Do you buy Metal or do you buy the design?

[Bors]

Ok, I have been buying and trading knifes for a while. I have been carrying knifes for a very long time. I just noticed I have been selecting knifes based on the type of metal used for the blade rather than design. At first, it was design but now it’s the type of metal. I find I’m collecting metal rather than knifes. Does anyone else do this?

 

[Vivi]

I'm more design orientated. How well it fits my hand, what little features it has, how grippy it is etc. I've found prettymuch every steel under the sun works for me. Some I can get a little sharper and others keep their edge longer, but still, I have generic knives with no blade material even stamped on the blade that do what I need them to.

 

[mr.trooper]

The Steel has to be good, AND the design has to be useable.

 

[Keith Montgomery]

The Steel has to be good, AND the design has to be useable.

That about covers it for me as well.

 

[Redguy]

Both. (10 characters)

 

[RedEdge77]

If a knife catches my eye, has decent steel (at least 420HC) or higher steel and is just well built i'll buy it.

I look for knives with the best materials for knives that i won't use a lot. I don't feel bad about beating the crap out of a cheaper knife though

 

[Gringogunsmith]

KNives are complex.
It's all about the man with the steel and what he does with it.
A dimwit can screw up the best steel on the planet and a master can take a so/so steel and create something awesome.
Buy your knife for who and not necessarily what created it.

 

[beefangusbeef]

Both, I might buy a knife because it has an interesting design as long as it has decent steel, aus8, 440c, or something or I might buy a simple knife because I've never used the steel before.

 

[eojk]

Design first. I will look at a knife and think about what aspects of the design I like. This may be pertinent to use or even aesthetics. Once I have determined interest, I then look at the steel. The steel is often the deciding factor, enough so that I may look at a similar design by a competitor if my first choice design-wise has inferior steel. An example, the old Griptilian vs. the D'Allara drop point.

 

[Siggyhk]

If it's a knife I'ma used a ton, then I must have a good steel. But the vasy majority of the time I buy for design. -Just hope it comes in a good steel, or that they have an upgraded modle.

 

[phatch]

Has to be both. Doesn't have to be a high end steel, but it has to be of decent quality, Aus8 or better.

Phil

 

[Doug C]

I buy fixed blades for the most part,Bowie's and fighters/subhilt fighters.I just bought my first REAL shiv although I do have a couple of others,nothing like this one.
Outside those designs it's rare for me to buy something else,anywho,the steel has to be what I consider very good to as perfect as available.A stunning hamon gets me every time though.
01,1095,1080,1084,L6.
I love the right Damascus steel.
It's all good.

Doug

 

[Artfully Martial]

The knife must use 440C or AUS8 first, with some rare exceptions, but after that, it's all design...since virtually all of the knives we buy are 100+, steel so rarely even comes into the equation.

I do pay a lot of attention to handle materials though.

 

[Peregrin]

The design needs to appeal to me first. Then I'll look at the steel. If the steel isn't what I like then I'll pass.

 

[Dog of War]

Ditto, both are important.

 

[Death's Head]

I used to only care about design. But now that I know so much more about knives and the quality of materials used, I tend to want a more complete package. Years ago, $50 was a lot for me to spend on a knife with decent steel and nylon handles. Now I tend to spend over $120 bucks for great steel, a useful design, and better scales like G10 or Ti.
That is the cost of knife education.

 

[mikeymoto]

The blade material used is part of the design. So there's no choice but choose by design, given your criteria.

 

[barrabas74]

Both for me as well. There's lots of good lookin knives with crappy steel's and some knives with great steel's that to me are just ugly or useless.

 

[SpyderJon]

I'd say design for the most part. The exception would be if I'm just interested in a certain steel. In that case I tend to look for a cheaper knife (but still from a maker I trust) with that steel and don't care all that much about the design. Fortunately, most companies that come out with unique/interesting steels tend to put those in their best designs.

 

[djolney]

The design has to be good, and the steel has to be more than usable.