Is it just me

[dwdickey]

or are too many people expecting too much from knives these days?

I see complaints all over the place about edge grinds not even, blades a millimeter to one side or the other, the scales don't look like they do in pictures, it's too stiff, it's too loose, etc.

People seem to think they are buying perfection when perfection doesn't exist, and seem to forget they are buying a tool for a specific purpose and as long as it does said task it is doing what it was designed to do. While there are some situations that are legitimate complaints many are not and are a byproduct of people's lofty & unrealistic expectations.

Anything that is built by human and machine alike is bound to have some flaw if you look hard enough it's the nature of manufacturing.

 

[craytab]

So you are fine with blade rub?

You may not buy perfect products but I do. Perfection is the eye of the beholder.

 

[matt009au]

Yep I agree with you, people get their knickers in a knot over insignificant details imo.

Maybe it's my eyes but in some of the posts re blade centering issues the blade looks damn near centered to me, yet the poster goes all chicken little.

 

[marcinek]

People seem to think they are buying perfection when perfection doesn't exist, and seem to forget they are buying a tool for a specific purpose and as long as it does said task it is doing what it was designed to do. While there are some situations that are legitimate complaints many are not and are a byproduct of people's lofty & unrealistic expectations.

"Unrealistic" according to you. You are certainly welcome your level of expectation, but what seems "unrealistic" is expecting people passionate enough about knives to go on the internet and chat about them to not have very high expectations for those knives.

I don't see why someone who is like "Meh, it's a knife, as long as it cut stuff, fine." would even spend time here.

 

[KELAMA]

I see complaints all over the place about edge grinds not even, blades a millimeter to one side or the other, the scales don't look like they do in pictures, it's too stiff, it's too loose, etc.

Anything that is built by human and machine alike is bound to have some flaw if you look hard enough it's the nature of manufacturing.

^ So you don't own any of Chris Reeve's knives, I see. There is perfection out there, maybe you just haven't found it yet.

FWIW: you see a few the same member's here, always posting their negative crap- never anything positive. My feeling: is they're most likely unhappy people in life, the type of person whom views everything in life, as one big fat negative.

If I had one bit valuable wisdom to share with you, it would be this: don't spend too much time being consumed, with what random internet strangers think...

You'll be a much happier person.

 

[austonh]

The problem isn't that people expect excellent fit and finish, the problem is that everyone's preferences are different. Some people like knives with hard detents, some like soft. Some like knives that drop shut, others consider those a safety hazard. Some like knives over 3.5 inches, some like them under. Everyone expects knife companies to be innovative, but then someone else is criticizing them for being 'overdone.' Anytime a company wins with one person, they lose with another. The only real gauge they have, that they can trust, is sales data.

 

[Fred Sanford]

I do think it's funny. There are dudes in 3rd world countries using a machete made from an old truck leaf spring and they will use the knife for everything and anything until they die. People here buy a knife regularly and complain about the smallest things. I do like my Spydies to be as good as possible but sometimes the stuff we (knife folks) bitch about is almost comical. Complete first world problems for sure.

No way am I saying just because we live in a first world country that we should be satisfied with crappy QC, but many of us complain about things that really don't matter. An off grind is no big deal on a knife if you know how to sharpen and you plan to use the knife. If you're looking for a collector piece then I can see the issue. If you have knives you should know how to sharpen them but that's a different thread.

 

[craytab]

^ So you don't own any of Chris Reeve's knives, I see. There is perfection out there, maybe you just haven't found it yet.

FWIW: you see a few the same member's here, always posting their negative crap- never anything positive. My feeling: is they're most likely unhappy people in life, the type of person whom views everything in life, as one big fat negative.

If I had one bit valuable wisdom to share with you, it would be this: don't spend too much time being consumed, with what random internet strangers think...

You'll be a much happier person.

 

[marcinek]

Indeed. People have different expectations about knives. I suppose people are welcome to argue otherwise by insulting members and name calling, but that hardly seems to add to intelligent discussion of the topic.

