Are you an equal opportunity knife lover?

I just buy what I like. Sometimes it's a high end knife, sometime a $10 SAk. I have most every popular or production brand, and every functional style. I love each knife because there is something special about each. Name, price, and status symbol NEVER factor into my buying.
 
I enjoy all my knives, whether they are $200 ZTs or $20 CRKTs. I get annoyed if the knives are not worth their price (I'm looking at you CRKT), or if they don't live up to their name (my awful Buck Vantage is probably the shining example of this).

Even though I have a number of relatively pricy knives, I don't feel bad about owning cheap, high quality knives. I even see something in shitty UC knives, even if it is only to joke about them.
 
At work mostly Kershaw. Lately, a Cryo and a Chive. Will swap the Chive for Chill or Skyline. Just got a RAT2 and will probably carry that some.

Around town, ZT's. 550, 560, 301, 350.
 
being me cannot afford expensive knives, as for now I just buy knives that's have great value - and the most important: I dig the design. And while I mostly owned Spydercos, I have Moras, Kershaws, Sanrenmus, Opinels, mainly because I appreciate the value. I believe I am not an equal opportunity lover yet, mainly because I consider performance over cosmetics, such as I owned 2 Spyderco Southfork rather than one CRK Sebenza because I don't feel like I would need to pay for the aesthetics and slight tolerances for a knife I will be using. don't get me wrong, I've seen CRK interviews on Youtube and I really like how he runs his company. I just can't afford it yet.
 
I enjoy all my knives, whether they are $200 ZTs or $20 CRKTs. I get annoyed if the knives are not worth their price (I'm looking at you CRKT), or if they don't live up to their name (my awful Buck Vantage is probably the shining example of this).

Even though I have a number of relatively pricy knives, I don't feel bad about owning cheap, high quality knives. I even see something in shitty UC knives, even if it is only to joke about them.
 
I enjoy all knives, but that doesn't necessarily mean I will own them. I have a confession to make...I don't own or buy folders. That's almost sacriligious on this forum. I can definitely appreciate the excellence of some folders, but I just won't spend the money on them. Heck I can't wait for the knife law change to go thru here in Tennessee in about a month so my Cattaraugus 225q can be carried!
 
In some ways I'm all over the map and have eclectic tastes, in other ways I'm specific and discrimitory.

I don't buy or carry traditionals or slip joints. I don't like backlock knives either but I will buy and use them for certain things. My EDC folders tend to be about 3.4" to 4" length, I don't pay much attention to anything smaller.

I tend to buy mostly from Spyderco, Benchmade and Kershaw/ZT. I don't have much interest in Buck, Gerber, Boker. I like Cold Steel but I haven't bought any in a long time.

I haven't bought many fixed blade knives in a long time. When I was buying them for my collection I would buy handmade hunting knives and some that would be considered tactical.
 
Im all over Right now my folders are my SMF lego and a 21 Ins, but the knife that get the most pocket time lately has been a custom Razel stubby with a great pocket sheath. I have been really leaning towards the pocket fixed blade blades. The one Knife that never leaves my body is a Brous Blades SS warncliff that I have around my neck unless im sleeping, and then its right next to me on my night stand.
 
I'm definitely an equal opportunity knife guy. I tend to focus on value regardless of price range and prefer more money to go into the functional aspects of the design rather than ornamental, and I have my other preferences, but I'll give both high and low end models a chance to impress me. As long as a company doesn't have glaring ethical issues (Mantis, Microtech--I'm looking at you) I'll take their product lines on a knife by knife basis, while using their track record as extrapolative data to gauge my risk in trying a new model I like.
 
Thanks for the replies, some very interesting reading. I used to be quite narrow minded when it came to knives. I've written some stupid stuff in the past for local magazines, re-reading those articles was embarrasing.

I've been very fortunate to meet good friends through my knife hobby and they've been an important influence on my cutlery buying habits. I used to think simple carbon steels were a thing of the past, then I meet a talented bladesmith who taught me otherwise. Another mate of mine convinced me to try out some modern one hand opening folders (I refused to use anything with plastic handles), etc. Reading bushcraft books also had a big influence on me, and helped me discover Scandi knives.

