In your opinion, what is the most OVERrated knife currently available for purchase.. and also list the most UNDERrated knife currently available? Why?

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Planterz said:
Overrated: Bricks. Medfords, AD-10s, Adamas', and the like. Obviously I can't speak for others, but never in my life have I needed a pocket knife that big, heavy, or obtusely ground. Or with a lock that can suspend an elephant hanging off a torque bar without failing. I need a knife that cuts, not one that hacks, chops, or splits. I want to slice through things without effort, rather than have to force the blade through it so it doesn't bind because it's so thick and obtusely ground. Those knives are like the lifted trucks and SUVs that are never taken off road. Years ago I carried a Severtech auto for quite a while. Not once was I glad I had that knife instead of something "less capable".

Underrated: Victorinox Cybertool SAKs. I've carried a 29 (now called the S/Small) for years and it gets almost as much use as my regular knives. Not the blades though, but the bit driver and flathead screwdriver (although not the bottle opener so much, since I quit drinking). The small phillips screwdriver is pointy enough to tighten the screws on sun/eyeglasses. The T8 and T10 TORX bits fit nearly any knife pivot that needs adjusting. I'm always using my Cybertool and its various bits or other tools to fix things at home or at work because it's right there in my pocket and I don't have to find my screwdrivers at home, or worry about bringing them from home to work. Even the pin and the pen get use (not the toothpick so much though). Heck, I took a Latin exam with the pen once because I forgot a real pen and nobody else had one to lend me. I see pictures of people's SAKs in the EDC threads all the time, but so few Cybertools. The bit driver and bits are so useful that I'd almost prefer the knife without the blades just to save a bit of weight/thickness, because I'd still carry it since it's so useful.
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I've got the translucent brown cybertool. Very handy. I keep it in my work bag.
 
Mitchell Knives said:
Overrated? Anything made by Emerson.
Underrated? Victorinox.
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I was really having a hard time coming up with an "over rated" knife, but Emerson is in my opinion a perfect example. They always had a table at the SWAT roundups and alot of guys were so infatuated with them. The wave feature was excellent, but now its available elsewhere. I dont like liner/frame locks, but I certainly appreciate the beauty and function of CRK and Hinderer knives. I do think that Spyderco stove pipe is "over rated" in my eyes. I've got no issue spending 2k on some of the nice Marfione/Microtechs. They are like Rolex or Omega watches in my opinion. I appreciate nice things. Not too many people see the "value" in a 110k 4 door sedan making 650hp.
Underrated? I carry a little Spyderco Delica for any knife related tasks. I always carry a pocket candy fun knife with my Delica, but the Delica has never come up short. Should an unforeseen situation arise and I need a back up or retention device the big Microtech/Marfione is there. Thats happened one time in my life. That was during my LE career so I've got a better chance of winning the lottery
 
For underrated I'll say the Benchmade Bugout. I think if they had called it the EDC or urban or something else, people wouldn't complain about it as much. For me it's probably one of the easiest knives to carry every day, has lots of options and just offers a lot capable cutting edge in a small package.

I haven't experienced enough knives to say any are overrated. Everyone has different things that they enjoy and are willing to spend on.
 
Overrated: Spartan Harsey Folder. Many, many sharp edges in ergonomically problematic places at a price point where there should be none. Lack of sharpening choil, edge doesn't blend at all.

Underrated: Hinderer Eklipse. Not as popular for some reason as the mainstay Hinderer XM-18 but solves all the ergonomic problems of its better-known cousin.
 
Most Overrated: Randall Made #1 "All Purpose Fighter"

I have posted my opinion on Randall Made knives elsewhere on these forums recently. There is no denying that the overall design and execution are flawless. All Randall Made knives look great and feel good in the hand.

