When I was about 7 years old (early 1960s), I wanted a knife. My dad didn't want me to have one because he felt I was a wreckless kid which was probably true. A carnival came to down and I used the "crane" machine to pick out a real nice pocket knife and carried it every day without incident. The next year I started deer hunting and my dad gave up and bought me a really nice fixed blade knife to deer hunt with. I now have about 180 knives. I have all of the Rambo knives and the huge knife / machete they used in the predator movie. I have bayonets from WWI and WWII, the Vietnam War as well as current bayonets. I have knives from most of the major knife makers including pin knives and most of the Swiss Army models. So, yeah, I am a knife junky. I have many "custom" knives as well.
Key considerations when buying a knife you actually intend to use:
Key considerations when buying a knife you actually intend to use:
- Is it made from top materials and constructed well?
- Is it comfortable in your hand? - Could you use it for hours non-stop without starting to dislike it?
- Can you hold onto it when it is covered in blood? - this may be my top one because a knife should not facilitate you cutting yourself because it is slippery. Cutting yourself badly in the middle of nowhere could be your final act. Hard, rubbery handles with texture are practical because they are the easiest to hold onto when bloody.
- Is it shaped in a useful fashion? - can you easily skin an animal or filet a fish with it without requiring contortions?
- Is it an appropriate size? - While they look good in movies, huge knives aren't actually useful in real life.