who woulda' thought - "survival" knives at Home Depot

[Streetstar]

Saw a YouTubes video talking about budget knives and a category i didnt even know existed came up -- the Duct knife -- used by HVAC contractors to cut flexible ductwork --- I'll have to verify this with my AC man when he comes in a few days to remedy a situation

but - a grippy handle , a profile reminiscent of an Applegate design, reasonably thick steel (maybe 3/16") , full serrated edge on one side and wicked sharp on the other , plus a price tag of $17 --- means i'll likely stash one or two more of these in my spare vehicle and safe room --- if only just to cut rope and plastic ties with the serrated edge -- but was surprised to find these as i didnt even know there was such a tool

And you can pick your color, as reportedly Estwing, Milwaukee and Klein all make similar versions -- and although i went for the muted black on grey (Klein was all my store had at the time ) , i am more and more gravitating towards bright colors for utility knives so i can find them quickly when i drop them

I probably wouldnt count on the steel of a $17 knife to ne up to the level of a mid tier factory blade like a Buck 119 or something --- but you definitely wouldnt sweat it too much

[.45colt]

Thanks for the post. I have a lot of knives that I would hate to lose. I'll look for one of those!

[gamekeeper]

That's a cool looking knife at a even more cool price sadly the UK government has just outlawed such knives with a serrated edge over 2" long..

[Old No7]

Cool knife!

Duct tape, heavy-duty plastic bags and now -- duct knives -- it sounds like they carry all you'd ever need for a murder-for-hire side job.

Old No7

[Streetstar]

Cool knife!

Duct tape, heavy-duty plastic bags and now -- duct knives -- it sounds like they carry all you'd ever need for a murder-for-hire side job.

Old No7

They've even got ladders and rope! Enterprising individuals could apply for a "Second story man" position with a casino takedown crew

[jeepnik]

Been around for decades. Designed to “stab” into HVAC materials and then cut it. I have carried one in my truck tool bag for over twenty years.

[jeepnik]

Oh, and here’s the rub. You can’t carry a dagger type knife in your vehicle. But you can carry a knife with the exact same blade profile if it’s a HVAC tool.

[Ysabel Kid]

That's a cool looking knife at a even more cool price sadly the UK government has just outlawed such knives with a serrated edge over 2" long..

Germany is now thinking about doing the same thing.

[Streetstar]

Oh, and here’s the rub. You can’t carry a dagger type knife in your vehicle. But you can carry a knife with the exact same blade profile if it’s a HVAC tool.

California is amazing (in regards to their kooky laws that is) ! -- but its also a place you can be at the beach in the morning and skiing or hiking in the mountains later on that afternoon so even though industry is fleeing, plenty of other private citizens will still flock there

[jeepnik]

Actually the state population has dropped slightly. And that’s including illegals.

[Old No7]

I was over to HD this morning, and of course I had to look and see what they had...

I got the Milwaukee brand -- red handle, full tang, and a decent plastic sheath. This will be handy to have in the SUV for emergencies of any sort -- oh, I mean, for HVAC work at my cousin's house, yeah, that's what it is for...

Old No7

Duct K.jpg

[Grizz]

I'd like to see a "forged-in-fire" type test before relying on that for much. know what I mean?

[gcs]

Cheap enough to dispose of if you cut anything other than ductwork...

[JB]

i am more and more gravitating towards bright colors for utility knives so i can find them quickly when i drop them

I've come to that conclusion myself. I now carry a orange knife deer hunting because I've spent too much time looking for a black or brown knife lying in the leaves during dim light.

[jeepnik]

I carried a number of Milwaukee knives in my tool bag. The red handle made them easy to spot and no one looked askance even when flipping open the assisted opening knife. Heck, they said Milwaukee right on them so they were tools.

[Bill in Oregon]

Doug, you sure got my attention. Thanks.

[AJMD429]

Cool knife!

