Top 5 production marvels of all time

What is so special about the Al Mar Sere (iconic?) I'm ignorant about this knife so someone - if you feel like typing - fill me in? It looks like your basice linerlock folding knife and overpriced at that. :confused:
 
Traditional slipjoint,Vic SAK,Buck 110,Spyderco with thumb hole and pocket clip,and the LM multi tool.Nobody mentioned the traditional slippy and I feel it deserves recognition as the first.
 
cziv said:
What is so special about the Al Mar Sere (iconic?) I'm ignorant about this knife so someone - if you feel like typing - fill me in? It looks like your basice linerlock folding knife and overpriced at that. :confused:
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From what I understand, the SERE was one of the first knives to take fixed blade, fighting knife traits and sensibilities and put them into a folder. I think it was the first folder designed with military use in mind. There may be other qualities which make it stand out, but I will leave it to others to point out what they might be.


GRIM 62 said:
Traditional slipjoint,Vic SAK,Buck 110,Spyderco with thumb hole and pocket clip,and the LM multi tool.Nobody mentioned the traditional slippy and I feel it deserves recognition as the first.
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I agree with you about the slippy, but which company/model deserves the credit for it, I couldn't tell you. I think it might be hard even to find the pattern which exemplifies the slip-joint genre.
 
My list

of course - 1. Buck 110
2. Spyderco Military
3. Classic Sebenza
4 710 Benchmade
5. Swiss army knife
Sebenza has to be on this list, don't disrepect!!!
 
The original Sere was a lockback and larger than the current Sere 2000. I think it was produced in the 80s. Wikipedia says it was the first factory made production knife to sell for over $100.
To me it's just a small blip on the radar, and not deserving of a top 5 spot.
 
Buck 110
SAK, as in multi-tool folding knife(pick one)
Sebenza
Spyderco worker (aaparently 1st with a clip)
case stockman
 
Boozoo Chavis said:
Buck Mayo TNT
Spyderco Delica
Puma Game Warden
Spyderco Dragonfly
Chris Reeve Sebenza
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I have a Puma Deer Hunter from 1980, the smaller version of the Game Warden. They are beautiful knives, but aren't they essentially copies of the Buck 110, very nicely executed? I'm pretty sure the 110 preceded these models from Puma.
 
Siggyhk said:
The original Sere was a lockback and larger than the current Sere 2000. I think it was produced in the 80s. Wikipedia says it was the first factory made production knife to sell for over $100.
To me it's just a small blip on the radar, and not deserving of a top 5 spot.
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Sal finds it to be a bit more important in knifemaking history, since he is making a Sage to honor Mar - https://spyderco.com/forums/showpost.php?p=644249&postcount=41

Plus the SERE was a tactical knife before we had tactical folders
 
IMO(and in no order) the top 5 most innovative knives

1. SAK
2. Buck 110
3. Spyderco C01 Worker
4. Gerber LST (first production plastic handled knife, thank you blackie collins)
5. RIL/WLL
 
Number one has to be the SAK, the global standard pocket knife.

I guess number two and three would be a toss up between the Case Stockman and Buck 110. Both have maintained popularity for a long, long time.

Which puts the Spyderco Worker firmly in #4.

Lots of knives could get #5. I'll go with the Sebenza for introducing the Integral Lock.


Edit: I guess if you focus a little more on "inspiration towards the production of newer knives" the Case would probably get the boot in favor of the Gerber LST or Al Mar SERE.
 
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I'm quite shocked that after 3 pages no one has mentioned Kershaw. Kershaw along with Ken Onion helped introduce Speed Safe assisted opening and the flipper to mass produced knives. Kershaw has also paved the way for Composite Blade Technology. With their introduction of the new Sub-Frame lock Kershaw has led the way for another ingenius innovation.

1. Buck 110
2. Spyderco C01 Worker
3. Kershaw Leek
4. SAK
5. CRK Sebenza

As far as being iconic and innovative, these are my top 5 as they have all brought something new to the table.
 
Tony8179 said:
I'm quite shocked that after 3 pages no one has mentioned Kershaw. Kershaw along with Ken Onion helped introduce Speed Safe assisted opening and the flipper to mass produced knives. Kershaw has also paved the way for Composite Blade Technology. With their introduction of the new Sub-Frame lock Kershaw has led the way for another ingenius innovation.

1. Buck 110
2. Spyderco C01 Worker
3. Kershaw Leek
4. SAK
5. CRK Sebenza

As far as being iconic and innovative, these are my top 5 as they have all brought something new to the table.
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I'm not sure I'd say Kershaw "paved the way" for composite blades. I think actually Michael Walker has to be credited with paving the way in recent times for pocket knives (http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=hVkBAAAAEBAJ), though composite blades in general have been around a long time, with its use in razor blades going back at least to 1935. Kershaw's patent for producing a composite blade (http://www.google.com/patents?id=fVquAAAAEBAJ) comes 18 years after Michael Walker's and is not very much different than his, only differing in the method of producing the blade and not in purpose, philosophy, or result.

You have a good point with AO, though. Was the Leek the first AO knife?
 
CRK Sebenza
Buck 110
Spyderco C01 Worker
SAK
Any Michael Walker (with liner lock)

IMO, these are the knives that made a difference to the folding knife world for a variety of reasons that have mostly been expressed already in this thread.

I don't get why anyone would think that a knife with two plastic handles (FRN) is innovative and a great idea
 
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slipjoint/traditional Buck 301, TL-29 (the original multi-tool)

Modern folders CRK large 21 sebenza, Spyderco para-military with compression lock

fixed blades Busse basic series
 
You're correct about Michael Walker and composite blades. I saw a Michael Walker "Zipper" at the NYCKS two years ago and it was going for $20,000 I believe, quite a difference between that and a $70.00 CB Leek. What I should have said was that Kershaw paved the way for Composite Blade Technology in production knives. The Leek wasn't the first Kershaw with Speedsafe, but it is one of Kershaw's most well known, recognized, and best selling knives. I used it simply because of its popularity and because it offers both the Speed Safe and flipper option.
 
1. SAK (most popular/recognized pocketknife in the world?)
2. Buck 110
3. Spyderco Worker (introduced clip, one handed opening)
4. CRK Sebenza (introduced RIL and set the gold standard in production manufacturing)
 
The first Machine made folder. (Early 19th Century)
The first locking blade. (probably German, possibly Opinel. Again pre-1850)
The first spring loaded blade (certainly prior to 1900)
The first "tool" blade - made for something other than cutting. (Probably Laguiole - punch or corkscrew - pre-1840)
The first clip (Spyderco)

Every knife made today owes it's heritage to one or more of those listed above.
 
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