This is as much a reminder to myself as it is an attempt to save others money and aggravation. And as I expect the list to grow over time, I will dedicate a page to this. This will be my aggregate list of preferred knife brands. Pocket knives and fixed blades, specifically. Kitchen knives are not included.
I’ve grown a collection of knives over the years, with significant additions courtesy of my father. I’ve also broken, chipped, sharpened, and lost them (though the latter category is generally my own fault). As such, I’ve noticed certain patters among manufacturers; their cost, steel quality, usability/ergonomics, and overall construction. But most notably is their ability to take and hold an edge beyond the initial factory grind, because it is at this stage that the steel quality becomes most apparent. Low quality steel can be given micro-serrations, which gives the illusion of sharpness and edge retention, but once that cheat is erased with a later sharpening, the knife’s true colors are revealed.
And so considering these subjective criteria, I’ll list knife manufacturers into 3 categories: Good, Okay, and Meh. These are based on personal opinions, but I have legitimate experience with knives from each of these companies. I have also used many more than what’s on this list, but will refrain from ranking them until I enough experience with them to be truly fair.
Here we go:
Good
- Gerber
- Kershaw
- Ontario Knife Company
- Opinal
- Schrade
Okay
- Appalachian Trail
- CRKT
- Morakniv
- Pal Blade Company
- Remington
Meh
- Buck
Check back later as this list will grow.
–Simon