Round Knife Vs Box Cutter?

[lwm803]

I agree that there is a point where ease of sharpening trumps edge holding ability. If I were unable to sharpen my own knives I would place a much higher priority on edge holding ability. A knife that takes an occasional couple of strokes on a stone and/or strop consumes no more of my time than one that only rarely requires a more involved and intense sharpening session.

[bruce johnson]

To add my 2 cents in here.

I used box cutters and utility knives to start out and if a person has limited sharpening skills or equipment, then they will work well enough. They don't skive though. If you are on a budget and have some sharpening skills then a new Osborne or Weaver knife are going to be a step up. They are going to take some work out of the box, and at least for me are going to need to be stropped more and go to the stones more than the next tier. There are some great handmakers of knives - I have Dozier and Knipschield round knives and can sure recommend them. They are Energizer bunnies - strop every so often and go on. The price is only exceeded by the quality there. I have had some others I am not so high on. There are other options for cutting - hook knives, straight knives, half rounds, etc. My wife was blocking out some coasters yesterday. I found my rein trimmer outside on the glueing table this morning. She likes using that for cutting.

On the old knives, I like them a lot and have handled a bunch. Most of them have good steel unless they have been mucked up by a previous user. Better than new production knives once they are cleaned up? Yes I think so. An old guy told me a few years ago that a Rose knife is "harder than a wh*re's heart and stays sharper than a mother-in-law's tongue".

As far as collectors driving prices up on Ebay. Yes on some things for sure, but I don't think knives are generally one of them. There were so many knives made for the trade and still floating around that 99.99% are not really collectible. I'd wager most are getting cleaned up and put to work. I think the realized prices generally reflect the condition and probable usabilityof the knife. An average as-found old Rose or Gomph should sell for more than a new Osborne. Likewise a pretty good CS Osborne Newark marked knife should bring more. The cleanup on these old knives can be time consuming though. I have a minimum average of 2 hours on most knives for me. The old Blanchards and Rose knives are double the time at least.

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

There you have it. Good sound advice from a good source. That is why I recommended Bruce in the first place. He knows his tools, and won't steer you wrong. Next time I buy a new one, I will go to Knipper, (if we are still around!) and for used tools, Bruce can't be beat. I am still using the CS Osborne Newark that I bought new, a bunch of years, and hundreds of hides ago. Invest in good tools and they will last you a lifetime.

Bob

[Ed in Tx]

The best blades I have found for a utility knife are Lenox Gold. They have a titanium edge and last a lot longer than any other blade I have tried. I bought a 50 pack at Home Depot for about $20. Don't waste your money on Stanley or other blades like that, cut out one holster and they are junk. I have used a Lenox blade for several holster cut outs and the blade is still good.

[chiefjason]

The best blades I have found for a utility knife are Lenox Gold. They have a titanium edge and last a lot longer than any other blade I have tried. I bought a 50 pack at Home Depot for about $20. Don't waste your money on Stanley or other blades like that, cut out one holster and they are junk. I have used a Lenox blade for several holster cut outs and the blade is still good.

I'm telling you, going on 3 months on a stanley blade. Sharpening will do the same thing. I'm sure those are great blades. But stropping a stanley blade a few times gets it right back where it needs to be. Worse case hit it on a fine stone then strop. I'm a diehard cheapskate so I'd rather sharpen my cheaper blades than spend more money on "good" blades and toss them when the are dull, even if they do stay sharp longer.

[malabar]

Thanks for all the advice. I appreciate it.

I currently use shears and utility knives. I make the utility knoves cut pretty darn well using this

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=44884&cat=1,43072

They sell a leather belt for it, which turns it into a power strop. Coat the belt with jeweler's rouge, and you can polish a utility knife blade scary sharp in a minute or so. I still think a good round knife will have some advantages, though.

tk

[J Hayes]

Off topic but I made a belt grinder like that from a DC motor and variable speed control, an excellent edge sanding machine, I slow it way down and no longer accidentally burnmy edges. A leather belt for it would be awesome!

Jeremy