Greg Medford of Medford Knife and Tool

bladeninja said:
It was last Saturday that I received my MKT 187 Flipper while responses were still being posted. An unused second hand piece at a fair price. I couldn't be happier with it. It's really that nice.





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Not to derail anything, but how is the actual flipper tang?

I understand Greg's inspiration behind the length/look, however sometimes form can get in the way of function.

Is it just too long? I have a lot of interest in the F, but that tang looks like it would be a small issue in use, and a big one in the pocket.

Thanks in advance.
 
The flipper tang works well and isn't an issue in terms of pocket snags or just plain getting in the way. The knife does not, "flip" open easily as the name would indicate but from reading or rather watching some of Greg's videos, it has a break in period. I can successfully flick it open but needs some loosening up.
 
bladeninja said:
The flipper tang works well and isn't an issue in terms of pocket snags or just plain getting in the way. The knife does not, "flip" open easily as the name would indicate but from reading or rather watching some of Greg's videos, it has a break in period. I can successfully flick it open but needs some loosening up.
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Thanks for getting back to me with an answer.
I guess just because something looks like it shouldn't work doesn't mean it doesn't...or something like that!

I am OK with it not being a rocket flipper, not a deal breaker....
 
JR88FAN said:
Thanks for getting back to me with an answer.
I guess just because something looks like it shouldn't work doesn't mean it doesn't...or something like that!

I am OK with it not being a rocket flipper, not a deal breaker....
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Yeah. No problem. The Flipper choil is great. You can really get a tight grip with it and do some serious work. Not only does it look good but it locks in your hand. Great design and functionality. Thank you Greg.
 
bladeninja said:
Yeah. No problem. The Flipper choil is great. You can really get a tight grip with it and do some serious work. Not only does it look good but it locks in your hand. Great design and functionality. Thank you Greg.
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One thing is for sure. Your hand will NEVER slide forward if you are doing anything that involves putting the tip through something!!
 
Had a Praetorian, and my overall experience was . . . meh. This coming from a guy who appreciates some large, heavy knives like the LPC, Beggatti, XM-24, and more. Fit and finish had some minor issues, but more importantly it suffered from the worst problem a "hard use" knife could have: lock slip. I traded it to a Medford fan who was okay with the faulty lock-up as he knew Greg personally and told me it was not his first Medford to have the lock slip issue (super understanding as I had overlooked this prior to sending the knife). Combine that with the multiple hot spots for my hand, and it was definite no-go.

I am usually pretty forgiving if a pivot is stiff or something along those lines, as I understand tight tolerances do require some break-in (very common with some of the firearms I like). However, straight up lock-up failure is hard to forgive - the scar on my hand reminds me of that each time I use a folder. Lots of people like their Medfords, and to each his own, just know that zero knife makers are all rainbows and butterflies. The positive here is that as long as you do nothing to the knife yourself, you can send it in to Greg for repair. That said, I have to agree some of his rules are a bit much - reminds of Microtech and their view on sharpening your own knife.
 
It's been a couple weeks now since I acquired my 187 Flipper and actually used it.

Because I'm a no BS kinda guy like Greg, here's my take on it...

1. The design/engineering of it is like no other. It's well thought out. Aesthetically, Medford nailed it.
2. Physically, it could use some chamfering and a little more attention to ergonomic comfort. The frame lock detent has not been chamfered and is sharp to touch. Not a big deal. Just pointing it out.
3. The pocket clip is ridiculously tight. It took some effort to slide it over my pants pocket to clip and was also difficult to remove. I started just putting the knife entirely in my pocket without clipping it.
4. The titanium scale on the one side and clip is mediocre. Compared to some other high end blades I own, it's at the bottom. It looks and feels more like aluminum compared to my others.

In summary...I would recommend a second hand MKT as I don't feel the price justifies the actual material quality. Like I said, Medford's designs are dead on but need refinement to ask what they're asking.

Hope this helps and give you this feedback with the best of intentions.
 
^^^ thanks for the honest review.

I may still pick one up at some point, however, not at MSRP.
 
JR88FAN said:
^^^ thanks for the honest review.

I may still pick one up at some point, however, not at MSRP.
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You're welcome. I've got to believe the Praetorians are in a league of their own. I started with the lowest priced model but am still very pleased.
 
When knife makers put themselves out front for their products their personas become part of the package. The KAI, Strider, Medford, Emerson and Snody types are well aware that they are gaining some prospective customers and losing others with their shtick and figure it balances out in their favor. The same can be said for Sal Glesser, Joe Houser and Dave Wattenberg on the other end of the spectrum.
 
