What’s your favorite big name/well known/large scale production knife and/or company?

would Zero Tolerance count as a large company?

I know they haven’t done much in the last few years, but they have been coming out with a bunch of knives in Magnacut lately with different scales & finishes…Kershaw too
I would normally chalk that up to the steel alone; but Magnacut has been out for quite a while now, so I’m glad to see them get their heads out of their asses. I was worried about them for a bit.
The prices have gone up a bit, but so has the quality IMO (they took care of any lock up issues, heat treat complaints, and overall the materials are better than they used to be).

My top 3 right now would be Hinderer, Microtech and Zero Tolerance, it’s difficult to choose just one.
 
tony281sc2 said:
would Zero Tolerance count as a large company?

I know they haven’t done much in the last few years, but they have been coming out with a bunch of knives in Magnacut lately with different scales & finishes…Kershaw too
I would normally chalk that up to the steel alone; but Magnacut has been out for quite a while now, so I’m glad to see them get their heads out of their asses. I was worried about them for a bit.
The prices have gone up a bit, but so has the quality IMO (they took care of any lock up issues, heat treat complaints, and overall the materials are better than they used to be).

My top 3 right now would be Hinderer, Microtech and Zero Tolerance, it’s difficult to choose just one.
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I would not consider any of those large big name companies. At least not in my opinion. To me big name means many models available at local stores. But I do like the brands you mentioned.
 
tony281sc2 said:
would Zero Tolerance count as a large company?
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While it is viewed as a separate company, ZT is just an operating unit of KAI USA Ltd (based in Oregon) which itself is a subsidary of the parent company, KAI Group (based in Japan) which has its origins in the cutlery business going back over 100 years.

Pete Kershaw created the Kershaw Company in 1974 which was later acquired by or merged with KAI USA Ltd in 1977. The ZT brand was added to KAI USA Ltd's product line in 2006. The only other brand of knives made/sold by KAI USA Ltd is Shun. KAI USA Ltd did not start making its knives in the US until 1996.

At last count, there were 63 (mostly 1970-90) Kershaws and 45 (mostly early) ZTs in my collection. That's a total of 108 knives made by KAI USA Ltd, which is the second largest group of knives made by a single company in my collection.

So, I'd call KAI USA Ltd my 2nd favorite knife making company after Spyderco.

PS: FWIW, six (6) of the Kershaws in my collection were made before the Kershaw was acquired by or merged with KAI USA Ltd in 1977. These are all Hatori designed fixed blade knives from the Hunter Series which were among the 1st knives that Kershaw ever made/sold.

See: Kershaw Hatori Hunters
 
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Hashishiin said:
Love Spyderco, Buck, Ontario, Cold Steel... Got custom scales for my RAT and PM2 in maple/Cruwear and Ti/S45 on a PM2, PM2, many materials (Micarta/Cruwear, Alum/BD1N, G10/10V, a wharnie version)... A ton of other Spyderco (most owned brand 25+)... And am an Espada devotee with fancy XLs in S35, XHP, two regular XL in AUS10 and a hollow ground original reg XL, fancy L in XHP and AUS-8, and two XHP regular Ls. That makes me feel nuts.
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Whoa, that’s a lot of Espadas 😵‍💫. I have an XL in G-10 and a large fancy S35v on the way. I thought I crazy for ordering two. It just goes to show, if you think you have a problem, there is always someone on Bladeforums to put things into perspective for you 🤗
 
For me, it's going to be Benchmade, Buck, Case, and Spyderco. I can't tell you which one is my ultimate #1 favorite, because honestly that changes and could be a different answer that day I'm asked, based on what I might be carrying or have carried recently. Right now, I'm back to being obsessed with how good Spyderco edges are, so maybe they're my favorite. But I also love how Buck continues to make beautiful, classic knives and all of the ones I've gotten in recent memory have been great. In that same manner, Benchmade and Case have been big winners for me in the last couple of years because every knife I've bought from those companies (and it's been several) have been perfect in all aspects. So yeah, I can't say which is which.

Now, if I had to pick only one company I'd be able to buy knives from for the next however long, I'd probably have to go with Spyderco or Benchmade because their product lines are diverse enough that I could have every single cutting need I have, handled as I'd want from these two companies.
 
For me it’s Spyderco first, Benchmade second and then a few share third. For my uses Spyderco makes the best knife and have the widest selection of steels. I primarily like the lock backs the best. Golden and Seki are both great IMO. Still haven’t tried the Chap, but it’s on my list.
 
Another Shepherd said:
Tie between Benchmade and Spyderco. Both make some great knives.

I dislike liner locks and frame locks. That rules out a lot of the more expensive brands.

I like serrations. Benchmade has excellent combo blades but no fully serrated blades that I am aware of. Spyderco's combo blades have funky grinds, but they have some good fully serrated blades.

I like knives that can be opened with a thumb or finger flick, which includes almost all manual Benchmade knives and most non-thread-locked Spydercos with compression locks. I am willing to settle for a wrist flick on some Spydercos that are fully serrated or have special steel such as LC200N.

Benchmade has much better quality control, but their choices in steel and handle colors are a little boring. Spyderco knives with compression locks are excellent when they are not thread locked, but their lockbacks are hit or miss.

Particular Benchmade knives: Rukus II, Mediator, Volli, Bugout, Griptilian, Nakamura, Mini Adamas

Particular Spyderco knives: Para 3, PM 2, Pacific Salt 2, Salt 2, Caribbean Salt, Sliverax, Yojimbo 2, Canis

Other brands: Protech Malibu, Civivi Cogent, We Ziffius and Exciton, Cold Steel Ultimate Hunter, Kunwu Pulsar, Kizer Cormorant

Fixed blades: Gerber Strongarm, Mora Kansbol, Cold Steel AK-47, Ruike Hornet F815, ESEE Xancudo 3 S35VN, ESEE 4 S35VN
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..did you really say "benchmade has quality control"? Really? Oof.

On topic- i am a big fan of Arno Bernard. Are they mainstream enough? If not ill have to fall back on shirogorov
 
To answer my own thread, for fixed blades I love Tops, Becker and Esee. As much as i promote Tops, every time I hold a big Becker it feels like home. So Becker is probably number 1 for fixed blades. For folders, Buck is at the top of my list, with Cold Steel close behind. I do have Benchmade and Spydercos, but I don’t really carry them.
 
Kershaw got me into using knives, benchmade got me into collecting/buying too many knives, and spyderco is now getting me to appreciate the versatility of different knives and how each one can have an intended purpose beyond just cutting stuff.

Honestly so many great models but some heavy hitters for me are the shaman, crooked river, and leek. Also shoutout to microtech’s socom elite manual. That thing is a beast and gets carried often
 
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