Hey everyone! Ive been on a quest to find the most slicey/thinnest behind the edge modern pocket knives. Im talking glides through materials like a Kershaw Leek with a 14.8° inclusive edge (which i have and is wounderful). Im looking at either a sebenza 21 large or a Microtech Socom elite but wouldnt mind deviating. I dont ever pry with my knives and will at most cut rope and cardboard or lightly whiddle a stick.
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Recommendation? Most "slicey" modern knives
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ScooterG
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You'll have to do it yourself though. Ankerson/Jankerson did 9 degrees on either side of a zdp endura.
91bravo
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The Spyderco Chaparral is the first one to come to mind for me.
lambertiana
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As you seem to have realized, the thickness behind the edge is more important than the overall blade geometry unless you have something like a scandi grind, which is a terrible slicer. I have a large stable and have handled quite a few more, and I have observed this:
Spyderco USA made have thick edge bevels (note in the pictures above how large the bevel is to get to 9dps in the Endura above, or the linked 12 dps Para 2) ; the more recent USA production has gotten thinner. Japan production is a little thinner. Taiwan production usually has a thinner edge bevel than USA or Japan. Italy production Spyderco knives have thinner edges than the Taiwan production, making them the thinnest edge bevels as a group. However, by far the thinnest edge Spyderco I have is a Caly 3 ZDP-189, it is as thin at the edge bevel as an Opinel.
Benchmade older production had thinner edge bevels than Spyderco, but more recent production has gotten thicker.
ZT has thick edge bevels, similar to current USA Spyderco.
Chris Reeve older production was a little thinner than current USA Spyderco and current Benchmade. More recent production is thinner. So if you get a recent production 21 it should be pretty good.
I have an older Buck Vantage Pro that has a very thin edge bevel.
Too bad you aren't looking at traditional knives, they usually have thinner edge bevels and thinner blade stock than modern one-handers and are much better slicers. Most of them have lower-performing steels (1095, 440A, or some other cheap stainless), but there are few that have better blades (e.g., the Lion Steel Shuffler with M390, Viper EO with M390, or Enigma with M390 or US2000MC, which is the same as CPM-Cruwear). My Enigma in US2000MC is probably thinner behind the edge than any other knife I carry, and that includes Opinel.
Spyderco USA made have thick edge bevels (note in the pictures above how large the bevel is to get to 9dps in the Endura above, or the linked 12 dps Para 2) ; the more recent USA production has gotten thinner. Japan production is a little thinner. Taiwan production usually has a thinner edge bevel than USA or Japan. Italy production Spyderco knives have thinner edges than the Taiwan production, making them the thinnest edge bevels as a group. However, by far the thinnest edge Spyderco I have is a Caly 3 ZDP-189, it is as thin at the edge bevel as an Opinel.
Benchmade older production had thinner edge bevels than Spyderco, but more recent production has gotten thicker.
ZT has thick edge bevels, similar to current USA Spyderco.
Chris Reeve older production was a little thinner than current USA Spyderco and current Benchmade. More recent production is thinner. So if you get a recent production 21 it should be pretty good.
I have an older Buck Vantage Pro that has a very thin edge bevel.
Too bad you aren't looking at traditional knives, they usually have thinner edge bevels and thinner blade stock than modern one-handers and are much better slicers. Most of them have lower-performing steels (1095, 440A, or some other cheap stainless), but there are few that have better blades (e.g., the Lion Steel Shuffler with M390, Viper EO with M390, or Enigma with M390 or US2000MC, which is the same as CPM-Cruwear). My Enigma in US2000MC is probably thinner behind the edge than any other knife I carry, and that includes Opinel.
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Cold steel Hold out series are the sliciest knives ive owned, also the stabbiest.
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I find that there are multiple factors possibly affecting the "subjective" sliceyness.
(1) Stock thickness. Thinner is better.
(2) Thickness behind the edge. Thinner is better (at the same edge angle).
(3) Grind (hollow, flat, or convex). I like hollow.
(4) Grind profile. Some hollow ground blades work a lot better than a flat or convex blade, but others do not perform well. The grind profile seems to have a role as well.
(5) Blade height. Less friction with a shorter blade than a taller one.
(6) Ergonomics. You can apply force more comfortably and efficiently using PM2 than a small traditional knife. This may make a feeling that PM2 is a OK slicer, although the force required to cut would be a lot more with PM2 than with a traditional knife.
Just my 2 cents.
(1) Stock thickness. Thinner is better.
(2) Thickness behind the edge. Thinner is better (at the same edge angle).
(3) Grind (hollow, flat, or convex). I like hollow.
(4) Grind profile. Some hollow ground blades work a lot better than a flat or convex blade, but others do not perform well. The grind profile seems to have a role as well.
(5) Blade height. Less friction with a shorter blade than a taller one.
(6) Ergonomics. You can apply force more comfortably and efficiently using PM2 than a small traditional knife. This may make a feeling that PM2 is a OK slicer, although the force required to cut would be a lot more with PM2 than with a traditional knife.
Just my 2 cents.
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Spyderco PM2, Para3, Delica & Endura are all excellent slicers.
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I see the chaparral getting described as a great slicer a lot. What in your guys opinion makes it such a better slicer than say a pm3? Is it a thinner blade stock? They're both flat grinds right?
Per Spyderco’s specs, the Para 3’s blade thickness is 0.145 inches, and the Chaparral’s is 0.078 inches. That’s a big difference. And with that full flat grind, the Chaparral is very thin behind the edge as well. The thinness and flat grind make for an outstanding slicer.
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Thanks a lot, now I will be upping this week's spending to just under 1000 dollars on new knives since I have to buy the chap now....
