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Severtech and Dalton are two that come to mind as "cult" knives. They are excellent quality, limited quantity, and you almost have to know somebody to get one.
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cult brands: what knife brands are cults, and why?
- Thread starter cognitivefun
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Esav Benyamin
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When someone answers the question, What knife should I get? with the same one adored standard, never mind it costs more than the person wants to spend, is a folder when he wants a fixed blade, or misses any number of other requested factors, THAT's a cult response.
It really helps to have read the question carefully before answering it. But cultists don't care!
Brand popularity is not a cult following. Lots of brands are popular. People like CRKT for the bang-for-the-buck. That's not cultism.
It really helps to have read the question carefully before answering it. But cultists don't care!
Brand popularity is not a cult following. Lots of brands are popular. People like CRKT for the bang-for-the-buck. That's not cultism.
This business of pontificating about knives or materials one knows nothing about is the other side of the problem. Sort of like rooting for a favorite team but never having played the sport.tarsier said:
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Himalayan Imports isn't a cult. It's more like that zombie movie "28 Days Later". Once that virus hits you, you're doomed.
The latest cult is the Harbor Freight 1x30 belt-sander sharpeners. We blame Jerry Hossom and Dan Koster and then fawn over our convex-edged laser scalpels.
The latest cult is the Harbor Freight 1x30 belt-sander sharpeners. We blame Jerry Hossom and Dan Koster and then fawn over our convex-edged laser scalpels.
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cognitivefun said:
You have to include Swamp rat in that list. It seems whenever there is a post saying "recomend a knife" It doesn't matter what the person is looking for, or price range, there will be a few replies for swamp rat, often saying spend the extra $150.00 and get a battle rat. They are often recomended when the poster says help me choose between several specific knives, (none of them being swamp rat).
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http://www.osograndeknives.com/CRKT/crkt_-_rollock,_clear_handle.htm
Even CRKT knows the Rolox is an expensive 'cult' knife.
Even CRKT knows the Rolox is an expensive 'cult' knife.
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I think there is a tendency to blame the manufacturer when a knife, or a brand, achieves cult status. Sometimes that's probably justified. 
Sometimes it just means they're doing such a good job that people have developed an emotional attachment to their products.
The only downside that I can see, and it is a significant one, is the auto-recommendation mode that sometimes goes with the cult status. We don't do newbies any favors when we recommend knives that ignore their requirements.
--Bob Q
Sometimes it just means they're doing such a good job that people have developed an emotional attachment to their products.The only downside that I can see, and it is a significant one, is the auto-recommendation mode that sometimes goes with the cult status. We don't do newbies any favors when we recommend knives that ignore their requirements.
--Bob Q
Walking Man
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What requirements?!?bquinlan said:
Everone NEEDS a Sebenza, C'mon Man, Get with the Program
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I was born on may 14th of 1980! ....and I find it quite hilarious that you remember buying a knife on an exact date....haha...well done.....STR said:The Bench Mark Rolox has been called a cult knife since right after it came out. I got this one on May 14th of 1980. Don't see them very much anymore. But CRKT did come out with their version here just recently in which they fixed the wobble of the blade when locked open. It is a nice little knife too. Here it is and one other 'cult knife'. The Gerber 'Touche' belt buckle knife. I think the Gerber Paul knife would also be considered a cult knife as well.
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Tom Mayo has his fans, and at least one Mayo tatoo resides on one of them. No, not me.
Strider, without a doubt is a cult maker, as is Emerson, Busse and, I hate to admit it, but Chris Reeve has to be in there too, since CR fans are not generally receptive to criticism of CR knives, but, of course why should they be receptive to gibberish and anti-hype.
Seriously, the point was made, and it bears repeating, that it is not a good thing when people are afraid, and rightfully so, to publicly criticize a particular brand or maker for fear of angering that maker's followers, on the one hand, it allows the knives to not improve as quickly as they might if cirticism were better received, can't address a problem if you don't know it exists, on the other hand, it's interesting that some people, myself included feel so strongly about a particular knife that such loyalty is engendered.
