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1. Might be great for righty; not so much for lefties. I am constantly disappointed that knife makers don’t drill and tap the other die of the knife – an operation that, to this uneducated commenter, would not seem to involve that much extra cost.

   1. Emerson knives are usually tapped both sides. They can be pretty pricey though.

   2. JSW,
      AMEN!

2. 8Cr13MoV Steel

   8Cr13MoV steel is a popular budget brand of knife steel, which is made in China. In its composition this steel is close to the Japanese steel of AUS-8 grade. 8Cr13MoV steel at its low cost demonstrates very worthy characteristics of cutting. At suitable heat treatment of steel the products made of 8Cr13MoV steel retain for a long time the sharpness of the cutting edge and have a very good corrosion resistance. The range of steel hardness is 56-59HRC.

   HRC is Rockwell Hardness on the “C” scale.

   Knives made of 8Cr13MoV steel keep sharpening well and at the same time they are easy to sharpen, and have highly aggressive cuts on soft materials. Many popular manufacturers often use this steel in their products.

   8Cr13MoV steel features

   Steel is well balanced with regard to strength, cutting and anti-corrosion properties. Many features made the 8Cr13MoV steel suitable for production of non-expensive tourist and urban knives with good average performance. So You can be sure that when You buy a Skif knife made of this steel grade, You get a reliable product at a low price.
   8Cr13MoV steel characteristics:
   Chemical element

   % (depending on the manufacturer)
   carbon 0,8
   chrome 13
   manganese –
   vanadium 0.2
   molybdenum 0.2
   nickel –
   silicon 1
   sir 0.03
   phosphorus 0.03
   selenium –

   From http://skif-knives.com/en/publications/8cr13mov-en

3. Getting expelled from school might be a blessing. Better yet, don’t go in the first place. Too many schools are prisons that keep kids from learning.

4. When I grew up in Austin, Texas, now a bastion of liberalism, many boys carried a knife. Not to mention the guys that had a long gun riding in the rear truck window. And no one thought to shoot up my school. Less crazy back then, I guess.

5. Unless we were trying to whittle an object, it was a contest to see who could get the longest piece sheared off a chunk of wood; the long pieces made excellent fire starter.
   I’m pretty sure the parents thought up this ‘contest.’ And yes, we all had knives and were taught that they were a tool; abuse or misuse meant loosing the tool and we were than reduced in stature, back to being a little kid. Parents again.

6. Years ago, I put my entire family….wife and four girls (all school-age at the time) through a two day blade-fighting school with Felix Valencia, a vetted teacher of escrima. Felix, all of 5 feet, 2 inches tall, is a walking blender. He preferred Cold Steel Voyagers, but your preference may vary. Because my kids were in school, I purchased for them, an H&K locking folder with razor-sharp serrated blades with a spear point…about 2 1/2″ long. These were very flat and could readily open with the flick of the wrist- important because the other hand may be occupied with an emergency.
   These little knives were undetectable but in the hand of a frightened little girl who knew what to do with it would make an attempted kidnapping very unpleasant.
   The serrated edge easily slashes through tough seams on jeans like butter, where a smooth edge probably will not. Same with winter clothing. Thin serrated edge blades are simply devastating.
   For JSW, the Cold Steel Voyagers (I like the 5 1/2″ clip-point, serrated-edge model) some drilled and tapped on both sides, but you will likely have to order the left-side pocket clip. It’s a very serious blade and it’s flat, light profile makes it easy to carry all the time. Felix brought in two sides of beef and demonstrated this blade’s ferocious cutting power by bringing it down through the ribs in a slashing motion….we could hear the clicking sound of the blade crashing through the ribs in succession. Then, all students practiced on the ribs. Carry two…..one for cutting copper pipe, chores, and one for serious purposes.
   Voyagers come in many blade lengths to fit your lifestyle.

7. If you paid more than $30-35 for a Kershaw folder you paid too much.

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