Recommendation? I have an itch (and an incredibly vague question)

If you have any interest in the Buck 110, you just can't not get one.
You'll never feel right if you don't get one, if you only ever buy one knife " just because " you should buy a Buck 110.
 
lieferung said:
The Access Card is great, used to be my budget EDC before I took the plunge into the $100+ range
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I have an sheepsfoot Access Card 2.0. It is on my desk for opening mail mostly. It is a very good knife to keep as a backup in the woods if you want something very small and effective. Haven't looked at them in a while... still Seki VG-10 steel? They seem a little pricey for what you get, but that never really stopped me.

Hickory n steel said:
If you have any interest in the Buck 110, you just can't not get one.
You'll never feel right if you don't get one, if you only ever buy one knife " just because " you should buy a Buck 110.
Click to expand...
Historically the Buck 110 is significant to American knife-a-cana. The same knife has been made for something like 50 years. Today, there just seems to be so many better choices. But I have a couple actually. Just never use them any more.
 
I've bought/received three knives in the last few weeks. I'd been wanting to try a Ka-Bar Dozier. $20. To be honest, it kinda feels like a $20 knife. OTOH, as a working knife it'd be great. Full size handle, comfortable ergos, good blade shape. Not such a great blade/handle ratio, IMO. Long handle, short blade.
Second was a Native 5. Hard to describe, but this $100 plastic handled folder feels like a $100 knife. Sure, it's plastic, but it opens and closes with precision and authority. And better steel, of course. Came really sharp, out of the box, too. Light weight and easy to carry. I like the leaf shaped blade, and the choil gives great control. Shortens the cutting edge, though.
The surprise was a Kershaw Injection 3.0. I liked the looks of this knife since I first saw it. But I was moving to nicer, more expensive knives and resisted, at $35. When street prices got down to $10, I pulled the trigger. I REALLY like this knife. Simple clean lines, good, smooth action, practical blade shape with a FFG. The machined G-10 and fancy pivot bolt make the knife feel way more expensive than it is. Made in China, Chinese steel, but a nice knife, IMO, that punches way above its current street price. It's in my pocket now.
 
Before I made the decision to put some money in a folder I have been for years with a cheap copy of a backlock buck, a couple of opinels and a SAK
At this time $30 was for me a lot of money for a knife ;)

When I decided to cross the $100 line, my 2 first knives have been a ZT0350 and latter a PM2

Since that time I have crossed some more "lines" :)

after some time maturing my own knives journey, I think Spyderco is a great value for functional knives

Lost of other brands offer me a lot of pleasure on the details that can turn a good knife into a great one
But with spyderco I enjoy a lot the concept and functionnallty put into the design of the knives
They may no be always on the hype of knives trends in their design ( if you want frame flipper on bearing have a look at ZT) but they make sense

Dollar for dollar I recommend the PM2 and the Delica 4
Pick the production version you like you won't be disappointed
 
I have two suggestions.
1- Real Steel's Sea Eagle with Carbon Fiber scales. Amazing knife, everything about it is fantastic, ergo, steel, action, lockup, etc. Great deal for 58 bucks!! Really pushes above it's weight class, more than any knife I own. I bought a 2nd one because of this, and that one has performed as good as the other, so I did not just get lucky in getting a good one my first time around.
2- knife center's Spyderco Manix 2 Cru-Wear and Carbon fiber. Best spyderco I have owned!
Also, the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 or PM3 in Cru-Wear are fantastic knives too! So I guess I have 3 suggestions.
If you get into automatic knives, Protech are great knives.
 
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What to do in your case is bleedin obvious idnit ! ?
Go back to your local knife store.
Handle everything you think could possibly fit the bill and a few you thought you would never even consider in this life time
and
buy what whelms you.
 
. . . aaahhhhngonnn . . . I'm getting something . . .
I must confess . . . I'm a bit psychic . .

Lynn Thompson (the owner of Cold Steel) is coming in over the ether !
He is saying "There's one knife to carry for you. Carry what I carry ! : "
"THE LORADO BOWIE".
Well I guess that settles it then. No reason to glom all those "inferior" EDCs.
Glad I could help.
It's a gift I have.
 
The Buck 110 is an American classic. I have several and love the design but believe it is too heavy for every day pocket carry. A Spyderco Delica would be my recommendation for a budget folder. It provides plenty of "bang for your buck" I have knives that cost several times as much as my Delica but it still sees it's share of pocket time. Here's a Delica thread:

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/post-your-delica-4-pics-here.1513015/
 
22-rimfire said:
I have an sheepsfoot Access Card 2.0. It is on my desk for opening mail mostly. It is a very good knife to keep as a backup in the woods if you want something very small and effective. Haven't looked at them in a while... still Seki VG-10 steel? They seem a little pricey for what you get, but that never really stopped me.


