Flagship models from knife brands

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Maximumbob54

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Pick a brand and list what you think is the flagship model and why you think so. Feel free to offer other options!

Spyderco - Para 3

My thinking is it seems like a model they like to try all the new steels with and they also made a lightweight version. You can get an affordable model up to a fancy price offering. Most people hear Spyderco and the leaf shape blade with the big thumb hole comes to mind and that's a Para 3 to a T. The 3" blade is within the majority of blade length restrictions. It has the compression lock which is part of the reason I think many favor the brand. It just check marks a lot of boxes.
 
I would actually argue that Spyderco's real flagship models are the Delica and Endura, based on the amount of time they've been in continuous production, how many they've sold and their almost ubiquitous presence in the knife world and the fact that they're even frequently seen and used by folks with no attachment to speciality knives and appear in a variety of media.

Benchmade is interesting, because I think you can argue their balisongs (what they were originally known for), the Griptilian line (one of the most enduring lines) or the newer Bugout because it's been so popular, so imitated and had so many other blades spun off of it.

Busse has gotta be the Battle Mistress.

Kershaw I think probably the Blur or the Leek. I know Ken Onion doesn't work with them anymore, but his era at KAI still defines the company in my eyes, though their newer offerings like the Iridium and Livewire are changing that, IMO.

Microtech is the Ultratech.

Buck is the 110 and 119, which, in my opinion, go beyond 'flagship' and into 'icon' territory.

Victorinox has the Classic.

Opinel I would say the No. 8
 
Chris Reeve- Sebenza

This one is pretty self explanatory. Their other models are also great and very popular but I don't think any would surpass the Sebenza as a flagship.

Microtech- Ultratech

Seems to be the bread-and-butter standard of OTFs. When a new manufacturer enters the OTF world it seems their first model is always an Ultratech competitor. I'd have to guess Microtech sells more Ultratechs than anything else.

Case- Trapper

One of their most iconic patterns and most of their limited runs, special designs, etc. are available on the trapper.
 
LG is a toss up between the VECP and the Talos.

Hinderer is the XM18 for sure

Spartan is the the large SHF
 
Spyderco flagship? PM2. Why? Made in the USA and released in an endless run of sprints, salts, exclusives, and regular production.

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Victorinox - Classic SD.

Available everywhere and the TSA has probably taken more of them off keychains than any other knife. You can find them on the keys of people that wouldn’t even consider a pocket knife.

It’s been copied for decades and it’s probably the most popular advertising knife for just as long.
 
Maximumbob54 said:
Pick a brand and list what you think is the flagship model and why you think so. Feel free to offer other options!

Spyderco - Para 3

My thinking is it seems like a model they like to try all the new steels with and they also made a lightweight version. You can get an affordable model up to a fancy price offering. Most people hear Spyderco and the leaf shape blade with the big thumb hole comes to mind and that's a Para 3 to a T. The 3" blade is within the majority of blade length restrictions. It has the compression lock which is part of the reason I think many favor the brand. It just check marks a lot of boxes.
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You mean like my Sage I and Sage II?
 
Arno Bernard - iMamba. Easy since they don't have a lot of models.
Becker - BK2. This one seems to be the standout that doesn't have as much direct competition.
Benchmade - 940. Others have come and gone, but this one has stayed as popular as ever and still offers something you don't see elsewhere.
Buck - 110. That's an easy one since their other flagship is the 119, and fixed blades aren't nearly as popular as folders.
Chris Reeve - Sebenza. Easy one, it's a legend decades in the making.
Civivi - Elementum. They keep putting out new variations of this one and promoting it with stickers etc, and it seems to be really popular.
Cold Steel - AD10. The die-hard CS fans tend to like the more unusual designs, but this one has more mass appeal and was a long awaited production version of an extremely expensive and unattainable custom.
CRKT - M16. It's been around a long time and they themselves say it's their most popular model.
Hinderer - XM18. He's done a lot more since then, but this is the one that got cemented in the public consciousness.
Kershaw - Leek. Not the highest end, but it's been around forever and still makes a lot of recommendation lists. It probably outsells most knives you can think of since it's so widely distributed, too.
Kizer - Sheepdog. They've done a ton of variations, even kitchen knives, and it's one of the more distinctive ones they make.
Medford - Praetorian. I don't care if it's discontinued, it's still the flagship and the one most associated with the brand.
Rike - Lamella. They were making high quality folders for a while, but this one really put them on the map and got them a lot of recognition. The Cybertrix is a close second.
Spartan - Harsey Folder. They made this easy since they keep pushing special variations and haven't come out with anything to contest it.
We Knife - Arrakis. Unfortunately, this one seems to be the one that's most iconic, and they used to promote it with stickers etc. Unfortunate since they had to discontinue it.
 
