New knife decision...

L

lucky musket

Basic Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
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28
How in the world do y'all decide which knife to buy next?? I can spend hours looking online and trying to make a decision and accomplish absolutely nothing! Spyderco, Kershaw, Emerson, Benchmade, etc. The lists are just too long and too many of them look so much alike! Just need some on to buy me a new knife and take the decision process out of it for me😉
 
Easy for me. No flippers, frame-locks, assisted or auto. Must be < $200, and a Spyderco or BM. No black handles or coated blades, and most importantly, it's got to be something I'm going to use. Everything else is just noise and not on my radar.
 
Except for the ones i collect, I actually try NOT to buy a "next knife", telling myself I have plenty of users available, until one (or2) really catches my eye...Then I "shop around" for that knife, for the best price, reviews, and compare to other knives which catch my eye along the way, and/or of similar "ilk" (price, quality, design, etc.)
 
i only buy one when my other has gone to such crap i cant use it for the stuff i need rely on it for. simple for me. 3.3 to 3.5 inch tanto blade must be spring assist and cant have a metal handle and no frame or back lock. so heres a tip. think of these things. do you like current one or what do you want changed. what blade style, length, type of lock you have used do you like it, handle material, and if you want a better knife or a replacement.
 
Buy the one you keep coming back to. It's easy to look for hours, but there will inevitably be one or two that call to you more than the rest.
Having a criteria helps narrowing down also.
 
vanslem6 said:
Easy for me. No flippers, frame-locks, assisted or auto. Must be < $200, and a Spyderco or BM. No black handles or coated blades, and most importantly, it's got to be something I'm going to use. Everything else is just noise and not on my radar.
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Pretty close to how I make my decisions as well. Except I don't mind black handles and blades.
 
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

He who hesitates is lost.

Buy them all.
 
I find that if you make a list of your top priories it helps. I don't purchase anything that is illegal where I reside (ie autos). If a knife intrigues me, I base my selections on if it looks good to me, blade length is within my comfort zone, its not over 4oz for a EDC, then I weigh out the rest of the specs according to price and manufacturer. Everyone has different styles and needs/requirements. Once I narrow down my choice(s) I always look for reviews and feedback on here and on the inter-webs. Worst case if I make a mistake it goes up on the exchange right away. My mentality is, if you are not going to carry/use it, why purchase it?
 
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lucky musket said:
How in the world do y'all decide which knife to buy next?? I can spend hours looking online and trying to make a decision and accomplish absolutely nothing! Spyderco, Kershaw, Emerson, Benchmade, etc. The lists are just too long and too many of them look so much alike! Just need some on to buy me a new knife and take the decision process out of it for me&#128521;
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Ok. Are you on a budget? - Kershaw
If not, do you haveva para military 2 yet? If not get one.
Jungle commanders are around, 7 V grinds are around.
Need an auto? Benchmade has great ones, and they arent microtech!

Best of luck!
 
Thanks for all the input. Guess I'm not at the point that I really NEED a new &#128298;, but always just want another. I pick up a few cheap knives a year and one good one, usually a Benchmade. My wife usually surprises me with one for Christmas as well, but those usually fall into the cheaper category as well, Though she did bring home a good Buck Alaskan Guide a few years ago...
Maybe I just leave it up to her again!!
 
Kershaw Emerson, a strong workin' knife for not a lot of money, around the $30-$40 range on the internet all over. If you've ever wanted an Emerson or wanted to try a waved knife but didn't have the big $ to play with this'll satify the itch. It's a little on the heavy side and it's an adequate steel but it's well worth the investment.

Check some of BFC's supporting vendors I'm sure you'll get a good deal and great CS.

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lucky musket said:
How in the world do y'all decide which knife to buy next?? I can spend hours looking online and trying to make a decision and accomplish absolutely nothing! Spyderco, Kershaw, Emerson, Benchmade, etc. The lists are just too long and too many of them look so much alike! Just need some on to buy me a new knife and take the decision process out of it for me&#128521;
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You could be stuck in a rut from buying the same brands over and over, and/or you simply need to take a break. I sometimes also go months without seeing anything interesting enough to buy.

"Too many of them look so much alike!" I agree, at least with the brands you listed. So expand your horizons and seek out different brands that don't.

My knife purchases from the last six months have included one from RosArms, two from Great Eastern, a vintage Schrade, a custom fixed blade, and one each from Wenger, Svord, Cold Steel (Pendleton Lite Hunter), Deejo, and Maserin. That's one way to pull yourself out of a rut. ;)
 
lucky musket said:
How in the world do y'all decide which knife to buy next?? I can spend hours looking online and trying to make a decision and accomplish absolutely nothing! Spyderco, Kershaw, Emerson, Benchmade, etc. The lists are just too long and too many of them look so much alike! Just need some on to buy me a new knife and take the decision process out of it for me&#128521;
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Well, usually I will have some kind of reason to buy a knife. It may not be a good reason, but a reason nonetheless. Maybe it's a different blade shape, or size, or steel. Maybe I want to try out a different manufacturer. Maybe a knife that I am normally not especially interested in I found at a great bargain and couldn't pass up at the lower price. Maybe I have the exact knife already but now there's a new handle color or material. Or maybe I've decided that I really, really like whatever it is I am carrying and want a spare.

