I quit buying one brand because they got on a recurve kick and I ended up giving away all my knives with recurve blades. Two weeks ago i went to Gander Mountain to buy a couple of BenchMade Hunt series blades. Once I noticed the recurve blade design I turned and walk out without them. I understand why the manufactures of low end knives use the design, but there is no reason for a recurve blade on a quality knife. I can see unknowledgeable knife people and new hunters buying these, but they will be irritated in the end. BenchMade is likely to loose good customers they normally wouldn't had they used a better design. I wanted to add the series to my BenchMade collection, but I just cannot allow something like this to set beside my more deserving designs.
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Anyone else hate recurve blades?
- Thread starter wfsltt
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The recurve is a very old design, which increases cutting power when the blade is drawn. I own five 710's and some of the blades are more pronounced, curve-wise, but I like using them as is. In your written piece you're not being clear about just what irritates you about them. And BTW - 1/2" Edge Pro stones do a great job sharpening the 'curve. Cheers!
Benchmade is a mass-market provider of cutters. They do volume, and, like LOTS of big (and potentially publicly traded) businesses, a large goal of theirs may be to increase their financial holdings as they relate to many many types of markets (the knives may just the blood- a means to a very diverse financial end).
If trend analysis dictates that the wonky ol' recurve will sell, then it gets made en masse (sales are the means to the ends, mind you), and many many many marketing dollars are likely spent to support its distribution.
This blade pattern will turn you and a wee handful of knowledgeable knife users off. BUT Benchmade caters to the mass market. They will run a tally on the number of pieces sold. This tally will lead them to an understanding of how many thousands/millions of fresh new here-to-fore yet unserved customers this recurve initiative created (even if they lost your business for life).
Knowing this feeble attempt at exposing more of the back story responsible for the existence of such knives, hate is a rather stong word- maybe just don't buy it.
EDIT- looks like they are privately held. That's ok though.
If trend analysis dictates that the wonky ol' recurve will sell, then it gets made en masse (sales are the means to the ends, mind you), and many many many marketing dollars are likely spent to support its distribution.
This blade pattern will turn you and a wee handful of knowledgeable knife users off. BUT Benchmade caters to the mass market. They will run a tally on the number of pieces sold. This tally will lead them to an understanding of how many thousands/millions of fresh new here-to-fore yet unserved customers this recurve initiative created (even if they lost your business for life).
Knowing this feeble attempt at exposing more of the back story responsible for the existence of such knives, hate is a rather stong word- maybe just don't buy it.
EDIT- looks like they are privately held. That's ok though.
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"...increases cutting power when the blade is drawn" just made me imagine a recurve as some sort of incredibly "low-resolution" serrated blade (like with just one big serration) lol
Professor
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^ Well, that's kinda exactly what it is. Recurves have great slicing and slashing capabilities when done right, and the 710 does a recurve right. Not my cup of tea for an everyday utility blade, as I like to be able to touch up my carry-cutters on a flat diamond bench stone, but recurves definitely have their place and time.
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Benchmade is a mass-market provider of cutters. They do volume, and, like LOTS of big (and potentially publicly traded) businesses, a large goal of theirs may be to increase their financial holdings as they relate to many many types of markets (the knives may just the blood- a means to a very diverse financial end).
If trend analysis dictates that the wonky ol' recurve will sell, then it gets made en masse (sales are the means to the ends, mind you), and many many many marketing dollars are likely spent to support its distribution.
This blade pattern will turn you and a wee handful of knowledgeable knife users off. BUT Benchmade caters to the mass market. They will run a tally on the number of pieces sold. This tally will lead them to an understanding of how many thousands/millions of fresh new here-to-fore yet unserved customers this recurve initiative created (even if they lost your business for life).
Knowing this feeble attempt at exposing more of the back story responsible for the existence of such knives, hate is a rather stong word- maybe just don't buy it.
EDIT- looks like they are privately held. That's ok though.
So much ignorance in this and the OP's post. Pjack, Seems you researched your ill informed statement on BM share holding's...why dont you do a little more research on the rest of some of your statements...If I were you, Id go slow and take it one sentence at a time..
@ OP. What are some of your "worthy" designs that are unfit for the company of a Benchmade? Im pretty sure BM makes non recurve blade.
Why all the hate, were you attacked by a butterfly when you were a young las..
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Completely this.
I cut a lot of cardboard and the recurve is great for this. I used to hate sharpening until I got the 1/2" stones.
