A knife you bought that really suprised you

Para 2 and the Kershaw Skyline have both surprised me. I knew the Para 2 had a lot of hype but it lived up to it. The Skyline is just a great value.
 
For me it was 2 knives that blew my mind.

The first was a Great Eastern Cutlery Congress (Northfield). The fit and finish on this knife is flat out perfect. The blades are all centered, razor sharp, and meticulously polished. This is the knife I think will be handed down to my kids, and then grandkids, etc. As far as traditional pocket knives are concerned, I have limited experience. But quality trancends that with this brand.

The other knife that blew me away was the Kershaw Zing. It's such a well designed (RJ Martin) knife that aesthetically, is a great little folder. The quality that I have come to see from Kershaw and ZT both lately has raised the bar. We're not talking gimmick or fad either. I'm talking hardcore engineering, the R&D is paying off in a major way. The Zing can and does give the Skyline a run for it's money. It actually kicked the ZT0560 out of my pocket from the day I got it. That is not an easy thing to do.
 
While I figured these would all be great knives I was impressed by them:

The spyderco native 5. It easily has some of the best G10 I have ever handled, it really reminds me of skateboard grip tape. Just a really solid knife.

The case XX Tony Bose backpocket, just recently got that, really amazing knife, everything about it if just great, but of course it is case after all.

Also another knife I just recently got, a fred carter gentleman folders. It is the spectrum, it is a fun knife, bright colors, nice materials, well made.

Keep it going.
 
What surprised me was the design more than the knife itself. I had got a good deal on 5.11 journeyman karambit and was not really into it. I had owned a spyderco civilian and never used it. I dismissed the karambit due to my expierance with the civilian. I though it was very specialized too tactical for me to use. That was of course till I held it in my hand.

Very intuitive light and just plain cool looking, as far as its use sure it's a devastating close up weapon. But unlike the civilian, it's also a good cutting tool, sure there is a learning curve to cutting certain items with it. But I have I say it's one of my favorite designs. So much so I have a Emerson super karambit in my left pocket. I can't think of a design I had such a 180 on quite like the karambit.
 
Leatherman c33 Crater. Bought it for a cheap toolbox knife. Surprised by how it carries and the brilliant design and nicely done spearpoint blade. For about $20 US made what's not to like? In my pocket right now.

HON. MENTION TO THE KERSHAW NERVE OR WHATEVER THE HELL IT IS CALLED NOW.;)
 
hayes31 said:
Yeah, I suppose carbon fiber is kinda a love-it-or-hate-it material. I much prefer G10, which is the only thing holding me back on the Caly III. It looks like a fantastic EDC blade, you'll have to let us know how it is! I haven't gotten to handle one yet.
Click to expand...

yup we'll do. Looks a little slimmer (width wise) than the sage 1 and thats my only minor dislike if it can even be called that.
 
For me it was the Kershaw RAM. Last summer it popped up on "My deal of the day" on amazon for like 45 bucks. I thought what the hell I like sandvik steels (especially 14c28n) so I pounced on it not expecting much but needing a decent beater knife. I got it and thought wow this is ok! Very slim knife, aluminum frame with G-10 slabs on both sides and it was very smooth opening with the flipper. Impressed right away started digging the HAWK lock and it's unique design. Carried immediately for the next week and put it though its paces and worked great! Very very surprised and impressed with its design and ease of carry, light and slim. Liked it so much that I eventually purchased a couple more in other colors, knowing that it wasn't a good seller for Kershaw and it would eventually be gone. Truly an underrated knife...
 
my case sod buster jr in cv iv allways liked the look but didnt know for 20 bucks know its one of my favorite knives great value and hasnt failed on anything iv used it for and the f&f was awsome
 
Kershaw Leek! 1660cb blem to be precise

Yeah it has a huge following and isn't often badmouthed, but after getting a Small Sebenza, I sold off most of my knives that size and kept from buying more.

Finally I picked one up, and the thin handles and super thin blade sets it apart, earning way more pocket time than I expected when I picked it up.
 
Goosey said:
Sanrenmu 710. I wasn't going to keep it at all - it was supposed to be a cheap gift... but I ended up liking it quite a bit. :D

py9nT.jpg
Click to expand...
I agree. Nice cheap blade.
 
The S30V Spyderco Native (best $45 I've ever spent!), The Spyderco Sage 2 (Great EDC, incredible fit & finish) and ZT's 0560, even though SO many of us waited nearly a year for it to become available I was still surprised by just how well this knife is designed and built.
 
The two knives in my avatar pic + my para 2 for city edc....they all surprised me with such great value and performance.
 
Kershaw seems to get plenty of nods in this category and my experiences with them have been similar.
First, a Kershaw Scallion--fairly light, solidly built, zero blade-play, very sharp, Speedsafe works great, and it is a very nice looking knife in my opinion.
Second, a Kershaw Chill--lightweight, blade length seems like it offers a lot of real estate in such a small package. Plenty sharp and takes a beating. It's under $20 and is essentially a "disposable" knife.
Third, not a Kershaw, but a SOG Flash 1--nice assist, nice belly on the FFG blade, slightly awkward handle shape, but a great size for EDC and cuts like a champ.
 
I've been pleasantly surprised by quite a few knives through the years. My first surprise was probably the Victorinox Classic, which I had regarded as a toy when I started getting serious about cutlery. After a friend loaned me one so I could use the tweezers to pull out some splinters and I realized how useful it was for it's diminutive size, I bought one and I've never been without one since. Not too long after that I bought locally a Corneta machete (for $5 brand new), made in El Salvador, which turned out to be my top machete for fieldwork. It has excellent steel, and has survived hard chopping work and every possible abuse Years later I got a Colt Ken Onion design medium-sized folder, dirt cheap, with an aluminum handle that looks like it belongs on a utility knife. It's one of the best and most comfortable knives I've used and it became one of my favorites for field use. Lately, I bought a Spyderco Manbug when Cutlery Shoppe started offering them, and it just blew me away. It's great for unobtrusive EDC, even on my keychain, and can do serious work you wouldn't consider with such a tiny blade. There's quite a few more, but I should probably include them in another post with pictures.
 
Ganzo G704. Very impressive quality for a 14$ knife. Very smooth action, axis lock, no blade play, good handle materials, acceptable blade steel, and a comfortable design. Not sure it's possible to do any better than this at such a price.

Also, the Hogue EX-01. I wasn't necessarily shocked to find that it was a good quality knife, but I was a bit surprised at just how well made the knife was. I can't say I've seen or handled a knife that had such flawless fit and finish. It's kind of given me a standard against which I can judge all other knives.
 
The biggest surprise I've experienced in regard to knives was the quality and F&F of my Cold Steel Voyager. It really exceeded my expectations by quite a margin. It rivals a number of my more expensive knives as far as overall fit and finish is concerned. It also features one of the most secure and safe locks I feel that one can get on a production knives.
 
Spyderco South Fork. The design of the blade and handle are everything that is need. No frills design w/ killer performance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top