Has your tastes in knives changed over the years? Examples?

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bigoledude

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Jul 22, 2009
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I always liked the military style K-Bars and such. Still do. Been carrying around a stockman of one brand or another for over 50 years. The Buck 105 fixed blade type was always a favorite. I still think the Sharpfinger/Woodsman design is the quintessential cool-looking knife! That's another one I'd love to have in a top-quality steel.

The first time I saw a Canadian Belt Knife, I thought it was flat-out butt ugly. Now, I have two and, I want another one. The next one I want made of really good steel.

The Green River Buffalo Skinner and the Dexter Russell Beef skinner looked to me like a knife with a broke-back appearance. I have one in 1095 and love this knife! This knife is the best knife I have ever used to clean large redfish, drum and large catfish. Soon, I will make some nice micarta scales for it. My 4 sons also hated it initially and now want one of their own. They fight over mine when cleaning the wild hogs and deer we kill.

The little Sunfish pocket knife was another one I didn't like at all and would now love to own one. What's funny is that I have never grown to dislike any designs that I initially liked. Just makes me want to buy more and different knives.

There are more instances of knife designs that I now like. Just gonna let you guys list some of yours.

Every time I eat certain vegetables I think of how my mother would have loved to see me eat them. My tastes in knives has changed almost as much as my tastes in food!

Have any similar changes in opinion?
 
My changes could not be more different now than when I started. Now the only knives that interest me are $400+, a year or two ago $200 was out of the question.
 
I go in a circle about every year and a half or so. I go through phases I guess rather than new tastes. It revolves around modern folders, fixed blades, and traditionals. I usually stick with one category for 4-6 months then get the bug for a different area. Gotta keep things interesting I guess!
 
Mine have changed so much, When I first started I only wanted assisted flippers and ones that looked tactical. wouldnt spend over 50. Then as things progressed, the prices kept rising and rising. Now for a while I have kind of stayed at the same place as far as preference and style goes. Now I cant carry a knife that is assisted, into the CRK style more. After owning so many knives and looking for the "perfect" one, I am now more content with what I have and would only buy a small select knives.
 
Years ago I wouldn't have considered carrying a SAK. Got hooked on them in the 1980's while working out of the country. They are just too useful to ignore.

My interests have broadened in the last 10 years. I like them all if they are reasonably well made. I even like some of the budget knives. My regular EDC is a SAK if that tells you anything. But I piggyback it with a ZT.

The last knife I purchased was a CRKT Folding Razel (about a week ago). Certainly a different kind of knife which I am using as a work knife. Would prefer a Graham custom, but I am not that in love with razels even though this is my third razel.
 
I've gone full circle. I started with a decent edc delica and went to more expensive action orientated knives ie microtech scarab. After ten years have gone right back to carrying spyderco folders. Now its usually my vallotton.
 
what started off as flea markets and budk for me eventually turned into sog and kershaw... which turned into benchmade and spyderco... which turned into zero tolerance and strider... which turned into crk and hinderer... which turned into customs. it's been an expensive learning process- but ive had a blast the whole time.

edit: and to clarify- i still kept something from each category but the above only reflects the evolution of what i search for
 
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My tastes change constantly. For a while all I would carry was BIG OVER SIZED knives. Then I would only carry Kershaw. Then I would only use Swiss Army Knives. Then it was nothing but traditionals. Then I would carry nothing but knives that were $200+, now I carry knives of all price ranges and don't have anything worth over $200. I am now also getting more into traditional knives again, and am currently seeking the perfect one for every day carry.

My tastes change all the time and continue to do so the further I get into my knife addiction, I want a Sebenza again someday but I'm not to the point where I feel I NEED one like I did before. It's an amazing knife, but is not the end all be all knife for me.

I also really miss my ZT 0560CBCF. But it also was not the end all be all knife.

I don't know if I'll ever find my end all be all knife. But until I do find it, I continue to use and carry a large variety of blades and find a new taste in certain knives all of the time.
 
2010: First year of college..."poor" is somewhat of an understatement. Started with Chinese made knives after knowing about 8Cr13MoV being not a bad steel.

2011: Acquired Leatherman Skeletool. Mentality changed to "why would I need a dedicated knife when I have this multitool?"

2012-2013: Increase in disposable income. Moved on to CRKT, Kershaw, SOG, Spyderco, and Mcusta in that order.

Late 2013: Carried exclusively a Leatherman Skeletool & Micra and an Opinel No.8 because I wanted a light-weight EDC. High speed, low drag :cool:

Early 2014: I'm tired of trying to buy the perfect knife. I'll just design my own.

