"Lifers" check in here...

I hit 10 years not so long ago. :cool::thumbup:

1. I was just looking for a knife place with knife people, I was a member of a few MA and car forums at that time as well. Yes, I suppose I did find "it". :p

2. Hmmmm ?.... back then I'm going to have to go with the Emerson Persian. It's a knife I still like to this day but it is far away from the knife I would call my collection favorite today. (A mini bowie with W2, ivory, gold inlayed and blued fittings made by Kyle Royer).

3. There are a number of people here that I happily call friends and there are a number of people here that I happily call far, far less savory things.....
I would have to say that over the years the forum has grown better is some ways and worse in others, as far as membership and the forum as a whole. It's a bit of a cop-out answer, I know, but it's also an inevitable one. :D

4. The answer to this is of course "yes", but with a little bit of "no". My "taste" in knives must have changed be that matured, evolved or just spread out in various directions. I know I have been through a few production brands and makers but my core wants of a knife be it user or just a "needer" have changed little if at all.
To give and example of a change I was big on Emerson and Spyderco back then as well as anything that was "interesting". Now and for the last good few years the only production knives I have bought have been Chris Reeve with a literal one or two from else where in there. I spend the lions share of my knife money on handmade knives and have largly just walked away from buying production knives.

5. As far as being "impressed" I would have to say the smart money goes on a handmade knife. The brands that have impressed me are of course CRK as they just make a splended folder. I have also been quite impressed with RMJs hawks as well, they make a beast of a tool. The rest woud just be lots of nodding and agreeing with many others that the classics and "will be classics" are in that position for a reason.

:):thumbup:
 
Not looking for anything in particular besides conversations about knives.

My favorite back in the day was probably a Benchmade 45. Now I don't really have a favorite....a Hinderer or ZT finds its way into my pocket most days but I like my RMJs, Winklers, etc too.

I don't think the forums are as good as they used to be, there are some really awful moderators now and the overall tone veers between a silly prudishness (no cuss words!) and a bizarre irrational hostility towards many groups that I find far more offensive than profanity. There are some really great subsections to the forums now, particularly W&SS.

I don't think my taste has changed much....I've always been interest in new steels, new lock designs, and trying out different knife styles and genres. For me what's interesting is the imagination of knife designers and how that gets translated into a usable tool.

I really like everything I've touched from Nathan the Machinist. I think Jerry Busse and team make a great, consistent knife, offer superb customer service (and are great marketers). Zero Tolerance is probably my favorite "newer" brand and I have a soft spot in my head for Spyderco, Sal Glesser seems like a really great guy although I've never met him in person.
 
1. We all joined bladeforums in search of something. What were you searching for, and did you find the answer?

I was just a guy who liked knives that had been recently introduced to the Internet. I wasn't really looking for anything I just enjoyed reading the posts and looking at the pictures of all the different knives. In the time that I have been here I have learned a lot and this has definetly affected what knives I choose to carry and use today.

2. What was your favorite knife in your collection when you joined, and what is your favorite knife in your collection now?

My favorite knife when I joined was the Buck 110. I had been carrying and using one for years, I still have a lot of respect for the 110. My favorite knife today is my Spyderco Military.

3. We have seen the number of users on bladeforums grow at a pretty explosive rate. We have seen people come and go, get banned, pass away, etc. any thoughts on this? (Have things got better or worse in your opinion)

I don't think Bladeforums has really changed all that much. When I joined I noticed that there were a few exceptional members, a lot of regular joes and a handful of buttholes. That's still pretty true today and each of the three groups have grown at about the same rate.

4. Has your taste in knives changed? (I'm almost positive they have, by this time) If they have, how have they changed? (What DID you like then, and now what DO you like?)

Time spent on Bladeforums opened my eyes to the value and utility of a Swiss Army Knife. Prior to that I thought they were a joke and would not even consider carrying one. These days I carry a sak just about everyday and they are easily my most used knives.
I have also learned to appreciate the modern folder and modern materials. When I got here and for a long time after I was a traditional knife guy only.

5. Are there any brands you are truly impressed with? (Yes, "I'm only impressed with customs" counts)

I am very impressed with Spyderco. It seems like people either love them or hate them and I fall fully into the love them camp.
I am very impressed with Victorinox. Consistent quality at a very reasonable price plus they are just so darned useful.
Great Eastern Cutlery has impressed me. I do love a nice carbon steel slip joint and they have really raised the bar for those of us willing to pay for them. Attention to detail is high, a very good heat treat on both there carbon and stainless steel blades. Yeah, good stuff. :thumbup:

Jim
 
1. I'm honestly not sure what brought me here/how I found this place. I may have been looking for info on a particular knife, but I'm really not sure if that's how I found this site or that other knife site.

