How have your knife tastes changed?

Runs With Scissors

Runs With Scissors

Joined
Dec 3, 2000
Messages
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I noticed yesterday beside my BF Moniker, I've been floatin' 'round here for about three years. Couldn't help but ta' reflect on what had brought me here, and how so much has changed in my knife tastes since I've begun participating here. I even remember my first post here. Was in the auto forum lookin' for one of the orange handled Camillus paratrooper knives. Would still like to have another one some day, but not badly enough to bend backwards pursuing it or put up with the BS auction stuff.

Some of my tastes I've discovered have changed in knives:

First of all, back then I LOVED autos. Think it was the forbidden factor and the joy of owning a knife that's illegal in most of the US.

Now, I still see some that are way cool, and still have alot of respect for them. That being said, They just aint my speed any more. Too much of a PITA listening to that little "what if you get caught" voice in the back of my head. I've also just developed more of a minimalist mindset, and a basic belief the less springs and buttons, the better.

Secondly- blade thickness....I used to drool over the prybars. Striders, Busse, TOPS, etc. Used to love the thick, tough, indestructible knives. Still get the hankerin' for one every now and again, and do believe they have thier place, BUT...I've since learned to absolutely love thinner blades. They carry much more nicely, cut better, are less exhuasting to use, and for me easier to resharpen. I've kinda returned to a basic perspective-a knife is made to slice, and pierce- if it can pry, that's cool too, but it's NOT a prerequisite in my mind.

Thirdly- blade shape...used to love tanto blades (refer to reason #2) Now I find them to be kinda like a drop point, but a helluva lot harder to sharpen, and clumsier to use. Kinda aesthetically displeasing to me also, especially the American ones. Used to love double edged blades too- Still would if defense were big in my mind, but it's not. Overall though I find them to be a bit difficult for day to day sharpening, and they can be a real bear cat in the dark.
Used to love recurved blades- I thought they cut better. Now I don't believe they necessarily do. once again, they make edge maintenance unnecessarily difficult, especially in the woods. I also have...a harder time with more finite tasks with a recurve, just a personal feel thing I guess. I've also come to absolutely LOVE a good flat grind, as opposed to a hollow grind.

Steel selection- once was big time into all the new great stainless stuff- VG-10, 154CM,CPM440V, etc. Now I've got a stronger preference for carbon steels, even boring old 1095. I've just had better luck with carbon. Luck with CPM 440V was especially dismal for me. My BM AFCK Axis in D2 has made me a serious believer. That stuff just flat out takes a beating.

I went from PC Placation at one point to feeling it's my God given duty to alarm Sheeple at another. Now I've finally balanced. I like knives, carry what I want to. I try not to piss off or offend anyone, but...if it happens, I won't lose a seconds sleep over it.

Used to not give a crap for Balisongs- for some reason autos were cool, but "Butterfly knives" were cheap crap for jag-off wanna be ninjas. then I saw a BM 42, and took some time in the Balisong Forum. ('nuff said there!) I've got a deep respect for Balisongs, and those who carry and manipulate them well. Helluva buncha nice guys in that forum too. Myself, I'll never leave the status of " basically competent user" but, that just increases my respect for those whose skill is so fantastic with one. Also find them to be GREAT time killers. (and wife annoyers):D


For awhile I was stuck like crazy on the G-10 whup-a$$ ultimate blade steel, light saber sharp,millisecond deploying tactical folders. Had forgotten all about the wood handled, carbon steel slip joints and fixed blades I'd cut my teeth on when I was little. Even decided I was gonna carry nuthin' but traditional folders for a year (anybody remember me shootin' my mouth off in that post?)
:o :o

The Traditional folders for a year was doomed within two months as I recall, but it was a SERIOUS lesson for me. Most of all what I learned was this:

WE ARE FREAKIN' SPOILED ROTTEN!!!!!!!

hundreds of thousands of different knives to choose from, and endless array of locks, steels, handle materials, designs, makers, companies, 95% which give a terrific warranty- and stand behind it. and many of them actually LISTEN TO US!!! Anyone remember the Hardware store days??

"I want a knife."

"what kinda steel ya' want? Stainless, or carbon?"

we have such an endless array of knives for every concievable use at our freakin' disposal!! It's impossible to even keep up with all the new research and development that seems to come out on a weekly basis.


I also learned (remembered) that the Hardware store days weren't all bad. I'd dusted off my old Chicago Cutlery Stockman my father gave me when I was fifteen, and the Remington Stockman my son teethed on. I found that I truly, truly enjoy the heck outta them. They tend to take me back to a simpler time, somewhere in my mind. (and I'm only 29) Guess just cuz that's what I started out with. Life was simpler when I was six. Also remembered, that when you need a SERIOUSLY sharp knife, it's hard to beat a traditional knife with a small carbon steel blade and a flat grind.

