Have your opinions and preferences ever changed unexpectedly?

[Hickory n steel]

its likely cost, existing dies and things like that that play a factor in why some companies just have the same swedge for many of the models.

The swedges are ground in if I'm not mistaken, and while I understand the necessity when there's a long pull I'm not sure why they'd do it otherwise.

 

[Chui]

That said, in general, clip points with no swedge kinda upset me a little. It's partially the aesthetics, partially the missed opportunity.

- yip. Am with you there...........a good swedge on a clip-point is utterly

Both are far apart in years of being made...

 

[Hickory n steel]

An alox SAK is an indispensible part of my daily kit now and I don't quite know how I got by without one. Still don't open cans or wine bottles with them, though.

There was a time when I thought the recruit was king and I had no desire to own anything alox because of the toothpick and tweezers.
Eventually it dawned on me that this was an unfair double standard to have because none of my other pocket knives had scale tools.
I realized it was better to just keep a 58mm on me at all times for that toothpick & tweezers ( plus I'd have the scissors ), so I bit the bullet on a cadet and really loved it.
After that the bulkier recruit fell out of favor and I passed it along in a giveaway box.

 

[mrknife]

The swedges are ground in if I'm not mistaken, and while I understand the necessity when there's a long pull I'm not sure why they'd do it otherwise.

leaves you modding opportunities

 

[birdsbeaks]

I'd rather have no swedge than an ugly one.
This type of swedge is common and I can't stand it.

I definitely see where you're coming from, but part of my mind thinks "Well, bless their hearts - at least they tried..."

When there's no swedge at all, that same (ridiculous, illogical, and untrustworthy) portion of my brain says "Did we just get charged full price for a knife that missed a machining operation??!! Where's our 1.75% refund of the total cost for the work that wasn't performed?! It shoulda been a second!!! "

Hopefully I'll come around sooner rather than later. To my credit, I'm still grabbing a carbon-steel example of Case's recent run of unswedged barlows fairly regularly - though it may be with a sigh.

 

[Hickory n steel]

leaves you modding opportunities

I have a knife with said swedge that I might be able to fix.
I'll have to see what I can do.

 

[Kwon Kwang]

I like clip points more than I used to and the thickness behind a knife's edge has become a more important consideration. I also will soon need to shift towards more moisture-tolerant materials.

 

[btb01]

I'm kind of the opposite, I'd rather have no swedge than an ugly one.
This type of swedge is common and I can't stand it.

I just don't like how it starts with a very crisp square plunge line instead of following through the clip and tapering off, I dislike it on pretty much every blade shape except when done just right on a sheeps foot.

I think you’re talking about the difference between a cut swedge and a drawn swedge.

Cut:

Drawn:

and the thickness behind a knife's edge has become a more important consideration.

That’s always been a big one for me. Traditional pocket knives that are too thick behind the edge are a real bummer.

As for changing opinions, I used to really dislike the slimmer clip blade shapes (California, Turkish, etc.), and now… well, I still don’t like ‘em.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I think you’re talking about the difference between a cut swedge and a drawn swedge.

Yep that's it, I can't stand cut swedges.

 

[black mamba]

My experience mirrors John's (jc57) on the stockman and alox SAK patterns. But with my exposure to the lambsfoot pattern, I've also come to appreciate single blade straight-edged knives. Previously I always thought of a straight-edge as a secondary blade, like a stockman's sheepfoot. But the longer tapered blade with a straight edge works well as a primary, whether lambsfoot or Wharncliffe.

 

[Pàdruig]

I can't say that I've had any earth-shattering revelations really.

When I first got back into traditional cutlery, pretty much in line with when I joined the forums here, I was attracted to mid to large sized, single spear jacks. Over the course of my collecting, trying new things, and getting all the exposure I could, my tastes have certainly changed, or evolved, I suppose. I don't value a spear main in most cases anymore and I've certainly developed an affinity for styles that were not on my radar initially.

Three blades are too many, unless the third is a punch. Two blades are just right in most cases - with Clip main, coping secondary or Sheepfoot main, pen secondary being ideal combos. When it comes to single blades, the Lambsfoot reigns as king and, in my opinion, renders most other multi-blade options as null. I prefer longer, nimbler blade shapes than I used to, finding them more versatile than broader versions (e.g. turkish or California clips vs. regular or lambsfoot vs. sheepfoot).

When I had my Rhidian Lamb done, I didn't know what I was doing to myself. I paired a favorite frame with a favorite blade that was based on a vintage example and in doing so, I obtained the perfect knife. It's made the pursuit of pretty much anything else pale by comparison. It's delightful, yet melancholy at the same time.

As such, this represents what I carry on most days. I'll throw something different in the mix now and then but in my mind, I've achieved perfection with these two.

 

[Hengelo_77]

A wharncliff trapper is a good combo of the low point of the wharncliffe and the belly of the trapper. I was really looking forewards to carry one of those, but now I have one the sharp angle of the closed blade poking in my index finger when I hold it bothers me.
The Zulu spear may be a good single blade compromise.