Recommendation? Hollow ground folders?

William1990

William1990

Joined
Sep 18, 2019
Messages
23
Ive recently got a job where I am cutting a TON of boxes so im looking for a good hollow ground blade that wont thicken up behind the edge everytime I sharpen it since im gonna be sharpening Alot now. Eventually I hope to snag me a sebenza but in the meantime anything that is half the price or less right now is what I am looking for. So any suggestions?
 
If you’re looking to get something of a budget option, the Kershaw Skyline might be a good choice. I think there are also still some hollow ground Spyderco Manix and Native models out there. Another old school Spydie would be the Centofante 3.

But Sebenzas are the best. :D
 
If it were me and I will cutting up a ton of boxes I would use what I use on my job and that is a box cutter / utility knife. The thin razor style blades cut up cardboard with ease and last a lot longer than a knife edge.

That being said if I felt like I needed to use a knife for that type of task I want something that is comfortable in the hand over a long haul. Smaller knives what's more handles don't do it for me. If I was going to get a deeply hollow ground knife for that purpose I would get a cold steel American Lawman. I've had mine for years way back to the old AUS8 days. I actually bought that knife at the suggestion of someone here on BF many years ago and I couldn't be happier with that purchase. Plenty of handle do you sit comfortably for longer periods of time, and the blade shape really lends itself to good work for all types of tasks. This is a knife that punches way out of its weight class.

Robert
 
Another vote here for the Spyderco Centofante 3 :

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I have used my small sebenza on boxes . Also carpet very tough and plastics used in irrigation tubing.
To me the advantage of a hollow ground blade is ease of sharpening.
On just boxes my manix 2 in 20cv will cut will the best of them . Problem, it was a sprint run . Price 130 .
Another choice would be a three rivers manufacturing neutron. Those knives really cut ,also made 20cv.
Also i have a benchmade 940 in 30v that is a decent cutter.

Jake
 
The American Lawman is an outstanding work knife. Very durable. Very comfortable in hand.
Great value for the money.
 
3fifty7 said:
Box cutter of choice

Spyderco Yojimbo 2
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A perfect knife for what the OP needs. See if you can snag a CPM-M4 sprint, you won't have to sharpen as often.

ferider said:
One of the Spyderco Gale Bradleys (incl. Advocate, GB1 or GB2 - my favorite is GB1). Or a 4V Manix 2. You might not need a Sebenza afterwards. :)
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The Gayle Bradley 1 was going to be my #2 recommendation. If you can locate one. The 2 is good as well.
 
I’m with 3fifty7’s first suggestion. I like the Stanley 99E. It's as cheap as could be hoped for, the replacement blades are ten for $1 when you buy the bulk pack and you can touch the blades up on the spot, easily and quickly with a cheap pull-through sharpener. The 99E is meant for extensive use in cutting cardboard, sheetrock, carpet, vinyl tiles and other things that dull your blades with surprising speed. If I had a job constantly cutting up cardboard boxes, I’d be doing that cutting with my 99E.
 
Buy a Stanley knife and one of the folders mentioned and see how it works for ya.
For a lot of cardboard nothing beats a Stanley.
 
Stumpy72 said:
I’m with 3fifty7’s first suggestion. I like the Stanley 99E. It's as cheap as could be hoped for, the replacement blades are ten for $1 when you buy the bulk pack and you can touch the blades up on the spot, easily and quickly with a cheap pull-through sharpener. The 99E is meant for extensive use in cutting cardboard, sheetrock, carpet, vinyl tiles and other things that dull your blades with surprising speed. If I had a job constantly cutting up cardboard boxes, I’d be doing that cutting with my 99E.
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+1 to this. I use these as well. Less than $10, and will last you a lifetime. The best knife for cutting boxes I've ever used was, go figure . . . a box cutter.

That said, cutting up boxes with your folders is a good way to see which ones cut better than the others really quickly. If you try a Medford 187 and then a William Henry E10 back to back you'll find that the Medford was like playing the game on expert difficulty and the William Henry is easy mode.
 
I'd go for an OLFA boxcutter and save your $ for a Sebenza (but not for cutting boxes -- that's like using a Ferrari to haul trash).
 
Kabar Dozier and Jarosz folders both have nice hollowground blades. Buck 110 and 112 too. You’ll be sharpening a lot though.
 
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I don't cut much cardboard anymore. With the right steel and good technique you shouldn't be sharpening that much. This was ~200 feet of cutting, took me around 30 minutes to break everything down. H1 steel, was still cutting ok - would barely shave with moderate pressure. Something like ZDP189 or S30V would be able to go 3-5 days easy without needing to be sharpened.

img_8653.jpg


I don't think the grind is that important, thinning the edge bevels isn't time consuming or difficult. Steel, blade geometry and blade length are much more important. It's also worthwhile to knock the edges down on the spine of the blade as it allows the blade to move through the cardboard easier. The Spyderco Military and Stretch are great for cardboard.

If you're really interested in good cardboard cutting with knives, watch some of the videos from Cliff Stamp. That guy cuts more cardboard than anyone.
 
In my experience, a long, thin, rigid, flatground blade is the ultimate cardboard cutter. I have some hollow ground blades, including smallies, that do quite well. But if there is a heap of boxes to break down, I will take the Old Hickory Large Butcher Knife. It's thin, (very long / 1'2"), not exactly flat ground (rather a sabre grind) and made of excellently treated 1095 steel. It's one of the few knives I did resharpen only once because it still performs brilliantly after one year of use. Tldr version : long, thin, flatground, sharp... and preferably cheap because cardboard ruins the edge quickly. Sharpening will be frequent, whatever the steel, so the blade will diminish rather quickly, so initial cost is a factor.
So, to your question... if you really want/need a folder, the Opinel N°9 or 10 would be your best choice, IMO.
 
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