If you could tell a manufacturer something....

Companies should make your folding knives (or at least some of them) owner serviceable. What I mean is that the owner should be able to take it apart and put it back together easily. It makes the knife easy to clean, lube, adjust, etc. Much more enjoyable, much more likely to buy more knives and/or recommend the knife to others. Take the hint from Chris Reeve and his Sebenza/Umfaan line. Benchmade is doing it ok, even though they understandably say that it voids the warranty.

Bernie

(come on 9,000)


[This message has been edited by Bernie (edited 24 January 1999).]
 
To all manufactures and custom makers stop using bead blasted ATS-34 blades. I don't believe cost is factor here. It doesn't cost benchmade beans to make a knife. And top end well known custom makers selling at $400 + should be able to put a nice satin finish on their blades. Can you imangine, carbon fiber scales, Ti angled bolsters, machined and anodized Ti liners, a hand ground blade, and a bead blasted finish??? Whoa

Reeve can make a nice hollow ground blade, but benchmade?? They should stick to v ground. I could get started on benchmade here. Let's hope they give some carefull thought to their new axis models. This could be a very good thing if they can maintain quality. They also make a lot of the same models in either 3" or 4". Their best model is the mini AFCK at 3.25". Like to see more models at 3.25 and 3.5. I've got a benchmade brend talon II. It's got a better blade than anything they make today IMHO. There are better coatings than their BTM... Ah never mind. I'll look elsewhere.

Reversible clips, tip up or tip down is a good thing.

Now that we've got the ball rolling on new lock designs (thank god), there must be some other yet to be designed possibilities in this dept. Think!! I find it ironic that custom makers keep looking for ever more exotic designs, handle materials, etc., but not locks. But, maybe it's not in their psychological makeup. Maybe this will come from engineers, someone outside the knife industry. Remember the Paul Knife?

Ahhh, enough for now. Nice thread Mike started. Could go on forever. This thread should get Spark the 9000 posts he wanted before the shot show.
 
I would tell to them that apply(Cold steel, Benchmade, Ontario etc.) That there are more than 1 or 2 steels in this world and none of them has it all, so show some more variety in your choises of knife steel.

I would also like to say to manufactures that I prefer Zytel and day over Kraton on a FB. Its just plain better IMHO.

Sincerely,
Adam
 
Send replacement screws for the clips. I don't like clips and it's a bitch to find screws to fill the "holes" when I remove them. it seems that every knife (Benchmade) has a different size clip screw hole - if you're not going to send replacement screws use the same size screws every time, please.

To those making knives with un-removable pocket clips - I'll never buy one of your knives, unless it's only for collecting.

My "this really bugs me".
 
Make the clips reversible. So you can put it on whatever side you want.

Better steels.

------------------

Mouse Assassins inc.

 
To all companies that make sport-utility or tactical knives for us steel-elitists:

Kitchen knives for steel-elitists.

440C or better.

What knives do we actually use every day? The knives we use on edible stuff! Hunting/fishing/camping knives we use on vacation or weekends, if we're lucky. Fighting knives we hope we never use, except to open packages or slice bagels in high style. But, except in time of siege or disaster, we eat every day.

If you, the manufactuerer, don't want to take the plunge with a dozen shapes and sizes, start with a paring knife.

Make the best kitchen paring knife you manufacturers know how to make.

While you're at it, make a sheath for it too.

------------------
- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com

 
4) I would like to see an end to the frivolous use of false edges. There are too many knives that are made nearly useless because they get too darn thin.

5) What everybody else said. There alot of good ideas/gripes here. Slowly but surely I think the Knife world might start spinning in our direction.


YeK
 
To all mfg's. I personally will not buy a bead blasted blade. I use a knife to cut with, and as my recent episode of Me vs the wet waterbed foam pointed out, a bead blasted blade does not cut, it tears. As pointed out by other posters, bead blasted blades tend to rust easier. Bead blasting just seems to be a way to market a crap idea as being "Tacticaly Non-Relective" when in reality it just says, we are cutting mfg costs by shoving a bad idea down your throat.
 
Hello,

If I could say something to a manufacturer.

"Try to improve instead to replace !"

For example, I really like the Benchmade AFCK.
I would really enjoy to find allawys new improvement on that excellent folder.
It could become a CLASSIC !

