How was your 2019?

[Tucson Tom]

My year in review.

I cut back on knife buying significantly compared to 2018. I am more focused and selective. This was "the year of the Shaman". I missed the 4V which I sort of regret, but by an incredible turn of events managed to get a Cruwear-Micarta. I am pleased with my self control. Next to getting several Shaman's, the recent K390 PM2 was an unexpected surprise, and the Ankerson/Sanders Bowie (I guess they call this the "Province") -- that alongside the CF/S90V Shaman are probably my two best knife acquisitions for the year. As much as I like the Cruwear/Micarta Shaman, the CF/S90V is my favorite for some reason -- and I usually don't like "dress up" knives. I suppose I get a nice dose of 4V in the Province, so I can't complain.

Another knife I get real delight out of is the little Bow River. It makes me smile every time I get it in my hand. A great knife and in spite of its bargain price, it has nothing to apologize about.

I didn't buy anything but Spyderco, though I did contemplate some fixed blades by other makers.

I still need to work on my freehand sharpening. I got some stones and made a start, but need to put in the time and do more reading.

And I need to make time to try to make some beautiful knives out of the mule blades I have -- that along with working on my sharpening skills would be good goals for 2020.

Thanks to everyone here for putting up with my sometimes twisted sense of humor, and my occasional grumpy curmudgeonly ways.

[Naperville]

I missed out on picking up the Shaman in CPM-4V at a decent price, just not fast enough. I'm not willing to pay $300+ at the moment so, it will have to wait.

Bought the Spyderco Province CPM-4V. Excellent knife. The only knife that I bought for all of 2019 and I'm pretty satisfied with that.

I collect combatives, self defense and martial arts DVDs, and books and I spent a boatload. Feeling the pinch!

[Pancake]

I bought:
Waterway
Native Chief
Police 4 G10
Bow River
Chaparral FRN

I gave my PM2 to my father.

Right now I am looking forward for swick 5, and maybe Caly LW.....

[jabba359]

I started out the year intending to cut way back on knife purchases and I made it all the way until August before buying my first one of the year, though I was gifted one earlier on. Since then I've purchased four more knives over the last two months (two of which I bought today), but probably won't buy any more this year. My additions:

Maxamet Native 5 LW (Spydiewiki gift)
Lil' Native 4V
Damascus Delica blue FRN
GITD Delica
Opus
Q Ball

The only one I sort of regret skipping on was the 4V Shaman. I even put one in my cart as soon as they went up, but before clicking "buy" I decided that I really didn't need a $200+ knife, seeing as how I have so many knives already. I figured maybe I'd get lucky and pick one up at the factory seconds sale, but had to cancel that trip at the last minute due to a work schedule change.

[brj]

In retrospective, seems I've managed to stick to my self-imposed policy of 'no more than needed'. In this case, 'needed' equals 6 knives, 3 of those being Spydercos (Native Chief, Ikuchi, Kapara). Also 2019 is the year when I've decided that Spyderco are a bit overdoing it with the 50/50 choil and this led to the new resolution to no longer buy a knife that has one of those. On the other hand, I've (re)confirmed to myself that other brands might score higher on the fidgeting scale, but if you want your knife to really, really cut and have out-of-this-world ergonomics, Spyderco rules unchallenged.

[tonijedi]

This year was terrible.
I couldn't afford to buy any new knives. My last purchase was the SE Salt 2 on April 2018.
On my wishlist is the all black PE version of this knife, PE Pacific Salt and the waterway.
As life goes these seem farfetched goals but let's keep positive for 2020 :cool:

[Monty]

It's been a good year for buying knives but a so-so year for Spyderco buying, I like serrations and I'm not a big fan of the PM2/PM3/Delica so the most prolific sprints rarely get my interest.

I bought more than a few new knives this year to try out and sold off most of them. The two new to me Spyderco models that I'll keep and add to my daily rotation: the Cruwear Shaman and the Caribbean. Also picked up backups of the Karahawk, Pacific Salt and Dragonfly Salt, some of my favorite models.

Overall I end the year with less knives than I started off. I sold off a number of old safe queens to finance some grails and customs, I hope to finally score those in 2020. From Spyderco I'm looking forward to any new H1/LC200n offerings, particularly a Lil' Native and Police model. Hoping the new smaller Nirvana will come about.

[vivi]

.....I've decided that Spyderco are a bit overdoing it with the 50/50 choil.....

On the other hand, I've (re)confirmed to myself that other brands might score higher on the fidgeting scale, but if you want your knife to really, really cut and have out-of-this-world ergonomics, Spyderco rules unchallenged.

Well said.

[mikey177]

2019 saw my Spyderco fixed blade collection jump from zero to five care of the Street Beat, Enuff, Junction, and two Mules.