The Randall Made "#1 All-Purpose Fighter" has a weak handle construction compared with currently available models from other makers. Stacked leather washers is 1930s technology as is the thin hidden tang and screw fastener construction. This is serviceable but there are more robust ways to put a grip on a blade. The blade materials are also serviceable but today, sub-optimal. Leading premium knife makers strive to produce blades with superior performance characteristics. Randall Made knives in general have used pretty much the same steels since the middle of the precious century. Again, quite serviceable, but there are better materials available. Additionally, the Randall Made organization is seen by some, myself included, to be somewhat unresponsive.

Under-rated? I don't have a strong opinion on that. There are many knife makers that turn out a consistently serviceable product. Most are "affordable" to most users.
 
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Triple overrated

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Triple underrated are knives I make 🤣
 
VorpelSword said:
Most Overrated: Randall Made #1 "All Purpose Fighter"

I have posted my opinion on Randall Made knives elsewhere on these forums recently. There is no denying that the overall design and execution are flawless. All Randall Made knives look great and feel good in the hand.

The Randall Made "#1 All-Purpose Fighter" has a weak handle construction compared with currently available models from other makers. Stacked leather washers is 1930s technology as is the thin hidden tang and screw fastener construction. This is serviceable but there are more robust ways to put a grip on a blade. The blade materials are also serviceable but today, sub-optimal. Leading premium knife makers strive to produce blades with superior performance characteristics. Randall Made knives in general have used pretty much the same steels since the middle of the precious century. Again, quite serviceable, but there are better materials available. Additionally, the Randall Made organization is seen by some, myself included, to be somewhat unresponsive.

Under-rated? I don't have a strong opinion on that. There are many knife makers that turn out a consistently serviceable product. Most are "affordable" to most users.
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I wish I was more successful at calling underrated makers. I was on Peter Carey's books for a Nitro years back when he was making them for about $400, and I passed when my name came up. :(
 
Well I’m starting to see some brands/knives standing out…

Now this isn’t exact, but by my count:
Strider looks to be top spot on ”overrated”, followed by what looks to be a three-way tie for 2nd with the PM2, CRK, and Emerson.

For underrated: Civivi/WE type knives.

Some listed brands and some listed specific knives, so take that into account.
 
kreole said:
Overrated is probably the Drift considering how many issues people have with QC's hardware. Cheap hardware means corners have been cut... for a knife costing $300. It is hyped for the being rustproof, yet people are constantly talking about how they never see rust on any stainless. It's impressive salesmanship from QC.

Underrated, I've really liked using the Civivi Riffle the past 3-4 months despite not being a fan of bearings. Civivi itself is hyped enough, but I don't see much about the Riffle. $50 gets you micarta and 12c28n, flipper plus hole opener, deep carry clip, 3mm thick blade that's tall enough that it slices very well. The design is similar to the Ferrum Forge Archbishop (which is funny considering they've worked together), but I like the neural handle and no choil.
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I've taken my G10 Drift apart a few times and never noticed anything unusual about the hardware. Screws were comparable to anything you'd get from Spyderco (for whatever that's worth...). As far as Vanax, I think there are definitely some who underestimate the corrosion resistance of most high-end stainless steels, but there are also the ones who complain about any sort of discoloration or staining and immediately start with "is this really whatever steel?" posts.

I live in South Florida, a few miles from the ocean, and spend a lot of time in the pool, at the beach, or on a boat. I've never had an issue with "normal" stainless steels as long as I rinsed them off with fresh water to get the salt off (habit from diving). But I can tell you that the original Spyderco Salt 1 that I got my dad when it first came out sat on his boat for over a decade in the salt air and had no rust on the blade (hardware was a different story). There are so many variables that go into it, from environment to the chemistry of your sweat to blade finish, that it's hard to make many sweeping statements. Some people have horrible experiences with D2 corroding, and I never have, even in a corrosion-prone environment. I don't think it's "salesmanship" to say that Vanax, H1 and LC200N are rustproof steels (and possibly Magnacut - can't wait to try the Manix 2 LW when it comes out).



