Last ditch knife

[Puncha]

What do you guys think about the Massad Ayoob MOD Razorback? Is it worth it's MSRP as a last ditch self defense hideway knife? Anyone here at THR own one/handled one before? Any opinions?

Also, how does it compare to other knives in it's size class like the SOG Seal Pup, Strider model HT or Camillus CUDA CQB4?

 

[Otony]

I may be the wrong person to answer as far as value is concerned, as mine was bought at wholesale price. I think it is a GREAT value at 96 bucks!

Not sure if I would be willing to pay a whole lot more, however. It is a very, very nice knife, but is really just a glorified ice pick. Oh sure, it has a cutting edge that is pretty sharp, but it is also a pretty steep bevel. More of a sharp axe type edge. Not sure how effective it would be for slashing or cutting, it is more of a stabbing tool than anything else. You know, let air out, or let air in, depending on where one stabs.

It is quite well made, the sheath is well thought out, and if you are committed, it is an effective stabbing tool. Personally, while I like it and occasionally carry it, I prefer something I can cut with as well. Mo' tactical, if ya know what I mean.

 

[JShirley]

I think it's fairly humorous that someone who appears to be quite worried that handloaded bullets will be a liability in court puts his name on an evil black knife.

John

 

[Drjones]

MOD knives have a very good reputation as being excellent knives.

For a SD-only type of blade, the Spyderco Civilian is worth a look.

That thing is positively frightening.

 

[MrMurphy]

I preferred my Spyderco Lil' Temperance (looks innocent with it's green handle but it's a purpose built fighting knife) the new Chinook II is also very good. They're both hard-use-utility-holy-crap-I-need-it-now defensive weapons.

It was a little less than the MOD as well.

 

[Drjones]

To touch on what Murphy said, if your intended/anticipated/primary purpose for carrying a knife is for SD, do not use it for anything else.

Get another knife for everyday chores and leave your SD blade for when you need it.

A cool little knife is the Cold Steel Spike. Very neat, concealable, and rather sturdy. Beware of laws, of course.

 

[JShirley]

And poor steel.

Cute design, though.

John

 

[Otony]

Poor steel?

Since when is 154cm poor steel?

 

[Quartus]

Oh sure, it has a cutting edge that is pretty sharp

The sharpness of the edge out of the box is NO indication of the quality of the knife. Even garbage can be sharpened pretty well.


How it HOLDS an edge is a good indicator of quality.

I think it's fairly humorous that someone who appears to be quite worried that handloaded bullets will be a liability in court puts his name on an evil black knife.

High-five, John!

 

[JShirley]

Otony,

The Spike is 420. Check out the Cutco thread for more info on 420.

John

 

[Otony]

Quartus, I think you missed my point. The edge is quite steep, and getting a good CUTTING edge on it is pretty unlikely, even given that it is made from 154cm.

I agree that edge holding is quite important, however, in this case, the edge is not really intended for CUTTING jobs. As I wrote, it is really more of an axe type edge. MOD puts the edge on there to insure that folks recognize it as a knife, IMO. Otherwise, it is simply no more than a how I orginally described it, a glorified ice pick. Any pointy piece of steel will achieve the same effect.

If I were looking for a SD knife for all around use, I would pick something that could not only be sharpened, but hold an edge. It would have to be useful for cutting, not just stabbing. The Ayoob is really and truly only useful for poking holes, with cutting being a very secondary issue.

I have various knives of both stainless, and non-stainless. For the most part, I tend to lean towards properly heat treated L-6 (an almost stainless) as being best for overall work, though I have plenty of others to pick from.

I also am pretty good at putting the edge back, though I try to not get to that point, preferring to touch up as I go along. Easier all the way around.

 

[Otony]

ah, Okay, I didn't catch that we were discussing the Spike when it came to blade steel.

I agree, 420 is pretty poor stuff indeed. BTW, most folks don't know this, but the AUS-6 that is so popular on Taiwan made knives nowadays is very close to 420.

 

[The Tourist]

Guys, I have a new slant on edge retention. Well not 'new,' but different from the way I felt before I got my Edge Pro.

I was really careful with my edges before then. And I was a knife snob. A great design like a Lightfoot CRKT M-1 would not have interested me because of the blade steel. I considered 154-CM to be 'entry level.' Oy, I was an unlightened fool.

Now with the Edge-Pro I always have a razor sharp fresh edge. The sharpest knife I ever had was a Kershaw Whirlwind with a 14.8 degree edge. It would cut cardboard for about three days, and then it was only good for spreading margarine. But, oh, those three days. And you must remember, I had several Microtech Tantos during this period.

My new belief is that if we hold to a knife as being a 'tool,' then its condition is the issue. If you have things that need a precision slice, don't criticize the knife as being finnicky to sharpen--that's its job.

To demonstrate this point, I once bet my friends I could carry a 4-dollar Opinel for an entire month as an EDC and cut everything they did. One of my friends openly scoffed, and wondered why I even bought the thing.

Sure, I polished a lot that month, but I cut everything, and the newspaper tests we did showed that I always had the sharpest knife.

A good workman never blames his tools.