Duct tape, heavy-duty plastic bags and now -- duct knives -- it sounds like they carry all you'd ever need for a murder-for-hire side job.

Old No7

I remember the look on a non-gun-type clerk filling in the 'sporting goods' section at Walmart when I stopped in to get a couple hundred 45 ACP factory loads for an impromptu range session while visiting a friend and helping clean her recently-deceased mother's house. The dude was filling in from another department and they only had boxes of 20, so he was shocked when I said I wanted ten boxes. THEN when I asked "Where would I find some really large heavy-duty trash bags...?" he literally got pale when he pointed to the appropriate aisle...

[AJMD429]

.
I've actually had a number of 'really cheap' knives over the years that were VERY solid performers. Mostly the non-folders - I think the folders have to be made WELL of they get loose and sloppy, but it is possible to make a straight knife fairly inexpensively and even be decent steel. Not if you want fancy hand-fitted pretty grips, or an odd blade profile that can't be easily mass-produced, but to take a chunk of decent steel and sharpen the appropriate edge, and apply servicable basic scales, is just not something that really needs to be all that costly. The chance you take is that SOME of the cheap ones are soft garbage steel.

[Griff]

Look at "linoleum knife" if you like a bit more aggressive blade.

[jeepnik]

Heck, most Americans are so scared of getting cut that hundreds gave up their lives and cost the lives of thousands to box cutters.

Image the world today had a few combat vets been on those planes.

[Streetstar]

Doug, you sure got my attention. Thanks.

Anytime! Heck i was at Lowes this AM picking up a water filter and other miscellaneous things and threw another one of these in the cart to toss in a pouch behind the seat in my truck.

theres usually a multi tool and a small folder in the console -- but this one serves the purpose of a good, cheap knife if one needs a larger format blade for anything ----

Ive already used it several times for paracord, rope , cutting tie wraps used to temporarily fix a fence (is it "temporary" if the tie wraps have been on there 2 years? ) and a couple other things i dont want to subject my expensive folder to

[Paladin]

Thanks, Doug will look into those. Not much different, but much cheaper, than some of the knives I have been issued.

[jeepnik]

The only thing that bothers me is eventually we will need governmental permission to shop at Home Depot. Heck one trip to a home improvement store would give you all you need to create chaos.

[FLINT]

Just because it's inexpensive, doesn't mean that it's junk necessarily.

I have a Klein folding knife (model 44001) that is a very good knife and is (or was) made in Japan. the stainless steel blade (Aus 8 ) is the equivalent of 440C which is a good steel - which is what used to be used on the older bucks and schrades before they were downgraded to 420 and 440A.

I can't see what steel the duct knife but if it's the same steel used in some of their folding knives, it could actually be better than a Buck 119. Looking at the website, it just lists the steel as "stainless" so it might be a lower grade steel

However, I can certainly vouch for the Klein 44001 being a really great knife. Very slim, light but locks up super tight and the steel is great.

[Grizz]

Just because it's inexpensive, doesn't mean that it's junk necessarily.

I have a Klein folding knife (model 44001) that is a very good knife and is (or was) made in Japan. the stainless steel blade (Aus 8 ) is the equivalent of 440C which is a good steel - which is what used to be used on the older bucks and schrades before they were downgraded to 420 and 440A.

I can't see what steel the duct knife but if it's the same steel used in some of their folding knives, it could actually be better than a Buck 119. Looking at the website, it just lists the steel as "stainless" so it might be a lower grade steel

However, I can certainly vouch for the Klein 44001 being a really great knife. Very slim, light but locks up super tight and the steel is great.

I finally found a pocket knife in the tool department of Lowes, a Kobalt brand chicom folder. It claims to be D2 steel, which is why I bought it. I can't buy the raw steel and heat treat it for anything like the cost of this thing. It's an odd mix of quality type grinds and components with a stamped blade blank. It is a tool steel with a long history and good toughness properties. It'll be the box knife for a while, and roustabout on the boat project, to see how it compares to the others.