Knives you've seriously considered buying, but never pulled the trigger on

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Kaizen1

Kaizen1

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Which knife models have you seriously considered buying, or have been in the back of your mind to maybe try out one day that you've been interested in, but for whatever reason you have yet to commit and purchase? Why haven't you given it a shot yet?

What about knives you thought about for a long time and weren't sure about but gave them a try - how did those work out for you?

For others, if you see a knife that someone has been curious about and you've tried that knife out, maybe share whether you think it was worth the purchase or not and why.

Some knives I've thought about off and on for years now and never bought:
  • Spartan Blades V-14 Dagger: I love daggers but have no use for them, and this one is priced kinda high for me to just stare at. I have a smaller double edge fixed blade and although I still don't really use it, at least it's small enough that I carry it at least sometimes. This knife is too big for me to even do that every once in a while.
  • Southern Grind Bad Monkey waved: I've love a waved Spider Monkey, but they only make them for the larger size
  • Benchmade Adamas: This looks too big for any kind of regular carry. I just know I wouldn't like the weight on it. But it looks like a great design
  • CRK Umnumzaan: I think this one is a matter of time, but when I have the money for a knife in this range, it's just gone to something else so far. But I think it's in my future at some point.
A knife I've thought about for years and recently bought:
  • Spyderco P'Kal: It's a little awkward for me to open with the wave. I might still give it more time, but so far I don't think it's great for my purposes. I guess I was hoping it would feel a little more intuitive to open with the wave.
 
Busse knives; good knives but no factory sheath and I hate the hassle of trying to source an aftermarket sheath. I have a few of them but I have also passed up dozens more over this issue. An $500+ knife should come with something more than a cardboard wrapper.

n2s
 
fishface5 said:
Olamic Wayfarer. Love the knife, but it's just too dang nice for me too feel comfortable carrying!
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I get it. I have a custom Sharp By Design knife that I do carry in the pocket, but I'm pretty hesitant to try to use it.

not2sharp said:
Busse knives; good knives but no factory sheath and I hate the hassle of trying to source an aftermarket sheath. I have a few of them but I have also passed up dozens more over this issue. An $500+ knife should come with something more than a cardboard wrapper
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Yeah, I gotta agree that these should have sheaths. It's pretty strange, but they have such a strong following. It's kinda impressive how they've been able to get away with it for as long as they have.
 
A Chris Reeve folder, maybe a smaller Sebenza, but never could see spending for it, one of those grail pieces.

One that is more obtainable, finally got a knife in 5160 to try, a Buck 117 from C&C. I will probably use it more than some others in 5160 I have from some custom makers, reluctant to use them and hurt them. So for me it is about not being afraid to use.......and enjoy........the knives I already have. And if I am like many here, we have a lot in our collections. :D
 
Buck 112 in 5160 with drop point (almost ordered one, then found a two-dot clip point in 440C instead); Buck 117 (but if I ever find one locally...).
 
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Kaizen1 said:
  • Benchmade Adamas: This looks too big for any kind of regular carry. I just know I wouldn't like the weight on it. But it looks like a great design
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I have owned one for some years now, and while I don't carry it as often as I used to, it is one of a few knives from my collection I would replace if lost or sold or given away. I have seriously abused that knife doing things that really shouldn't be done with a folding knife, like heavy prying, batoning through wood, digging... And yet the lockup remains solid with minimal blade play, the D2 blade holds a decent edge, and the action is about as good as the day I bought it. Yes, the weight of the knife is considerable, but it is comfortable in hand during long periods of use. It mostly gets carried when I know I'll have use for a really overbuilt folder, but a fixed blade of the same size just isn't as practical.
 
A lefty Ferrum Forge in house USA made and a lefty from Olamic. Ended up being too many choices for me to be dead set on one. Plus those are at a price that I wouldn’t feel comfortable using and carrying. Talked with both companies on several occasions. Just couldn’t talk myself in to it.

Also a Crk Nyala. Have danced around it for a long time just haven’t pulled the trigger yet. That one is much more likely.
 
Shirogorov, Olamic and Gareth Bull have had my attention on some of their models for a while
But at the end I have not been comfortable in spending so much money on knives that are as much art than tool sometime
I like my knives to be made to be tools

I like Spyderco, CRK, Hinderer and other brands when they are consistent in their choice of material, conception and intended use
 
I’ve been thinking about getting a Muela Lobo bowie since watching Breaking Bad a long time ago. Just haven’t been able to justify spending the money on it yet.
 
A knife made by;

Dave Mirabile
Andrew Jordan
Matthew mcGregory
Ben Seward
Des Rosier
Samuel Lurquin
Claude Bouchonville

that’s it....for now.
 
it must be randall knives model #2...
model-2E.jpg


just did not happen when i knew
it would only end up a safequeen.
 
