Best and Worst purchases of 2016

Best- Emerson Horseman, I love this knife
Worst- Kershaw Link, On paper it looked good but once I got it, it just didn't fit me
 
Best: Old Randall Model 18

Worst: Blackbird SK5 I was really excited for this blade for a long time, finally got it, and it just disappointed on multiple levels.
 
Best:
-ZT0566BW
-Boker tree brand carbon tracker with the charred beer barrel handles

Worst:
-SOG Instinct. Horrendous grind looks like it was done by a first timer. Should have walked away at 5cr15 but..... I am in desperate need of a good boot knife with a solid clip, flush across the top of the boot, that wont fall out of the sheath. Have tried everything I can find from Gerber, SOG, Colt, S&W, etc. Have yet to find any "nicer" options out there, it's like the industry just ignores boot carry; but I wear boots exclusively and find it a great carry locale that I don't even notice or feel.
-Fake Rat 1. Just found out it is fake, so I am a bit sour about it still..... Gotta snag a real one now....
 
- Best:
Cold Steel Rajah II - $50
Spyderco Lil' matriarch - $90
Cold Steel Espada L - $60
Victorinox Spirit - $45

- Worst:
Cold Steel Swift - won't open nicely, needs much adjusting and I can't get it right. Might also have the weakened spring that snaps after some time of use...
Gerber MP600 Pro Scout
 
Best: 0562CF - for some reason it took me ages to throw down on this knife. Finally did, and I love it.

Worst: Boker Brad Zinker flipper. The 2.75 inch little guy. The hardware is garbage and stripped immediately so I can't take it apart. Otherwise it's actually kind of awesome

Honorable mention for both the best and the worst: 0606CF - I am battling uphill using something with a proprietary pivot as an EDC, but hey, the thing is too sweet not to use. By all accounts it is a knife nearly perfect for me, BUT like I said, I can't disassemble the thing, and the action feels a little bumpy, like the washers are damaged and the bearings are rolling weird and I can't get in there to take a look at it


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Best - Spyderco native 5 (g-10), Buck 501. The native is a great size and I love that it's simple. No springs or fancy locks, just a straight forward knife. It's still a little stiff, but getting better the more I carry it. The Buck has been such a surprise for me. Never in a million years did I think I would carry it. I just got it because it was in my budget at the time and thought I'd give it a chance. The size and blade shape are fantastic.

Worst - Case sowbelly stockman. I don't dislike it, but I thought I would like it a lot more than I do. It feels good in hand but there's just something about it that makes me say "meh...". Not bad, but not great either...
 
brandoak said:
Best
Rike 1507. (Not necessarily the best knife I purchased, but a great lesson that China is producing some really fine cutlery these days.)

Worst
Rockstead Ryo
Wow, what a disappointing lesson that sometimes your buying nothing but a name and a membership into the country club.
Click to expand...

I've been considering getting a Rockstead, what was so disappointing about it?
 
The best: Spyderco PM2 that i got as a souvenir on one of my trips, which i originally planned to replace my 4 year old Native5. I can't believe it took me that long to pull the trigger on this one. The knife is just perfect!

The Worst: The HK Mini axis, it came out of the box with vertical blade play! After just a month of usage the omega spring broke on me.

-Kevin
 
Best: Recon 1, Rat 1

Worst: a 15$ Karambit that my inner ninja forced me to buy... what a piece of garbage..
 
Best? Hard to say, but the Kizer Ursa Minor blew me away.

Worst? Boker FR... Not sure why I bother with Boker anymore
 
Best: all of my purshases/gifts have been good this year but the Benchmade 550-1 has been the most surprising. I love that knife and didn't expect it after I didn't like my other Benchmade purchase.

Worst: Like I said, I don't have a bad purchase but my most unnecessary was a Case tiny toothpick. I still like it but I might almost never carry it.
 
My best one was the CRK Unumzaan I bought off the exchange. I carry that one very frequently. It was a year of discovery for me as I bought my first Hinderer and Strider knives. I decided Strider was not for me and sold off my SMF. I'm looking forward to getting another Hinderer and one more CRK next year.
 
