Top Five Knife Manufacturers

GatorFlash1

GatorFlash1

Joined
May 28, 2012
Messages
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What are your top five knife manufacturers? Who has variety, quality, value, durability, etc?

My list would be.

1. Spyderco
2. Benchmade
3. Protech/Microtech (tie)
4. Kershaw/ZT
5. CRK

What are yours?









 
I'm going to only list production companies, no customs, and only production manufacturers that I own.

Folders:

1. CRK
2. Spyderco
3. Benchmade
4. Zero Tolerance
5. Kershaw

Fixed:

1. Swamp Rat/Scrapyard
2. ESEE
3. Becker
4. Mora
5. I guess that I need to branch out...
 
You may want to narrow your question. Are you talking about production folders, mid tech folders or production fixed or all of the above? Across the board mine would be:
1.,2.,3. Busse & Kin.
4. Kershaw/ZT
5. Lion Steel-DPX
 
1. Benchmade
2. Zero Tolerance
3. Kershaw
4. Great Eastern Cutlery
5. Spyderco
 
I have the most of the top 3, awaiting my very first CRK, so that will probably make it in, and who doesn't like a fine looking traditional every now and then. Plus GEC works with snakewood, my favorite.

#1 Benchmade
#2 Spyderco
#3 ZT (KAI)
#4 CRK
#5 GEC
 
Question is a bit hard to answer since I'm not sure what you are looking for, Favorite? Best? Folders? Fixed?

In the "best" category I feel Cold Steel deserves a mention. Not only do they offer an insanely broad selection of knives in different materials and qualities but they are also the ONLY company that has a flawless record in my collection. Each and every knife came to me with picture perfect fit and finish. Exact blade centering, nice even grinds, zero play, perfect lock up, you name it. Every knife was flawless.

Speaking of flawless, I recieved my first Benchmade this week, the Adamas, and it too is spot on in fit and finish. I can't really judge Benchmade quality with owning just one of their knives but I would imagine they know what they're doing.
 
NetshadeX said:
Question is a bit hard to answer since I'm not sure what you are looking for, Favorite? Best? Folders? Fixed?

In the "best" category I feel Cold Steel deserves a mention. Not only do they offer an insanely broad selection of knives in different materials and qualities but they are also the ONLY company that has a flawless record in my collection. Each and every knife came to me with picture perfect fit and finish. Exact blade centering, nice even grinds, zero play, perfect lock up, you name it. Every knife was flawless.

Speaking of flawless, I recieved my first Benchmade this week, the Adamas, and it too is spot on in fit and finish. I can't really judge Benchmade quality with owning just one of their knives but I would imagine they know what they're doing.
Click to expand...


I'm not asking about knife style, fixed or folder, but about knife companies. They may make everything from key-ring knives to kitchen knives (think Victorinox Swiss Army).
 
I'm glad no one has mentioned Victorinox. Two months ago I sent in a knife for repair, and they still have not responded to my request for an update.
 
I have built up my list, mainly based on my perceptio on the quality over price ratio:
1. Zero Tolerance: high quality materials and design, safe ergonomics even for hard use
2. Spyderco: successfull EDC ergonomics, no non-sens folders
3. Benchmade: innovative shapes and technology, overall high quality of the designs
4. Victorinox: the SAK familly is a mus-have in any backpack :)
5. Opinel: best price for a cutting tool
 
For companies that I've dealt with, especially the Value department it be:

1) Victorinox/Wenger
2) Kershaw
3) Ka-bar
4) Buck
5) Opinel

With the "Value" catorgory it says "bang for your buck" to me and skews the results a bit. Which would knock off the higher end brands if I had ever dealt with them. I hate to say it but when someone asks you what your $500 knife does that their $15 SAK doesn't do it's pretty hard to convince those people the $485 difference was anything close to being remotely worth it. So mine reads like a list of knives you can buy high quality cheap knives for my list.
 
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As of right now (mine always change)

1) CRK
2) Microtech
3) Spyderco
4) Strider
5) Protech
 
In particular order;

- Victorinox
- Great Eastern Cutlery
- Case Cutlery
- Spyderco
- several other (Opinel, Mora etc etc)
 
Kai/Kershaw/ZT
Leatherman
Spyderco
Buck
Benchmade

I thought about being a smart alec and going with Kershaw, Leatherman, Benchmade, Al Mar, CRKT, and Gerber and claiming home-field advantage, but couldn't do it in good conscience.
 
#1/2 (tied) Spyderco & Benchmade
#3 KAI
#4 CRK
#5 Mora

I can't really choose which is my favorite between spyderco and benchmade. I own more spyderco's and like their designs better but the BM's I do own are some of my favorite knives.
 
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