Agree that sharp knives rule and dull knives suck.
I’m not a knife expert by any stretch of the imagination but earlier this year I did a bunch of research on knife steels before upgrading my EDC folding knife and picking up a couple of fixed blade knives to choose from when I am in my home state.
From what I saw there are steels that are easy to sharpen but require regular sharpening because they dull quickly, steels that hold an edge for a long time but can be very hard to sharpen and those that are somewhere in between. How well those steels are heat treated can be even more important than the type of steel. Then it is also worth taking into consideration how resistant to chipping and rusting they are depending on how and where you use it.
I went with one of the newer steels that is in the in between category. Magnacut steel can hold an edge very well but is fairly easy to keep sharp if you have one of those diamond steel sharpeners and a ceramic rod. It also happens to be very rust resistant.
I find myself only needing to touch up the sharpness on my new EDC folding knife once or twice a month. Usually with just a few passes on a ceramic rod. Though I am not a great sharpener and have only been able to get it to paper slicing sharp as apposed to hair shaving sharp.
Yes, honing is far better and easier than sharpening, especally with hard to sharpen steels. Yes, the newer steels have a better balance between hardness, edge-retention, rust-resistance, and ease of honing/sharpening. My newest, now many years old, is a ZT made of powdered steel, gets amazingly sharp, holds an edge and is fairly easy to hone. I have only done a slight sharpening of it a few times as honing is usually all it needs, unless I have used it a lot - that means even if it is slightly less sharp, it needs honing - I make sure my all my knives are as sharp as they can be. It is much easier and quicker to just hone than sharpen and hone.
My daughter recently commented on how sharp my kitchen knives are after using one of the Chef’s knives at the restaurant she works at. I told her a good Chef keeps his/her knives sharp. Dull knives are more dangerous to the user than sharp knives.
I’ve been looking at Fred Perrin La Griffe style finger hole knives as a deep concealment/backup option.
But all the ones I see seem very pricey for small simple knives mostly made with very basic steals or even plastic. Does anyone know of a source for a reasonably well made but affordable option?
Its my understanding that the class of law you can be charged with in IL related to knife actions can also be used for any sharp object ie sharp rock, piece of plastic/glass, etc.
I’ve swapped out my regular rotations to different knives now and then. Right now my three most carried knives are a Letherman Crater C3TX, BM CF Mini Presidio II, and a BM Stryker II with a widened handle.
The LM is the most used, since Ill bring it if I think I might need to handle odds and ends managing rental properties. However I tend to use a box cutter more in that role if I have my tool bag with me.
(720 ILCS 5/24-1) (from Ch. 38, par. 24-1)
Sec. 24-1. Unlawful use of weapons.
(a) A person commits the offense of unlawful use of weapons
when he knowingly:
(1) […] possesses or carries any bludgeon, black-jack, slung-shot, sand-club, sand-bag, metal knuckles or other knuckle weapon regardless of its composition, throwing star, or any knife, commonly referred to as a switchblade knife, which has a blade that opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in the handle of the knife, or a ballistic knife, which is a device that propels a knifelike blade as a projectile by means of a coil spring, elastic material or compressed gas; or
(2) Carries or possesses with intent to use the same
unlawfully against another, a dagger, dirk, billy, dangerous knife, razor, stiletto, broken bottle or other piece of glass, stun gun or taser or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument of like character;
