OH NO! ANOTHER 3 KNIFE LIST!

sabre cat

sabre cat

Joined
Jul 4, 2014
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Hi Everyone,

I have recently been thinking about what I would do if I had to start over on my knife collection. Say, like I had a house fire or something.

What would you get? So, let's say three budget knives. A dress knife. Another as an EDC folder, and a fixed blade of some sort to round things out. I'll let you define the term "budget."

I was thinking the following:

1. SAK Cadet
2. Rat 1 with D2 steel
3. Maybe a RAT 3 or something in the Ranger series from Ontario Knife Co.

What about you? What are your ideas? Would you pick up three better knives later on, after the dust settles? If so, what and why?
 
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Eh. I don't know. Knowing what I know now I would skip the budget stuff and wait until I have the funds and I don't care for fixed blades too much. In the spirit of playing:
- Buck 110 as a Dressy Knife
- Kershaw Atmos as EDC
- Ontario Marine Raider for Fixed Blade
 
What level are we specifying for "budget"? Some of the people here see a $150 knife as "budget" because their situation allows for that. Or, are we talking closer to the $40ish range? Because I'd probably just get a Leatherman and call it all good until I could get some proper knives again


Also, I'd pick up a lot more than 3 more knives later on. That's for sure
 
Hmmm. Budget knives...

Dress knife would be a 940-1
EDC would be an Elmax PM2 or Para 3
Fixed blade.....
Not sure if it needs to be a certain size but I would say one of my Lab bushcraft knives. But with a FFG or convex grind in CPM3V

I'm not good at budget stuff. Lol.
But you can get a 940-1 for like 200 used so that's not bad. Anything under 250 is within reason. I dont buy many folders.
 
I EDC a Victorinox Huntsman, it does most things well. I have an Enzo Trapper 115 full flat grind in 12c27 that I use as a "general purpose blade". The Huntsman makes a good veg paring knife and the Trapper for trimming meat.

These two knives weren't expensive, £30-£40 for the Huntsman and £88 for the Trapper. You don't need to spend much to get good quality. If you buy right there's no need to upgrade.
 
Dress:

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Everyday:

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(Alox Electrician)


Fixed blade? I'm not actually sure how much I need a fixed blade. I would be unhappy to lose my pair of Kukris, and I might replace the 8" blade one, down the line.

Disasters like that have a way of changing a person's priorities, and I have the feeling that knives would end up pretty low on the list.
 
AN Alox Swiss Army knife for sure for daily carry, a GEC jigged bone Boys knife or 44 for a go to meeeting or church knife ( any nice traditional really, just to stay in the OP's question), and ML Hudson Bay knife for fixed blade......with a small fixed blade to ride along on the sheath such as LTW or Frontier Valley.
 
My budget would be high because I’m over insured.

1. Victorinox Pioneer X
2. Small Sebenza
3. Steingass Dropped Hunter
 
Just looking over my current collection, and I've landed on

Dress: Kershaw Leek in CF
EDC : A toss up between the Crooked River Mini and the Kershaw Shuffle 2. Now, the CR is a much better knife, I know. But there is something about that Shuffle. I'll go with the Shuffle purely for budget.
Fixed: Brusletto Bamsen.
 
House fire..... total destruction of everything that isn't already in your pocket..... That says something about having spares of the knives you especially like or use a lot. They'd be gone.

I would get a Vic SAK almost immediately as many stores carry them in my area. This way I have a knife I like. It would be used for all occasions. After that, I would step back and review my needs more comprehensively. Hmm, I sort of already know what I like. But, I would still review my priorities before I started blowing money left and right on the hobby again.

Generally speaking I would skip all the budget blades and go middle of the road cost-wise which is generally where I land choosing and buying knives.
 
Well, I candidly wouldn't be completely knifeless, because I'm carrying multiple knives with me at any given time, or in my car, so I'm covered really if the housefire happened while I was away. If I was home, and had a chance to grab any of my go-bags, same thing. However, to play along because it's pedantic of me not to, my three immediate recovery list would probably look like this:

- I'd have to grab a Leatherman Charge Tii to cover my multitool needs
- I'd need something stout I could beat on, so I'd pick up another XHP CS Recon 1
- The last knife would be either whatever Olamic Wayfarer I could find, or an Emerson Commander or (more preferably) another Seax. Both are hardworking, and could be used in a dressier role if needed.

