How to test a knives quality?

Question

How to test a knives quality?

Answer 1

A smaller knife see how long it can last cutting manilla rope. If it's a larger fixed blade knife try using it to split lumber like I did with my KA-BAR..

Answer 2

Know what it's made of and who made it. Quality is a very subjective condition. Many think the fit and finish of a knife denotes quality; if the materials are chosen for appearance and manufacture over cutting performance and durability, you're paying for a lot of labor and getting bling, not usefulness.

Some downright rough looking, ugly knives are constantly derided as junk, but outperform others priced much higher. They are made of superior materials in a cost effective manner and are intended as tools first.

In general, a knife should "walk and talk," if it's a folder - open and close with no roughness, lock solidly with no play, and stay locked if it's supposed to. The blade should be fully finished, no rough spots or machine marks, the contours match side to side. Grips should fit tightly, no gaps, looseness, or mismatched lines, liners finished on all edges.

You can't test quality, you have to look for it. Testing the ability of a knife to keep an edge is completely dependant on the type of steel, heat treat, and how it is ground. It's very difficult to judge between two blades that are made to completely different purposes. But that's what many unknowledgeable users try to do. They will always tell you their favorite is better - but they can't tell you exactly why.

Once you define what your testing, and apply some sound methods to discover it, you might get insights into which you prefer.

Answer 3

Carry it and test it. See if it retains sharpness. If you want, cut cardboard pieces until its dull. See How long it takes to dull. Then Resharpen it. Note how easy or hard it is to resharpen. Use The Snot out of it for a while. Then if it holds up, Its a good knife. If you want, you can just look at the brand, but thats not the smart way to play the game.