What was your first "big boy" knife?

40 years ago a Buck 110 was THE big boy knife. That’s when it was given to me and it’s still going strong. I can get the 420hc sharp AF with relatively minor effort and it holds the edge long enough for realistic purposes.

30 years ago (nearly) I bought a Gen 1 Delica. I didn’t know what was good, but I’d never seen anything like it at the time, and I had to have it! Still going strong!

2016 is when I bought my first “modern” big boy knife, a ZT 0450. That amazing knife was the genesis of my knife obsession and the nemesis of my retirement savings.

 
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I came into Knife Collecting pretty late. I guess my engineering background (though its in computer science) attracted me towards a desire to understand the "mechanics" of a good knife … somehow I think I accidentally became a Collector. Maybe … Maybe not. All I know is I have taken an interest in exploring various designs, styles and techniques of knives and knife making.

I started my collection with a relatively in-expensive folder and an expensive fixed blade.

(1) CRKT M16-14T Titanium Tanto. Around $90 back in the day. I guess I was attracted by Kit Carson legend as well as wanted to understand the patented AutoLAWKS feature "which can turn folders into fixed blades, in case the liner lock fails" (CRKT marketing language … not mine).

(2) Ka-Bar John EK Commando Presentation Dagger. I have always been a history buff and wanted a historical pattern (especially WWII). My first preference was to find an authentic reproduction of Fairbairn Sykes Commando Knife, when I couldn't get it I settled for John EK. It was around $300.

Now my knife tastes and interests are quite different and diverse … have close to 200 knives in my "collection" but the above knives will always have a special place in my "collection" and heart.
 
Grandmaster said:
I bought a Spyderco Police fully serrated around 2001, and at the time, it was so expensive and scary looking, that was the knife that got me into the hobby, still have it but never use it
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Same here. Spyderco POLICE plain edge, 2001. First time I saw it I was blown away by the fit and finish. The pure badassery. First knife my wife ever bought me.
Still with me today but rarely carried.
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Kershaw Blur was my 1st good knife.

1st "big boy" knife I bought myself was the ZT 0302 when it released ('08 or '09?). It was too big (heavy) and I traded it off last year because I never carried it.
 
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First good knife was a Spyderco Tasman Salt that my old man found on the side of the road and gave me. Blew me away that a knife could cost $70 at the time. Started carried it (first real EDC), used it for everything, and I still carry one in my rotation to this day. The original pinned one has been retired though. Grew pretty attached to it and realized I'd be kicking myself hard if I lost it.

First real folder I bought myself was a Benchmade 909S Stryker II. Saw a CutleryLover video where he used an Axis lock, I saw how he closed it, and next thing I know, I was on Blade HQ looking through all their Benchmades. Forgot how exactly I landed on that particular model but I know it had something to do with the partially serrated tanto. Never really connected with it though and sold it a few years down the line.
 
Hickory n steel said:
Mine was a Victorinox classic.
The fact that I was trusted to take care of and not loose the knife that was in my grandfather's pocket when he died was a big deal to me.
I'm not carrying one at the moment but own about 5 right now and still find them extremely useful, how could I not think highly of a little knife that my grandfather could accomplish just about anything with ?
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Thinking about the fact that I don't use any of my classics as a knife, I think a better answer to this question would be the Buck 110 I received for my HS graduation.
It was the one quality knife I covered most as a kid, and it was a big enough deal to me that the carved my initials into the scales.



I'll stick with my original answer but throw in the 110 in case it's a better fit for the question.
 
My first “big boy” knife (to me) was the Schrade large stockman that I bought for myself at the little local hardware store when I was 13, back in the 1970s. I’m kind of surprised they allowed me to buy it at such a young age, but back then, I also found a couple other places that would sell knives to a kid. Some other places said I’d have to be 18.

My first modern, manual one-hand opening knife was a medium Kershaw Liner Action with a 3” blade, bought in 1997. Then I got my first Spyderco Delica in AUS-8 not long after. Those were my introduction to “modern” designs.

Probably none of these knives I mentioned sound like “big boy” designs to other people, but they were a big deal to me at the time.

Jim
 
James Y said:
My first “big boy” knife (to me) was the Schrade large stockman that I bought for myself at the little local hardware store when I was 13, back in the 1970s. I’m kind of surprised they allowed me to buy it at such a young age, but back then, I also found a couple other places that would sell knives to a kid. Some other places said I’d have to be 18.

My first modern, manual one-hand opening knife was a medium Kershaw Liner Action with a 3” blade, bought in 1997. Then I got my first Spyderco Delica in AUS-8 not long after. Those were my introduction to “modern” designs.

Probably none of these knives I mentioned sound like “big boy” designs to other people, but they were a big deal to me at the time.

Jim
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That stockman sure sounds like a big boy knife to me, that's something carried by a man who gets shit done.
 
if I remember right! it was a schrade bear claw lock-back , sucker was heavy though :( because of its brass construction so I carried it on my side belt, no pocket clips in though's days.
 
Monofletch said:
:D I have to say my first “real” knife was a Spyderco Military. I got it from @Barman1 and it started me down the rabbit hole. I owe it all to (or blame) him!!

:D

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Spyderco Military was ‘the’ knife for me as well. Sometime in the mid 90’s I picked up a plain edge Military in 440V while in San Antonio. Ever since then I’ve been seriously hooked.
 
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