Then I'd start all over again. True, there are no fixed blades in this list, because I don't have an immediate need for those, so in reality, whatever fixed blade I'd be looking at would be a replacement chef's knife for the kitchen of wherever I was staying for food prep. I'd order another quality fixed blade whenever the time to go camping again, of course, given the house fire, I'd need to replace all of my camping gear as well so...yeah.
 
Personal (built it for myself) fighter in V4E, S35VN Emerson CQC7 Flipper, John Lloyd slipjoint in W2... The 3 knife set is a great concept.

 
I’m far beyond the “budget knife” realm at this point and don’t really own many fixed blades but for the sake of the thread mine would be:

Budget- S30V Kershaw Skyline
EDC- S110V Paramilitary 2
Fixed Blade- 3V Strider DB

Lucky for me if my house burned down I know my knives would be safe because they are kept in my gun vault:)
 
Trevor_Phillips said:
What level are we specifying for "budget"? Some of the people here see a $150 knife as "budget" because their situation allows for that. Or, are we talking closer to the $40ish range? Because I'd probably just get a Leatherman and call it all good until I could get some proper knives again


Also, I'd pick up a lot more than 3 more knives later on. That's for sure
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The level is up to you. Personally, I'd go with $40ish range but, that's just me.

As for the Leatherman, I too, would be tempted to just pick up a Leatherman Wave and be done. The problem is that I have a love/hate relationship with the Wave.
 
Charlie Mike said:
Personal (built it for myself) fighter in V4E, S35VN Emerson CQC7 Flipper, John Lloyd slipjoint in W2... The 3 knife set is a great concept.

Click to expand...
Yeah, I am really beginning to like the three knife idea myself. Never would have thought of Emerson's CQC7.

Thank you for your input.
 
Quiet said:
Well, I candidly wouldn't be completely knifeless, because I'm carrying multiple knives with me at any given time, or in my car, so I'm covered really if the housefire happened while I was away. If I was home, and had a chance to grab any of my go-bags, same thing....

....I'd order another quality fixed blade whenever the time to go camping again, of course, given the house fire, I'd need to replace all of my camping gear as well so...yeah.
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I normally wouldn't be knifeless either unless something unusual played out. I would probably at least have my regular SAK in my pocket and the Leatherman Ps4 Squirt on my car keys. Yeah, I feel the same way about the fixed blade. I like them, but for the most part I don't really need them. I just got a White River Backpacker Pro with G10 handles.... this is a nice knife and would be very practical for day to day use or carry in the woods as long as you aren't chopping.

Budget blades tend to cost under $50 for me. My middle price range is $50 to $200 generally with heavy emphasis on the $75 to $150 zone. Seldom to this point have I purchased anything more expensive except for fixed blades and the occasional custom/handmade knife.
 
I'd get a Real Steel Griffin($50ish) to qualify as my classy blade and edc.

Doing that allows me to get a Bear Ops Bearsong ($80-100) so I have a butterfly to play with. Not sure that's still "budget"...

Cold Steel drop forged Bowie($50ish) for the fixed blade.

Total cost: under $200. Not the cheapest, but no skimping on quality on any blades. I think they each deliver great value.

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It makes me sick to my stomach thinking of my collection being destroyed, here’s my choices
Everyday Spyderco Manix LW later to be upgraded to a ZT 0562CF.
Dress/gent folder Spyderco sage 1 or 5 changed later to a Benchmade 940-1.
Not really a fixed blade guy so I’m thinking multi tool, leatherman wingman.
 
Dress: Case 3 blade medium trapper Amber bone

EDC: Buck 112 preferably an older one with real ebony scales

Fixed: Honestly I'd be happy with a Mora for what little I carry a fixed blade
 
$68 or less if you shop around:

Maserin 389 Atti in burl or Case Corn Cob Jigged Burnt Indigo Bone (wharncliffe)
-One has satisfying one hand operation with a good steel, but not so great geometry and profile. The other has good geometry and profile, but not so great steel. Both have great finish. They would be replaced for the best of both worlds.

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/ontario-rat-ii-in-d2-or-spyderco-delica-4.1522619/

BK16 or CS 36ME
-One for completing basic chores around the hobo fire, and the other because I now live in a van down by the river.
 
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