Starting knife collection *absolute beginner*

S

sharky84

Joined
Mar 30, 2013
Messages
3
Hi all,

I've never collected anything before. But I now want to start collecting knives. Unfortunately I have no clue about knives yet. At least I know what kind of knives I want to collect:

- Survival/Tactical knives
- Dagger knives
- Throwing knives

I also like historical knives, if you can call them that (replicas from knives/daggers used by historical characters).

I don't want to go cheap but not too expensive either at the beginning. I don't know the knife market yet, but I'd rather not buy knives which will lose their value over time.

Any advice? I just don't know where to start, what to buy, what not to but and to know if it's a good deal or I I'm getting ripped off :).

Thank you,
 
I wish i had known the better companies in the beginning. Kershaw/ZT, benchmade, and spyderco are all reputable knife companies. Coldsteel knives are not for everyone but they are rock solid knives. The only folders i have currently are 1 zt, 1 kershaw, 3 spydercos, and 2 saks. Also i would recommend making sure you really like the knife because on here there is a major temptation to trade and i have found that i have lost a lot of money from trading/selling/ and buying knives on impulse. Throwing knives = flying steel or cold steel throwers.

Shop around for great prices and at the exchange you will also find some pretty unbelievable prices.

Tactical is a pretty frowned upon fad here.

Good luck on your journey, because you will need it :D.
 
sharky84 said:
Hi all,

I've never collected anything before. But I now want to start collecting knives. Unfortunately I have no clue about knives yet. At least I know what kind of knives I want to collect:

- Survival/Tactical knives
- Dagger knives
- Throwing knives

I also like historical knives, if you can call them that (replicas from knives/daggers used by historical characters).

I don't want to go cheap but not too expensive either at the beginning. I don't know the knife market yet, but I'd rather not buy knives which will lose their value over time.

Any advice? I just don't know where to start, what to buy, what not to but and to know if it's a good deal or I I'm getting ripped off :).

Thank you,
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I'd be glad to take a few minutes and give you some advice.
ForwardProgressUSA@gmail.com
 
This is just my opinion, but as far as survival/tactical goes, I'm a huge fan of the Kabar Marine Fighting/Utility Knife.
 
There are a bunch of great brands which you can pick up some great knives at not too expensive a cost.

One of those brands which many will mention is "Spyderco".

Here are some great choices......

Spyderco Tenacious line (Tenacious, Ambitious, Persistence, Resilience)
Spyderco Stretch
Spyderco Centofante 3

Out of those listed I would HIGHLY recommend the Tenacious, amazing knife for under $50.

You can also find many offerings from Benchmade that will be around the $50-75 range and are amazing knives.

How much are you looking to spend on your first knife???
 
My suggestion is to do a lot of reading about any knife you're interested in before buying it. Read in this forum and other reviews, not just the retailers' websites ;)

Also, if possible, handle the knife in person before buying it. Look for all the parts to be fitted properly, look for blade play (movement of the blade in any direction), open and close it or sheathe/unsheathe it a few times to evaluate ergonomics.

Think about what you actually want to do with a particular knife and research whether the blade steel/geometry is good for that purpose. The "suggest a knife of X category" threads can be tedious, but there is a reason they exist, and can be a good way to find a lot of options to research further.
 
Along with the other brands mentioned so far you should also take a look at esee and becker knives. I kind of have the feeling you would really like some of cold steel's stuff though.
 
I suggest start with production knives

folders:
Benchmade
Spyderco
Zero Tolerance
Kershaw

fixed:
Bark River,
Fallkniven
Fiddleback Forge
Koster
Survive Knives
Busse

then consider midtech
Chris Reeve
Hinderer
Strider

by now you will know what you like and if you want to spend serious money for customs
 
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If I had to do it all over again, I would start with customs.
 
