HELP - Knife Brands???

[Firefighter880]

Hello All,

I am still relatively new to knife collecting. I started out buying cheapo mall knives to work with and went up from there. I think my first "real knife" was a S&W SWAT, and then I moved to a Spyderco Endura, and then a Cold Steel Recon 1, and after that the ball kept tumbling as I looked for better and more sturdy knives that could take the abuse I intended on giving them (which, as a Firefighter, I definately abuse my blades).

What I am looking for now is the unthinkable. Not really, but I've got to know what you think. Everytime I move to a different knife brand, I am always told by the dealer "Oh yes, X brand is much better than Y brand." So I am here to ask for your opinions. Otherwise, when does this stop?

The brands I currently own are:

Strider
Emerson
TOPS
Benchmade
SOG
Spyderco
Cold Steel
CRKT

This is probably the order that I would put them in if I wanted to rank them, but that is what I want to ask you to do.

What are your favorite brands? and how would you rank them as compared to other brands?

I'm talking about the entire "knife brand package." The overall appeal of the company's knives, their ability to hold up under hard use, their ergos, their warranty, etc...

I'd really like to know what all of you experienced folks prefer, because I'm sick of these local dealers trying to talk me into whatever they can sell for the largest profit. I'm going to scream if I hear this line from my local guy again - "Oh you don't need that Strider SMF (that I bought elsewhere, of course), this S&W SWAT will do just as well."

Thanks for your input.

 

[mm3]

Almost all knives with cut, stab, or pry to some degree. Take a look at how well the knives are constructed.

Is the fit and finish excellent, bad, or in between?
Is there any blade play in any direction?
How are the materials?
Is the lock sturdy?
What are the knives intended uses?
How is the warrenty and will that company honor the warrenty?
Is the knife comfortable in the hand? Will it be slick when wet and can it be opened and closed with one hand or with gloves on?
Does the price reflect the quality that you are getting?

Nobody should expect that a $30 knife be as high of a quality as a $300 knife, but you can get a very good knife for around $100 that will probably last a lifetime. And rememmber that price doesn't always reflect quality.

If you take those things into consideration and compare the knives that you already own you should be able to tell which are higher quality knives.

Next time the local knife dealer knocks your Strider and tries to sell you a S&W. Ask him to put the knife in a vise and try to break it. I doubt S&W will replace it, the last I heard Strider will.

P.S.- I don't recommend putting a knife in a vise to try and break it. And if I did I wouldn't expect or ask any company to replace it.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Part of the value of a company like Chris Reeve or Strider or Emerson or TOPS or Benchmade or Spyderco is that they control their entire knife line. If they do a knife well, they are going to do all their knives well.

Part of the problem with CRKT or Cold Steel or S&W is that they have their knives made in so many places in so many different materials that finding one good knife from them does not guarantee a similar level of quality from another.

Many companies contract out work, but maintain careful quality control over their contractors, and maintain or upgrade their materials. Kershaw and Spyderco are examples of this.

 

[Nimravus Nut]

Striders and Tops are about as tough as it gets. Fallkniven will probably give you more bang for your buck, after owning these, I don't think you can get anything better unless you go into customs or Busse.

 

[rebeltf]

Esav said

Part of the problem with CRKT or Cold Steel or S&W is that they have their knives made in so many places in so many different materials that finding one good knife from them does not guarantee a similar level of quality from another.

Very good point ! As many CRKT's as I own , I have to agree.
IMO , one should really look into the knife before they lay down their dough , what materials are used ? is my number one question. Then what do you plan on using the knife for ? Is the knife i'm looking at going to do what I want it to do , so on and so forth.
Also , how does the whole package look ? Is it cheesy-ass ninja , or practical , handsome or just plain ugly... sometimes even an "ugly" knife can be quite popular ( Pocket Hobbit comes to mind )
Beauty , is in the eye , etc etc.
I used to be picky on where the knife was made but in recent years that has shown to not be an indicator of a quality knife.