List of "must try" knives?

EdgeKit

EdgeKit

Joined
Jan 24, 2010
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I'm looking for a starter list of "must try" knives. You know, ones that you think a novice should at least handle. In another thread someone mentioned a Buck 110 as such a knife, and that got me wondering: What's on your list? Folders, fixed blades, any price, any size, whatever you think belongs on a starter list.

Thank you to everyone who posted, here's the list so far...

Bark River Mikro canadian, Pro scalpel, Bravo-1
Benchmade Griptillian, Mini Griptilian, 710, 940, 42, Mini Ritter grip
Bradley alias 2
Boker Barlow, Sub, Wharcom
Buck 110, 112, 119
Busse Battle Mistress
Bussekin (One from each company)
Case CV Swayback, Sodbuster, Stockman (medium)
Chris Reeve Sebenza (Small, Large), Mnandi Damascus
Cold Steel Natchez Bowie
Condor machete
Emerson CQC7b, CQC-8
Extrema Ratio Dobermann
ESEE/RAT RC-4, Izula, RC-3
Fallkniven F1, S1
Fiddleback
Galyean Pro
Gerber multitool
Gransfors Bruks Hatchet/Axe
Grohmann Fixed blade (#1, 2, or 3), Canadian belt knife
Howling rat
J.A. Henckels kitchen paring, chef's
Kabar USMC, Becker
Kershaw Blur, Leek, Chive, Scallion, Skyline, JYD II
Laguiole knife
Leatherman multitool
Microtech LUDT
Mora
Opinel
Scrapyard
Shun Classic paring knife
Spyderco Military, Salt (Pacific, Atlantic, Aqua, Tasman), Spyderhawk H1 serrated, Sage 2, Caly 3 ZDP, Tenacious, Police, Para-mil, Delica, Calypso Jr, Endura, Manix 2
Strider SnG
Swamp Rat Waki
Swiss army knife (the actual issue model)
Tramontina Machete (large)
Victorinox Soldier, Recruit, Pioneer, Alox soldier, Farmer
XM18 3" blade
Zero Tolerance 200, 300, 350
 
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Budget?

Folders only?

Fixed blades?

Intended purpose of said knives?

Preferred blade lengths?
 
mini ritter grip, bark river mikro canadian, howling rat, Victorinox alox soldier and farmer, Bradley alias 2, Spyderco delica. ... and obviously a sebenza.

Those are my favorites. the others were either sold off or given away. These should be checked out for sure. All well rounded and carry well. Howling rat only in the woods though.
 
Spyderco Calypso Jr
... that little $40 knife with its thin full flat blade, outcuts anything i have ever handled exept for maybe a safety knife.

And for a little fixed, The Bark River Pro scalpel is a beauty.
 
Swiss army knife (the actual issue model)
Buck 110
Case medium stockman
Opinel
Grohmann Canadian belt knife
One of the Ken Onion designed Kershaws (leek, chive, scallion)
Spyderco Military
Spyderco Delica
Benchmade 710 (the original axis lock)
Boker Barlow
Case Sodbuster
Buck 119

There are only wo fixed blades on this list---what am I leaving out. I thought about adding a Loveless-style dropped point, but I'm not sure there's a 'classic' example of the species other than the $$$$$ original.
 
I've been recommending the Buck 110, the Benchmade 710, and the Spyderco Military for using as a comparison trio.

All are deemed "good" knives by many and all are sufficiently different to allow one to compare other knives to.
 
For a medium priced folders ($75-$120) I have to say some of the Spyderco line:
Endura, Police, Military are all great knives.
 
Benchmade 940 it's a big knife in a small package.
Spyderco Pacific Salt or any of the salt series, a rust proof knife.
 
Ah, man, there's just too many to answer this question. Start reading, look a lot at the galleries, and get out your credit card.

After you get a lot of suggestions on styles and brands, then you get into the different steels. It's really a rabbit hole!
 
Any Mora
Any classic Victorinox model
Any Opinel
Any Condor (or other quality machete)
Any ESEE
Boker Sub/Wharcom
 
1) Benchmade 710
2) a spyderco
3) A sebenza
4) A Bark river blade
5) A Busse
6) A custom fixed blade from a reputable maker (eg Fiddleback)
7) A custom folder from a reputable maker

Ive tried em all and I found them all to be very enlightening. One I could possibly add is a Strider, just so you can join in on all the argueing that goes on here :D
 
Victorinox Farmer
Spyderco Military/para-mil, delica/endura, and something from the Salt series
Benchmade Griptilian/mini-grip, 710
Kershaw Skyline, Leek, JYD II
Buck 110
Emerson CQC-8
An Opinel
A Zero Tolerance (I'd say 200)
A Strider
A Sebenza (or Umnumzaan)
A Case (maybe Sod Buster)
A Mora or two
A Bussekin (One from each company)
ESEE RC-4, Izula
A Ka-bar Becker
Fallkniven F1 or S1
BRKT Bravo-1, or anything else that strikes your fancy.
A Condor Machete
A Gransfors Bruks Hatchet/Axe
 
Emerson CQC7b
BM42
Spyderco Military/Police
Microtech LUDT
ZT300
 
Along with many that were already mentioned a Benchmade 42 is a must try. Butterfly knives can be a lot of fun but cheap ones can be frustrating because they often fall apart easily.:D
 
Spyderco Military
Victorinox Soldier
Some sort of Mora
RAT Izula
Spyderco Pacific Salt or atlantic Salt, whichever size suits you
Spyderco Tasman Salt or Spyderhawk H1, serrated
Spyderco Aqua Salt
Large Tramontina Machete
Busse Battle Mistress
 
Any Large Sebenza
Any Strider SnG
Any Spyderco Military
Case CV Med stockman
ESEE/Rat RC-3

:cool:
 
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