Breaking Brand Loyalty

BlakeHirschmugl

BlakeHirschmugl

One More Knife
Joined
Aug 15, 2017
Messages
105
Brand loyalty exists on all levels, whether you just tend to like the look of the knives made by a certain brand or you are a full on fanboy and can't see anything beyond "your" brand. For the past year or so, I've always had a little brand loyalty toward CRKT. I know I know... A lot of mixed opinions on CRKT pertaining to materials and poor manufacturing, etc. Yes, I acknowledge that and somewhat agree. But I love their designs and their variety of locks. I live just outside of Portland and like 5 minutes from the Columbia River, so they feel like such a local company (even though Gerber and Benchmade are also based out of Oregon).
BUT, I just bought a ZT 0452cf off of the exchange and HOLY COW! This thing is awesome! The blade shape is nice, the handle fits in my hand perfectly, it's so light but yet feels insanely tough, and the blade flips out so nice.
So now, I have to rethink some things after this and seeing other knives from ZT that I like. Same with Spyderco, Kershaw, and ESSEE.
What I'm asking is have any of you had a case of brand loyalty (no matter the level) broken by a certain knife?
 
After my first Tenacious I became a die hard Spyderco fan. When it came time to upgrade from that knife I didn't even look at any other knives, just what Spyderco offered. From there I got a PM2, and on to a Sage 5. After that Sage I really wanted something different.

So I started looking into Benchmade's and ZT's. My brother just got a G10 Sheepsfoot mini Grip that I was able to fondle a bit. I loved the size of it, not so much the blade, but the platform itself really appealed to me. So I started on a Mini Grip hunt and came across the Ritter Mini Grip. That little orange bastard broke the chain of Spyderco's and I couldn't be happier with it. It's currently in my pocket now, actually.

I still consider Spyderco's to be my favorite company, but I'd never get rid of my Ritter.
 
This is just a classical case of broadening your horizon. The more you expose yourself to other kinds of knives, the bigger your knowledge will be. This is precisely why we will never be satisfied with a single knife because there is no such thing as a perfect knife.

That being said, the only "brand loyalty" I have is it must be high quality and not made in China.
 
Sooner or later you just want to try something different. Doesn't mean you will break loyalty to your favourite brand, just that you will be loyal to more brands! If they are great companies making great knives, I would buy from any of them!
 
This thread is also making me think the following:

Is brand loyalty just another way of saying the person is not willing to experience or try new things in life?

Maybe it's a rhetorical question...or maybe it's not!
 
I don't have brand loyalty in that I stay away from other brands products on name alone... but I do tend to favor Emerson just because they really suit my needs and they are the only knife that seem to function as a natural extension of my body without me having to think.

I have bought and sold quite a few other brands products (Spyderco, ZT, Benchmade, etc) because the manual of arms is just not what I am accustomed to with the CQC lineup.

That said, I recently got my first knife from Chris Reeve... It does not have the wave that I love so much, but I can guarantee you I will not be selling it, ever. Thinking of getting another, just not sure which one, yet. Famous last words I'm sure.
 
like many brands, buck being one of my main favorites. no brand love has ever stopped me from trying another brand.

some brands dont offer enough models to fill all niches.

too much good stuff to limit oneself due to branding. too each their own though.
 
I've never been a die-hard brand loyalist. I've owned and used knives by almost countless companies. Those include: Schrade, Camillus, Colonial, Buck, Ka-Bar, Victorinox, Wenger, Khyber (sp?), Case, Kershaw/ZT, Benchmade, Al Mar, Spyderco, Byrd, Cold Steel, Gerber, CRKT, CRK, SOG, Protech, DKD, Leatherman. Although there were always some whose knives I gravitated to more than others.

I've actually gone the other way from OP's situation. I've mostly settled on certain knives from only three brands: Victorinox, CRK (Chris Reeve) and Spyderco. I'm not buying much anymore, either, so I don't know if it's brand loyalty or I've just found what I like best. Nothing wrong with that.

Jim
 
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BlakeHirschmugl said:
Brand loyalty exists on all levels, whether you just tend to like the look of the knives made by a certain brand or you are a full on fanboy and can't see anything beyond "your" brand. For the past year or so, I've always had a little brand loyalty toward CRKT. I know I know... A lot of mixed opinions on CRKT pertaining to materials and poor manufacturing, etc. Yes, I acknowledge that and somewhat agree. But I love their designs and their variety of locks. I live just outside of Portland and like 5 minutes from the Columbia River, so they feel like such a local company (even though Gerber and Benchmade are also based out of Oregon).
BUT, I just bought a ZT 0452cf off of the exchange and HOLY COW! This thing is awesome! The blade shape is nice, the handle fits in my hand perfectly, it's so light but yet feels insanely tough, and the blade flips out so nice.
So now, I have to rethink some things after this and seeing other knives from ZT that I like. Same with Spyderco, Kershaw, and ESSEE.
What I'm asking is have any of you had a case of brand loyalty (no matter the level) broken by a certain knife?
Click to expand...

So, did you know that KAI USA (overlord of Kershaw and ZT) is based out of Tualatin? So your local company loyalty need not be tarnished by your new ZT acquisition, for it is also a very local company for you.

As for a more on-topic comment, my brand loyalty only stretches as far as the quality of the brand's output; the knife is much more important than the brand for me. This, of course, comes with a caveat: if the brand is associated with an owner/designer that is a poor example of a person, I will be much less likely to buy a knife from that brand even if it may be a good knife; there are some people I just can't support.
 
I have knives from a lot of different manufacturers. For awhile I had a lot of SOGs, but I was still buying and using other brands. I don't think I've ever been strictly brand loyal in any sense to be honest. I'm more about finding what works and what works well.
 
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