Your top brand

[Yaesu Man]

I screwed up - thought we could edit our votes?  Dadgum it where's that stupid button?!?!?

[Corwyn]

I think it got lost when I added new options... a mod should be fixing this soon.. 

[strmliner]

Interesting thread Corwyn...great idea!  I really enjoy reading about people's perceptions to different blades.   

For me, it's Vic SAKs and Bucks..I don't explore other mfgrs knives much, as I already spend my money and time on these and the MT's I like.

I don't see the "MTs" such as LM, Gerber, or SOG as really being blades.  Yes they have cutting edges, but I see their focus more on the versatile utility aspect anchored by the pliers foundation, so I personally didn't include them.

[zoidberg]

zoidberg was here.

[SteveC]

No Ontario ?

[Top-Gear-24]

Voted  .

For me:

First place:  Victorinox

Awesome tools, beautiful design, superbe fit and finish, and best value for money (at least here in Belgium, over here Leatherman tools are much more expensive than the ones from Victorinox).  And nothing beats the "wow-factor" of a Swisstool in my opinion.


Second place:  Leatherman

Great tools, I just love their "old" tools (like my '94 Supertool, my PST, My original Wave ...), and I'm quite fond of some of their new tools also, like my trusty ST300, the Rebar, the Surge and even the OHT.  I don't like the fact that the QC is going downhill, my first Rebar broke down after two days of taking pics (no real use), the replacement Rebar was badly misaligned (and from the 8 Rebars I checked out in the local shop, 5 of them had some kind of issue ...), my Charge TTi has the same ruler on both sides (I'm missing the part from 1cm to 10cm)...   And I don't like a lot of the new stuff they throw on the market.  Why come up with the Signal when so many of us are just waiting for a third generation Wave ... 


Third place:  Mora

With Mora you get a lot of knife for very little money ...  Great design, simple, very usable, and not very scary or tactical looking.  Best camping knife I've owned so far.

[Dem]

OK, so who was the second person guilty of voting for Sanrenmu? .

[enki_ck]

Voted LM, Vic and Wenger in alphabetical order.

I like loads of other manufacturers but as I haven't been carrying single bladed folders for years, I'll stick to those 3.

Honorable mention goes to Mora. :hatsoff

You don't have KA-BAR on the list....?

Or folders only?

I meant to, but I took it out. If I am not mistaking, Ka-Bar is the name of a product type, not an actual brand.. this is why I didn't include Laguiole or Bowie or Navaja or Puukko... If you want to mark Ka-Bar as one of your faves, I suggest you tick the most famous Ka-Bar Manufacturers, be it Camillus or Case.
Ontario and Cutco also make Ka-Bar models, but I think they are a bit less popular than the list above and I didn't want to extend it too much... if you prefer those, put Other.

Skip that.. I'll add Becker too 

Huh?

Ka-bar isn't a model it's a brand. And Becker is a line made by that brand by the designer Ethan Becker.

[kirk13]

OK, so who was the second person guilty of voting for Sanrenmu? .

Wasn't me,but I was tempted

[ColoSwiss]

I collect Victorinox and Wenger, so they're 1 & 2. Also have a fair selection of Bucks, so they're third. Actually I have knives from over half those companies, as well as a number of companies not listed; Aitor, Fallkniven, Richartz, Henckels, Puma, etc. Lots of neat stuff out there.

[comis]

I collect Victorinox and Wenger, so they're 1 & 2. Also have a fair selection of Bucks, so they're third. Actually I have knives from over half those companies, as well as a number of companies not listed; Aitor, Fallkniven, Richartz, Henckels, Puma, etc. Lots of neat stuff out there.

+1  many European makers with long history

[comis]

OK, so who was the second person guilty of voting for Sanrenmu? .

Wasn't me,but I was tempted

I don't use it enough to make that vote, but interests me is that in 10-20 years time, will the landscape be similar to Flashlight landscape nowadays or will we see more Chinese blade users?  10-15 years back, it was all about SureFire, Priceton Tec, Maglites, various mods, etc....and long time ago, people were not fond of Japanese knives, and nowadays it seems acceptable.

[Lynn LeFey]

I voted Leatherman, Victorinox, and Spyderco.

Sad to say, outside of those, i think I might have only owned a handful of other items from the other listed companies, SOG probably foremost among them.

I had a little Buck I carried for years. it was a very handy and small little slip joint. Then a Spyderco Delica that i got rid of because I never used it (and it had a broken tip). I just don't use dedicated knives enough to justify carrying one. I literally never needed the Spyderco in the time I owned it, but apparently DID need a pry tool to loan out, because loaning my Delica to someone who used it to pry with was how it got broke. Ask me why I like SAKs with that nice strong flathead driver.