Overrated: PM2 - I had a Para3 for a long time, and handling the PM2 made me wonder why it has a finger choil; the handle seems plenty big without it, and you trade a TON of blade for the ability to choke up.
(Honorable Mention: CRK - I picked up a beater Inkosi Insingo, and the awful thumbstuds are enough to make me never carry it)

Underrated: the surviving OG Civivis (Praxis and Baklash) - $42.50 retail, decent budget steel (9Cr18MoV with a solid heat treat), impeccable quality; I always talk about the liners on these knives, they're skeletonized, fully polished and electroplated, which is more effort than goes into a lot of knives that cost 2-3x as much.
 
OrangeBlueOrangeBlue said:
I've taken my G10 Drift apart a few times and never noticed anything unusual about the hardware. Screws were comparable to anything you'd get from Spyderco (for whatever that's worth...). As far as Vanax, I think there are definitely some who underestimate the corrosion resistance of most high-end stainless steels, but there are also the ones who complain about any sort of discoloration or staining and immediately start with "is this really whatever steel?" posts.

I live in South Florida, a few miles from the ocean, and spend a lot of time in the pool, at the beach, or on a boat. I've never had an issue with "normal" stainless steels as long as I rinsed them off with fresh water to get the salt off (habit from diving). But I can tell you that the original Spyderco Salt 1 that I got my dad when it first came out sat on his boat for over a decade in the salt air and had no rust on the blade (hardware was a different story). There are so many variables that go into it, from environment to the chemistry of your sweat to blade finish, that it's hard to make many sweeping statements. Some people have horrible experiences with D2 corroding, and I never have, even in a corrosion-prone environment. I don't think it's "salesmanship" to say that Vanax, H1 and LC200N are rustproof steels (and possibly Magnacut - can't wait to try the Manix 2 LW when it comes out).



Overrated: PM2 - I had a Para3 for a long time, and handling the PM2 made me wonder why it has a finger choil; the handle seems plenty big without it, and you trade a TON of blade for the ability to choke up.
(Honorable Mention: CRK - I picked up a beater Inkosi Insingo, and the awful thumbstuds are enough to make me never carry it)

Underrated: the surviving OG Civivis (Praxis and Baklash) - $42.50 retail, decent budget steel (9Cr18MoV with a solid heat treat), impeccable quality; I always talk about the liners on these knives, they're skeletonized, fully polished and electroplated, which is more effort than goes into a lot of knives that cost 2-3x as much.
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Do you still have and want to move that Inkosi ?
 
OrangeBlueOrangeBlue said:
I've taken my G10 Drift apart a few times and never noticed anything unusual about the hardware. Screws were comparable to anything you'd get from Spyderco (for whatever that's worth...). As far as Vanax, I think there are definitely some who underestimate the corrosion resistance of most high-end stainless steels, but there are also the ones who complain about any sort of discoloration or staining and immediately start with "is this really whatever steel?" posts.

I live in South Florida, a few miles from the ocean, and spend a lot of time in the pool, at the beach, or on a boat. I've never had an issue with "normal" stainless steels as long as I rinsed them off with fresh water to get the salt off (habit from diving). But I can tell you that the original Spyderco Salt 1 that I got my dad when it first came out sat on his boat for over a decade in the salt air and had no rust on the blade (hardware was a different story). There are so many variables that go into it, from environment to the chemistry of your sweat to blade finish, that it's hard to make many sweeping statements. Some people have horrible experiences with D2 corroding, and I never have, even in a corrosion-prone environment. I don't think it's "salesmanship" to say that Vanax, H1 and LC200N are rustproof steels (and possibly Magnacut - can't wait to try the Manix 2 LW when it comes out).



