Thanks all for filling in the ignorant who speak without understanding what the topic is (called chronic "foot-in-mouth" disease). And also, opinions such as Tom Carey's took many of the words right out of my mouth on how I feel about ATS-34 and why I actually prefer AUS-8 (which is not a compliment to either). You have saved me from repeating many of the reasons why I hate ATS-34. For more diatribe, do a search and find my original thread.
Yes I agree: I do feel that maybe I slammed them a bit hard, and for some reason I take it personally when a monopoly tries to program the populace with misinformation. Okay, we are just talking about steels here and it is really not that big of an issue (believe me, I lose no sleep over it). But, the fact remains that BLADE knows there are better steels out there, and I truly feel that they are pandering to their advertisers by promoting a mediore steel. This is known as "Puff" or "Fluff" and is common in the magazine industry. They write articles to promote the products of their biggest advertisers, and "everybody wins". When the only source of info for most people repeatedly states a lie, then the people that depend on that media hold that as truth. Once again, I realize this is a small issue, but I still find it very offensive for a publication to promote false claims just to please it's advertisers. Most of the the advertisers use ATS-34 and have us convinced that any knife made in ATS-34 with a liner-lock is "tactical" and "hi-tech". Now BLADE comes along and writes articles in the same line of thought, and so the manufacturers can benefit because the readers are misinformed. To me it smells of a big monopoly where both parties benefit by selling lies.
Maybe it is my college-student-activist kind of fervor, but I like to speak out when I see blatant corporate monopolizing such as the fact that the rags are trying to convince us that ATS-34 is the best, thereby making a stagnant knife market and robbing us of advances in the industry. (Yep, I go to a UC: a sister school of "UC Berzerkely", where we have protests daily. So maybe I have been taught to be a little more verbal about my protests than some, and I realize that. But, I feel it is better than sitting by and letting a lie be perpetuated.)
Most people look to the rags for pure info and do not come to the fountain of knowledge like this forum. If the mags say that "ATS-34 is king" then the buyers will be convinced of it, and the makers will never improve. The only chance is for informed people to speak out and force the mags to be less biased so that we can get a demand for better steels.
Let's face it, overall, I am just selfish: Like many of you, I want more folders made of better steels, and the only way to get makers to make them for me is to create a demand! Once people realize that they are being ripped off by the over-hyped ATS-34, then the demand will be there for better steels, and "viola!" we will have more folders made in better steels!
The few people on these forums do not make that big of a difference in worldwide knife sales. We can boycott liner-locks and ATS-34, but it will not affect the market because the average person and even store owner does not tap into the information sources we have. Most people, even shop owners, will continue to think ATS-34 is the best there is, as long as their only source of information (the mags) tell them so. So, the only way for the knife-buying public to learn that there are better steels out there and that ATS-34 is second-rate, is for the magazines to be honest.
The fact is, if we are all complacent and accept whatever the makers throw at us, then they will give us whatever is cheapest and easiest to make. BLADE's response to me verified that the only reason that makers are using ATS-34 is because it is easy to get and they already have the setup for it. Custom makers have stated the same thing: they already know where to get ATS-34 and how to work it, so if there is no demand for better, then why change? If you don't care about what your blade steel is, then go buy a cheap import. I care. I want better blade steels in my folders, and the only way to get it is to speak up and ask. (My personal favorite is a teflon coated tool steel, which IMO gives you the best of all worlds, but I would be happy with any of the new stainless steels.)
Just like voting, whatever your opnion is, why not take a moment to let it be known (even if you think I am wrong)? Below is BLADE's email address. Why not drop them a quick line and let them know what you thought of the article. Please remember, this is all stemming from the article praising ATS-34. If you haven't read it and don't know what we are talking about, then please read it first so that you know what this issue is about.
blade@krause.com
In the interest of better knives!
thaddeus