Interesting phenomenon.
No, not me.Strider, without a doubt is a cult maker, as is Emerson, Busse and, I hate to admit it, but Chris Reeve has to be in there too, since CR fans are not generally receptive to criticism of CR knives, but, of course why should they be receptive to gibberish and anti-hype.
Seriously, the point was made, and it bears repeating, that it is not a good thing when people are afraid, and rightfully so, to publicly criticize a particular brand or maker for fear of angering that maker's followers, on the one hand, it allows the knives to not improve as quickly as they might if cirticism were better received, can't address a problem if you don't know it exists, on the other hand, it's interesting that some people, myself included feel so strongly about a particular knife that such loyalty is engendered.
Interesting phenomenon.
Esav Benyamin
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On the one hand, there's no reason for them to be afraid of us Sebenzanistas. On the other hand, a certain degree of contempt is justified when they refuse to acknowledge the best!Megalobyte said:
Anyway, "cult" comes from Latin "cultus" which meant tilling, tending, cultivation of plants or animals, later also of education and religious rituals. This gave rise to "culter", a knife, and "cultellus", a little knife, used in that cultivation. So for knife knuts to make a cult of their obsession is only following the term's most ancient heritage.
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Man...I'm in the dark ops cult. I already have their tattoo, and I haven't even handled one of their knives!
Hahaha...I'm actually probably a member of the DOHC...Dark Ops Haters Cult
Hahaha...I'm actually probably a member of the DOHC...Dark Ops Haters Cult
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cognitivefun said:
proprietary "hard use" steel, lifetime warranty (regardless of owner or reason for breaking (as long as you dont take a drill/torch/saw to it (wich causes it to break))). essentially high end hard use knives that have a very good warranty, and public demenstrations of durability.
im going to have to go with esav on this one in saying that a loyal following is not a cult following. sebenza's, busse combat, strider, emerson, and maddog are all companies (and one folder) that are given up as "the best" in any conversation where knives are concerned, often regardless of topic.
even with spyderco, wich has a huge and very loyal following, i wouldnt call it a cult. when i think cult, i think "blind following", someone who essentially chooses to walk into a situation, conversation, or argument with one singular view of what is the best that they will follow at all times. with companies (or fans if on a consistent enough basis) that say that they make the best possible product, you can get what i would personally call a "cult following", or people who will state that their knife (or company) is consistently better then all others, and try to "convert" (to follow the idea of a "cult") those who dont beleive so into those who do.
a lot of the knives mentioned are great knives for verious reasons, a lot of wich have afficionado's, collectors, admirers, and loyalists, but many of them dont have zealots like can be found with strider, maddog, emerson, or busse. i could easily see to people getting into a fist fight over those brands, but i find it hard to imagine a spyderco fan and a crkt fan duking it out over wich knife company is better.
man... its hard to come up with a way to say it without sounding trollish, and to not disregard the good fans when talking about "cult followings".... but there is a definite visible different between companies with "cult followings" and those who have a "loyal following"
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kinda skiped the original question. why image makes them a cult knife? the idea of the best, that there is a best, that there can be a best. fights brew over pissing contests, and the ones that are brought up the most in pissing contests are often the ones that become cult knives.
i would probably classify myself as a cult follower, but im a cult follower of certain aspects of the brand i follow, what i cant get there, i get elsewhere. a hardcore "cult follower" in the negative aspects of it would probably say that s/he can get everything you need from brand x, but its rarely the case.
to some extent performance plays into it, but more then that its the idea that it is the best of the best that makes a cult following. otherwise, you end up with people trying to argue about it saying "ya well, my knife isnt the best, but.... nuts."
i would probably classify myself as a cult follower, but im a cult follower of certain aspects of the brand i follow, what i cant get there, i get elsewhere. a hardcore "cult follower" in the negative aspects of it would probably say that s/he can get everything you need from brand x, but its rarely the case.
to some extent performance plays into it, but more then that its the idea that it is the best of the best that makes a cult following. otherwise, you end up with people trying to argue about it saying "ya well, my knife isnt the best, but.... nuts."