End of the year; 2018 edition

From now to the end of the year is going to be probably limited to the 2018 traditional forum knife. Was hoping for the Becker BK-62 Kephart, but I missed the early cut on a very limited initial shipment. (I ordered and later discovered another dealer had them at the time; but I wasn't going to cancel my order.) I didn't know it was available until a couple days after it was announced. It's ordered however and will likely arrive in January. Maybe I'll get a surprise package in the mail in December? Who knows?

The forum knife is discussed heavily in the traditional forum. Supposed to hit the dealer handling it on Dec. 3rd.
 
Oh dang. I just found out about the CPM 4V Manix 2. Iiiiiii know what I'm getting myself for candlenights.

One of my favorite knives + unobtanium steel at 64hrc + my preferred manix blade grind + fancy handle = Yes please.

BRB. I'm going to scour the internet for a good deal on one of these.

Edit: bought one :)

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046f562d-0ebe-4241-bde6-c91ef54d64f3-1200x900.jpg 20181117_192855-2241x3984.jpg Forum knife will most likely be my last knife of 2018. Just received a new cruwear manix a few days ago.

It's been a good year. I would have liked to have bought a few that I passed up, but it's tough when I already have a great bunch of blades.

Pic snagged from the BF 2018 traditional folder thread.. I'm looking forward to this one.
 
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I am still waiting for spyderco military rex 45 from a dealer not charging shipping fee. This is the second annoying waiting right following the Hogue Ritter Griptilian.
 
Comeuppance said:
I'm sort of patiently / impatiently watching for something to catch my eye in that niche "~$60 440C ceramic bearing flipper" department. Otherwise, I'll likely close out the year as I entered it. My rotation has been static for a while.
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Sounds almost like a Stedemon ZKC-C02?
 
strategy9 said:
Sounds almost like a Stedemon ZKC-C02?
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I had a very similar model - the Stedemon ZKC D-01.

36288182704_519f798e79_o.jpg


Really nice knife - maybe the smoothest flipper I have ever handled. I don't know if that was just a fluke, or if others are just as good, but it was just a dream to use.

It became redundant when I picked up a Factor Iconic for a song, so I sold it in a bundle with some other knives that had been collecting dust. Now I'm eyeing the other blade shapes that are coming out. I'll be just smitten if someone rolls out a budget clip point flipper with a 3.75" blade. I might try out the Real Steel Metamorph sometime soon as well.
 
I came into 2018 having not purchased any knives since getting my ZT 0562 in 2015 or so. I carried it about 5-6 days/week for most of that stretch, and was very happy with it.

This year saw a few additions and a bit of evolution of taste. I still like my older knives, but the newer ones have generally tended toward plain ti, .12”-.14” blade thickness, and full flat grinds. I’ve come to be a huge fan of Laconico designs.

I’m also lucky to be a Portland area resident (I’m from Tualatin, OR, now living an exit over), and was able to go to Blade West in this first year. While there, I picked up an Olamic Wayfarer 247.

My most carried and used this year has probably been a Kizer Gemini. Despite the fact that it’s one of my least expensive knives, it’s also among my favorites.
 
RBid said:
My most carried and used this year has probably been a Kizer Gemini. Despite the fact that it’s one of my least expensive knives, it’s also among my favorites.
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I have found that finding an inexpensive but surprisingly well-made knife is a far greater joy than purchasing a $200+ folder with the same quality. You feel justified and safe in using it because of the relative inexpensiveness, but gratified by the feeling of owning and using a cutting tool that punches well above the general fare of that price category; it's like placing in the top 3 of a race using a Ford Focus - you didn't pay much, and you didn't break the bank, but it can still keep pace with the big dogs.

Things like this are why I watch the budget market closely. Having handled folders in excess of $6K, the smoothest flipper I have used to date cost me less than $50. Price is really more of an ePeen metric than a quality metric. Anyone saying otherwise is trying to sell you something,
 
Would like to wrap up year with Paysan and Plemora. Keep entering the Holt lotto but probably not a chance in hell I will win that. Hate that system, but still want one.
 
Ordered a custom Tukan from Alexander Cheburkov about a month ago, originally quoted 4-6 weeks so it shouldn't be to much longer...
 
