New Member hoping to learn.

BD_01 said:
Don’t let your knife obsession keep you away from firearms.
They compliment each other nicely. :D



https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/knives-guns.1598148/
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/guns-blades.1158317/

Welcome. Lots to be learned.
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For sure!
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My advice: High price does always not equal good or great. Beware of marketing. Don't drain you back account on a super high end knife unless you are really, really, really sure - most become ho-hum once you have them for a while (some don't, like Shirogorovs). Buy some cheap stuff so you can learn. You have to experience different knives to understand differences in quality and features, and to figure out what you really like. The most satisfying knives are affordable and excellent. Those are the real finds. Customs are like a box of chocolates - you never know what you are going to get (with the exception of the top makers of course).
 

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For budget friendly stuff that still kicks, I'd look at Spyderco and Kershaw.
Lots of great options under $100
Online dealers usually have the best deals and for sure better selection.
DLT Trading, Blade HQ, and Knife Center all have lots of budget friendly options.
All of their websites should be easy to navigate and they have functions to narrow your search down.

Welcome to Blade Forums!
Just continue reading through all the sub forums and General Discussion and pretty soon you'll have
a good enough idea of what you want to the point that you won't care what others think :D
 
Welcome to BF!

I think there is no shortage of good advices on this thread, just adding my 2 cents worth:

1) If you are looking for a 'starting piont', I'd suggest to buy less expensive 'value' brands/products, such as Victorinox for pocket tool, Mora for fixed blade, Opinel/Buck for folding knives or Rough Riders for traditional. They may not be the latest, greatest or glamorous, but they are decent choices that you probably won't regret down the road.

2) Don't buy into the marketing, consumerism or think knives are 'investment'. Much like cars, most knives depreciate after use, and most people don't buy cars/knives and expect their values to climb. There are those who flip cars/knives for profit, but unless you are in that business, that's totally a different story.

3) Buy what you truly like and enjoy. This is a hobby and it is supposed to be fun, there's no reason feel pressured to buy one way or another, just to blend in.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
Warmest of welcomes:)

I was literally where you are when I joined. 21 year old College kid with a shoestring budget but had always had an interest in all things sharp and pointy.

The amount of knowledge I have gained from BFC has not only furthered my education on knives but also really helped shape me as I grew from a young man into...well, we'll call it a more seasoned and mature young man;)

As I round the bend of 40 this week, I can't help but appreciate all the fine folks I have been so fortunate to meet and call friends on this board.

If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask away. Lots of very learned folks here eager to help. Don't be shy and don't feel any hesitation to ask about anything here.

I remember when I first joined, I wanted to buy a khukuri. I contacted several manufacturers via email but the only one who wrote me back (within minutes) was Uncle Bill Martino of Himalayan Imports. I must have asked him 7 different questions over as many emails about a $70 khukuri. I apologized but told him the only reason I had so many questions was that I was a poor college kid and $70 was pretty much me borrowing from Peter to pay Paul for about a year's worth of spending cash on a knife. Uncle Bill told me, "Don't worry about it so much. One day you will graduate and be rich. The cost of this knife won't matter so much then, but it will still serve you well if you take care of it."
Bill passed on over 15 years ago, and I did graduate (still working on that "rich" part he promised ;)). However, I still have that khuk. It still serves me well (along with a collection of about 100 more), and I am super proud to be a member of this community all these years later.

My suggestion is: Find a balance that works for where you are in life. Don't get stuck on garbage beater knives forever, or else you'll miss out on the real joy of this hobby. However, don't feel the NEED to plunk down $450 on a Chris Reeve Sebenza right out of the gates. There are a ton of quality knives on a college budget. As yout rarning power improves, so will taste in knives when it comes to budget. Even still, don't take this as meaning it is a race to the top and mo' is betta. Some guys top out spending less than $100 on a knife. Some guys edc a $4,000 custom without batting an eye.

Go slow, read, ask, and enjoy life where you are right now. Enjoy what you can afford and never forget to take the opportunity to use the time you have now to go out and use your knife collection.

Once again, welcome:)
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Thanks!
 
Welcome!

I started at your age about 21 and now I’m 30. I unfortunately had a good amount of disposable income when I started and within a year of diving head first into knives I was buying customs! Now I’ve chilled out a bit and move some of the money towards other things (guns).

Remember it’s a jog not a sprint, these knives aren’t disappearing tomorrow.
 
Sharp & Fiery said:
Yes, @Steely_Gunz has excellent advice. The real joy of collecting is using some of your collection and experiencing the magic of your beloved cutting tool.
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Ooh I have been lusting after an Orca for a while...

Welcome to BF OP! I was exactly in your shoes in 2005 when I first came on board.

Don't jump off the deep end right away, spend a lot of time looking. If you're down South, I bet you'll have a lot of decent gun and knife shows once the 'rona is over. Good time to look at a bunch of knives in person.
 
Welcome to Blade Forums!

First, note that folding knives aren't great for self defense. This has been covered in other threads. I generally won't recommend a knife for self defense unless it is a fixed blade and even that comes with caveats. For anyone in the position where a folding knife is literally the only option for a defensive tool, I'd honestly recommend that they just work on their empty-handed skills instead. Freeing yourself from self defense as a criterion greatly expands your options for a good EDC folder.

As far as recommendations, stay away from the ultra-cheap knives. Don't bother with 8Cr13Mov or lesser steels. Sure, some people recommend those steels because they are cheap, not hard to sharpen, and having to sharpen them more often will coincidentally help you to develop skill. I say "poppycock". Steels like 12C27 and 14C28N can be had in relatively inexpensive budget knives, are also easy to sharpen, and tend to be noticeably better in every other performance category. I'd also steer clear of D2, both as a starter steel and for other reasons.

The best bang for the buck on budget knives right now is Civivi. They have some very nice knives in 9Cr18Mov (such as the Baklash) that deliver incredible quality for the price. They've also got some newer models in 14C28N. The fifty-dollar mark might seem a bit high for entry level but these are knives that you can grow with as you explore the hobby. For instance, I've been carrying a pocket knife since before you were born. I have knives that cost two or three times as much. Most days though, I'm happy with a Civivi in my pocket.
 
For budget knives Kershaw makes some really decent stuff in the $30 to $50 Range, Spyderco also has the Byrd line and entry level models in that rangeor just a little higher. Buck, Kabar, Ontario and Cold Steel also have some good inexpensive options.

BladeHQ has a good education section I refer to it quite a lot for user friendly Steel explanations. https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Learn-Knives--2623
 
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