I'm a huge fan of Medfords work and own/have owned many of his knives. He's a stand up guy and will sugarcoat nothing - that doesn't sit well with everybody but his honesty is refreshing. All my knives have been top quality.
 
My Medfords are all fantastic, and the customer service Amy and Greg have given is exceptional. In this world of political correctness I find Greg's videos refreshing and very entertaining. His knives are not cheap, but there is a lot of hands-on labour involved in each one.
As far as the issue of disassembly goes, I've collected and used hundreds of folders over the years, and had to disassemble only one, and it was not made to the high level of precision MKT's are. It's because of this high level of precision manufacture that they require a little more care in assembly than most folders.
Cheers
 
For those of you here who have bought from the company directly and paid 100% up front only to have from what I understand is a year long wait at the very least, how do you feel about that? Would you do it again? From what I understand it's generally frowned upon to pay someone 100% up front before the product is actually completed, just wondering what experiences have been with this.
 
I was interested in some of the Medfords just to try it out. I have had pretty much all the major customs out there in my collection. I've heard some good and a lot of bad about these knives, the thing that bothers me most is the warranty issue rules. If you have seen my post you know that I have a lot of the highest end possible knives, $2-12K range and not one of these custom makers have ever asked me not to "put a tool on the knife". Actually, most makers will tell you the best way to take down their knives and any tips to reassemble.

I'm also a maker and I understand about having to do warranty work, it's a real pain but a part of being a knifemaker. I was particularly concerned with how many of these Medfords seem to be going back for service or warranty, it shouldn't be that way for $500+ knives. In engineering its called OTBF (out the box failures), which usually applies to mass production. Customs should have zero OTBF, that's their appeal.

A while back one of my buddies brought over a praetorian to help with its lock stick issue, it wasn't as bad as I've seen but it could get to the point you needed to pry it. I knew about the warranty rule so I just told him to send it back, I think he ended up selling it. The design was nice, but the quality didn't feel custom to me.

The biggest concern was all the email and hate I saw Greg spew at pretty much one of the nicest guys in the knife community. There was a very long post and screen shots and quite frankly Greg was completely out of line. You can dig it up I'm not reposting. Customers, even if painful are always right. They buy your knives, they own them, unless they totally destroy it through intended negligence you should back up your knife. You shouldn't accuse them of messing with the knife when it clearly came that way brand new from maker.

I just wanted to share what I've learned so far as a consumer, not trying to argue with anyone.
 
If you watch medfords YouTube channel you will see that hardly any knives go back to Greg. And the ones that do...are ones that people tinkered with and bugged up. I run a business and the customer is not always right. When you've established a steady business part of the process to streamlining is how to get rid of customers that cost you so you can put more time into customers that pay you. Anyway I'm not sure why mkt's warranty is such an issue for people. It's s fire and forget missile. Buy and use. Why am I paying for a high end knife that I need to tinker with. Btw do own a couple pricy Medfords, I felt like I was treated great by mkt when i dealt with them (Amy) and the quality feels and looks great. Not saying this because I'm an asshat fanboy only to show I have experience with them.
 
I understand but don't agree with the negative view of MKT's warranty rules. If I spend $600 on a knife, I don't want to have to open it to "tidy it up"; I want to use it without ever worrying about the pivot getting loose, or needing oil, etc.
 
As Mr Wilson Stated:
"I'm a huge fan of Medfords work and own/have owned many of his knives. He's a stand up guy and will sugarcoat nothing - that doesn't sit well with everybody but his honesty is refreshing. All my knives have been top quality"

Refreshing Quality Builder that will take one of his knives back and repair it no questions asked. IS HUGE..
Many other makers out there are the same..But I met Mr Medford at BLADE a few years back..
Outstanding chat--Loves to chat knives and military support..
Some of his knives are GREAT and some not so much..Nature of the beast..Cant please everyone and he and his
lovely wife and Highly personable staff..Know this.
I just scored a discontinued 187DPT..What a nice knife..Rides well in the pocket and is truly a piece of his
craftsmanship. The ""REFRESHING"" thing I see with Medford Knives..His attitude of gratitude to all the buyers
and supporters of his knives he creates..That is the icing on the CAKE in my eyes...
 
This thread, was the precipitating factor, for me to finally check out a Medford (thanks GBU). I just picked up a, Medford 187 RMP last night, from BF member, LRG.

I'm actually pretty excited to see first hand, one of Greg Medford's knives! I'll update my post, once this 187 arrives.
 
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