Has anyone tried the Wave and NOT liked it?

I own a bunch of Emersons and carry some form of one daily for the most part. Don't like the wave at all. Never did and never will. So I open them without using it. keepem sharp
 
I am prepared to take my lumps for this response but so be it. I have carried one or more knives every day for over fifty years and not once have I had to have the blade open for immediate use. What's the hurry? I have used opening holes, thumb studs, and nail flicks and each and every time my blade opened in time for me to open the mail, cut up an apple for thr grandkids, clean my finger nails or whittle on a stick. An added bonus of all my blades is that when open they do not draw the attention of the sheeple around me. Fire away.
 
I played with a Waved Delica and, while I did not dislike it, I did not see the point of it. I see it as adding a risk of unintentional opening in trade for a marginal increase in opening speed. Since speed in deploying a blade is, at best, mostly psychological gamesmanship, I am not certain that the gain is worth the risk.
 
I went to a Mercop class last month. See the reviews in the practical training forum. Date of reviews was 2 April 2007.

There were a number of commonly believed truths that were attacked in this class. The wave was just one of them.

The first were that under extreme stress it is more important to draw your knife and use it like a blunt instrument. There is a good chance that you will not be able to deploy a waved knife properly. You could drop the knife. (again this is under duress and your fine motor skills have left you. Only gross motor skills are left for you.)

It was pointed out in the class even with a speed dialer it requires a fine degree of motor skills. This is not to say that a belt sheath similar to a speed dialer for a regular folder is much better than the knife clipped in your pocket. Since that meeting I wear almost every day a 45 degree holster for my Spyderco military Bm-42.

After a couple of weeks I can say it is pleasure to use. The instructor at the class pointed out to me the problems with a waved knife in clipped to your pants pocket or your speed dialer.

Have somebody really raise your blood pressure and fight and wrestle for 2 or 3 minutes and try to deploy your wave from your pants pocket or a speed dialer. The results are interesting.

Please understand that this was completely new to me. I recently bought a Spyderco Military. Disapointed that I had send the knife away to get the clip reversed so I could put a ziptie wave on the knife. Then after all the money and hastle to make a wave knife, I now put the knife in a holster made by Phil Smith of www.philsmithknives.com. It is so much better than the wave in so many ways.

Note. Mercop uses a waved Emerson Karambit for a weak hand deployment when somebody might be going for his gun hand. He lives in a state that does not allow any fixed blades.

Please read the reviews of the Mercop seminars they were a real eye opener.

Regards,

Timber Man
 
I understand that instant opening is rarely needed. However, there are situations were one hand opening can be very useful. Such as when holding something in the opposite hand that you do not or cannot let go of. Or in a combat situation, where you may be injured and cannot use the other hand. And, there are situations where intimidation is important and may be useful (LEO or Military or SD situations) . I know, a thumb hole or stud, can work well, but there is a place for a waved feature. Its just another tool, or useful feature on a tool.
One mans opinion.
Dean
 
DoctaD said:
I understand that instant opening is rarely needed. However, there are situations were one hand opening can be very useful. Such as when holding something in the opposite hand that you do not or cannot let go of. Or in a combat situation, where you may be injured and cannot use the other hand. And, there are situations where intimidation is important and may be useful (LEO or Military or SD situations) . I know, a thumb hole or stud, can work well, but there is a place for a waved feature. Its just another tool, or useful feature on a tool.
One mans opinion.
Dean
Click to expand...

Options is good. One hand opening, easily accomplished by thumb hole, is the ultimate in convenience for me. I suppose if my thumb were broken or otherwise of no use I might reconsider, but I'm an optimist. :)
 
I like it ok, but have to say that my CQV7 does not have the wave. I've got a CQC10, which of course does have the wave, but I find myself carrying the 7 more frequently (i suppose because it's more compact). Perhaps I'll get a waved 7 and see...
 
I've done Wave mods to forum members folders (with Emerson's permission) for quite a while but I can't really say I'm a huge fan. Personally I like them on occasion only but my wife gripes so much about the condition of my pockets so much that I've actually stopped using a pocket clip as of this week also and just carry a folder I made for myself in a leather pouch with a lanyard sticking out the back of it so I can just pull it out when I need it. It took me a while to get used to that mode of carry again. Hard to believe its the only way I carried a folder for over half my life. Its ironic I guess that I make Waves and pocket clips but don't use them much but that is the case. Still I do have them and do use them but its dependent on the pants I'm wearing. If they already have a chewed up pocket then I might go ahead and stick on there with a clip and Wave but right now I only have one Waved folder.

