5 knives you regret purchasing

1. Strider SnG - I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, so I broke down and bought one. I was disappointed with the fit and finish at such a high price, and didn't like how the handle dug into the meat of my palm in a tight grip. I traded it a week after I received it.

2. Kershaw Ti and ZDP-189 Cyclone - This knife was really cool, and really nice, and really well made, but I didn't care for the assisted opening, at all. I figured I'd just turn it to manual and leave it, but the entire mechanism broke the week I got the knife, and it wouldn't even open and close properly. I had to send it in, and Kershaw took care of me, but I just didn't feel the same about the knife after having it fail like that. Too many small, fragile pieces, for me. I don't buy knives like that, anymore.

3. Busse Steel Heart Ergo - I had always wanted to try an old Busse, as I love their products, and was really curious about an Ergo. I saw a nice one come up on the exchange, and traded a ton of really nice knives for it. When I got it, I was really disappointed. The fit and finish were atrocious, and the design had no power to it, at all. I lost a lot of money on that one, and will always regret that trade.

Mike Obenauf Bandit - This was my first custom folder, and I really liked the design. I traded a large micarta Sebenza for it, and was really let down when it arrived. It had blade play unless over tightened, and the blade was off center in the handle when closed. To make things worse, the holes in the handle were mismatched and uneven on the locking side of the framelock. The guy that traded it to me told me to let him know if I wanted to trade back. I was too nice to admit that I did. My first expensive folder was a Sebenza, and I was marveled by how nice and how perfect it was. I have yet to buy a high end folder since that hasn't let me down in the fit and finish and tight construction department.

I can't really think of a fifth that was a significant let down.
 
knife2Agunfight said:
EVERY Gerber knife...

They are all severely overpriced and very poorly made.
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I KIND of agree with this, but occasionally I'll run across something in the Gerber line that seems well made and useful at a given price point. We just had a thread last week (started by me) about the Gerber LMF 2. Despite its serrations, which most dislike, and the fact they NOW use 420 subpar steel, the ORIGINAL LMF 2 in the Sandvik SS wasn't half bad, for the street price of $60 to $65. I have one of those, still use it. It takes a great edge, gets extremely sharp, is tough, and batons very well. I even use the glass breaker on the pommel as an all-purpose hammer, and it works!
 
Buse SAR 5.When the guy who made it tells the world how much he doesn't like it you know you bought a dud. Took a bath on it too.
Kershaw Bump. Weird blade shape wasn't all that functional. Resale was the pits as well.
Dalton Wharncliffe unlined micarta auto. Never carry it, never use it.
CRKT Edgie. Allegedly self-sharpening hunk of doo doo.
Ontario spec plus tanto. The knife wasn't bad quality...but it taught me why I never want another tanto.
 
1. Kershaw OD -1 : very hard to open and . . . the flipper mechanism broke after less than 1 year
2. Spyderco Native in SS - heavy and scratches easily
3. Kabar Warthog Impact - nice handle but the blade is too thick and wide
4. BM Kulgera - nice design but after looking at it for a while, I realized it's "busy-looking"
5. Emerson SOCFK - turns out I'm not a big fan of the chisel-grind.
 
Don't buy a strider I've had 8 of them and they will never learn how to make a framelock that doesn't flop up and down like a fish
 
Only one recently, a damascus "puukko". Seems it was made in Pakistan not Finland and the blade is too thick to sharpen (about 1/2 inch thick). Would make a good wood chopper (batoning it thru a oak tree), but not a hunting/camping knife. At least it was inexpensive.

Rich
 
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Buck Bantam: flimsy plastic handle, weak pivot joint, blade not aligned (with rub). Satin finish sloppy.
Trident: up and down play out of box.
Flash 2: " ".
Sogzilla: " ". I know, I didn't learn my lesson.:o
Cold Steel Scimitar Spike: "Cool", but utterly useless. No traction plan, ridiculousy sharp point. Hazardous to user if not handled with extreme care.:eek:
 
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J85909266 said:
2. Kershaw Ti and ZDP-189 Cyclone - This knife was really cool, and really nice, and really well made, but I didn't care for the assisted opening, at all. I figured I'd just turn it to manual and leave it, but the entire mechanism broke the week I got the knife, and it wouldn't even open and close properly. I had to send it in, and Kershaw took care of me, but I just didn't feel the same about the knife after having it fail like that. Too many small, fragile pieces, for me. I don't buy knives like that, anymore.
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Just take it apart and remove the spring. Super easy and then you'll never have trouble with it again. I'm guessing the problem you had originally was your selector column spring got bent out of shape (easily done) but if you want it permanently manual removing the assist spring will eliminate any pressures on the column spring in the first place. :)

elkins45 said:
CRKT Edgie. Allegedly self-sharpening hunk of doo doo.
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I got one for free once. Ended up taking it apart, pulling the "sharpener" out of it, converted the edge to a double-bevel, and renamed it the "Wedgie." :D
 
I dont actually regret buying any of the knives I have bought over the years
some have been absolute crap , some gems , I learned form them all , from why they broke , both the weakness in the knife and my misuing it .. from why the hell I bought it in the first place .. what was it that made it look / sound good enough to buy
 
S&W extreme ops switchblade Handle is clunky, the steel sucks, horrible serrations and just bad quality. The knife will deploy in your pocket because the lock switch for the blade flops up and down and is totally useless. There's also no danger in hurting yourself when it deploys on its own because the spring is so weak everything stops the motion of the blade, including air.
 
