"Categorizing" Knife Makers

Noctis3880

Noctis3880

Joined
Jul 22, 2009
Messages
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I figured it might be useful for other people seeking new knives if certain knife makers could be put in "categories" where they have the most prominent traits.

It would certainly help people seeking new knives if they at least have a general idea of what they want.

I only have 1 knife from each maker, so my experience is limited, but glancing over the other selections that the maker offers gives me a better general idea of what traits they have.

Benchmade
Their knives seem to be quite expensive. Their wide selection of Gold class knives and damascus steel blades are a collector's wet dream. However, the knives seem to be more visually appealing than functional. There are a select few hard-use knives, but the majority of what they have seem to be mostly Gentlemen Knives, Safe Queens, Artistic, and Collector's Knives. This really hints at fashion over function.

Spyderco
My personal favorite. Only a select few knives are obscenely expensive, and only because of limited runs of exotic steels(Manix in S90V). Nothing really screams out "hard use" aside from the Military, Paramilitary, and Endura. I wouldn't shove the knife through a car roof, but it's perfect for EDC. It can't do every job, but it can do light to medium jobs perfectly. The price is low to medium, and even most of the collector's knives from Spyderco won't go as high as the cheapest Benchmade Gold Class. Definitely function over fashion.

Kershaw
This one was a bit odd for me. I love the exotic steels in the limited run Shallot(got one with S110V for $75). However, the recurve makes it harder to sharpen, and really points to a more specialized use. The handles don't offer much grip, so I'd say there was a small problem in ergonomics. The Speed Safe opening is cool, but it's just a luxury. Fit and finish was surprisingly good quality for the fairly low price. Not bad as an EDC, however the knives do seem to be for very specific tasks.

Cold Steel
I personally think they come across as a sleazy businessman trying to sell you a car. The price seems too high to actually USE one of these knives in hard use situations, despite the video of Lynn Thompson shoving his Tanto through the car roof. I personally don't even want to use my Talwar because I'm scared of scratching off the mirror polish. Seems like Benchmade, but with a LOT more emphasis on marketing. There's no question that these guys are trying to make big bucks.

Emerson
Haven't gotten a knife from them yet, but I've had my eye on the Super CQC 7w. Price seems more suited to a hard use folder. The steel doesn't seem particularly spectacular, but I guess that's how you keep the price down with such a beefy blade. I'm definitely looking forward to shoving THIS one through a car door.
 
Some of my best user folders have been Cold Steel, I can't see where you are coming from there except for the usual CS politics. The CS folders that I have used have been very good for the money.

Best value in folders IMO are the Spyderco Endura and Delica. My best hard use folder, a S&W Extreme Ops.

My absolute Most used Knife. The Vic SAK's
 
Benchmade's Gold Line certainly is about fashion over function, yes. But, the Gold Line is only a tiny -- albeit very high-profile -- part of Benchmade's overall product lineup. Benchmade makes a lot of very practical, hard-using knives. Their products are very popular with law-enforcement and military users world-wide. Gold Line is a way to showcase company's capabilities, to create some "buzz" and draw attention to the company, and to give it's top talent a creative outlet.

When I think of Benchmade, the Gold Line comes to mind, of course. But, what I really think is their forte' is high-quality knives. They are not the cheapest knife in drawer, but they do give excellent performance and quality for the price they ask.

Because they have such a large and broad product line, Benchmade is a hard company to summarize in a few words. From the sparkle of the Gold Line to the rugged brutality of some of their military knives, kitchen knives, automatic knives, balisong knives, specialty knives for search-and-rescue special forces, small pocket knives, large fixed-blade knives... Benchmade has it all and the two things that tie them all together are: high quality and an excellent warranty.
 
udtjim said:
Some of my best user folders have been Cold Steel, I can't see where you are coming from there except for the usual CS politics. The CS folders that I have used have been very good for the money.

Best value in folders IMO are the Spyderco Endura and Delica. My best hard use folder, a S&W Extreme Ops.

My absolute Most used Knife. The Vic SAK's
Click to expand...

I have to agree. For me my most used knives are SAK's. I have no issue with Cold Steel, I use their 12" machetes for yard work often and they are fine. After SAK's, I use my Spydercos or Byrds the most.
 
