Knives that you were pleasantly surprised by

clampdaddy

clampdaddy

Joined
Aug 31, 2013
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Since we've had the chance to vent about the knives we wish we had never bought, let's switch it up. What is the one knife that turned out to be better than what you expected?

For me it was the Byrd Cara Cara G10. A buddy gave it to me and the first thing I thought was "Oh great, another Chinese knife for the junk drawer.", but man was I wrong. Not a bit of wobble in any direction. It's got a nice heft to it. It opens smooth as can be and it locks up tight. It doesn't hold an edge for very long but a few slaps across a ceramic rod brings it back in a hurry. It's been my one and only EDC for probably eight years now.
 
The Esee IZULA II, I got this yesterday and I'm having a hard time putting it down. Its very sharp, handles very well and fits my hand great! I thought it would be an ok EDC but its a lot better than what I expected.
 
My ZT 0550. I bought a Gen 3 here on the Knife Exchange, and when I first opened the box, I had a bit of buyer's remorse. The knife looked huge, and I wasn't sure that I was going to actually use it. Then I opened it, and it flicked open so beautifully that my buyer's remorse went away. I've carried it a couple times and aside from how useless the stock scale is for left-handed carry, I love it. Once I get the scale swapped, I think this thing is going to get a lot of pocket time.
 
Most recently,
Schrade sch220bk
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$16 as my new work knife, and after one week it's still cutting like a champ... Only issue was a high screw in the handle I had to snug down, otherwise out the box it was reasonably sharp, centered, no wobble, tight lock, and holding it's edge like a champ...
 
Benchmade 640 Spike. Bought it because it looked cool and it was for a good price. Easily became one of the most comfortable in the pocket knives I have ever encountered.

It didn't hurt that it deployed like an absolute rocket and cut like a laser either.
 
This unknown Gerber that flicks open like butter

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Opinel no. 9.
A good steel for the $9-11 they run you, and you can mod them to your hearts content.
 
TAD Dauntless MK3. I've always thought TAD stuff is a bit pricey (overly). And the look of the Dauntless never really did anything for me. That all changed when I bought one. It is sooooooo smooth. It's seems like it's frictionless. Now I'm wondering if they're all like that, or if I was lucky & got a really sweet one. It's my favorite knife...for the time being. I need a MK4 now.
 
The original Boker Kwaiken in AUS-8 and micarta scales was a real surprise for me. Knowing that Boker is real hit or miss, I knew that I was taking a gamble, but I've read many reviews beforehand to ease my mind. After receiving it, I realized that everything was just as I wanted. It felt solid, smooth, and quality for the given price that I paid. I later converted it into a flipper as Alex Dietz did, and negated the need to pick up a Kwaiken flipper. Still one of the best knife I own.
 
Both Manix 2s (G-10 S30V FFG and Cruwear). Perfect size, great ergos, great lock, and cut like lasers. They've become my favorite carry knives.
 
All of my Cold Steel purchases. From my Kudu to my Rifleman's Hawk to my XL Voyager, each came razor sharp with excellent fit and finish.
 
I would have to say in all honesty, my first Kershaw Shuffle. All of my other knives, I have been good with, and they were more or less what I expected them to be, or to do. But this little Shuffle was a spur-of-the-moment purchase, and it ended up being great. 8cr sharpens up nice, and I've opened a ton of bottles with it. I usually have this Shuffle at the very least, tucked into my day bag. Well, I just recently purchased a second Shuffle, in this nice purple/blackwash combo they're coming in now, so that has taken its place for the time being.

Pics:

My original:

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New purple:

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Winkler hunting knife with rubber handle. I knew it was going to be a good knife, but I was surprised by how much I really like it. It is a pleasure to carry and hold. It hasn't seen much use since it has a few other winklers vying for it's attention, but I like it a lot.

I was also very surprised about how much I liked the Spyderco PM2. Most everything about it is good. Unfortunately I no longer have the blade as I had it engraved with my last name and just today mailed it to my brother who is getting deployed next month. I hope it will serve him well whenever he needs a decent knife.

Benchmade SOCP dagger. Very inexpensive, bought it on a whim. I was pleasantly surprised by how slim and well designed the sheath is and how easily it slips onto the corner of a cargo pocket. Good back up knife, very simple to use, especially for the off hand.
 
Spyderco Native 5 LW, the ergos are so good that I can't stop just opening it just to hold it. Not what I expected from such a small knife.

Benchmade 950 Rift, after I bought the 810 first and found how uncomfortable and rough it was, I thought I'd try out the 950 since i liked the overall shape of the osbornes, and as soon as I held the Rift I knew it would be with me for a while. turns out I still carry it and it phased all other knives out of my main pocket for EDC.
 
Ontario rat1. If this knife cost twice as much, I would still get another. I figured for less than $30 it would just be a cheap beater. Don't get me wrong, it can certainly take a beating, but it's nicer than I thought it would be.

My Mora companion didn't suprise me at first. But over the years, after every task, I can't believe it's still ticking for less than $15. It's never chipped, rusted or broken. And it's pretty easy to get razor sharp. Love that thing a little more every time I take it out.
 
Fully agree with mec003 on the mora. I now own 4 of then. I've put one everywhere from the boat to my daypack. At 15 bucks how can you go wrong. Also love the shuffle and the link. Both are better knives that I thought they'd be.

Mike
 
I would say the Benchmade 960. I did not see anything special about it, but when salesman handed it to me, I flicked it open and I had to have it. I would have never bought that knife based on pictures alone.
 
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