personal growth-what knives brought you to your current.

[GoneOnTheRoad]

maybe not everyone does this. but it's interesting to me, as i trace back, how i thought that first knife would be good enough. then i bought another, for some reason. then i had a better understanding of what i liked and/or needed so i bought another. usually stepping up...sometimes it's more of a lateral-boredom purchase or something of the sorts.

i've always had some sort of cheap knife. usually only when hiking or camping. until i was at work, and someone asked me to cut a huge rubber o-ring on a 40' pump, suspended by a crane... and i couldn't. not a good feeling. so i went out and bought myself a little gerber paraframe. which was good enough until my cousin compared it to his Gerber Evo - with the little finger opener. then i decided opening ease was where it's at. so i knew i wanted an assisted opener. i did a little research and decided on a SOG flash II. with the aluminum handle. which was really nice. but a bit bulky. i then made a big jump to a Benchmade Apparition 670. i love this knife. it's built like a tank. then i was beginning to doubt the legality of assisted openers, here in NJ. and i didn't want to get a $90 confiscated. at which point, after reading various threads on this website... i decided to get a CQC-7B BTS. which, i'm carrying today. and, as of today - this is the first knife i've cut myself with. (it didn't open all of the way, and i gave it the tiniest push on the blade, with my thumb.) seems pretty sharp, as i didn't even notice until about a half-hour afterwards.

since then, i also picked up a CRKT m-16 EDC, as it was $15. it's nice to have something a little smaller when you want it. and also a Gerber Gator which i keep in my truck and use on those hiking/camping trips.

unlike most people in the "empty your pockets" thread...i still just don't understand carrying more than 1 knife at a time. i mean, it certainly looks neat, but my job/recreation just can't justify it.

anyway, this evolution always fascinated me. post your tails (darwin-related humor?) if you got 'em

 

[Psychopomp]

It is interesting. My first knife was an old mid-70s Buck 110. Since then there have been a few (more than a few) to follow. But I haven't bought a knife in well over a year and I've been EDC'ing the same combination for well over two years.

There's been a Vic Soldier in my left pocket since 2003. I use it for cutting food and the screwdrivers are handy.

My knife evolution I guess has been in the hard use folder I keep in the other pocket. There's been a lot of searching there. I carried several different Kershaws for about six months each, a Spyderco Endura for about six months, and a Spyderco Native for a while. Then I finally broke down and bought the knife I'd lusted over for a long time, a Benchmade 710. That was January 2006 and I haven't looked back since.

Carrying those other knives helped me realize what I wanted in a larger EDC. The first Kershaw was too heavy, so I got rid of it. The second Kershaw was discontinued and getting hard to find, so instead of risk doing damage to it with no parts around, I retired it. The Endura was too wide and made getting things out of that pocket hard.

I really liked, and still do, the Native. Aside from the BM710, that Native is the only knife that ever goes in my right pocket anymore. I carry it when I think the short, very strong blade will be useful.

Unless I'm out in the woods. I'll never carry anything but a Buck 110 (beautiful old two dot) into the forest... best knife ever.

 

[R.S.R]

Many years ago I was the same as you,carrying a cheap knife.
I was unhappy with the performance,sharpening every 5 minutes.
Some WONDERFUL bloke told me about Spyderco.
After buying the Caly Jnr from them,I was hooked.
Any excuse or a casual whim,(A new steel?Assisted Openers?) I increased my ownership of knives.Spyderco,Fallkniven(My favourite)Kershaw,Benchmade and the majority of the well known makers have been part of my buying habit since that time.
I have at the present time over sixty in my "collection"
I have a continuous rota of my EDC`s depending on the job I am on as a plumber.

 

[motard2]

My father gave me an havvy, recurved, countryman fording knife when i was 6 sayng "take care, dont' cut yourself or anybody else. Since then I always had a blade on me else if we lived, and I still, leave in a big town. Simply I feel naked without. When I was young (more than 45 years ago) I could find any sort of knifes in country markets here in Italy, from the cheapest productions to some with good craftmanship on, mostly tradional knifes and stilettos, some ancient too. And the same travelling throu spain, france, corse, jugoslavia, greece etch. So i start appreciating usefull shapes and hand forged iron. I think I have about 80 ore more knives, but most are not worth to use (traditional regional knifes, or vintage XIX cet gent knifes). Plus there are reals legals problems with carring any knifes on you withouth a giustified need, here in Italy. But I need to perform some easy tasks during my day, may be also splicing an apple, cutting some evelopes and ropes, so I always have a short (2,5 inches) sturdy, possibly lockback on me Benchmade or Spydie). Victorinox and latherman when motorciclyng. Puma hunter's pal or swedish pukko in camping.

 

[mariobab]

I have started with some better knives,but always felt bad to use those,see carring 200$ or handmade knife to woods and being frighten to chip,lose or else,was too much.So for woods now I take Ontario sp1,it is up to my needs,German army current issue and axe or machete.EDC was always Vic Hunter Green in pocket and 5" fix blade in backpack.

 

[Avg_Joe]

I started off as a kid with just an Old Timer or an Uncle Henry. Then I started with Victorinox and I've owned a few of those over the years. Then I went to Leatherman and I've always carried one since. But I later decided that although the Leatherman could cut, I needed a real cutter/SD knife....so I got a Spyderco Chinnock. Then I got a Busse and currently I've got my eye on a Mad Dog, don't know which one yet. So in a word, yes...I (and my wallet) have experienced the same progression.