What knife or knife brand did you NEVER think you would own and you now do and like it?

SharpieB

SharpieB

Joined
Oct 31, 2017
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So I watched a few minutes of a few Cold Steel videos early on and they completely turned me off the brand. I thought of the brand in its entirety as a kinda “As Seen on TV” marketed crap or tactical mall ninja Ginsu knives. Even a few months ago I would have laughed if anyone told me I would actually own some of these knives.

In any case, I grabbed a Recon 1 a couple of weeks ago based on a few recommendations and I can honestly say that it is a fantastic hard use knife with great construction, dead tight lockup and sharp as hell out of the box. I was so impressed that I immediately ordered another Recon 1 with serrations. Serious knives regardless of what you think of their marketing IMO.

I still refuse to watch videos of hanging meat being abused, but I will buy more of their knives.:D

What brands or specific knives did you never think you would end up owning and why?
 
Cold Steel for me too; don't care for their martial philosophy, don't care for their demo videos, don't care for how they treat the knife community(San Mai anyone?), but I was properly impressed by the Code 4 tanto I just received and if they release a design that speak to me in the future, I might let my guard down and order one.
 
Grohmann.
I just never really gave them much thought as they're not exactly common or anything.
I also didn't really like the looks of the CBK pattern.

Well I received one of their mini Russel lockbacks, and it's amazing.
It's very well made for one thing, but it's also just a great pattern.
The ergonomics are like nothing else, and everyone I hand it to instantly says " wow " because it does feel so great in hand.
 
I don't have a brand, but I do have a kind of knife: Slipjoints. I used to think non-locking folders were just an inherently ridiculous and backwards concept. Here I am, though, with a handful of slipjoints and eyeing more.

I'll probably catch some flack from the Traditional subforum for this, but, my favorite slippies are the Spyderco Pingo and Roadie. I even added a little zip-tie thumbstud to my Pingo because I'm a disgusting heathen.
 
Comeuppance said:
I don't have a brand, but I do have a kind of knife: Slipjoints. I used to think non-locking folders were just an inherently ridiculous and backwards concept. Here I am, though, with a handful of slipjoints and eyeing more.

I'll probably catch some flack from the Traditional subforum for this, but, my favorite slippies are the Spyderco Pingo and Roadie. I even added a little zip-tie thumbstud to my Pingo because I'm a disgusting heathen.
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You sir need an Urban in k390. Lovely little knife. I like the simplicity slip joints.

I never thought I'd own a Zero Tolerance. "Like a Tank" didn't interest me. Nor did framelock flippers, but I'm really digging the 0850.

IMG_20180210_122815_554.jpg
 
Pretty tough question really.... generally don't have any brand or kind of knife I won't buy for any reason except maybe a Karambit. Just not something I even look at really. But for this thread, ten years ago I pretty much would not buy a Slip joint made by Great Eastern Cutlery (GEC); mostly because the price generally exceeded anything similar made by Case. I always felt Case slippies were a bit pricey actually. Anyway, I eventually bought one, then two, then three and now own more GEC made knives than any other brand. Yeah. I really like them.
 
I didn’t think I would ever buy Chinese knives over $30 or basically a tenacious but with the quality and products they are putting out I can’t help myself. I still prefer to pay a little extra for a comparable USA made product but I am more than happy so far with reate real steel etc.
 
Never thought i'd own an Arcform (i know they have one knife, the slimfoot), but i wasn't impressed with the looks minus being the biggest sucker for sheepsfoot style blades. Well, one eventually came up at a price i had to jump on and to my surprise it's my favorite folder as of right now. Reate can manufacture the shit out of a blade, whew.
 
I never thought I'd own or like a Gerber (or, to be more precise, my adult knife snob self never thought so—when I was a kid I owned and loved several Gerbers). However, I found out that they used to actually make really good knives back in the day.

Here's an LST circa 1981-82:

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Here's one in ivory micarta from the same time period:

wrAfOTQ.jpg


And here's a first-production run SLG with ATS-34, aluminum, and titanium liners (I think it was made sometime in the 1990s):

SrXP0VE.jpg


All three of these are beautifully made, especially the 80s era lockbacks. If you can get your hands on a "vintage" Gerber that you like the looks of, then definitely go for it. I've also handled several of their classic fixed blades (boot knives and such), and all of them were superb.
 