[standy99]

Very quiet year this year compared to last

Spyderco Junction and Chris Reeve Professional Soldier ( I was forced to get these two due to discontinued status on both )

3x Delicas = Wharncliffe SE, Green PE and recently GITD

Nothing on the horizon for next year but that will last to Boxing Day I would say

[Evil D]

Well I was gifted an awesome knife so that alone made it a great year but that also turned into my top carry model, the Caribbean. Now I've got two of them.

I think I ended up getting two more Sliveraxeseses.

I got an Ouroboros finally and it turned out really nice.

I was lucky to get a Cruwear Shaman so that alone also makes it a good year.

Overall, I didn't break any (despite my best efforts with that Caribbean), I don't remember getting any bad cuts, no major edge damage. I have to say it was a pretty good knife year, certainly more eventful than most.

[sok]

I had been out of the loop for a few years, knifewise. I checked into this place to see if anything interesting was going on and I saw that there was a run of DLC CPM M4 going around. So I grabbed a natural G10 Paramilitary and Para 3, and a Military CF/S90V.

I thought I was done. Nothing else interested me. Then the K390 Para 2 and 3 dropped. Someone called K390 an M4 killer and so I grabbed one of each. Glad I did.

Then the Advocate caught my attention. I had missed all the history and drama on this knife, and when it was discontinued, I did some research. I was able to reach out and grab a CQI variant at a discounted price. I really like this knife and feel lucky to have got what I did and at a great price.

That’s the extent of my 2019 knife purchases.No buyers remorse on anything related to knives.

Hopefully, 2020 will be the year of the sell off. I have about a dozen keepers. The rest need to go.

[Sumdumguy]

2019 was slower, work schedule and new house didn't allow me to get some of the ones I was after. I did get a few, however.

Cruwear Shaman: Didn't care for the design, passed it along to a friend.

GITD Delica: Love it, keeping it. Don't know if it is as good as the Mantra. We will see.

Honestly, I can't remember any others. There may have been one more, but I'm drawing a blank right now. The new house limits my knife fund now and then the wife tells me she wants to buy the old house next door. On the positive side, I'll end up with 3 acres and an entire street corner.

Good year on the whole, looking forward to 2020!

[Doc Dan]

I bought
2 Dragonfly Salts
Li’l Native
Urban LW Coyote Sprint (still in my pocket everyday when I go out)
Delica GITD
UKPK BD1N
Z Cut serrated (a gift from a nice person at knifeworks)
4 Roadies (great gifts)

I would still like to buy the straight spine Stretch, but money is tight right now. As a veteran and a hunter it looks just right to me.

[toxophilus]

I think I only bought 3 Manix 2s this past year at regular pricing:

• A DLT C20V red scaled Manix 2 on the secondary market

• Pre-ordered/prepaid for both the Satin & DLC Manix 2 M390 models

• The DLC M390 is yet to be released :cool:

The rest of my purchases were at this year's Second's Sale; I initially held the Shaman in S30V at last year's sale but it felt too bulky, this year I took home both the 4V & Cruwear Shamans to give them a work out & I gotta say they are growing on me.

I also took home my first ever Native in the Cutlery Shoppe configuration with S90V that knife design is growing on me too.

[aquaman67]

I have got to stop buying knives in 2020.

I’ve been saying that for a few years now.

But this time I mean it!

[acer]

Expensive but productive. Managed to accumulate various patterns which in turn fulfilled most missing criteria in my collection.
Looking forward to collecting at a more relaxed pace say give or take 1 pattern from each reveal ( who am I kidding ) but I think the new knives in question on my short list will have to offer that SOMETHING SPECIAL from now on , so anticipating the 2020 line up with the utmost of eager enthusiasm Soon be Christmas that will give me time to increase my shortlist Having fun . In .

[z4vdBt]

A few Spydercos purchased this year (from the most recent to the first):

Pointed Tip Z-Cut SpyderEdge
Endura ZDP-189 racing green
Endela Lightweight C243PBK
C79PSYL Assist Salt Lightweight
Para-Military 2 C81GPBN2 earth brown

The last Spyderco purchase before 2019 was November 2017! So you could say I'm back.

I did have the Endela blade profile modded to a straight spine (Josh at Razor Edge Knives).

Both of these are my EDC.

[AwayFromMySpydieHole]

Whew. Where do I start?

Four k390 para 3’s.
Three m390 delicas.
Two k390 Para 2’s.
Three m390 para 3 lightweights.
One regular para 3 lightweight.
Three maxamet Para 3’s.

Bunch of others that I can’t remember because they were earlier this year. The above is just since October. :D


I prefer to have multiple backups of knives I really love, versus having on only of knives a really love and a large variety of knives I only like a little. If I break one, or something happens, no big deal. Go grab another out of the box.

[ronT2]

It was a slow 2019, only two knives. The first was the KC Cru-Wear Native to try out the steel and possibly for a blade swap with my fluted CF version. The other was the discontinued Lil Sub Hilt which doesn’t have much if anything Lil about it. If you like the robust build of the GB1 you might also appreciate the Lil Vallotton.