I would like an Axis lock and VG-10 blade on the BM800...

Cheers,

JM
 
to cold steel: make a trailmaster with zytel handle, integral single guard, kydex sheath.
make a recon scout with above features except 1/4" stock. bring back the original style mini tanto or one with zytel handle. drop the round tsubi type guard! check out ground zero tests, the zytel handle of the sog did very well other than complaints about the lack of guard and rough texture. i think the recon scout & tm could pass those tests if the handles were not kraton.
Ten
 
Some of my fellow posters have mentioned Benchmade. As a few of you may remember, I was banned from the BM forum quite a while ago for 'stirring up trouble.' Without going into whether or not I was truly doing that, my concern at the time was that I thought BM was making a serious error in marketing.

When their AFCK M2 knives came out, they allowed only two internet dealers (NW Cutlery and AG Russell) to buy at a discount. Most of the knives went to storefront dealers, who had little if any knowledge about what the advantage of M2 HSS was. The result was knives gathering dust both on the storefront dealers' shelves, and in the BM warehouse. There would be an occasional find of AFCK M2's in a storefront dealer, and the news would hit the forum where a feeding frenzy erupted with posters buying all available knives within a few hours. Several internet dealers complained about not being able to buy at a discount for resale to their customers who wanted one of these knives.

BM's (alleged) reasoning behind this was to first, encourage the storefront dealers by giving them desireable merchandise, and second, give the internet buyers what they needed; internet sales account for only 10% of sales, so their alloted share was in proportion.

My question to my fellow posters is this: do you think BM has made progress in targeting their market more appropriately? Are the new products BM has brought out freely available to those of us who purchase knives primarily through the internet? Have the storefront dealers been better educated in the improved technology of the new products they are receiving?

In short; do you feel BM has learned from the AFCK M2 debacle and adjusted their policies appropriately, or has the lesson gone unheeded? Or, is the truth somewhere between these two divergent positions?

Your comments are avidly sought. I would really like to know how you feel. Walt
 
Actually, I would like to ASK a manufacturer something. Mike Turber, did you get the KNIFEGNUGEN t-shirts I sent you?

They were in the package marked,'personal and confidential-the Viagra samples you requested are enclosed.'
smile.gif
Walt
 
I have a few gripes to add:

1) Enough with the chisel grind already!

2) United Cutlery - You have some cool ideas, but I will never buy anything with 420 steel.

3) CS - stick with metal clips, I broke one off just by sitting down with the folder in my pocket.

4) Make clips reversible on both sides (4 sets of holes) and provide cap screws for the other holes.
 
I agree re: flat ground. The only way to fly.

Dr. Welch: I certainly agree with you about BM's missing the bus on who is really on the lookout for the latest and greatest. Perhaps we should start a different thread on it.

The other thing I would point out to makers:

IF you are going to make it in serrated or half serrated, also make it plainedge.

Clay

------------------
Clay Fleischer
cdfleischer@yahoo.com

"10,000 Lemmings Can't Be Wrong!"
 
All you manufacturers with web pages - You're going to be showing a bunch of new stuff at the SHOT Show shortly. When you do, put the pictures and basic descriptions up on your web pages so we can see what's going on, and do it either on SHOT Show weekend or before the following week is done. It isn't hard to scan pictures and upload them to your server, and it will save you a whole lot of nagging from the Knife Net folks.

Heck! Mail me your pictures and your prototypes, and I'll do it! ;-) (Evil Grin)

------------------
- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com

 
Follow Spyderco's lead by offering truly ambidextrous folders like their Native, Endura98, etc.!
 
If you use screws in your construction -- clip attachment, blade tension adjustment, take apart, etc. -- PLEASE either use a common type (i.e., phillips or hex head) or include the appropriate tool(s) with which to do it. Although I generally welcome the opportunity to acquire new tools, shopping for obscure driver bits just doesn't turn me on.

Brian

[This message has been edited by bcaffrey (edited 28 January 1999).]
 
Hey Microtech...are you out there. How about discounts for FL. residents...I know!!! It was just a thought!

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I'd start with: "Thanks for doing your best to turn out quality products with ongoing innovation at a price I can afford."
Russ
 
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