The classics

Oh, this is a fun thread idea!

Here's my opinion on must-haves for a well-rounded collection. (realizing that not everyone cares about being well-rounded)

Multi-tools and SAKs:
  • Victorinox Classic, Rambler, or Manager for a pocket multi-tool. This compliments our usual tactical folders SO well and when we're going light in the summer, it just tags along on the keys.
  • Victorinox Tinker, Small Tinker, Super Tinker, Spartan, Climber or Explorer. Whichever model floats your boat for a "proper" SAK. Before I was infected with Knife-itis, I happily got by with just a Tinker. (lack of edge retention pushed me to get a Spyderco, which opened the floodgates)
  • Gerber Center Drive: A US-made, plier-based MT. One-handed blade and a centered 1/4" hex bit driver are out-side accessible. The bit driver can be deployed one-handed with some practice. The plier is also deployed with one hand, and is sprung.
  • Victorinox Spirit X: This is a smaller plier-based MT. More tools, more elegant and a nicer fit & finish than the above Gerber, but nothing is one-handed.
  • Victorinox Workchamp: Great tool set, large, locking blade. A toolbox that will fit in any drawer.
  • Victorinox Trekker: The ultimate outdoor knife. When spending the day in the wild, pair this with the fixed blade and leave the Classic home. It gets you a serrated knife to compliment the plain edged fixed blade as well as a capable little saw. The large locking screwdriver is a nice little pry bar and of course the can opener is worth its weight in gold for camping, hiking or backpacking.

Put a plier-based multi-tool in every car's glove box and every bike's tool kit. Probably go with the Center Drive for this duty with whatever bits make sense for each vehicle or bike.

I also like a Vic Classic in the center console of my car, for the toothpick and easy access to a little blade & scissors while buckled in.

One-handed folders:
  • Cold Steel Mini Tuff Lite: This is a great little folding utility knife, and only $25 or so.
  • Spyderco Lock Back w/super steel. My choice would be the Leaf Jumper in K390. This gets you a great steel in a great folder that's ergonomic for all hand sizes and will hold an edge like nothing else. Even though they're more expensive than they should be, they're still a good value, compared to a lot of the boutique folders.
  • Benchmade Bugout. This adds a bar lock action and a really EDC-friendly one-hander with a solid (but not too exotic) blade steel.
  • Kershaw Leek. Here, we get a sprung blade akin to an auto but at 1/3 the price with a nice point and they're US-made and available in MagnaCut. A pretty good deal at $125, I think.

    Fixed blades:
  • Mora Companion in stainless: your basic outdoor fixed blade. It's really hard to beat this knife, esp. for the money.
  • Ka-bar/Becker BK9: A big chopper. I'm new to big choppers, but this one is popular and a good value.
  • Machete. I'm not really knowledgeable enough about them to make a good recommendation, but I'd probably go for a simple Fiskars.

Kitchen:
  • 10" chef's knife. Mine's a Victorinox.
  • Cutco bread knife; these are hard to beat.
  • Fiskars Titanium-nitride shears from Home Depot. Buy one for the tool box too; these are outstanding. They're sprung too, which makes them even nicer to use.
  • Victorinox serrated round-tipped steak knives. These double as all-around utility knives that the spouse won't blunt by cutting against plates. Get enough of these for the family and to have some in the dishwasher.
  • Nice long slicer for briskets, hams, turkeys and pork shoulders. Alternately, an electric knife. An electric knife is less classy, but equally as fun in its own way. The sound of the electric knife is one from my youth that accurately predicted it was time to eat an overcooked roast beef or turkey with my grandparents. :) I treasure that memory.
  • Serrated, skeletonized cheese knife with a fork tip. It's one of those purpose-built knives that you won't want to go without, once you try it.
  • A push-type cheese knife, for the harder cheeses.
  • 6" chef's knife. This is for the spouse, who doesn't like my big 10" one and ends up being the sacrificial one with the less-than-optimal edge.
  • 4" paring knife. If I had to, I could get by with just this and the 10" chef's knife.

Other
  • Fiskars small hatchet. Maybe the best $30 I've ever spent for a camp blade or even preparing deadfall for the backyard fire pit.
  • Folding saw. Bahco, Silky, Fiskars; take your choice. I had a cheap Coleman one for years that worked fine too. They're awesome and just as handy as a hatchet.
  • Council Tool Flying Fox Woodsman. A small chopping axe in the 19-22" range. This is for when you want a bit more than the hatchet, but can strap it to the backpack. In a SHTF situation, this would replace the hatchet; I think. Would double as a nice weapon, if needed, and one that doesn't need ammo. I'm new to smaller axes, but this one is highly regarded over in the axe subforum here and is a good value.
  • Bahco bow saw. This is a good one to keep around the house, if you have any trees on your lot. Replaces the folding saw at home.
 
mitchnola said:
What are the classics that every collection should have? I need to know if I’m missing any for my spending spree next year 😄!

Since I’m sure there are many let’s break it down into modern, traditional and fixed classics. If I’m missing a category feel free to ad it!

The ones I came up with for modern are:
Click to expand...

I like your definition. Not necessarily the best, but either common, long lived or iconic sort of follows.