Right now none of those reasons apply to me, but if you are looking for reasons, those are some. If you are smart with your money, you won't just buy a knife to be buying one, but will wait until you have a specific need or want in mind. Assuming you have some sort of recurring knife budget, the longer you wait, the nicer knife you can afford.
 
lucky musket said:
How in the world do y'all decide which knife to buy next?? I can spend hours looking online and trying to make a decision and accomplish absolutely nothing! Spyderco, Kershaw, Emerson, Benchmade, etc. The lists are just too long and too many of them look so much alike! Just need some on to buy me a new knife and take the decision process out of it for me&#128521;
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I recently compiled a list, front page folders, back page fixed blades... Not "every" single knife I want, but a large number of knives covering various price ranges and designs that I want, like, and/or would appreciate owning... I leave it accessible, and so "if" the wife ever feels the urge to buy me a new knife as a gift, she has a reference point where she can turn to, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she won't go wrong in a knife purchase off said list. Rather then shopping without an idea of what is what, and buying blind, and ultimately risking buying me something I won't like, (like say if she buys me Spyderco based on reviews, or came here for suggestions and heard 28 people suggest a pm2, not knowing I really don't like them).
Because the list is so vast, anything she would buy me would still be a surprise, but at least she knows she can't go wrong picking any one off the list, be it a $20 SAK classic limited, or a $1000+ Marfione ANAX, she knows she can't go wrong... (And if I would so happen to purchase one along the way, as I'm sure I will, and i'm content to not want a 2nd, I simply cross it out so she knows it's off the list).
 
strategy9 said:
I recently compiled a list, front page folders, back page fixed blades... Not "every" single knife I want, but a large number of knives covering various price ranges and designs that I want, like, and/or would appreciate owning... I leave it accessible, and so "if" the wife ever feels the urge to buy me a new knife as a gift, she has a reference point where she can turn to, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she won't go wrong in a knife purchase off said list. Rather then shopping without an idea of what is what, and buying blind, and ultimately risking buying me something I won't like, (like say if she buys me Spyderco based on reviews, or came here for suggestions and heard 28 people suggest a pm2, not knowing I really don't like them).
Because the list is so vast, anything she would buy me would still be a surprise, but at least she knows she can't go wrong picking any one off the list, be it a $20 SAK classic limited, or a $1000+ Marfione ANAX, she knows she can't go wrong... (And if I would so happen to purchase one along the way, as I'm sure I will, and i'm content to not want a 2nd, I simply cross it out so she knows it's off the list).
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Now that's a good idea!! I usually just circle a few in the various magazines that arrive but I like the idea of a list.
 
lucky musket said:
Now that's a good idea!! I usually just circle a few in the various magazines that arrive but I like the idea of a list.
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I thought so, and like I said, it's pretty specific and in depth. No serrations, colors & steel types where applicable; She can't go wrong.

It's not a rush thing either, nor a greedy thing. I'm not like, "gimme these knives woman, or else!" There are litterally thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of knives listed, incl. Discontinued models... Outside of a winning lottery ticket I'll never own all of them in my lifetime. I simply told her, "since we'll probably be together for a little while, like our lifetimes, and you know I like knives, and since you know virtually nothing about about them regarding quality or which ones I like or want, but if you ever feel inclined to surprise me with a knife for my birthday, fathers day, anniversary, whatever, rather then having to ask me what knife i want ruining the surprise, or getting a gift card, making it impersonal, just refer to the list (which stays in the top of my jewelry box), and you can't go wrong with any item listed."
(Listed by brand, roughly separated into price ranges)

And I can always update it or rewrite if as I go. (There's still quite a few empty lines on either side)...

This year for my birthday she got me a good bottle of one of my favorite bourbons, a bottle of colgne, and my favourite bourbon balls, no knife, and I was completely OK with that too...
 
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I used to try to try to fill a niche of a knife type that I didn't already have. Turned out I ended up with a bunch of knives I didn't use.

My favorite types of knives flat handles and compact. 3 to 3.5 inch blade for a work knife and then for edc's I like slippie type knives about 2.8 to 3.5 inch closed and I just focus on only what I like accepting that that's what I'm into.
 
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If you have a Iphone there's a Sort-it app for knives that's really good, it allows you to keep an interactive spreadsheet that's already set up with the ability to search the internet for pics and specs for knives you have or put in your own pic and info including all the general info needed to document your collection and keep it readily on hand. It gives you the abilty to display yor collection on a shelf on your phone and all you do is click on the knife pictured on the shelf and it'll pull up the relative info, it also has several filters and some customizable fields. I have the free version and for free it's the first inventory app I've found witten for knives.
 
Looking, researching, comparing, and deciding is all al part of the fun. Whenever I get to the point when I'm having a problem making a decision I just put it aside for awhile and come back to it later. It's always pretty gratifying when I eventually get it right. Generally it gets easier the next time around as well because I even have a better idea as to what I'm looking at and what I'm looking for.
 
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