2. Heh. I didn't even *have* a knife collection when I first landed here. I had been content for quite some time to carry a little Wenger Esquire on a cord around my neck. That was long before I'd ever seen/heard the phrases "neck knife" and "EDC knife". I just found it handy to keep with me and that was an easy way for me to carry it.

3. Feels about the same to me now as it did then.

4. Following the Esquire, I decided to try out the whole one-handed-opening-folder thing via a S&W Baby SWAT framelock. Carried that for a good year or so before upgrading to a Mini Grip. Later, added a Vic Classic to that, and carried those together for a long time before losing the Classic. :( Decided to try a small custom fixed blade that, to this day, I still don't carry for fear of losing it. I've decided as a result that customs are not for me. :) I've switched (at least for now) from folders to smallish fixed blades for a couple of reasons: 1) I like them and can legally carry them and 2) clothing manufacturers have seen fit to design pockets on women's clothing to hold little more than lint. My favorite folders really don't fit in my pockets anymore and tend to get pushed up and nearly completely out during the day.

5. Ka-Bar/Becker for providing affordable knives that help me keep the yard from taking over; Cold Steel--amidst all the controversy, they've still made available a few small FBs that are inexpensive, but don't feel flimsy; Victorinox for churning out huge numbers with such consistency; Tramontina, 'cause I love my 2nd 14" machete as much as the first one that walked away. My most-used keep-the-outside-from-coming-inside-tool.
 
AntDog said:
By "lifer" I mean 10 years on Bladeforums, or more. If you haven't been on here more than 10 years, kindly don't post. This should be interesting reading... Ok, now that the ONLY ground rule has been established, I'd like to ask the lifers who post here a few questions:

1. We all joined bladeforums in search of something. What were you searching for, and did you find the answer?

2. What was your favorite knife in your collection when you joined, and what is your favorite knife in your collection now?

3. We have seen the number of users on bladeforums grow at a pretty explosive rate. We have seen people come and go, get banned, pass away, etc. any thoughts on this? (Have things got better or worse in your opinion)

4. Has your taste in knives changed? (I'm almost positive they have, by this time) If they have, how have they changed? (What DID you like then, and now what DO you like?)

5. Are there any brands you are truly impressed with? (Yes, "I'm only impressed with customs" counts)

---------------------------

Answer as many or as few questions as you'd like. A simple "hey I'm still kickin', what's up man?" is fine! I just thought it would be interesting to see how things have changed for all of my fellow "lifers" out there.
Click to expand...

Wow, have I been here over 15 years? Seems bizarre, but I guess time flies when yer talkin' knives.

I came here because I was the "knife guy" in my group of friends. One of my buddies was looking for a Gerber Frisco Shiv. I didn't have one, so I took to the interwebs. Just happened that BFC popped up with a thread on said knife. I must have spent 6 hours that first day sifting through threads. I was astonished at the knowledge base, the selection, the brands I'd never heard of and the custom makers I couldn't wait to work with. I lurked for a while, and joined a couple months later. Haven't left since.

Never had a favorite knife, I've always just had "My Knives", and there's something I like about each one that ultimately got me to keep it around. Same today.

Things haven't gotten better or worse, really. They change is all. I miss folks that have passed away. Way back when, we had BFC Chat at night. Man, that was my evening entertainment. I actually gave up TV to go and BS with characters like Vampire Gerbil (Dave), PFF (Pat Fogarty), James Mattis, Kit Carson, Rob Simonich... this place lost some real flavor when those gents passed, and I miss them.

My taste in knives changes all the time, one change is my lack of "Tactical" stuff nowadays. Way back when I had a Recon Tanto, Gerber Mark II, Applegate/Fairbairn.... those things are gone and I don't cotton to them much anymore. Probably my biggest change is my liking for Balisongs. I used to hate them, and years later I'm still a terrible flipper, but I like the style and the mystique... and I'll always have one or more in the barn.

