- Joined
- Nov 29, 2005
- Messages
- 887
One thing that's mystified me in the online knife community (prominently including this forum) is people's apparently-low interest in the old high-carbon knives made in Solingen, Germany, which are so common on, for example, eBay. These knives are generally quite well made, using something which I gather is either 1095 steel or something very much like it. A little shopping will get you one with a 10-inch blade for about $50--but instead people are paying almost twice as much for a Cold Steel Trailmaster or a Becker BK-9. Even a lot of the Ka-bar knives are at nearly the same price-range. An RTAK will set you back about 80 bucks--and yet you see these very-similar-and-maybe-better-steel German knives selling for a lot less than comparably-configured modern knives with what is in some cases very questionable durability. What gives?
A lot of the old German knives have a lot more character--several have actual stag handles, which I'd take over rubberized Kraton. (At least staghorn doesn't dissolve if you spray insect repellent in the vicinity.) The littler ones--with blades in the 4-to-6-inch neighborhood--look like they'd handle most of what you'd throw at a lot of the more-fad-friendly modern bush knives. I'm kind of mystified by the low interest level people seem to have. Is there a genuine quality concern that I just haven't heard about? Or is it just a fad thing?
What do you all think?
A lot of the old German knives have a lot more character--several have actual stag handles, which I'd take over rubberized Kraton. (At least staghorn doesn't dissolve if you spray insect repellent in the vicinity.) The littler ones--with blades in the 4-to-6-inch neighborhood--look like they'd handle most of what you'd throw at a lot of the more-fad-friendly modern bush knives. I'm kind of mystified by the low interest level people seem to have. Is there a genuine quality concern that I just haven't heard about? Or is it just a fad thing?
What do you all think?