Brand loyalty?

I never hold blind brand loyalty
I've been unpleasantly surprised before
So I will research each model they produce
Even if the company is my top 5
 
Zero Tolerance - best knives for the $ IMO
Hinderer- best knives that I can afford
Microtech- still new to them, I really like my Ultratech and my Socom Elite…totally different knives, but they are both well made, use premium materials and are built in the USA.
Honorable mention for Spyderco and Benchmade, I like my Grips and PM2s.
 
Spyderco, period. Simple reason? Sal. Man is an absolute legend, and will converse with you on the forum. He's a really great guy. And the knives they produce are amazing. I love all my spydies and have only ever gotten rid of one (sage 5) because I like the para 3 better.

Any other company doesn't really have my loyalty. I love my Benchmades, my ZTs, my Hinderers, civivis and we, bucks, Beckers... But if I had to choose only one company to have knives from? Spyderco all day, every day.
 
I'm also thinking I'll be adding a couple brands to the list with a bunch of knives I have on order.

TwoSun & Kevin John Venom
 
Is it really brand loyalty when you proceed to post a list of brands as long as your frikkin arm?


I think some folks have confused the thread title with "post a list of your fave makers".


I am a brand slut- dedicated to fun, loyal to none.
 
I'm a bit partial to Buck Knives and Puma. But I look for potential and hidden treasure. Right now I'm looking for something with a metal border around the scales, because I just got in some fantastic Turquoise from Hong Kong, harvested right in that area. It's a medium irridescent blue, not pale like North American. I want to saw it up to make scales. I only have enough to make 4-6 good-sized scales, but I think this stuff would look really sharp.

Knives have a high markup from popular manufacturers. So, if you keep your eyes open, newer brands can really get you some nice product for the $. I also like Hibben's designs made by United Cutlery. But no real deals there.
 
I have over 30 brands of folding knives If you go in order of how many I own of each folder brand, my list would be:
Benchmade
Shirogorov
CRK
Microtech
Spyderco
Koenig
Hinderer
Protech
ZT
 
For fixed blades:
David Mary
Busse

For folders:
Olamic
Benchmade
Hinderer
I like locking systems that are either ambidextrous, or can be easily converted for Southpaw carry.
 
Fixed Knives:

Ethan Becker Knives are just made for my hands. The ergos of the full sized and the tweener knives are the best I have encountered yet.
Also the blade shapes are so versatile, they just work. Also, no finger choils, you can use the blade pretty much directly where you have the most control.

Ethan is also a wonderful person, his knife philosophy and how he stands behind his designs is just amazing.

Folders:
Spyderco: Delica and Endela are just sitting right in my hand and I can use them pretty much all day without having issues. Sal is also a big reason why I like the knives.

Victorinox:
You know with a Swiss Army Knife, there is literally nothing you cannot accomplish.

My oldest knives are SAKs, some are 30 years old and they still work without showing any signs of their age.
 
soc_monki said:
Spyderco, period. Simple reason? Sal. Man is an absolute legend, and will converse with you on the forum. He's a really great guy. And the knives they produce are amazing. I love all my spydies and have only ever gotten rid of one (sage 5) because I like the para 3 better.

Any other company doesn't really have my loyalty. I love my Benchmades, my ZTs, my Hinderers, civivis and we, bucks, Beckers... But if I had to choose only one company to have knives from? Spyderco all day, every day.
Click to expand...
Sal is great and makes great stuff. I have minor complaints with some things but he runs a big company in a way I can respect. That is rare these days.
 
Another Shepherd said:
I keep telling myself I'm going to stop buying Spydercos. The good ones are great, and I like serrated blades. But there is no local Spyderco dealer, and I get an awful lot by mail that are less than satisfactory. The thread locker really irritates me when I'm trying to clean and lubricate a knife. I've gotten Spydercos that are so stiff that it takes two hands to open them--I returned a Native 5 for that reason. Others I have taken apart one or more times to adjust springs and lock bars. Even if I can open them with one hand out of the box, it may take months to break them in so that they Spydie Flick properly. Loosening the pivot screw a bit (like I sometimes do on a Benchmade) does not help. Lubricant does not help. There was the Manix that was so hard to close I had to use a metal object (such as a key or pry bar) to release the lock. There is the Lil Native where the blade bounces off my finger when I try to close it. And the ARK that scored over BESS 400 out of the box. The knife I use the most right now is a Byrd Meadowlark, but I took it apart three times to get it to flick nicely.
Click to expand...

I’m curious if your Spyderco-LockTite issues are recent? I was under the impression they quit using the stuff on pivots. In the last 18-ish months I’ve purchased several Japanese Spydercos and none have had LockTite. My Spyopera didn’t have any either.
 
For me, several do:

- Olamic
- Victorinox
- Benchmade
- Les George
- Curtiss
- Bradford

Honorable mention for classic Cold Steel (sadly).

I know that whatever they make, I'm most likely going to want it. Those are the ones for me off the top of my head.
 
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