Folder & Fixed brand bracket rankings (Non-custom)

K

knowsnoknife

Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
81
I have a couple of fixed blades and I'm absolutely new to folders. My only folder experience is my AITOR Luchadera, a really heavy knife from Spain.

Anyway, from reading this forum, and other knife forums, as well as watching a lot of reviews I have estimated, at least from a lot of the posts that I have read and watched, what I think are the general rankings by brand of folders based on what a lot of you guys have been posting, from a general summation of quality, popularity, design, etc...

Again, this is just from me, a humble ignorant reader

10-Best of the best 5 Average 0-Being the worst (probably 5$ China made knives peddled on the streets)

Folders
10-9 Chris Reeve Knives, Strider Knives
8-9 Benchmade, Spyderco, Kershaw Zero Tolerance
6-7 SOG
5 ?????
4 ?????
3 ?????
etc.

Fixed blades
10-9 ??????
8-9 Ka-bar
6-7 ??????

I don't assume that this is correct as I have very limited knowledge with knives and I am sure that there a lot of brands that I probably have not heard of that are quite popular with you guys, and so I am posting this to be corrected by you guys or better yet hopefully you guys can post your own ranking based on your experience so that I know what brands to look for when making purchases, to avoid the mistake of paying for a crappy knife.

On a more specific note, I also wanted to know where Cold Steel and CRKT are based on your own personal rankings.

Anyway, I know that different people will have different opinions but I'm sure there will be some similar rankings and these similarities will at least help newbies like me know the quality knives from the averagely good knives.

Thanks!
 
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For folders, would I be wrong to place
-Cold Steel near the 6-7 range together with SOG?
-Kershaws with the Benchmades and Spydercos around the 8 level?

still clueless about CRKT folders though..
 
Ya…the problem with this is that for the most part when I’m thinking about “the best brand/knife/steel/lock/pocket clip/blade shape/grind/etc” its going to be something like 40% objective data and 60% personal preference.
 
^That, plus there's that many of the brands have different classes of knives which have different levels of quality.
 
I'm no big fan of either, but I wouldn't rank CRK ans Strider on the same level in terms of quality, fit and finish. CRK is definitely more refined and better done.
 
Interesting idea, but I think you're going to find that you'll have as many (Or more) exceptions to the rule as you have #'s to score with.

As has been mentioned, aside of it being so subjective, is that there are so many different models most manufacturers make AND many have different levels, too.

Kershaw should be ranked high, but their ZT line "should" be higher, however, some Kershaw models might be low, while others might be as high as some ZTs.

BMs another one that makes this very difficult, too. Spyderco has more expensive, higher end folders, their "run of the mill" (Delica/Endura as an example) & their Byrd line.

Then, of course, there're all the different companies & the semi-production ones, etc.

Good luck, though.
 
Thanks for all the helpful replies. You are all correct by saying that this is 80% to 100% subjective, and I posted it knowing this, but I thought that since a lot of people here have their own opinions, the number of opinions would still be very helpful to people like me. Thanks. On the topic, what do you feel about Buck Knife folders? Where would you guys place it?
 
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