Many first time buyers don't really know what to look for when they first decide they need a good knife. Most simply see something they like within their budget and will go for that. This method will sometimes work but more often will not. At least if they like the knife they will be reasonably content with their choice at least for the time being until its short comings become apparent. However with just a little forethought and consideration the most suitable knife for their purpose can be acquired, while still remaining well within budget.

The following considerations can be factored into any knife purchase to the advantage of the buyer, veteran or novice.

1 Usage :- How a knife is used will have a huge effect on the design of the knife. Here are some examples. The skinning knife will have a heavy curvature just behind the point and will have a relatively short blade. A more general purpose hunting/field knife can be less heavily curved and have a longer heavier and perhaps saber ground blade. Dive knives will have a heavier blade since breakage is always an issue in extreme situations and failure under water can be a life or death affair. A knife used to fillet fish will need to be narrow and flexible with a full width grind. Flexibility will gradually increase out towards the point A knife used to chop wood will have more weight out near the point and a well rounded handle to avoid blisters as such knives will be used sometimes for hours at a stretch. Paring knives should be small and easily controlled with a relatively thin narrow blade. Flex on a paring knife will need to be equally distributed through the length of the blade.

2 Frequency of use :- A knife that is used infrequently can afford to have a heavier blade since it will not need to be sharpened as much as one that is used frequently.

3 Sharpening skill :- The person who is not well practiced in sharpening will benefit from a thinner full width grind on the blade as it will be easier to sharpen. Hollow ground blades will also facilitate sharpening though a trade off in cutting power may be experience under some situations. The more experienced user will generally go for a flat grind.

4 Environment :- A knife used in inclement environments will benefit from a stainless steel blade to avoid rusting. Those who live in dry climates like Arizona will probably be quite happy with a plain steel blade and benefit from the improved edge holding that plain steel usually delivers. Modern synthetic materials such as canvas micarta and Zytel are superior to natural materials in wet climates.

5 Collectible :- The collector who is tired of constantly upkeeping their collection may wish to consider the low maintainance convenience of a stainless steel blade and stabilized handle materials even though they will not intend to use the knife. Knives left to languish in a display case for a generation or two can deteriorate quite markedly.

6 Experience :- The experienced user with only a few knives will appreciate the performance of High Carbon Steel and the warm feel of natural materials. These traditional materials are as important as they always were and have not been superseded by modern materials, but are merely complemented by them.