A knife you hate to hate?

The gerber LMF 2. I bought it on the grounds that it would be my one and done survival knife. And it just kind of wound up being wrong in basically every way.
 
My last two Case purchases. The qc monster was really working overtime on those. Still using my old medium Stockman though.
 
I don't hate any of my knives but my biggest meh is the Para 3. Wanted to love it but can't. The clip sits so low to accommodate the lanyard hole that a quarter of the knife sticks out of the pocket. Plus the clip has that needless flat near the screws so that a hole can be drilled there so the same clip can be used on other models. I should buy a replacement clip but like to keep things stock. So I rarely carry it. Spyderco needs to innovate on their clips, IMO. Plus the knife just feels too big for the amount of cutting edge you get. A 7.24in knife with 2.62in cutting edge. Same amount of cutting edge as a Mini Bugout in a considerably larger package. Finally the blade is quite off center. I don't get too hung up on centering but it doesn't help my appraisal when the design already irritates me a bit.
 
mitchnola said:
First off I don’t own this knife because my hate prevents me from buying it but I really hate to hate the SOC J-Cape. I think it’s a beautiful design and absolutely love the blade shape. The handle looks to be very ergonomic but I just can’t allow myself to support that company because of the business model.

I really don’t like or appreciate companies that just design knives and then find someone to manufacture it for them. Personally I feel like it’s kind of like cheating. They lack any of the skills required to make anything and don’t have to put in the time learning to manufacture their own products. Also the country of origin they get to do the manufacturing bothers me and then they have the nerve to charge as much as some of our great local makers like Hinderer, Les George, Chris Reeves etc.

So while my principal’s won’t allow me to purchase it, i sure do love the look of it.
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I absolutely hate that business model. So many people just ship a couple of drawings overseas and have the actual CAD work, tooling, and manufacturing done by others. Luckily most of them are upfront about it, but it does lead to the occasional shady person who thinks they can hide their outsourcing (Hoback, M3 Tactical, the O.G. QRTRMSTR... among others). It's also really funny when these makers try to wrap their outsourced designs in patriotic imaging and branding.
 
Silent H said:
I absolutely hate that business model. So many people just ship a couple of drawings overseas and have the actual CAD work, tooling, and manufacturing done by others. Luckily most of them are upfront about it, but it does lead to the occasional shady person who thinks they can hide their outsourcing (Hoback, M3 Tactical, the O.G. QRTRMSTR... among others). It's also really funny when these makers try to wrap their outsourced designs in patriotic imaging and branding.
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I tried finding as much about SOC as I could and really couldn’t find much about the guy that started it. But apparently someone responded that he is maker and does or can at least make knives. If true and he has skills then I respect that, still don’t like the business model but it is what it is and it’s all fair game. I just hope it’s not the wave of the future with new companies.

What bothers me the most though is the prices they’re charging. Selling them for $4-500 puts them in direct competition with companies that actually do their own manufacturing, have a substantial overhead and employees. Companies like CRK, Hinderer etc. I could be wrong but what overhead and employees does these companies have, a shipping department at most?
 
To be fair though I believe in the open market but I just choose not to support them.
 
Olamic Wayfarer.
Really a cool knife with awesome variations. It flat out does not work with my hand. Oh well, money saved.

Spartan Harsey Plague Doctor.
So*Much*Want. It’s 6oz though, and I’m pretty sure I’d never carry it after the initial buzz wore off. It was in my shopping cart last time I saw a run.

Do they ever do Plague Doctor small Harseys?
 
oldmanwilly said:
Spyderco Gayle Bradley 2 folder. It's a great knife: good steel, thin hollow grind perfect for slicing, strong detent, smooth action. Plenty of features to like. I was able to look past the liner lock (usually a dealbreaker for me) but could not get comfortable with the liners standing proud of the handle scales. They just dug into my hands when I had to bear down to cut through thick material. I debated whether to grind the liners down flush with the scales but worried I would go through the effort, still not like the knife, then be unable to sell it off due to the modifications.

I finally just sold it on the exchange and bought something else with the proceeds. Every now and then I get the urge to buy a new one, but so far I have been able to resist.
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That's how I felt about the OG version, except I didn't necessarily have to be bearing down to feel the liners. I've toyed with the idea of trying a GB2 ; but always talked myself out of it.
 
Officer's Match said:
For me it is the PM2. Owned it numerous times, as I just had to be wrong about not liking the end-all-be-all edc knife. Delicate tip, over-done forward choil, but most of all the lanyard hole induced fat butt (that is part of the liner) = pocket blocker. And I still can't decide if I like the compression lock (love it in a Smock though).
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Same here. I’ve had a few over the years and the main thing for me was the delicate tip. I would chip/break the tip several times. Was opening a clamshell package with the Para3 once and chipped the tip on it. Good knives for the price point just never could feel confident in the tips
 
Not sure I "get" the topic of this thread, but here goes . . .

Randall Made "fighting" knives. I want to love 'em, but they fall short in my opinion.

I have told tis story before here, so I'll try to make it brief and as non-controversial as I can.

Bought a #16-1, "Special Fighter" back in the early 2K years r our son when he went into the Marines. At that time, I was less well informed and got it based on the Randall reputation alone. When it finally came (four years!) it looked great and felt absolutely right in the hand.

Remember that at that time we were in a real fighting war in several places. It is not clear to me now, but for some reason, the training cadre at 29 Palms said it cold not go into the field because it was so shiney. I contacted Randall Made about getting that taken care of, but they were not interested in any form of glint reduction modification. A local gunsmith bead blasted it to a uniform dull grey and refused to take my money. This lack of responsive customer service for a warfighter about to deploy to a combat zone really put me off on Randall Made in general.

It can be noted that they still do not offer a dull finish or coating on their military oriented blades, though that seems to be a current industry standard practice for tactical knives.

With all that said, they are beautifully made. The most positive statement that I can make about Randall Made knives is that they are as good today as they were in 1945.
 
3fifty7 said:
So many Spydercos with an, IMHO, unnecessary choil that just kills it for me.
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I heartily concur.

Guardian Tactical Recon-35 has the absolute best action out of all OTFs I've ever tried, but I absolutely hate its ergonomics and the in-hand feeling. Nonetheless, it's one of my most carried knives
 
The original Benchmade Axis Lock 710. I just couldn’t like it. The old school Ares 730 was my perfect knife but I gave it to my brother. It bothered me to dislike the 806 AFCK too but they replaced the blade with a TSEK blade and I loved it.
 
Kettleman said:
I too choose the XM-18 but for different reason than above. I wanted to love it because it was just so freaking heavy duty. I felt it would take what I gave it. I actually used one to dig a brick out of the frozen ground. The problems were three fold, It carried like that brick and it just didnt cut well for my uses. I also hated the ergos…I wanted so badly to like it.
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^ This. I had to try out a real Hinderer (I had a few ZT Hinderer designs previously). I just can't abide the flipper tab, it is downright painful in use on my pointer finger - I have thought about grinding the nub off but for now it is just collecting dust.

That and it doesn't cut that well, mine is the "slicer" grind too.
 
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