The first knife you bought yourself

mnblade

mnblade

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Feb 7, 2000
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Okay, we often discuss our first knives here – usually given to us by a parent or grandparent, etc. But what about the first quality knife you bought for yourself. For me it was a Victorinox Tinker when I was about 15. I had a fair number of knives (some decent, some utter crap) that had been given to me for Christmas, birthdays, etc., or that I’d picked up from friends via the swap block.
But that Tinker was the first time I ever saved up my own money and went down to the store and bought myself a quality knife. I carried it everywhere with me – yep, even school, although it was forbidden. Unfortunately, our senior class in high school took one of those three-day booze cruises to the Bahamas and it got confiscated while we were boarding the ship. :mad:
 
Buck Trapper. Not only the first quality knife I'd ever owned, but also the first with stainless steel blades. Still have it, 30+ years later.
 
I can't remember the very first knife I ever bought for myself, but I do remember buying a Buck Crosslock. It was a great knife, until I tried to use my new DMT Diamond hone to "sharpen" it. Once I got done, the blade was reprofiled, and resembled a hawkbill :(
Please, listen when someone tells you that diamond hones will remove lots of metal very quickly!

The next quality knife I bought was a Gerber Gator in ATS-34...lordy, I really thought that was a lot of money to pay for a knife, but dangit, I was gonna treat myself to the very best, no matter the cost :)

I've come a long way since then, and while it has been lots of fun, it sure is getting expensive.
 
A victorinox SAK. Then another, to replace it when I lost it. Then another.

Then a couple of Bucks.

Then I discovered Chris Reeve. Busse. Mad Dog. SOG. Spyderco. And more.

Then my wallet deflated at a frightening rate.:rolleyes:
 
A nice Kershaw gentleman's folder I bought right after I left boot camp (c1981). I remember one time I found myself at a transient barracks with a can of chicken spread and no can opener and I used the Kershaw :D . I abused it further for a few more years, then traded it away for something that I can't even remember.
 
First one? A Colonial Barlow, bought probably when I was around 10, at a hardware store. Cost about $4, made of 1095. What memories!

Mike
 
Happy memories!
A Joseph Rodgers sliplock, with sheepsfoot blade - bought from the local bicycle shop in Africa - must have been in the mid 1960's.
The Sebenza of it's time in that part of the world.
 
I was the tender age of 15, when I'd finally saved enough cash to buy a plain edge Spyderco Police. Nearly cut my thumb off the first time I tryed the new concept of "one hand opening"!!! I remember wanting the knife so much, due to the constant advertising done in Combat Handgun. I still have it, ten years this Nov. 26, and I have never even sharpened it.
 
The first would have to be a Benchmade 970. Coolest knife I had ever seen at the time and boy did I think it was stout! Then I discovered frame-locks :D
 
It was around 1967, I was 14 or so. Bought a Case Swing Guard lockback. Thought it was the coolest knife I had ever seen and I just had to have it. Still have it.
 
When I got out of school, I went to work for my Dad, changing oil in cars. I did what anyone in my small town would do, went to the hardware store and bought a Case. Best I could afford was a new 1975 Sodbuster, Jr. and a genuine Case Arkansas stone. Still carry it sometimes, still got the stone.
 
After a few cheepo POS types, one of which I still have, I paid what seemed like an arm and a leg for a Spydie Mariner, which I still have. Still a fantastic knife! Then a Gerber LMF, which remained NIB till I sold it earlier this year.

First good "tactical" was a Mission MPT, when I couldn't find a Mad Dog--since corrected that lil problem :)
 
I think the first one that I bought was a basic 4-blade scout knife clone made by someone like Utica Cutlery or Kutmaster. Back in those days I never saw a SAK. As I recall my scout knife cost 98 cents plus 4% sales tax.
 
My parents bought me knives when I was younger, but the first knife I bought myself was with the money I got for Christmas from my grandmother. I was 11 years old and I bought a Randy Lee custom hunter from a store inside a mall in Arizona(of course my parents had to hand them the money since I was too young to actually purchase a knife). I have bought three more of his knives since then( I am now 22). Wonderful knives!
 
It was Case locking folder with stag scales. I'm not sure of the model, but it had a mirror polished, clip point blade, and double folding guards. In my youth back then in the early 70's, I thought I had the perfect hunting knife. I was SO proud of that knife. I think maybe I had paid about 40 or 50 bucks for it, which for me was a bundle. I used that knife to field-dress and skin coastal blacktails, and wild hogs common to the central California coast. If I had only really known knives back then, I would have picked a hunter much more suitable for the task at hand. But I didn't know any better, thought the folder was just perfect, and just had a great experience with it. Can't complain about that....
 
In 1965 when I was 12 years old I bought a no name machete. The next year with monet from my mowing lawns I bought a Puma hunter. I do not recall the model.

I have had a love affair with knives for a long time.
 
Gerber TAC II and Gerber Parabellum, both found their way onto my LBE
 
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