Disappointing First Impressions

I've only had a few customs, but I have had very good luck with the custom makers I have dealt with. Has anyone ever been disappointed with a knife from Bob Dozier? Mine was absolutely perfect and sharper than I had ever seen a knife. Likewise, Darrel Ralph delivered a beautifully fitted and finished knife with a hair-popping edge.

I am also happy to say that both knives not only came to me sharp, but both exhibit excellent overall cutting ability. :)

--Bob Q
 
My biggest disappointment in a relatively expensive knife was a BM/Elishewitz (sp?) Sentinel. The design is striking, very combative, though the handles are downright uncomfortable for hard work (make Seb handles feel like dreams), and it is still one of the absolute smoothest opening knives I own, but the edge was terrible, and though I can put nice edges on all my other knives, I can't sharpen that one worth a damn!

Sometimes you get a gem in the rough. I bought a custom fixed blade from a guy named Wendell Fox at BAKCA last year. This blade is so simple it doesn't even have a ricaso, just a flat slab, flat ground from 3/32" stock (thin, cuts like crazy). The handle is also as simple as can be, two slabs each with 7 small pins making a simple oval shape that expands gradually as it goes straight back, and some sort of spacer between the slabs and the steel. The grind isn't perfect, the point is off center a bit, and there are other obvious imperfections. But the knife has a length (4.25") and a shape that makes it ideal for working food on group camp outings where I often find myself helping to cook for upwards of 30 people! It will dismember chickens like nothing else I've ever had, and it wasn't all that expensive (for a custom), about $100, so imperfections be damned, this knife always goes out with me on such trips.

My Sebs have never been a disappointment, though neither (one large, one small) are the smoothest of my knives (that distinction has to go to my all-steel Spyderco Delica, and the aforementioned Sentinel), they are pretty smooth. I use mine a lot and end up disassembling them for cleaning maybe once a year. That process smooths them out a lot. After cleaning the washers, I wipe them down with a silicon lube, and they're liquid smooth for a long time... One of the things I love about the seb is that you can do that!
 
Originally posted by matthew rapaport
and they're liquid smooth for a long time... One of the things I love about the seb is that you can do that!
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Next time, try putting a very thin film of a quality grease on both the washers AND the blade where the washers sit, and also a tiny bit on the ball detent, i think youll be surprised, and unlike oils, it will stay smooth for a long time.
 
"Disappoinment" implies expectation. "Disappointment" in knives seems to rise with cost (higher expectations). Apparently, Towcutter had high expectations on some expensive knives.

Unfortunately, handling a knife in a store or at a show gives limited perspective on a knife. I think it is a very good indicator of whether a knife has the correct proportions for you particular hand, and whether the appearance is what you expected.

Beyond that, judging a manufacturer on a single knife handled at a show for a minute or two is pretty marginal. It's like wine - you really have to try it to know whether it is one you want in the long run.

Not everyone has the resources to do this with the more expensive knife models. The reality though, it that you have to do this with a number of them to develop a fair comparison.

I personally won't spend $200+ on a wine from Burgundy. Others do this regularly. On the rare opportunity that I can taste one of these vintages - if I don't like them, I can't say I am disappointed. I don't have the knowledge base for comparison.

Not all high-end knives are inherently better than "factory" knives - but there are a lot of details that can only be found on the high end knives that will never be reproduced on the less expensive models.

If you want a tough-performing knife that is reliable, there are plenty of good choices in the $50 - $100 range.
 
Very well said..........

however, if some one was disappointed in one of my knives...

then I would say I didnt do my best on it.......and making each one perfect is my goal. Striving for perfection in an imperfect world can be very frustrating!!:rolleyes:
 
I've found the majority of Benchmades I've played with to be all-around pretty sickening. Crappy grinds, a lot of crappy materials, very skimpy on the fit and finish. CRKT makes better knives for half the price.

My favorite fixed blade was hideous when it arrived...

A Strider SA. The sharpening job was REALLY BAD. At the tip the edge grind was twice as high on one side than the other. I've heard horrible stories of waiting months for Strider to get your knife fixed and back to you. I took it to a professional knife sharpening shop here in Austin. The guy LOVED the knife, and immediately knew is was expensive... They kinda handed it to eachother, and then got the Boss out to give the best results. They have a custom made machine that sharpens and even has an auto-strop! The guy took a while making light grinds... doing it right... and the outcone was/is incredible. I typically enjoy a very coarse finish on the edge of my strider. THe micro-serrations are upheld well by Bos' great heat treat. LIke I said, after all is said and done, I really like the knife!

I've never seen a Reeve that was not on "par" with everything I expect every time.
 
Only two, a folder a David Boye lockback, and a REKAT Picuni. Niether one was half as well made as I thought they could have been.
 
I have to disagree with Architects comments.

Just because I didn't handle 400 examples of a certain knife, run a statistical analysis of their defect rate and come up with exacting metrics for the performance of a specific model...doesn't mean that I cannot have a bad "first impression".

I will qualify my statements on these specific knives. I feel that I can get a reasonable assesment of the quality of a knife based upon how I examine them at a show/store. Granted I can't go cut 100 pieces of cardboard or rope and resharpen the knife to see how it "performs", I can use reasonable parameters to see if I like it and if it meets or exceeds expecations. I understand that there are lemons out there. Thats why I kept trying the TI knives out. It wasn't like I said those are crap, forget it. I tried three out and they were all the same. The odds of that being a lemon start to reduce.


I tried out three different TI knives at three different times. They contained the same flaws. Based upon my "expectations" and experience for how a knife in that price class should operate, I came to the conclusion that I was disappointed. I didn't slam or crucify TI knives, I just felt they didn't live up to the billing.....from what I had seen. Are they all bad? I hope not....But based upon what I have seen, I wasn't thrilled with them.


