Hi folks,

I'm new to the forum but not to the site. This will by my first post...so hi everybody! After reading Doug's spectacular writeup on knife selection, I decided to update my lacking selection (which admittedly was selected for the wrong reasons at the time. ie: price, what was available, and impulse buys with no research).

After a 6000km road trip through the US, I had the opportunity to get some good deals. Unfortunately I found very few of the knives recommended by Doug but did find some which I liked and would like to know what the community thinks about my purchases. I'll explain what drew me to each of them to try and avoid the 'what were you thinking?!' replies.

I did try to search for these knives in the forum in case they were already discussed so if I'm resurrecting an old topic feel free to slap me.

Kershaw 1630 Cyclone: I wanted a very sturdy folding knife for every day carry. I found the Cyclone to be as sturdy as any folding knife I'd held. It's a bit on the heavy side with Aluminum scales but that brings certain peace of mind in a folder for me. I never thought I'd own an assisted open folding knife but it's larger than what I'm used to in a pocket knife and the wide blade combined with my stubby thumbs make it a welcome feature. I don't know much about the Sandvik 13C26 stainless used except that it's Sandvik's standard for surgical knives and razor blades. I also liked the fact it has a hole for a lanyard and a reversible pocket clip (I'm a lefty as well as a Canadian!)

Gerber Freeman S30V Hunter: Had Doug not promoted S30V steel so well in his knife writeup (and selected it for use in his custom designed knives) I may have overlooked this knife. The second I picked it up and felt it's (lack of) weight despite it's seemingly sturdy construction, I was sold. Time will tell if the heavy leather sheath is better than the outstanding Benchmade cordura sheath but I liked the feel of the Gerber much better than the competition...very basic. And with the dark plated metal and Cocobolo wood scales, it's a good looking knife too.

Gerber LMF II Infantry: I must have been running high on testosterone that day but I also bought the LMF II. I was fascinated by how heavy and robust it is yet at the same time comfortable and not in the least bit awkward. It's definitely heavy but I think that's what I wanted...something I know will survive the worst. Doug mentions this knife as simply OK in his writings but doesn't elaborate on it's shortcomings. I can only assume he meant the weight and the serrations on the blade.

Well that's it. Please let me know what you think. I'm mostly interested in knowing that these are good knives and not junk before they let me down in a dire situation.

Thanks in advance,

Dave Tameling