Here at Village Sharpening we ship and receive a lot of packages and boxes from all over the world. We have the Sharpening business running alongside other enterprises that resell imported goods. A good knife is essential to keep day to day operations going. For the last 2 years we have relied on the Manly City.
The Manly City is a great folding knife. It has a secure blade lock, and although it is short bladed, it is not Legal to carry in the UK without good reason. For this reason, it never leaves the premises. The blade made from 14C28N stainless steel. This steel provides the knife with exceptional rust resistance, but slightly compromises its ability to stay sharp with hard use. This knife is used in the rain on a regular basis as we accept packages and freight 365 days a year. Other than a slightly dull edge, it has provided stellar service for over 2 years. The Manly Wasp is the Legal Carry folding version of this knife (similar, not identical) and does not have a locking blade per say. The blade has detents that hold it in various positions during opening and closing.
Upgrade
After reviewing our new requirements, I decided that the knife that would be purchased to supplement (not replace) the City would be another Manly, the Patriot. I wanted a slightly longer blade, with a thickness that would allow prying occasionally. The reason I selected Manly in the first place was the good value component they build into their knives. They are made in Bulgaria and use German or Scandinavian steel. Most of their offerings allow you a choice of the steel that you want in your knife. Quite frequently a new ‘Super Steel’ is introduced into the market place. The knife community like these knives hence they disappear off the shelves quite quickly. Usually, the ‘ordinary’ working version of the knives tend to linger and are often offered at reduced price, making them very attractive to purchase and use for ‘ordinary’ day to day cutting tasks. This situation is exactly what I was looking for.
Folding or Fixed
I really like the Manly City and Wasp folding knives. I have never had a problem or accident with them as they are very secure and well designed. I cannot say this for all folding knives. Modern folding knives are great and can be used for almost every task, but I was not committed to folding knives as pocket carry was not a requirement. What was important though was the ability to deploy the knife with a single hand. The new knife was going to be primarily a general purpose shop knife. In practise, you are usually holding the end of whatever you are needing to cut. Tape, rope, paper or sheet goods are all held with one hand and trimmed with the other. Both hands are usually used to position the piece to be cut, then a single hand is used to hold the object in place. The free hand does the cutting.
Blade Length
In actual use, the sub three inch blade on the City and Wasp knives cut almost anything you would ordinarily come across on a day to day basis. The blade on the Patriot is slightly longer and of slightly different shape compared to the City. Manly offer longer blade lengths in their line, but for my purposes this would reduce the utility of the knife. The length of the Patriot blade is 91mm, which is more than adequate for a general purpose shop knife. This compact length makes the knife easier to carry on the belt and keeps the overall weight down, which are both important factors.
Grip Material and Steel Choice
The two Manly knives that I use on a daily basis have high visibility G10 grips. This was a conscious choice as if I dropped a dark knife in my outdoor work area, it may take quite some time to find it. I also liked the fact that G10 was impervious to water and is a very tough wearing material. The new knife would be used in an indoor shop environment and therefore could be made from virtually anything durable.
As for the blade material, corrosion resistance was lower on the list than edge retention. The new knife would be used to cut or score a variety of materials including cord, paper, nylon strapping, cardboard, polypropylene, and packing tape. In addition, it would be used to shave wood on occasion. Stock on Patriot knives was limited and I was eventually able to locate a Patriot in D2 Steel with wooden grips in a shop in Finland at a very attractive price. It was the last one they had in stock and it was on offer. I ordered it and have filmed an unboxing video which I have embedded below.
Surprise Features
The standard Patriot has G10 grips included. This are rivetted to the knife and therefore cannot be removed. The wood grips / scales that were included with my Patriot are attached with stainless steel Torx screws, allowing them to be easily removed. I only want to remove them occasionally to check for corrosion. The scales are made from Guayacan wood. This species is known for its hardness and durability. The wood on my knife is clear and free from any defects. The finish is semi gloss.
The sheath included was soft leather, requiring no break in period. It fits the knife perfectly. I have only had the knife a few days and have used it to make simple cuts in soft material. I chose this knife because it was the one closest to hand. A good indicator of how handy a compact practical fixed blade knife can be.
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