Highlights of the past few years?

Munchy

Munchy

Joined
Feb 28, 2013
Messages
465
Hello everyone!

I've been out of the game for about 4-5 years but have recently been peeking into what's been going on and have bought a few new blades like the DLT exclusive Spyderco Tuff.

I was curious as to what has been going on in the knife community. New releases? New Steels? Makers? New Companies? Drama? Etc.?
Feel free to list one or two that you are currently carrying and enjoying.


Cheers!
 
Other than CRK, I enjoy my Spyderco Chief sprints, and a couple of Chaparrals.
New Steel: MagnaCut
Drama: Slicey Dicey
 
I am nowhere near as informed as the majority here but I will take a swing based on what trends Ive noticed. Plus, it might spark some convo that I can be more informed on-

MagnaCut, Vancron SC, Maxamet, & REX 121 are some of the newer steels people are excited about *I think*. The Sandrin Torino uses polyhedral tungsten carbine & the Terrain 365 line uses Terravantium (made up word, "all words are made up") Dendritic Colbalt which seems pretty cool. I am too low brow to re-sharpen these things though, so Ive yet to own any of them.

There are so many new companies I can barely keep up - I think GiantMouse has ironed out some previous kinks with the Ace Grand, seems like a solid pickup. BM is trying to make a comeback / fix their QC issues in the sub +/-300.00 range with the Adamas imo... its solid; still value lies with the Hogue / Ritter able lock line in that arena. Kizer is getting better.

Cheburkov is as good as Shirogorov [imo] and a tad less expensive, I have my eye on one of those for sure. Herman knives over on Polish Custom Knives are in that zone as well.

CR still puts out things that just work great. He is the Toyota of knives, i.e. boringly reliable and well made.

Protech Malibu and Wharncliffes in general are en vogue at the moment and retail seems to be after thinner blades lately (see TRM Atom/ Neutron).

Laconico is doing more & more partnership launches which I like as im partial to his designs. Quiet Carry is another one to keep an eye on.

Oh, and the Manly Peak2 in s90v is a deal at 121.00 imo.. thats about all I can drum up off the top of my head. Welcome back!
 
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Demko AD20
Tri way hinderers
TRM Atom and Neutron
Veto engineering Synapse
Spyderco with Maxamet steel
Benchmade Bugout
Protech malibu
Monterey Bay Knives’s Laconico designs
Double detent slip joints
GiantMouse ACE Grand
 
I think Reate and WE are the recent breakout makers.

WE knives are very well made and they also have an excellent budget line named CIVIVI. They have a lot of in house designs but have also produced designs by Laconico, Bull, Zinker, O'Young, Berg, and others.

Reate has some of their own designs (none of which appeal to me personally) but they are the OEM for a lot of companies, including Pena X-Series, Sharp By Design, Liong Mah Design, Giantmouse ACE, Ohlone, Moen Tooling, and probably others I've forgotten. I've had quite a few Reate's and their construction, fit, and finish has always been flawless. Easily equal to if not better than the top US made brands.

Back when I first got into pocket knives China was synonymous with cheap and poor quality, but companies like Reate and WE have really changed the game.
 
WE and Reate front flippers. Both are manufacturing knives on a production level for custom makers. Ray Laconico, Elijah Isham, Enrique Pena, Liong Mah, Ferrum Forge, and more.

The Pena X-series is extremely popular, made by Reate. The are front flippers that look like traditional designs. I've been on the fence about getting one myself. I like the look of the Apache.

Civivi (made by WE) budget knives are in a class of their own, and I like the two front flippers I own from them. Carbon Fiber/damascus Exarch and the G-10 damascus McKenna.

Micarta handles/scales have become very popular, that not only that there are a lot of people making aftermarket ones, but now production and /or sprint versions direct from the manufacturer.
 