I was really getting into Camillus stuff, and then they pulled the rug out a decade ago and that was the last "Brand" I've followed I guess. I'm impressed by custom makers and their skill in taking my idea of what I want and bringing it to living breathing reality. Some makers have a way of taking my idea and making it BETTER than what I was imagining. That skill, talent, and artistic vision will never stop impressing me.

Thanks for the thread, AntDog... I hope this turns out like a class reunion of sorts.
 
PS, my screen name was "solidsoldier" before 2009.
 
I remember that too. I was worried about him, but I was hoping he'd be fine, and he was eager and proud to serve his country. We watched him go from more or less just a kid to a full fledged badass.
 
Yup, been on the forums since the days of Mike Turber and Josh (PVK)... got a 'suspension' from KF when I mentioned a quality problem with a Mad Dog knife and been here ever since.

1. I found the knife forums while searching for a 'switchblade'...in the mid to late '90s my childhood 'dream' of owning a real switchblade was coming true due to the wonder and magic of the internet :) While I still collect autos, not as much as 15 years ago

2. When I joined my favorite knife was a Sawby damascus utility (bought in May '98), now my favorite is probably my #1 Stan Wilson NFF

sawby_damascusutility_s.jpg
wilson_flipper_s.jpg


3. A lot of the Ol' Guys are still here, many I don't see post as much as they used to (eg: Burke, Stjames and Professor)...some do (hellooo Dudley!) Always a sobering reminder when we lose one.....

4. Tastes are pretty much the same...went through a 'Safe Queen' and 'Fixed Blade' period, now just mainly really nice pocket carries. Got enough in the safe to last a lifetime....

5. As for brands I am impressed with; it's amazing to see how production knives have upped their game.

Interesting also is that many of the popular knives today are being made by people with limited 'knifemaking' skills (necessary skilset: profiling titanium slab sides and multi-grinding a blade into uselessness AND advanced social-media skills), though prices have gone through the roof!!

Maybe what is really impressive, regardless of the politics and ethics, is that a $120 clone from China is better made than many of these 'custom' folders...


-Michael
 
1. I started lurking here in 1998 and joined in 1999, at the time I was looking for more information on custom/handmade knives.

2. My favorite knife then was a Walter Brend LDC f-4, today its a PJ Tomes Bowie

brend40LDC-F4.jpg




3. Things are still the same around here, though I was absent from the forums for a few years

4. That depends, I still love custom fixed blades more than folders, but my collection has gotten much smaller. I find myself flipping through folder frequently until I find one that I like enough to use. I rarely sell one of my custom knives

5. Production knives are amazing these days, and I am also some what surprised by what people are willing to pay for Mid-techs. Not that its a bad thing.
 
Lurked since the Mike Turber days and remember some of the give aways (Kelly Johnson!... I was too late)
My join date is up there IIRC 98 or 99...

1. Searching for a quality Bowie knife because I always wanted one. Bought a CS Recon Scout and thought I was done. NOT!

2. Hard to pick favorites... Then maybe an Al Mar mid lock folder. Now... my "Rose NY" bowie and box by my buddy Bruce Evans

3. People come and go right along with the fads. Back then you weren't cool if you didn't have a REKAT Carnivore or Sifu.
I was never cool... Spine whacking was a prolific topic as well. People, topics, knives come and go just like the rest of life... no better or worse, just different.

4. Changing taste? I've got a big bunch of shelf queens and a big bunch of users. Now I get joy from 'rescuing' beat up old knifs (DR STEVE where are you????).

5. Brands I'm impressed with? Dozier Made Unlike some other shop made knifs, you can look at a half dozen of the same model Dozier knifs on a table in front of you (I have) and they are all the same. No variations from one to another, yet they are all hand made. That speaks tons about their quality control.
Customs... Joel Bolden, Bruce Evans JS, PJ Tomes MS in alphabetical order.

Great topic!
 
1. We all joined bladeforums in search of something. What were you searching for, and did you find the answer? 10 years and change, and I don't remember any more what it was.

2. What was your favorite knife in your collection when you joined, and what is your favorite knife in your collection now? Back then, probably one of my Schrades- great little work knives. Now, Great Eastern, Case rule.

3. We have seen the number of users on bladeforums grow at a pretty explosive rate. We have seen people come and go, get banned, pass away, etc. any thoughts on this? (Have things got better or worse in your opinion) All sites have their ebbs and flows. I've been on internet forums since about 2000, and seen it all. Started with a couple calculator programmer forums, but one of those has basically imploded. Moved on to KF and here, picked up Snopes in between. I'm active here and on Snopes, but let KF go. Things changed too much for me.