However, even though it's not MY thing, I'm glad there's so much quality stuff out there for others to choose from.

[nmpops]

Kabar definitely is a brand name, they used to be Union Cutlery. Changed to Kabar many years ago. Also while Case does.has made a M2 style knife, they never made one for the military.

[Mextreme]

That was hard.
First two was easy since I always EDC Victorinox and Leatherman.
I have one vote for "other".
I like Fällkniven but my last vote is for Al Mar which has a taste i really like. superb fit and finish. Blade shapes and grinds that cut like lasers. Steels that hold an edge great, VG10, but are easy to put fantastic edges on. They are also very nice looking.

[dks]

Sanrenmu voter here, and proud of it!!!!

OK, so who was the second person guilty of voting for Sanrenmu? .

[zoidberg]

Sanrenmu voter here, and proud of it!!!!

OK, so who was the second person guilty of voting for Sanrenmu? .

Randomly had one turn up here today. 

[NG VI]

Aw man, I can't pick three of these 

Here's the problem. Top three fixed blade knives I'd want in my pack for general use, low maintenance (stainless), food safe (easy to clean), decent ergonomics, and not big budget but yet capable of more if things went awry, are as follows:

Cold Steel Roach Belly
Mora Hi Viz Companion
Boker + TUF

.... and I haven't picked a multitool yet 

Clipped OHO non-locking folders:

Byrd and CRKT

.... still not picked a multitool

SAKs need to be mentioned, so that's Vic and Wenger, but Gerber and Leatherman both deserve a mention too....

It also should be noted that every single one of these manufacturers has A LOT of stuff I am not interested in. It's individual products that win me over, not the name that's on the side.

I think the most honest thing I can do is just tick "other" in the poll options, and state my reason as.....

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO BRAND LOYALTY WHATSOEVER! 

Why a non-locking folder, when your options could be so much broader?

Sent from my Z750C using Tapatalk

[AimlessWanderer]

Why a non-locking folder, when your options could be so much broader?

Sent from my Z750C using Tapatalk

Pocket knives don't need locks, they slow me down, and I have had too many nicks and cuts CAUSED BY locks (specifically back locks and liner locks) where you have to put fingers or thumb in the path of the blade to release it. A lock often spoils what could be a very good knife, and in short I find them LESS safe.

With a non-locking folder, I can safely achieve everything that many people feel they need a locking blade for, including penetrating cuts or making a hole in something. If there is a task that I cannot achieve with a non-locking folder, then I need a fixed blade, not a folder that's pretending to be fixed.

I treat and handle lockers just the same way as slippies, and cannot recall a time when I was really glad the blade I was using locked, or wished I was using a locking blade instead. I see a dependence on locks as an impairment of knife skills, and see any use of a knife which relies on a lock as unsafe use of the knife.

YMMV 

[Smaug]

Ha! Victorinox wins by a landslide.

I "wasted" my #2 vote on Wenger. Didn't need to spend it there, since they are now under Vic.

Kershaw for the distant 3rd for me.

[Smaug]

Pocket knives don't need locks, they slow me down, and I have had too many nicks and cuts CAUSED BY locks (specifically back locks and liner locks) where you have to put fingers or thumb in the path of the blade to release it. A lock often spoils what could be a very good knife, and in short I find them LESS safe.

With a non-locking folder, I can safely achieve everything that many people feel they need a locking blade for, including penetrating cuts or making a hole in something. If there is a task that I cannot achieve with a non-locking folder, then I need a fixed blade, not a folder that's pretending to be fixed.

I treat and handle lockers just the same way as slippies, and cannot recall a time when I was really glad the blade I was using locked, or wished I was using a locking blade instead. I see a dependence on locks as an impairment of knife skills, and see any use of a knife which relies on a lock as unsafe use of the knife.

YMMV 

That is really a stretch, to suggest that lockers are more dangerous to oneself than a slippy. It is written to comfort yourself over your draconic knife laws there. I know others are thinking it, but don't want to say it, since you're such a popular bloke around here. But I have to call you on it.

Locking folders do a REALLY good impression of a fixed blade, or they wouldn't be so popular. The only drawback is that they're harder to clean.

When it comes right down to it, I usually prefer slippies too, but not because they are somehow inherently safer.

[SAK Guy]

Pocket knives don't need locks, they slow me down, and I have had too many nicks and cuts CAUSED BY locks (specifically back locks and liner locks) where you have to put fingers or thumb in the path of the blade to release it. A lock often spoils what could be a very good knife, and in short I find them LESS safe.

With a non-locking folder, I can safely achieve everything that many people feel they need a locking blade for, including penetrating cuts or making a hole in something. If there is a task that I cannot achieve with a non-locking folder, then I need a fixed blade, not a folder that's pretending to be fixed.

