What knife brands have you changed your mind on?

Victorinox. I never used to think much of them. But then I started learning that they were far above the cheap chinese knockoffs that some of us have had experience with.
 
All of them haha. Before I really got into knives and found this forum, I was just a benchmade guy. I was uninformed and close minded. I still love benchmades but there are so many brands I've grown to prefer.
 
Lost interest in Benchmade a long time ago. It's a pity as they were the brand that got me into this hobby.

I have extreme interest in Emersons, I used to bad mouth them left and right until I bought my first one and it all changed after that.
 
My biggest disappointment was with SOG as I used to really like their products. Now with many made in China (Fusion line) and using steel that I consider so-so for the price point, I have weined myself almost entirely away from their products. I still like a few of their knives, but I have none on my "to buy" list and haven't had one on that list in a couple years. The Sogzilla line did it for me.

Have been slowly changing my view of CRKT and understand "what they are" now a lot more than 10 years ago.

More than anything, my attitude changes have been the result of education, experience, and some trial and error buying.

Kabar Becker.... 10 years ago I wouldn't have considered buying a painted blade regardless of the name. They make some good knives at their price point. Add 30% to the cost and I would probably not buy any.

Great Eastern Cutlery... I went from viewing them as boutique knives to considering them to be one of the best factory made slip joints available these days.
 
Microtech, read how well made they were, etc, etc, didn't care. I didn't like the look of them, especially the Socom Delta. I saw a Socom Delta with carbon fiber handles at a blade show, picked it up, opened it a few times. A few minutes later I traded my El Patron 3.25 tanto and some cash for it. I am very happy.
 
BladeScout said:
Mantis. I used to despise them, now I loathe them.
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Hahahah. I got a few of those, started branching out to other companies as I had always planned, and then I realized what a quality knife was.

As with others here, I thought Spydercos looked a little funky, but I never went so far as to dislike them. Just figured most of them weren't for me, but that definitely changed with ownership.
 
This actually shows how damaging counterfeit goods are to a company. I never bought Spyderco knives because I had some fake Chinese Spyderco knives and I didn't think they were worth a shot. I always thought Benchmades were the best. Then I got my first Spyderco, and I have a whole bunch now. Btw, I still like Benchmade ever so slightly better.
 
Like a lot of other folks I thought the cheap looking FRN handles and odd blade shapes of the Spyderco's were just a passing thing. Gave in and bought a dragonfly in the mid-nineties and found out real quick they were all about function and quality. They have been my favorite knife company since that first FRN Dragonfly.
 
I have a few.

Kershaw: I used to love their knives, bought a lot of them. I was sharpening them a lot, then I bought a Buck Vantage Select with what was supposed to be a worse blade steel, and started to learn how important heat treat is for a blade. Bucks heat treat is phenomenal. Kershaw has a lot of nice designs but I'm just not that into sharpening. I don't necessarily hate Kershaw, but I haven't carried one in long enough I can't even remember. At least a year.

Buck: I love their heat treat. I hate their quality control and fit and finish. If I could get a Kershaw knife with a Bos heat treated Buck blade, it would be a great world.

Spyderco: Hated the ugly spyderhole and the way it ruined the lines of so many of their knives. Bought a dragonfly 2 salt and that just opened up the rabbit hole. Now I want a Native 5, no a Caly, no try the UKPK, what about a Manix... Domino maybe? yeah.

Rick Hinderer: I used to want an xm-18 soooo bad. It was my grail for quite a while. As I bought more knives, used them, even made a few, my tastes changed. Nothing wrong with his knives, just not my thing anymore. I think his collaborations with Kai may have cheapened his brand image with me a little as well.

Benchmade: I always thought some of their models would be OK if they were just a little less expensive. So much for that.
 
Emerson would be my big change. I couldn't bring myself to buy one because of all the negative reviews on here. Now I own 2 and think they well worth the moneywell built and have fine build quality. They are defiantly on my radar.
 
Well, this is a two-way street:

(1) used to like, and now dislike: Gerber, Cold Steel, SOG, Leatherman

(2) used to dislike, and now like: Mora, KA-BAR, Victorinox, and anything traditional
 
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for me:
Spyderco: they're like my aunt tilly... ugly as sin, but are just sooo sweet, you find them more beautiful the longer they are around. I have 4 and have used them for everything and I LOVE em!

SOG: one of my favorite brands growing up (that cool Turkish clip and the mystique I guess) ...and who could forget "navy seal approved" ...caveat; I still love the old ones, but their new stuff all looks like it was designed by a blind kid who doesn't use knives.

Kershaw: gotta admit, much like jock itch, they've grown on me.

Mantis: bad to.... whats worse than that?

TOPS: who wouldn't fall for... special OPS trust tops and all the other 50 quotes they post on every commercial (leave a few for the rest of us will ya??) but for every one good knife they put out, there are about 93 that are bad designs. sorry to bring it up guys, but just because you were in the army doesn't mean you know anything about designing a knife. (there are exceptions... nod to the Spartan boys)

this brings me to DPx... the "swiss army" fixed blade. just make a decent knife... we'll figure out how to open our own bottles.
 
Benchmade (for the worse).... they offer a stone wash finish and yet you can still see really weird machine markings all over the knife I got.

For 130$ for a fixed blade with visual blemishes, I cannot support them.

Although, functionally the knife is great.
 
rustyrazor said:
wait... you like them now, or you used to and now you don't?
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I used to not like them and thought that they where obtuse prybars, but now I think that they are well built prybars that can still cut, still hate them at blade show cant even turn around within 10 feet of their table :)
 
Spyderco for me too, used to think they looked ridiculous. Got a Manix 2 in a trade about a year ago or so, completely changed my mind. Just scored a Techno of the exchange forum, and I'm VERY impressed.
 
When I finally got a strider it was a huge let down. I just didn't like it at all. Not that they aren't great knives, it just wasn't for me.

Kershaw has been growing on me quite a bit lately. Its nice to have a good quality inexpensive knife to beat up on.

And I've always liked Spyderco. Most of my favorite knives are spydies.
 
Funny, the Spyderco Military was my first one hand opening folder I bought as an adult and it is still my favorite GOAT production EDC. I thought and still think it is one of the most beautiful and most functional modern knife designs ever. Form follows function. Less is more. That kind of shit :)

The company that has surprised me positively is Opinel. Have them laying around the house opened now. At least always one on my cutting board in the kitchen. In terms of raw cutting ability nothing beats the thin full convex blade of an Opinel.

The companies that have surprised me negatively were Lone Wolf and Emerson so far. Had a Longhorn Ebano plain and a Horseman Satin plain. Sold them both, the Horseman within two weeks.

Stayed away from Bökers and Striders because of the vast amount of other people's negative experiences but cannot comment on them out of own experience. (Striders are too expensive to give them a chance: on top of their high price I need to pay customization for tip-down carry, international shipping, 21% + 12.50 EUR customs AND I need to use a 90 USD FedEx service if I ever need to send it back, which is pretty likely with Striders.)
 
Hinderer.
Wanted one so bad for a long time, but now i feels like an hype..
Here i have to pay around 700$ For one. Really?.. My custom Andre Thorburn that i have coming costs that much..
I have never handled a Hinderer before tho, so i cant say for sure. But for 700$, i'll pass.
 
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