When you buy a knife, any kinda knife, what are your basic 'expectations'?

M

MingOnMongo

Joined
Jul 31, 2021
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Howdy y'all from another newb, both to blade 'collectables' and the site. If I might ask, with so many good 'choices' these days, and apparently to fit most every budget, what do you usually look for in a knife... aka, what do you expect from that particular knife, if anything?

For example, certainly got own my 'personal' preferences, like blade type, belt clips, minimum steel, 'assisted' opening, whatever... but still mostly looking for Functionality and 'Value' (aka, return on investment), as opposed to strictly "You gets what you pay$ for". Since my sense is that even some of the proverbial 'cheap chinese crap' is finally catching up nowadays (but that's another topic for discussion... lol)!

But how do you 'choose'?
 
I think it is entirely up to what you are buying the knife for. If I am plunking down $400+ on a pocket knife I will be pretty particular of materials used, fit, finish, lock up/action, warranty, company culture (is the manufacturerer run by "good guys"), etc.

If I am buying a beater, then I will be more focused on value and maybe even availability (like if I am buying some off the peg of a sporting good store because I forgot my work knife at my desk the next town over).

My personal buying habits have elevated to the point that most of my edc knives are $400+, but I still find a lot of value in them. Furthermore, I'm way less particular about a fixed blade that is purchased for dirty work.

Case in point:
In the last 2 weeks I have purchased two knives. A TOPS Steel Eagle from a LGS and a Microtech Combat Troodon from a knife boutique shop. The Steel Eagle cost me right at $200. Fit and finish are great. Choice of steel is serviceable given TOPS reputation for how they heat treat. The sheath is well designed, and if I were to base this on a price per pound value, I certainly got my money's worth out of this heavy pig sticker;) I purchased it for taking down to the cabin this fall to aid in reclaiming the trail down to the boat dock...and I just kinda wanted it.

The Combat Troodon was purchased for a completely different reason. It cost me $525. The M390 steel is a very good edc steel on a knife that I won't be banging through tree branches. It had a single tanto edge that is fully serrated. I bought this knife mostly because I wanted it. I also have grown to rather like serrations for more of my daily chores and MT does a great job of not only making the serrations functional but easy to field sharpen in a pinch as they bevel the non presentation side and keep the teeth in line with the edge of the plain tanto tip.

However, is the Combat Troodon worth $325 more than the Steel Eagle? Hard to say. The TOPS certainly could take more of a beating than the MT. If I were dropped in the wilds with only one knife I would pick the SE over the CT by a wide margin. If you weight it all out, the SE is probably the better value as a lot of MT knives are priced according due to the small runs they offer them in.

That said, I feel way more fulfilled with my CT purchase even though I already have a model with a double edge. I just like it more. I like the action more. I feel that is oozes more of a high end quality when you get down to the details and materials it is made out of.

So, tl;dr
I personally don't have a set of attributes I need checked off when I buy a knife. It just has to be capable for the job I am purchasing it for and be a good value to ME :)
 
I do a LOT of research PRIOR to purchasing a knife. The reviews are only as good as the reviewer and I weigh them accordingly. There are a lot of fan-bois and outright nit pickers out there. I basically know what to expect (generally) when it arrives. I’ve yet to return one.
 
I like to see value in terms of amount of work done to make the knife feel and look good so that it can perform its task, being a comfortable user that doesn't embarrass me. Good looking knives that even non knife people can recognize as 'nice' are definitely more my speed than knives that perform just as well but don't budget for wardrobe.

I also look for a blade stock, grind, and profile that will probably make for a thin edge and nice cutting geometry. I like clip points, sheepsfoot, reverse and regular tantos, and wide drop points or leaf blades the most.

I won't overpay for a decent steel in a poorly finished handle, I'd rather just accept that most of my folding knives are going to be S35VN and I generally use steel type as only a value metric unless the steel itself is the attraction, like my S110V Manix lightweight or Vanadis4E Guardian 3S. I'm not a steel snob but I have enough beaters that I'm picky about less expensive knives now. I just don't need the collection bloat and I'm not a vigorous user anyway.
 
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I need a non-fantasy based use case before I start hunting for a new knife. The materials to be cut, the environment the knife will be used in will determine the steel, the blade geometry, the handle material and the ergonomics. Personal preferences are not so important if I can mod the knife later (eg swap different scales or reprofile).
In this scenario I don't care about resale value, because I know I will be using the knife, it will collect scratches, it will be sharpened often, etc. I want the knife to be safe, strong, servicable (easy disassembly), and resilient (eg no ball bearings).

