Extrema Ratio Sales! Extrema Prices!! Extrema Features???

F

Fatty_Boomsticks

Joined
Mar 28, 2005
Messages
76
Hello Forumites

One of you people alerted me to the fact that One Stop Knife Shop is having a closeout sale of Extrema Ratio. http://www.1sks.com/store/extrema-ratio.html

Wanting a quality lockback I was interested [yes I know their faults: thick blade; too heavy; etc] however the info. from the site is quite scant, it just says “Fulcrum Folder” searches elsewhere do not make model # / features clear. It seems what they may be offering by way of a folder has:

 No pocket clip
 No safety pin toggle for lock

If this is so, what initially seemed like a good deal may not be quite so hot, or even lukewarm.

Q: Does anybody know the true deal? Has anyone bought one of these?
I would like to know anything you might offer regarding this particular sale.

Much Thanks.
 
I really dont like the looks of those Extrema Ratio knives, personally. That is not to say they arent any good. I havent handled any. they appear to be overpriced, for the materials, IMO.
 
the fulcrum comes in 2 models, the fulcrum and the fulcrum 2, the std fulcrum does not have the safety (its just a pin ya slide to 1 side when locking/slide to other to unlock, kinda neat but not necc imho) nor does it have a pocket clip (not good imho, not for me anyway).

ER's are extremely heavy duty well made knives, albeit expensive ones.

the ones on 1SKS are the std fulcrum w/no clip or safety, which, imho, isnt a good deal unless ya need a really heavy duty folder with no clip, guess ya could have a clip installed but its not cheap enough to justify all that imho, i would look for a fulcrum 2 on knifecenter.com they have them for like $200 or $230, also have nemisis for $325 as cheap as i have seen anywhere.

great knives though,100% every bit as heavy duty as a buck/strider or SF alpha, if ya dont mind a thick knife they are as good as it gets imho in a production knife, ALMOST as good as a strider..
 
I agree, I'd spend a little more and get the better models, like the F2, MPC or the Nemesis.

I picked up a Nemesis about 6 months ago, my impressions are that it is about the most overbuilt, and possibly strongest lockback ever made. Like the Strider AR is the mother of all liner locks, so too is the ER the mother of all lockbacks. It's one of the few folders I would trust to not close on me, near 100%, if I were cutting into some very tough stuff. I'm not sure I trust any liner/framelock that much.

As was mentioned, the edge gets thick near the tip, and it's still fairly thick along the rest of it, so, this isn't a delicate slicer, but, for a heavy duty folder that you can trust completely, they are pretty hard to beat.

The F&F is very close to that of a Sebenza, and that's not something I say lightly, there's a lot more to the cost of a knife than sheer materials, if materials were all that mattered, they'd all cost $50. :)
 
Fatty_Boomsticks said:
who is spark?
Click to expand...

The man who owns One Stop Knife Shop, and Bladeforums.

Just search for his name on here, he's the author of a lot of stickies on the forums.

I would call a rep of his though, the mods say he has been very busy as of late.
 
yes Examon their fixed blade prices are too high
but their folder prices are freaking ridiculous....... :eek:











so a sale is the only time a pauper like me could get a look in
 
Again, since there is a lot more to what makes a knife cost a certain amount than just the materials used, what exactly is it you think that makes them overpriced?

I find them to offer near custom level F&F, and who else makes a lockback folder so massively built? I guess you also feel Sebenzas are overpriced too, with the same logic?

I don't know, I get a little annoyed when time and time again people say Sebenzas, or here, ER's are way overpriced, when the fact is, each offers custom level F&F, a solid design, and very good materials, for a price that's less than most customs. Are all customs overpriced too, I suppose that one could aruge that any knife made from normal materials should never cost over $100, but that's not an argument I'd make. For any company to make a knife that consistantly offers exceptional F&F, they must charge more in order to afford to ensure that, like CRK and ER obviously do. Yeah, they make a profit too of course, but probably not as much as you'd think, in fact, I'd bet that %-wise, their profit margins are no higher than let's say Benchmade who only charges $100-$200, but probably spends very little per knife to make them.