Mid 2014 - Present: My custom knife on my belt, Leatherman Style PS in the pocket (lost the Skeletool :(), Leatherman Micra on my keychain, Opinel in my bookbag.


Ever since I had my custom knife, my knife buying urges have been pretty much extinguished. More money for food and other hobbies (that may or may not involve things going pew pew).
 
I used to think autos were the bees knees. I have a half dozen of them and never carry them now.
 
I have always like tactical knives growing up like SOGS, Kabars, and traditional style slip joint folders. I still like those types, but I have a boat load of them so I don't buy them anymore. I evolved to buying and using convex ground knives like BRKT and Fallkniven. O and my SAK Tinker is my 100% edc now since it is extremely useful, and ofcoarse one of my folders to go along with it. I don't feel right without my SAK in my left pocket, and a good folder clipped on my right.

I use to carry only a traditional slip joint for edc.
 
I guess the biggest change for me over the years has been moving away from the super kewl badass looking knives that I used to want as a teenager. I used to just want the biggest Bowie Knife I could find, and I wanted every Hibben knife EVAR! I also enjoyed collecting replica swords.

These days I mostly want the most function (as defined by me) I can get in the most minimalist fashion possible. I definitely noticed that my desire for a switchblade has completely disappeared. I used to like flashy mall ninja stuff. Over the last two decades that has really turned into me wanting a good quality tools that aren't attention grabbing.
 
bigoledude said:
I always liked the military style K-Bars and such. Still do. Been carrying around a stockman of one brand or another for over 50 years. The Buck 105 fixed blade type was always a favorite. I still think the Sharpfinger/Woodsman design is the quintessential cool-looking knife! That's another one I'd love to have in a top-quality steel.

The first time I saw a Canadian Belt Knife, I thought it was flat-out butt ugly. Now, I have two and, I want another one. The next one I want made of really good steel.

The Green River Buffalo Skinner and the Dexter Russell Beef skinner looked to me like a knife with a broke-back appearance. I have one in 1095 and love this knife! This knife is the best knife I have ever used to clean large redfish, drum and large catfish. Soon, I will make some nice micarta scales for it. My 4 sons also hated it initially and now want one of their own. They fight over mine when cleaning the wild hogs and deer we kill.

The little Sunfish pocket knife was another one I didn't like at all and would now love to own one. What's funny is that I have never grown to dislike any designs that I initially liked. Just makes me want to buy more and different knives.

There are more instances of knife designs that I now like. Just gonna let you guys list some of yours.

Every time I eat certain vegetables I think of how my mother would have loved to see me eat them. My tastes in knives has changed almost as much as my tastes in food!

Have any similar changes in opinion?
Click to expand...

Except for the lack of Swiss Army Knives in your post, we could be related! :D Ka-Bars, Green River Skinners (and Dadleys), Canadian Belt knives and Stockmans are all favs of mine. I went through a tactical folder stage that subsided about 15 years ago and now EDC SAKs and traditionals with a classic lock-back occasionally thrown in. Pretty much the same stuff I liked and carried in the 70's.

Even eat my vegetables now! :D
 
I haven't changed much; have gone to slightly smaller, lighter folders.
Now nothing heavier than five ounces, and about 3.3" blade.
Closed length no less than about 4.3" so it fits my hand.
 
If anything I have become increasingly particular, but my price range has actually decreased. I used to spend much more on individual knives and tools than I do now, but as my knowledge of what makes a tool tick has increased I've been able to discover those qualities in less and less expensive tools.
 
Hey SAK Guy

I love the Swiss Army knife! My wife just gave me one she'd been hanging onto since 1993. It was an inscribed company gift for heading up a turnaround at the refinery where I worked for 25 years.

The day she gave it back to me, my grandson spotted it on my desk. He made such a big deal over it, I gave it to him. When he showed it to his dad (my son), my son discovered it would shave arm hair. My wife then told them that she had forgotten about it in her "trinkets" box and had NEVER EVEN OPENED IT!

I dearly love my 13 grandchildren but, I kinda wish I'd waited to give him that fine SAK in my will.
 
I used to be into tactical folders, mostly Benchmade and Spyderco. I still like Spydercos (smaller ones like the Kiwi 4 and Dragonfly) but now I'm getting into traditionals. I like GEC.
 
Initially, I was all about "survival" style blades like ESEE and big Bowie style knives like the Ontario SP10. I didn't like folders and only owned one or two.

Then, once I bought by first Hinderer a year ago I started to get more into folders and amass quite an assorted collection of higher end productions like CRK's and Striders.

Now, I don't own a single fixed blade. The only folders I own now are all Emersons except one which is a Strider SMF
 
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