That traditional knife you purchased, but only really grew on your afterwards...

[Humppa]

Good thread - for me it was the Peanut.

I bought one - Case Peanut - and I didn´t like it in anyway. I thought "that tiny thing is not a knife, looks like a toy". I bought it because of Carl´s threads about that pattern. It went into my drawer. Some months later I took it out there and carried it for some weeks and loved it. It went into the pocket, didn´t realise it until I would need it. It became a real EDC for some months and I still carry it frequently - a small knife with a great blade length and a scalpel like blade shape that can do every single task I put it onto it.

I really love it!

Next pattern was the simple Opinel. It always looked cheap in my eyes and I thought a linerless knife can´t get into any serious working task. I bought a #6 stainless steel and realised that this kind of knife is great in any way. Locking blade and great for several mods... and it doesn´t scare anyone who is next to you.
I have these Opinels around anywhere ... car, house, work shop, desk (at work), jacket pockets... great value for money!

 

[scattershot]

This old Schrade for me. I bought it off the Bay on a whim, just because I didn't have one, and it's been in my pocket ever since.

 

[bdev]

"That traditional knife you purchased, but only really grew on your afterwards... "

Never happened to me. In fact, just the opposite. I will usually buy a knife, receive it, and say "what was I thinking?".

Just happened to me with an A.G. Russell Sowbelly Wharncliffe. Very nice knife but too big for EDC (for me at least). I knew it was 4 1/4" but still pulled the trigger and bought it. Why? It looked great in the pictures!

 

[Charlie_K]

The Victorinox Spartan. I mainly bought it just to have one to start out my SAK assortment, never really saw much use in it due to the corkscrew being included. But then I read up on its history and how it's regarded as a direct descendant of the soldier/officer's knife that started it all. After that I had much more respect for it than previously.

 

[deskil]

There have been several, but this one is the most recent and most profound surprize (and I know how to spell surprise).

Bought it to fill a couple of holes in the lineup ( I have few whittlers and several black box Winchesters). The blades are elegantly shaped, nicely ground, expertly sharpened, and they all cut much better than expected (especially wood). First split backspring whittler. The pulls on the pen and spey blades are at 4 and the main clip, a 6. Sweet walk and talk on all. No wobble anywhere. Backsprings flush opened and closed. LNIB. Decided that it's a user, buffed off the blade etch and started cutting stuff up.
I would've paid twice what I paid (and would've been happy about it), if I'd have known all of this beforehand. Maybe the best deal on a knife I've ever made.