I treat and handle lockers just the same way as slippies, and cannot recall a time when I was really glad the blade I was using locked, or wished I was using a locking blade instead. I see a dependence on locks as an impairment of knife skills, and see any use of a knife which relies on a lock as unsafe use of the knife.

YMMV 

That is really a stretch, to suggest that lockers are more dangerous to oneself than a slippy. It is written to comfort yourself over your draconic knife laws there. I know others are thinking it, but don't want to say it, since you're such a popular bloke around here. But I have to call you on it.

Locking folders do a REALLY good impression of a fixed blade, or they wouldn't be so popular. The only drawback is that they're harder to clean.

When it comes right down to it, I usually prefer slippies too, but not because they are somehow inherently safer.

Gee, that is about the most unkind thing I've heard said here in a while.

[dks]

Looking at the results, I would never really consider LM as a top cutting tools maker. 
It gets the votes because it has blades on its multitools, but you do not really buy a LM for its blade - the blade is a bonus 

50fttrad is popular??       

The idea is that if you use a locking blade like a fixed blade you run the risk (small or large - depending on the maker/lock) that it may close on you. This mainly happens when people are trying to stab objects with a folding knife.
Also for some if they only use locking knives they may hurt themselves with a non locking knife.
If you are just cutting, by pushing the blade down then locking or non locking works - unless the blade gets stuck and folds on you when you pull it back. A lot has to do with what people are used to, looks etc.
Some non locking knives are more secure (GEC Beartraps) than others (and more dangerous if they fold on you - get one with a halfstop)

I use both types depending on how i feel like, but never trust any lock 100%

[AimlessWanderer]

Pocket knives don't need locks, they slow me down, and I have had too many nicks and cuts CAUSED BY locks (specifically back locks and liner locks) where you have to put fingers or thumb in the path of the blade to release it. A lock often spoils what could be a very good knife, and in short I find them LESS safe.

With a non-locking folder, I can safely achieve everything that many people feel they need a locking blade for, including penetrating cuts or making a hole in something. If there is a task that I cannot achieve with a non-locking folder, then I need a fixed blade, not a folder that's pretending to be fixed.

I treat and handle lockers just the same way as slippies, and cannot recall a time when I was really glad the blade I was using locked, or wished I was using a locking blade instead. I see a dependence on locks as an impairment of knife skills, and see any use of a knife which relies on a lock as unsafe use of the knife.

YMMV 

That is really a stretch, to suggest that lockers are more dangerous to oneself than a slippy. It is written to comfort yourself over your draconic knife laws there. I know others are thinking it, but don't want to say it, since you're such a popular bloke around here. But I have to call you on it.

Locking folders do a REALLY good impression of a fixed blade, or they wouldn't be so popular. The only drawback is that they're harder to clean.

When it comes right down to it, I usually prefer slippies too, but not because they are somehow inherently safer.

Wrong, actually! As a long time slip joint user, these are genuinely my views, and like I said I have never felt that locking blades give me personally any benefit, and are often more of a hinderance than a help.

I was asked why I prefer slippies, and I gave my explaination. You are more than welcome to disagree over tool preferences, but your xenophobic comments are wrong, unnecessary, and unwelcome.

[Syncop8r]

As a Norwegian, I feel I should mention Helle as well. They do some screw-ups from time to time, but they make knives that feel good in the hand, look good, and work well.

Are you trying to tell us they make a Helle of a good knife?

[AimlessWanderer]

 

[ColoSwiss]

As a Norwegian, I feel I should mention Helle as well. They do some screw-ups from time to time, but they make knives that feel good in the hand, look good, and work well.

Are you trying to tell us they make a Helle of a good knife?

And the Swedes are just trying to EKA out a few products.

[shibafu]

But I forgotten to vote on 'Others', since I love the offerings from Enzo.  They produce decent quality product with Scandi grind, but still at reasonable prices(unlike most small production 'bushcraft' knives we see nowadays that always range from 200 usd and up)

Yes good call on Enzo.  I have a couple of their PK70 slipjoints and the quality of fit and finish is amazing.

At the other end of the scale I think Hultafors deserves an honourable mention, just for value.  You can find the Hultafors HVK, a perfectly reasonable carbon steel Mora-like, for £3 - £4.

[Mextreme]

As a Norwegian, I feel I should mention Helle as well. They do some screw-ups from time to time, but they make knives that feel good in the hand, look good, and work well.

Are you trying to tell us they make a Helle of a good knife?

And the Swedes are just trying to EKA out a few products.

A few?  MORA than you think.

[Syncop8r]

Look, Wenger you going to quit these jokes? I have Zero Tolerance for them. The Buck stops here, in my Opinelon. You had Becker quit it, or else!