The reason I bought the Mini Griptilian and the Rat 2 was because of all the research I did on this forum. Information overload, but those two knives stuck out in my mind and price point. I would really like to keep in the sub $100 range for the next future purchases. I have been looking hard at some of the Kershaw offerings and I would like to graduate into a Chris Reeve down the road. Love to hear what you like and why.
Thanks
You made good choices. I started out the same way as you, in the low to mid price point under $100. A Rat 1 was my first good folder, also because of the positive comments on Blade Forums.
Your not going to go wrong with Kershaw, excellent quality in their price point, excellent warranty, and customer service if ever needed.
Spyderco also offers excellent quality and designs in the under $100 price point, and are also known for great warranty and cs.
A lot of people also like Cold Steel. I have a few, and have no problem with their quality or materials, don't know much about their customer service.
Im not a huge Benchmade fan, I have a couple and they are nice, it's just that there designs don't really float my boat. Also good materials and excellent warranty/cs.
Boker also offers a lot of designs I like in the below $100 price point, the only thing is, their fit and finish has a reputation for being a bit hit and miss. Take that with a grain of salt, as the only way to really judge is by experience, and I don't have much with them. No idea about their warranty/cs.
For good quality fixed blades look at Becker, and Esee. Esee is generally a bit over $100, but they come with really good sheaths. A factor to consider in fixed blades, as it will be an added expense after the fact if you don't like the often generic sheaths that come with many fixed blades.
As far as what I like now, I'm in the high end production area, think $200-$500. In this area I like:
Emerson: rugged tools, not fancy, but cool designs, good quality and materials, and great ergonomics (something they are well known for). Excellent warranty/cs.
Zero Toleance (ZT): Basically Kershaw's high end line. High end materials, excellent quality and fit and finish, and a variety of designs from some of the biggest names in the custom world. Excellent warranty/cs.
Chris Reeve (CRK) good designs, excellent materials, excellent quality, excellent warranty/cs, some of the best fit and finish in the business.
There are of course many other companies with fine products (really too many to list), these are just my personal favorites. All of this is based solely on my own experience, and therefore personal opinion. You will find as many varied opinions around here as you do knife designs. As I said before, read a lot, and get as much information as you can to cut through the sometimes endless sea of bs (haters gonna hate). The most important thing is just have fun and enjoy the hobby.
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