the big compromise

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tpa

Joined
Mar 12, 2010
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what makes you select one knife above another and whats important in the selection of a knife? is it the handle,the steel,the finish,the shape,the size or the feeling you get when you hold it in your hand,the quality feeling.is it an allrounder knife. if you can`t have them all in one knife, what is more important then the other?
 
The question is whether you need a knife for a certain purpose or do just want to add another one to your collection? Sometimes I take into account all the things you said but at times I completely ignore all of them (maybe not the feeling when I hold in my hand) when I buy a knife...and it feels good! :D
 
but whats make you really want a knife? what is making it to a must have knife?
 
Does it suit my purpose? Is the build quality good? How are the ergos? Cutting performance? Materials? Price? Am I getting to "broaden my horizons", so to speak?
 
What makes me like a knife most depends on how I'm going to use it. No matter what, it has to feel nice in my hand, because if it's uncomfortable it's not nice to use at all. If it's a camping blade, it has to have a good geometry and a tough thickness and handle material. If it's an EDC blade, I'm more concerned about size and lockup if it's a folder, as well as weight.
 
How easy it it to access, open and close. Does the blade shape lend itself to what I need it to do and will it hold an edge for the duration of tasks. I also like to be able to touch it up in the time that I spend cruising Blade forums, about 5 minutes a pop.
 
the appearance along with materials is 1st priority. use factor is considered but with over 90 knives all i can say is i buy them if i like them.
 
Aesthetics, primarily. "Life is too short for an ugly knife."

Price, secondly. I'm no cheapskate, but I have enough knives that I can easily pass up on one that's not priced competitively.

Steel. I'm no steel snob, but I expect the blade material to be matched accordingly to the price.

Specialty collecting. I specifically collect Bruckmann and USA-made Old Timer knives, and have a strong interest in knives with unique or unusual locking and opening mechanisms. Any knife in these categories gets a second and third look.
 
Looks catch my eye, then I check for material, then I make myself believe I need it for a singular task and snatch it up!
 
Looks good, feels good in the hand, balance. But it also depends on what it will be used for. Its a very hard question for a singular answer..so many variables. But ultimately, if you flipping through a catalog or web page what gets you to stop on a certain page..a certain knife..its looks something that catches your eye, even before you know what steel its made out of, or what material they used for the handle..its looks.
 
I don't find one thing has to be more important than everything else. The whole knife has to work as a single unit for me. Once I pick one up , either I like it right away , or I don't.

Everything must be of reasonable quality though . Some knives feel great in hand , yet are total junk. And vice-versa , some expensive quality made knives feel terrible in my hands.
 
proper edge geometry + edge holding are a MUST. it is a knife afterall. thick at the edge is ok if the grind is good.

if it folds, the lock has to be really solid.

the handle cant cause me pain, and it cant have design features that make me bite myself.
 
I do not force any purchase. If I bought a knife, and I knew that money was needed for something else, I would rethink my addiction. I have no need for any more knives, just wants. I want to keep it there where it is fun, and not a problem..... I walk that line. :-)
 
tpa said:
what makes you select one knife above another and whats important in the selection of a knife? is it the handle,the steel,the finish,the shape,the size or the feeling you get when you hold it in your hand,the quality feeling.is it an allrounder knife. if you can`t have them all in one knife, what is more important then the other?
Click to expand...


I have a few shapes I'd like my knifes to follow, the closer they are to them, the more I like 'em. Thats for looks and comfort.

Warranty and quality if what determine if I buy the knife or not.

And there are compromises in steel, but there are knife manufacturers that don't compromise on anything.
Such knives have been the Bussy for me. Others like CR or Strider, Hinderer, Burchtree, there are many out there. For each person there is something out there.
 
I prefer knives with a sort of Zen design to them, simple and elegant for the task, something like this-

A-100.jpg
 
tpa said:
but whats make you really want a knife? what is making it to a must have knife?
Click to expand...

Aesthetics for me above all, which means the knife needs to be symmetrical. Because of this, I don't own any framelocks and won't unless they have scales on the side of the framelock bar...like Kirby Lambert does as an example. I don't use my knives that hard to necessitate the locking strength of a framelock. At the same time, I do like the peace of mind afforded by thick linerlock bars. The current linerlock I use has a linerlock thickness of .095 in titanium. Of course, one can't mention aesthetics without mentioning fit and finish.

Second is blade shape. I don't like blade shapes that have weak tips (really pointy like dagger blades), but at the same time I'm also not a fan of American style tantos. I'm a clip point, drop point, and bowie guy. I've tried convincing myself that I want to get a Manix 2, for example, but I can't get over the blade shape. I like more cutting edge, which is why I like recurves.
 
Aesthetics do affect what I buy, I don't want an ugly knife. But ergonomics and a quality product are more important to me. I prefer to buy products by reputable companies that stand behind what they make.

I am always looking for the next best "thing" (knife), that's the fun of having knives for a hobby. I buy what I want, when I want (when the budget allows).
 
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