Comparison SKIF Plus Mate vs TOPEX 98Z007

The hardness of the material used for the knife blade. This parameter is one of the key characteristics of the blade. On the one hand, high hardness means that the cutting edge will not deform, wrinkle and dull prematurely, and the blade itself will bend under transverse loads; on the other hand, hard material is difficult to sharpen and is often rather brittle.

For knife blades, Rockwell hardness measurement and designation according to the appropriate scale (HRC) are used. Most good quality steel knives have a hardness of around 52 - 58 HRC - this range is considered to correspond to the optimal ratio of characteristics. For other materials, the numbers can be noticeably lower without any noticeable loss of reliability; see "Blade material" for details. And hardness above 60 HRC is extremely rare - mainly in premium grade steels and higher. In such steels, the brittleness characteristic of hard materials is eliminated through the use of various high-grade additives, and the difficulty in sharpening is compensated by the blade's long service life.

It is worth remembering that hardness is not the only characteristic that determines the quality of the blade: a lot depends on the composition of the alloy, manufacturing technology, etc. However, this is a fairly clear indicator that characterizes the features of a particular material; this is especially true for steel.

The total length of the knife blade. This characteristic is one of the most important, with several practical points associated with it.

Firstly, the length of the blade is directly determined by the purpose of the product, and even within the same type (see above) there may be different options. For example, hunting knives for skinning (skinners) are usually quite short, up to 10 cm - in contrast to general-purpose options. Therefore, it is worth choosing a model according to this parameter, taking into account the work for which you plan to use the knife.

Secondly, the dimensions of the blade determine the overall dimensions of the knife itself. This is especially important for outdoor models (see "Type"): although the knife is usually worn folded, it is customary to indicate its dimensions in the specifications for the unfolded position. And by the length of the blade, you can quite clearly estimate the length of the knife when folded: usually it is 1.5 - 1.7 times longer than that of the blade itself, and in any case, the knife cannot be shorter than its own blade.

Thirdly, the length of the blade can be (and in many CIS countries is) one of the criteria for determining whether a knife belongs to a cold weapon. Usually, regulatory documents indicate a certain minimum length value: shorter blades do not fall into the category of edged weapons, regardless of their design, and for longer blades, specific evaluation criteria come into force...(hardness of the material, shape of the point, blade thickness, etc.).

At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the length of the blade can be measured in different ways: from the point to the beginning of the handle, from the point to the peg used in opening, etc. In practical application, this moment does not play a decisive role, however, it can create legal problems: for example, state examination methods may not take into account the peg. So, if you have doubts about this, it is best to purchase a knife that has an official certificate that this model is not a melee weapon.

The thickness of the knife blade at its thickest point (usually at the butt). According to this parameter, one can to some extent evaluate the strength of the blade for transverse loads: a large thickness gives an appropriate margin of safety. At the same time, one should not forget that the “endurance” of a knife as a whole depends on many other features of its design, and only blades made of materials similar in properties can be compared in thickness. But what this indicator directly affects is the weight of the product.

Also, legal issues can be associated with the thickness of the blade, which determine whether a particular knife belongs to a cold weapon and the corresponding rules for buying, wearing and storing. The relevant rules may state, for example, that blades with a thickness of more than a certain value cannot be classified as melee weapons, regardless of other features.

The material from which the knife handle is made. For models with handles with overlays, in this case, it is usually the material of the overlays that is indicated.

The list of the most popular modern materials includes plastic, micarta, rubber, fiberglass, CFRP, wood, metal, in particular aluminium, steel, titanium, brass . There are other, more specific options, such as animal bone or horn.Here are the main features of different materials:

— Plastic. Plastic is often associated with cheap products, but in the case of knives, things are ambiguous. The fact is that there are many varieties of this material on the market, including very high quality, and the real properties of the plastic handle depend primarily on the price category of the knife. At the same time, some features are common to all variants. On the one hand, plastic in general is quite inexpensive, while being easy to process, it can easily take on complex shapes and almost any colour shade. In addition, it is relatively light, resistant to water and quite durable. Among the disadvantag...es: most types of plastic are inferior to metals in reliability and can crack from a strong impact, and this material scratches much easier.

— Fiberglass. Most often, this term does not mean pure fiberglass (it is not suitable for making handles), but fibre-reinforced plastic — a composite material that combines glass fiber and a binder polymer. This material is lightweight, resistant to water and temperature changes and very durable — its most advanced varieties are not inferior to steel. Like ordinary plastic, it is well suited for creating complex shapes. Another advantage of fiberglass is low thermal conductivity — in other words, such a handle does not “cool” the hand much in the cold. However the price of all these advantages is quite high.

