How has your taste in knives evolved since your first knife as an enthusiast?

I started with cheap SAK's when I was a kid. Sometimes even single blade utility folders. Then, when I started researching and buying my own, I got into the tacticool stuff. Tanto blades, bead blasted, black blades, military looking fixed blades, etc. Long ago I realised that none of those blades were too usefull in the daily chores and were scaring people. Then I switched to more friendly folders and fixed blades. After getting busted for carrying an Spyderco Delica Wave (still trying to get rid of the fine) I decided to stick to multitools (Charge) and friendly SAK's (three farmers on the way) for EDC.

I am also making my own knives focused on utility (although a bit thick due to lack of thinner stock).

I have a few folders in my wish list that don't fit those roles but will solely be used when outdoors.

Mikel
 
I started off with more "tactical" folders. Then I went towards small fixed blades. Now I'm in the slipjoint stage. Started with a SAK Farmer and now my current EDC is either a sodbuster or peanut. Got my Boker Edit a few days ago so that's been on the belt too.
 
Started with really cheap knives, chinese knock off types. Moved to random stuff(blowguns, ninja stars, cold steel spear, cheap swords, tomahawks, etc.) Bought a benchmade csk, my most expensive knife at the time, and unfortunately lost it. Got a cold steel srk in replacement. For a while after that, I was more into guns than knives. Then, I got back to knives and ordered a piranha bodyguard, which I thought was "ridiculously expensive." Now I'm back into knives, particulary autos and balisongs, and I am buying some folders. Want to check out slipjoints though...
 
I've gone from tactical to traditional. Since I cut a lot and pry very little I've gone from thicker blades to thin. Wood instead of G-10. Carbon steels over super stainless because they're easier to reprofile.

Frank
 
My first serious knife was a Schrade Sharpfinger. My first non SAK folder was a Buck 110.

From there, I went on this trip through steel of the month, particularly in folders, and a desire for ever more "indestructible" fixed blades.

Now I have settled down a bit and am more interested in knives that simply can cut well. Full circle to the Buck 110, but this time in Custom Shop form with BG-42.

I have no further desire for any more .25 inch thick fixed blades either. Anonymous carbon steel puukkos and 1095 RC blades pretty much do it all for me until I get to stack them up to my CPM3V Skookum Bush Tool sometime in the next few months.
 
I've gone to loving top quality steels, like S9V0C, CPM M-4, 3V, 9V.

The cheap steels just don't interest me anymore.
 
Ive gone from bad to worst, $50 limit to $150 limit. I started out with Gerbers and Scrades, now I have Spydercos and Rat Cutlery. I just bought a knife on the Makers for sale forum, and now I have just purchased some blade steel and am now atempting to make some knives. I have it bad. I just finished cutting out the shape of one from stock and I think I am hooked.
-frank
 
I pretty much stuck to slippies and non tacticool sheath knives. I tried a BM once, but didnt like it ( actually lost it because of the clip).

Peter
 
i started out at a total mall ninja with cheap pakistani throwing knives and stars a couple years ago. searching around for throwing knives online led me to clips from those cold steel dvds. bought a ti-lite, which i liked a lot. started searching sites like youtube for knife reviews and the like, learned about other brands like kershaw, benchmade, spyderco. been collecting ever since.
 
I used to pay most of my attention (and funds) to modern, one-hand opening folders. I still like them, but lately slipjoints seem to be the knives that catch my eye most often.
 
This is all interesting.

I think for me, practicality and simplicity in design is what has driven me in the last year. I say practiciality but the fact is, I like all sizes of folders.

Today I'm wearing a G-10 Millie. Yesterday it was a Sage. The day before was a CF Caly 3 and for several days before that a Browing Ice Storm. Tomorrow may be a ZT 0200 if I stick ot my plan, unless I carry the BM 710. It's been a while . . .

I should also add that steels have been a big driving force for me lately too. I love the newer super steels and have most of them but I just got my first VG-10 knives in the form of four Ice Storms a couple weeks ago and I really like the VG-10 for a great all around steel that gets SUPER sharp. I see more VG-10 knives coming very soon.
 
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For me, my knife buying has pretty much gone full circle.

Started out with small peanuts and SAKs and went on to lockbacks, Schrades, Cases and fixed blade hunters. As I grew, I learned to sharpen them on traditional Arkansas oil stones and for a long time now, have been known to carry a very sharp blade of some sort or another.

I grew up in my teen years on a farm in LA (lower Alabama) and used an Uncle Henry for most of my fishing and a Buck 110 and later a Vanguard for deer dressing. Squirrels and such saw the Uncle Henry blade and I hunted or fished just about all of the time.

Later in life, I got into the Spydercos and such and then Benchmade and Emerson. Then CRKT and some fixed blade Benchmades and Bucks. Multi tools caught my eye and I have several of them now as well.

