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

For my EDC Ive gone to a smaller knife for the most part and a more traditional blade shape like a spear point. I love all the other knives I have with the different blade shapes etc but for a using blade its pretty much simple shapes.

I find myself being very particular about materials and less so about appearance.
 
I prefer a good small pocket knife, my current edc is a Case 6244. I am a field tech and have my Leatherman charge ready for tough cutting. For me it is about the quality of the knife brand. I am too discretionary to carry a knock off knife that is cheap, and looks it. I like to think of my knives as concealed jewelry, or a high quality personal tool. I want to show my sense of style by the knife/knives I carry on a daily basis.
 
cj65 said:
I prefer a good small pocket knife, my current edc is a Case 6244. I am a field tech and have my Leatherman charge ready for tough cutting. For me it is about the quality of the knife brand. I am too discretionary to carry a knock off knife that is cheap, and looks it. I like to think of my knives as concealed jewelry, or a high quality personal tool. I want to show my sense of style by the knife/knives I carry on a daily basis.
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That's a good attitude for a knife enthusiast.
 
For the most part I'm now attracted to smaller gentlemen type of knives instead of the larger tactical stuff. Knive with blades less than 2.5 inches is what I'm interested in now.
 
Over the last 20-yrs I guess what has really changed would be a couple of things; I'm certainly more educated on knife steels and in turn have become more particular in that area.

Secondly, I'm not as taken in by appearence and how it might reflect my testosterone level. I now look for knives that work and will work hard or serve at times in a self-defense scenario. And I have had such scenarios and used a knife to defend myself. Now that said, I like a knife that looks cool also, it's just not the first priority.

I've kinda settled into Scandi's and Anza's for sheath knives and a Buck and a Sodie for pocket knives, although I also carry a Spyderco-Byrd Raven at times. It's a nice affordable blade that works.

Natural-Outlaw
Argueing with a Biker is like wrestling with a pig.
Pretty soon you realize the pig enjoys it.
 
I really like big expensive folders. On the other hand I use a knife as a tool. I can't carry a big one and I won't scrape the crud off of a steel fill plate with an expensive one and I loose them occasionally. I now carry a cheap folder, slip joint if I go to the city and a cheap locking blade of some sort otherwise as the slip joint is dangerous. I ended up with a bit of a collection but only in figuring out what I needed and could carry.
 
Probably like most here, I started out with the Jaguar, Frost swap meet junk. After a Jaguar tanto almost took out my right thumb, I moved on to higher quality knives. Cold Steel (some of their stuff isn't junk), Kershaw, SOG, Boker, Case etc. I started to get into Benchmade, Spyderco, Chris Reeve, Strider, custom folders and fixed blades, Microtech autos etc. After I geared down a little, I started getting into slipjoints and "historical/regional" fixed blades. My main focus now is slipjoints, a few one handed openers, custom fixed blades and historical fixed blades, like puukkos etc. I have gotten back into my appreciation for multi tools and SAKs.
 
For me it started when I wanted a good skinner a couple of years ago. I ordered a Bill Moran Spyderco skinner with a few other spydies. Then I found flea-bay and several other spydies and a Busse ASH-1. After a while I found BF and the customs. Then I was hooked. Now I have several customs from; Ban Tang, Jeremy Horton, Fiddleback Forge, Mark Wholvend, Nick Wheeler, Andrew Demko, Bill Siegle, NWA and I'm waiting now for my first slipjoint, a gem from Ken Erickson. Also waitng for a folder from Farid. I personally like skinners the best. High end steel is prefeered. But I like eveything from slipjoints to zombieslayers as long it dosent get to tactilol in my mind.
 
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I started with CRKT('95) folders(I loved the US made Voodoo.Wish I never sold that one!),but much much earlier I was into Case slipjoints(<1980-95).

Then I started getting into Kershaw.It was the Leek that opened that door for me,& also the knife that got me into framelocks.I've had quite a few Kershaw's,Spyderco's & Benchmade's.I sold most of them except for a few of each.

My taste in folders have gone from many varieties of steel,handle materials & of locking mechanisms.

There's only one type of folder I'm into now & that's titanium framelocks(plus the occasional Case damascus slipjoint maybe once a year or so).Sure occasionally I'll buy a sprint run spydie with a new steel & a backlock,but my preferences will always be for the Ti framelock above all.Mainly CRK,ZT & customs.

I still haven't found my preferences concerning fixed blades.I'm still experimenting with that.

Good thread Reeek.:thumbup:
 
Well I would say that because of Blade Forums I'm better educated on knife use, materials etc. I only have a moderate interest in all the survival stuff because I always thought that most of it was intuitive or common sense. And\or I've experienced much of it through a lifetime of stumbling through the bush in different regions of Canada. But I have also learned some cool stuff from the outdoor\survival groups as well. Since an early teen I have always had a folder and generally gravitate toward them over F.B.'s. Although I'm currently exploring machetes. I am heavily outdoor oriented in my knife choices, this is my dominant theme. All that Practical Testicle stuff makes my eyes glaze over. How have my knife choices evolved ? I'm a little more discerning in regard to blade steel choice these days, but I buy for myself with a heavy slant toward practicality. And if it's not prestigious enough for other's, I couldn't care less.
 
