Of all the knives you've owned and traded ...

of all and after 50 years of useing, collecting they are legion.my buck 110 has been with me so long could never do without one. 20 years or more ago i got my hands on a spyderco centofanti the one with the rubber inserts and ats34 blade it has served me well. throw a swiss army knife in the mix and i believe i could handle any task iam likely to face.yeah i have spent a lifetime looking for the perfect knife but if i were to be honest these are the only 3 i really need
 
Microtech socom elite I prefer the early washer version as opposed to the bearing pivot. This knife is a great size and very light weight. Very solid construction.

Jarosz kelper, it's my first jarosz but I already want more. Very comfortable in hand, a great user friendly knife.

Chris Reeve sebenza, classy and smooth, the definition of a gentlemans tactical folder

Microtech anax, it's a tie between this and the sebenza. I feel they both accomplish the same thing.
 
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my FAVORITE KNIFE OF ALL TIME i still have - NEVER sell or trade it - MAGNUS AXELSON "the trebuchet", a damasteel SCALPEL set INSIDE in a bronze and steel mount holder that can rotate 360 degrees! as much sculptural art as knife! took me a year to get him to make the 2nd one for me...fell in love with the 1st one on sight...it's now in a museum...jzs
 
Spyderco Gayle Bradley I. Built like a tank but also elegant. Wonderful cutter with hollow grind.
Spyderco Para 2. Iconic. So many limited runs and people still clamoring to buy them.
Spyderco Manix 2 S110V Blurple. Forgotten in the wake of the Para2. The ball lock works well. Classic Spyderco leaf blade. Now with a super steel and bright scales.
Spyderco Native 5 G-10. A knife that has been refined through its past iterations. Tight backlock. Slim and solid. Great EDC.
Spyderco Domino CTS-204P. One of the best of the modern ti flippers on bearings.
Cold Steel Recon 1 CTS-XHP. A surprisingly good cutter with its hollow grind. Awesome DLC blade coating. Lightweight and strong.
Benchmade 710. Been around for 15 plus years. Thin and narrow with a lot of blade edge packed into its full-size handle.
 
Very interesting thread. I've done literally hundreds and hundreds of trades over the past 8 years.

Knives that I've sold/traded that always find their way back or knives that I'll never trade/sell:

Lg Regular Sebenza

Lg Sebenza 21 Micarta Inlay

Microtech Socom Elite

Benchmade 940

Doug Ritter Griptilian with Wilkins scales

Spyderco Paramilitary 2

Spyderco Manix 2 LW

Kershaw Skyline

Spyderco Military.

Benchade 761 Monolock

Spyderco Slysz Bowie
 
It's tough to get just ten. I don't want to miss any particular models and regret it later. There are some mid-techs and customs also, that I really appreciate. It's been a good run. Happy New Year...
 
#1 The Spyderco pm2 (S30V) is my favorite medium sized knife. A 52100 version would be a grail.

#2 The Kershaw Skyline is the perfect edc. It does everything. Food jobd, box cutting, feather sticks and even whittling. Very light decent ergos, sandvik steel: stainless, tough, easy to sharpen, keen edges. The only improvement could be a custom heat treatment to get even more out of the steel. But at the current price, it is perfect.

#3 Victorinox camper. Everything I need, nothing I don't.

I still appreciate MANY other knives like a ZT 0350 tiger stripe. It will be a while before I replace this one but I would right now if I could. The knives on the list are the best combination of utility and looks, IMHO.
 
Well I finally got some M4
Last knife of 2016 . . . delivered 12-31-16 in the afternoon. Cutting it a bit close.

Thanks to Knife works ! ! ! ! I got it in three days ! ! ! !
The inexpensive shipping choice . . .
From anyone else it wouldn’t have been here until the following Tuesday.
Here’s another attempt at photographing it.


Wow look at the “grain” on that blade ! ! ! Do you suppose we are looking at radio active tank busting carbides ? ! ? ! That were made visible when I happened to get the lighting just right ?

OK before you all press the ignore or start typing furiously . . . I’m kidding . . . still though . . . look at that . . .

and I can’t resist : for all you vanadium carbide proud peacocks : My carbides are smaller than your carbides . . . My carbides are smaller than your carbides . . . My carbides are smaller than your carbides . . .

that’s good right ? ? ? ?

According to Apostle P and our own GB940Rookie this is the last knife I will ever need.
could 2017 be a knife order free year ?
We will see.
Perhaps.

Thanks GB940Rookie for grabbiing me by the nap of the neck and making me take another look at the Gayle Bradley in M4 ! ! ! !

could have been a Spyderco Para 2 in natural G-10 but some how Blade Headquarters . . . or Spyderco . . . or some body is asleep at the wheel and hasn’t got around to getting / making any more . I kind of dig the natural G-10 scales with the M4 . . . buuuuuuuuuut . . .

Thas OK I like this Original version Gayle Bradley knife better. When I first discovered the Gayle Bradley I didn’t think I would like it and just moved on. I was looking for a good quality folding knife in M4. But I’m not much for hollow grind. And the blade just looked thick and kind of "Mutt" like and from all the talk about how this knife is made for HARD WORK I just kept thinking the blade was a tank like on the Cold Steel Pendleton Hunter . . . and we all know what I did to that one.
GB blade = thick and clunky.
I thought.
At the time.
Turns out this knife is very wel respected performance wise yet is HG
The Case Trapper I am all about right now is HG. And man does IT perform !

I got turned off to HG from using my Buck 110 . . . HG but way thick or that is how it acts when I cut with it . . . just a big wedge that gets half way through stuff and gets stuck.