Greetings Noctis3880: You are quite right, it would be highly useful to put many major knife producers into general categories. Unfortunately this may not be fully possible. I have only been a member of this forum for about a year. In that short time, what I once considered to be a relatively well informed and objective evaluation of each major manufacturers product line has changed several times. "The more I learn the less I know." For me, it was not that my opinions or evaluations were incorrect, it was that they were directed toward certain conclusions based upon limited information and experience. There are what appear to be certain design, material and manufacturing characteristics which extend throughout a specific knife makers product line. Many of these characteristics however are also common to several different makers and are not easy to label as being solely attributable to one or two or even several. I also thought that a simple, clear and concise "Sticky" or entry in a FAQ section, categorizing the prominent traits of major makers. would be very helpful, especially to new comers. I found it surprising that it did not already exist here at the time I joined. The reason MAY be that the others here before me, many MUCH more knowledgeable than I, viewed this undertaking as more of a subjective personal endorsement than a totally objective categorization. On the other hand what do I know? I'm old and senile. OldDude1
 
Noctis3880 said:
I figured it might be useful for other people seeking new knives if certain knife makers could be put in "categories" where they have the most prominent traits.

It would certainly help people seeking new knives if they at least have a general idea of what they want.

I only have 1 knife from each maker, so my experience is limited, but glancing over the other selections that the maker offers gives me a better general idea of what traits they have.

Benchmade
Their knives seem to be quite expensive. Their wide selection of Gold class knives and damascus steel blades are a collector's wet dream. However, the knives seem to be more visually appealing than functional. There are a select few hard-use knives, but the majority of what they have seem to be mostly Gentlemen Knives, Safe Queens, Artistic, and Collector's Knives. This really hints at fashion over function.

Spyderco
My personal favorite. Only a select few knives are obscenely expensive, and only because of limited runs of exotic steels(Manix in S90V). Nothing really screams out "hard use" aside from the Military, Paramilitary, and Endura. I wouldn't shove the knife through a car roof, but it's perfect for EDC. It can't do every job, but it can do light to medium jobs perfectly. The price is low to medium, and even most of the collector's knives from Spyderco won't go as high as the cheapest Benchmade Gold Class. Definitely function over fashion.

Kershaw
This one was a bit odd for me. I love the exotic steels in the limited run Shallot(got one with S110V for $75). However, the recurve makes it harder to sharpen, and really points to a more specialized use. The handles don't offer much grip, so I'd say there was a small problem in ergonomics. The Speed Safe opening is cool, but it's just a luxury. Fit and finish was surprisingly good quality for the fairly low price. Not bad as an EDC, however the knives do seem to be for very specific tasks.

Cold Steel
I personally think they come across as a sleazy businessman trying to sell you a car. The price seems too high to actually USE one of these knives in hard use situations, despite the video of Lynn Thompson shoving his Tanto through the car roof. I personally don't even want to use my Talwar because I'm scared of scratching off the mirror polish. Seems like Benchmade, but with a LOT more emphasis on marketing. There's no question that these guys are trying to make big bucks.

Emerson
Haven't gotten a knife from them yet, but I've had my eye on the Super CQC 7w. Price seems more suited to a hard use folder. The steel doesn't seem particularly spectacular, but I guess that's how you keep the price down with such a beefy blade. I'm definitely looking forward to shoving THIS one through a car door.
Click to expand...

While the beginning of your thread was interesting and the idea seemed useful, the execution needs a whole lot of work.

Opinions are like assholes. Trying to generalize these companies after having only one knife from each is absurd. Nice try, and good idea, I just think you are far off and that is my asshole opinion.

I do agree with some of what you said, but there is far too much that I did not agree with. By generalizing a company we are being purposefully close-minded and setting our expectations way too low. Ignoring that fact that these companies have the ability to surprise us with new designs and new ideas would be limiting for us and the companies. If we are to generalize at all, it should be far more general.

Just my asshole opinion,

Thanks
 
Hi Noctis,

I think that I must agree with the OldDude. Knives are a very deep subject and penetrating those depths is like digging for gold. When you consider design history alone, you would need to know a great deal to "categorize" the different conmpanies. Then add materials, steel chemistries and edge/blade gometries, sizes, locks, engineering, marketing, etc., the colors blend.