Sometimes there are exceptions, like when I bought a Protech SnG Operator only so I can experience a Strider pattern and a Protech auto at the same time. Other than education, I have no use for it, and I don't use it. I just like it. A real safe queen, kinda an 'investment'.

Other times I want a knife simply for its beauty. These will see some light use, just so I can admire them more often. They are not for sale, but they are luxury items.
 
First, and most obviously, it should be able to cut things. Sure, it seems obvious, but my example of the TOPS Lil' Roughneck arrived with a 90 degree inclusive bevel, and was only useful as a splitting maul. It took roughly one poor boy margarita to make it a cutting implement.

Value for the money is my most important expectation, and it's completely subjective. My criteria for "value" is going to be very different for an $11 knife, than for a $120 knife.

Never thought about it quite this way, but I guess that's really all there is. I have features I like, and some things will stop me from buying a knife all together, but those are tied up with the more "squidgy" subject of value for the money.
 
MingOnMongo said:
Howdy y'all from another newb, both to blade 'collectables' and the site. If I might ask, with so many good 'choices' these days, and apparently to fit most every budget, what do you usually look for in a knife... aka, what do you expect from that particular knife, if anything?

For example, certainly got own my 'personal' preferences, like blade type, belt clips, minimum steel, 'assisted' opening, whatever... but still mostly looking for Functionality and 'Value' (aka, return on investment), as opposed to strictly "You gets what you pay$ for". Since my sense is that even some of the proverbial 'cheap chinese crap' is finally catching up nowadays (but that's another topic for discussion... lol)!

But how do you 'choose'?
Click to expand...

I'm a user, not a collector. I'm always looking for a better user. So I want:
--Blade shape that looks useful.
--Handle that looks to be reasonably ergonomic. I have several knives that don't get carried because they are not comfortable in use.
--Something that I haven't tried before.

Some specifics:
If it's a liner lock, then I want the frame to be at the same height as the liner, so that the liner is not protruding.
I've tried flippers, and decided that I don't care for them.
Assisted openers are fun to play with, but I prefer manual opening.
Don't want a knife with bearings.
Something with a blade length of 2.5-3.5 inches, but no matter what blade length, I need a full size handle.
Blade steel: I'm flexible on that. There are so many alloys that work just fine. I'll carry anything from 420HC to M390.
I do prefer stainless for a pocket knife. I'm more open to non-stainless for a fixed blade.
 
No excessive blade play.

Sharp enough out of the box or hang pack to use.

Holds a working edge long enough to do something besides see if it slices news print a couple times, or spread PB on one slice of bread or toast.
(I had a Gerber that dulled slicing warm butter, and would get almost as sharp as a table knife/butter knife.
It went to the land fill over several weeks. I didn't want anyone to try and "save" that knife shaped object that was worse than the worst Frost or no name 1960's/1970's "Made in Japan" P.O.S. knife shaped object I've ever had. (back then "made in Japan" was much, much worse than "Made in Pakistan" is today.)

No blades hitting a liner, and no blade rub that affects the use of the knife.

Reasonable 4 to 5.5 ~ 6 pull to open each blade. I don't want to fight with my knife to open it.
 
I like to read what other members here have to say about a knife I’m interested in beyond the brands that I already have. That has the biggest influence on a knife purchase outside my comfort zone. Discovered Viper knives because of the pics and comments posted here. I haven’t been let down yet.
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It depends on my mood when I go knife shopping. I can do a ton of research beforehand, but I usually end up with something completely different. I prefer knives that are fun to fidget with like frame lock flippers or something with an axis lock.
 
I expect a reasonable relationship between quality and price. I tend to be much more forgiving of issues on cheaper knives and much more picky on expensive knives. For instance, I recently wrote a post comparing a $75 Kizer Gemini to a $189 TRM Atom. Both have Micarta scales with nested liners. Both have their scales contoured along the outer edges but not the inner edges. The inner scale edges were left rough on both. It is like getting something made of wood that is properly sanded everywhere except one spot, where it's just a rough cut from the table saw. The difference here is that your hand presses against those edges during use (plus fidgeting and fondling). At $75, it's not a big deal and I don't mind chamfering those edges myself. At almost $200, I have to ask how TRM let them leave the factory like that.
 
I like them to be folding knives.
I look for US made.
I also avoid m390 /cv20 steel.

Like everyone else here, I want a well made knife I can depend on.
 
For every knife, I’m looking for ergonomics, good fit and finish, and reliability in every sense of the word. If there are plenty of reports of the knife failing, that’s a no-no for me. Safe queens and users alike need to be reliable tools, first and foremost. Sticking to brands and custom makers you trust solves 99% of the problems.

Additional criteria for folders include good detent, decent centering, and perfect lockup.
 
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