— Wood. This material has been used for knife handles for a long time, but does not lose popularity today. Many appreciate wood for its pleasant and stylish appearance, but its advantages are not limited to this: wooden handles are relatively light, pleasant to the touch, including and in cold weather, and also do not slip out of the hand. On the other hand, a wood that does not receive a special treatment tends to accumulate moisture, which leads to loss of "presentation" and even damage; in addition, this material is quite sensitive to cracks and scratches. It is worth saying that different types of wood can be used in knife handles, including those that are devoid of the shortcomings described above — but they usually weigh a lot and are very expensive. Relatively simple options can be quite expensive.

— Rubber. Classical rubber is well suited for kitchen knives, but is poorly suitable for camping and other similar models due to softness, and therefore is rare. Specific types of rubber are more commonly used; their properties are usually largely similar to the plastic described above.

— Steel. One of the most popular materials for multi-tools, where the handles are subjected to significant stress; however, it is also found in knives. The key advantages of steel are high strength and reliability. It has a rather large weight, but massiveness often also turns out to be a virtue — in particular, it creates an additional impression of strength and reliability. Among the unequivocal disadvantages of steel, one can note the tendency to “cool” fingers and slip out of wet hands; however, the first moment is noticeable only in cold weather without gloves, and the second is often compensated by a relief notch, which provides additional security in holding. It is also worth considering that different grades of steel may have different resistance to corrosion, some varieties may require additional care.

— Aluminium. Another material that is quite popular among multitools, but also used in knives. In many respects it is similar to steel, however, on the one hand, it weighs less and is more resistant to corrosion, on the other hand, it costs more.

— Mikarta. Material from the family of textolites; A “layered” composite that combines a fibrous material (such as paper, fabric, or fiberglass) with a polymeric filler. The specific composition of micarta may vary, but high-pressure sintering is a mandatory feature of production. Thanks to this, the material is very dense, durable and reliable, it is suitable even for top-class knives, and the low-cost allows the use of micarta in low-cost models. On the practical side, micarta is quite pleasant to the touch, absolutely insensitive to water and temperature changes, does not cool the hand and does not conduct electricity. In addition, micarta handles also look good: for example, many of them have characteristic patterns that mimic the texture of wood.

— Titanium. Titanium-based alloys can be classified as premium materials. In addition to a solid appearance, they have low weight combined with high strength. In addition, titanium handles are well suited for use at low temperatures due to their low thermal conductivity. The main disadvantage, traditionally for such materials, is the high cost.

— CFRP. Composite material combining carbon fiber threads (carbon) and a plastic base. The main advantage of this material is its high strength, comparable to that of steel — despite the fact that it weighs much less, besides, it is absolutely not subject to corrosion. On the other hand, carbon fiber does not tolerate point impacts well — cracks can appear from this; and the cost of such handles is very high.

— Animal horn. Natural horn (for example, deer or bull) is one of the traditional materials used for knife handles for a long time. The main advantages of this material are an aesthetic appearance with a characteristic pattern, as well as a relief texture that makes it easier to hold the knife in your hand. In addition, low thermal conductivity contributes to the comfort of holding, due to which the handle does not cool the hand. On the other hand, the horn is less durable than the same steel or fiberglass. Therefore, nowadays, this material is used mainly for aesthetic reasons — to give the knife a characteristic style.

— Bone. Another "traditional" material, in many respects similar to the horn described above — in particular, the bone is pleasant to the touch and looks stylish in "hunting" knives, but in terms of strength it is somewhat inferior to more modern materials. The main difference from the horn is that bone handles have more variations in texture and colour, and their surfaces are usually smooth; the latter can be both a disadvantage and an advantage, depending on the preferences of the user.

— Leather. Leather overlays on the handle not only give the knife a stylish appearance, but also provide quite practical advantages: such a surface is reliable when held both with bare hands and with gloves, it does not cool hands and is pleasant to the touch. On the other hand, such a design is quite expensive and does not have clear advantages over simpler materials. Therefore, leather is used mainly as an element of external design, and not for practical reasons.

— Bronze. An alloy based on copper, usually with tin, having a peculiar colour (reddish or golden). In terms of basic properties, it is similar to steel (see above), on the practical side it differs only in its original appearance and higher cost. Therefore, bronze is rarely used, mainly to give the knife an original appearance.