Doug Ritter pairing with Hogue.
The AXIS lock going free to use.
Andrew Demko starting his own line of semi-production/midtech knives.
Ray Laconico bringing his signature shape and style to at least four production and small-batch companies.
John Grimsmo chasing decimal places with the Norseman. In ten years, I'd like to see him competing for the same space as CRK.
The increases in general quality (and quantity) in the high-tier production and low-tier/"factory mid-tech" market segment, from about $300, up to $500 or so where customs start.
The fact that the line is becoming increasingly blurry between production, factory-midtech, and midtech knives. If this can be traced back to Tormach bringing CNC to The People, then that's a highlight, too.
CRK holding their own in the market space, in defiance of all these upstarts.
 
kobold said:
Other than CRK, I enjoy my Spyderco Chief sprints, and a couple of Chaparrals.
New Steel: MagnaCut
Drama: Slicey Dicey
Click to expand...
I like the looks of the Chief, I may have to add one to the collection :thumbsup:

sadmin said:
I am nowhere near as informed as the majority here but I will take a swing based on what trends Ive noticed. Plus, it might spark some convo that I can be more informed on-

MagnaCut, Vancron SC, Maxamet, & REX 121 are some of the newer steels people are excited about *I think*. The Sandrin Torino uses polyhedral tungsten carbine & the Terrain 365 line uses Terravantium (made up word, "all words are made up") Dendritic Colbalt which seems pretty cool. I am too low brow to re-sharpen these things though, so Ive yet to own any of them.

There are so many new companies I can barely keep up - I think GiantMouse has ironed out some previous kinks with the Ace Grand, seems like a solid pickup. BM is trying to make a comeback / fix their QC issues in the sub +/-300.00 range with the Adamas imo... its solid; still value lies with the Hogue / Ritter able lock line in that arena. Kizer is getting better.

Cheburkov is as good as Shirogorov [imo] and a tad less expensive, I have my eye on one of those for sure. Herman knives over on Polish Custom Knives are in that zone as well.

CR still puts out things that just work great. He is the Toyota of knives, i.e. boringly reliable and well made.

Protech Malibu and Wharncliffes in general are en vogue at the moment and retail seems to be after thinner blades lately (see TRM Atom/ Neutron).

Laconico is doing more & more partnership launches which I like as im partial to his designs. Quiet Carry is another one to keep an eye on.

Oh, and the Manly Peak2 in s90v is a deal at 121.00 imo.. thats about all I can drum up off the top of my head. Welcome back!
Click to expand...

Very interesting! Lot of information here to go through for more in-depth reading later on.
Maxamet was the brand new steel right as I was getting out of the hobby, I picked up a Spyderco Mule team in it and I believe a PM2.

Thank you for the post!



I saw more replies after these two and will respond when I have time. Thanks everyone
 
With all the talk of CRK, it should probably be mentioned that CRK is no longer "Chris" Reeve Knives...I honestly don't see it as the same company anymore.
 
KaBar is now making knives for when we need to go all “West Side Story” on invaders from outer space.
 
Not a highlight, but important to note nonetheless. Quality control of Benchmade tanking, while their prices skyrocket. Plus they went and got all involved in politics and wokeness, though that is a conversation for another time and place.
 
Personal view, of course:

Spyderco's Rex 45 use for knives was quite a coup.

Hinderer Triway, new releases at least once a month now.

Demko.

CPK. Really cool fixed blades. Company is on the verge of becoming big.
 
Southern Grind was sold to Diamondback Arms. No word yet whether the product line will change, really no word at all about anything.
 
K.O.D. said:
Not a highlight, but important to note nonetheless. Quality control of Benchmade tanking, while their prices skyrocket. Plus they went and got all involved in politics and wokeness, though that is a conversation for another time and place.
Click to expand...
I don’t think Benchmade QC tanked. I have bought a bunch and they have been great. They did have some issues a while back.

Not sure that their prices have “skyrocketed“ more than other makers.


The other conversation you may have a point.


The highlight for me has been the Hogue Ritter. And more adoption of LC200 steel.
 
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DMG said:
I don’t think Benchmade QC tanked. I have bought a bunch and they have been great. They did have some issues a while back.

Not sure that their prices have “skyrocketed“ more than other makers.


The other conversation you may have a point.


The highlight for me has been the Hogue Ritter. And more adoption of LC200 steel.
Click to expand...
It was a few years back now when they implemented MAP and raised prices 30%.

Hogue picking up Ritter and HK with the able lock was perfect though, as I feel it's a superior product. I no longer own any Benchmades and probably never will.
 
K.O.D. said:
It was a few years back now when they implemented MAP and raised prices 30%.

Hogue picking up Ritter and HK with the able lock was perfect though, as I feel it's a superior product. I no longer own any Benchmades and probably never will.
Click to expand...

BM went to map pricing over a decade ago. Not within the past few years. Hogue and Spyderco use MAP pricing too.

i agree, the Hogue Ritter is awesome.
 
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