Worst beginner knife collecting/buying mistakes?

Buying knives at the mall or other store that charges full retail. Off course, when I was a teenager first getting into knives, I didn't know any better, and the internet was barely getting going and online stores weren't really around yet. I think I paid around $90 for my Kershaw rainbow Leek. When I was looking to upgrade, I found Bladeforums and online knife shops. That's when I stopped wasting money on inferior knives and retail prices.
 
For those who stated buying combo edges were a big mistake, could you please elaborate? I tend to like combo edges sometimes myself, not for every blade, so I'm wondering why they are not desired.
 
First I bought a bunch of $25-30 knives because I didn't want to spend the $100 on the knife I really wanted. Then I bought a bunch of $100 knives because I didn't want to spend the $500 for the knife I really wanted. What I learned is, figure out what you want and then buy THAT knife, no compromises. I was filling whole drawers with things I didn't really want that much, and they far exceeded in cost the cost of just going out and buying what I wanted and doing it right the first time. Had the same problem with guns, watches, and tablet computers, by the way.
 
Different people have different outlooks, and mistakes for one person may not apply to all. That said, one of my main mistakes was buying serrated knives. Back then, I mostly wanted knives for self defense (not living in a state where I could get a CCW), and I thought Cold Steel serrated knives were the hot setup. That was a mistake. I'm still fond of my serrated Vaquero Grande, but I misjudged the limitations of serrations. Also, like many others, I made the mistake of buying half-serrated blades. Yeeech! Now that said, I did buy a couple of Spyderco Enduras that had half-serrations, but I like them.

The biggest problem with serrations is that you can't cut wood or paper products very well.

Another mistake was thinking that I needed expensive knives. I found that Cold Steel made some very nice knives at reasonable prices, and I was particularly fond of the Voyager series. CS also is one of the only manufacturers that make large folders. I tend to like 4-6-inch blade folders and have little use for 3.5-inch and smaller bladed knives.

Another pit to avoid falling into is the gorgeous knife that you can't take your eyes off of...but when you buy it, you find that it's far too heavy to carry comfortably. I've got a box full of knives that I dearly love, but I never carry them because they're uncomfortably heavy. Size isn't much of an issue with me, but any metal is gonna be heavy (even if it's aluminum), and some manufacturers hide the metal as inserts to FRN (fiberglass reinforced nylon) and G10 knife handles. Actually, FRN and G10 are plenty strong without inserts. A lot of bikers carry Cold Steel knives with 5- or 6-inch blades, and they drop them going 70 mph or have them run over by trucks; and the things are virtually indestructible. Spyderco's newest Endura 4 doesn't have metal inserts, while the earlier ones did, and there are just no strength issues. King Kong couldn't break them. So get knives you'll be happy carrying.

Heat treat is another thing many knife buyers don't always take into consideration, and steels advertised as "surgical stainless" means they're made of cheap steel that won't keep an edge. And steels advertised as 440 are always 440A, which is the cheapest of the 440s. Spyderco and Cold Steel have outstanding heat treat, but other brands that advertise acceptable steels produce blades that come out of the box dull and can't be sharpened. I bought a Boker Magnum once with "440 steel" and the thing is kicking around in a drawer because after spending about 45 minutes with it and my Sharpmaker, it was as dull as when I started. Every now and again I'll get it out and try to sharpen it, but it's a lost cause. CS made a few knives made with 440A, but they were outstanding. Viciously sharp, I have a couple I still use, so heat treat is everything.
 
Chuzzy630 said:
For those who stated buying combo edges were a big mistake, could you please elaborate? I tend to like combo edges sometimes myself, not for every blade, so I'm wondering why they are not desired.
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I can only speak for myself, although I know many will agree...

I like serrated blades because of how well and efficiently they cut when precision isn't necessary. However, on most combo edge knives, you only get about an inch or so of serrations, which really isn't enough to be worth it. Many say that combo edges, or even fully serrated edges are for those that can't sharpen a knife properly. I don't entirely agree nor disagree, as a fully serrated blade will outcut a plain edge, no matter how sharp, in certain applications. However, if limited to one choice, I would take a full plain edge over a partially serrated one. But nobody is really limited to one blade, so why not carry one that's plain and one that's fully serrated, if one is so inclined?

A plain edge knife has great cutting power in certain applications, and a fully serrated knife has great cutting power in other applications. However, a partially serrated knife has limited cutting power in either situation, and IMO is a poor compromise for both. Of course, your preferences are yours, and you may find that you don't want to carry 2 knives, or find that a partially serrated knife works just fine for the multitude of different tasks you want it to.
 
I have a few combo edges and I like them. I wont get a knife because it has a combo edge, but I won't turn a knife away because it has a combo edge.
 
Don't shy away from used knives, you can often score a nice bargain. I got a relatively rare, discontinued knife off the exchange for half of what it would cost to buy a new one. Of course, this is assuming you want the knife to be a user, rather than a collector's piece.
 
