Default knife configurations you can't stand

[KentuckyBlackBird]

One handed razors, holes in blades, thumbstuds that are geometrically wrong for the proper operation of the knife, and double nail pulls on knives where it doesn’t apply.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Frame lock flippers that require a specific grip placement to open. Particularly fingers anywhere near the lock bar. I don’t have that many knives, but I do have more than I can remember how every one has to be held. I’ve gotten rid of a few (some otherwise pretty nice ones) that were more of a pain in the ass to operate than they were worth (to me, anyway).

Close second, and I know I’m in the minority here, but lockbacks. I need to be able to operate a folder one-handed - opening and closing - and I’ve yet to find any lockback that allows me to do that.

While not a flipper, I absolutely fought and fought and fought to thumb open my ZT 630 because of this. The thumb disc made it really awkward to open to the point I almost always had to use the wave feature instead.

 

[Citori]

Finger choils.

Same here.

For a while I thought something was wrong with me, that I just didn't know how to use them or something. No, turns out I can't stand them and they are the first thing I check when I see a new knife.

 

[Weiss]

Yo, Citori:

I have one knife with a finger choil. That's a CRKT Batum (the large one). I bought it to try out a finger choil and to try out a frame lock and a Jesper Voxnaes design. It's sort of neat, like the chubby Vienna Sausage of pocketknives, but I don't like the non-piercing safety point -- geez, I've never seen a knife with such a blunt sticker end save a butter knife -- and I certainly don't like the too-small for all my fingers handle, which pretty much necessitates sticking my trigger finger in the choil to get a full grip on the thing. Oh but then I have that "sub-hilt" finger guard/doodad in between it and all of my other fingers, which I find mildly bothersome. And I don't like having my index finger so near the cutting edge since the choil runs right up to that sharpened edge.

Those things said, I still have the knife and occasionally carry and use it, but mostly for yard work and smashing garbage about before tossing it into the bins. Sort of a novelty experiment in my wee collection, I suppose.

 

[AntDog]

While not a flipper, I absolutely fought and fought and fought to thumb open my ZT 630 because of this. The thumb disc made it really awkward to open to the point I almost always had to use the wave feature instead.

Just don’t put your fingers on the lockbar. Any pressure at all on it, and that nice, tight detent welds it shut.

I just put most of my fingers on the clip and it thumbs right open. Mine seems to get easier to open the more it wears in too.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Just don’t put your fingers on the lockbar. Any pressure at all on it, and that nice, tight detent welds it shut.

I just put most of my fingers on the clip and it thumbs right open. Mine seems to get easier to open the more it wears in too.

I get that, and it totally works...the issue is that I have a dozen knives of similar function and build that don't require me to reposition my hand in order to make them function. No CRK, Spartan, Kizer, or other ZT required me to make conscious effort to grip the knife just right in order for it to open. For my hand shape and size (size large with thinnish fingers), dicking around with knife that does not open easily wasn't worth my time.

I know it's a silly thing, but I was not sad to regift it to a forum member here. Fine knife. One of the few ZTs I had that wouldn't slip it's frame lock. Superior to an actual Emerson in pretty much every way other than adding a frame lock to the design. It may have just been my sample, but I do not miss that knife

 

[norcalAF]

While not a flipper, I absolutely fought and fought and fought to thumb open my ZT 630 because of this. The thumb disc made it really awkward to open to the point I almost always had to use the wave feature instead.

That's because you should be finger flipping the poor thing. Please send it my way for proper treatment

 

[AntDog]

I get that, and it totally works...the issue is that I have a dozen knives of similar function and build that don't require me to reposition my hand in order to make them function. No CRK, Spartan, Kizer, or other ZT required me to make conscious effort to grip the knife just right in order for it to open. For my hand shape and size (size large with thinnish fingers), dicking around with knife that does not open easily wasn't worth my time.

I know it's a silly thing, but I was not sad to regift it to a forum member here. Fine knife. One of the few ZTs I had that wouldn't slip it's frame lock. Superior to an actual Emerson in pretty much every way other than adding a frame lock to the design. It may have just been my sample, but I do not miss that knife

The design makes it worth it to me, and I’m a very late adopter. I had been looking for one for years and recently had an 0630 and two 0620s fall in my lap.

