What knife surprised the hell out of you and made you rethink everything?

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akthor

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Jan 23, 2010
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In my eternal quest for the ultimate EDC, I want a knife I wear everyday for years like others do a watch. I've gone thru so many from all the big companies including customs and gold class benchmades. I've tried most of the popular ones: ZT 300, 350, 0560, 0550, tons of spydercos too many to list, same with kershaw. The closest I've come to it is the Kershaw Skyline but its a little too small for my liking I tend to use it as a dress knife where the light weight of the knife matters.

The other I really liked was the BM griptillian. Loved the size, felt great in the hand, carried well. Good weight not too heavy but still felt stout enough to do a heavy chore. Really am a fan of the axis lock too. BUT I abhorred the plastic handle! Made the knife feel and look cheap. So I sold it and kept looking.

Then folks starting making custom scales and standoffs for the grips. I was like A HAH! Perfect! So I really like stonewashing as a finish and the Ritter grips were stonewashed. So kept my eyes peeled and snagged a Ritter with custom carbon fiber scales only thing was it was drilled for left hand carry. But it was a good deal and I figured I could always sell off the scales. I promptly ordered green micarta scales and green anodized standoffs and a stonewashed deep carry clip. I was like Ahhhhhhh all done! Much like when I got my perfect fixed blade and stopped searching now I was done looking for a folding edc.

BUT then one of the only knives I really had my eye on and never got to try appeared on the exchange for a killer price. I couldn't resist and my custom scales hadn't arrived yet so I figured what the hell? I bought it and when it arrived it blew my mind!

The Boker Plus Squail! Probably one of the all time best looking knives to my eye. But looks aren't everything right. But I loved everything else. The stonewashed blade, beadblasted titanium bolsters, my favorite scales - green micarta, the smallish pocket clip that doesn't interfere with the grip. It flips like its on oiled ice and locks up like a tank. Sits in the pocket great and fits my hand like it was made for it. Its a big knife (which I like) and makes my full size Ritter look like a skyline. All I wish is that it was a little lighter but I think I will disassemble it and drill out the liners and see if I can lighten it up a little but even as is its under 7ozs. I have never been so in love with a pocket knife like this before. Especially one being a Broker. Never expected that.

Now maybe when my custom scales and clip arrive I may change my mind but I really think I'll be selling a Ritter with two sets of custom grips ;)
 
Boker does have a few gems across its lineup.

No knife surprised the hell out of me, but the Al Mar Ultralights made me think a whole lot. I no longer own any, but the ones I had were definitely head-scratchers.
 
When I made my own friction folder and realized it's pretty much all I need. That being said I still continue to get make and purchase other knives, b/c diversity is the spice of life.

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CCK Cleaver is what made me stop and think. Paper thin grind and under 2mm at the spine made all of my folders seem downright dull by comparison. I don't want my folders and outdoor knives to be quite that thin, but it made me rethink my priorities when it comes to cutlery and I've started placing a much heavier emphasis on geometry ever since.
 
honestly nothing. Every time I think I have found the perfect knife I discover something about it that makes me want to throw it off a cliff.
 
Yeah, me too.

Hey, Hawk : Beautiful. All of it. My grail for today is a Higonokami....

As to the subject, it would be a RAT 1. 30-50 bucks. If you can get that good a knife for under $50, any custom or high-end knife I get better be perfect and melt my Nutella all over the place. Seriously, it really makes that steep curve of the sliding scale of quality v. cost and diminishing return clear.
 
This may sound snarky, but it is not intended to.

The first time I realized that the knife in my hand that was doing everything I needed it to do was almost completely different from the knives/styles that seeingly EVERYONE on the major knife forums was raving about.

There are so many trends, and while many put a new spin on old concepts...the basics have not changed and probly never will.

The flavor of the day can be fun, but I have not really experienced any that made me rethink everything.
 
I am new to quality knives but I have had many cheap knives over the years.
The knife that made me re-think what I thought I knew about knives is the Spyderco Bill Moran fixed blade.
I had never experienced sharpness like that before, made me question my bigger hunting knives
 
My fathers little Case peanut. It changed my mind about smaller knives.

I had always had a full size stockman or SAK on me. When I was in the army, the supply room handed out the old all steel MIL-K knives like lollypops att he doctors office. So I was used to a 3 1/2 to 4 inch pocket knife with close to a 3 inch blade.

When my dad passed away, his old Case peanut ended up on top of my dresser, and it sat there for a long time in a tray with some other knick knacks. Then my 20 year old Buck 301 stockman was going back to Buck for a spa treatment and new main blade. Just for yuks, I dropped my dad's old peanut into my pocket, expecting to just carry it for a bit out of sentiment, and that I'd find it really too small for my needs as a blue collar machinist working in a shop. I mean, the Case peanut is a joke, right? Growing up, I had always wondered why dad had bothered carrying such a small knife, aside from the fact that his mom had given it to him as he was leaving home for college. The first in his working watermen family to do so.