I made this list a few weeks ago, covering about the last fifteen years. I thought it was treading the line of thinking too hard about knives, but here we are:

Ontario Ranger RD4 Signature Edition
Bark River Fox River II T.U.S.K.
James Brand Hell Gap
Fiddleback Forge Duke
Fiddleback Forge Camp
Keffeler K-18
Treeman TASS
Busse Ergo Badger
Carothers EDC
Bark River Bush Seax
Busse Game Warden
Hinderer Flashpoint
Ontario TAK-1
Grayman Mega Pounder
Becker BK2
Condor Huron
Condor Knulujulu
TOPS MAK7
Condor Solobolo
Khukrui House Mukti
Khukuri House Himalayan Bear Claw Knife
TOPS Outpost Command
Condor Compact Kephart
Condor Otzi Knife
TOPS Baghdad Boxcutter
TOPS Mini-Scandi
TOPS Ranger Short Stop
TOPS Smoke Jumper
Becker BK16
TOPS Small BOB
TOPS Pry Knife
TOPS Mini-Pry
Bark River Highland Special
Bark River Mini Rogue
Bark River Bravo Squad Leader (4.6”)
Himalayan Imports Seax
Condor Krakatoa
Fallkniven PXL
Fallkniven GP
James Brand Carter
James Brand Folsom
Fox Core
WE Gentry
Extrema Ratio Ti Rock
Extrema Ratio HF-1
Cold Steel 4Max
Miller Bros T1
Benchmade Bugout
Benchmade Adamas
HEST Urban
ZT 0302
Spartan/Harsey T3
Les George/Protech SBR
Freeman 451
Szabo Express
Southern Grind Spider Monkey
Ferrum Forge/Massdop Mordax
Laconico EDC
Laconico Blast
Filip de Coene (Ensizen) Voyager
Rassenti Satori
PMP Beast
Spyderco Lum Chinese
Real Steel folding bushcraft
A G Russell Sunfish
Nemesis Knives MPR-3
Boker Strike
Cold Steel Tiger Claw
Cold Steel Immortal
Krudo Discipline
Mil-Tac MTF-3
Winkler Kilimanjaro
Ritter RSK folder
Real Steel Terra
Boker Zinker FR
Cold Steel AD-10
Viper DAN Wharncliffe

Edited for obsessive and boring pedantry
 
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On pricier knives, it's generally fixed blades and I ponder those choices. I'm to the point where I have just about every conceivable choice option covered with fixed blades that I might use. So, something new has to have a very specific purpose generally rather than some sort of impulse purchase.

I do or did have a habit apparently of just buying a Condor blade on impulse or near impulse. That has slowed down dramatically since they went to MAP pricing.

With folders, if the price stays below $200 and I want it, I will generally buy it. A few years back, I wanted a Spydie Kiwi 4 and purchased it at the 2015 Blade Show. I have been pleased with it for dressier situations. At the time, I thought the price a tad high but I still got it.

Shorttime Shorttime What do you think of the Condor Compact Kephart? I got one in late October and really love the little knife for edc. Been carrying it which is saying a lot considering that I could never find a fixed blade that I was completely comfortable with for edc use.
 
Shirogorov, cheburkov, Hinderer, and the spyderco Slyzs bowie. Slyzs bowie sells for substantial money now so maybe if a good deal is found on a user but all mainly these due to expense. I guess this is more of a wishlist lol. Im thinking a cheb scout is the highest on my list so maybe this year and before more people start realizing they are actually a good value and prices inflate.
 
22-rimfire said:
Shorttime Shorttime What do you think of the Condor Compact Kephart? I got one in late October and really love the little knife for edc. Been carrying it which is saying a lot considering that I could never find a fixed blade that I was completely comfortable with for edc use.
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I should have been clear about this list being the knives I've talked myself out of. The Compact Kephart looks really good, but I've found that my sweet spot for blade length is 3". I'll go down to 2.8125 or so, maybe. After that, it starts to feel like a "novelty" knife, to me.
 
Shorttime said:
I should have been clear about this list being the knives I've talked myself out of. The Compact Kephart looks really good, but I've found that my sweet spot for blade length is 3". I'll go down to 2.8125 or so, maybe. After that, it starts to feel like a "novelty" knife, to me.
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The Compact Kephart is very functional. It is no novelty knife. I believe the blade length is 2.6" and it obviously is a 3 finger knife. But many smaller folders are essentially 3 finger knives. I have been VERY pleased with it at it's cost point.

That was one hell of a long list.....
 
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