Mitchell Knives said:
If I had to do it all over again, I would start with customs.
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I agree. I would also add by the best you can afford. I've been collecting knives for over 30 years last 15 years almost only custom. Do you research, avoid impulse buys. and remember one well made knife is better than 10 cheap pieces of junk.
 
ridnovir said:
I suggest start with production knives

folders:
Benchmade
Spyderco
Zero Tolerance
Kershaw

fixed:
Bark River,
Fallkniven
Fiddleback Forge
Koster
Survive Knives
Busse

then consider midtech
Chris Reeve
Hinderer
Stryder

by now you will know what you like and if you want to spend serious money for customs
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Agree %100
 
i am a beginning collector as well. itll eat up money fast but imo its fun and worth it. as of now i have 10 or so folders. 9 of them are cheap $10-$20 folder. my favorite one is my medium sized Smith and Wesson S.W.A.T. knife. it cost me about 35$. it has a safety switch, opens insanely quick due to the assisted opening, and after about a year its still rock solid with no blade play. i just sharpened it to razor sharpness last night by carefully taking my time on a flat stone. the steel is 4034 stainless which i have no idea of its properties. i heard its badically 420hc but i havent researched that yet either. great starter "decent" knife for me and is my EDC until i buy a customizable benchmade griptilian off their website.(you should really check it out, search benchmade customizable griptilian)

like mentioned above, do some research on the knives before you buy them. read up on tanto vs straight edge and serrated blades verses non serrated. this is quite a fun hobby to get into!
 
The Cold Steel Kobun is one of the few knives that I bought when I started that I still own. It's a great knife with a great sheath. Being made of AUS8, it's not going to have super amazing edge retention, but it won't chip and is very corrosion resistant. After years of walking around outside in all kinds of weather conditions, with absolutely NO oil or anything on the blade, it has only tiny little orange spots here and there which recently came off with a little rust removing solvent. With a little shopping around, you can grab one for 25-30 bucks, easy.

However, if you want to skip up some quality rungs, spring for a Bark River, ESEE, or perhaps a ZT 0100 for your survival knife needs. It'll take a bigger bite out of your wallet, but, as a word of advice: you'll get there eventually anyway.
 
also if you find a knife you like check what steel the blade is made up and google it to hear what people have to say about it. bladeforums here is where i learn about 99% of steels just from helpful people telling me their properties.
 
I would say save your money and do research. Buy three or four nicer knives rather than being stuck with a drawer full of $20 to $40 knives.
Pick up a nice folder for the small stuff and EDC then look for a quality fixed blade with a good sheath. Now you can build your collection from those two
making changes in design and size.
If I had to start over again with two knives each under $125 I would choose Spyderco Paramilitary as a folder and ESEE 6 as a fixed blade.
 
I don't want to go cheap but not too expensive either at the beginning. I don't know the knife market yet, but I'd rather not buy knives which will lose their value over time.
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You'll find lots of old topics here, "Best Knife for $20," "Best Knives for $50," etc.

Although no one can predict which knives will be of interest to future collectors, bit if you want the knives to keep their value, or perhaps even increase, here are some general tips:

* Keep the knives in unused condition. Keep the boxes, paperwork, sheaths, accessories, etc. intact.

* Don't pay too much. Three guys buy the same knife. One guy pays the msrp of $70, another guy buys it at normal retail for $60, and the third guy buys it on closeout for $20. Guess which guy is most likely to make money selling in the future?

* Shop at whatever price level you're comfortable with, but don't waste money on junk. Stay clear of no-name knives, low-end imports, and brands with poor reputations.

* Buy from reputable dealers. Plenty of counterfeits out there, and sellers who don't deliver. Utilize the "The Good the Bad and the Ugly" forum area for seller and dealer reviews.

- Survival/Tactical knives
- Dagger knives
- Throwing knives
I also like historical knives, if you can call them that (replicas from knives/daggers used by historical characters).
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Sorry, I'm out of the loop when it comes to replicas, daggers, and throwing knives.
Survival knives that are well-respected right now include Becker Knife and Tool, ESEE, Condor, Ontario Ranger series, and several Scandinavian brands. Here is the Great Outdoors forum area where such things are discussed regularly:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/864-The-Great-Outdoors

Welcome to BladeForums, and good luck in your quest.
 
Some fantastic knife brands are:
Victorinox
Kershaw
Spyderco
Leatherman


You might see Frost, Tac Force, BudK, United Cutlery, or Gerber in a lot of places.
Do yourself a favor and give them a VERY wide berth.
Those companies aren't even worth the time. (well, actually, Gerber has like 2 quality knives, the Gator and the EZ out)

For historical, try some KaBar fighting knives perhaps?

Traditionals are nice too, you might check out W.R. Case & Sons
 
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