Just getting into Knives! any advice?

65steve65

65steve65

Joined
Dec 9, 2012
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654
Hey guys and gals! As of late i am really starting to get into pocket knives. Knives are always something have interested me, so i figured why not start collecting them? I don't have any higher end knives yet. I do like alot of kershaw knives even though i have seen the bad wrap they get. I really like spyderco even though i do not own one yet, but i soon will. I know collecting is based on preference from person to person, but i would just like a few pointers, good manufacturers, maybe certain styles i could check out. thanks!
 
Check out benchmade, spyderco, ZT, Emerson, mcusta they are pretty cool
 
65steve65 said:
I do like alot of kershaw knives even though i have seen the bad wrap they get.
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Kershaw has quite a good rep around these parts. Not only are they a great company, but there is lots of communication between Thomas W and here.
 
i have seen alot of benchmade i love. I would like i believe it is called the osbourne 770? dont quote me on that lol. I have read very good things about emerson and extremely bad things about the quality of the knives build. Is that common with emerson? Or maybe just a fluke?
 
As long as you stick with the major manufacturers you will be ok for the most part IMO.

This probably sounds crazy but if I had to do it all again I would go straight for a Sebenza or a Strider. You wouldn't think knives can be addictive but they are. So I would get "the best"(IMO of course) and be done with it before I became a knife crack head :)
 
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brets-ftw said:
Kershaw has quite a good rep around these parts. Not only are they a great company, but there is lots of communication between Thomas W and here.
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For the price point i think they are awesome knives. i just dont know alot about them. I have a Kershaw Blackout and it is my favorite knife, not that that takes alot because i dont have very much. and is it just me or does gerber just not make very many good knives? i have yet to own one i liked
 
I started this time last year. I will offer this advice. I wish I would have researched on this site before buying on the auction site. I spent enough in garbage knives I could have had a few decent ones. Find a knife you are interested in and search it here..heck, or just start a thread asking about it.

Must have knives....
Becker BK2
Mora Robust
Enlan 723
Rat model 1
Kershaw Blur
 
That is exactly why i posted here before i start seriously buying. there are alot of cool looking, as i like to call them, 'gas station' knives out there but i will not buy those. and thanks for the list!
 
1. Get a Kershaw Skyline if you don't have one already. They're one of the best deals on the market.
2. Don't overlook Spyderco. They were the last of the Big Three (Spyderco, Benchmade, Kershaw) I tried, and Spyderco is my favorite. Yeah they may look funny, but they make a great product. Try out a Delica or Endura.
3. Don't be afraid to use that $100, $200 knife. There is perhaps a greater joy in using your knives than just fondling and collecting them
 
65steve65 said:
For the price point i think they are awesome knives. i just dont know alot about them. I have a Kershaw Blackout and it is my favorite knife, not that that takes alot because i dont have very much. and is it just me or does gerber just not make very many good knives? i have yet to own one i liked
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They do have some great higher end knives, check out the Volt and TiLt. though those were limited runs. ZT is also owned by the same parent company and provides the beefier/pricier spectrum of their knife selection, A recent popular set is the 550/551 and 560/561.

Gerber was bought out by Fiskars in '87, moved production from Portland to China (with bad QC, mind) in early 90's. Most of geared towards joe blow, gas station specials etc. Though they have the occasional gem, Gerber's Gator in 154cm is quite nice. There was a also a run of EZ-outs in S30V a while back.
 
i do intend to use the knives. i really like spyderco, i did think they were goofy looking but the look has grown on me
 
Get knives you like, dont try to love what you hate just because everyone else raves about it. I would avoid buying lots of cheap knives because you end up with a big cheap pile of nothing good. Try out different steels and blade styles and see what you like and expand your knowledge.


65steve65 said:
I do like alot of kershaw knives even though i have seen the bad wrap they get.
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I'm not sure who you hear giving them a bad wrap, but its probably an uneducated opinion. My cousins good friend told him Kershaws were for girls and gave him a camo SOG. He thinks its military grade because its camo. I laughed at him when he told me that and I told him his friend doesnt know what he is talking about and Id happily discuss it with him and his buddy. Kershaw has the best customer service of an y of the makers, far better than SOG, better than spyderco or benchmade. They have very good prices with high end materials.
 
Best advice in my opinion is stick around the forum and read threads. There are a lot of good people around here posting good information.
 
I have had awesome experiences with Benchmade, Spyderco, Zero Tolerance, Cold Steel, and Kershaw knives. Especially Spyderco though :)
The companies I've had bad experiences with would be Boker, SOG, and various cheap no-name brands.

Good luck and have fun collecting and using!
 
65steve65 said:
i do intend to use the knives. i really like spyderco, i did think they were goofy looking but the look has grown on me
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My story is similar to yours. I was looking to obtain a decent quality knife a month or so ago, discovered this place and started browsing around to get the lay of the land, so to speak. My first impression of Spyderco knives was that most of them looked similar to one another and they weren't visually appealing to me, funny/odd looking blades with a big hump with a hole in it. But a lot a people sure seem to like them. So I decided to try the model receiving the most hype that wasn't terribly expensive, the Paramilitary 2. Finding an online vendor that had them in stock took some effort but I eventually found one and ordered it on Thankgiving. I liked it so much I've bought 2 more Spyderco's since then. I plan on buying some other brands in the future to try but I don't think you can go wrong with a Spyderco. If you don't like it for some reason you won't have any problem selling it.
 
Here are some to check out of the top of my head, you really can't go wrong with any of these companies. They all make pretty good stuff.

For budget knives try these (they're in no particular order):
Kershaw
Spyderco
SOG
Sanrenmu (Gotta go to ebay for these, chinese, super cheap and great quality for what you pay)
For higher end knives check these out:
Benchmade
Hinderer
Strider
Emerson
Chris Reeve Knives
Spyderco
 
65steve65 said:
I do like alot of kershaw knives even though i have seen the bad wrap they get.
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Kershaw has a bad wrap? They're one of the best knife brands out there. Their customer service is superb, and their reputation is outstanding. Besides that, my advice would be to buy from a reputable dealer (kershawguy for example). Do your research and buy what you like. Sorry, if I came off strong at the beginning of this post.
 
Advice.
#1: Hide your wallet now!
#2: Start a second job.
#3: Start a second hidden bank account.
:D
Okay. All joking aside. I follow what others have said. Stick with trusted dealers, and trusted manufacturers. I didn't know Kershaw had a bad rap for anything other than draining your wallet. And Spyderco is definitely the same way ;).
 
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