I also learned that in USING and CARRYING a knife I've been spoiled by locks and pocket clips. I wonder if ER bills for sliced hands and fingers have decreased since the locking blade has come more into fashion, and the slipjoint outta fashion. Incidentally though, I've learned that Opinels are pretty cool...errrr...you know...for a French product.

Most of all, I've learned that I will ALWAYS be changing in my tastes, wants, and ideas here. I know darn good an' well I'm gonna bounce from balisongs, to fixed blades, back to Benchmades, over to Bowies, etc. I can't help it, I love to experiment with different blades. As a result, I'm aware I'll never have a serious knife collection, like some folks who can focus in tightly on foresay...Randalls only, but that's awright, I'm still learnin' an' havin' fun.

So, how 'bout you? how have your tastes and ideas changed? Even in the last year or so?
 
I used to HATE folders with serrations, but now my FAVORITE folder is my stainless FULLY-SERRATED Spyderco Police model, (and my FULLY-SERRATED Cold Steel Vaquero Grande ain't no slouch, either.:D.).
 
Mine have gotten more expensive in favor of fewer higher quality knives instead of an accumulated mass of cheaper ones.

I also have come to prefer thinner blades and smaller fixed blades.

Recently I've rediscovered Balisongs after a 20 year gap in "flipping".

I see my tastes becoming more refined towards much fewer knives that are used more often.
 
with slip joints and SAKs. Eventually moved on to tacticals. Now I find my tastes once again going back to traditional knives. Are they as handy as a one hander? No. But they take me back to a time when things seemed simpler. And they still cut. They cut very well.

Frank
 
Well, I also used to like the tanto, black, tactical Rambotron deathmonger bada$$ blades, and now I detest american tantos and black blade coatings. I'm also much more into natural materials, and I will not buy anything with Zytel. I've had several bad experiences with that now and it just feels cheap next to good aluminum or G-10.
 
First post was about a Camillus ArcLite. I paid $40, and when I saw the prices on the net, never bought retail again.

I've always been into traditional type tools. For as long as I could remember, my only knife was a cheap stainless, thin bladed butcher knife that would take apart a pig like a laser, until I decided to come onto this board. Now I'm just about into every kind of knife out there, except for Bali's. Not that they're ugly, it's just that they were cool to me when I was younger, and now they're just not my thing.
 
:D Ill have to agree with roshi,

I only own a few knives.. My top 2 are both microtechs. A Amphibian and a Socom Elite. I mean put those together you got around $450 dollars. To some people having 7-8 knives that = that amount is a cool thing. I prefer the much nicer knives boutique built type knives.. As long as the materials, build, durability, and overall design are there.. then thats a GREAT choice for me!
 
Really getting into boot knifes these days...
Puma, Gerber Guardian 1's, 1977 AG Russell's (cant say why?),
not to mention Microtechs, & Pro-techs.....
Always changing, never selling........
 
im getting more into fixed blades. i got sort of tired of worrying about bladeplay and mechanical failure.

Daniel
 
My obsession started when my wife taught me how to crochet. I loved it, but needed to overcompensate and couldn't afford a new car. Went to the local martial arts store and saw a Jaguar butterfly. Bought it and called the store owner for instructions. He referred me a Jujutsi/Arnis instructor who loved Cold Steel and was a big fan of Felix Valencia. His and Felix's love of Cold Steel prompted me to take a look at their products. The folders were all ambi-openers with right-hand pocket clips, but that' didn't matter. Lefties adapt.

Trouble started when I went to an Amok seminar and was told about Benchmades. Last year, I bought a 730 Ares (paid retail) and that's when the fast decline started. Now I have tons knives and 5 ways to sharpen them (of those, I'm good at the Sharpmaker, okay freehand, passable with a Lansky, and deplorable with sandpaper or a Razor Edge guide).

Now, I'm mainly interested in fixed blades and folders that have ambidextrous clips. A knife with an AUS-6A blade and a moveable pocket clip is more useful than a righties-only liner lock knife with an M2 blade (my favorite steel). I like that some knife companies actually want my money enough to make ambi-clipped folders in the shapes and materials that I like. Before, it was whatever looked nice and could be safely (albeit grudgingly) deployed with my right hand.
 
My tastes for steel have definatly changed. I originally was a accumulator. Now it's really hard for me to be happy with some of the lower end knives I once lusted over. I have thinned out my collection to about 1/2 of what it was just two months ago. Some by choice, some not so. I have found myself selling or trading off knives that I swore I would never get rid of simply b/c they no longer really interested me. I know most of you don't want to hear this and I am not trying to start a flame war, but when I recieved my first Sebenza, I started expecting more out of my knives. Then I got my first Microtech LCC D/A and it was all down hill from there. Now I find myself really going after one particular brand (MT). I am trying to get every variation of every knife they made, which could take years. Of course I will pick up other knives that intrest me along the way. The CRK Brend D/A has really got my attention. To spend $400+ on a knife just 6 months ago would have been out of the question, but now I find myself saying, WOW its on sale for $399. <--That still doesn't mean I can afford it :(
 
I have loved knives as long as I can remember, I used to dream about the knives in cataloges like sears and others when I was 6 or 7 and remember that I picked the schrade sharp finger fixed blade as the knife I would buy when I was old enough.

