Which types of blades you consider to be basic to have?

[daizee]

you can get a modestly priced Kershaw in a Swedish razor steel for your quality beater. Or even their 420 (think Scallion) should be very good.

I like your original three categories for a motivated beginner.
With your proposed spyderco's, I recommend at least one with G10 and steel frame rather than only the lightweights in FRN-only. The heavier ones are such a joy to hold.

 

[Balls Deep]

Pocket - Something small and discreet that gets lost at the bottom of your pocket, and is hard to open without breaking a nail.

Multi Tool - Swiss Army / Boyscout knife or Leatherman style tool. More tools than you will ever use all in one bulky package.

Razor knife - Folder or not, use for hard jobs like scoring drywall, cardboard, carpet, or other jobs that can damage a fine edge. Just replace the blade if you can remember where you left them.

Tacky-tickle folder, one big blade with a pocket clip that generally bends or breaks, does nothing but cut, they make lousy screwdrivers, great if you are an experienced knife fighter looking for a knife fight. They aslo look cool when you whip them out at the fine steakhouse to cut your meat.

Medium sized sheath knife, for hunting, skinning, doing food prep and just for freaking out the sheeple when you carry it on you hip uptown. Also works well in the steakhouse.

Large fixed blade combat knife, a must have for a mall ninja, nothing impresses the ladies like a big 10"

Large Chopper, for doing all that heavy wood processing normal folks use an axe to do.

As for what to collect, only you can decide. Just collect what you like.

I read about half way through before the humor hit me, then started chuckling. My tongue in cheek radar takes a minute to warm up early in the morning. That is funny.

 

[David Martin]

I carry usually everyday a Leatherman Surge. This gets me thru most jobs but it's handles don't have a good feel when doing cutting. For cutting chores I carry a drop point 3 3/4" folder and strong fixed blade for other days. Then a large 7-8" stout fixed blade stays in my truck. Which I don't use for chopping. I have a Estwing hatchet for that. Those 3-4 knives are all I carry and rotate. DM

 

[ocnLogan]

Chefs knife
Paring knife
Bread knife
Folding knife
Fixed blade

I don't really collect knives though. Just tools like any of my other tools. So there are my main use cases, and I feel everyone should have one in each category (just like I think everyone should own basic hand tools like wrenches, hammer, screwdrivers, etc).

Oh, and I do find it somewhat hilarious how many people that are into knives don't have even half decent kitchen knives.

 

[Insipid Moniker]

Chefs knife
Paring knife
Bread knife
Folding knife
Fixed blade

I don't really collect knives though. Just tools like any of my other tools. So there are my main use cases, and I feel everyone should have one in each category (just like I think everyone should own basic hand tools like wrenches, hammer, screwdrivers, etc).

Oh, and I do find it somewhat hilarious how many people that are into knives don't have even half decent kitchen knives.

+1. My most used knives all reside in the kitchen. If you cook at all and have junk in the kitchen, do yourself a favor and instead of that nice, new folder or fixed blade spend the money you've been setting aside on a good kitchen knife. It makes a huge difference when you're cooking.

 

[Rich S]

A barlow! Can't have a knife collection without having a barlow.
Rich

 

[Nwjgoode]

Every knife fan should own at least one sak, one opinel and one sebenza IMO...

 

[Therom]

IMHO to be considered:
- A flipper by ZT (zt0350, 0562, 0801...), I like to take mine for outdoor activities
- Spyderco PM2, a good all rounder that I take with me when I don't know what to,take else, you cannot go wrong with it
- benchmade Osborne, very good and compact gentleman folder...

In addition to these basics , I am also considering a griptilian and an emerson!....

 

[Charlie Mike]

Also either an Italian stiletto or a Microtech OTF to cover the switchblade requirement.

 

[inkynate]

Chefs knife
Paring knife
Bread knife
Folding knife
Fixed blade

I don't really collect knives though. Just tools like any of my other tools. So there are my main use cases, and I feel everyone should have one in each category (just like I think everyone should own basic hand tools like wrenches, hammer, screwdrivers, etc).