Seems like most of the HG I am used to seeing have thicker spines than I like. That was why I was looking at the Para 2; flat ground. Turrrrrrrns out the Gayle Bradley is a half mm thinner than the Para.

GB940Rookie has been working on me, in various posts, with out consciously focusing on me, and then I watched the Apostle P YouTubes on it and the newer version.

From all that "studying" I began to think "Maaaaaaaybe . . . this could be the M4 knife for me . . . hmmmmmmm".

I agree with both these fine gentlemen. About grip (handle shape and location of fingers on the scales), about workmanship . . . has a nice thick robust grip too. I like the thick handles. Carry it in a pouch if I have to. I carry the Case Trapper in a little belt pouch.

One other thing that tipped me . . . toward the first version rather than the newest version and away from the Para 2 :

I have been obsessed with this grip lately and getting it clean . . .
  • no second folded blade back in the way
  • no hollowed out area or notch
  • no thin or protruding release bar
  • no asymmetrical scales one with a swoop for my finger to search around in for a foot hold ((( can one’s finger search for a “foot hold” ? )))
  • not so tall the knife feels like it is going to fall over in my grip like standing on ice skates or how I imagine spiked heals would be
  • not so skinny the knife feels like it is going to fall over in my grip



the Gayle Bradley One feels great in this grip; good and wide, a flat area top and bottom for my fingers to get a footing on (there’s that term again) . . . not teeterry, not too tall, no junk in the way.

When I press my fingers hard together like this and it feels stable and comfortable . . . to me . . . it is like coming home.
This one could work !
Could it be that Gayle Bradley really knew what he was doing when he designed this ? ? ?
I am thinking . . . YES !
 
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Not in any particular order, and my favorites continually change (like most peoples), but here are a few I know I'll never get rid of, in some variation:

1) Spyderco Delica: My second real knife (leaving out garbage <$10 or less knives) that I received, it was a gift for Christmas and one that I had been looking into for quite some time. It's what started my passion in blades.
2) Spyderco Paramilitary 2: Absolutely love this knife, from premium steels in the sprints, to just feeling perfect in hand, the fine tip, awesome and super smooth compression lock, FFG, and so on and so forth, you guys know the deal, it's easily one of my favorites even though it's one of my oldest knives in my collection.
3) Cold Steel Recon 1 CTS-XHP: I have all 3 blade shapes, and tanto is currently my favorite. Ridiculously strong lock, all of my 4" recon 1's are the smoothest cold steel's that I own, awesome steel, grip is phenomenal as is the handle shape, it's perfect for tactical or an outdoor beater, and can also be used for any normal EDC task. Huge winner in my book.
4) Ontario Rat II: Great quality, smooth action, super cheap for what you get, awesome handle, awesome EDC size, awesome everything. Nothing is bad about this knife, especially for the price. I would prefer to have better blade steel, but for ~$23, I'll take AUS-8 without question. Buy 2, 3, 10 of these as beater knives, knives to stick in random places so you'll always have one, back up knife, gift, etc.

Couple that I'm fairly certain I'll keep forever are:

1) Spyderco Chaparral: Small, very EDC friendly, superb fit and finish, CTS XHP that is FFG to a ridiculously thin main bevel making it one of the best slicers I own.
2) Spyderco Pattada: Italian made greatness. Love the blade geometry and the overall fit, finish, and feel of this knife, with the contoured handle practically molding right into your hand.
3) Kizer Gemini VG-10/G10: Been positive about every other knife so far, but the ability to make the blade come out without much force will be the only reason I give this away. If it opens in pocket just once, it's a goner, even though I love it.
4) CRK Small Sebenza: It's a sebenza, nothing else needs said :) whether or not I can swallow the price of this thing after a while and actually use it will be the deciding factors for me, I'm not big on spending money on items I won't use.
5) Lionsteel KUR: Love this knife, great fit and finish, nice twack when opened, came extremely sharp and even though it's a thick chunk of steel, it slices well. Only reason I may get rid of it is if the sleipner steel starts corroding and I don't feel like keeping up with it.
 
Top 5 would have to be
Bm 940 like the -1501 the most so far.- Best edc ever made IMO
Spyderco gayle bradley 1- as stated it's a beastly, beautiful tank in m4
Bm 810- another beast of a tank that I would trust my life on.
Boker kwaiken- a lovely knife I use to cut steak mostly.
Becker Bk9- a fixed blade tank I could literally do anything I ever needed a knife/machete/axe for, it goes on every camping trip
 
These knives have done me well over the years and keep doing so. Most are out of production, though a couple I like so much I have a spare in safe keeping. Missing is a Spyderco.
There are a few modern knives that I really would like, and really should get. I tend to go for well established classics than new fangled designs. Some classics really aren't that old! A good knife will last a long time if looked after, I'm old, but for new buyers there really are some gems to be had; really are spoilt for choice:
IMG_5233.jpg


A BM940 and a Spyderco Militay are on the cards.
I gave up too, there really are some gems out there; one for every pocket and user style. Pick wisely and the investment is worth it.
 
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I'd be here all day trying to narrow it down to 10, so I'll just list some of my ultimate favorites.

BM: 943
940
Rift, Cutlery Shoppe Exclusive.
710-1401 KW Exclusive
908-1501 KSF Exclusive.....ugh!!! I can't stop!!

Spydie:
All black Southard & blue twill Domino......my 2 favorite Spydie's!! Love them!!!
Para 2.....Cutlery Shoppe Exclusive......WOW!!
Ti Millie.
Pac Salt Spydie edge......absolute beast of a cutter!!

That's 10 already and I didn't even get to Pro Tech, ZT, Brous or WE!!
I give up!
Joe
 
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