Chuzzy630 said:
For those who stated buying combo edges were a big mistake, could you please elaborate? I tend to like combo edges sometimes myself, not for every blade, so I'm wondering why they are not desired.
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Sometimes its not too easy to sharpen serrations, and you'll never know when one of the serrations will just chip off.

Plain edges will last much longer in the long run, and if you're stuck out in a forest with just your knife and no special sharpening stones you could still get a decent edge if you find the right stone on the ground and use it for sharpening.
 
Decide what you want to use a knife for and find one that fits those requirements. Avoid the tendency to buy something you're not likely to use just because it looks cool or you just have to have it. Impulse buys have killed me.
 
Yours is a great question.

Good advice above:

Limit your collecting to specific categories to reduce the number of knives you accumulate over time.

Used knives are generally just as good for your purpose as a brand new one, and you can usually trade for one or get a used at a cheaper price.

Buy what you love, sell or trade what you don't.

Post lots of pictures for your friends here. :^)

best

mqqn
 
Worst mistake? Thinking that expensive knives are somehow better. Spending big $$$ taught me that knives are fundamentally primitive technology. Spendy buys you a shiny bauble that you can brag on. But only a marginally better knife, if at all.
 
Try not to keep more than a dozen on hand, thin the heard (like, down to two) on a regular basis or you'll end up with knives strewn about the house with no rhyme or reason. Then it starts to eat at you "why do I have anything more than the knife in my pocket?"
 
Well, it really is quality over quantity and I am glad I realized that early on. Focus on quality but of course soon enough you will have quality AND quantity!
 
Chuzzy630 said:
For those who stated buying combo edges were a big mistake, could you please elaborate?
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I'm not crazy about serrations anyway, but besides that, I agree with Aaron. The problem with combo edges is that you generally have about an inch, maybe two of serrations. So you end up kind of sawing away with it when you do want to use them. When I want the straight edge, serrations just get in the way and catch on stuff.

I do think a wharncliff-style blade with serrations near the tip instead of the handle could be pretty handy if you open a lot of packages and whatnot. Then you'd have the straight edge near your hand for peeling apples and sharpening pencils and so forth.
 
Planterz said:
Buying knives at the mall or other store that charges full retail. Off course, when I was a teenager first getting into knives, I didn't know any better, and the internet was barely getting going and online stores weren't really around yet.
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This was my experience exactly.

Another mistake I made was buying knives I didn't need just because I wanted them and had plenty of money. Then I experienced a reversal of fortune and now wish I had the thousands of dollars that I spent frivolously on knives. Here on Bladeforums the attitude and advice is often something like "You can never have too many knives. Buy the most expensive knives you can afford", but very seldom are people advised to consider if they really need that knife or would they be better off saving the money. Yes knives are cool, but a little financial security is a lot cooler.

As far as knives with partially-serrated edges go, I bought quite a few, I thought they would be useful, I was wrong. I'm confident that a well-sharpened plain-edge will cut most materials with ease, but if a person feels that they might need a serrated-edge, they can always sharpen their blade with a course stone and get a "micro-serrated" edge that will work just as well while still keeping a "plain-edge".

Another mistake I made was throwing away the knife boxes. Boxes are good when selling a knife, especially when the knife is still in un-used condition.

Live and learn.
 
Something I just recently started realising is don't pay a markup on production knives(sometimes easier said than done). Very few are actually rare, especially standard models. Plenty of people out there selling knives at huge markups and touting there were few made.you'll never get back what you paid. Don't believe the hype. Unless it is a numbered blade(the company has revealed how many were made) then thousands were made of any particular model. They are "production" companies for a reason. Unless it is a custom maker then it is mass produced.
 
Here is my bit of advice, avoid impulse buys. Find a knife you like, research it until you can rattle off its specs in your sleep, read reviews, watch videos, scope out the best price, then WAIT 2 WEEKS, if you still really want the knife then pull the trigger. Obviously you aren't going to want to wait to buy certain rare knives or limited editions, but I have found that waiting a couple weeks from the time I find a new knife I like to the time I buy it really helps to control the impulse purchases.

Aside from that I'll echo what everyone else said. Skip the partial serrations, skip the budget under $50 range (although there are a couple exceptions). In addition to that, try out some different styles and designs, try carrying a traditional knife (maybe as a secondary knife), throw a SAK in your pocket once in a while, figure out what you like and what you don't, try different locking mechanisms and blade steels, and every once in a while, buy something just because you think its cool.
 
Best advice that would've saved me a bunch of cash would be:

Don't go along with the crowd/hype but buy what YOU like. Bought a few of the more popular blades only to find our that they weren't for me.

Also, quality over quantity. I but far less knives now than I did in the beginning but I'm far happier with the ones I do have now.
 
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