Knife Brands - Who are the best manufacturers?

[Andy54Hawken]

Some favorite brands that mean a lot to me:
My Blackjack model 5 and a Camillus "Demo" knife.
Both are knives that I carried in the Army and still use today.
The Blackjack is the knife with the compass
The Camillus is the middle knife in the pic with the three knives.
Andy

 

[Libertas7]

Some favorite brands that me a lot to me:
My Blackjack model 5 and a Camillus "Demo" knife.
Both are knives that I carried in the Army and still use today.
The Blackjack is the knife with the compass
The Camillus is the middle knife in the pic with the three knives.
Andy
View attachment 337863
View attachment 337861

I'm assuming that's a map of Germany?

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Yep its the training area of Hohenfels ...
My first time there in October 19 something... I can't remember when...
My dad who was also stationed in Germany Once upon a time asked me:
"If it was still raining there?"
I knew it I was in trouble then ...
Andy

 

[Certaindeaf]

Some favorite brands that me a lot to me:
My Blackjack model 5 and a Camillus "Demo" knife.
Both are knives that I carried in the Army and still use today.
The Blackjack is the knife with the compass
The Camillus is the middle knife in the pic with the three knives.
Andy
View attachment 337863
View attachment 337861

Love that Blackjack, Andy!

I like my Victorinox Pioneer and older but pristine and razor sharp 7" Camillus in an old Naval sheath (webbing, steel and bakelite).. oh and a Japanese 4" Spyderco plain edge.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Thanks Certaindeaf!
Not sure just how many scabbards its had... Between wear and tear or just cutting through the leather , its had a bunch.
It has a 5 1/2 carbon steel blade and a stacked leather handle.
Does duty as my camp knife , hunting knife and for all around heavy chores.
Andy

 

[Sgt Nambu]

LOL...so many knives, so little time. You could definitely say this about guns too.

I like to support American knifecrafters that are grinding blades and customizing handles right here on our soil when I can.

As a rule I completely support buying American, and have for many years. However, one thing I take the long view of is knives.
I like buying knives made in places like Seki, Japan where they have a 5,000 year history of sword and knife making! Shun, kitchen knives are made in Seki and imported by Kershaw. Over the years I have assembled a complete set! Love those bad boys! A number of Kershaw's other higher end knives are also Japanese.

I have a filet knife, a G-96 brand that's about 50yrs old and Japanese. It's incredible, thinnist blade you can imagine, so flexible enough to almost form a circle, hard edge, stays sharp forever (and I mean SHARP)!

Since this thread has morphed a little from favorite brand lists, I'm going to add a few knives that I liked in my youth.
1. Case 3"hunting knife
2. Buck 110 folder
3. Case 4.5" skinner
Case 4" slim blade fishing knife
Case Sodbuster

All of the old Case knives were high carbon steel!

 

[Certaindeaf]

Thanks Certaindeaf!
Not sure just how many scabbards its had... Between wear and tear or just cutting through the leather , its had a bunch.
It has a 5 1/2 carbon steel blade and a stacked leather handle.
Does duty as my camp knife , hunting knife and for all around heavy chores.
Andy

That looks like a nice sheath.
Mine will last forever.. unless I lose it or it gets burned up.
It has neat metal leaf springs in there that keep the edge from touching the inside of the sheath and provides some tension to boot.
net grab..

 

[Larrabee]

Case.

Just something about 'em.

 

[Mister Bisley]

As a rule I completely support buying American, and have for many years. However, one thing I take the long view of is knives.
I like buying knives made in places like Seki, Japan where they have a 5,000 year history of sword and knife making! Shun, kitchen knives are made in Seki and imported by Kershaw. Over the years I have assembled a complete set! Love those bad boys! A number of Kershaw's other higher end knives are also Japanese.

I have a filet knife, a G-96 brand that's about 50yrs old and Japanese. It's incredible, thinnist blade you can imagine, so flexible enough to almost form a circle, hard edge, stays sharp forever (and I mean SHARP)!

Since this thread has morphed a little from favorite brand lists, I'm going to add a few knives that I liked in my youth.
1. Case 3"hunting knife
2. Buck 110 folder
3. Case 4.5" skinner
Case 4" slim blade fishing knife
Case Sodbuster

All of the old Case knives were high carbon steel!

Absolutely! Some of the best kitchen/chef knives in the world are coming out of Seki. I just assumed we were talking about folders and fixed blades for EDC/hunting. Kitchen knives are another beast altogether. I really enjoy some of the large (7"+) Damascus blades for cooking at home.

