My knife collection.

[PheonixKingZ]

This is my VERY humble knife collection. I don’t have much fancy/expensive stuff like you guys, because I’m young and just getting into the hobby.

Here are my springers:

Fixed blades:

This is an old one I found at a garage sale, worth anything?

I also have a lot of small ones, not worth mentioning.

 

[stevekolt]

Umm...that bottom one looks like a lockback, not a fixed blade.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

The very bottom one is a lock back. The 2 in the middle ( both Camillus’s) are fixed blades.

 

[sailfish]

I was almost 30 before I finally spent over a hundred dollars on a knife. Spend enough time here though and you'll likely make that plunge much sooner.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I was almost 30 before I finally spent over a hundred dollars on a knife. Spend enough time here though and you'll likely make that plunge much sooner.

Already got talked into getting a Kershaw Link 1776GRYBW, I will order it soon. Can’t wait to get it! It looks so sweet.

 

[jlauffer]

This is my VERY humble knife collection. I don’t have much fancy/expensive stuff like you guys, because I’m young and just getting into the hobby.

Here are my springers:

Fixed blades:

This is an old one I found at a garage sale, worth anything?

I also have a lot of small ones, not worth mentioning.

Welcome to BF! Just an FYI regarding the lockback, you need a Gold membership or higher to ask about values, since a Gold membership or higher is required to sell here.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Welcome to BF! Just an FYI regarding the lockback, you need a Gold membership or higher to ask about values, since a Gold membership or higher is required to sell here.

Oh, didn’t realize that. :/

 

[sailfish]

Already got talked into getting a Kershaw Link 1776GRYBW, I will order it soon. Can’t wait to get it! It looks so sweet.

I actually still have my MTech I bought when I was 19. Was my first modern/tactical style knife. Kershaws are a good way to get into better knives though.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Nice knives!

MTech is good for someone who needs a knife now, and one that looks cool. Not very practical though... I mean, they last about a year (or less in most cases) then the spring either breaks, or you accidentally drop it and the blade breaks.

The MTech MT-A845 you see in the picture is a nice knife, nothing feels cheap about it. However, it doesn’t have a good quality blade and it’s super big. That’s part of the reason why I want the Kershaw Link 1776GRYBW. Just $6 then I can order it.

 

[sailfish]

MTech is good for someone who needs a knife now, and one that looks cool. Not very practical though... I mean, they last about a year (or less in most cases) then the spring either breaks, or you accidentally drop it and the blade breaks.

Lock stopped working a long time ago on mine.

 

[Steelhog]

Hey man - collection looks great. I did the full loop of budge to $400+ knives and back down to budget. Hard to beat a SAK, Mora or Opinel. If you want to expand and keep the $$ down those are my recommendations. Have fun and enjoy the knives.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

If it’s not one thing it’s another, lol.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Hey man - collection looks great. I did the full loop of budge to $400+ knives and back down to budget. Hard to beat a SAK, Mora or Opinel. If you want to expand and keep the $$ down those are my recommendations. Have fun and enjoy the knives.

Thanks man! I have always like knives - nice to finally be around people who feel the same.

 

[unwisefool]

Kershaw is a step in the right direction. I'd suggest not buying any more mtech or cheap knives and instead save up for better quality. Remember, quality beats quantity in this hobby.

 

[Prester John]

I was almost 30 before I finally spent over a hundred dollars on a knife. Spend enough time here though and you'll likely make that plunge much sooner.

I was almost 60 before I spent more than $20.

 

[bflying]

I think it's a great start. Doesn't matter what you spend, only that you enjoy it. And I was in my 40's before I spent over $30 on a knife. In fact, until then, my most expensive knife was one I bought with paper route money when I was maybe 11 years old. Slipped down that rabbit hole hard.

Hello ello ello ello, is there anybody out there there there there....

 

[jfk1110]

Gotta start somewhere! It's all good! Welcome and enjoy the ride with some.like minded individuals!

James

 

[eisman]

The lockback is a Parker, made in Japan. It's a decent knife. Japanese blades are often overlooked, and Jim Parker has a mixed reputation (do some searching here and you'll be entertained). But that was made in Seki, and it'll outlast you if properly cared for.

 

[Planterz]

This is my VERY humble knife collection. I don’t have much fancy/expensive stuff like you guys, because I’m young and just getting into the hobby.

Here are my springers:

Fixed blades:

This is an old one I found at a garage sale, worth anything?

I also have a lot of small ones, not worth mentioning.

Please understand I say this to educate, not to belittle you, but these are not good knives. The steel is poor, and I personally wouldn't trust the locks of these not to fail and send me to the ER for stitches.

The good thing is that you don't have to spend much more than you've spent on these for decent quality low-end knives. There's a number of Chinese companies that produce them, such as Civivi, Artisan, Kizer, Ruike, and Tangram, to name a few. Unfortunately there's also a number of unscrupulous Chinese companies that blatantly copy designs, trademarks, and patents of respectable companies. I'm not going to list the offenders, but any search for those names here should let you know if they're clone companies or not. And of course, you can always just ask us. Plus there's a number of American and European companies that have budget lines (again, made in China, most likely). Kershaw, Steel Will, Spyderco, Buck, Cold Steel, and others. Kabar has a few folding knives in AUS-8 (such as the Dozier) for about $20 that are very well respected for their value and quality.

Knives from those I listed above should run $25-45, depending on the company and materials. Most everyone here will agree that it's far, far better to save your money, however little it may be and how long it may take, so you can buy a single Kershaw in 8Cr13MoV or 14C28N for $30-45 rather than 2 or 3 $15 Mtechs, Tac Force, and the like. Quality is far better than quanity. You mentioned the Kershaw Link, and that's a good choice. $45 for a knife that will last you many years rather than a cheap knife that's essentially disposable with questionable safety. There's the old adage of "buy quality and cry only once", particularly apt when it comes to tools of most any kind. Plus, when it comes to knives, as I'm fond of saying, buying a more expensive knife will always be cheaper than stitches at the ER (not to mention the pain and possible permanent damage) because you saved money on a knife with an unsafe lock. The good news is that you don't have to spend a whole lot more money for a safe knife compared to a piece of junk.

Welcome to the addiction.

EDIT: The Parker might not be too bad, as eisman said.

 

[mwhich50]

These are my thoughts based on my experiences (300+ knives).
SLOW DOWN. You already have a good variety of starter knives to test, abuse (carefully), and learn how to sharpen.

Try to wait for Birthdays, and Christmas to purchase a higher quality knife. $30-$80.
I try to avoid serrations, and black blades because they seem to be much more difficult to trade/resell. I do like 'black-washed' blades a lot because they look great, and they show less wear and tear.
I also try to avoid buying a decent knife just because it is 'on sale'.
Now, I try to limit my purchases to knives that REALLY excite me.

Based on your choice of Mtech folders this Ontario Utilitac 2 would probably be a good start ($25-$35). It is big, rugged, and very smooth. I still have mine.