I had two but lookie here! The Wave fell off! :eek:
 
Well, I think they're ugly as sin and the only one I owned was on an Emerson that I had to dial in between smooth action and blade play. Nothing worse than coming out part-way when opening by the Wave. Speeded up the fraying on the pockets quite a bit as well.
 
Wow...I think even kgriggs8 thought this one might have gotten heated.
Kuddos to everyone, and the very intelligent discussion about this.
I don't own a wave yet. I have this phobia when buying knives, they may feel good (or bad) in the brick and mortar store, but in real world they may be different. I admit, I am a Spydie guy. I have an old (non-waved) Emerson, and I like it. I've have some BMs, and like them. I love my Spydercos.

With that being said, I have held waved knives in the store or at shows, I don't think that I like them. I just don't trust it to open perfectly every time. I have a few arc locked SOGS that I can open instantly.

I was curious and picked up a BM auto. Anymore, it seems that autos are almost "gimmicky" By the time you draw, and find the button, many can draw and "re-pocket" a non-auto (or AO)

So I say to each their own. You can love or hate whatever you prefer.
I would like to try a wave, but I don't think I will buy one. If I carry it in the real world, I might like it, I might not.

Just my twocents worth.

Greg
 
For me how well it works depends on the pants I have on. Some of my jeans with a rivet in the corner of the pocket causes it not to open all the way and often it gets hung up and the knife does not even come out of the pocket.

The rivet gets surrounded by the wave and the blade does not open far at all and stays kind of caught inside the pocket .

Since I'm often in nylon gym shorts most mornings for a few hours that does not work either .Just pulls the shorts way up .
 
Dislikes:

I found that 9 times out of 10, I wanted to pull the knife out without immediately deploying the blade, and I had to fumble stupidly with the thing to prevent accidental opening.

On most of my pants, reliable deployment required flicking my hand behind me as I cleared the pocket. I almost killed my cat once.

My other knives are thumb openers only, and having different deployment options for different knives has led to some complicated moments.

I commonly wear a long-ish untucked shirt, which interferes with the knife as it waves open. (This alone was a deal breaker.)

Torn pockets.

Likes:

Fast, simple, rugged, reliable, requires almost no training, and mostly, it's just a splendidly clever idea.

If I carried a knife as a weapon, I might insist on a wave, but that's only with the disclaimer that I've had no defensive knife training (see timmberman's post above).

I dewaved both my Emersons and cut jimping on the spine with a Dremel, and both knives are much more functional for me now.
 
I got a Delica Wave and thought it was great. Until I tried to pull it out of my pocket when sitting down. Or even worse, with a seatbelt on. Just not worth it. My regular Delica works just fine for me.
 
I never thought much of the Wave until I got a EKI Karambit.I liked it and my next knife is going to be a Waved Endura.(since I just traded the EKI for a fixed blade K-Bit).
 
:o I often wear sweatpants, so no wave for me. Pockets are too floppy for any folders really. I prefer fixed blades anyway :thumbup:
 
I own a delica 4 wave, and i love it. I find it pretty easy to pull out without the wave catching, which is what i do most of the time. But at work, park maintenance for the local park district, im wearing thick work gloves half the time and the wave works beautifully. I have been questioned by LEO's for having it but they have all found my use acceptable, the park district shirt usually helps gain a little respect from the cops. The wave is also perfect as a bottle opener which i love.
Although it is personal preference its easy enough to not use the only objection I see is looks which doesn't bother me.
 
It is nice to see that while many of us have different reasons for wanting what we want, we can talk about and stay calm. I didn't want this to turn into a Wave hater thread and I didn't know about that thread when I started this one.

From what I can tell, those that do not like the Wave have several reasons:

1. They don't need a knife to open that fast.

2. They don't want to scare the sheeple.

3. They don't think it is positive in opening.

4. They feel they may drop it.

5. They feel it is dangerous.

6. They feel that it wears out your pants pockets.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top