William Henry's. I didn't expect them to be so slim and constructed so lightly. Have I seen every William Henry ever made? Nope. But based upon the ones that I saw and handled they didn't seem to have the qualities that I "expected". I am used to knives in this price range having a more robust construction. That is what I based my opinion on. It could be that it's not my type of knife, but their benefit to cost ratio was a bit off IMHO.


The Sebenza...Everyone I have picked I'v had the same problem with operation. The fit and finish are great. But if I can't open or close the knife safely or easily, what good is all that quality?

Based upon the replies here, I have learned that there is a technique to operating a Sebenza, along with having to grease it some. I didn't know this, so I will get one and try it out.
 
Originally posted by The Towcutter
Sebenza. The king of production folding knives. Well the fit an finish are intoxicating. Everything everyone said it is. But....... I can't operate it. The action is very stiff and I cannot get the lock to disengage with one hand.
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I think the trouble with opening a Sebenza isn’t pressing down on the thumblug. The trouble is pressing up on the frame lock. That forces the ball detent into the blade and makes it hard to disengage. Of course if you are pressing down on the thumblug you are probably pressing up on the frame lock. Change your technique so you don’t press up on the frame lock.
 
The Buck large folding Strider,,,,I had to use a pry-bar to
unlock the blade,,,,,built very strong, but couldn't live
with it,,,,,
I'm sure it might smooth out with use, but when I flicked the
blade open with wrist action,,bladed lock up was impossible to unlock
with one or two hands!!!!
Sold it.
MM
 
The Knife Sharpist over where Medical Pkwy turns to Burnet Near 45th... THEY are WAAAAAAAYYYY to proud of their mostly generic knives, but they do put a NICE edge on yer knife!
 
bquinlan,
Ill bet archieblue took it to Graham at The Knife Sharpist on Burnet Road. (I live in Austin, too)
 
Originally posted by The Towcutter
I have to disagree with Architects comments.

Just because I didn't handle 400 examples of a certain knife, run a statistical analysis of their defect rate and come up with exacting metrics for the performance of a specific model...doesn't mean that I cannot have a bad "first impression...
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I wasn't at all trying to say that you or anyone else isn't entitled to a bad first impression. Since you targeted three of the more expensive knife "brands" I got the distinct impression that your disappointment is specifically related to your expectations based on their prices. I also got the sense particularly on the William Henry knives, that their lack of "robustness" was your primary disappointment. Had you picked up a less expensive knife - I suspect that your disappointment would have been mollified by its more affordable pricing. I certainly feel that way when I pick up a Spyderco knife. I love the ergonomics, performance, lock execution. But, along with that, you get sharp edges on liners, scale materials like aluminum that I don't like and clips that I don't like. I say to myself, "well, for this amount of money, it is a bargain!".

I sincerely recommend that you spend a half-a-day or a full day at a custom knife show. Handle knives from every maker. Cycle through the tons of liner-locking folders that are being cranked out by custom makers year after year. Then (either at the show or somewhere else) pick up those William Henry knives again. I certainly have found that WH knives compare more than favorably to most "custom" knifemakers efforts. In fact, I would go as far as saying that WH puts out better liner-lock "gents" knives than the majority custom makers. If you look around, you will find a number of places that sell them for less than MSRP. They will cost you almost less than half of what a simliar knife will go for from a custom maker.

Now that WH has come out with their button-locks, I expect (hope) the comparsion will fall even more in their favor.

You finish your first paragraph by saying

Suprisingly they are pretty popular and sought after..
Really, it is not at all surprising. Unlike the bulk of "factory" products, each of the knives you have mentioned have a unique design character, some more visual, some more technical. The WH and Sebenza lines compare very favorably with custom knives and cost less. They are a bargain relatively speaking, if you happen to like their designs.

Ironically, where customs should be strongest, i.e. "custom design", is in fact the most frustrating aspect of being a buyer. Getting a "true custom" is a very long wait, if you can ever make it happen at all. The reality is, many or most custom knifemakers are really pattern-knifemakers, just like WH and Chris Reeve, albeit they have a bit more customization in their use of steels and handle materials than say, WH.

[QUOTE
William Henry's...I am used to knives in this price range having a more robust construction...

The Sebenza...if I can't open or close the knife safely or easily, what good is all that quality?...
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The William Henry's are more than adequate for their blade shapes and blade thicknesses. I tend to think of them as slipjoints with a lock.

I am not sure about opening issue with the Sebenza. Unlike many statement on the forums, I have not found them to be slick opening at all. In fact, I find that regardless of usage, they tend to have substanially more friction than many folders. I have always thought of it as a safety feature, as it is not likley to "jump" toward your thumb like some slicker folders can.
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After spending a day at the guild show last month, I will agree with you about the majority of custom knives having locks that aren't any better (most were worse) than W.H's. That is surprising to me,especially considering the price. Locks seem to be the hardest or most overlooked part of a knife for some makers. A few guys stuff (big names = big prices) were horrific in terms of lockup.

I'll check out some other WH models and I'll get a Sebenza. They'll probably grow on me :)
 
Originally posted by archieblue
The Knife Sharpist over where Medical Pkwy turns to Burnet Near 45th...
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Thanks for the info! I'll have to check them out.

--Bob Q
 
Originally posted by Muss
bquinlan,
Ill bet archieblue took it to Graham at The Knife Sharpist on Burnet Road.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply! I'm always finding out new things about this place...and I've lived here for almost twenty years. :)

--Bob Q
 
So far I was quite happy with my production knives but I would never again buy custom knife (especially folder) unseen ....

David
 
I have owned two William Henry knives and they are the finest production knives I have owned alongside Chris Reeve and Strider!
 
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