2018 was a good year to think about the hobby
I end this year shrinking my collection and focusing on the knives I really like to use,ie 3 CRK and 3 Spyderco at the present time... some SAK and drawer’s knives but that is it ;)

I have still 25-30 knives to sell
I am now more on using the knives than collecting

I will have to use 2019 to re-think my approach on knives purchases.

It took me some time to learn about the steels, blade shapes, locking/opening mechanisms I enjoy but I am very happy to have gone through it
 
I purchased 3 spyderco PM 2’s, my first Millie and then a Sprig in the first half of the year which was by far the bulk of my purchases. I may have to look at the Manix 2 in 4V after just hearing about it in this thread.
 
strategy9 said:
How are you going to close out the year in your knife collecting/acquiring/accumulating?
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Although I joined up here a few years ago I didn't become active until very recently. Health and personal issues kept me sidelined but it's all behind me now. Just this week I commissioned two knifemakers I found here to make a piece each in the style they are known for and I could not be happier. I may add a third. It's a wonderful life.

The two below, purchased recently, may well be the last production knives I buy. Time will tell.

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The short version, looking back over the past year, is that I was hurting with my bad hip but had a lucrative project going, just perfect for a semi-retired guy. Two things that I could do that didn't hurt were eating and buying knives. I did a lot of pre-hab, had super-successful replacement surgery last March, then took stock of where I was at both physically and in my knife collecting.

Knife-wise, I'm like Therom Therom , re-assessing and looking to concentrate on users rather than sitters. I sold off some drawer-queens, some I didn't use, and bought a couple, but was pretty much done by June. Since then, I've bought only two not-terribly-expensive pieces plus one set of scales, have sold a couple, and have been carrying broad sections sections of my array, trying to decide what might stay and what might go. I've found some I've kept like new but have since made users and they've gotten a bit of wear. I'm still trying to decide on three drawer-queens, plus stuff like my complete Sage collection and others in good condition that I like but don't carry.

I've not seen anything lately out there that super-tickles my fancy, but think I might soon start selling off some stuff again and building my PP account so if something comes along I can jump on it. Not buying more at this point, though, without culling the herd, but I've got lots of really great knives to keep me content in the meantime.

BTW, the weight's getting back where it should be even though that's harder than not buying knives. :rolleyes:
 
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Comeuppance said:
I had a very similar model - the Stedemon ZKC D-01.

36288182704_519f798e79_o.jpg


Really nice knife - maybe the smoothest flipper I have ever handled. I don't know if that was just a fluke, or if others are just as good, but it was just a dream to use.

It became redundant when I picked up a Factor Iconic for a song, so I sold it in a bundle with some other knives that had been collecting dust. Now I'm eyeing the other blade shapes that are coming out. I'll be just smitten if someone rolls out a budget clip point flipper with a 3.75" blade. I might try out the Real Steel Metamorph sometime soon as well.
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Did you end up picking up the real steel metamorph? If so how do you like it? I got one as View attachment 1061118 View attachment 1061119 my xmas gift for my last 2018 knife purchase after searching for a front flipper to try out that wouldnt break the bank. I ended up w the battlebox version in subdued green. Not a bad knife at all. Front flipping takes a little getting used to but I do like it. I found the roller bearing pivot interesting also. Looks like a bunch of needle bearings (caged) rather than the standard ball bearing setup normally used.
 
Edgeoflife said:
Did you end up picking up the real steel metamorph?
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I was very close to getting one, but then I found out Real Steel was going to come out with a revised/improved version of the knife. So... I'll probably end up getting both since the old model will invariably go on sale and I'm a sucker for a bargain.
 
Didnt know about an improved version. Ill have to check up on it and see whats changing.
 
Oh yeah the S5. (Original was the G5). I do remember reading that when i was researching my purchase. Looks like s35vn, ti, switch to a framelock, with front and standard flipper versions available. really nice upgrade.
 
As mentioned, I finished up 2018 with the Buck 301 Trad Forum knife and the Kabar Becker BK-62 Kephart. I purchased slightly more knives in 2018 than 2017. Here it is late January and I picked up my first knife of the year (Lon Humphrey Kephart). I do intend to scale things back in 2019 in terms of acquisitions. Probably should sell some or try to sell some, but that is not in my genes presently. I feel the itch weekly for new stuff.
 
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