Lately I've been trying to get over my bias against Taiwanese knives. I know there's some good stuff being made there and I'm missing out.

FortyTwoBlades summed it up pretty well: "As long as a company doesn't have glaring ethical issues (Mantis, Microtech--I'm looking at you) I'll take their product lines on a knife by knife basis, while using their track record as extrapolative data to gauge my risk in trying a new model I like. "
 
Great thread.... I've always enjoys knives, and now can indulge the collecting bug.... My rule so far is no safe queens. If I'm not going to carry or use it I won't buy or collect the knife. Started with spyderco, with the PM2 and endura, then picked up a mini barrage, and the 581 barrage, recently interested in bushcraft just got the bk22' and the eskabar.( ka-bar sheaths meh) have the American lawman because its a tank.... It makes a great beater or bug out knife.....

So basically I'm all over the map..... Because of blade forums I'm being exposed to custom and less mainstream knife makers.
 
I am interested in seeing the different choices out there by numerous manufactures, but after about 10 years of being serious about knives and trying many out, all the different paths have converged to a few Spyderco's for me. They just "feel right". a GEC traditional and a Cold Steel Voyager see limited situational carry.
 
On the surface, I have a pretty monochromatic knife collection. For the most part, they're one hand openers with 3"-3.5" blades, black handles, uncoated + plain-edge blades, no recurves, no tantos, no double-edged blades, no wharncliffes, and slightly on the beefier side. There are a couple of SAKs, an Opinel, and an Orange Manix to add a little colour, but otherwise each of my knives look the same as the next.

I do have a decently wide variety of brands, steels, mechanisms, and such, I guess. Spyderco, Kershaw, Benchmade, Victorinox, Cold Steel, Leatherman, Gerber, and many more assorted makers. I guess I do play favourites a bit in the sense that I've had good experiences with Kershaw and Spyderco, so I'm more likely to buy from them in the future, but I'm still open to all kinds of different brands.
 
I'm mostly a traditional knife guy, but have Spydercos, modern Bucks, and the odd fixed blade here and there. Mainly I carry Case in CV or a Victorinox SAK, but every once in a while walk out the door with a one hander clipped in my pocket. I like them all, but the slipjoints are still my favorites.
 
I can accept and enjoy all kinds of knives. My main criteria is that I want my knives made by the "maker." I want my USA company's knives made in the USA. I want my German knives made in Germany. I want my Swiss knives made in Switzerland, ect... As long as it fits this one single criteria I'm open to pretty much anything!
 
I like many different kinds of knives
but I have two rules; It must be Stainless Steel, and not made in china.
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I like them all. I have knives ranging in price from 10-200 dollars. Fixed blades, folders, modern and traditional.

My preferences however do lean towards Case, Spyderco, kerrshaw, Becker, and Esee.

I do not have any customs yet, simply because I can't afford them. Someday.
 
I'm all over the road. I used to be specific down to the T, now I don't really care.
2 days ago I had a sanrenmu dressy slip joint and a SAK executive, yesterday a PM2 and a Brous Blades Neck knife and today a Mini Ritter and a CRKT M16 tanto.

If I'm looking for a new knife my criteria are now as follows:
In my price range at the time.


I'll pick the best looking one I find at walmart a lot of the time, or go onto my BHQ wish list and just wander down the list and stop at something that catches my eye.
My wish list consists of about half of their inventory by now haha.
 
I don't really have a line up, I edc one knife for years until it wears out a good bit, or until I see something I really like. I edc'd a Leek for the last 3-4 years, and I recently bought BM 707 that I like and plan to carry for a while. But that's just me, I kind of get attached to things, and often want to use something for a long time.
 
The brands I rotate lately for edc folder are Spyderco, Benchmade, Kershaw, Ontario, and Victorinox so I try to taste a little bit of all the brands I find through research are reliable and high value. For fixed blades though I pretty much stick to Becker knives made by Ka-Bar with the exception of my ESEE 4. Great thread btw.
 
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