I don’t have a single folder I like more. I had been carrying a Socom Elite auto and these have kicked it right out of my pocket.

When I pull a knife out to cut something I’m not in a huge hurry. I don’t need to whip it out and samurai something open and have it back in my pocket in .03 milliseconds, so it’s not a big deal to me if I forget to grab it right.

It’s an occasional minor annoyance to me, but I can see how it would bug some people bad enough to get rid of one.

 

[shanerbass]

Jimping

 

[EatingSarma]

Jimping

How about Jinping?

 

[ShaiHulud]

How about Jinping?

Demko puts jumping on the lock fin(ramp)
"Maybe" a good idea?

 

[scorpnsnake]

Used to really hate big choils on folders. Never plan to choke up that close to a blade for anything that would require that firm of a grip to cut. Seemed like a pointless waste of cutting edge and probably is for those that don't like fast actions.

Finally figured out it's often used on one of my favorite configs, non-flipper tab flipper models with drop shut action. As a thumb protection precaution. It's necessary in the Arius NF, Brown Cortex and others that are real performers. They cut so good I don't always miss the lost bit of edge.

Now it's a standard trade-off consideration when choosing models. For me, atleast it serves a purpose now.

 

[elde66]

Chaves Knives.

So four/five years ago I bought a Chaves 229. (At that time my most expensive knife purchase ever.) Honestly, I spent days 1, 2 & 3 trying to get the #$&*@ to open. Finally, I searched on the Net, only to find that I was holding too tightly on the lock bar: which pretty much precluded flipping it open. I swore I’d never buy another knife with that fricken’ “feature”!

However, after a bit, I grew to genuinely like the knife and the “challenge” it presented. I now own 13 Chaves knives and split daily carry between a Chaves and a Spartan. I guess the bottom line is that one can become accustomed to most anything given enough stubbornness and persistence.

 

[Flatsman007]

Folders that the pocket clip make them uncomfortable to hold. Or bulky pocket clips in general.

 

[Flatsman007]

Another would be super thick tacticool knives, fixed or folder. In other words the sharpened pry bar.

 

[ToddM]

So many......but a lot of them are subjective, and in the right design might be acceptable. Unfortunately a lot of compromises are made with folding knife handles and many of them are not actually comfortable, they are only well tolerated because most of us never use our pocket knives for more than a couple minutes at a time and for light cutting. Not only that but since so many knife buyers are now conditioned to spend another $60-100 or more on aftermarket handle scales it's almost like manufacturers have put less effort into their factory ones. Pocket clips are hard, some of them are very uncomfortable, but some are great so that's a wash based on the knife.

Some constants for me though that I've seen recently and will not buy.

Smooth slippery handles, this whole trend of polished slippery G10, CF, AL/Ti etc. is a non-starter for me. Seems important that if you actually use your knife you'd want to hang onto it. Less of an issue with fixed blades because there's so much more handle contouring that can provide retention. Something like a rough sandblasted AL/TI is fine, but this polished/smooth stuff is garbage. It's akin to not putting a grip on a golf club, not a single person would use it if you suggested it, and you'd probably lose your membership for doing so. I don't care how good the knife is, if the handle has no grip, I won't buy it. I've dumped more than a couple knives that with a grippy handle scale would be some of my favorites (I'm looking at you Spyderco Kapara, Shaman)

Plastic (grivory etc.) handles. The only exception I'll make for them is if you really want something super lightweight for a specific purpose. Show me a G10 option and a Grivory option, and I'll never ever buy the grivory. Slippery, flexy, and just overall cheap feeling.

Thick blades with angles that are horrible cutters on 2-4" folding knives.......but I don't pry open car doors with my knife, and if I did, I wouldn't carry a folder in the first place. I want something that cuts well. Far too many folders have blades that are more pry bar than cutting tool esp. in the 3-3.5" size. The vast majority of pocket folders do not have good slicing blade thickness/geometry. Consumers vastly VASTLY put too much emphasis on how much abuse their folder blades can take. We almost never see chipped/broken folder blades. Half of them with thumb holes have so much material removed in that area any light prying would snap the blade there in a heartbeat, yet we still don't see that happen.