ZT - 0801

The why: It exemplified everything that they said they were about. Heavy use folder - full Ti framelock. Perfect ergos. High blade grind that gave it good cutting performance despite the thicker blade stock. The action is one of their best - nothing like a flipping a big blade into lock.

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Also - Spyderco is definitely ubiquitous with the PM2, but to me their flagship is the GB2 (and I love the PM2). Flagship doesn't equal sales.

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As the owner of over 175 Spyderco knives, I have an opinion or 2 about which model or models are representative as flagships of the brand.

IMO, the. Police leads the list as one of the oldest models & one that exemplifies the brand & one that has hardly changed over the 30+ years that it has been made

Next would be the Endura, which like the Police has long been made but has also inspired many variations of itself as well as other models like the Delica & Endela.

Likewise, the Native is one of Spyderco's oldest & most varied models which has inspired spin offs like the Lil Native, Native Chief & Shaman but was also the inspiration for different model lines, like the Sage & Chaparral.

While very popular, I would not regard the ParaMilitary 2 or Para 3 as a flagship Spyderco model.

I'd give that distinction to the Military which inspired & preceded them & is one of the oldest & most enduring Spyderco models along with the Police, Endura & Native which together IMO are most representative as the flagships of the Spyderco brand.
 
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I also own 68 Kershaw & 47 ZT branded knives. They have both made some truly unique & significant knives over the years, many of which I own.

However, I do not think that they currently make any models that can be considered representative as a flagship of their brands because KAI, their holding company, is not interested in longevity but has always pursued diversity in its knife lines as a way of achieving profit.

While the Blur & Leek currently are 2 of the oldest & most enduring Kershaw models, they both can trace their origin to the Shallot that is no longer made.

As for ZT, the only models currently sold that can trace their inspiration back the 20+ yrs to when ZT was created are the 0308, 0350 & 0562 but those knives were inspired by the 0300 & 0560, both of which were discontinued long ago.

So, IMO there are no knives currently made by KAI that can be called the flagship of those brands.
 
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sgt1372 said:
As the owner of over 160 Spyderco knives, I have an opinion or 2 about which model or models are representative as flagships of the brand.

IMO, the. Police leads the list as one of the oldest models & one that exemplifies the brand & one that has hardly changed over the 30+ years that it has been made

Next would be the Endura, which like the Police has long been made but has also inspired many variations of itself as well as other models like the Delica & Endela.

Likewise, the Native is one of Spyderco's oldest & most varied models which has inspired spin offs like the Lil Native, Native Chief & Shaman but was also the inspiration for different model lines, like the Sage & Chaparral.

While very popular, I would not regard the ParaMilitary 2 or Para 3 as a flagship Spyderco model.

I'd give that distinction to the Military which inspired & preceded them & is one of the oldest & most enduring Spyderco models along with the Police, Endura & Native which together IMO are most representative as the flagships of the Spyderco brand.
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I absolutely agree.

I would say flagship represents highest quality product with deep DNA history within the company, still in constant production. Your choices are perfect.

Many manufacturers no longer truly have flagship models as they have retired so many of the iconic designs.

The Buck 110 and the Victorinox Swiss Champ are another excellent examples of classic flagship models.
 
Trying not to repeat those already mentioned
Shirogorov 95T
Herman Sting
Koneig Arius
Grimsmo For me the Rask for others the Norseman
Quiet Carry Waypoint
CJRB Pyrite
North Arm Skaha II
Tactile Rockwall thimbstud
 
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