How long have you been carrying knives, and how have your needs changed?

[Snacktime]

My grandfather hand me down buck knives. He liked to get new one at ace hardware and if you were the grandchild with him you got the old one. I think he was giving them to us at 5-6 years old?

I carried mostly sak knives through college, as I liked toothpicks and bottle openers. At some point sak turned into Leatherman knives as I liked having pliers. Started working in heavy industrial and started breaking leathermans on a regular basis I moved on to real tools(screwdriver and knipex pliers). Kind of got stuck on spydercos while looking for a plain edge knife to carry and here I am(addicted).

[kobold]

I always had a SAK, and some not noteworthy cheap traditionals, a downsized Buck 110 clone and such, until I bought the Buck Mayo TNT. About the same time I bought a Marttiini puukko and the SwissTool X and I was fine for many years.
Then two things happened. I lost the TNT and I changed from urban to a more rural lifestyle. Camping, bushcraft, gardening. This resulted in all kinds of edged tools in all shapes and sizes. My workshop is filled with axes, draw knives, carving knives, spoon knives, machetes, saws. My older Condors are slowly being replaced with Bark Rivers. But the folders are where the real action is, since carrying them is much more convenient year around. I will take full tang knives when I am away from home and I must rely on what I have only. At home OTOH, I can always grab another folder if anything happens to the one on me.

[wrdwrght]

Been carrying since 1955 or thereabouts. From one ubiquitous brand to another, as I happened to be offered them. Nothing special. Graduated eventually to SAKs and broadened to the simple joy of Opinels. Came late to Spyderco, for the art.

Folders have been as fundamental as keys in my daily life ever since I first started carrying. I was a latchkey kid whose need for matter-parting really hasn’t changed much over time, though my pleasure-gardening has incorporated a bunch of Salts for reasons that will be obvious to some.

[z1r]

I started out at around 7 or 8 with hand me down folders and was given a Buck 110 by my Dad's wife when I was 13. A few years later my best buddy gave me an Old Timer folder:



Usually carried one or the other in a back pocket next to my wallet.

Working in an Office and living with blade length restrictions, I tend to carry a light weight folder with a blade length of around 3". This CRKT was my EDC for quite some time. I love the assisted open, hated the looks of the handle but it made a nice EDC due to size and ease of sharpening.

These days I carry this Civivi and a Ladybug and either a dragonfly or Native.


My "dress" knife is a CF Chaparral.

[James Y]

I started out at around 7 or 8 with hand me down folders and was given a Buck 110 by my Dad's wife when I was 13. A few years later my best buddy gave me an Old Timer folder:

That very model (the 125OT Mustang) was the very first locking folding knife I ever owned. It was one of the Schrade knives I bought as a 13 year old. Excellent knife. Still have it. But I never carried it much, due to its size and weight.

Jim

[z1r]

Jim,

I carried that knife a lot as a kid up until I went off to college. I skinned more than a few rabbit and squirrel with it. The friend that gave it to me is now dead so, even though I don't carry it much, I drag it out from time to time to remember him by. It is still scary sharp and easy to sharpen.

[Pickmansmodel82]

Since about 8 or 9. Began with Camillus Cub Scout. On and off various traditionals for my teens and early 20s. Then my fixed blade camp knife broke.... Went to my local friendly knife store... Got introduced to Esee and Spyderco. The rest is shelf filling history.

As for my needs? Mostly keep to medium or small knives during the week (office job), and on the weekend larger blades, or fixed if I’m outdoors. I’m certain I have more than enough knives to last the rest of my life, but keep collecting, and trying new types in the quest for that absolutely perfect Goldilocks knife.

[ZrowsN1s]

Just shy of 30 years. From the age I was allowed to, I have always carried a knife.

Started with a 'swiss army style' knife, a fixed blade collection, then some gas station knives, this awsome dragonfly sized serrated hawkbill for work.... then a harrowing experience inspired me to invest in a high quality self defense knife. My average folder up until then had cost less than $20, this was a $300 knife.

After carrying it for a while, I decided that good knives were worth the money. So I started collecting quality knives.

Now that I've been collecting quality knives for a decade, I'm after what's new, different, or what is the ultimate expression of an old design.

[vivi]

Started at either4 or 5 with a Victorinox Classic.

Over the years I've found a need to buy larger handled knives for better control, and I've come to appreciate easy one handed opening, pocket clips and high levels of corrosion resistance.

[Dan In MI]

I've come to appreciate...high levels of corrosion resistance.

+1. I've always gravitated toward knives with stainless steel blades (making me something of an anomaly among Case collectors). There is a reason for that: being prior Navy, I've seen what salty air can do to steel.

