Brand Loyalty

Can't say that I'm a fanboy of any certain brand other than that if people ask for a recommendation of a fixed blade they can beat on, I usually tell them to go look at the BK&T line.
It really is hard to beat the value and the people (Beckerheads past and future) are a really good group of folks.
I for some reason have only had KAI folders for the last decade plus. Not really because I only like them but because they made something I like more than others and that's what I bought. I have used there CS support on a few occasions and they are super nice about helping you out.
 
I will buy knives from pretty much any company and give them a try. If I like the design of one of their knives, I'll try others in their lineup. I prefer Strider over CRK, but that would not stop me from buying another CRK down the road.

I am not a fanboy, but will look like it at times when I reply to people spewing misinformation about a knife I have used or own.

Basically there is no such thing as the perfect knife for every person. And there is no such thing as the perfect knife company. And to be a fanboy of only one knife brand and defending it above all others is pretty narrow minded.
 
I tend to be loyal to the brands that have delivered in the past, but still willing to try something new if it is an interesting product.
At the moment the majority of my production knives come from
ZT/KAI
Hinderer
Chris Reeve
Strider
Benchmade
Spyderco
Al Mar
Boker
Bark River
Busse
Winkler
ESEE
Fällkniven
Leatherman
Victorinox Swiss Army
 
Last edited:
ZT has been producing more that I like than any other maker for the past couple of years, but I'm not one for brand devotion. I like some of their stuff and dislike some of their other products.
 
Back in the days, Spyderco was my go to brand for premium materials, great f&f, and good value. With the rising trend in titanium flippers however, ZT has all of my interests right now.
 
mqqn said:
I like some brands and makers more than others.

There are a few on a short list of brands and makers that I do not like for various reasons.

I limit my collecting to a couple of brands that I have found to favor, again for various reasons.

If you try to be completely brand agnostic, and you like to collect, you will soon find yourself the focus of a "hoarding" reality show.

best

mqqn
Click to expand...

Or, you know, you can just narrow it down by parameters other than brand. Features, materials and build quality tend to be the characteristics I look for in a knife. As far as I know no one actually makes a knife with all of the characteristics I want in a folder, so it's pretty not really necessary to narrow the selection by brand.
 
I like supporting the little guy, even though I own a few big name production blades.
Instagram has opened my eyes to a lot of knife makers that don't even go on any knife forums.

I even found a young kid in Alaska that makes some really nice blades.
 
I own many different knives from many different brands but the majority of them being Spyderco. They are my go to knives. I did grow up 15 mins away from Golden CO so there is some homegrown bias involved, but simply describing Spyderco could be an Apple slogan "it just works" (don't sue me Apple! I'm an Apple loyalist too :D )
 
Screwdriver said:
I am not a fanboy, but will look like it at times when I reply to people spewing misinformation about a knife I have used or own.
Click to expand...

I feel the same way. Loyal to no brand exclusively as I have my critiques of them all. I've tried enough that I know what I like through owning and most importantly using them.
 
If a knife manufacturer makes a knife that I love I will buy that knife.

If a knife manufacturer who makes a knife I love also happens to make a piece of crap I will avoid that knife like the plague.

Some manufacturers make more knives that I like than other manufacturers.

That doesn't mean I buy everything that manufacturer puts out or avoid all other knives.
 
I am not brand loyal and have knives from a number of manufacturers and custom makers. I judge each knife on its individual merits depending on my intended use. However, I do tend to expect a pretty well made knife from certain manufacturers based on my experience. I shy away from Chinese made knives, but have a few. The quality level is often dependant on the design and my planned use of the blade. I don't beat up stuff that I consider pretty good.
 
I'm loyal to whoever makes a good product and stands by it. CS and warranty says a lot for me. I try not to limit to one or two manufacturers or I may miss out on a product I really enjoy. Lately, however, it's been mostly ZT/KAI and Spyderco. I do agree with the OP regarding ESEE. They are my go to for fixed blades.
 
KAI and Spyderco. I wouldn't say I'm a fanboy though...

I don't care for KAI's overuse of the Speedsafe mechanism and I don't care for a few of Spyderco's designs.
 
I am a CRK brand loyalist. I am a minimalist at heart and the ultra simple form and function of the Sebenza line up just does it for me. This is not to say that other manufacturers don't meet the mark, just that CRK checks off all the boxes for me personally. Thx!
 
I have a wide variety of knives from different manufacturers. I guess you could say I'm brand loyal to some because I have multiple knives from them and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another from them if it caught my eye, because I'm confident of their quality due to past experience. That doesn't mean everything they make is great. There are other manufacturers that I have bought from, that have a lot of fans on this forum, that just didn't do it for me for some reason or another. I would be less likely to buy from them again. I like to try new things, but past experience is a key part of my buying process.
 
I own a wide variety of flippers and fixed blades.

Rather than "brand loyalty," I can say that I have built a rather strong bias for handmade, one-off custom fixed blades, especially USA made (but not for anti-_________ reasons).

In some very tiny way, I hope to patronize the continuation, generation-to-generation, of an American legend, the art and craft of handmade things that are both beautiful and utilitarian.

Right now - and hoping to add to this list - I am favoring BackWoodsCustomKnives (Bill Akers) and AA Forge (Adam Gray). Any suggestions for additions to consider?
 
Insipid Moniker said:
Or, you know, you can just narrow it down by parameters other than brand. Features, materials and build quality tend to be the characteristics I look for in a knife. As far as I know no one actually makes a knife with all of the characteristics I want in a folder, so it's pretty not really necessary to narrow the selection by brand.
Click to expand...

Some brands have the features, materials and build quality that I look for in a knife, so I tend to buy those brands. I also have a friend who makes knives, and I like his knives and buy those as well.

I can't keep everyone in business, and I have more cutting ability in my collection than 50 individuals would need in a lifetime, so it really comes down to what I want.

And I buy what I want from who I want based on what I want.

best

mqqn
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top