Too much belly on a folding knife, this is super personal based on the things I typically cut, if I have to skin something, I'll use a fixed blade designed for it.

Anything that has "standard" steel s30/s35/D2/S45/154CM, etc. and costs more than $150-200 tops. These days too many companies are offering premium steel options, even USA made ones without breaking $250. So why would I spend $300 on an s30v knife that won't cut as well or hold an edge as long as s90v, 20cv, magnacut, etc.

This is slightly flexible but the exceptions are TINY, metal handle slabs. 95% of them are too slippery and all of them suck in the heat and cold to use bare handed, because not every field task allows you to wear gloves.

 

[ShaiHulud]

So many......but a lot of them are subjective, and in the right design might be acceptable. Unfortunately a lot of compromises are made with folding knife handles and many of them are not actually comfortable, they are only well tolerated because most of us never use our pocket knives for more than a couple minutes at a time and for light cutting. Not only that but since so many knife buyers are now conditioned to spend another $60-100 or more on aftermarket handle scales it's almost like manufacturers have put less effort into their factory ones. Pocket clips are hard, some of them are very uncomfortable, but some are great so that's a wash based on the knife.

Some constants for me though that I've seen recently and will not buy.

Smooth slippery handles, this whole trend of polished slippery G10, CF, AL/Ti etc. is a non-starter for me. Seems important that if you actually use your knife you'd want to hang onto it. Less of an issue with fixed blades because there's so much more handle contouring that can provide retention. Something like a rough sandblasted AL/TI is fine, but this polished/smooth stuff is garbage. It's akin to not putting a grip on a golf club, not a single person would use it if you suggested it, and you'd probably lose your membership for doing so. I don't care how good the knife is, if the handle has no grip, I won't buy it. I've dumped more than a couple knives that with a grippy handle scale would be some of my favorites (I'm looking at you Spyderco Kapara, Shaman)

Plastic (grivory etc.) handles. The only exception I'll make for them is if you really want something super lightweight for a specific purpose. Show me a G10 option and a Grivory option, and I'll never ever buy the grivory. Slippery, flexy, and just overall cheap feeling.

Thick blades with angles that are horrible cutters on 2-4" folding knives.......but I don't pry open car doors with my knife, and if I did, I wouldn't carry a folder in the first place. I want something that cuts well. Far too many folders have blades that are more pry bar than cutting tool esp. in the 3-3.5" size. The vast majority of pocket folders do not have good slicing blade thickness/geometry. Consumers vastly VASTLY put too much emphasis on how much abuse their folder blades can take. We almost never see chipped/broken folder blades. Half of them with thumb holes have so much material removed in that area any light prying would snap the blade there in a heartbeat, yet we still don't see that happen.

Too much belly on a folding knife, this is super personal based on the things I typically cut, if I have to skin something, I'll use a fixed blade designed for it.

Anything that has "standard" steel s30/s35/D2/S45/154CM, etc. and costs more than $150-200 tops. These days too many companies are offering premium steel options, even USA made ones without breaking $250. So why would I spend $300 on an s30v knife that won't cut as well or hold an edge as long as s90v, 20cv, magnacut, etc.

This is slightly flexible but the exceptions are TINY, metal handle slabs. 95% of them are too slippery and all of them suck in the heat and cold to use bare handed, because not every field task allows you to wear gloves.

They've been making knives since forever, and they've always kept two things the same, thickness of the overall blade profile and a relatively thinner cutting edge, because they found this allowed thr knife to be a great cutter, however, some of the things they are doing now.. I dont know...

 

[SharpBits]

S30v will cut equally as well as another steel as long as the geometry is the same. It should also have better abrasive wear resistance than MC, assuming good heat treats on both. It is not a bad steel, but it’s far from my favorite. I do agree that the pricing is unfortunate. I assume that they didn’t want to appear to be a discount brand.

 

[norcalAF]

Another would be super thick tacticool knives, fixed or folder. In other words the sharpened pry bar.

You would love this sharp prybar! By one of my favorite forum makers David Mary !

 

[ShelterGirl]

Tool steel knives that will rust if they just hear thunder: No coating options available

Stainless knives that would shine in the titanic: All these models are coated if you want non coated you shoulda got the sprint run 3 weeks ago