A Buyer's Review;

[DITCH]

of a new HTM Gunhammer.
Some background:
I am not a serial reviewer, ala Nutnfancy, et al. No dog in any fight whatsoever. I
have, however, been buying, carrying, and using, high-end 'tactical' folders for well over 20 years. And, yes, I have used a folding knife in self defense, in case anyone cares. I use, but do not abuse, my knives on a daily basis.
Now then. Earlier this spring/summer, I ordered the above mentioned knife, after no small bit of research. The example I received(and paid over $300.00 for), was flawed in a few ways. On a scale of 1-5, 5 being best:
Blade shape/grinds: 5
Primary edge bevels: 5
Edge sharpness: 2-would barely slice notepaper. A few minutes' time on a ceramic rod solved this.
Lockup: 1. Vertical blade play, right out of the box. Lock held, despite several 'spinewack' tests, but play is unacceptable, IMO.
Handle fit/finish: Flat Dark Earth looks like a cheap paint job.
Ergonomics: A bit short/small, a bit fat for my taste. This is entirely subjective.
Overall, on a 1-5 scale: 2.
For the price paid, I expect far better F/F, sharpness, and performance than what was provided by this knife. By way of contrast, other knives, costing half as much, the Hogue EX 01, or Combative Edge M1, being good examples, show better F/F, lockup, and sharpness, right out of the box.
DDR has some work to do, if this what is considered top quality by them.

[crimsonfalcon07]

Sorry to hear of your problems. Have you contacted HTM or the retailer yet to see if they will resolve the issues? I understand there were some QC issues and the QC department was let go, or something of that sort. So I think they're aware of the problems and are working on them. Definitely the sharpness and blade play issues are not acceptable, and shouldn't be characteristic. I've been lucky so far, it seems. Hope you get your issues resolved. Thanks for the impressions!

[neuron]

Darrel recently found out about the issue with vertical lock play on a number of HTM Gunhammers thanks to threads on this forum. He's just as pissed as you (and others) are about it. He's working to get it fixed, both on the design/machining side and on the assembly/QC side (where he's fired a number of people who were involved in that part of the HTM operation).

As for the handle anodizing, it's Type III hardcoat anodizing (with a matte finish), so you're not going to get the range or vibrancy of colors that you would with Type II (which is less durable). Even if you don't particularly like the look of it, it's extremely durable stuff.

[harkamus]

Believe me, Darrel is pretty damn embarrassed by that fiasco. Yes, I'm calling it a fiasco. There were knives that went out that should never have passed QC. He let quite a few people go because of that. I have personally expressed to him the sharpness, or more specifically the lack of sharpness on past knives. There are probably still a few of the bad batch of knives floating around, but the stuff that goes out now should have all the issues rectified.

[Misanthropia]

Believe me, Darrel is pretty damn embarrassed by that fiasco. Yes, I'm calling it a fiasco. There were knives that went out that should never have passed QC. He let quite a few people go because of that. I have personally expressed to him the sharpness, or more specifically the lack of sharpness on past knives. There are probably still a few of the bad batch of knives floating around, but the stuff that goes out now should have all the issues rectified.

On the topic of the next batch, is there any indication of when this will be? I'm interested in buying a Gunhammer and it seems like the most recent batch (the ones with the potential issues) are almost all sold out.

[harkamus]

I would hazard a guess that if you were to order a Gunhammer now, that the issues will have been addressed.

[TheBleedingEdge]

I would hazard a guess that if you were to order a Gunhammer now, that the issues will have been addressed.

A buddy of mine recently picked up a Gunhammer at my suggestion, and he hasn't had any problems with the lockup. He said it was a little on the dull side, but he routinely sharpens all of his knives, so it wasn't a huge issue.

[Chipped Karambit]

this may seem odd but,...i have to ask. Why the hell do people wack the spine? I find the next step pass it is hitting the side of the blade with a hammer. Even if it did hold, why do people do that. I am going to look into HTM (m390 gunhammer coming my way) and see what it is. I hear mixed reviews of HTM some hate some love

[neuron]

this may seem odd but,...i have to ask. Why the hell do people wack the spine? I find the next step pass it is hitting the side of the blade with a hammer. Even if it did hold, why do people do that.

No idea. It's been discussed elsewhere on the forum on quite a few occasions, and most sensible people (myself included) seem to share your view that, despite its popularity with some segments of the YouTube crowd, it's a useless "test" that doesn't approximate anything a folding knife will ever actually encounter.