 

[Certaindeaf]

This is Andy's knife, @AndyinEverson ..



I was in the process of polishing/restoring a very abused (my brother has a very different philosophy about tool care than me) Cold Steel Master Hunter Carbon V steel. I got it to a state more shiny than Andy's but I won't do a full restore (the edge came out awesome.. it was way f'd up).. I like some character to some knives.
It'll be a tiny bit like Andy's awesome knife.

Net grab.. and this is a pretty nice sheath..

 

[Mister Bisley]

This is Andy's knife, @AndyinEverson ..

View attachment 337880

I was in the process of polishing/restoring a very abused (my brother has a very different philosophy about tool care than me) Cold Steel Master Hunter Carbon V steel. I got it to a state more shiny than Andy's but I won't do a full restore (the edge came out awesome.. it was way f'd up).. I like some character to some knives.
It'll be a tiny bit like Andy's awesome knife.

Net grab.. and this is a pretty nice sheath..

View attachment 337881

View attachment 337882

That's a Cold Steel? Looks nearly identical to my Fallkniven F1

The knife industry sure does do a lot of copying
Just goes to show there is more than one way to get things done.

 

[Certaindeaf]

That's a Cold Steel? Looks nearly identical to my Fallkniven F1

The knife industry sure does do a lot of copying

View attachment 337883

Yes, they still make it but different steel and sheath.
I hear the new Cold Steel plastic sheaths dull the heck out of the knives. me no likey that
old ones are easy to get I hear (I think there's like three generations of steel and probably sheaths in their offerings.. generally)

 

[Mister Bisley]

What's the point of an edge dulling sheath? LMAO

I like Cold Steel, nice quality, decent price point. I only own one, the Finn Bear. It was a Christmas gift from my uncle.

 

[Certaindeaf]

What's the point of an edge dulling sheath? LMAO

No kidding. What the heck are they smoking?
I hear it's a pretty big issue in that just a few draws will dull some awesome steel. wtf
Maybe it's glass reinforced.. I don't know.

 

[Mister Bisley]

Upon closer inspection, the Master Hunter and the F1 are quite different on many levels. I just get excited and start typing

 

[Certaindeaf]

Upon closer inspection, the Master Hunter and the F1 are quite different on many levels. I just get excited and start typing

lol, I hear you. I like knives!
The MH is a wee beasty, pretty thick and the old steel is awesome. It'd be a toss up for me between the F1 and it, even with the F1's laminated blade.

 

[Captain O]

How about Ganzo ?

Ganzo - YouTube

I own one of their clip point automatics. It is a really decent value for the $18.00 I paid. While it isn't true 440C, it is very close in composition (9Cr18) that has been hardened to 58 Rc. The Chinese aren't doing too badly, but they still haven't matched the USA when it comes to using superior materials. The Japanese AUS-8 steel is excellent. I have two Boker Chinese knives that are very good values for the dollar.

Don't pooh-pooh the Chinese products. Some are very good, while others aren't "up to snuff". I wouldn't judge the Chinese products too hastily.

Perform your "due diligence", then decide.

 

[MrMillspecer]

My favorites are Benchmade , Kershaw and Buck. All American and local. Bucks in Post falls Idaho. You da ho. I have my dad's 512 buck we got him for Christmas when I was around 8. They had a commercial of them cutting through a nail when being hit by a hammer. Hard as heck to sharpen but once sharp holds an edge a long time. I like Leatherman also. Not super pickey but like made in the USA.

 

[BillGabby1]

Some favorite brands that me a lot to me:
My Blackjack model 5 and a Camillus "Demo" knife.
Both are knives that I carried in the Army and still use today.
The Blackjack is the knife with the compass
The Camillus is the middle knife in the pic with the three knives.
Andy
View attachment 337863
View attachment 337861

The Black Jack.........Now THAT'S a knife!
It's a deadly looking Beauty Andy.

 

[BillGabby1]

I own one of their clip point automatics. It is a relly decent value for the $18.00 I paid. While it isn't true 440C, it is very close in composition (9Cr18) that has been hardened to 58 Rc. The Chinese aren't doing too badly, but they still haven't matched the USA when it comes to using superior materials. The Japanese AUS-8 steel is excellent. I have two Boker Chinese knives that are very good values for the dollar.

Don't pooh-pooh the Chinese products. Some are very good, while others aren't "up to snuff". I wouldn't judge the Chinese products too hastily.

Perform your "due diligence", then decide.

I think what is happening is the better NAME brands are shipping the blanks to China and they are finishing them and assembling them and marking them made in China.
Make sense?