Materials or Design, which influences your choice more?

I know what materials I don't want. There are some steels and handle material that I prefer.

I choose my knives for the design, but there are some design that I like but with materials I just hate (Spyderco with FRN handles).
 
Design outweighs materials for me. For example, I think one of the best folder designs out there is the Spyderco Calypso family. If the design was available only in AUS-8 and FRN, I'd still want one. Fortunately, they're available in VG-10, S30V (the UKPK is part of the family), and ZDP-189 with G-10 and carbon fiber. And I carry and use a couple of Calypso, Jrs. even though I'm not all that hot on FRN scales.

Another example is the Boker Subcom and kin. FRN, AUS-8, but for small knives they are incredible. If the same designs were available in G-10, Ti, and premium steel, I'd be all over them.

Of course at a certain point materials could be so poor (like 420J2 or worse blade), I'd pass on even a great design. Haven't seen that yet. As another poster suggested, great designs and good materials usually go together.
 
cybrok said:
I know what materials I don't want. There are some steels and handle material that I prefer.

I choose my knives for the design, but there are some design that I like but with materials I just hate (Spyderco with FRN handles).
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Cybrok makes a good point. While I do not have a problem with FRN, there are some blade alloys I just won't go for.

There are some knives that, no matter how good looking the design is for my purpose, I just turn my back on because I know the chosen materials won't be suitable for that purpose. I feel that way about many of the CRK&T designs. They look like they'd be excellent, but then they go and put 420J2 alloy as the blade. Ain't gonna ever buy one of those.
 
In general I find that the range of knives on he market is big enough so that you don't really have to choose between materials and design.
For me design is the first "filter": if it doesn't look good or clever, then I am not interested in knowing more.
 
I will go for design first. If the time has been spent on design, the quality of materials usually follows.
 
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