I get it!! ^_~

I have always liked knives. I had a knife since I was in the second grade. That happens to be when I started to get an allowance and bought my own knife at that time. Went through a couple Imperials (slip joints) until I got a Case Barlow about the time I started trapping on my own (still in grade school). I skinned a lot of furbearers before I was in high school. A knife was critical hunting and I started hunting in the 9th grade. My interests shifted to guns at that time as my Barlow did everything I needed it to do and I needed guns for hunting and recreation. The knife was simply a necessary tool in the life I lead. We lived in the country and I had lots of land to hunt on near the house.

A couple milestones... (1) I know you have a Buck 110, but I chose the Schrade 250T as my "110". I thought Buck knives were too hard to sharpen at the time. This attitude stuck with me for a long time. I needed the Schrade for work in the field and used it for hunting chores. (2) Got my first Vic SAK in the 80's prior to working in South America. It was a Tinker and it worked great. I depended on that knife a great deal. The knife I carried in the office was a Case jack knife. I later carried a SAK.

This was a transition period and I started to become interested in fixed blades. I didn't own one. My first fixed blade was a handmade knife I picked up at a gun show, but a number followed this one fairly quickly. I believe the first factory fixed blade was a Ek Commando knife (bowie type fighting knife) I "needed" a survival knife. A number of Randall's followed mostly purchased in knife shows. I attended the Blade Show before it was called the "Blade Show". I love fixed bladed knives, but honestly have little use for them from a practical point of view. I can do everything I need to do with my SAK or another folder.

My favorite SAK is the Adventurer model (with the side lock) which you have. When it was discontinued, I bought enough spares to do me for a long time should something happen to the one I carry daily.

Now a-days, I really have everything thing I need, but I still buy knives. Trying to slow it down somewhat. Still love fixed blades, but have little use for one. I like Bob Dozier's knives a lot. I buy both traditional slip joints and modern folders (manual ones, AO's, and flippers). I prefer a non-metal handles, but I recently picked up a Benchmade Mini Presidio II that is metal and like it. It still has not bounced the Steel Will Mini Cutjack (flipper) in M390 that have carried since last October continuously along with my SAK. Just ordered a Bark River fixed blade to use hopefully as my primary woods knife. (Will see?) Currently that honor goes to the Dozier Pro Guides knife. It in all honesty sees little use. I really like fixed blades that are sized about the size and shape of the BK-15.

If I were to really splurge on a knife it would probably be a TA Davison slip joint. Really like his work. I have one of his currently.
 
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What got me into knives... Well as a young boy knives were just always cool and fascinating. As an adult having a knife came in handy for obvious reasons. Why I think I really starting carrying one everyday is because it seemed to be a lost tradition in my generation. Many of our grandfathers carried keys, wallet, and knife, wherever they went. It was a small piece of old school gentleman that would separate myself from the modern man, something about it makes me feel kind of timeless, just like wearing a wrist watch thes days, although many people still wear one it just seems like a dying Trent that should never die. Needless to say I enjoy using my knives and have had some great memories doing so.

If I splurged on a knife it would be Chris Reeve Small Micarta Sebenza a good lookin quality tool, that will last a lifetime.

I’m good, although I ve been sick all week, how are you?
 
sparklygalaxy said:
I didn't need much of a nudge to completely fall in love with knives as a hobby. Besides being a VERY clumsy gal, it's still everything I love. What got you into knives, and what are your favorites? :]

Secondary question: If I was to ever one day REALLY spend some serious cash, which knife would you splurge on in a heartbeat and why? ^_^

Third question: Hi!! <3 You can call me Sparkly. How are you today? :]
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I don't love knives and don't collect therefore I bought a Sebenza not because it's a great (it is) but because CRK will take care of me when I break it it's one less thing to think about.
 
1. a as a litle kid me n my Uncle Bud watched moves like Rambo and Shogun Assassins; the cool factor made blade n guns it inevitable. B) Grandpap gave me my firat knifea SAK bout 6 or 8. C) Kids ridin their bikes in town, me choppin down trews in woods wit machete

2..CAS - Flawess masterpiece
 
sparklygalaxy said:
I didn't need much of a nudge to completely fall in love with knives as a hobby. Besides being a VERY clumsy gal, it's still everything I love. What got you into knives, and what are your favorites? :]

Secondary question: If I was to ever one day REALLY spend some serious cash, which knife would you splurge on in a heartbeat and why? ^_^

Third question: Hi!! <3 You can call me Sparkly. How are you today? :]
Click to expand...

