Best Place to Learn About Knife Brands

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I have a hard enough time scratching up a blade on a $40.00 Swiss Army Knife, let alone using a $400.00 knife and getting scratches on one. If I did spend $200.00 plus on a knife it would probably be a self defense piece that just sits in a sheath.
I get that, I don’t like to get my work truck dirty. I clean it out and off just to drive back into a mudpit the next day.
But I have no issue beating up even expensive knives. I keep the blade free from scratches because I just use a knife as a knife... usually.... but my clips all get a nice patina and most of them I’ve rebent or even replaced a few times. But I totally understand the aprehension to beat them up, Iget that way with chrome tools. I don’t want them to get scratched up or the colorful handles to get dirty. I just clean the heck out of them.
 
A big part of the price justification for CRK is the free lifetime service. I got mine for short money on eBay. It was well worn and missing parts, or it had been put back together incorrectly - something like that. I sent it in for service and it came back literally looking brand new, with a new box and papers.
 
I used to have the CQC7. I remember I wanted it so bad I traded a straight blade Damascus custom for it. I had gotten the custom boot from a trade for a little mother of Pearl Schrade I had so I didn’t feel bad trading it away. I kick myself now. I can’t remember what happened to the Emerson.
 
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Watch some Nick Shabazz review videos

or simply buy a Benchmade or a Spyderco
 
Watch some Nick Shabazz review videos

or simply buy a Benchmade or a Spyderco

Nice! I’ve been wondering when someone would recommend a YouTuber. Sort of like asking about locks and someone recommending the Lock Picking Lawyer YouTuber.
 
Lol. So how much do they go for... these CQC-6's...? [smile]


There’s another for sale on this site for a little more, about 7
 
I like knives and I like the idea of nice knives, but now that I know the prices of things that go bang, I can't bring myself to buy a knife more expensive than a gun.

Thankfully, I don't have blade ADD any more. Been carrying the same knife for over 20 years now. Had a few short trials with other knives along the way but always go back to this one.
 
Once you get your first Randall, everything else seems inexpensive. It recalibrates your scale. Until you get your second through tenth Randalls...

Every answer to the OP's question is likely to reflect the responder's bias. If you like Kershaws or Bucks, you're likely to suggest them to others. And knife mags are no different, with the added complication that they're never going to be honest about a truly bad knife design. There's no "Consumer Reports" for knives.

What I can say, OP, is that in thirty years of buying and using knives at almost every price point and quality level, here's what I've learned.. again, it reflects my bias:

1. Fixed is better than folding for most things.
2. No amount of money spent on a knife is going to make up for you not knowing how to sharpen it. It's far, far easier to maintain a proper edge than to let it get dull and then try to "fix" the edge.
3. Serrations aren't as useful as you think they should be, but they're good to have sometimes.
4. Benchmade makes excellent folders. And their Nimravus is an epic all-purpose fixed knife, too.
5. Spydercos are ugly, but decently made.
6. Cold Steel makes serviceable stuff that feels cheap.
7. Leatherman multitools are an exceptionally useful thing to get into.
8. Tantos are cool-looking, but I've never kept one longer than a week or so.

My advice:
Buy a Randall Model 5 for your belt and a little fixed Behring for your pocket, then a Benchmade folder if you want it. Then a Leatherman.
 
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I’ve been clicking all over BladeHQ, but don’t think I can tell which brands are good quality and which are worth the money. I’m looking for a website or YouTube channel to do my research. Any suggestions?

P.S, I have a bunch of inexpensive blades. Looking for a higher quality EDC.
Enbloc’s NES knife threads😂👍🏻
 
I like knives and I like the idea of nice knives, but now that I know the prices of things that go bang, I can't bring myself to buy a knife more expensive than a gun.

Thankfully, I don't have blade ADD any more. Been carrying the same knife for over 20 years now. Had a few short trials with other knives along the way but always go back to this one.
Which one...???
 
I’ve been clicking all over BladeHQ, but don’t think I can tell which brands are good quality and which are worth the money. I’m looking for a website or YouTube channel to do my research. Any suggestions?