I for one am very glad there are companies like ER and CRK who offer a product that's a cut above the normal production knives, even though they need to charge more to do it.
 
Megalobyte said:
For any company to make a knife that consistantly offers exceptional F&F, they must charge more in order to afford to ensure that ...
Click to expand...
Even if the fit and finish is much higher on average than the high end productions, this may notbe worth 2-3x as much money to many people especially for a user knife and hence ER would be overpriced from that perspective. Then there are issues like handle ergonomics/security, initial sharpness, cutting ability, etc. .

-Cliff
 
I don't have one of their folders but if they are anything like the Col Moschin which I own then it's going to be one hell of a knife. The handles look funny until you put them in your hands...very very ergonomic.

They may be a little pricey but so are Cris Reeve knives but you DO get what you pay for with both the CRK and the E.R knives.

IMHO & FWIW
Ron
:rolleyes: ;)
 
Cliff, I know this kind of goes against what you are concerned with, namely how does a knife perform and how does that performance compare to other knives, but I know there are many people, myself included, who appreciate some of the non-performance oriented, so called intangables that more expensive knives, like CRK and ERK offer.

There are plenty of relatively cheap cars that can match the raw performance of some of their much pricier competition, but, people still pay for the higher-end cars, yes, some of them do it for status, but many do it because of things you may find strange, like for example, that solid, "thunk" the door makes when closed on a more expensive car, the tactile feel of the switches and instruments, the quality evident in the interior trim, the guages, the seats, the refinement, smoothness of the engine and drivetrain, etc, these are things that may not make the more expensive car perform any better, but these are things people do appreciate and pay for, the same goes for knives, I'm sure there are knives cheaper than a Sebenza or ER Nemesis that can match their performance, but very few knives I am aware of, at any price, have the F&F and feel that the CRK and ER knives have, and for those that get off on such stuff, like I do, it's worth more money. I agree with you though, if sheer performance was all I cared about, then I suppose any knife over $100 would be overpriced.

I have owned customs from most of the top makers, both tac/utility and art type knives, they make Sebenzas and ER's seem like a real bargain, and many of them do not have the exceptional F&F and satisfying tactile feel that the CRK and ER knives do, and for far less money, and so, based on this, I just cannot agree that at $340, a Sebenza is overpriced, neither do I feel an ER Nemesis is at $300 or so.

Cliff, I don't see knives as simple tools like you do, to me there is more to a good knife than raw performance, of course I want a knife to be very capable, but for me to like and apppreciate it, it needs a bit more than that.

A $5 bottle of screw-cap wine will get you just as drunk as the most expensive bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothchild, each performs well, if getting drunk is all that matters.
 
Megalobyte said:
Cliff, I know this kind of goes against what you are concerned with, namely how does a knife perform and how does that performance compare to other knives, but I know there are many people, myself included, who appreciate some of the non-performance oriented, so called intangables that more expensive knives, like CRK and ERK offer.

There are plenty of relatively cheap cars that can match the raw performance of some of their much pricier competition, but, people still pay for the higher-end cars, yes, some of them do it for status, but many do it because of things you may find strange, like for example, that solid, "thunk" the door makes when closed on a more expensive car, the tactile feel of the switches and instruments, the quality evident in the interior trim, the guages, the seats, the refinement, smoothness of the engine and drivetrain, etc, these are things that may not make the more expensive car perform any better, but these are things people do appreciate and pay for, the same goes for knives, I'm sure there are knives cheaper than a Sebenza or ER Nemesis that can match their performance, but very few knives I am aware of, at any price, have the F&F and feel that the CRK and ER knives have, and for those that get off on such stuff, like I do, it's worth more money. I agree with you though, if sheer performance was all I cared about, then I suppose any knife over $100 would be overpriced.

I have owned customs from most of the top makers, both tac/utility and art type knives, they make Sebenzas and ER's seem like a real bargain, and many of them do not have the exceptional F&F and satisfying tactile feel that the CRK and ER knives do, and for far less money, and so, based on this, I just cannot agree that at $340, a Sebenza is overpriced, neither do I feel an ER Nemesis is at $300 or so.