Overrated: PM2 - I had a Para3 for a long time, and handling the PM2 made me wonder why it has a finger choil; the handle seems plenty big without it, and you trade a TON of blade for the ability to choke up.
(Honorable Mention: CRK - I picked up a beater Inkosi Insingo, and the awful thumbstuds are enough to make me never carry it)

Underrated: the surviving OG Civivis (Praxis and Baklash) - $42.50 retail, decent budget steel (9Cr18MoV with a solid heat treat), impeccable quality; I always talk about the liners on these knives, they're skeletonized, fully polished and electroplated, which is more effort than goes into a lot of knives that cost 2-3x as much.
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You can find a number of reports of screw heads snapping off with QC knives. You don't see those from Spyderco.

I live <5 miles from the ocean and certainly appreciate the rust resistance also. I get rust regularly on everything up to about S35vn inclusive, and up through M390 I will occasionally get spotting. Definitely a H1 fan. That doesn't seem to be common, however. Go into a thread discussing, say, VG10 or S35vn rust resistance, and you get most people saying they've never seen rust on either. So why do so many call for Vanax when other steels have sufficient rust resistance and better wear resistance and/or toughness? That was my only point. Being new and different causes people to hype it up when they're fine with lesser rust resistance. Certainly Vanax is a savior in some cases.
 
T.Law79 said:
Do you still have and want to move that Inkosi ?
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Haven't decided what to do with it. May send it for a spa treatment and move it along, or I may have a spydiehole put in it.

kreole said:
You can find a number of reports of screw heads snapping off with QC knives. You don't see those from Spyderco.

I live <5 miles from the ocean and certainly appreciate the rust resistance also. I get rust regularly on everything up to about S35vn inclusive, and up through M390 I will occasionally get spotting. Definitely a H1 fan. That doesn't seem to be common, however. Go into a thread discussing, say, VG10 or S35vn rust resistance, and you get most people saying they've never seen rust on either. So why do so many call for Vanax when other steels have sufficient rust resistance and better wear resistance and/or toughness? That was my only point. Being new and different causes people to hype it up when they're fine with lesser rust resistance. Certainly Vanax is a savior in some cases.
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My wife's old 440 dive knife had the rubber/plastic handle rot away and the steel still looks pristine. I doesn't hold much of an edge, but it's definitely corrosion resistant. I think the necessity for a rust-proof steel is a pretty small niche, but it's not without value. Sure, there are a number of people with QC knives that wouldn't be able to tell if you switched the steel for something like 440 or even a tool steel, because they don't subject their knives to that sort of use. But just because you don't need a particular feature doesn't mean it's not nice to have. The sedan I drive my kids to school in doesn't need comparable horsepower to my Z06 track car, but it's nice to have anyway...
 
madcap_magician said:
I wish I was more successful at calling underrated makers. I was on Peter Carey's books for a Nitro years back when he was making them for about $400, and I passed when my name came up. :(
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I wish I'd taken out a loan and bought multiples of every model of the CRK One-Piece line at retail when they were available. Now they are in the thousands.
 
kreole said:
You can find a number of reports of screw heads snapping off with QC knives. You don't see those from Spyderco.

I live <5 miles from the ocean and certainly appreciate the rust resistance also. I get rust regularly on everything up to about S35vn inclusive, and up through M390 I will occasionally get spotting. Definitely a H1 fan. That doesn't seem to be common, however. Go into a thread discussing, say, VG10 or S35vn rust resistance, and you get most people saying they've never seen rust on either. So why do so many call for Vanax when other steels have sufficient rust resistance and better wear resistance and/or toughness? That was my only point. Being new and different causes people to hype it up when they're fine with lesser rust resistance. Certainly Vanax is a savior in some cases.
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I haven't taken my Drift apart yet, so can't comment on the hardware, but the knife has been solid so far. It's one of those pieces that just feels solid in the hand. Silky washer action. Zero blade play, lock stick, or slip, and I've been pleasantly surprised by the edge retention of their Vanax. Be a drag if a screw broke, but I have no doubt they would replace without complaint.

FWIW, I live in SoFla a block from the ocean and have no rust problems with any of my knives ... because I don't put them to bed wet. In my boating days I had a couple Boye boat knives which are 100% impervious to rust. Still have them, actually.
 
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