 

[marcinek]

The problem isn't that people expect excellent fit and finish, the problem is that everyone's preferences are different.

Precisely. I don't get what the issue is and why one would insult the character of someone with different expectations.

Its like accusing a person who prefers lockbacks of "always posting their negative crap" just because you disagree with them. Weird.

 

[sharp_edge]

OP - a folder priced at $100 could mean like $20 for you but $200 for me. While you think it is unrealistic to expect that folder to have a centered and evenly-ground blade and no noticeable blade play, I do expect it to be free of these problems.

 

[FullMetalJackass]

My expectations are on par with the money I spend.
I work hard to be able to spend good money on good knives, so it's not unrealistic to expect a high level of fit and finish, and to have a properly centered blade.

 

[KingMC]

or are too many people expecting too much from knives these days?

I see complaints all over the place about edge grinds not even, blades a millimeter to one side or the other, the scales don't look like they do in pictures, it's too stiff, it's too loose, etc.

People seem to think they are buying perfection when perfection doesn't exist, and seem to forget they are buying a tool for a specific purpose and as long as it does said task it is doing what it was designed to do. While there are some situations that are legitimate complaints many are not and are a byproduct of people's lofty & unrealistic expectations.

Anything that is built by human and machine alike is bound to have some flaw if you look hard enough it's the nature of manufacturing.

If I spent $30 on a folding knife, I'm not going to expect everything to be perfect because for that amount of money it's darn near impossible to achieve a manufacturing process that pumps out identically perfect knives each time.

But, if I spent $300 on a knife, I darn well would expect more out of it than that $30 knife from earlier, because what is that money going towards if not higher fit and finish and quality control? The materials on a $300 knife are not what make up all the cost, there is a lot of extra manpower spent making it better than that $30 knife, so when there's a flaw in a knife that expensive, even if it's forgivable in cheaper knives, it will stand out to folks who paid that much for that knife, and they will have every right to mention it as a problem with the knife.

If I get a $3 hamburger at a fast food joint I'm not going to expect perfect ingredients and a perfect presentation, but if I spend $30 on a hamburger in a fine dining establishment I'd be expecting a burger that checks all the boxes in regards to taste, presentation, and ingredient quality.

^ So you don't own any of Chris Reeve's knives, I see. There is perfection out there, maybe you just haven't found it yet.

FWIW: you see a few the same member's here, always posting their negative crap- never anything positive. My feeling: is they're most likely unhappy people in life, the type of person whom views everything in life, as one big fat negative.

If I had one bit valuable wisdom to share with you, it would be this: don't spend too much time being consumed, with what random internet strangers think...

You'll be a much happier person.

CRK makes good knives, by no means are they perfection but they have very high tolerances for quality. But, the OP is not talking about finding the perfect knife, he is complaining about how some people expect too much out of the knives considering they are tools first and will still do their jobs even with small flaws.

You keep attacking people for being negative when all you do is post negative comments towards those supposedly negative people, quite hypocritical if you ask me.

I do think it's funny. There are dudes in 3rd world countries using a machete made from an old truck leaf spring and they will use the knife for everything and anything until they die. People here buy a knife regularly and complain about the smallest things. I do like my Spydies to be as good as possible but sometimes the stuff we (knife folks) bitch about is almost comical. Complete first world problems for sure.

No way am I saying just because we live in a first world country that we should be satisfied with crappy QC, but many of us complain about things that really don't matter. An off grind is no big deal on a knife if you know how to sharpen and you plan to use the knife. If you're looking for a collector piece then I can see the issue. If you have knives you should know how to sharpen them but that's a different thread.

Those dudes in 3rd world countries don't have options, as soon as you give someone the choice of multiple knives, there will be a need to compare one knife to others. If a knife has a flaw and you have the option of having another knife that doesn't have a flaw, why is it not OK to make note of the flaw and want a knife that doesn't have one? We live in a world where we have that option, comparing our situation to that of someone in a 3rd world country is worthless considering the vast difference in cultures and daily needs. The wants and needs are so different between a 1st and a 3rd-world country it's not worth comparing daily life between the two, if someone's biggest focus in life is finding enough food to not die in the next week, the last thing they're worrying about is the evenness of the grind on their machete.