First question: I honestly don't remember. As far back as I can remember, I think I always wanted to have a knife, even when I didn't know what I'd do with it. I think I just wanted one to have one. As to what I consider to be my favorites, that's really hard to answer since there are so many I like. But chief among them is the Becker BK9, since that was one of the very first real, quality made knives I ever bought.

Second question: Real tough question there. But if I decided to get into knives that cost over $100 for whatever reason, I'd probably go for the Cold Steel Taipan. As to the why I don't know, it's just one of those things that are seriously wanted even if they aren't practical.

Third question: Cold. Nature can't seem to pick a side and commit.
 
I fell in love with knives because they're a great tool to have on hand. Functional art is a description I've read before, and that kind of stuck with me.

Now if I were to really spend some serious money, I think Les George would get most of it. He seems like the type of guy I'd like to promote, while his knives speak for themselves.
 
I fell in love with knives cause they're man's second tool (right after a hammer [rock], which I also love) and throughout time mankind has worked together (even while on opposing sides of a war) to better our ability to make knives.
 
I don't know what got me into knives. I have memories that go as far back as under 2 years old, and I always remember being fascinated by our kitchen/steak knives, and images of swords and arrowheads. At the same time, I also remember having a fearful respect of knives; "Don't run with a knife;" "Never point a knife at another person or yourself."

My first knife was one I appropriated from my dad's toolbox. It was an old Camillus scout-style pocketknife that was so old, rusted and sharpened down as to be useless, but I carried it a bit u til I lusted for something more. This was around 1976-77, when I was 13. Then I went to the hardware store and bought myself a few Schrade pocketknives. I was lucky that some stores allowed me to purchase them on my own; many stores would tell me I had to wait until I was 18, or have a parent buy it for me. After that, I tried out some Ka-Bar pocketknives, as well as a Buck Cadet, and eventually finding SAKs.

In the late '90s, I also got into modern knives as well.

If I were to really splurge on another high-end knife, it would be a large, plain CRK Inkosi. I already own 5 different CRKs, starting from 2002. It's not that crazy of a purchase price. You can save up your spare change, and other cash here and there for a "knife fund" and allow it to accumulate over time. Lots of people who aren't well off think nothing of blowing $150 for a single night out on the town, or spending $300 - $400 on a pair of kids' basketball shoes. Or blowing more than that at the casino.

One thing I don't do anymore is impulse buy knives. That's why gradually accumulating the funds for a particular knife is important. Sometimes it happens that you decide after a month or two of waiting that you don't really want a particular knife. Or when you do finally pull the trigger and purchase it, you tend to appreciate it much more than you would have. I've saved a LOT of money that way.

Jim
 
James Y said:
... In the late '90s, I also got into modern knives as well.

One thing I don't do anymore is impulse buy knives. That's why gradually accumulating the funds for a particular knife is important. Sometimes it happens that you decide after a month or two of waiting that you don't really want a particular knife. Or when you do finally pull the trigger and purchase it, you tend to appreciate it much more than you would have. I've saved a LOT of money that way.
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I barely looked at modern knives and the Gerber Gator I bought in the early 90's was more like a traditional knife than most moderns these days. I was thinking it would make a good hunting knife as I was still focused on folders for hunting applications. I still like it, but seldom use it. I recall owning and then loosing a small Gerber (Cost <$10) that I carried at work. I basically was purchasing knives at big box stores or home centers at this point. I still had my old slip joints and SAKs that I depended on. I thought that the knives pictured in catalogs like AG Russell were REALLY expensive. It took some experience, primarily gained here, before I warmed up to spending more than perhaps $75 on any folding knife. I simply was not a knife knut... only interested.

I did buy some Randall's and other fixed blades that cost significantly more than $75 prior to joining here.

I have always enjoyed impulse buys whether it be a knife, a firearm, shoes, or clothes.
 
This thread needs more pics

image.jpg
Jewelry that cuts
Hard not to like
Little nudging needed
 
Grew up in the rural midwest and every man (boy) ... and some women carried pocket knives ... it was just second nature and they were/are used daily for alot of different chores ...

started with a hand me down Case folder and bought my first Buck 110 at age 10 ... went through several brands and types along the way ... I still have a couple 110s around here ... and old slipjoints ...

as far as moving up in price/quality ... that becomes somewhat subjective and personel to each individual ... depdends what you like or dislike and the uses for your knives ...

but for me CRK Sebenzas or Umnumzaans were the big steps those and custom or semi-customs ... on the way to those ZT and Benchmade and Spyderco were probably the 3 biggest brands that got me more interested in better knives ... there are several others to try depending on what you like or need your knives to do ...

and GEC and Lionsteel were probably my step up as far as traditional folders from Case or Buck or SAKs ... but I still have snd carry an Alox SAK Farmer almost daily as a second knife.