While I believe you are looking for more efficient ways to learn about knives and knife-makers, with only one knife from each maker, and just looking at pictures hardly gives you the experience to make these assumptions, in my opinion.

That's why we hang around here. Gold nuggets do show up, but they are often hard to see and must be separated from the butt nuggets. ;)

I've been a knife nut for 60 years, I personally know the owners of each of the companies mentioned, I've watched their growth, marketing and sales for years and I would have a hard time trying to Categorize them.

As Chuck Gollnick mentioned, there are many significant things going on in a company that you don't see, or may take years of observation to discover.

sal
 
knarfeng said:
And how does this make you competent to "categorize" each maker?

I call BS and trolling.
Click to expand...

+1

Although you are only stating your opinion on this or that knife maker, you will undoubtedly be offending many that may have the complete opposite opinion than yours. Categorizing knife makers may be an exercise in futility as opinions of the makers are so varied here unless you generalize more. Just my $.02.
 
Well, rather than generalizing more, I guess you could go backwards and be more specific.

Some examples would be:
EDC / Cost to Effectiveness
Spyderco Tenacious/Persistence

Hard Use
Spyderco Military/Paramilitary
Emerson Super CQC

Artistic
Benchmade Gold Class

If you get 20 random guys and have them run laps, do pushups, or do the moon walk, it's just common sense that some of them will be better at it than others.

I realize my experience is limited, but there might be some wide-eyed maniac with half his house filled with knives who walks around with 10 EDC knives everyday and has been using knives since he was 5 years old that might know what he's talking about and chip in.

And if 975 out of 1,000 people all agree on the exact same thing, would you be so quick to dismiss that opinion out of hand?
 
Noctis3880 said:
If you get 20 random guys and have them run laps, do pushups, or do the moon walk, it's just common sense that some of them will be better at it than others.
Click to expand...

While I understand what you're saying, you're looking at it through the wrong paradigm:D If you took those same 20 random guys, broke them into five groups of 4, ran them through the same exercises and then averaged them out (which is what you're doing by categorizing the knifemakers), you'd probably find that each group was more similar than different:p Each company will have it more attractive knives, it's 'heavy hitters', and it's 'budget line', but in the end they all have one job-"matter seperation":p Find one you like, buy it, and use it:thumbup:
 
Greetings Noctus3880: I don't think a wide-eyed maniac with half his house filled with knives is readily available. But you do have the input and the benefit of an exceptionally experienced and knowledgeable individual.
Do you know who Sal Glesser is ? OldDude1
 
WalterDavis said:
While I understand what you're saying, you're looking at it through the wrong paradigm:D If you took those same 20 random guys, broke them into five groups of 4, ran them through the same exercises and then averaged them out (which is what you're doing by categorizing the knifemakers), you'd probably find that each group was more similar than different:p Each company will have it more attractive knives, it's 'heavy hitters', and it's 'budget line', but in the end they all have one job-"matter seperation":p Find one you like, buy it, and use it:thumbup:
Click to expand...

+1. I think by generalizing each specific knife it would be more realistic. "Buy it and use it" -:thumbup:
 
One characteristic of all the companies you mentioned is their versatility. Far from categorizing themselves, all of them cover a very wide range of styles and capabilities.
 
Noctis3880 said:
Well, rather than generalizing more, I guess you could go backwards and be more specific.

Some examples would be:
EDC / Cost to Effectiveness
Spyderco Tenacious/Persistence

Hard Use
Spyderco Military/Paramilitary
Emerson Super CQC

Artistic
Benchmade Gold Class

If you get 20 random guys and have them run laps, do pushups, or do the moon walk, it's just common sense that some of them will be better at it than others.

I realize my experience is limited, but there might be some wide-eyed maniac with half his house filled with knives who walks around with 10 EDC knives everyday and has been using knives since he was 5 years old that might know what he's talking about and chip in.

And if 975 out of 1,000 people all agree on the exact same thing, would you be so quick to dismiss that opinion out of hand?
Click to expand...

What about Benchmades' Black class and Blue class knives? What about a Ritter grip for hard use?
 
Last edited:
He's been here since July with 72 posts. Too much for a troll, too little to have learned how complex the question is. Ease up. :)
 
I did ease up. I omitted the expletives.
 
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