4. Has your taste in knives changed? (I'm almost positive they have, by this time) If they have, how have they changed? (What DID you like then, and now what DO you like?) I've always liked traditional folders, and still do. I have a few token Spydercos, but my constant companions are traditionals.

5. Are there any brands you are truly impressed with? (Yes, "I'm only impressed with customs" counts) Great Eastern for scales and patterns, less so for edges- they're somewhat inconsistent. Victorinox for pure consistency.
 
I've been here since '99 I think it was. It's grown a lot and I got old.
Still beating on the anvil trying to keep the bank from getting my truck.
Hey Ants, good to see you are still up and at it.
 
fisk said:
I've been here since '99 I think it was. It's grown a lot and I got old.
Still beating on the anvil trying to keep the bank from getting my truck.
Hey Ants, good to see you are still up and at it.
Click to expand...
Hello Mr. Fisk! It's good to see you're still beating on that anvil and turning out beautiful, functional works of art.
Thanks so much for stopping by sir. You are one of my idols, seriously. Best of luck to you, and you keep right on doing what you're doing. :D
 
I am having a lot of fun reading everyone's replies! It is very interesting reading to me, and great to see you are all still around. Thanks very much for taking the time to participate, and for helping to make this website the great resource that it is. :thumbup:
 
Here's a couple of t-shirts for the old guys...one from BF & one from KF (back when the inmates were running the asylum) :D

2000+ members with 40,000 posts in 1999...285,635 members with 13,922,347 posts in 2015 :thumbup:

bf_tshirt.jpg


kn_tshirt.jpg



-Michael
 
Last edited:
I will say that, after all these years, BF is still far and away the all-time BIGGEST forum I've not only belonged to, but ever seen.

A major reason I don't contribute in the forums much anymore is because I'm not very tech-savvy. I've never even posted a photo online before! And a high percentage of threads require pics. I know, that probably sounds lame, but oh well...:)

Jim
 
1. We all joined bladeforums in search of something. What were you searching for, and did you find the answer?
I think I was looking up "Benchmade" knives, as I had seen a Benchmade knife, and was amazed at the price.

2. What was your favorite knife in your collection when you joined, and what is your favorite knife in your collection now?
I only had a few cheap knives. I did own an A. G. Russell lockback, and a SOG FRN folder, plus a few Frost Cutlery items. My A. G. Russell with Damascus blade was def. my favorite. My new favorites are a ZT 0620CF, MT Tachyon II, Spyderco Southard with CF scale, and an A. G. Russell Gent's liner lock with burl handles.

3. We have seen the number of users on bladeforums grow at a pretty explosive rate. We have seen people come and go, get banned, pass away, etc. any thoughts on this? (Have things got better or worse in your opinion)
There are always going to be idiots who need/want attention. It doesn't seem that the poor performers are any greater in number than before. There are probably a huge number of folks who mainly browse, or lurk, rather than post, but that has always been the case. Really, the community hasn't changed much. Young-uns act like young-uns. Gentlemen will be gentlemen, and jerks will be jerks. I do believe, as a whole, that knife people are a bit more civilized, but that's just my opinion.

4. Has your taste in knives changed? (I'm almost positive they have, by this time) If they have, how have they changed? (What DID you like then, and now what DO you like?)
I didn't really understand quality, before I came here. I'd seen some decent knives, but didn't feel the need to spend much on them. Finding this place opened my eyes, and I've since gone from $50 limit, to $100 limit, all the way to $500, and back to $250. I've never really had a preference in knives that lasted longer than a couple years. My collection goes all over the place. For the most part, my main preferences have been, and will probably continue to be, Titanium, Carbon Fiber, and quality design. That encompasses a lot of knives.

5. Are there any brands you are truly impressed with? (Yes, "I'm only impressed with customs" counts)
I've always enjoyed Benchmade products. Took a while, but I've found Spyderco designs that appeal to me. Microtech has a soft spot in my heart. Kai really takes the cake, though. Their designs easily outnumber all my other knives. A. G. Russell, being a local to my hometown, is a great "brand" as well, and I love the guy, himself.
---------------------------

16 years is a while to be part of any community. I've enjoyed my time here, and have made many great friends. Some are still hanging around, but some are gone. This really is my digital home. Besides my physical family, and my church, this is where my life truly happens.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top