 

[Ratman79]

Different price points associated with different makers imply a certain level of acceptability as far as flaws and overall tolerances.. Others have said, and I agree, that the flaws of a 20 dollar knife are unacceptable on a 500 dollar knife.

 

[120 Acres]

OP started off pretty well, but...

 

[LG&M]

Everyone has a right to expect a certain level of fit and Finish at different price points.
What I don't understand is why some want to make a thread complaining about a problem with out contacting the manufacturer and giving them a chance to make it right first.

 

[Stubai]

No, you are not the only one. We do expect more out of our knives in 2017.

Part of this reflect the fact that we, as a society, don't use cutlery like the man you reference with the machete.

These days, we tend to collect our knives more as a hobby. Hundreds of people that I have talked to have admitted that they just buy knives and never use them. The most frequently utilized blades are typically found in food prep roles.

The fellow in a third world country certainly isn't inclined to collect machetes, on the contrary, he uses them. We tend to invent scenarios to 'test' such blades.

Since we don't need a machete, we choose to live in a quasi-fantasy world where obsession to detail has trumped functionality and original purpose.

Smell the coffee: the lion's share of us are just frustrated adventure buffs who have boxes chalked full of capable tools that will not see the light of day. So what remains?

We collect and fulminate and invent and live vicariously. One can always call the cutlery art...and just leave it as such.

 

[SpySmasher]

I do think it's funny. There are dudes in 3rd world countries using a machete made from an old truck leaf spring and they will use the knife for everything and anything until they die. People here buy a knife regularly and complain about the smallest things. I do like my Spydies to be as good as possible but sometimes the stuff we (knife folks) bitch about is almost comical. Complete first world problems for sure.

When I spend as much money on my knife as those guys do, I won't complain about fit and finish either.

If I spent $30 on a folding knife, I'm not going to expect everything to be perfect because for that amount of money it's darn near impossible to achieve a manufacturing process that pumps out identically perfect knives each time.

But, if I spent $300 on a knife, I darn well would expect more out of it than that $30 knife from earlier, because what is that money going towards if not higher fit and finish and quality control? The materials on a $300 knife are not what make up all the cost, there is a lot of extra manpower spent making it better than that $30 knife, so when there's a flaw in a knife that expensive, even if it's forgivable in cheaper knives, it will stand out to folks who paid that much for that knife, and they will have every right to mention it as a problem with the knife.

If I get a $3 hamburger at a fast food joint I'm not going to expect perfect ingredients and a perfect presentation, but if I spend $30 on a hamburger in a fine dining establishment I'd be expecting a burger that checks all the boxes in regards to taste, presentation, and ingredient quality.

Of course. Why this is not obvious to everyone is baffling. It's true of literally everything we buy -- hamburgers, cars, clothes, video games, furniture, etc., etc. -- but we're not supposed to care about the fit and finish of a knife? Stupid.

 

[palonej]

Price reflects on F&F. My $80 HOB Exclusive Link has an uncentered blade no matter what I do. Couldn't care less.
If I saw that on my Sukhoi 2.0 or BM 908-1501, I would not be ok with it.
Also, why should anyone care what bothers someone else??
Shrug.
Joe

 

[Morrow]

^ So you don't own any of Chris Reeve's knives, I see. There is perfection out there, maybe you just haven't found it yet.

FWIW: you see a few the same member's here, always posting their negative crap- never anything positive. My feeling: is they're most likely unhappy people in life, the type of person whom views everything in life, as one big fat negative.

If I had one bit valuable wisdom to share with you, it would be this: don't spend too much time being consumed, with what random internet strangers think...

You'll be a much happier person.

You should take your own advice. Once again you try to derail a thread while standing on your soapbox.