— Brass. An alloy based on copper and zinc, with a characteristic golden colour. It is similar in characteristics and application to the bronze described above, it is used more for aesthetic rather than practical reasons.

— Metal. This option is indicated for models in which the manufacturer, for one reason or another, did not specify the specific composition of the metal used for the handle (steel, aluminium, bronze, etc.), as well as for handles consisting of unusual alloys that are not related to any one of the options above. The specific properties of the "metal" may be different, it is easiest to evaluate them by the price category of the knife.

The total weight of the knife. It is worth evaluating this indicator depending on the type (see above) and purpose: for example, for a compact hiking model, light weight is usually a virtue, among hunting and fishing it all depends on specialization, and a machete, by definition, must be weighty — otherwise, cut with such a blade it will just be uncomfortable.

— No point. Models that do not have a pronounced point in the main blade. This design does not allow the blade to make punctures, which in some situations can be an advantage. For example, such models are great for the role of “the first knife for a young tourist”: the absence of a point reduces the likelihood of injury, which is important for children who do not have a clear skill for safe handling of a knife. In "adult" situations, the absence of a point can come in handy, for example, when skinning a hunted animal (so as not to pierce the insides) or cutting a net that fits snugly against the side of a rubber boat. In addition, the presence of a point may be one of the criteria for belonging to a melee weapon; in many countries, a knife without a point is not automatically such a weapon, regardless of other design features.

— Blade lock. The presence of a special lock in the folding knife, which prevents accidental folding of the blade. Such folding is both inconvenient and very traumatic, since the owner's fingers usually get in the way of the blade; blocking prevents such troubles. Note that the lock may not be installed in compact Swiss knives, the blade of which is not dangerous due to its small size, and this function is not found among butterflies in principle — the handle design itself does not allow the knife to fold while held in hand.

— Opening with one hand. The ability t...o open a folding knife (see "Design") with one hand. Among the knives with this feature, two varieties can be distinguished — with manual and automatic opening. In "manual" models, for opening with one hand, a protrusion (peg) or cutout is provided on the blade, which plays the role of a stop for the thumb; in "automatic machines" the blade unfolds (and in many frontal knives — and folds) under the action of a spring controlled by a button or a slider. Anyway, this function provides additional convenience; however, note that in some countries, opening with one hand is considered one of the signs of edged weapons.
Separately, we note that butterfly knives in our catalog are also considered “one-handed”, and by definition: any such knife can be “unwound” from a closed position to an open one using a relatively simple technique.

— Emerson Hook. A device designed to open a folding knife directly when pulled out of a pocket. A knife with such a device, unlike more traditional models, is worn on a clip with the tip up, not down; and the hook itself is located on the butt at the base of the blade and is designed in such a way that when removing the knife, you can catch the hook on the edge of the pocket and open the blade completely or almost completely. This function can be very useful in critical situations, where, as they say, everything is decided in a split second. On the other hand, it is worth bearing in mind that a certain skill is needed to use it effectively; and the Emerson hook is “not friendly” with fabrics, it can damage the material of the pocket, so it is best to use this method of opening with jeans or other clothes made of dense, durable matter.

— Finger notch. The presence in the design of the knife of a special recess located on the handle, where the index finger is placed with a direct grip. This feature provides additional convenience when holding the knife, but makes it less versatile — when using grip options other than straight, the notch can create difficulties (therefore, for example, it is quite rare in hunting models). It should be noted that the presence of a subfinger notch and its depth can serve as one of the criteria for determining whether a weapon belongs to a bladed weapon.

— Strap attachment. The presence in the design of the knife handle of a special fastening for a lanyard — a special strap. The lanyard provides additional convenience when removing the knife from the sheath, can be used to additionally fix the handle in the hand, to install a counterweight that facilitates chopping blows (for machetes and similar models, see "Type"), etc. The traditional strap mount is just a hole in the handle. However, in some types of knives (in particular, Swiss ones), this role can be played by a ring, which is also used to attach the knife itself to a carabiner, a bunch of keys, etc.