Welcome to the forums and the addiction of the love of knives ... JJ
 
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Lapedog said:
I think the standard issue knife that gets people into higher end stuff is a Chris Reeve knife of some sort. These knives are beautifully manufactured. There are very few knives that are built to such exacting standards. Even expensive customs I have seen are rarely built as well as a chris reeve. If someone is looking to get into nicer knives there isn’t one I can recommend more than a chris reeve. i suspect many other people will give you the same answer.

They are truly knives built so well that one of them could last you your entire lifetime. They have excellent warranty service and stand behind their product 100%

The knife on the left is a large Chris Reeve Inkosi, the knife on the right is a small Chris Reeve Sebenza 21.
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They are some of the best titanium framelocks on the market. Infact Chris Reeve invented the titanium framelock.
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I couldn't agree more. Compared to most of you I am relatively new to the knife world. I knew I had always wanted a nice knife but could never pull the trigger and spend the money. When I finally got down to business and did some research I decided to purchase a CRK Sebenza 21 and it was all downhill (or uphill depending how you look at it). I was hooked and my knife addiction had begun, but it all started with that simple CRK Sebenza.
 
I didn't need much of a nudge to completely fall in love with knives as a hobby. Besides being a VERY clumsy gal, it's still everything I love. What got you into knives, and what are your favorites? :]
My interest in knives run ancillary to the needs of my main hobbies like fly fishing, photography, back packing...and general EDC use. So I don’t collect knives to covet, but to use. Nevertheless, I managed to “accumulate” quite a few knives. Presently, my favorite fixed outdoor knife is the Bark River Aurora Lt; favorite outdoor/weekend EDC folders would be the ZT0562 and ZT0095; and favorite weekday/urban EDC is the Rike Knife 1707s.

Secondary question: If I was to ever one day REALLY spend some serious cash, which knife would you splurge on in a heartbeat and why? ^_^
Depends on what you mean by “serious cash”. Semi custom knives can easily run over $2000. Personally, as a knife “user”, I believe the law of diminishing returns kicks in after the $500 range. I know, as I’ve dabbled in the “serious cash” range in the past. Now days I much prefer and recommend the knife brands I listed as my favorites (in response to your first question above) to anyone interested in a serious knife. Bark Rivers run in the $250 range; ZT’s run in the $200-$400, and both made in the USA. The new to me Rike Knife is a Chinese company and the first Chinese made knives I’ve ever purchased in my 30 yrs of buying knives. Gotta admit I had to ditch some old biases, but now I’m blown away by the quality, especially their integrals which represents some of the best state-of-the-art design and machining work in production knives I’ve ever seen. They run in the $400-$600 range, however their $300-400 range non-integrals are also impressive.

Third question: Hi!! <3 You can call me Sparkly. How are you today? :]
Hi! You can call me Mako. It’s raining today, so I’m cold chilling at home in the Pacific Northwest with a nice cup of coffee.
 
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I've carried a knife since I was a pre-teen, just old slip joints. But most of my adult life I've only carried a SAK Classic. I've lost more of them than I can count to TSA just because putting my Classic in my pocket in the morning is as natural and instinctive as breathing (even when I know darned good and well that I'm headed to the airport).

I'm left handed. I bought a couple of cheap Coast brand knifes (made in China) at a discount store and, while I liked them ok, the liner lock didn't work all that great for a left handed person. So I did a Google search for the best knives for a left handed person . . . and my eyes were opened. I decided that I wanted a quality knife for EDC that worked for a lefty, so I bought a Benchmade 940. That led to a Benchmade Griptillian, and that led to a Benchmade North Fork. (The Benchmade axis-lock knives are completely ambidextrous.) The Griptillian is my work-on-the-farm knife. The 940 and North Fork are battling it out for EDC duties at my day job.

Along the way, I got interested in traditional knives, and I've acquired a couple recently. I'd like to acquire a few more, but I'm looking for something that just really grabs me. It doesn't have to be expensive, and I can't tell you what looks or features it must have, but I'll know it when I see it.

If I was going to really splurge, it would probably be either a CRK left-handed Sebenza or a high quality fixed blade hunting knife with a left-handed sheath.
 
Ive been drawn to knives as far back as I can remember. Like some instinctual primal thirst.

My favorite brands are Spyderco, zero tolerance, white river and emerson knives. If I wanted to splurge on a knife it would be a Hinderer.
 
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