Top 5 Knife Companies

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AlphaDog86

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Mar 30, 2015
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What are your top 5 favorite knife companies? Here’s mine:

Chris Reeve (QC, fit & finish)
Microtech (I collect Socom Elites:D)
Spyderco (Highly functional)
Emerson (Love the designs)
Kershaw/ZT (Best value)

Honorable mention:
Reate (High Quality)
 
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In no particular order;

Ontario: value priced US made choppers and skinners, even some folders outsourced within US or to Italy and Taiwan.
Spyderco: best folders period, especially made in US
Kabar BK&T: some of the best designed and functional fixed blades
Busse: sort of the Grail for fixed blades, if you’ve got the time or the money to spend.
ZT/kershaw; for getting me into folders in the first place.
 
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I assume you mean favorite makers, rather than most relevant from a global standpoint. With that...

1. Kizer. They give me a way to get Ray Laconico designs in my pocket. I have no interest in most of what they make, but the Gemini, Ursa Minor, Lancer 2, upcoming Yorkie, and Intrepid are definitely my style. They deliver the clean designs I love, at incredible prices.

2. ZT, because I love the 0562 as much as I did when those launched.

3+... fluid.

Hmmmm... Reate is really interesting to me right now. The only knives they make right now that I’d buy are the Liong Mah Erasers. Most of what they do is too busy for me, and the blades are consistently thick. I’d be all over the Wave if it had a .12” thick blade, but... not as it is. What intrigues me about them is the way they’re giving designers a way to push out their work at an extremely high level of F&F. The Liong Mah and Brian Nadeau stuff are great examples.
 
Based on the number of knives I own from each company:
1.CRK
2. ZT/ KERSHAW
3. Strider
4. Spyderco
5. GEC
 
The knives I appreciate the most out of those I own:

BattleHorse
ScrapYard
Fiddleback
Buck
SAK
 
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Strider - Great designs and I own most of the folders they make
Hinderer - I usually keep an XM-18 3.5 close by
Spyderco - Where I go to get my fix for crazy designs and exotic steels
Rockstead - The highest quality production company on the market
Koenig - These guys are US-based and putting out some amazing knives right now
 
For me based on utility that fits my life style and a design that appeals to me:

1. Benchmade - alleged QC issues aside
2. CRK - basic excellence
3. ZT - lot of value for the money
4. Spyderco- well made quality
5. Lionsteel- the Italian made stuff
 
Also based on ownership:
1. Hinderer
2. Kershaw
3. Zero Tolerance
4. Spyderco
5. Microtech

Interestingly, I’ve sold every Benchmade other than the Shinola. A year or so ago they would have easily made the list.
 
I know this list is kind of "vanilla" but this is what I own, use, and carry every day. Except for a new favorite, Grohmann, most of these companie's knives have been in my pocket or on my belt for decades and have never let me down.

1. Buck - Canoe, 110, 119, Old BuckMaster
2. Cold Steel - Stockman, Grik, SRK, Recon Scout, Trailmaster, Canadian Belt, Master Hunter, Gurkha Kukri
3. Grohmann - Yachsman
4. KA-BAR / Becker - USMC Ka-Bar, BK2, Warthog Folder
5. Case - Vintage Copperlock
 
1) Buck
2) Ontario
3) Rough Rider
4) Marbles/Marbles Outdoors
5) Mora

Honorable Mentions:
Vintage/Antiques like Ulster, Robeson, Schrade Walden, Schrade, Old Timer, Uncle Henry, Imperial, Hammer Brand, Camillus, pretty much any made in Sheffield, England and Solgien, Germany ...
 
Chris Reeve
Cold Steel OR ZT
Spyderco
Hinderer
KA-BAR - Becker - EK Knives

Special mention:
Loveless
 
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based solely on what I own and use

Spyderco
Buck
Kizer
Kershaw
schrade/old timer (older models)
 
In order:

1) WE Knives (and the knives they produce, like boos blades, massdrop/ferrum forge designed knives)
2) Spyderco
3) CRK
4) Reate (would be second on the list, but too many big bulky designs that are thick behind the edge)
5) Zero Tolerance

Those are pretty much the only brands I buy anyway, too many issues with kizer, benchmade, and the likes, and I'm not a fan of budget oriented brands.
 
Buck
Hindered
Tops
Becker
Spyderco

I wont entertain overseas knives. Just my thing. There are plenty of knives made here including the unlimited amount of Buck customs. I only need one knife. I have no idea which one that would be but the Buck thug is at the top of my list for outdoor fixed blades.
 
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I guess - not including custom makers of course.
1 - Spyderco
2 - CPK
3- Benchmade
4 - Ferrum Forge
5 - S!K

Honorable mention - CRK
 
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