Knives you underestimated.

mbkryan

mbkryan

Joined
Aug 24, 2012
Messages
522
Thought it would be fun to hear about the knives that you underestimated and ended up liking way more than you expected.
I have four: The Kershaw Launch 5, Benchmade Mini Stryker, Case sod buster, and Kershaw Cryo G10. These are knives that I purchased without much excitement or anticipation and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked their looks, feel, and performance.

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No Sod buster pic, but it might be the most comfortable knife I have ever owned.
 
Spyderco PM2. At $130, it just didn't seem that spectacular until I owned one. In fact it took a day of playing with it before it really grew on me. Don't get me wrong. I knew it was a good knife, just didn't understand what the fuss was
 
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Spyderco ti military,zt 0452, zt 909 Hogue x5 are some that come to mind...
 
I just picked up a ZT0456. Honestly, their new spaceship-looking designs don't do much for me. I have always gravitated toward their more hard-use models.

That said, the 446 is a homerun for me after handling it. I wanted a sub 3.5" blade that didn't look like a tactical knife that could perform day to day tasks yet look refined enough to use in public without scaring anyone. Plus, I wanted it to be build like a tank.

I was at a local brick n mortar that sells ZTs and looked real hard at the 456 before passing on it. I didn't even handle it, and I left. Over lunch, I kept coming back to it. Something seemed very familiar about it.

So I went back and asked to handle it. Then it hit me. I used to carry this knife before...well, something like it. I reminds me of a heavily upgraded Kershaw Needs Work from several years ago. One of the most handy edc knives I've owned.

The more I messed with it, the more I appreciated it. It really does kind of remind me a Needs Work cranked to 11. It's like in the movie Robocop where Murphy (Needs Work) gets blasted to death by thugs and comes rolling out heavily upgraded.

I should not have written this off as flashy pocket jewelry. Upon handling it, it's full on capable. From the blade steel to the lock up to the flipping action to the fine milling done on the titanium to keep it from slipping in wet hands.

I really like.
 
augustus88 said:
Ontario Rat 1
It's just way better than it needs to be at its price point.
Click to expand...

I just got a NIB Rat 2 for $20 in a package deal last week and was shocked by it:
  • Centered blade
  • Good fit/finish
  • Superb action. The detent is perfect.
  • Clean, even edge grinds
  • Good ergonomics
  • Effective, comfortable thumbstuds
I couldn't believe it was a $30 knive. All of those qualities are not guaranteed from knives that cost 5x that amount or more. Of course, it's only a sample of one. I had planned to gift it to someone but decided to keep it and try it out. I'm curious to see how it breaks in.
 
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Dendra Typhoon - outstanding quality at a relatively low price point
Tops Moccasin Ranger - much more useful than I thought despite the blade coating
Spyderco Dragonfly ZDP-189 - still haven't had to sharpen it
Myerchin Captain Pro - great for working with rope/cordage
Kershaw Dune - ideal size and shape for many tasks
CRKT Graphite - perfect fit and finish, non-premium steel performs well
KA-BAR Warthog - never thought this would take so much punishment
 
Kershaw Leek.

Bought it just to "get me by" for a while, after I lost the a bigger EDC folder I was carrying. Ended up being my primary EDC for almost a year.
 
bloody_pawprint said:
Buck 501 and Spyderco S110V PM2 for me. I have one of each, among several of both, that I don't think I could ever get rid of.
Click to expand...
How do you like that S110V? I'm considering the Military in S110V. Although the PM2 would perhaps be a better complement to my existing Military in S30V.
 
I was impressed with both the RAT-1 (as mentioned above), as well as my ESEE (BRK) Zancudo. Both are great knives for the price point! The AUS8 on the Zancudo seems to hold an edge better than any other AUS8 blade I've used to date.
 
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