Cheers
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There are many different blade patterns designed and used for many different applications.
The recurve blade as noted works excellently for a draw cut, slashing motion, cavity separating, pruning along with many other applications.
Just because you do not understand the design, doesn't make it inferior, cheap, wonky or faddish to gain market share, or any of the other uneducated names and rather silly things that a recurve blade has been called so far in this thread.
It's ok not to like them, if they don't suit your needs? Don't buy them!
The recurve blade as noted works excellently for a draw cut, slashing motion, cavity separating, pruning along with many other applications.
Just because you do not understand the design, doesn't make it inferior, cheap, wonky or faddish to gain market share, or any of the other uneducated names and rather silly things that a recurve blade has been called so far in this thread.
It's ok not to like them, if they don't suit your needs? Don't buy them!
Read carefully. Note the language used.
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Hate is a strong word my friend.
You may not like a design or it doesn't suit your needs but that doesn't mean that it doesn't work for the intent is was designed for.
If the maker you like has other styles you like, buy them. No need to start a rant thread about a blade style that a manufacturer made. There are likely just as many buyers waiting for the blade you don't like.
You may not like a design or it doesn't suit your needs but that doesn't mean that it doesn't work for the intent is was designed for.
If the maker you like has other styles you like, buy them. No need to start a rant thread about a blade style that a manufacturer made. There are likely just as many buyers waiting for the blade you don't like.
Just to clarify- I used the term "wonky" to try and build a bridge to the OP's heart. OP feels that recurves are awful. I called them wonky to appeal to OP. I have a khuk which certainly has a recurve, and I love it. My fave recurves, though, are my old second hand kitchen knives that have developed a natural recurve from cooks slamming that sweet spot of the blade into the honing steel for years. Kinda like naturally occurring patina- it gives em soul
And I certainly do not feel that a recurve design is just faddish to drive market share. I was actually careful to use hypothetical language to help the OP understand that there may be more backstory to many of the products OP comes across- in this case, knives. Full disclosure- I was actually thinking of a mall jewelry store when I described the whole diversification of financial holdings thing- but it fits with any large scale sales organization. If they are not deploying some revenue to acquire assets, well, maybe they should.
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Just to clarify- I used the term "wonky" to try and build a bridge to the OP's heart. OP feels that recurves are awful. I called them wonky to appeal to OP. I have a khuk which certainly has a recurve, and I love it. My fave recurves, though, are my old second hand kitchen knives that have developed a natural recurve from cooks slamming that sweet spot of the blade into the honing steel for years. Kinda like naturally occurring patina- it gives em soul
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This is kind of my point. Kitchen knives are very low quality steel and are also very often sharpened 20 degrees on one side and 30 on the other to improve cutting. I fully understand why folks like Buck, CRKT, and other makers of $20 and $30 knives use the design. It does help their low end 420 HC and 440A and AUS6 blades pull cut with their hollow grinds. Even though the soft steel is easy to sharpen you're just not going to get a perfect edge (even with a 1/2" stone) like I enjoy on my non curved blades. Back when i used cheap knives with curves to process deer from field to freezer I used the edge of water stones that were well under 1/2" and You still end up with sucky edges. The only real way to get a perfect edge is rounded stones or a belt sander. to me curved blades are for posers and show not for real work.
I have three BenchMades that I am currently testing and they have replace many of my other knives. For hard use I really am enjoying the Bushcrafter 162. For general use in house and outside one of the Bone collector 15000-1 g10. The finger guard I'm still not sure about, but otherwise it is a great knife. I also switched to a mini Grip with 154CM for EDC...Not a bad knife.
The hate comes from the fact that I really, really wanted to purchase two of the Hunt series. Greatly disappointed when I seen the blade shape on an otherwise nearly perfect design. Some manufactures get so close to making a perfect blade for intended use and then screw up some feature. It's just disapointing to see Benchmade do it too.
Thankfully, it appears that wfsltt's penultimate post has successfully taken the spotlight off me for my above "infraction" of comparing the potential (again...I've not said that they do this) financial-market activities of a large knife company like Benchmade to the financial-market activities of other large companies.
Once the term "poser" gets tossed around, it takes the thread in a whole new direction lol
And please don't hate on my "very low quality" 50-100-yr-old kitchen cutters...
Once the term "poser" gets tossed around, it takes the thread in a whole new direction lol
And please don't hate on my "very low quality" 50-100-yr-old kitchen cutters...
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