I am 33 years old and although I have always liked knives the addiction really started about 12 years ago when tactical folders really got going, my first was a spyderco endura and there have been many that followed, I remember thinking a couple years ago that traditional folders and fixed blades were worthless compared to the new designs but now I am starting to collect and use traditional knife patterns and like them just as much or more than modern designs.

My favorite pattern for a slip joint has become the 4 to 4.5 inch 3 blade stockman and I carry these as often as a clip it type folder these days, I think the stockman is just such a good knife design.

Knives I am really into these days are CASE slip joints,old timer slip joints,and my favorite for a good cheap SS blade is anything by CAMULLUS, I also really like MARBLES for fixed blades and the new D2 slip joints and fixed blades by QUEEN are exciting.

So to sum it up, I still love modern designs but I have learned that the older traditional knives are great also.
 
I have drifted. I started with good production knives, moved into some customs, drifed back into production knives. The common thing was I went mostly for 3 1/2 to 4 inch blades. Now I have found myself taking a real like to "gentlemen's knives."
 
I don't think my tastes have changed at all. The knives I first fell in love with, I still love. My favorite handle material is still the same. I never pictured myself as a Camando, so I've stuck with more traditional style of knives. The makers whose worked I admire, haven't lost their appeal. However the list has grown and now I'm on a first name basis with most of them.

So I don't think my tastes have changed as much as evolved. I also don't mind spending more per knife as I made the change from quantity to quality.
 
I was more interested in the edge of a knife and sharpening when I found BF then I was in any special type of knife.

Then for sometime I bought many Spyderco's.
One day not so long ago I was in a hardware store and was looking over the Buck knives. I seen a buck 701 in the case that I just had to have.

Sold all my Spyderco's :eek: and joined the Buck Collectors Club.
Thats were I'm at now. Looking for Buck pocketknives, folders and other buck related items.
 
When I first started out on the forums, I was a tactical folder knut. After Spyderco, I worked my way up to BM, and then to Emerson. Well, it took a while, but I eventually became tired of the heavy clunky folders and decided to look for something simpler. I rediscovered slipjoints and started carrying a Buck Cadet as part of my EDC rotation. Now I am rarely without a slipjoint and I would rather have carbon steel than ATS-34 any day of the week.
Matt
 
Thanks RWS for starting this thread. I read the posts, especially those of BG and roshi, prior to going to a gun/knife show this morning. I had intended to try to pick up a few Spydies and Benchmades by using several knives for trade bait and $200.00. But after being inspired by the aforementioned comments I went looking for quality instead of volume. Please don't misunderstand, Spydies and Benchmades are great but I wanted to come away with a real winner. Consequently, I am now the proud owner of my first Sebenza. It's a small Sebenza with etching on the side. It is the knife that I have been looking for since my early teens (I'm now 40). I also picked up a Spydie G-10/PE Rookie and a Spydie FRN/PE Michael Walker. Again thanks for the inspiration it could not have come at a better time.
 
Runs With Scissors: Nice thread & looks like you really spent some time delving into your question & answer!
Over the years, I'd have to say my knife tastes haven't changed but, man, have they expanded & gotten more expensive!:D I've always preferred custom Bowies & still do but all the activity on Blade Forums has opened new doors for me. Now I have added several new categories to my collecting interests. Now I've started collecting Buck 110's, Miniature Knives, just about anything that catches my eye that is unique (of course you always have to keep an eye on the checkbook, too)! I'm still trying to acquire at least one David or Brian Yellowhorse or a 'Ghostown' Buck Inlay! Oh yeah! Have checked out HI and would like to get at least one kukri. No matter what I collect, I'll always be back for a custom Bowie every now & then! :)
 
My tastes have changed drastically over the years even though the goal has remained the same...to find the perfect knife/knives for the given purpose. I went from slip joints in my youth, to lock backs (bigguns) in my late teens. Fixed blades have always been my preference for hunting. Now, after years of trial and error I have finally settled into a groove of sorts. My tastes now run in the small to mid sizes with thin grinds/edges and straighter lines. Quality, design, and workmanship are the key factors I look at. My knife buying has slowed down greatly, but what I buy is much more satisfying than ever.

Paul
 
For many years I was strickly Balisong And fixed blade period! I never trusted the durability of folders until reading this forum and heard about the rave reviews of Benchmade's axis lock. I bought one to try it out and instantly fell in love. I am still pretty much close minded about folders if it's not an axis.
 
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