Oh, and I do find it somewhat hilarious how many people that are into knives don't have even half decent kitchen knives.

I was thinking about this recently. Care to muse on how you would outfit a nkp (non-knife person) who asked you to get them the best no-bs bang for the buck in each category? Could it be done for less than a $100? My list of "basic" knives is similar, but I'd add an ax, machete, and maybe a fillet.

 

[ocnLogan]

I was thinking about this recently. Care to muse on how you would outfit a nkp (non-knife person) who asked you to get them the best no-bs bang for the buck in each category? Could it be done for less than a $100? My list of "basic" knives is similar, but I'd add an ax, machete, and maybe a fillet.

The hardest part will be choosing which chefs knife to get, as most of the rest of them are pretty easy choices imo.

Chefs knife: Tojiro dp gyuto, victorinox fibrox chef, and opinel chefs knife are all good choices, and run $35-55
Paring knife: Opinel 112, victorinox fibrox. Both are about $7-9.
Bread knife: ?
Folding knife: Opinel stainless ($8-12) rat 2, ($27)
Fixed blade: Mora companion stainless ($14).

Not sure on the bread knife, but depending on what you buy, you have a decent budget left for a bread knife, or to put more into any one of the blades.

Lots of options out there, but id start with something like that.

 

[inkynate]

Thanks for the reply, that's a nice list.

I bought my in-laws a pair of Tojiro DPs a few years ago, a gyuto and a petty knife. They have been very happy with them. Didn't realize their gyutos were under $55 on the 'bay now, pretty cheap considering they are $70+ at most places that carry them. In my own kitchen, I went for a Kanetsugu Pro-M gyuto and a Tojiro Shirogami petty (for Japanese knives). A little more expensive, but still consider them both good values.

I like the other suggestions as well. I'm partial to Kuhn Rikon parers because they come with a sheath and I love the ergos.

A bread knife is kind-of a toss up. I have one, but unless the bread is super crusty, I've found any sharp knife with a bit of length does fine.

For a folder and a fixed, I've gifted the Opinel/Mora combo to a few people, really tough to beat.

 

[22-rimfire]

This is so broad that I am not even going to try to inflict my opinion on specific knives other than I think you have things in perspective pretty well. I will say that you need to include Victorinox swiss army knives and perhaps a pretty good traditional folder or two (GEC or Queen) into your thinking. It is not only about cost. Choosing also includes what you like and your preferences based on your developing needs.

 

[SteelStickler]

Kitchen knife - because you'll probably use it more than any other knife you own.
beater that you can hand off without worry to someone who wants to "borrow a knife," because that could mean anything.
something nice to carry that you aren't afraid of using but that also gives you pride of ownership.

 

[SteelStickler]

Also, if you do any sort of outdoorsy things, a machete or chopper can make life easier.
Multitools are incredibly useful too.
(yes, kitchen knife should be broken into chefs, parer, bread)

 

[Dishonor39]

Pretty - BM M4 Grip w/ Wilkins Grips

Heavy - Emerson CQC-10

Daily - BM M4 Mini Grip w/ Wilkins Grips

Beater - Emerson Mini A-100

Outdoors - ESEE Junglas and ESEE 4

Cooking - Shun Classic 8"Chefs, Shun Classic 4" Paring, ESEE / Ethan Bekcer 7" Santoku

Its what works best for me, so far.

 

[ivanhoe]

Thank you all very much, this was extremely helpful. Lots of good options, valid points and directions.

Will keep you posted and ask if I have more questions.

Thanks again!

 

[parfums95]

Sometime this one


but all day my Spydi

 

[ivanhoe]

In case this might be helpful for someone else, I found this excellent video by Stefan Schmalhaus on the same topic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX1WLcmm3lY

In short, here's what he recommends:
- An SAK
- Mora companion
- An Opinel
- Buck 110
- Spyderco Tenacious

He provided reasoning behind each option, as well as upgrades.

 

[GIRLYmann]

Set aside an example each for...u
A sak
A pliertool
A machete
A 4" fixed blade
A 7" fixed blade
A locking folder

Get different blade types
A spear point
A drop point
A Bowie
A dagger