Favorite Knife Features what do you like?

C

clearkevin

Joined
Oct 7, 2014
Messages
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Looking to hear what people prefer in a number of categories I'll just list them and you can fill in and discuss as you see fit.
Eventually I will create a survey using this data

Looking for what you prefer in a folding knife in regards to:
1. Blade Steel
2. Blade shape
3. Blade Grind
4. Lock type
5. Deployment method
6. Handle material
7. Handle construction (liner no liners)
8. Handle construction (backspacer, partial backspacer, stand offs, integral)
9. Clip (spring, deep carry, milled ti)
10. Lanyard whole (large, small, integrated, hidden, none)
11. Weight
12. Price
13. Place of manufacture
14. blade length
15. overall size

Thanks for considering this I'm looking forward to the results, feel free to add a criteria if I've overlooked anything
 
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For Steel I have an affection for carbon steel, but stainless isn't really a deal breaker. Other than that I could care less about the particular blade steel other than having no need for more costly materials.
For Locking mechanism I prefer lockbacks or none at all.
For deployment I prefer thumb studs or nail nicks.
I like hollow, sabre ,or full flat grinds, though I don't even think about it when buying a knife.
I like clip point, drop point, and swedge free traditional spear points.
I like knives going in my pocket to be nice and lightweight, but that's all I could say as I don't pay attention to numbers or weigh my knives.
Length should be under 3.5" closed.
I don't exactly care if the blade is tip is up or down , I just want the deep carry clip to be at the bottom end of the handle. This means tip up but it isn't the part that matters to me.
I'm not concerned with construction , and while there may be materials I like I'm not concerned with handles material either.
I have an affection for knives made in the US, but have nothing against knives made in other countries and will buy and carry a knife made in Taiwan or china if it's cheap enough.
 
Well I appreciate what you are doing . . . seems like a lot of work . . . for us and for you . . . maybe I'm just not awake yet . . . just made some coffee and look forward to "a little something" (Pooh Bear quote) . . .

I will do what I can :
Missing category (and this feature (a love hate topic with me) came to mind first then realized it wasn't a category in your list) I really like the SecureEx sheath because it clicks onto the blade so nice and I can wash the sheath out (try that with a leather sheath) and . . . well that is about it really . . . looking forward to the day I can buy a replacement for the ones I have so they don't dull the knife edge.


other than that you might want to just cull through the "What is your Grail" threads here.

What is my grail :
this (Orson)





VG10 (I find it to be as practical as anything and better than most for a steel) grind is everything anyway.
KreyEx Diamond texture handle (custom . . . OH YAH BABY !)
Blade shape : this but more toward the Case Trapper clip point
Lock : well it came with this liner works for me (THIS PARTICULAR ONE never sticks/no play/secure enough for what I do with it) they ALL have draw backs.
pivot : these are ball bearing (I do fine with bronze washers . . . no big deal)
This length blade and handle I can't stress that enough this is perfection (for me) though the blade can be a tad long for detailed cutting but that is why we EDC more than one knife right ?

(look for another FrankenKnife Wowbagger mod coming soon . . . this knife with shorter blade ((a lot shorter)).

Hope this was at least sort of what you asked for.
 
For Steel I have an affection for carbon steel
Click to expand...

Agreed ! Not a big thing but if it tarnishes or, heaven forbid, rusts . . . I LIKE IT ! Feels better sharpening, feels better cutting . . . very subtle but there it is.
M4
3V (that's not stainless so much right ?)
good O' 1095 / white paper / etc.

I just got onto the VG10 above because I needed THAT particular knife so I could easily put the scales on it and over all it is the size I wanted.

M4 . . . . ooooooohhhhhhhhHHHHHHH . . . makes me quake just thinking about my Gayle Bradley one.
 
3. Blade Grind - NOT chisel
4. Lock type - liner (not frame!)
5. Deployment method - thumb studs of course
6. Handle material - G10 or aluminum
8. Handle construction (backspacer, partial backspacer, stand offs, integral) - stand offs ("flow-thru" handle)
9. Clip (spring, deep carry, milled ti) - regular, I absolutely HATE deep carry clips!
10. Lanyard whole (large, small, integrated, hidden, none) - 110% useless, wish knives didn't have it.
11. Weight - not heavy but not so light it feels like a toy
12. Price - under $200
13. Place of manufacture - USA! This is non negotiable
14. blade length - 3 to 5ish inches
15. overall size - handle length no more than 1" over blade length.

Thanks for considering this I'm looking forward to the results, feel free to add a criteria if I've overlooked anything[/QUOTE]
 
1. Blade Steel
M390 and Elmax are my favorite. I have very good experience with these steels. S110 still have to have some ROE since I only got it recently.
By default, s30 and s35 are go to steels

2. Blade shape
Drop point.
For me it is the most versatile and utilitarian blade shape... and the one I am the most comfortable with

3. Blade Grind
Standard V grind and FFG
Chisel is interesting g too but not much for the use I make of my knives

4. Lock type
Framelock and compression locks first
Liner lock second
I have one.knife either a back lock which is fine but not much pleasant to me

5. Deployment method
I like what is simple so manual opening on washers is my favourite
Flippers come second, I can go for bearings if they are well done

6. Handle material
Titanium and G10 are basic for me. I like CF for weight reduction and look if the patterns are nice

7. Handle construction (liner no liners)
It really depend of the construction
I prefer liners with G10 for robustness
No liner with a full piece of CF can works also for weight reduction

8. Handle construction (backspacer, partial backspacer, stand offs, integral)
Open construction wit stand offs

9. Clip (spring, deep carry, milled ti)
I like deep carry butat the moment most of my knives have sprung clips
I still have to test a milled clip...

