Your first "truly awesome" folder

my first wow! came in steps i had always bought cheepe flea market knifes they were always -10$ bucks eventualy i got a gerber traverse (i think thats the name)and i carryed it for months and i loved it then one day i tryed to stab a tree luckuly not too hard becuase the linerlock failed and i managed to just get a small cut, the next step of quality was a crkt m16 03z i was so amazed when i got home i tryed to cut paper and it cut clean! i went threw alot of paper that night and that was carried for nearly a year and so on and so on then the knife addiction relly evovled.
 
I was collecting SAKs and MultiTools and then I decided to try out a quality folder. The first one I picked up was the Benchmade Vex. And it gave me lots of WOW-factor. It was/is a truely great folder. Then I moved on to Griptilians, 710D2, 707 Sequel, Nitrous Stryker etc. and every new one has gotten the WOW-factor, but not as strong as my old Vex.
I don´t edc it, but when I have to have a strong folder for some dirty work I always get the Vex. It hasn´t faild me yet and it´s easy to get shaving sharp after some heavy use.
It´s a shame that BM discontinued it. SHAME ON YOU BENCHMADE!!!
 
My first "real" knife was a CRKT M16-15LE. I thought it was awsome and I used it everyday for four years at a concrete plant and a quarry. It did everything I asked of it and I never had any problems with it. Then I had my friends dad sharpen it. He's used to sharpening chisles and had no experience with this type of knife and halfway wreked the grind. I finished it off trying to fix the tip with a belt sander. I was so pissed!

I replaced it with a Benchmade 520 Presideo. Much better knife but it's kind of like your first car of girlfriend, it didn't blow my mind in the same way.
 
Delica 4.
First good one hand opener.
Light, easy to open and close, and the strength and edge retention just blew me away.
As did the sharpness.
I've owned $600 knives since then, and while awesome, none really blew my ears back like that first one!
 
Al Mar SERE 2000 shown with my Glock 17. My first "good" knife. I still carry it frequently sans lanyard.
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A Schrade 125OT I got in 1979 was the coolest knife I had ever seen.:D:thumbup: I would love to find one of those today...:)
 
My first awesome folder was a Gerber Silver Knight of the 1980's variety. It was stunningly well made compared to anything else I had ever seen or used previously. After a couple years, I lost it in a move (aside: why do you always lose things when you move?). Anyway, roughly 25 years later I had a chance to buy the exact same Silver Knight model and I snatched it up. Ah, the memories.

- Mark
 
My Buck 186 Titanium, I saw it in my first knife magazine, I researched it and by the time I was ready to buy it, I couldn't find one, Buck discontinued it, I searched all the local and within' three states Brick and Mortars, I remember bein' on the phone all day lookin when I finally found one.

It was the search and findin' what I wanted that was the most fun and buyin' a quality knife.

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Went through a few cheaper old style slipjoint pocketknives (even a couple nice Cases). I always ended up losing them in almost no time.
Then a couple EZouts decent enough but no real biggie. I did manage to hold on to them longer now due to the clips I guess. Smaller slipjoints carried loose in the pocket always seemed to fall out in a couch/carseat somewhere and eventually it would happen somewhere I'd never find it again. Never went for the large belt-carried lockbacks that were popular. The slim clipped knives are neat, basically disappear in the pocket until you need it, but always in the same place when reached for.
I went to the CRKT M16s next. Nice 3+" AUS8 razor blades for like $30, hell yeah! Also had a Camillus Heat for a while, I liked the flipper blades since the CRKT's plus the Heat had the super cool spring assist:cool:. Still ended up lost somewhere.
Anyway a few months ago I was at Dick's Sporting Goods looking at some fishing gear and what did they happen to have in the knife case that day.... a Benchmade 585 mini Barrage. I asked to handle it and I knew I had to have one right then. Brought one home with me, $119. I don't see being careless enough to lose this baby anytime soon.:)
I love it.
I have rediscovered the WOW again.
 
My first was a David Mosier Defiant Folder. I still have it and it is a great knife. I bought 4 more from David since.
 
D/As got me hooked - the Microtech Lightfoot L.C.C. D/A caught my eye but atm I have a more humble D/A from Böker; a V&D Express (Butch Valloton and Matt Diskin design):




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Traveller - Geneve * Melbourne * Miami * Wien
 
My first folder that was truly awesome was a Schrade Uncle Henry copy of the Buck 110. Used to carry it everywhere till I lost it and then replaced with an actual Buck 110.
 
My first Wow knife was a Buck 110 that I bought on board the USS Meyerkord in 1978.
 
I've owned so many knives in my life I've lost count. Classic Bucks, throwers, weird Chinese fighters, bowies, and the first real quality blade was a custom balisong that, while a bit heavy because of the brass fittings, was still a gem of a knife back when nobody knew what these were.

A Gerber FAST just made its way into my range bag and this is a quality blade with a nice assisted action. But hands down, without question, the Cold Steel Ti-Lite 6" is the best folder I've ever owned. I'm going to add the 4" version for easier EDC, as this design is utterly awesome. No assist, no spring, but the balance and precision of this knife has to be experienced to be understood. Opens fast and with authority, with an absolutely rock-solid lockup and zero play.

Like a classic S&W revolver, it gives you a sense of confidence when you hold it. Very hard to explain, as this is a gestalt thing, but the sum total of fit, finish, weight, design and action all come together here to make a great production folder.
 
My first wow came from Benchmade. When I got the BM 720, (alum handle, 154cm "Bowie" blade, Axis, all black), I was truly "WOW". The F&F was amazing to my uneducated senses. $100+ WELL SPENT! I couldn't bring myself to use it. I still have it in pristine condition 12 years later. Sentimental I guess. Since then I've acquired many knives. NONE have given me that "feeling" since. I still ponder that feeling sometimes and I guess that's why Sebenza or Umnumzaan is next on the list. If only that pesky company called Spyderco would quit putting out great EDC's maybe I could afford it. ;)
 
the first knife that i purchased that i thought was good, ie not a cheapo, was a buck. great knife and carried it for years, only recently retired.
 
My first high-end awesomeness came in the form of a Small Sebenza, but I would have to say that the first knife that really wowed me was my Spyderco Tenacious which I sadly no longer have.
 
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