Now, as I near 40, I am "re-living" my youth. I have bought several Schrades (USA made) on the bay and have hit the local antique shops and found some dandy ones. I'll pop into the local knife store and pick up a Case every now and then and have several models in my sights. The traditionals remind me of my grandpa and the farm that he let me roam and help out on.

I still carry a CRKT M14LE on duty at work clipped to my pocket and a Leatherman Surge on my duty belt but in my uniform shirt pocket you can usually find a Case CV or an Old Timer trapper ready for all real cutting chores. The traditional slippie sees most of the action, anything from cutting up old sheets for gun cleaning patches to carving up apples to cutting up chicken or steak on my lunch break. I'm known at work as the "go to guy" if your knife has a dull edge. Also known as the "gun repair guy" at work too. "Gun nut" and "knife nut" have been used behind my back on more than one occasion.

I'll always carry some sort of knife. A pistol is always pretty close by as well.

To be quite honest, I find it quite odd when I encounter a man that doesn't have some sort of knife in his pocket. I wonder how they get around without one.

Yeah, full circle. It's nice to be back to traditional blades. It's like coming home. Like being young again. :thumbup:
 
Boats said:
Now I have settled down a bit and am more interested in knives that simply can cut well.
Click to expand...

This is pretty much where I'm at these days. Like many , I started with SAKS and graduated to Spydercos. From there, I ventured out to the high-end production knives( CRK, Strider, WH) and eventually ended up with a couple custom knives. I soon discovered my definition of using knives wasn't simply having one in my pocket to open the mail, and I had a very hard time justifying the use of $400+ knives for hard use. And I also figured out my $50-$100 Spydercos and even less pricey SAKs did just as well, if not better, for me. Got rid of all the higher end knives with the exception of the Seb and now carry SAKs and Spydies once again.
 
I've gone on to using appropriate steels for the type of knife and it's usage. I like the more exotic steels also. As I get older, I've also gotten away from traditionals and like the lockbacks and "tacticals". I find them much more convenient for using. For fixed blades, I've also gravitated towards larger choppers when I used to think that there wasn't much use for them. Now that I've used them, I wouldn't be without some of my larger Busses.
 
Gone from 10% slippies and 90% tacticals to 90% slippies and 10% tacticals. I also go to fewer retail places for knives, I prefer shows and online buying with the occasional antique shop find.
 
I discovered Warren Thomas and there's no going back.
Thanks BF and Warren.
 
I originally started out wanting a knife simply for the ooh feature. Shiny metal that just looks so pretty.

My first choice was a Benchmade 740 Dejavoo. G-10 handles, S30V steel, modified locking liner. It looked so ergonomic and pretty. For $105, I thought it was a steal compared to the $160 it retailed for, so I picked one up. It fit so well in the hand and was very easy to resharpen, which I liked.

After I played around with that knife for a while, I got kind of tired of having to retighten the pivot screw every week so I went and picked up a Spyderco Caly3, which was the other knife I had wanted to buy at the same time. It was a wonderful knife in VG-10, relatively small and not very menacing. The profile of the knife was ridiculously thin too. Oh, and the leaf blade was just perfect for slicing, which is what I usually need in an EDC, so it worked out perfectly. However, I still felt some disappointment in my purchase.

As time went on, the Caly3 just didn't seem to fit what I wanted. Sure, it was great and did everything that I needed, but something was just missing. I eventually gave it away to my girlfriend's brother (which is a steal for him, since it set me back over $100) and off I went to find another EDC. In came a Cold Steel Ti-Lite 4" with zytel handle, but it wasn't much for slicing as much as it was for stabbing. Next came a Swedish mora from Frost's of Sweden, which I still use to this day, as it's a cheap fixed blade that I can simply abuse, and for $12, why not? However, it just can't be carried with me everywhere, as Californians tend to shy away from people carrying weapons in plain view.

Finally, after doing much reviewing, I've settled upon my EDC folder that will probably stay for years to come. I went and picked up an Opinel #8. Carbon steel blade, very thin, hardwood handle, and a simple pivot ring to lock the knife both open or closed. The best part is that it only set me back about $10, which means I'll probably pick up a few more just to have around.

So, I guess you could say I started out buying into some of the big-name hype companies and worked my way towards more traditional knives. Seems like the simpler the knife, the more useful it is.
 
Started collecting a couple of years ago, even though I always had couple of knives around.(80's Shrade lock back, custom hunter fixed blade.) Then I discovered AO knives(kershaw/Ken Onion).I now have a wide range of knives and as of late have been into fixed blades, though I really like my new Buck custom 110 and am waiting for my JYD II to arrive.I have tried to "balance"out my collection to cover needs.
 
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