Every knife I have bought recently.
I only owned a couple of CRKTs, now I have a lot more. Kershaw, ZT, Boker, Spyderco, EESE, Bark River, Benchmade, Bear, CRKT and more.
And I'm loving them ALL.
As it was said, Why $100 for a knife? Now I know.

Lateck,
 
Comeuppance said:
I don't have a brand, but I do have a kind of knife: Slipjoints. I used to think non-locking folders were just an inherently ridiculous and backwards concept. Here I am, though, with a handful of slipjoints and eyeing more.

I'll probably catch some flack from the Traditional subforum for this, but, my favorite slippies are the Spyderco Pingo and Roadie. I even added a little zip-tie thumbstud to my Pingo because I'm a disgusting heathen.
Click to expand...

If you can get Benchmade to send you the thumb studs for the 940 they actually screw together into one another.

Those thumbstuds fit perfectly in the hole on the Spyderco Pingo with no rattling at all. I know because I gave some to a friend to fit onto his Pingo and low and behold they screw together through the little spyderhole and fit perfectly.

When I first got into knives I wanted a Strider very badly, and then a Hinderer. I knew of CRK but never really thought I would get one as they didn’t appeal to me as much. Low and behold CRKs are one of my favourite knives now.

I never thought I would like a Boker as for the longest time they seemed to only use 440c on even their highest end knives. Wouldn’t you know it one of my all time favourite knives to carry is the full Ti framelock Boker Plus Exskelibur front flipper. Amazing edc knife with the sliciest blade I have ever seen on a modern folder.
 
SharpieB said:
So I watched a few minutes of a few Cold Steel videos early on and they completely turned me off the brand. I thought of the brand in its entirety as a kinda “As Seen on TV” marketed crap or tactical mall ninja Ginsu knives. Even a few months ago I would have laughed if anyone told me I would actually own some of these knives.

In any case, I grabbed a Recon 1 a couple of weeks ago based on a few recommendations and I can honestly say that it is a fantastic hard use knife with great construction, dead tight lockup and sharp as hell out of the box. I was so impressed that I immediately ordered another Recon 1 with serrations. Serious knives regardless of what you think of their marketing IMO.

I still refuse to watch videos of hanging meat being abused, but I will buy more of their knives.:D

What brands or specific knives did you never think you would end up owning and why?
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Yup.
Cold Steel Ti Lite here.
I never had a use of a stab 'em special but the more I looked at the dambed handle the more it looked like what I was wishing I had.
I've bought three so far. Two four inch; modded both blades . . .one just ground thin and full flat . . . the other shortened and turned into a sheeps foot.
I bought one of the long ones and kept the blade thickness for strength but shortened it and turned it into a razel for a hard use work knife.

I have many Cold Steel knives that are unmodified, infact my very first one hand opening knife with a pocket clip was a CS Tuff Lite Mini. I've watched many of their videos and am glad they get all into it. I find it enlightening. Not that I would ever dream of doing alot of that knid of stuff and some of it is disturbing to watch but I'm pretty science oriented if that is the correct phrase. The first time I saw them cut two good sized free hanging ropes taped together in one swipe with a relatively small pocket knife . . . that was enlightening.

I am glad they show how easily leather can be penetrated with a knife; too many people have this idea that leather will protect one from a knife and it just isn't freekin' true.

At least not the kind of leather one can buy off the rack and wear as a garment.
 
CRK and in general any knives over 100$

Then I gave a try to a ZT0350... this has broken one of my believes and since that time I have got many knives over 100$.

The CRK limit still held for almost 10 years but it has also fallen

Actually that was a rather good move since I like CRKs so much that I am reducing my collection and get some money back :)
 
Smith and Wesson. Swore I would never own one.

Well, I didn't buy one, my uncle gave me one. This one... I stifled an eyeroll and managed to sound grateful for it...
Smith--Wesson-Razor-Two-Blade-Pocket-Knife.jpg


I like it now. I like to carry and use it, and I like that my uncle is happy that I carry and use it.

I won't buy another one if this thing ever bites the dust... but I fear that I'll bite the dust before it ever does.
 
You can throw me into the “never thought I’d own a CRK” club.
The first one I handled was a small Inkosi at an out of town retailer. “Nice knife. Way too far out of my price range,” is what I thought.

Now I own a few and am saving for my next. “Large Inkosi, you will be mine.”
 
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