Knife Brands - Who are the best manufacturers?

[MrMillspecer]

Does this look like it?
Olsen OK Hunting Knife

Thanks for the info. Mines more of a skinner shape. Same company. Sounds like a keeper to me ! Yaba daba do ! (Fred Flintstone ,means hell ya)

 

[JamesG]

For fixed blade and manual side openers I like Benchmade. For autos it is hard to beat ProTech, Benchmade and Piranha. All well made with good customer service and on the west coast of the US.
Thanks:
James

 

[Captain O]

I've had a hankering for a Queen Barlow with a D2 Steel blade. These knives hold an edge like a dope fiend with a Heroin habit. (I have found them for $75.00, but I can't justify that high of a price).

Trust me, these knives are the "ultimate Barlow".

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Quality control can be iffy on Queen ( sad to say).
I like their knife designs and the materials are excellent.
But I bought a Queen "Mountain Man" folder ... And it had a burr on the back spring that put a nick in the blade edge.
Returned it and got a replacement ... had a burr on the liner ... scared the blade.

I hope you have better luck than me ...
Andy

 

[Captain O]

Andy,

I have two Queen folding knives a #1L (D2 Swing Guard that has been converted to Auto), and a Curly Zebrawood Stockman. Both are fine. The D2 is 61-62 Rockwell hardness and is difficult to make take an edge. Once the edge is there, it holds it well. I am slowly putting an edge on the Swing Guard. I may have Tom Veff of Oregon City put an edge on the spear point blade. (It is truly beautiful with its stag scales).

 

[Truenorth]

I've got a couple ESEE knives that have really grown on me.
2 fixed blades and a little flipper I use for EDC.
They're basically a low end Randall knife. I have to say they take a wicked sharp edge that holds up well. I sharpen my folder about once a week and use it constantly.
The fixed blades haven't needed a re-sharpening yet.

 

[Argonaut]

Puma, Boker, Knives of Alaska tough to beat Victorknox for a pocket knife. I use my BKT's a lot for heavy work. I do have a loveless built for me by Bob in the old days. It is a work of art and too valueable to use much. I have an old one piece Chris Reeves Avaitor I think that has been excellent too.

 

[Captain O]

I don't like to buy a knife on impulse. (Extensive research is our friend). The reason I finally bought the Queen Barlow was because it has (1) a Barlow design, (2) D2 steel blades (difficult to put an edge on the blades, but just as difficult to wear it off), (3) Queen Cutlery quality, and (4) gorgeous as well as durable Red Stag Bone scales.

Make sense?

 

[MDH]

I've got a dozen Benchmades, and have loved them since I bought my first one as a Search and Rescue cadet. I went to Excalibur Cutlery in Washington Square (RIP, you were a good company). I asked the guy behind the counter for the absolute best folder they had. He set me up with an Emerson CQC-7 (back when Benchmade made them). I still have that knife, and it's survived years of destructive hijinks. I bought a bunch since then, but I love their quality and designs.
I also have two Emersons (the Commander is tied with Benchmades limited edition AFCK-Stryker for the best knife design ever, in my book). I have Kershaws auto Emerson. I also own a variety of SOG (though their multitools are the best in the biz, bar none), Cold Steel (love that San-Mai III), and a couple of Masters of Defense. Strangely for a high dollar user, I also own a couple of Opinels, and I do love them. They are easy to sharpen, and maintain, and nobody looks twice when you pull one out.
The only rub, is that as I've gotten older and traveled more (to locales with different laws than Oregon, I carry simpler and less expensive designs to minimize the pain in the event that I have to surrender one, or lose one (never happened, knock on wood).
I love me some good steel, and they've named some of my favorites.

 

[MDH]

Also, William Henry is on the dream sheet. When my wife tells me I'm allowed to spend gun money on a knife.

 

[barhoads]

I no longer use Gerber since I keep seeing/hearing stories where they are anti-hunting.

 

[zofoman]

The Benchmade 551Griptilian is my favorite. Have owned various Bucks but, the Benchmade holds an edge for a long time. The Griptilian opens with a flick of the wrist...if that is important to you.

 

[Deacon]

I've had my Spyderco Police for over 13 years now and have carried it almost every day since I bought it. I like my Cold Steel's too, they're great blades for the money. If I was in the market for something new it would likely be from Spyderco or ZT.

 

[KBliss]

I'm a big fan of ZT and own several Benchmade. It is all about the quality of the steel and the fit and finish. One of my favorite knives came from CKF in Russia.....

 

[blaster1145]

Wow, lots of great stuff in this thread. The old fixed blade hunters make my heart hurt. My humble two cents... Benchmade 2550 I carried for about ten years, wore out the original blade. And a year-old Seb that gets more use now. Very different, these two, and cover every application I can fathom.

 

[BillGabby1]

Technically it's Deutsch for Germany.

Ist bin Deutsch, means I am German, not I am Germany, when you add "land" to it that denotes the country

 

[Libertas7]

Ist bin Deutsch, means I am German, not I am Germany, when you add "land" to it that denotes the country

I'm under the impression that Deutsch not only means German(person) but German(language). Kind of like I (technically) speak English but I'm not English. Is that not correct?

 

[BillGabby1]

I believe you got that right.

 

[pease]

Strider is my favorite knife manufacturer they have the best warranty if it breaks they fix it.
Captain O there are many steel with a better wear resistance then D2 like CMP145, S30V, S60V, S90V and other tool steels if you want to step up to higher wearing steel.

 

[Mister Bisley]

Strider is my favorite knife manufacturer they have the best warranty if it breaks them fix it.
Captain O there are many steel with a better wear resistance then D2 like CMP145, S30V, S60V, S90V and other tool steels if you want to step up to higher wearing steel.

Here's a good article touching on what pease is talking about...

Guide to the Best Knife Steel | BestPocketKnifeToday.com