Fit and Finish most important? Or should it be function?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder or something like that. I like for my knives to be as close to perfect as possible but I like a good strong spring and decent steel over looks. How well or easily is sharpens, holds the edge and cuts it my top thing. German Eyes aren't perfect but they sure do cut well and have good snap along with some of the older Case knives I have. How well it fits the hand is another important factor also.
 
Have to admit that has been my experience as well.

I have a very small collection I've put together over the past decade, maybe 30 or so knives of different time periods and maker groups. I have maybe a half dozen that are quite a bit above average. A couple that are truly special. I know it has got to be damned tough to put together a truly great knife at the price point we expect manufacturers to meet.

I guess I just find it funny as to how my brain works in judging the relative weights of different faults. My relatively new EDC has got to have the least desirable ebony that a collector could hope to find. It is black only at the top and bottom edges, the rest is a deep rusty brown. I've never seen ebony like this but I know most people hate any color other than black in this wood... Me? I think it is cool and doubly so since both sides match, lol.

But it is ironic that the pull on this knife is magnificent. And exactly what I like. I wouldn't even consider trading the pull for something else in exchange for the deepest, darkest ebony they could find.

Will
 
If i can check a knife before i'll buy it, i check first for blade play, as the most important thing, then for blade centering, well, if is not rubbing, it's ok for me. Then is the edge and grinds, i'm not a big fan of weird curves, or recurves if you will, on a supposed straight edge, and for a small pocket knife i like thin grinds.
Some small gaps don't bother me, but i don't like the handle to be flimsy, i mean very flexible when pressed a little. The pull, i like a medium to weak, and for the snap i'll go with medium.
Moving on to the pins and bolsters, handle scales, i like them to be smooth, not sticking out or with sharp edges on them, and well fitted, i'm not looking for perfection here, but i don't like huge gaps between the bolsters and scales material.
 
It depends on the reason I buy the knife in the first place.
Fit and finish for those I like to look at and play with but will not carry often or at all.
Function for those I want to use on a regular to daily basis which in the end for me always comes down to how it feels and fits my hand while using it. Hard to describe and even harder to judge from pictures.
 
Fit n finish certainly affects functionality.
Bad grinds wont cut as well.
Uneven scales and liners will make using the knife uncomfortable.
Gaps between the scales and liners collect crap, and weaken the overall structure.
Horrible fit can also eventually lead to more problems like blade play, etc.
 
DrPenguin said:
After pull I look at the fit of the bolsters to the handle material, and whether the handles move or are solidly attached, and whether the springs have gaps, whether the nail nick is robust or is shallow, whether the blades rub and/or are centered, whether the knife feels good in hand. But FIRST I judge it by the pull. And it seems like I will put up with deficiencies in other areas if the opening pull feels good to me.

Is that odd or what? :)

Will
Click to expand...

It would only be odd if you insisted that everyone else have the same requirements.
You don't so insist, so it's just another manifestation of personal preference. And judging a knife by personal preference is normal.

I'm another engineer. For me it's mostly how well does it work, followed by how well is it made. But it's an overall gestalt approach with no single factor taking absolute precedence over the others.

how well does it work: Number and style of blades. How thin are they just above the bevel. How well does the blade hold an edge (function of geometry, blade steel, and heat treat, in pretty much that order). How does it feel in my hand. Does it give me good control. How does it carry in my pocket. Is it difficult to open. (I like light to medium resistance.)

How well is it made: are the springs flat in both the opened and closed position. gaps. No blade wobble.

The last item: how much knife can I get for a given price range. I've lost knives over the years. STUFF happens to knives. So, me being me, there's only so much money I feel like I want to put into a knife. I love looking at customs. They are absolutely gorgeous, but I doubt I would ever spend that much money on a pocket knife. Not in me to do.

Like I said. Personal Preference.
 
Gus and Christian are right on for me, Grind, Fit, & Finish. If I like my grind and am happy with it
the rest falls into place nicely. As christian said they kind of go hand in hand. If theres something
about my grind I don't like its pretty easy for me to scrap the knife no matter how far along it is.
Ken.
 
Bastid said:
I look at everything, but number 1 for me is the blade and how well it cuts. Is the grind nice and thin at the edge? (That is my number one).
Click to expand...

While the blade is important (of course), number 1 for me is if I can get the thing OPEN. This is what spoiled GEC for me; both my #65 and #25 are stiff to the point
of being dangerous for someone with arthritic hands, and the half-stops only make it worse. My #13 is the only GEC I can carry and use on a daily basis but I won't
buy any more of them as the hard pull makes for instant disappointment.

Case quality is spotty but at least I can use what I buy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top