1 and 1) I cannot separate the look from the feel. That said, when buying or trading for a knife, I start with appearance. I get the knife, try it out, carry it, show it to others. I would say that like Clay Kesting, my ratio of keepers to "through-flow" is about 10%. The look and feel combo is best exemplified for me in the Chinook. I don't know if I will ever "use" this knife, but it kind of sums up all that got me interested in knives in the first place, the Buck 112 Ranger. Heavy, clip-point bowie style. Totally satisfying appearance and heft. A real object.
2) Price is important only insofar as cash is available. I have enough loose change to buy most factory knives from discounters or fourmites, the exception being William Henry and Chris Reeve knives.
3) Blade steel has a lower priority. Since I don't use my knives enough to test the outer limits of use, it is just not that important. I do appreciate the knowledge of certain steels however.
4) While I am not addicted to brands per se, I am almost exclusively limiting my new acquisitions to Spyderco. The primary reason is the "hole". After carrying/using about 40 different knives over the past year, my opinion is that the "hole" is better than the "stud" 99% of the time, for me. I also like knives with a thumb disk, ala Boker and a few others, like the Benchmade Mini-Stryker, but there are very few that use the thumb disk. I am encouraged and interested to see the upcoming "cobra hood" intro.
5)Carry method is very important. Generally, I can't use clips at work. So a knife has to either ride well in my pocket, loose. As it turns out, my current EDC is the Benchmade 450, Park Avenue. It is about the only carry method that it discreet enough (hanging jewlers clip) to wear with thin wool slacks and tucked-in shirts. I have tried to carry lightweight knives in my shirt pocket, but they fall out too often.
6) Blade shape - while this is part of "look", the functionality of the blade shape, my personal preferences and sheeple reaction are all factors in my blade shape choices.
7) Execution and quality out of the box. I don't believe in having to tweak the product if I don't want to. For instance, the one thing I don't like about the Wegner is the way the G-10 has been sanded down to minimize the tactile feel of the checkers. I would prefer the scales to feel like those on the Military. I don't want to have to bead blast the scales to my preference. So I likely will not keep the Wegner.
Why do I really want more knives than I can ever use? My wife wants to know why. I have always "collected" things of one sort or another since I was very young. I know it is not rational. At least it is not debilitating to the health.
Thanks for asking.
"Chance favors the prepared mind" - Louis Pasteur
Dialectic - peeling back the onion
Sal,
I'm not sure this really answers your question but here goes...
A good quality picture of a given knife is indispensible to me for the purpose of "growing to love it". Generally what happens with me is:
1) I find out about a certain knife design one way or another, either by hearing someone express their excitement or by seeing a picture of it.
2)I explain to myself how I have plenty of knives already and most certainly don't "need" another.
3) I continue to search out any and all information about the knife that I can locate; questioning forumites etc. and searching out pictures. I spend a great deal of time gazing at these pictures and reading reviews, if available.
4) I become most enthusiastic and have no trouble whatsoever convincing myself just how very much I do need the knife, after all.
5) I save up the money and buy it. Sometimes this takes awhile.
6) I enjoy the heck out of the newly purchased knife, playing with it continuously for the first several days and occasionaly performing random,
non-scientific cutting tests whilst grinning ear to ear.
7) The process begins anew.
Some of the things I look for are; good steel, stylish designs, nice handle matl's and a Spyderco bug on the pocket clip.
Cheers, Jeff/1911.
Edited by - Jeff/1911 on 8/27/2001 10:31:38 PM
I'm not sure this really answers your question but here goes...
A good quality picture of a given knife is indispensible to me for the purpose of "growing to love it". Generally what happens with me is:
1) I find out about a certain knife design one way or another, either by hearing someone express their excitement or by seeing a picture of it.
2)I explain to myself how I have plenty of knives already and most certainly don't "need" another.
3) I continue to search out any and all information about the knife that I can locate; questioning forumites etc. and searching out pictures. I spend a great deal of time gazing at these pictures and reading reviews, if available.
4) I become most enthusiastic and have no trouble whatsoever convincing myself just how very much I do need the knife, after all.
5) I save up the money and buy it. Sometimes this takes awhile.
6) I enjoy the heck out of the newly purchased knife, playing with it continuously for the first several days and occasionaly performing random,
non-scientific cutting tests whilst grinning ear to ear.
7) The process begins anew.
Some of the things I look for are; good steel, stylish designs, nice handle matl's and a Spyderco bug on the pocket clip.
Cheers, Jeff/1911.
Edited by - Jeff/1911 on 8/27/2001 10:31:38 PM