[James Y]

Jim,

I carried that knife a lot as a kid up until I went off to college. I skinned more than a few rabbit and squirrel with it. The friend that gave it to me is now dead so, even though I don't carry it much, I drag it out from time to time to remember him by. It is still scary sharp and easy to sharpen.

Thank you for sharing, z1r.

Yes, knives do bring back memories of those who either once owned them, or gave them to us. I feel the same about my late dad’s work knife, a very old and worn (but still usable) Buck 110. I never use it, but I think of him and how he was during the time he carried it, whenever I see it.

Jim

[MFlovejp]

Around 28 years I suppose. I got my first knife, a Victorinox camper, when I was 7 years old. I was only allowed to carry it during camping or hiking trips, or scout meetings. It wasn’t until I was 17 that I started carrying a Gerber Air Ranger. Since then I generally carried some kind of folder, of many different brands and styles. I carried for general outdoor or fishing tasks.

Periodically, I’ve had jobs or hobbies such as commercial fishing and hunting that have demanded more from my knives than just trimming threads and opening packages. Those have been my favorite times to be a knife person, as I really like using them hard for the purposes they’re designed for. Currently I’m a very busy student living in the city, so haven’t had as much time to get out and use my folders properly.

[jdw]

I inherited a large collection of true ‘pocket knives’ at about the age of 5 and I have been in love with knives ever since. They link me to both long gone members of my family and an even more ancient past. I was raised in rural Oklahoma and I can’t really imagine being without a knife. I bought a bunch of Gerbers and when I found my first Spyderco I never looked back.

[ugaarguy]

30+ years, starting with a Vic Classic SAK at age 8 or 9. Various other cheap back locks and slip joints until I got one of first gen Gerber Multi-Pliers for my 12th or 13th birthday. When I was 14 or 15 and got a Benchmade Mini Stryker for Christmas. At 16 I started working on the fishing side of a local hunting and fishing store, and quickly became the knife guy. Boss set me up with a couple of passes to Blade Show from our Gerber rep, and my dad drove us to Atlanta for a day trip.

I've always kept a small SAK around for the scissors and nail file. In locking blade folders I've carried as small as a Dragonfly and as big as an Endura or ZT 0562. The Native 5 is where I've settled as being just right size wise for me.

[SRT392HEMI]

Right at 30 years, got my first pocket folder at 16. I think Gerber and Kershaw were the first "name brand" knives I ever bought. Not sure if my need have changed, but I think my taste in knives has gotten better. :)

[eddiebob]

Close to sixty years! I got my first Boy Scout knife at 5 or 6 and still have it. After college it was usually a Case Trapper. 20 years ago I became interested in automatics and down the rabbit hole I went. Got lucky on that one when my favorite maker retired, value of his knives increased three and four times. I really enjoy the different steels from Spyderco so today my carry is either Spyderco, Chris Reeves, or an automatic.

[Pokey]

I got my first couple of Delicas in the early to mid '90's. The Delicas were handy because I could pull it from my pocket, use it, and re-pocket it one handed while at work. I was working at different heights above the ground hanging on with the other hand. I usually had a small Buck pen knife or SAK in my pocket until then.

Over the years, and due to changing jobs I didn't really have much use for a knife from day to day. I did carry knives while camping, though.

I've changed jobs recently where I now have to cut large sheets of thin Teflon, fiber glass cloth, and breather cloth. Occasionally, I have to trim thin film adhesives from the edges of carbon fiber used in the process of making carbon fiber/honeycomb panels. I've been using many different Spyderco's testing out how the different steels hold up.

Though I'm not carrying them, I use dedicated Spyderco kitchen knives in the kitchen, exclusively. Every now and then I'll cross the line and use a folder in the kitchen, too.

[Mr Blonde]

I started carrying a more than 30 years ago. At first I wanted more features, so bigger and more elaboraete SAKs. Then I really got into knives and wanted the most expensive, high-quality cutlery I could afford (think Sebenza and custom knives). Then I found Spyderco and started to appreciate function over form. From a user point of view, the size of my carry knives has shrunk steadily; from 4 inch blades, to discovering that a 3 inch blade works just fine, and a 2 inch blade works great too in my suburban environment. A folder with a 3,5 inch blade does everything I can realistically imagine that needs to be cut. From a collector point of view, I do enjoy exclusives, sprints and colored handles.

[Dan In MI]

From a collector point of view, I do enjoy exclusives, sprints and colored handles.

Same here. I like a varied display. However, my carry preferences have shifted toward larger knives.

[ykspydiefan]

Like most, I started carrying a knife at 6-8 years old, tough to remember. I do remember having an Opinel in my pocket before my parents would trust me with a watch or a house key. Doors open, come home when you are hungry. Different times. My knife needs have changed, mostly my employment needs have changed. I need a better job to afford all the knives I would like to own.