Historically the Buck 110 is significant to American knife-a-cana. The same knife has been made for something like 50 years. Today, there just seems to be so many better choices. But I have a couple actually. Just never use them any more.
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There are definitely a lot of options today and the buck 110 may not be an edc for everyone now days, but if someone has interest in it they should must have it.
They may not carry it all the time, but they'll love it and happily admire it from time to time.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
On the very inexpensive side a Dozier Folding Hunter from Kabar or Byrd Cara Cara 2 will get you a solid knife for about $20.

If you're willing to spend a bit more, a Spyderco Delica or Endura or maybe a Cold Steel Code 4 or Broken Skull (dumb name, good knife) all of which will be solid, dependable knives that, even if you decide collecting isn't for you, will serve you well as a good cutting tool.
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What he said. Kabar Dozier was my choice under the conditions the OP posted, with a Delica as the "slightly more expensive" option.

The Dozier is a great, great knife. Get the large if they still do those.
 
Hickory n steel said:
There are definitely a lot of options today and the buck 110 may not be an edc for everyone now days, but if someone has interest in it they should must have it.
They may not carry it all the time, but they'll love it and happily admire it from time to time.
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And that's why, to me, it makes a lousy "first knife", and a first knife is what the OP is looking for.

A first knife, to me, is one that someone will want to carry all the time...it is going to be someone's fist venture into knives and will give it's owner an idea of what to buy next.

The Buck 110 is a undeniable classic....but but an anachronism. It does not inform a new user. If you don't like it...what have you learned? You don't knives that were designed 50 years ago?

A modern design like the Delica, Griptilian, RAT-1, etc is going to give someone an idea of what features of current knives he likes or doesn't. They have current locks, ergos, geometries, etc.

A first knife that ends up sitting on a shelf (like you say the 110 may be), may very well be a last knife.
 
Buck 110 is a great buy, but as it's a bit big, try the 112, instead. But it, too, is bulky and unlikely to sit well in the pocket for you. I say this as one who has and still does carry them regularly. Give it a try, though!

Zieg
 
Hickory n steel said:
There are definitely a lot of options today and the buck 110 may not be an edc for everyone now days, but if someone has interest in it they should must have it.
They may not carry it all the time, but they'll love it and happily admire it from time to time.
Click to expand...

THIS ^^ for sure but now we are creating a monster, er, I mean knife collector. If he has one that he doesn't carry but admires (as I do my 110) then he will be buying yet another knife to carry most of the time . . . and then things start to snow ball and . . . then there is spousal conflict and knife dude counseling (to use professional psychiatric terms) . . .

One knife then move on to other interests. Don't do as we have done.
 
Get your self a good middle of the road knife such as the Spyderco Delica, use it, and then you'll be back to the knife trough sometime down the road to try something else. The Delica is a classic and a very good edc knife. Time for a Buck 110 later.
 
What I like has evolved. I have bought knives I liked and sold some that lost their luster with me once I had them in my hand for a few weeks. Just dive in after having done some research as your doing.
I love the hell out of my spiderco paramilitary II, great edc.
Blue
 
Why did no one mention the Buck 110 Auto conversion? Or the Boker 74 Auto?

Both inexpensive, and solid knives.


 
Auto is not legal everywhere. Plus there's way more tried and true manual openers. My 2¢
 
I'd rather buy new :). Thanks for the recommendation though!
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Buying off the forums means you can see the knife and verify it's centered etc. in advance of purchasing.

There's a Military on the forums right now for $90 delivered. It's got cruware grey scales. After fees it's selling for $83 give or take. That's about 1/2 the $170 retail. If the knife doesn't suite your liking you can resell it for minimal loss- shipping and transaction fees about $10.
 
braillediver said:
Buying off the forums means you can see the knife and verify it's centered etc. in advance of purchasing.
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^This.

If you know for sure the knife will be a collector piece, then it makes sense to buy new. Otherwise, buying second hand is more financially sound. For me, I have found the knives that I once thought would be collector pieces are almost all no longer so.
 
Some people who have the money just don't care about the savings on "used" items, even if they are BNIB, LNIB, etc. They just want the feeling that it's been theirs and only theirs.

Which is fine with me, it means less competition for some of the great deals you find here :D
 
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