Your first list was great.:

  • BenchMade Griptilian or Osbourne
  • Spyderco PM2, and delica family (I like the DragonFly as a representative)
  • Buck 110 and 119
  • CRK Sebenza (while not common, it's been so long lived at the high end that it can't be ignored)
  • Cold Steel (maybe that original Tanto)
  • One cheap gas station lockback to make us appreciate the others.
And then the ones that I think were missed:

  • victornox SAK classic and any of the common knives, Tinker, Huntsman,m Hiker camper, ...
  • US made traditional patterns (having all at the same time is a bit of a collection in its own, but everyone should try the following and choose their favorites.):
    • Camp knife
    • BSA scout knife (yes it's just a camp kinfe, but it's really a class unto itself)
    • Stockman
    • Congress
    • Jack
    • Barlow
    • Splitback Whittler
    • Trapper
    • CopperHead
    • TL-29
    • Canoe Knife
    • Muskrat trapper
    • Classic 2-blade pen knife (or half congress)

I Started with an Osborne 940, thinking buying what I thought was an expensive classic would satisfy me as one knife. I was so wrong.
 
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This could turn into quite the rabbit hole. For classic knives that a collection should have, probably:

Buck 110
Buck 119
Ka-Bar Military Utility (whichever service branch is most appropriate for you, like the Space Bar...)
Schrade Old Timer Gunstock Trapper (made in US)
Grohmann No.1
Opinel No.8 or whichever one you like
Morakniv Classic No.1-3
Swiss Army Knife

Then on the basis of design, probably a puukko, Kephart, Barlow, Nessmuk, and one or more of any number of pocket knife designs (congress, canoe, stockman, etc.).

52360304013_b289fa52aa_b.jpg
 
Benchmade Rukus 610
Spyderco Military C36GTIP (Ti frame lock in M4)
Sebenza BG42
ZT 0550
Benchmade Griptillian G10
Benchmade 630 Skirmish
WE Eschaton (Elijah Isham's greatest design)
Rockstead Shin
Shirogorov 111
Original Spyderco Manix 95 mm backlock
ZT 0200
Cold Steel Rajah 1 (CS62K), the custom-like version
 
To me classics are these that are quite old, and still poular/relevant. Classics speak of another era, but are still known and used. Just like movies, books, and songs. So, with analogy with history, anything newer than 30 years design is not classic. Here is my perception:

In general, slipjoints are classic, modern traditionals with screws, micarta, and new steel are not.
Lockbacks with weigth 7.2oz are classics, those lighter and with clips are not.
Fixed blades are classics when no micarta, no screws, no good edge retention (sharpening shouldn't be a big deal), and handles are from natural materials.
 
vinprom said:
To me classics are these that are quite old, and still poular/relevant. Classics speak of another era, but are still known and used. Just like movies, books, and songs. So, with analogy with history, anything newer than 30 years design is not classic. Here is my perception:

In general, slipjoints are classic, modern traditionals with screws, micarta, and new steel are not.
Lockbacks with weigth 7.2oz are classics, those lighter and with clips are not.
Fixed blades are classics when no micarta, no screws, no good edge retention (sharpening shouldn't be a big deal), and handles are from natural materials.
Click to expand...
I generally agree but I do think there are modern classics. I think the ones that had impactful innovations can be considered classics, or knives that reached a certain level of popularity that the large majority would agree that they’re a great knife can be considered a classic.

There has been a lot of knives listed that I wouldn’t consider a classic but rather are just favorites but at the same time I’m not qualified to be the atbiterof what is and isn’t a classic.

But when it comes to modern knives, I would disagree and think there certainly are classics in the modern era. Especially considering we’re 30+ years into the modern era. For example the first knife with a clip, the first tactical design, the first frame lock, etc are modern classics. Imo

I do think there could be an official list of classics but I’m not the person to establish that list or am I the person to say something isn’t a classic.
 
It's a fun thread.

I am primarily a collector. I have about 20 users, fixed and folding in daily rotation for the required use of that day and that seldom changes. I don't really consider these knives part of my collection, they are essentially tools to me.

If you like fixed blades and you particularly enjoy the history of the knife in the past 100 years then every collection should have a Randall. Here are a few of mine............:)



 
mitchnola said:
What are the classics that every collection should have? I need to know if I’m missing any for my spending spree next year 😄!

Since I’m sure there are many let’s break it down into modern, traditional and fixed classics. If I’m missing a category feel free to ad it!

The ones I came up with for modern are:

Bm griptillians/Osborne
Spyderco pm2/delica/endura
Emerson specwar/cqc7
Crk sebenza 21
Hinderer xm18
Strider sng

No doubt I’m missing a bunch, hence the thread.
Click to expand...
IMHO, if a collections is to have traditional representation, it needs a few different patterns, such as folding hunter (Buck 110), Barlow, Trapper, Stockman, Canoe, Toothpick, Opinel, Lagouile and Douk-Douk. Higonokami. As for fixed knives. Buck 119 has been mentioned, as well as ka-bar usmc. Also, is a knife collection truly complete without a Bowie? Additionally there is Mora’s, Puukko’s, what have you. Victorinox goes without saying, perhaps a Spartan?

And that knife Billy had in Predator!

When the foundation is laid, CRK et al may follow 😀
 
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