Best: A umnumzaan that I bought here on the forums

Worst: I don't even have it yet, but it did ship this morning. Will definitively be the worst knife I own using any objective criteria you care to choose...but I cannot pass up the amusement value of the CRKT Wrinkle "poop" knife.
 
my best purchase: 2016 Violet purple microtech ultratech. My only gripe is I hate the cerakote type black finish. I would much prefer DLC. But aside from that it is my baby. But not in the sense that I baby it. I finally got over my obsession of keeping knives in mint condition and I have been carrying and using it like crazy. I finally live up to my forum name.

Worst purchase: I didn't purchase it but rather was a gift for Christmas I asked for. It was a combative edge legacy balisong. Without a doubt the biggest hunk of crap to have the word balisong attached to it. The S90V blade while sounding appealing at first let me down when I discovered that 1/4 of the blade was never even sharpened. And the parts that were sharpened had a rolled edge and wouldn't cut anything. And I mean NOTHING. I literally could not get any portion of what they call an edge to grab my fingernail. Then I noticed the titanium liners had a gap between the G10 overlay but only on one scale. And that was because they had machined "first production run" on the wrong side of the liner. The liners have one side that is chamfered for comfort and the other is flat to butt up against the G10. But instead of making a new liner or machining first production run on the side it should have been on the geniuses simply reversed that single liner. That leaves the chamfered edge up against the g10 and gives the impression of a gap. Blade grind was wonky and the action was piss poor. Easily the most laughable balisong I have ever owned and I owned a mil-tac breeden pry bar abomination.
 
PURPLEDC said:
my best purchase: 2016 Violet purple microtech ultratech. My only gripe is I hate the cerakote type black finish. I would much prefer DLC. But aside from that it is my baby. But not in the sense that I baby it. I finally got over my obsession of keeping knives in mint condition and I have been carrying and using it like crazy. I finally live up to my forum name.

Worst purchase: I didn't purchase it but rather was a gift for Christmas I asked for. It was a combative edge legacy balisong. Without a doubt the biggest hunk of crap to have the word balisong attached to it. The S90V blade while sounding appealing at first let me down when I discovered that 1/4 of the blade was never even sharpened. And the parts that were sharpened had a rolled edge and wouldn't cut anything. And I mean NOTHING. I literally could not get any portion of what they call an edge to grab my fingernail. Then I noticed the titanium liners had a gap between the G10 overlay but only on one scale. And that was because they had machined "first production run" on the wrong side of the liner. The liners have one side that is chamfered for comfort and the other is flat to butt up against the G10. But instead of making a new liner or machining first production run on the side it should have been on the geniuses simply reversed that single liner. That leaves the chamfered edge up against the g10 and gives the impression of a gap. Blade grind was wonky and the action was piss poor. Easily the most laughable balisong I have ever owned and I owned a mil-tac breeden pry bar abomination.
Click to expand...

Glad I read that. I haven't ever messed with balisongs, but I've been intrigued a few times and that was one I kicked around the idea of picking up. Sorry you got such a craptastic knife, but good to know that I should stay far away.
 
I've scored a couple of knives I really appreciate this year. Notable is a Greg Neely fixed blade, ats34. Bought it cheap, found out what it is and couldn't be happier. It was the last stock removal knife he did before he committed to full time forging. Just very well made. I also scored a Crawford Falcon folder made around 92. The only folding falcon I've ever seen listed anywhere other than the CRKT versions that you can still find. One of the best handmade folders I've ever owned and that is saying something. Oh yea an original EKI Mach 1 made in 2k with hard chrome finish, original Spec War logo and in green scales. I've seen others going for alot more than I paid for this one that were made in later production runs. This is new without box though. My personal opinion about EKI's early knives is that the attention to detail in the manufacturing process was better. Ok that's it for now. keepem sharp
 
An odd answer, but I'd say this:

Best knife - my custom Olamic Wayfarer with their "sheepscliffe" blade
Best knives overall - I've gotten into Emersons this year and have really enjoyed all of the knives I've purchased. I went from zero to eight knives.

Worst Knife - Sadly, one of my last purchases of the year, my new Rittergrip. I mean, I like it, I just don't love it. It has some things that just make it very feel very cheap and wobbly, which isn't really what you want in a knife that is billed as being a survival/woods tool. Ah well.
 
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