10. Lanyard whole (large, small, integrated, hidden, none)
No lanyard with deep carry, lanyard otherwise...
If I have a lanyard I prefer to have a pin rather than a hole

11. Weight
The less is the better
But at the end it is more a question of balance than weight limit

12. Price
200$ is my average price
There are some very good knives for far less than that and very good Ines for far more....
At SAK or an Opinel are good knives for me, as much as a large Damascus sebenza... simply not it the same category

13. Place of manufacture
Mainly USA

14. blade length
I tend to like the 3 to 3.5" range

15. overall size
7-8"
 
1. S90v, M390, 20cv
2. Drop point or harpoon (Bodega)
3. FFG, hollow
4. Frame lock
5. flipper
6. Carbon fiber, Ti
7. No liner with a CF scale
8. I like standoffs (BM940), backspacer (Neon, Bodega)
9. Deep carry clip
10. I like a hidden lanyard hole (Neon)
11. Usually mid 3-4oz
12. Price? Im all over the place
13. I like U.S made but I'm not to picky about it
14. 3.25" is my prefered, no larger than 4"
15. OAL, somewhere in the 7-8" range
 
1. Blade Steel. M390 or M4
2. Blade shape. Leaf with flat top
3. Blade Grind. Full flat. Can live with a flat grind drop/clip point. No hollow, no saber.
4. Lock type. Is a simple "good" good enough?
5. Deployment method. Hole and flipper optional, but hole is important
6. Handle material. Titanium or G10 for a work knife.
7. Handle construction (liner no liners). Impartial
8. Handle construction (backspacer, partial backspacer, stand offs, integral). Depends on the knife and design. Not picky.
9. Clip (spring, deep carry, milled ti). Milled, not deep carry. Not wire, not a plain stamped spoon. Bodega style seems great.
10. Lanyard whole (large, small, integrated, hidden, none). Don't care. Pretty pointless but doesn't detract.
11. Weight. Under 6 oz, over 3.
12. Price. Depends on the total package and expected quality and warranty/company backup.
13. Place of manufacture. Don't care at all if the price meets quality.
14. blade length. 3.25 to 3.75
15. overall size. Double the blade length.
 
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Personally, I'm not big on super steels, they hold an edge well, but they are expensive, and can be a pain in the butt to sharpen. I prefer knives with full liners, good blade steel such as 154cm, 440c, s35vn, etc. As far as lock type, I prefer lock backs and frame locks, but I'm not overly picky. I like medium size folders with g10 handles.
 
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Thanks Guys I've already been updating my criteria based on these answers in the next week or so I will create an online survey and post it here as well as a number of other places to get as much user feedback as possible. Hope to see more answers over the next few days.
 
1. Blade Steel-Generally not too picky. I love me some uncoated carbon steel blades. That patina :cool:
2. Blade shape-Drop point and spearpoint.
3. Blade Grind-not too picky. I have come to loath partially serrated blades but don't mind fully serrated. Not overly fond of hollow grinds.
4. Lock type-sub frame lock or liner lock. I have a general dislike of framelocks, especially ones that haven't switched to a replacable insert.
5. Deployment method-really don't care as long as it is easy to open. I enjoy fiddling around with flippers.
6. Handle material-Wood or Stag. All G10 scales is typically a dealbreaker for me. It has always "felt cheap" to me. All Titanium or anodized aluminum are fine.
7. Handle construction (liner no liners)-I really don't care as long as it looks good.
8. Handle construction (backspacer, partial backspacer, stand offs, integral)-Not partial, as long as it looks good. I prefer a french trade style handle or a coke bottle handle
9. Clip (spring, deep carry, milled ti)-deep carry, tip up. Milled clip but they tend to be hard to get in sub-$400 blades.
10. Lanyard whole (large, small, integrated, hidden, none)-Folding blades, I'd just as well have none. Fixed blades, they need to fit at least unmolested 550.
11. Weight-A sub 5in fixed blade under 8oz is good for me. Folding blade, I like to keep it under 5 ounces.
12. Price-Generally, I'll stick in the $100-300 range. Under $100, I look for quality (ie Puukkos, Moras, RAT folders etc). More than $300 I look for reasons not to own that knife. Generally it needs to have a bombproof warranty and I'll be guaranteed to use it.
13. Place of manufacture-USA, Canuckistan, or Europe is preferred.
14. blade length- Under 4 inches for folders. 4-5.5 for fixed belt knives. 10-12 for choppers/machetes.
 
1. Blade Steel. H1, CTS-XHP, AUS8, VG10 in that order
2. Blade shape. Leaf, Dagger, Clip point, Wharncliffe, Hawkbill, Tanto, Recurve, Drop point, in that order
3. Blade Grind. Full flat, Hollow grind, Saber grind in that order
4. Lock type. Back lock, Axis/CBB lock, Liner lock
5. Deployment method. Thunbstuds + Wave, Hole +Wave, Thumbstuds, Flipper, Hole in that order
6. Handle material. G10, FRN, Grivory in that order
7. Handle construction (liner no liners). no liners preferred
8. Handle construction (backspacer, partial backspacer, stand offs, integral). Depends on so many things.
9. Clip (spring, deep carry, milled ti). Deep carry, hourglass, wire in that order
10. Lanyard hole (large, small, integrated, hidden, none). Don't care. Pretty pointless but doesn't detract.
11. Weight. Under 6 oz, over 2.5.
12. Price. A nice value, less than $200 even for collectibles
13. Place of manufacture. Don't care at all if the price meets quality.
14. Blade length. 4.5 to 5.5
15. Overall size. as close to a 1:1 blade-handle ratio as possible
 
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