My first knife

HK 14715. Tough knife suited for a multitude of applications, and IMHO, a steal for under $100.
Great suggestions thus far also.
Welcome and happy hunting!
 
Chris Larrikin said:
Why buy one when you can buy two? :)
Seriously though, this is a good opportunity to buy two completely different styles and compare. Explore the differences so you can form an opinion on what you like. Personally I think you should get one traditional and one more modern.

For the traditional get an Opinel. Maybe a no9 or 10 for outdoors. They are one of the most well designed objects of all time and after a bit of sharpening, one of the best slicers for any money.

For the modern consider something from Spyderco. Or one of the many options suggested by the others :)

Then take your leftover money and buy a Mora fixed blade too, because a fixed blade may be more useful outdoors and why buy two knives when you can have three ;) welcome to the forums.
Click to expand...

+1

An Opinel and a Mora would cover all of your bases for around $40, combined.
 
Folding: Benchmade Mini Grip
Fixed: Esee 3 or 4

Start there and I'm sure (like the rest of us here) you'll have your run through a bunch of knives.
I currently rock a Benchmade Ritter Grip, a Battle Horse Woodsman Pro, an Esee 6, a Mora Robust, a bunch of Victorinox models, and recently picked up a Fiddleback Bushfinger. Not to mention all the various other knives I've bought and sold/traded to find "the right ones". My next mission is to pick up a Survive GSO 4 or 5 and I think I might stop there. Yeah right.
 
Anything spyderco really. Why bother with budget knives when you can afford to get something a bit nicer.
 
For a newb looking for a FIRST knife
Intended for outdoor "woodsy" stuff, (I'm assuming heavier use then cutting some cardboard boxes) everybody is steering you wrong IMO...

Get a Tramontina machete with a sheath
+ a lansky puck to sharpen it.
$30 + $10
A Mora companion HD
$15
A CRKT free range folder
$20
A Smith's 3in1 sharpener
$20

Prices are approximate, but THAT RIGHT THERE gives you a (a newb) the FULL outdoor knife arsenal to conquer any task, for right around $100;
a quality basic machete to clear trails,
a quality basic fixed blade to do standard camp chores,
and a decent sturdy basic folder to play with
+ the necessary basic sharpening tools to keep them all sharp, (since outdoors/woods use will dull blades quicker then opening letters and cutting some packaging tape in the office).

They're all basic steel, and relatively easy to sharpen/inexpensive Knives, so perfect to practice beating and then sharpening on. And if you ruin one. So be it, it didn't break the bank and you still got 2 others. Better then putting all your eggs in one basket, buying one expensive knife right off the bat and ruining that one, and then you have none.

Then as you get better with your basic knife skills, primarily sharpening, all the while you're having fun with those, save up for a nice $100 edc folder in some fancy (harder to sharpen) steel like a benchmade or a spyderco or whatever. Buy some fancier fixed blades like kabar or esee... Get yourself a nicer sharpening set up like a sharp maker or bench stones. But as you add to and build your collection with nicer Knives, provided you don't completely abuse it, you'll still have that $20 thick spined beater option to fall back on for those really nasty jobs you don't want to booger up your nice blade doing.

You don't get a 16 year old a Porsche for their first car, you let 'em learn in a beater. Same with Knives, don't start off grabbing the one nicest one you can squeeze into your budget, but rather fill all the Basic angles with your basic models for every task, and then build onto the collection from there learning as you go. While many will argue the CRKT free range option, because they hate all things made in china, so be it, there are dozens of $20 Knives to choose from if you prefer, but i can say my free range folder is still my go to folder for harder dirty yard work and trail work, it's no slouch, decent size blade above 3", its got great no slip rubber grip, and it's a lockback (which is typically more reliable then your standard liner or frame locks), and also it has a good thick spine to it to handle a bit more abuse... And since it was $20 I'm not afraid to abuse it a bit and care that much less if i gets it dirty and scratched... But best believe, if i break it, i will buy another that week, i really do like it that much for an outdoor beater.
The tram and mora however, nearly every knife guy (and gal) here will agree that they are great solid basic options, and many of us own one or both of them ourselves...
 
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I'd go with a good starter Spyderco such as the Delica or Endura. If it is truly just for the outdoors/woods, I'd go with the larger Endura. If you may carry it around town, than the Delica.

Honestly, I am pretty darn comfortable carrying a Victorinox swiss army knife in the larger 111 mm size. Pocket carry, go two layer; pouch carry go three layer like the One handed Trekker.
 
WELCOME!

Be sure to explore the subforums, there is something here for everyone!


For a first knife, a folder for use in the woods and outdoors, I would recommend the Ontario Rat 1 (3.6") or Rat 2 (3") for ~$30 AUS-8 ...

http://www.knifeworks.com/search.aspx?find=Ontario+Rat
on8846.jpg



a step up would be the Cold Steel Recon 1 (4") or Mini Recon 1 (3") for ~$70 AUS-8 or ~$100 CTS-XHP ...

http://www.knifeworks.com/search.aspx?find=Cold+Steel+Recon+1
CS27TLS.jpg



All of these are great hard-use folders that will not disappoint.

Sure, there are nicer, more exotic choices but their selection is more a personal choice that comes with experience and refinement of what YOU want.
 
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