Cliff, I don't see knives as simple tools like you do, to me there is more to a good knife than raw performance, of course I want a knife to be very capable, but for me to like and apppreciate it, it needs a bit more than that.

A $5 bottle of screw-cap wine will get you just as drunk as the most expensive bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothchild, each performs well, if getting drunk is all that matters.
Click to expand...


yep.......................
 
silenthunterstudios said:
Call Spark.
Click to expand...

if ya are saying call 1SKS to see if they have anything other than std fulcrums i did and they dont, for some reason ER folders are kinda hard to come by right now,
 
Hello Mega

Thanks for your responses. I didn’t mean to “annoy” anyone by saying ER folder “prices are freaking ridiculous” that was just my spontaneous reaction to the dollars on the price-tag [which no-one can deny are on the uppermost reaches for production blades] not a considered judgement on the value [ie: cost / worth] of ER blades. As you are an owner/user of ER kit your experience with & opinion of the value of the knives is of true substance while mine is just an empty exclamation.

Yes I do understand your reasoning behind the mensurable performance [eg: a Cliff type review] verses the more intangible pride of ownership type issues which can add significantly to the satisfaction such a knife can bring & in some cases outweigh the mundane performance criteria that might apply. I must say that I am occasionally seduced by the design of some knives to a level beyond what my rational mind can justify for outlay in dollar terms but as I am a reasonably poor man prudence is warranted. ER blades is naturally enough such a case, that is why posted this thread. I am truly grateful to any owners of ER blades who take the time to respond & share their experiences- I do read them carefully & consider them important.

Thanks again Mega & thanks to all who have responded.
 
i've never handled an extrema.........BUT.........i own a spyderco Manix.

i cant imagine a stronger folder than this...and the handle feels like it was custom made for my hand.

s30v....g10 handles......MASSIVE lockup............clip can be lefty or righty-tip up - or tip down @ $110 :eek:
 
Megalobyte said:
I know there are many people, myself included, who appreciate some of the non-performance oriented, so called intangables that more expensive knives, like CRK and ERK offer.
Click to expand...
Of course, and there are lots of people who don't. You want to judge a knife as being worth 2-3x the cost of another because it has a higher level of cosmetics, that is cool. Just as someone else can have no value on that at all because if they are using the knife it doesn't matter.

I can guarantee that if I gave a Sebenza to any of my relatives working as regular tradesmen that after one week, the level of fit and finish would be far less than any decent NIB mid-high level production knife as both blade and handle would be scratched and the edge dulled and it and the tip likely chipped/fractured. The opening would also be effected by dirt and grit.

As long as you are clear as to what you are basing your statement of worth all parties involved in the discussion can come to understand each other, unless of course you have an irrational attachment to your viewpoint and can't see the validity of someone having a different one and then choose to attack them for not seeing everything your way.

I agree with you though, if sheer performance was all I cared about, then I suppose any knife over $100 would be overpriced.
Click to expand...
I never said that. There are lots of knives much more expensive than that which are worth it in terms of performance because you can't match or exceed them for cheaper.

I don't see knives as simple tools like you do ...
Click to expand...
I don't either, I have lots of knives which have value for lots of reasons other than performance. I have a old twin liner lock blade that used to be my grandfathers for example.

I can however appreciate that if someone was discussing the benefits of this knife then its worth to me would be of little value to them and I certaintly would not argue against the merits of its design based on my emotional attachment to it.

So a reasonable arguement goes :

"Yeah, the problem with the ER folders is that you can match the performance much cheaper."

"I see that point, but I would pay the price to get the fit and finish."

and everyone walks away happy and the information content of the thread is high. Of course to do this you have to be willing to accept that there is validity in the other persons perspective and that for many people the knife that you think has worth has very little.

There are lots of knives that I think are deals that my friends and relatives would classify as vastly overpriced because the gains are not worth the cost to them.

-Cliff
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top