Question for those who have been collecting locking folders for 10+ years

colubrid

colubrid

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Any of you that have been into folding locking knives for more than 10+ years find yourself coming back full circle to a particular brand or model that you disliked and sold off years ago but came back full circle and are your favorite knives now?

I can think of a few ..

Sebenzas.. Some people buy a Sebenza from the hype and then when they get it sell it off after they compare to a cheaper ZT or Benchmade.

Spydercos.. like the classic Military or PM2. You had them early on but now you realize the classic slim lightweight design and HISTORY behind this brand.

Emersons.. those knives you hated because of fit and finish but could not grasp their purpose. Then realize the blade and ergos.

here is a picture of some knives I had probably 10 years ago. All gone now. Everything keeps revolving:

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Well, I tend to keep all of mine... 110s, 112, an Emerson, several Axis locks (bunch of Grippies, 710, Mini-Rukus), Sebbie 21, Para 2... but that's just me:D.
 
With the exception of knives I gift they stay with me thru time. I tend to buy not trade. That being said I find myself EDC ing older knives in my collection more and more often. I appreciate the design offerings of the last 15 yrs but there is a satisfying sense of nostalgia having an older classic in your pocket.
 
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After starting with kershaw whirlwind while a senior in high school, I've advanced to the 940-1 at $260. However, i still appreciate well designed quality knives and i have since re-purchased a whirlwind and leek. I find them to be incredibly useful. My next purchase will probably be the buck vantage with s30v. It has a beautiful shape and a very nice blade grind. I kind of feel like a lot of the entry under $100 range has a lot of knives that are perfect for all around, all-purpose use. I feel when you get much above $150-200, a lot of knives become more specialized designs. The whirlwind and leek hold a very fine edge and slice like crazy. However, when i first bought whirlwind and leek, they were made with 440a steel. The whirlwind was my first quality knife when i was a senior in high school in 2003. I really like my 940 and my valet, but i think i have always more admired the delica and the leek for the simplistic and practical design and quality for the price.
 
I've been into knives for only bout half a decade, but I will say my tastes have changed almost yearly. One thing has been constant and that is I love Spydie holes :P
 
I agree that keeping them is the best policy. The only knives i don't have anymore are ones that were lost, or ones that i gifted to friends. Buying and selling typically results in losses over the long term.
 
Cvrobinson said:
With the exception of knives I gift they stay with me thru time. I tend to buy not trade. That being said I find myself EDC ing older knives in my collection more and more often. I appreciate the design offerings of the last 15 yrs but there is a satisfying nostalgia of an older classic in your pocket.
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What happened with me is I try to buy those older classics today.

Like this early 98 Spyderco Military. The handles were much thinner back then. Making this military much thinner.

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I feel the opposite. My taste and knowledge has evolved quite a bit since 2008.

- I used to like Benchmade back then. The 710 , 707 Sequel and HK 14255 were among my favorites. Alas , all of the models I once cared for have been cancelled. The price of most BM's now I find unreasonable and their designs I find coma-inducing. And their QC is an absolute joke these days imo (off center blade or blade wiggle anyone?).

- I tried a Sebenza back then and found it boring and unimpressive. And though I did pick up some Sebenzas with different patterns on the handle last year in hopes that it would be enough to liven up the knife , I quickly sold all of them once I realized that it's just the same old "boringly perfect" Seb as before. Not for me.

- I once was hesitant to try Spyderco because they looked odd and I was unsure of how I'd like the Spyderco Hole. Now Spyderco is by far my favorite knife brand. Quality , variety and innovation.

- And I used to shy away from liner locks due to a bad experience with a cheap knife I once had. Now two of my absolute favorite knives are liner locks made by a company that knows how to make them right.

- Price-wise , the most I spent on a knife ten years ago was $112 (BM-HK 14255). And I really thought that was a lot. Since then I have spent up to $600 for one knife. And although my usual cap is @ $500 , it has been proven to me (by myself) that I get everything I want in a knife for between $200-$400.
 
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I remember spending what I thought was an ungodly amount of money of my first Spyderco (the Hunter) back in 1984. That knife stayed with me until 1995 when it was confiscated by a cop.

But really my interests started in the 60's with trips to Austria with my parents and buying very slim all Stainless knives which were unavliable here in the US back then. I was attending knife shows in Calif back in the 80s' and already buying custom knives.


Today my interests have expanded into MORE knives in all types for their intended usage. If I go to the beach I take my H1 Spyderco. If I want to back-pocket carry, I like a Spyderco Military. For daily usage around the house -a Sebenza. For self defense an Emerson. For a real fat stout blade to pry stuff (If I wanted to) a Grayman Dua knife. A big knife -a Grayman Satu. A Dress up knife- a small sebenza or a traditional GEC folder. A tinkering knife might be a Benchmade Griptilian. A beater knife -a Rough Rider traditional folder or a Ontario Rat. It all depends on my mood as well.


Thing is I realized that the older I got the more knives I need.. So I am now trying to locate and buy more :). Including the ones I had a long time ago..

Before any of you say that I am obsessed . Then think about what you are doing here reading this~ LOL~
 
I never sold off all of a brand, but I have stopped buying a brand to start years later collecting new models. Emerson is a great example, I collected them in the late 90's thru 2005 and just started again in 2016.
 
Mountain Mike said:
I never sold off all of a brand, but I have stopped buying a brand to start years later collecting new models. Emerson is a great example, I collected them in the late 90's thru 2005 and just started again in 2016.
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Yeah, Emersons are weird. people start off with them and then come back around later and love them. Also with CRK's.

I don't see that much with Hinderers or Striders. But maybe someone else here that can chime in that has gone full circle with them also?
 
I wouldn't say its necessarily brand based for me, but I've definitely come back full circle to lock backs after dabbling in everything else for awhile.
Now, another Ti frame lock kind of makes me want to barf, lol.
 
I've been into knives off and on for about 12 years now and I always seem to gravitate towards Spyderco and Benchmade - that has stayed consistent through all these years.

I'm left handed and those two brands have always treated me the best as far as lefty friendly knives go (Axis Lock for Benchmade and emphasis on backlocks for many Spydercos). Most other brands have offerings that are waaaay too focused on frame locks and liner locks (i'm looking at you Kershaw) - some of which are tolerable for left-hand operation, others of which are almost impossible to disengage the lock for me. I decided awhile back that I was not going to spend any more money on high-end knives with locking systems that aren't fully ambidextrous.
 
No, actually.
I had Emersons (mentioned specifically because they were used as an example) and a few other brands back in the 1990s and early 2000s. Most of them were kept, used, eventually set aside, then finally sold or given away. I haven't bought any knives of those brands in many years.
I think the only brand that I owned back then that I still own is Benchmade...though I did sell off my old & no longer used knives a couple years ago.

I didn't buy CRK way back when, though I have been aware of the brand since the Sebenza sported ATS-34. A friend bought one; so I was spared that expense - it didn't wow me. A couple of years ago, I decided to give them a try (guess I bought into the spiel about not being able to appreciate them without enough experience & knowledge). It was a process; but I ended up with one that I was willing to keep...though there was still no wow factor. I still have it, though I rarely carry it.
I bought my first Spyderco a couple years ago - never tried them before that because I didn't like the way they looked
 
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