My second Gerber Mk 1 which was one of the first stainless ones. My first one, which was stolen, was one of the old ones from the late 70's made out of L6. There was no comparison.
Benchmade 530 Pardue Axis. Compared to my original plain edge liner lock AFCK, a bit flimsy.
McWilliams Panama fighter with nylon covered kydex sheath. Expensive as hell for the time, not nearly as sharp as advertised (and impossible to resharpen by normal means) and possibly the most horrid looking sheath ever made.
Ek Bowie. Edge like a cheap butter knife, also impossible to sharpen by normal means. Don't even get me started about the kite string handle. That was my first and last one.
Al Mar Warrior....I was young and stupid. What can I say?
 
CS x-large voyager tanto. Too big to carry. CS small vauager tanto . AUS 8A doesn't hold an edge well enough for me. SOG mini power tool, the one with the scissors instead of the pliers. Total POS,
 
I only have one, SOG Twitch 1.
It opens nicely but, trying to release the blade to close it, is a thumb buster for me.
Thanks for reminding me that I need to get rid of this one.
No such issue with the Twitch 2 and XL.
 
Myal said:
I dont actually regret buying any of the knives I have bought over the years
some have been absolute crap , some gems , I learned form them all , from why they broke , both the weakness in the knife and my misuing it .. from why the hell I bought it in the first place .. what was it that made it look / sound good enough to buy
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So true... and a commentary about life in general. : )
 
Ppyderco dayhiker - Not a bad knife, quite attractive actually but just very wide blade, not the most comfortable handle and not as thick as maybe I would have liked for a good camp knife. When I tried to sell it I couldn't get a whole lot. It was sort of an impulse buy that I asked my girlfriend at the time (currently wife) to buy it for me. I think I made her feel a little bad when I sold it.

Sog Recondo - A good knife but it was more of a combat role than a good camp knife. I took it to alaska camping and it performed well, got a small chip in the serrations but nothing significant. When I tried to sell it I couldn't get a whole lot. I kind of regret selling it.
 
Only 1, Boker Subcom Titan. It's a great little blade, but the shape is not as versatile for utility tasks as are my Dragonfly or Cadet.
 
I regret posting any of the automatic flippers...... just seems unecessary. What is the point of having a knife that may open in your pocket? So, they give them locks as a safety feature. Then, what is the point of having a knife that opens fast, but you first need to unlock?

Just doesn't seem necessary with all the great, fast flippers out there.

I also regret buying every CRKT folding knife I have purchased to date. I like how they look and there is always something creative about the design, but they never feel right in your pocket or something is just always really off as well.
 
1. Kershaw Scallion.
- Just never liked it. Crazy recurve and a pain to sharpen. Unsatifisying flick and sits horrible in pocket due to it's thickness.

2. Sanrenmu 962.
-Awkward to open as part of my thumb rubs up against the scale when I deploy the blade. Gritty when I first got it but got a little better over time. Fake Axis lock feels crappy.

3. Spyderco Squeak.
-Found out I hate the non locking blade.

4. Cheap chinatown knives.
- Threw them out after I got fed up with the nonexistent lockup

5. The knife I paid way too much for and see it for less somewhere else after I ordered it!!!'
 
1). Emerson CQC-7a. Claimed it had a satin finish and a true "V" grind. It did not come with a satin finish but was "hard chromed" which looked like a bead blast finish. It also only had a "V" grind on the primary bevel not on the secondary bevel. Not deceptive advertising but never the less it was misleading. Liner lock also failed miserably.

2). Any SOG folder. Rusting too easily or terrible lock-up. False advertising of steel. (440C but was really AUS-8A). One model claimed it had a Ti handle but really had a thin slabe of Ti on the outside of the steel handle.

3).Cold steel Tomahawk. Only a tiny 3mm inset screw holding the axe head in place. Didn't last long.

4).A couple of $90 kershaw liner lock folders from the mid 90's. Handles came apart right away.

5). Microtech...Out of 2 Scarabs and 1 Troodon only one of the Scarabs worked. All were new out of the box. Also blade play on the UMS's and no way to tighten the pivot screw due to the funky tri-wing screws.
 
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