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| Indestructable? Darn close. |
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Choice Cut: Oho Titanium Knives
Whether you’re cutting fillets from your catch or chunks for bait, you need a sharp blade. One that’s strong, too. That’s not a problem in the kitchen but on the boat, steel knives corrode or go dull in short order. And if they don’t, it always seems like their tips get bent or broken, when you’re trying to get through a backbone or fish head. But, what could be better than steel? Titanium. Unfortunately, that material costs an arm and a leg—which is why Old Harbor Outfitters has come out with a new line of knives that are made of steel with titanium in it—called titanium-bonded steel. When making the blades for the Old Harbor Outfitters’ knives titanium is fused with the steel through a heat-treatment process. Although it seemed to me like the blade doesn’t seem to hold its sharpness as well as some, since the actual volume of titanium is low, price can be kept low too. And although the plastic handles are nothing fancy, they should last for eons, as will that titanium-fused blade. The two are brought together with “full tang” construction, which means the metal extends all the way from the tip of the blade to the base of the handle, providing maximum durability and control.
So: just how strong are these blades? Old Harbor Outfitters guarantees them to be three times stronger than stainless-steel alone. Of course, we didn’t believe it until we tried it. To test the claim I put a fillet knife in the holder on my open center console and made sure it got a salt-spray soaking each and every fishing trip. I didn’t rinse it off one single time, mercilessly ground the blade against fish backbones and scales, and even pried with the tip. The knife survived the ordeal without damage. But I didn’t think that was sufficient abuse, so I used the knife for the worst-possible task any blade can face: opening an oyster. Again, it came through with flying colors, earning the Old Harbor Outfitters knife a respected place in my boat’s knife holder.
Price: $25
The Highs: Stronger then steel.
The Lows: Not the sharpest blade in the world.
Who Wants It: Anglers in need of a practically indestructible bait knife.
Contact: www.oldharboroutfitters.com
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