What was your gateway drug?

D

DRK

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Oct 10, 2012
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What was your gateway knife company? For me it has to Spyderco, I really learned about knives from my Spyderco purchases, what steels I liked, what ergonomics, how big, how small, handle materials I liked and didn't and so on. I only have about 5 left now, mostly harder to get ones that would be difficult to replace. I own less knives now as my focused has shifted, ZT's, a few CRK's, Strider a Hinderer on the way knives I wouldn't have considered purchasing or fully appreciated when I first started collecting a few years ago.

Was there a single company that launched you into collecting and do you still buy and/or own a lot of that companies knives?
 
SOG was mine, though it was only one or two models and then I (like you) discovered Spyderco and it was all dow...er uphill from there.
 
Benchmade, but really it was a girlfriend of mines father who showed me WHY a good knife cost more and why it was worth it. He took me to a gunshow and introduced me to all the major makers of knives and what the steels were and why it was important etc. I ended up with a Benchmade Stryker and a 940....so it began.
 
The first decent knife I bought was a Manix2 in 154CM so I guess I would have to say that. However, I haven't bought another spyderco since then. It's mostly been ZT and then some various midtechs to try out since then.
 
Mine wasn't even a knife, it was an old soda can, the ones with pull tops. I cut myself badly when I was 8 (I'm 42 now)and forever became enamoured with how things cut. My first true knife was an old buck ultra light, then a few weeks later in elementary school a friend brought in a Spyderco harpy and that was when I knew I loved knives. Been looking for an '80s harpy ever since.
 
Old Timer Minuteman, twice, because I lost the first one swimming. My dad was nice enough to get me a second after a little talking to about responsibility and whatnot...

Then not long after, one of my uncles got me a Gerber EZ-Out... and it was all a blur since!
 
Spyderco for me too. When I started shooting IPSC many years ago everyone involved was carrying spyderco police md's. I bought one, then a copilot, then................still buying!

Mike
 
I don't think I had a "gateway" knife or brand. I was definitely into SAKs and other MTs before I was into dedicated folders and fixed blades, and while I had a Benchmade obsession as a teenager, that was long gone by the time I could afford one.

If I had to point to one brand, it would be Leatherman, but it was definitely through my Spyderco purchases that I learned more about "mainstream" knut topics. I've still never owned a BM, though one day maybe a 707 or a 94[03].
 
I've always had knives but they were usually either simple traditionals or knock-off folders, first "big boy" knife was a Buck 119, then some CRKTs, then Spyderco and Kershaw...
 
Spyderco Delica. I remember it like it was yesterday, but it was really 25 years ago
 
I'd say boker was my gateway knife company. I used to have a pretty nice collection of knives from the biker plus line. The quality and designs you get for the money is amazing.
 
Emerson for me! My first knife other than a cheapo or a SAK was a cqc7 spear point. I actually still have it, it has taken a beating but still works well:thumbup:
 
I've always liked knives and had cheaper gerbers, kershaws around. Bechmade opened up my eyes to higher quality knives for me when I got my 530 pardue using a giftcard to a local gun/knife store given to me for my birthday oh about 10 years ago.
 
SOG Flash II. Carried that thing everyday for 3 years. Found this forum and it was all over.
 
Craytab, brings up a good point. I was into knives for years, but I learned more since joining here than in all the previous years of being into knives! Thank you blade forums!

Mike

craytab said:
SOG Flash II. Carried that thing everyday for 3 years. Found this forum and it was all over.
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Mike45ACP said:
Craytab, brings up a good point. I was into knives for years, but I learned more since joining here than in all the previous years of being into knives! Thank you blade forums!

Mike
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Yep, same here. I found this place after I got a few CRKTs and wondered if there's anything better and then... well, let's just say the forum is responsible for pretty much all of these:
zEPqOi2.jpg
 
I seem to be on the same path as you . Mine was also spyderco , specifically the paramilitary 2 . Even though I have a sebenza and umnumzaan a strider on the way . I'm also planning on getting a hinderer xm 18 soon .. I also have a couple zt's . My love for the pm2 hasn't diminished. It's an incredible knife and at its price point it's hard to beat . At some point in the near future I'm gonna examine and trim my collection down to 5-6 knives . That's gonna be difficult because I love them all ..
 
Mike45ACP said:
Craytab, brings up a good point. I was into knives for years, but I learned more since joining here than in all the previous years of being into knives! Thank you blade forums!

Mike
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That's so true. BF and for me (particularly when I first got interested in this great hobby) the Spyderco Forums were and continue to be are amazing sources of information. The first quality knife that I purchased was a Spyderco Caly3. At that time The Spyderco Forum was very active and I didn't have a knife store near by that I could see and compare the different brands and models at and I received so much help from the members there. As I mentioned earlier what I liked was that the Spyderco lineup had so much versatility within it, you could really try a lot of features within one brand: different steels, lock types, grinds, scales etc. and you could try them all at a relatively reasonable price. Anyway that helped me to clarify what worked for me and then as you say Blade Forums came into the picture and it all changed from there.
 
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It was Spyderco initially, with the Gen1 FRN and stainless Enduras. But Benchmade was the first brand that I had a significant amount of and used, though these were predominantly their mid-1990s switchblades (Mel Pardue, Spike, Reflex, AFO, etc). I'm not a huge Benchmade fan currently, however.
 
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