So I carried the little thing, and mid boring Ihad a job on the mill to modify some parts that had come in a heavy cardboard box sealed with that plastic tape that has the nylon stuff running through it. Tough stuff. I reached in my pocket for my Buck forgetting Ihad sent it off, and found my dad's peanut. Thinking 'aw heck' I opened the main blade and it sliced right through the stuff. The next day I had a job on the lathe, so I went over to the rack where the round stick was stored, and took out the peanut to cut the greasy tape that was holding the 1/2 inch bars in a bundle. Again, the thin little blade went right through.

This kept up for a while, and I kind of grew used to having my pocket freed up with a smaller lighter knife that did what I needed to in real world cutting. The Case peanut was an eye opener. When my Buck came back to me all fixed up by the Buck spa treatment, I was happy to put it back in my pocket and the peanut went back on my dresser. For a while. The Buck felt like a brick in my pocket, with the 3 7/7th size and thick enough for three blades. The two bladed 2 7/8th peanut would disappear in the pocket by comparison. Working on my BMW motorcycle, the peanut would cut a new length of fuel line clean as a razor blade. It opened UPS boxes like magic. I started to leave the Buck home and go with the peanut in my pocket. Dads little Case was an example that we don't really need as much knife as we think. Or at least I didn't, and thin is good for a cutting blade. It made me think of all those old guys I used to see growing up, that had the little pen knife in the pocket, and how they all knew what they were doing.
 
I wasn't surprised, but a Sebenza pretty much took the fluff out of buying any more modern productions at what I am willing to spend. Another surprise however, is how well a tuned and lubed Emerson and a 940 Benchmade made on a "good" day closes the gap just a little.
 
Spyderco Delica a long time ago.

At that time the design was not new, but not very well known either (at least where I lived).

It looked odd and in my eyes rather cheap (for a fairly expensive knife) and ugly. Then it changed my perspective to the point where a knife that doesn’t look a bit like a Delica or Endura looks quaint :). I still prefer FRN over any other kind of handle material.

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Buck 110

I loved the classic look but didn’t think it was for me. In use I actually find the knife very pleasant even though it’s a bit heavy to carry.

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Victorinox Santoku knife.

Great kitchen knife for not that much money!
 
A 50-55 year old Sears Craftsman made by Ulster I bought in the last year or so for $15. Showed me I really need not look further for excellence in folding knives.

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asdf12345 said:
Probably my 1996 Microtech Hawk. What a knife.
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good call..


The first knife to REALLY get me going that surprised me was a benchmade LFK
After I was an enthusiast I thought kershaw only made crap until I handled a 0561.
 
Swiss Army Knives. In my misguided youth I thought the blades were too small for any real "work", no locking tools, soft steel. Cheap plastic handles. I picked up an ALOX farmer and it completely changed my outlook. I realize now the amazing utility to these knives, and that a insert favorite model here would likely last anyone a lifetime of general use. I still generally pair a SAK with another knife, as I find many other knives enjoyable to use as well. But if I "had to choose only one .........", for some bizarre reason, make mine a Farmer :).

 
Whetstone39 said:
Swiss Army Knives. In my misguided youth I thought the blades were too small for any real "work", no locking tools, soft steel. Cheap plastic handles. I picked up an ALOX farmer and it completely changed my outlook. I realize now the amazing utility to these knives, and that a insert favorite model here would likely last anyone a lifetime of general use. I still generally pair a SAK with another knife, as I find many other knives enjoyable to use as well. But if I "had to choose only one .........", for some bizarre reason, make mine a Farmer :).

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I have a Vic Farmer on my belt everyday. Have had a SAK for 20+ years.

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As a left-hander I've been on the lookout for an easy-to-use knife with a lock that I can operate easily and safely. I kept trying backlocks since I was under the impression that the benchmade axis lock knives were way overpriced, and the lock was just mainly for show. I had handled a minigrip, a full grip, and a Contego and came away with the same impression from all of them, I didn't like them. I resigned myself to not really finding a good knife that was easy to use ever, since even the axis knives weren't working for me. Then I got a 950 rift, and as soon as I operated it for the first time, I was so happy because I knew I had just found exactly what I was looking for in a knife. With the addition of an Adamas, my main EDC issue is now settled for the most part, and I can just focus on my secondary EDC knives instead.
 
PURPLEDC said:
honestly nothing. Every time I think I have found the perfect knife I discover something about it that makes me want to throw it off a cliff.
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Your review of the Daboia/Venom 2 honestly made me rethink everything I thought I knew about Chinese knives. I thought they were pure garbage at worst, meh/adequate cheapies at best.
Anything about that one makes you want to throw it off a cliff?
 
COAST FX350. Everyone should own one to see exactly what I am talking about. Excellent steel imho and build quality is superb. keepem sharp
 
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