— Case. The classic case is an accessory that provides convenience and sometimes additional safety when storing and transporting the tool. At the same time, the difference between such an accessory and a scabbard (which perform a similar function) is that, usually, the knife is placed entirely in the case, while the sheath covers only the blade, leaving the handle outside. Accordingly, folding knives and multi-tools are usually equipped with covers, and such accessories are quite popular among awkward models. And here are the main options for materials:

• Fabric cover. The most popular variety nowadays. As a “fabric”, a durable and reliable material is usually used, resistant to abrasion, temperature extremes, ultraviolet radiation, etc.; a typical example is dense nylon ("cordura") or polyurethane fiber. Anyway, fabric covers are cheaper than leather ones and are not so demanding to care for, while they are reliable, practical, and look good, which is why they are widely used.
• Leather Case. Leather cases differ primarily in their characteristic appearance. Often such a product is not just a utilitarian addition to the knife, but a full-fledged fashion accessory, further emphasizing the style and character of the owner. And in terms of protection, leather covers are somewhat superior to fabric ones. On the other hand, genuine leather is quite expensive, requires special care rules, and in some situations may lose its appearance and performance (for example, when wet and dry quickly, the material may crack). And various leather substitutes (which can also be implied in this case) may have different characteristics — usually, they directly depend on the price.
• Carrying case. This option is indicated in our catalog in two cases: either if the manufacturer did not directly specify the specific material, or if the knife can be supplied with different types of sheaths (at the user's choice or depending on the batch / region of delivery — this point should be specified separately). However, anyway, the material can often be clarified from photographs — after all, covers are most often made of leather or fabric, and it is not difficult to distinguish between these options.

— Scabbards. This accessory, like the case, is used for convenient and safe storage and carrying of the knife. The difference lies in the fact that the sheath hides only the blade, leaving the handle open. Accordingly, it makes sense to supplement only clumsy knives with such products. Also note that the sheath is usually designed to be able to quickly remove the knife (another difference from the same cases). And here are the most popular materials used for such accessories:

• Plastic scabbard. Plastic is an inexpensive and at the same time quite practical material. Nowadays, there is a wide variety of plastic grades on the market that differ in characteristics; this allows you to choose an option for almost any purpose and price category of a knife. Thanks to this, plastic scabbards are very popular. We only note that products made from kydex (which is also formally plastic) are listed separately in our catalog.
• Kydex scabbard. Kydex was originally a trademark of Sekisui SPI, but nowadays similar materials from other manufacturers are also combined under this name. Kydex is actually a special advanced type of plastic, which is characterized by high strength, scratch resistance (it is difficult to scratch such a surface even on purpose) and general reliability. For illustration, it can be noted that even aviation fairings and marine deep-sea robots are made of such material nowadays. Thus, the scabbard is made of kydex and placed in a separate category. Of course, such products cost more than plastic ones — however, the difference in price is not as serious as one might imagine. So such scabbards can be found even in relatively simple models of knives.
• Leather scabbard. Leather scabbards have the same characteristics as sheaths made of this material. Such products look great; often they, in addition to practical functions, also play the role of fashion accessories. This material is especially well combined with hunting and tourist knives in a traditional design; in fact, such models are most often supplemented with leather scabbards. And on the practical side, the skin is distinguished by excellent strength. At the same time, this material requires certain special rules for use and care. For example, a wet leather product should dry slowly, at a low temperature — otherwise it may lose its luster and become deformed. And for a full guarantee, it is advisable to periodically treat the surface of such scabbards with special means. Also note that genuine leather is quite expensive, and various leather substitutes (which can also be used in this case) may have different characteristics — usually, they directly depend on the price.
• Fabric scabbard. The scabbard is made of dense and durable fabric — usually based on synthetic fibers (for example, nylon cordura). To protect against contact of the fabric with the blade, such products often provide an additional insert made of plastic or other dense material. However, in general, this option, for a number of reasons, is used quite rarely — mainly in relatively inexpensive knives.

The country of origin of the brand under which the knife is marketed. Usually, it is indicated by the "homeland" of the manufacturing company or by the location of its headquarters.

There are many stereotypes associated with the “nationality” of brands and products, but most of them have no basis nowadays. First, the actual place of production is often different from the brand's country of origin. Secondly, the quality of the goods depends not so much on geography, but on the policy of a particular company and how carefully this very quality is controlled in it. Therefore, you should pay attention to the country of origin of the brand only if you fundamentally want or (do not want) to support a manufacturer from a certain state. Quality is best judged by the reputation of a particular brand and the general price category. But still Swiss knives and American knives and multi-tools a> deserve respect. However, this is more of a reputation, German counterparts can be just as good. As well as Ukrainian.