second. It's the nicest folder I've had.

[BillSWPA]

Perhaps get both Kershaw knives and carry the less expensive one the next time you pour cement or do something else which risks loss of the knife.

[BehindBlueI's]

Do small serrated portions help considerably with belt cuts? I've practiced cutting a couple belts with a CP after shooting up junkers but it's not something I've practiced with a person in the vehicle. I have belt cutters in my vehicles. Anything you've learned in actual practice that would be handy to know?

I can't say with any certainty, but I think they do. Understand my sample size is so small that I wouldn't take my word as gospel by any means. I did use that knife to cut an uncooperative person free of his seat belt. He wasn't combative, he was high on wet and t-rexing so his arms were flailing near his chest and I wasn't reaching across him to undo his belt. It went very quickly, but I can't say that one of the zipper cutter things wouldn't have worked as well. There may be some difference in angle and strength to cutting someone else out vs cutting yourself out as well.

I *can* say the window punch works a treat and requires much less force then you'd expect it to. The first time I used it I put my entire hand through the window first blow. After that I learned to tappy-tap and not hulk smash.

[Clusterfrack]

I can't say with any certainty, but I think they do. Understand my sample size is so small that I wouldn't take my word as gospel by any means. I did use that knife to cut an uncooperative person free of his seat belt. He wasn't combative, he was high on wet and t-rexing so his arms were flailing near his chest and I wasn't reaching across him to undo his belt. It went very quickly, but I can't say that one of the zipper cutter things wouldn't have worked as well. There may be some difference in angle and strength to cutting someone else out vs cutting yourself out as well.

I *can* say the window punch works a treat and requires much less force then you'd expect it to. The first time I used it I put my entire hand through the window first blow. After that I learned to tappy-tap and not hulk smash.

But Hulk Smash is so much more fun!

That Benchmade Triage I linked above has a flip-out belt-cutter tool...

[BehindBlueI's]

If you like Kershaw's stuff, prefer US production, and want to save a few bucks, you might want to check out Kershawguy's seconds page. My Leek is from that site and I can't find why it's a second. It's the nicest folder I've had.

Ohhh, nice. Thanks for that.