The knife that suprised you!

C

cree611

Joined
Nov 17, 2002
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39
Did you ever put off buying a certain knife for one reason or another, or have low expectations about a knife, but when you finally got it you were totally suprised? Lets hear about it.
 
By "suprised" I mean that the knife was way above the quality you thought it was. Recently I saw a Schrade Kious. I must say...This did not look like any Schrade that I had ever seen. The quality is excellent. On the lower end side...The Gerber mini covert. This little covert opens better than many high end tactical folders, locks up great, and has a pocket clip that sets the knife completely below the pocket level. Outstanding quality for a $30 knife!
 
I bought an Al Mare SERE. I expected a good knife. What I got far exceeded my expectations. Fit, finish, steel, and feel were all excellent.
 
Sebenza... I have read ALOT of posts regarding the Sebenza, the good, the some that are unhappy, the recent ones where blade chipping has become an issue. I bought mine with the forum comments and the opinions of my dealer in mind. It arrived and slipped into my pocket and is a constant companion. I'm extremely pleased !! And yes,I still carry my SAK and my PCKS along with the Sebby.
guy
 
The Spyderco Navigator I recently purchased surprised me. I was looking for a small knife for those places a large folder is not allowed. Well the Navigator looked better in person than the pictures. The fit and finish was excellent! The most unexpected thing was how well it cut! It cuts like a much larger knife! I have been pleasantly surprised with this knife.
 
I had this long story typed out and when I went to spell check it I somehow lost it. So the hell with it. The Al Mar Shrike really suprised me for the better. :)
 
The Spyderco Endura
I use to think that Spyderco is ugly as sin (some still do) and was very skeptical whether they're up to the quality that so many here have praised.
I was definately proven wrong and have been surprised how well this performs.
 
My Douk Douk. It's my favorite knife, it cost me twenty bucks and I could've done better, I bought it just for kicks and fully expected it to be lousy, and it works very, very well.
 
Buck-Strider SB1. My first higher-quality knife, it still makes me drool when I touch it.

BM 806D2 AFCK. When it got here, my first response was, "Crap! I spent $130 on this!" I just hadn't started to appreciate the fine tolerances and excellent design yet. What suprised me about this knife is that I've grown to love it so much, although I hated it when I first opened the package.

Greco Dangler. I got to meet John Greco at the Chesapeake show, and I bought one of these. I never would have even thought of getting one, based on the looks alone. After handling some of his fixed blades, I really liked the smaller ones, they fit my hand very well and just have an inexplicable good aura around them. The bead-blast finish of the Dangler (as opposed to stonewash of most of his knives) is damn sexy. Dark grey, slightly shiny, slightly rough to the touch. Yeah, I'm gonna fondle this one to death. :)
 
I bought it because I bought the R1 Military Classic and wanted a Kydex sheath for it. So, I figured at just over 50 dollars from a discounter, the ODA was worth it. When I got it, I noticed that although the ODA and R1 was almost identical in shape, it was not enough so that the sheaths were interchangeable. The ODA was amazingly sharp out of the box, and although I never did like Kraton or Rubber handles, nor the 420 stainless steel, I was very pleasantly suprised at the potential in which the steel will take an edge. I'm going to abuse it a little and see what we end up with.
 
Oddly enough, my experience with this came today. My Sebenza was recently sent in for a facelift, a custom graphic. I'd been putting off buying an LCC, but picked up a double action today and was greatly impressed by the concealed bolster release, as well as the fit and finish. I have an L-UDT, and have had SOCOM's, but they where always drawer queens, as I'd never dare cary the auto's. The concealed release gives me more confidence, and I've decided to use it for EDC, at least untill my Sebenza comes back. The more I handle it, the more I like it. It may permanently become my backup EDC.
 
I got a Spyderco Ladybug to attach it on the keyring. I was surprised to see what cutting power lies beyond such a small knife!
My page
 
I agree with Caylth. I use to hate spyderco for its looks. I hated the huge ramp that all their knives semed to have. To me, their knives all looked the same.

My most suprising knife therefore was the spyderco wayne Goddard, my first spyderco. I used and abused it, yet it was the sharpest knife I had for the longest time. Despite my best efforts, there was a major burr on it which I could not take out. I had to send it in for some sharpening by the ppl at spyderco.Sadly the good ppl at spyderoc said the knife had to be put down. They sent me a replacement for that knife. Although it is the same knife, it is not the same.

Anyone have a tissue?? I think I am getting misty eyed....
 
I used to think that the AFCK was ugly, too big, non-ergonomic and just plain useless for me.

Then I bought one 'cos I got a great deal on it and it quickly became my most used and favourite knife. Everything about the design and construction just worked for me everytime I used it. Even the way it rode in my pocket was a pleasant suprise.
 
The one knife that really surprised me was the Al Mar SERE 2000. I had thought of getting this knife much earlier, but kept putting it off. Once I got one, I was surprised at the quality and the feel of this knife. For me, it is one of the best factory tactical folders to have been released so far.
 
My biggest surprise came from an impulse purchase. I went to a hunting store that opened up down the road, and figured I’d give them some knife business. I was bit new to the world of performance knives, so I didn’t know what to look for. After perusing their selection a bit, I asked to look at the Marbles Fieldcraft. The guy behind the counter said, “Be careful with this one. It’s deceptively sharp. Three other people have cut themselves on it, and decided it was too sharp. They wouldn’t buy it.” A knife that was too sharp? That’s the knife for me!!!!! The Fieldcraft was the beginning of my obsession with convex grinds. I’ve used it for everything but the kitchen sink, and it’s never let me down. This is my “go to” knife for the outdoors.

And yes, the man behind the counter was correct. Convex grinds are deceptively sharp.
 
Amen on the convex grind Buzzbait. I got interested in them from your writings, and was very surprised at the sharpness of a Marbles Plainsman. And I do find them easier to sharpen by hand, again thanks to your postings and those of other convex grind guys's.

I'm also getting into the Nordic knives and their sharpness and ease of sharpening.
 
EKI SOCFK, had heard a lot of good, but when i got it, wow, one of my 3 favs, along w/a MT SOCOM elite and a crawford perfigo, not bad co. imho.

greg

PS oh, and also love my CQC8, it also lived up to expectations.
 
Spyderco Native. I can't remember what I paid, although I know it wasn't full retail. Great bang for the buck! I was looking for a smaller folder for my front pocket, and the Native is perfect in that role, but I wouldn't feel I only had a "too small" knife, if I wasn't carrying a larger folder as well. geegee
 
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