Most readHow-To
Whetstone sharpening for beginners: 400 or 1000 grit?
I've tested five 400-grit stones. Here's why beginners should start coarse, and the one I'd buy.
We test, fail, and learn, turning decades of experience into your advantage
L.O.R.E LAB : EDC DECODED. Choices made easy.
Decades of trial and error, distilled into honest insight that goes past the hype. We uncover what really works and what it actually is, then share what we learn. If you're confused about gear, this is where the odds shift in your favour.
An EDC gear review site: knives, lights, pens, bags, gloves and steel.
Start decoding
Both sides of the coin. Every time.
Two-sided reviewsWho it's for, who it's not for
59 steels tested46,058 cuts, data publishedPick your depthNewcomers or nerds, both welcome
EDC, decoded
One Place With All the Knowledge You Need to Build Your EDC.
打造你的 EDC，一個地方就夠。
Our journey began with frustration: information was scattered everywhere, reading was endless, and clarity was limited. Lore Lab is the solution: honest, practical, two-sided, and designed for people who genuinely use their gear.
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Pick a door; it just filters the writing. Switch any time, nothing is locked.
Picked for you
Most readReviews
Spyderco Sharpmaker: five minutes to a shaving edge
【商品評測】Spyderco Sharpmaker 的魅力：只需五分鐘，重新開鋒
Sixty-plus steels tested. Where the Sharpmaker is close to irreplaceable, and where you should reach for something else.
Most readBuying Guides
The Mechanix glove buying guide
Mechanix 手套購買指南：選擇適合你的完美配備
Why the brand is famous, and how to pick the right pair out of a very long product line.
Most readSteel Talk
Reclaim your edge: what every knife owner should know about edge stability
重拾你的刀鋒：每位刀主都該知道的刃口穩定度
Three years, 58 steels, 43,470 wood-planing cuts, and what they say about geometry, carbides and micro bevels.
Most readSteel Talk
The best steel? Larrin names six
最好的鋼材？Larrin 點名 6 個鋼材
Three flavours (tough, balanced, wear-resistant) and what the mechanical numbers mean in daily use.
Latest
All posts →How-ToStart here
Whetstone sharpening for beginners: 400 or 1000 grit?
I've tested five 400-grit stones. Here's why beginners should start coarse, and the one I'd buy.
OriginsStart here
The Sharpmaker story: from a bread van to the most classic sharpener in the world
Sharpmaker 的故事：從麵包車到世界最經典的磨刀器
Forty-seven years, four generations of one jig. How a fixed 40° angle solved the two things that stop people sharpening.
ReviewsEveryday
Spyderco Sharpmaker: five minutes to a shaving edge
【商品評測】Spyderco Sharpmaker 的魅力：只需五分鐘，重新開鋒
Sixty-plus steels tested. Where the Sharpmaker is close to irreplaceable, and where you should reach for something else.
Steel TalkDeep dive
Terravantium isn't a steel. It's an alloy
Terravantium 鋼材？不！他是合金！
Spruce-cutting stability tests on a cobalt alloy, and what the numbers say about geometry mattering more than steel.
Buying GuidesEveryday
Your pen skipped. Which refill should you buy?
斷水了……要買什麼筆芯？懶人包
A hundred-odd pens later: G2 and D1 sizes, the four ink families, and the refills actually worth rebuying.
Steel TalkDeep dive
The best steel? Larrin names six
最好的鋼材？Larrin 點名 6 個鋼材
Three flavours (tough, balanced, wear-resistant) and what the mechanical numbers mean in daily use.
Steel Talk
The technical side, for when a verdict isn't enough. Test methodology and raw numbers live in the database.
Steel Talk
Terravantium isn't a steel. It's an alloy
Spruce-cutting stability tests on a cobalt alloy, and what the numbers say about geometry mattering more than steel.
Steel Talk
The best steel? Larrin names six
Three flavours (tough, balanced, wear-resistant) and what the mechanical numbers mean in daily use.
Steel Talk
Reclaim your edge: what every knife owner should know about edge stability
Three years, 58 steels, 43,470 wood-planing cuts, and what they say about geometry, carbides and micro bevels.
Sections
Origins
The backstory: who made it, and how it got here.
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Reviews
What we liked, and what's the catch.
2 posts
Buying Guides
How we'd choose, if a friend asked us.
2 posts
How-To
How we do it. Not the only way, just ours.
1 post
Steel Talk
Welcome to steel nerd territory.
3 posts
Loadouts
What's in the pocket or bag, and why it's there.
1 post
News
What's new, and what caught our eye.
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