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My Grandma worked for Farm Bureau Insurance company back about 40 years ago, and they sold Schrade/Old Timer/Uncle Henry knives.
She gifted me a new knife about every month or so, once I was old enough to open one, and Ive gone through just about every model Schrade produced up from 1970-1988.

Friends all carried Bucks, I carried a Scrade LB-7.
carried a variety of other brands over the years, mostly production useable stuff, Tramontina Chopper, Ka Bar USMC knife, Muela guthook. Kershaw Ken Onion Scallion and Chive EDC folders, and Historical collectible blades (worked as a Martial Arts teacher for a bit, so had the obligatory Katanas, Balisongs etc..)

MANY years later I discovered the web, and gravitated to semi-custom, or handbuilt knives that I liked visually, but would still be very useable, and not cost enough to really worry about.

Then I decided that Id like to build my own knives, which led me to buying some blanks, which led me to researching kifemaking and pics of custom knives...which led me here.

Ive been around knives all my life. Even sold equpiment and trained LEO depts on useing it. Now up until I came here, I though I was pretty damn knowledgable about blades.

This place will humble you faster than waist deep icewater.

Things I have learned since I came here.

1.Most knives I thought were solid blt tools are actually now made from lesser substandard materials, so it pays to thoroughly research before purchasing.

2. Most knives I thought were not worth the money are actually worth more than their tags. You get what you pay for. Again, research is crucial.

3. There is no perfect production knife. Go totally custom, or accept compromise in mass production.

4. Most of what I knew about knives was wrong, and this place is an ecyclopedia of knowledge. Thank you for this forum.

5. It's all your fault.
I now want to design and make my own knives, not to sell, but for myself. I will never be totally satisfied with a production knife, so it's either customs or make my own. ( im a cheapskate, and love using my toys, so high dollar customs won't be happining ayntime soon)
Thanks alot bladeforums, there goes all my extra time and dough for the next decade.
Youve created another monster.
Good thing my lovely wife is as enthusiastic about blades as I am.
 
I used to collect knives when I was younger, but never anything better than SAKs and gerbers. Then a little less than a year ago I started getting the itch again, and found this wonderful site. Now I'm a full on knife nut and back into collecting. Unfortunately this renewal came at the poorest time in my life. I can't afford too many knives while a broke unemployed college student. But I have noticed changes in what I plan on buying and buy every now and then. First I was really into folders, then a small stint with smaller fixed blades. Then I was all over for a while, now I'm really into friction folders and modern style folders.
 
When I was younger, it was the Bucks or Cases. That's about all there was around me. Then when I started looking at this forum, it was the more modern locking folders. Now, I'm really looking at the traditionals again. Looking through the traditionals threads, there are some really nice looking knives catching my eye.
 
When I got into knives about two and a half years ago, I thought SOG and Cold Steel were the epitome of the cutlery industry.

I know a lot better now.
 
My mom always had a old original Grohmann in our drawer that I wasn't allowed to use. She also didn't allow toy firearms in the house. (guess what 2 things I love now?)

I always like the grohmann, but my first was a spydie scallion -> throwing knives -> my own beloved grohmann (I wish it wasnt flat grind though) -> leatherman wave -> kershaw leek -> spydie endura -> spydie delica -> esee 4

the ones in red are the only ones I use now.
Oh I have a little SAK on my key chain as well.
 
Like many knife enthusiest I began my more advanced knife addiction with a keen interest in tactical and modern folders however I had grown up around and at times( when I was younger ) even carried traditional folders I guess you could say I " burned out " on them at an early age and they had become sort of dull and ordinary but through the years I have come back to them with open arms ( due to memories and nostalgia) I suppose the old saying that you end up with what you start with is true
 
I now prefer a larger 3.5" - 4.0" blade with a framelock design preferably titanium.
 
Always been cheap knives not paying attention to steels, makes, styles or anything. Just what I thought looked cool. Thats starting to change very slowly. I'm looking to get into more expensive stuff now particularly the ZT line. I prefer tactical/mall ninja/tactcool knives one for their look and two because they work for me. I like one handed opening much more than a slip joint. But I am looking for one of those now too for when the black knives aren't socially acceptable. I just got an old frontier slip joint but I'm not sure if its even worth anything so I'm waiting to clean it up, sharpen it and use it.
Oh and I'm just getting into sharpening now. I'd prefer to start with stones but I'm leaning towards a lanksy for ease of use at this point until I'm persuaded of course :P
 
Ive changed A LOT in the year or so since I joined here. I basically went from SAKs and leathermen -> multi blade traditionals (mostly stockmen) -> single blade production tactical folders -> single blade traditionals (sodbusters) -> high end production (CRK and Hinderer) and custom one handed opener folders. It has been quite a ride I tell you. I have very much pared down my collection as well. If its not in constant rotation it is out the door.

I have bought and sold maybe 30 knives over the last year and the only keepers that I never plan on selling unless I really need the money are my XM18 slicer, large micarta insingo sebenza, my incoming Demko AD10s, and some custom slippies (sodbusters and 2 blade patterns). Well, those and a couple Koster fixed blades in 3v I use heavily while camping. I actually like having less knives a lot because I get to know each one really well and they are all great collector pieces in their own right. If only I could find someone who makes full custom SAK-like multi tools in super steels with my choice of tools I'd be all set!
 
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