Gateway Knives. What knife or knives got you started on a brand or style or what not?

R

Roguer

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Jan 5, 2015
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Ok well my first Gateway knife for larger blades was first an attempt to get a "working" bowie knife and I stumbled across the Ontario SP-10 Marine Raider Bowie. That started me down every day use and affordable and a few just to get to have but still do regular work capability knives. And I could afford to get more than one in case it got misplaced or given away.

My other Gateway knife was the BK2 to fill one need then I saw the others to over lap and fill other needs that compliment my OKCs, before I knew it I got BK 9s, 5, 4, and an extra 2 also.

Those are some examples that I ended up following along after the initial Gateway knife that lead me to find others I needed/wanted/hadtoget!
 
I bought 3 knives on eBay. A Kershaw Scallion, A CRKT Fulcrum, and a Spyderco Leafstorm.

The Kershaw led to another and then a ZT and then a Strider and then nothing.

The CRKT didn't lead anywhere.

The Spyderco led to a bunch more Spydercos.
 
Most recently, I started looking into Ray Laconico after the Kizer Gemini caught my eye online. His designs have completely owned my attention since then. I got the Gemini, then an Ursa Minor, and am eagerly looking forward to the Alliance Designs production EZE models hitting in November, as well as the Kizer Yorkie slated for 2019. His minimalist style is beautiful.
 
My "gateway knife" was a Randall Model 14 that I bought in 1994.

My real gateway though was Blade Magazine. In 2016, I bought a decades worth of digital magazines and "specials" and went though every page looking at every image and trying to read every story and comment. It allowed me to build a comprehensive idea and lists abt what were my preferred bladesmiths and manufacturers from which I bought knives. I now have around 80 knives and almost all of them were purchased in 2017 and 2018.

I'm looking for my next technical support job right now and when I find it, I'll be off and running again.
 
My gateway knife was a SOG Aegis, not because it was a great knife but because it made me question my choice of purchasing it. I purchased one from an online retailer (that doesn't specialize in knives I might add) I felt like it was a decent knife but had enough doubts about it that I decided to go online to see if I could find confirmation from strangers that I had made a good decision. Well, I stumbled upon Bladeforums and it didn't take long to realize the variety of better options out there and all the great values the Exchange had to offer, from then on my knife purchases have all been based at least in part on information supplied on these here forums.
 
SpySmasher said:
When I first saw the Spyderco Police it blew my mind. I had no idea at the time that the "modern folder" had been invented. One-handed opening! Pocket clip!
Click to expand...
For me it was the Benchmade 710, but a very similar “Wow!” response. ;) Up until then the height of knife technology to me was a 110. I’ve always been a bit behind the times... :oops:
 
First expensive knife I bought was a benchmade 51. I had flea market balisongs before that, but when I got that 51 I fell in love, and I fell into the world of butterfly knives hard.
 
Cold Steel Recon Scout Carbon v in the early 90's. Lynn C. Thompson cursed me for life (happy about it too).
 
A display case of frost cutlery knives was gifted to me when I was about 6. I was fascinated by even those low quality knives, so my father got me a box of blade magazines from the online auction site. Knives have been a fascination ever since.
 
Good post ! Brings back a lot of memories... I've always been a knife guy but I purchased strictly local and had one knife at a time. Back in the days, there was a cutler or at least a cutlery shop in every village of some importance. There's where I headed first and usually bought one that appealed to me or my gal. What brought me back and much deeper in knives is one of Cold Steel's budget offering : the Roach Belly. This knife was so much fun I bought one of every other knife in their budget line (Long Hunter, Western Hunter, Finn Wolf, Pendleton, Canadian Belt...). I still use them (from time to time) and they are great to lend to not-so-knife-savy people. Anyway, they triggered a thirst for something nicer, better, higher level, more refined... and whatever it may be called, I'm on my way. Getting a Case Workman Sodbuster around the same time only made things worse !
 
Benchmade Mini Reflex back in 95, bought it at a gun store, pre Internet days.
Pocket clip, modern materials, anodization, light and single hand opening! Expensive on a student budget.
Carried traditional slip joints and lock backs to that point.
 
Here are my gateway/landmark knives :

Wenger SA Camper - 1985 - first knife ever.
Buck 110 - 1988 - first locking knife.
Buck 119 - 1991 - first fixed blade.
Benchmade-HK 14210 - 2007 - first knife over $100/first BM.
Spyderco Manix2 - 2010 - first Spyderco.
 
Gateway knives..... Case Barlow (the first serious knife when I was a kid), Spyderco Native (was impressed with the quality construction and function), and Randall Model 14 and 15 (first really expensive fixed blades).
 
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My cousin has been a knife guy for longer than me. I was buying kershaw, ganzo, crkt, etc and he gifted me a Benchmade Minigrip with g10 and cpm20cv. I carry that thing all the time and it is what convinced me that there is something to spending more on a knife. I still have cheaper knives but dont think spending more than $40 is dumb anymore.
 
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