P.S, I have a bunch of inexpensive blades. Looking for a higher quality EDC.
Don’t be afraid to ask. I’m a knife junkie and can help. Most knives these days are decent. There are very few shitty knives besides $5 Chinese shit.

most mid to mid/high end knives are about $100-$200 for a folder maybe more for a larger fixed blade.

I posted 3 Microtechs in the classifieds a couple hours ago. Microtechs are hard to come by at reasonable prices and are probably high (ish) end as far as production knives go. If money is no object, look at some of the smaller custom knife makers.

Benchmade, cold steel, spyderco, Tops, are all good quality for the money on the lower end of good knives.

edit: I have been a knife junkie for years. I have more money in knives than guns and am kind of ashamed at how much I have invested. I’m selling off most of my collection soon since all they do is sit in a drawer.

my EDC is a Swiss army fisherman I paid like $25 for. The others are just like smegle and his precious.
 
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I like knives and I like the idea of nice knives, but now that I know the prices of things that go bang, I can't bring myself to buy a knife more expensive than a gun.

Thankfully, I don't have blade ADD any more. Been carrying the same knife for over 20 years now. Had a few short trials with other knives along the way but always go back to this one.
X3 Which one?
 
Holy crap! This thread is a full time job!! Now I know what I’m going to binge research while stuck at home.

There are some questions in this thread about my original ask and interests.

I now realize I’m looking for a few different knives to meet needs. Love the idea of some cheaper knives to share with the Scouts (quality enough to not break or hurt the kids).

I like the idea of a folder as EDC as I also carry my FNX-9 and it just fits my personality of not attracting attention.

But... a fixed knife for Scout activity/hiking needs seems to be an excellent idea and the options are amazing.

Thanks again to @enbloc for all the guidance and the rest of you knife nuts for the advice!
 
Holy crap! This thread is a full time job!! Now I know what I’m going to binge research while stuck at home.

There are some questions in this thread about my original ask and interests.

I now realize I’m looking for a few different knives to meet needs. Love the idea of some cheaper knives to share with the Scouts (quality enough to not break or hurt the kids).

I like the idea of a folder as EDC as I also carry my FNX-9 and it just fits my personality of not attracting attention.

But... a fixed knife for Scout activity/hiking needs seems to be an excellent idea and the options are amazing.

Thanks again to @enbloc for all the guidance and the rest of you knife nuts for the advice!
The Scout shop has a decent amount of knives. You can get cheap ones there for the scouts.
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I advise an outdoors club at school. On the last overnight we went on, I laid out about $130 and loaded up with as many Moras and Opinels as I could get, I think 3-4 of each IIRC.

The Opinels, especially, are cheap enough to be almost expendable. But they're brilliantly simple in design and construction, reliable, easy to keep sharp, and safe.
 
People that have Opinals swear by them. I bought a Morakniv from a friend that was making handles for them. They are crazy sharp. I should break it out and use it in the kitchen.

Opinels are hard to beat as a general light-duty knife, once you factor in cost; they're easy to find in a number of sizes for under $20, but the quality is above-par. With that said, the blades tend to be a little slender; they won't hold up to rough tasks. But they benefit from having like four parts, total; the locking mechanism, for example, is designed with the assumption you might loosen the blade, and it accounts for that.

Moras are almost suspiciously cheap. Sturdy, too. Those are what you baton with.
 
Opinels are hard to beat as a general light-duty knife, once you factor in cost; they're easy to find in a number of sizes for under $20, but the quality is above-par. With that said, the blades tend to be a little slender; they won't hold up to rough tasks. But they benefit from having like four parts, total; the locking mechanism, for example, is designed with the assumption you might loosen the blade, and it accounts for that.

Moras are almost suspiciously cheap. Sturdy, too. Those are what you baton with.

Moras are perfect truck/car knives. You’re not locking up $100 and the things do what they’re supposed to, when they’re supposed to. I prefer something a bit beefier for a multi-use fixed blade (bushcraft nonsense) like a RAT 3 or 4. Still not overly expensive, but a bit less expendable than a Morakniv.

Edit- Also, trying to sharpen a scandi ground knife always make me second guess my intelligence. I know it’s not that difficult, but it always requires a good few head scratches and at least one pensive walk in a circle.
 
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