How long do you keep a new knife...

kingston73

kingston73

Joined
Oct 14, 2013
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....until you decide its a keeper? With most of mine I knew immediately of I was keeping it or not. Only a few have been questionable for me. Some I know right away they aren't going to work. So how about you?
 
Really depends. Sometimes its immediate, sometimes I stew on it. I generally know what I'm looking for in a knife, and it comes down to issues with QC like action, centering, etc that makes me return one. A week is usually the longest I'll keep before returning/selling.
 
It’s typically fairly quick. I might drag it out, but that’s only to see if I’ll change my mind. If it’s a forever keeper, it speaks to me when we meet each other :thumbsup:

Edit for spelling error.
 
Takes me a bit of use to really decide. Some I thought would be gone fast and I still have and carry, others I didn't think I'd ever sell but after some use, found out they weren't for me
 
I usually know after a day or two of carrying it if it is a keeper.

I admittedly do force myself to carry a knife a few times before I put in the "for sale" pile.

But, after 35 years or so of carrying a knife, I got a pretty good idea of what I like and don't like. Rarely do I buy a knife and think "boy, this stinks, why did I buy this?".
 
Sometimes it's love at first feel.

Sometimes I know I will like a knife, even if i don't immediately like it, so I'll keep it close by.
Maybe it's because there's something different about the knife that I have to get used to...y'know, it's not you it's me...
The Bugout was that way. At first I thought it was too small, and too light, but I knew once I got used to it I'd love it, and I do.

And sometimes I know right away it was a mistake, and sometimes I never like a knife no matter how hard I try.
 
I usually know whether I like it or not as soon as I get it and handle it. In some cases, I have allowed a break-in period if the action was rough and I thought it might get better. In rare cases, I grew to like a knife less and less over months or years. This was usually due to some flaw that just bothered me (as with more than one custom), or the knife just became irrelevant to me (e.g. early Benchmades made with old materials/designs).
 
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Generally the first time in the hand sews it up. Recently however I executed some modifications on my Spyderco Magnitude that took it from the “probably never gonna like it” to the top half of my edc rotation. Surprised myself…

A lesson to consider all options before I abandon less-than-perfect gear.
 
I do research before making a purchase, the chances of receiving a disappointing knife are slim. Imo, the hunt and research part of buying a new knife is half the fun.

Out of the dozen knives I've bought in the last six months, only one has a regrettable (finish) flaw. And it was the only knife I bought on impulse. I will keep them all.
 
I used to keep every knife I bought, regardless of whether or not I liked it or enjoyed using it.
I now am far more ready to sell or give a knife away that I don't get on with.
Buying 'untested' off the internet is always a bit of a lottery, but buying a decent make of knife means that it will be easier to shift on for little to no loss if it doesn't gel.
 
I buy and move knives pretty much weekly. I buy knives I have my eye on and give it a trial period of a few days. Some knives I know immediately whether it will stick around and some I end up liking more over time than I did initially. The ones I don't end up feeling attached to I move to the top of my sell/trade pile and move them the next time I get a chance to.
 
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I know immediately if they’re a keeper or not but sometimes it takes me a good while to get around to selling, trading or giving ‘em away.
 
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