Do You Tend to Buy a Type of Knife?

R

RedLynx

Joined
Aug 5, 2011
Messages
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Hi guys,

So, as it's the new year I'm looking at some new and not so new models from various companies. I usually don't buy brand new models but I like to look to see what will be offered and what I might buy, in future.

But a lot of what I am noticing, that I'd like to get, are very similar in:
Length,
Blade length
Blade shape
To a degree, even steel composition

And other things.

Basically, a lot of knives I like, are so similar to knives I own, that I know that for the most part, I'm buying a knife that will perform very similarly to a lot I already own. I occasionally see something radically different that I have to have, but like many here, I am clearly not buying different, new knives I need for different tasks. It's not really good or bad... but I can often spend money on something that differs the most in the area of aesthetics, rather than anything else. I favor function over form for sure, and yet, if I see a knife that looks really good to me but is otherwise identical in most ways, I find myself picking one up anyway. I guess I have some kind of type. Anyone else?
 
Since I'm still in the infancy stages of my collection, I'm trying to be very well rounded and make smart purchases. For "good" knives, so far I have a Mini-Barrage (drop point, medium width blade), ZT 0450 (flipper with skinnier blade) and my next knife will probably be a ZT0350 in M390 (much wider blade then the other two). After that I'm going to look from something from spyderco. I still just not sure if I can bring myself to get a Para 2, but I might instead order the standard military and use it as my backup for to a fixed blade when I am night tracking. Beyond that I find myself attracted to many knives that fit in a middle point somewhere between the Barrage and 0450, for example a valet is on my list, I would have got this one sooner if I knew aftermarket scales were a thing. I do have a Buck 0342 on the way and many of the blades that have caught my eye all tend to be that 3-3.25" range with total opening not over 7.5". If for nothing else I love the knife exchange because it helps me learn what all is out there, but as you said I find myself attracted to the same kinds of knives and just wonder if I'm basically buying something I already have, for example to I really need a Benchmade mini-ti if it's just going to serve the same purpose as my 0450 would? I'd like a 940 for the looks, but honestly I can think of 0 times a tanto would be more useful then anything else in my collection, this is part of the problem I have with Spydercos, do I really not something that is mainly a slicer?

Struggle is real.
 
Never owned a mini-Barrage but I had a full-size, miss it sometimes... it had some of the best action of any assisted, imho.
 
I think all of us know how snappy the 0450 is, and honestly when I got the mini-barrage I felt it was a little too snappy for my tastes. Took about a week, but it grew on my. As things stand now I'll be buried with this knife, cause there won't be any prying it out of my cold dead hands.
 
I am the same way. Though at one point or another I have owned all different sizes, shapes and categories of knives, I seem to have settled on a few criteria that many of my new purchases fall under. They are a bit different for folders and fixed blades.

For folders, I like something medium to large. Even though I admittedly own just a few (under 10), they all share these characteristics: at least a blade length of 3.5 inches, they happen to be all framelocks, they are relatively simple as far as no bells and whistles, all uncoated silver/satin/stonewashed blades and all "midtechs," according to how they're categorized. 3XM18s, a Reate Horizon D with the CF handle, a large Inkosi and an Umnumzaan are about it.

Fixed blades are all between 4 and 9 inch blades. There are a few--2 or 3--little guys in there with 3in blades, but that's not the norm. All have micarta or G10 handles too. I prefer drop points and the majority of the fixed blades are. Brands and steel types are numerous though. Thicknesses and blade heights vary as well. I guess the defining parameters are blade length and handle material. Not very specific and I have leeway to try new things which is half the fun.

Just my personal taste really. The folders are here to stay, but I buy and sell fixed blades always trying to find that one perfect knife--neither too big nor too small, comfortable and good for multiple tasks. Of course I won't find it but some *darn* close contenders are my Busse S.O.B., CPK Field Knife, Dawson Raider 5 and Winkler belt knife (in 80CrV2.)
 
I was actually thinking along these same lines today. I like to have on knife for each occasion, but it struck me that I have a lot of knives that pretty much do exactly the same thing lol. My Benchmade 710, Spyderco PM2, ZT 0562, Ontario Rat 1, and Emerson Horseman all basically serve the same function as "hard use farm and horse knife." And yet, I continue to want to buy knives that will still serve that same function! That is why I am going to make a goal to have my next knife, whenever that is, to be different in some large way. Something more gentlemanly, with CF or something like that. Interesting how logic sometimes falls to the wayside when you just buy what you want.
 
Traditional knives:





 
Nice fixed blades. Like the slim profile of the cord wrapped one there. I could see carrying that in an urban environment.
 
I like to buy frame locks, or bolster locks. That is just what I like & buy.
 
RedLynx said:
Nice fixed blades. Like the slim profile of the cord wrapped one there. I could see carrying that in an urban environment.
Click to expand...

I do. All but the damascus recurve are carry knives.
 
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