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bratch

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Slow night around the house so I’m posting for fun.

If you were limited to one manufacturer for all of your knife options, who would it be?

I have two that are in heavy rotation and a third that would fit in.

Benchmade: I’ve carried a Bugout almost daily for the past several years. My hunt pack has a Steep Country and a Hidden Canyon.

Buck: Last few months I’ve been carrying a 112 and took a 103 turkey hunting this spring.

Spyderco: I’ve carried a Delica off and on for decades and have the Salt series for kayak work and a Moran drop point for hunting.

If I was going a single pick today I think it might be Buck. Prices are reasonable and they have a wide range of offerings including classic slip joints. I have a 119 that I got at 10 years old and seem to have came full circle and am back into Bucks the last year or so.
 
Can we have one maker for fixed blade and another for folders? For regular production knives, I could live with ESEE for fixed blade and Kershaw/ZT for folders...

So I'd assume we're just talking regular production, right?

If only one... I'd have to go with Spartan Blades (hey, if I were sticking with one manufacturer, that means I would mind putting out serious bucks for every knife, right?).

But in the realm of fiscal responsibility, Buck is a top choice. Especially since Buck has a varied selection of fixed blades and makes the gold standard in the traditional folder.

I'm boycotting Benchmade (yeah, I'm one of those guys) even though I own some, but I do love my Spydercos.
 
If price isn't a consideration, Benchmade. But if on a budget I could be pretty happy with a Ka-Bar BK-16 fixed blade and Dozier folder. Total street price for both would be just over $100. I'd have to replace the BK-16 sheath and remove the blade coating, but that isn't hard or expensive.

bk16.png 4062.png
 
I'm not sure I have enough knife experience in my life to make an educated guess. That said, any one of the companies listed (Benchmade, Buck, Spyderco) has enough good products to keep me happy for life. I think I lean towards Benchmade, but wouldn't have any problems with the other two companies, either.
 
I probably have more Spydercos than all other knives put together.

I do like KaBar, Ontario, and ESEE a lot, too.

Cold Steel...hit or miss. Some junk, some innovation, some blatant rip offs of other folks' designs. They have made a lot of knives at very attractive prices, though. many of them at least usable, and offered a wide variety of outdoor objects through a single company, many of them priced well.

John
 
Old Dog said:
Can we have one maker for fixed blade and another for folders? For regular production knives, I could live with ESEE for fixed blade and Kershaw/ZT for folders...

So I'd assume we're just talking regular production, right?

.
Click to expand...

This is all for fun so play it however you like. I hadn’t thought about customs since I tend to think of them specializing in one product instead of a wide range.

JShirley said:
I probably have more Spydercos than all other knives put together.

I do like KaBar, Ontario, and ESEE a lot, too.

Cold Steel...hit or miss. Some junk, some innovation, some blatant rip offs of other folks' designs. They have made a lot of knives at very attractive prices, though. many of them at least usable, and offered a wide variety of outdoor objects through a single company, many of them priced well.

John
Click to expand...

Cold Steel is someone I didn’t even think about. I have some of their cheap fixed blades (belt knife, Pendleton lite) and a folder from the early 90s but the folder is the only thing that sees any use cutting cleaning patches on my work bench.
 
bratch said:
If you were limited to one manufacturer for all of your knife options, who would it be?
Click to expand...
I'm glad I'm not limited to one manufacturer for all my knife options. If I was though, I think TOPS Knives up in Ucon, Idaho builds great knives, and they build a lot of models. One of their models could easily replace any model of knife I already own (and use) from any manufacturer.
Well, that's not exactly true I guess - I wear a Wenger "Boy Scout Knife" in a homemade pouch on my belt all of the time - except when I'm in the bath, or in bed. And there's not a day goes by when I don't use it for something or the other. I don't think TOPS Knives builds any models that would replace my handy "Boy Scout Knife." ;)
 
I probably have more Spydercos than all other knives put together.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty close to 50/50 on Spydercos and Benchmade and generally call it a tossup between the 2 brands if only folders are concerned. As well as several other brands. Did I mention that I have way too many knives.

But if price weren't a factor I gave the nod to Benchmade primarily because I'm not thrilled with any of the Spyderco fixed blades.

Fortunately I don't have to choose only one brand.
 
SOG has me pretty-well covered. I carry a Flash 2 at work, a Twitch with wood scales as a "gentleman's knife", and a SEAL Strike for hiking. Might end up upgrading my hunting knifes, as well.
 
FL-NC said:
Buck or Case, at the expense of my numerous tacticool folders from Bench Made, Cold Steel, Emerson, etc. that I really like for EDC.
Click to expand...

Case is a good one. They are rolling out some nice modern designs using S35V and have a good fixed blade variety.
 
Gerber.

Wouldn’t kill me on cost. I could replace easily what doesn’t last but let’s be realistic, it would last just fine.

Most importantly though would be access to multi tools (or do those not count) since they are around orders of magnitude more handy than a lonely knife blade.
 
This is every pocket knife I own

20220222_140033.jpg

This is every fixed blade knife (excluding kitchen knives) I own

20220222_154207.jpg

As you can see it's not a huge collection. I'm not going to list each knife but by brand most to least I have

Buck
Gerber
Benchmade
Victorinox
Opinel (1)
Ontario (1)
Schrade (1)

Since the question was knife options I'm exempting my Gerber Multitools

If I had to pick only one I'd go with Buck

If I could pick two it would be Gerber and Buck
 
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Victorinox can provide whatever I need. They cover kitchen, multitool, folders and outdoor knives. KAI/Kershaw is another long line of well designed and made knives. It is wonderful to have other options such as ESEE, Hogue and Civivi, but Victorinox and KAI provide solid products that cover the basics in many ways.
 
Big surprise from me… Spyderco for fixed and folding. They make more users than lookers, but they have enough of both to satisfy me.
 
Since posting here I have purchased a bunch of knives. Gotta handle one to know what you like and what you don't like. I now have over 30 folders. I mix what I carry all the time now. These are the brands I found myself liking and carrying the most. Civivi, Spyderco, Steel Will, Daggerr, and Best Tech. How would one limit themselves to a single maker. Right now, if I had to Steel Will. I carry their Tasso the most and Cutjack second. Spyderco a close second.
 
Gerber for folding knives, I don't know enough about fixed blades to say for sure on them.

I have broken and damaged so many Spyderco, Kershaw, etc knives I have come to appreciate the metals used in Gerber's. Not nearly as flashy or cool, but much more functional for a guy who uses and relies on his knife daily.
 
Kabar. You can get a Gucci, expensive knife. Combat themed knives, from a maker that made legit combat knives. All the way down to cheap Warthog folders. As far as price, they have every base covered.
 
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