[DCXXVI]

it test the lock up strength

[Chipped Karambit]

it test the lock up strength

so you test the blade strength by turning it on its side and propping it up then hitting the center of it with a hammer? It just doesnt seem practical. its like "OH LOOK! MY WATCH CAN SURVIVE IN SPACE" all I can say is "when the hell are you going to space?" its an unnecessary test, honestly I think it should viod the warranty the moment someone tries to do it.

Either way despite the review I just traded my Zaan for M390 Gunhammer that should be in within a week or 2. I will see how this stacks up

[TheBleedingEdge]

this may seem odd but,...i have to ask. Why the hell do people wack the spine? I find the next step pass it is hitting the side of the blade with a hammer. Even if it did hold, why do people do that. I am going to look into HTM (m390 gunhammer coming my way) and see what it is. I hear mixed reviews of HTM some hate some love

It's not something that will happen often to a knife, but I've dropped a few knives that ended up landing on their spines.

In general, it's meant to be a shock test of hose the locking mechanism (including the pivot and stopping bar) absorb and dissipate force. Sudden shocks to the back of a knife are less common than sustained weight, which is why weight-hanging tests seem to be better predictors of a knife's overall lock strength.

[Striderco]

All this has me kind of wishing I had never signed up for the forum gunhammer. I guess im just nervous. $380? The thing better be flawless! I could have gotten a brand new Sebbie for a couple more bucks. For the guy waiting on the M390, I know of at least 3 including mine that are being returned already. Good luck! Darrel I still have faith in you! Please dont let us down!

[crimsonfalcon07]

I'm not nervous. Even if there were problems, I'm sure that Darrel would take care of us. But with the problematic QC team gone, there shouldn't be any problems anyways. Not to mention, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that those of us that signed up are some of the most die hard DDR fans. I'm expecting them to be flawless. Haven't gotten one from HTM yet that wasn't. Guess I got in before the QC had issues, eh?

[TheBleedingEdge]

I'm not nervous. Even if there were problems, I'm sure that Darrel would take care of us.

That's just it. There's a difference between expecting perfection from your knife, and expecting perfection from every single knife a company puts out.

You want your knife to be perfect. It's your money and your investment, and it's not unreasonable to demand good quality if you're paying good money. No argument about that. However, there are going to be duds in any manufacturing process; there's no getting around it.

The measure of a company's quality control and dedication to its product is in how it deals with those duds when they crop up. In that respect most of us here are very satisfied and confident in HTM/DDR. Darrel and friends take their work and their customers very seriously.

[DCXXVI]

so you test the blade strength by turning it on its side and propping it up then hitting the center of it with a hammer? It just doesnt seem practical. its like "OH LOOK! MY WATCH CAN SURVIVE IN SPACE" all I can say is "when the hell are you going to space?" its an unnecessary test, honestly I think it should viod the warranty the moment someone tries to do it.

Either way despite the review I just traded my Zaan for M390 Gunhammer that should be in within a week or 2. I will see how this stacks up

no, now thats just plain F^*$&#g stupid a simple medium whack on the back of the blade to a hard piece of wood will tell you whether or not the lock up is any good if you hit it with a hammer you are simply an idiot

Edit: re-read your stament, i thought you meant hitting it on the spine ... i have no eff'in clue why people hit the side of it

[TriviaMonster]

I know this isn't what people want to hear, but if the knife sucks, send it to DDR or get a refund. That's about all you can do. I have faith that the new Gunhammers coming out of HTM/DDR will be the quality that we have known in the past before these problem knives came along. DDR hasn't built his name or HTM's name on junk knives, it just doesn't work that way. No one would buy a $2k Custom Gunhammer if he couldn't make a $200 mid-tech version worth the money.

Sorry these knives are junk, but don't count out HTM just yet. They know there are problems and we have been told recently that they are working as hard as they can to make the kind of knives that they are known for.

Sorry to the OP and others who wasted their time/money only to be disappointed, I know the feeling and it is not a good one. Also, thanks to the OP for giving and honest negative review without being a jerk, your a class act.

[DITCH]

Thanks to all for your input. As soon as I get time, I'll contact DDR to arrange a return.

[harkamus]

Thanks to all for your input. As soon as I get time, I'll contact DDR to arrange a return.

Give him a call and find out if the shop is up and running in Texas. He moved his shop from Ohio to TX. Would hate to have you mail your knife to the Ohio addy. I don't know the TX addy yet.

[TheBleedingEdge]

Give him a call and find out if the shop is up and running in Texas. He moved his shop from Ohio to TX. Would hate to have you mail your knife to the Ohio addy. I don't know the TX addy yet.

HTM/DDR moved to Texas? That's news.