What is the thing you value most in a knife?

Looks- Needs to have good design sense and proportions
Comfort- If I'm going to be carrying extra unnecessary weight on me and getting extra glances from the cops, I'd at least like it feel good in the pocket, feel good opening it, and feel good using it.
Clip- The more knives I've owned and sold the more I realize that a well designed pocket clip can make or break a knife. Last thing I want is a pocket shredder (looking at you cold steel..) or one with no retention whatsoever (looking at you ti-lock).

But I guess at the end of the day it still boils down to smiles per dollar.
 
I have found many knives that intrigue me but, most of the time they will offer great blade geometry and the handle will suck. Or, just the opposite, the handle will be amazing and they will put an over the top, useless, fantasy blade on the end of it.

Give me simple blades and neutral handle ergonomics. Emerson almost has it correct with his CQC 7.
 
Depends on what I am using the knife for but as with many others I must agree the handle has to be suitable to the task I want to use the knife for.

I will carry a knife with crappy steel as long as it has a good comfortable handle. (In most knives I prefer a straighter handle)

On the other hand I will not often carry a knife with a crappy handle but a good steel.

The handle also contributes to knife weight and how it feels in my pocket, which recently I pay alot of attention to.
 
What do I value most in a knife? (1) Functionality in my world; The knife can't be too large or I won't carry it, and if it is too small, I'll probably leave it home most days in favor of a middle size folder.
(2) The knife has to function reliably.
(3) Provide some personal satisfaction when using it beyond it's cutting ability.
(4) I must be able to put a good sharp edge on the knife. If I struggle (such as with the BK-24), I will likely never use it.
(5) The knife needs to feel relatively good in my hand and comfortable to use.
(6) If it's a fixed blade, it needs to be provided with a good functional belt sheath.
 
How it feels to use it, which includes the opening and closing operations of said knife. Next would be build quality, followed closely by aesthetics. Mind you, I'd be very unlikely to buy a knife that I didn't like the looks of aesthetically. The two exceptions are the Spyderco PM2 (I think Spydercos are 'orrible looking!) and the Ontario RAT-1. Both those knives are too good not to own as a collector.
 
Almost impossible to pick only one.

Cutting ability. Must look at least ok. Just the right size. Reliable, durable. Acceptable materials. Sort of like a girl friend.
 
I thought Spyderco knives were ugly too which is why I never purchased one until joining BF. The first Spydie was a Native from Walmart. Liked it after playing with it a bit.... things changed after that and Spyderco became one of my preferred brands.
 
I probably value the grip/handling of a knife more than most other aspects. This includes ergonomics of the handle itself, how the clip feels when gripping the handle, and how evenly I can apply pressure when cutting (ie. no hotspots, etc.).

Certainly the color matters also. If it's not purple, it has to have very high marks in other areas to even be considered. :P
 
Hand feel, I've said Edge retention for a long time, but I like my pinkie on my handle a little too much, so much so that I eliminated so many knives from even reaching my pocket lol. Please help, I really like the mini grip, but I probably won't own one because of the lack of pinkie when holding it
 
While it does all have to come together, handle ergonomics rule the day for me.

Out of the box, my Fiddleback Forge Sneaky Pete takes top honors in that department. It’s so comfortable I actually miss it when it’s not in hand.
 
It’s been said so many times already but the handle ergos and bled steel are most important to me. It can look pretty and be a collectors piece but if it doesn’t feel right in the hand it will never be a user.
 
1.Thin blade stock and good blade geometry. Knives need to slice well and have a blade shape that is actually useful for what I’ll use it for..

2. Comfortable handle. A handle that has just enough texture not to be slick and allows for various gripping positions.

Those are the first two things I look at. If a knife can not check off those two boxes there's no point in looking further at it.
 
Value for money. I don’t mind paying good money for a knife, but don’t expect me to pay $300 for a lesser steel, subpar QC and cheap scales.
 
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