Is it just me

Never settle for less. That's why people complain about that stuff. Perfectly justified. If you are satisfied with getting dregs and sloppy seconds though, by all means make yourself happy with a knife that is off center, with an uneven grind.
 
David Lowry said:
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.
Click to expand...

I really enjoyed reading your comment, David. :) Spot on, bro! :thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
dwdickey said:
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.
Click to expand...

I agree. As knife collecting has gotten more popular, the obsessive compulsive types have come into the hobby in higher numbers. When they see a "flaw" they can't help themselves and must complain, seek solace, etc. They create a lot of noise on the forums.

Many of the "flaws" are a symptom of how ignorant they are of knife construction and overall manufacturing. For example, if you have a hand ground knife, there will probably be a difference to the grind on each side of the blade because most humans are either left or right handed.

What I also love are the ones who preach about QC, coming from someone who works in the field, 99% of what they spout is so stupid as to not be worthy of a response.

The ability to take high quality magnified pictures hasn't helped. If you can't see the flaw with the naked eye...is it a flaw?

Then there are the "steel experts" :)

The real problem is that the are not knives really knives to some people, but talismans of the person's self-worth. If there is a flaw in the knife that makes them special, it's a personal thing even if the flaw has no effect on function and can only be seen with magnification.

I think the best thing is to take it all as humor and say a little prayer for their coworkers, spouses and children because if they're that weird about knives and perfection... :)
 
dwdickey said:
People ... 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.
Click to expand...

Hmm. You buy for your purpose and I'll buy for mine, thanks. If that includes pushing manufacturers for better quality so be it. I've never understood the quasi-boast of, "I don't care about quality, as long as XYZ". It's somehow meant to signal what? They're not a fussy person? So let's lower the bar of quality for an entire group because another doesn't want to seem picky? You know what happens when you stop demanding quality? Gerber.
 
brownshoe said:
I agree. As knife collecting has gotten more popular, the obsessive compulsive types have come into the hobby in higher numbers. When they see a "flaw" they can't help themselves and must complain, seek solace, etc. They create a lot of noise on the forums.

Many of the "flaws" are a symptom of how ignorant they are of knife construction and overall manufacturing. For example, if you have a hand ground knife, there will probably be a difference to the grind on each side of the blade because most humans are either left or right handed.

What I also love are the ones who preach about QC, coming from someone who works in the field, 99% of what they spout is so stupid as to not be worthy of a response.

The ability to take high quality magnified pictures hasn't helped. If you can't see the flaw with the naked eye...is it a flaw?

Then there are the "steel experts" :)

The real problem is that the are not knives really knives to some people, but talismans of the person's self-worth. If there is a flaw in the knife that makes them special, it's a personal thing even if the flaw has no effect on function and can only be seen with magnification.

I think the best thing is to take it all as humor and say a little prayer for their coworkers, spouses and children because if they're that weird about knives and perfection... :)
Click to expand...
A blade rubbing a liner has turned into a microscopic issue for which family is insulted. Seriously, if you are okay with crap QC, enjoy it. But why are you here exactly?
 
brownshoe said:
The ability to take high quality magnified pictures hasn't helped. If you can't see the flaw with the naked eye...is it a flaw?
Click to expand...
Yeah, the forum is absolutely glutted with people complaining about flaws they can't see with the naked eye. Sometimes the whole front page is filled with them. Personally, I long for the day when we as a knife community are able to discuss anything except these damn invisible flaws.

brownshoe said:
The real problem is that the are not knives really knives to some people, but talismans of the person's self-worth. If there is a flaw in the knife that makes them special, it's a personal thing even if the flaw has no effect on function and can only be seen with magnification.
Click to expand...
This makes perfect sense. :thumbsup:
 
Part of the problem is that prices have gone up but, F&F and/or materials have not. Another problem is when prices go up and the quality of materials in the knife drops (CRKT for example). Other times prices have gone up but QC has dropped (Benchmade, this means you).

With any of these situations you have the perfect set up for unhappy customers that are naturally going to be critical of what is being offered. Even more so if you can't inspect the knife before purchase because you were forced to buy online.

It's pretty sad when knives at a 50-75 dollar price point (Kershaw) consistently have superior blade centering over those priced at $100-150 (Benchamade, it's you again).
 
Last edited:
When I am spending upwards of $200 I expect there to be a certain level of quality control.

I understand that big corporations aren't able to maintain the same level of care of something hand made or from a small company. But when I spend $400 there are inherent expectations.
 
marcinek said:
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. :thumbsdown:
Click to expand...
"Words of wisdom Lloyd, words of wisdom"

You know, had Sal Glesser taken the "oh well I guess I'll just live with it" stance, there might not be a Spyderco.
 
Last edited:
dwdickey said:
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.
Click to expand...

It's just you.
 
GB940Rookie said:
"Words of wisdom Lloyd, words of wisdom"

You know, had Sal Glesser taken the "oh well I guess I'll just live it" stance, there might not be a Spyderco.
Click to expand...

Great point. And I bet Mr Glesser would not make a personal judgement upon people whose stances on the subject were different.

I'll get back to my earlier point and bail out of this one...It does surprise me that someone would find the knife expectations of a bunch of obsessed knife fanatics like us here, "unrealistically high." What kind of expectations would one expect from fanatics? Low?
 
One of my work buddies just got back to the office a few minutes ago. He is not a knife guy.

His $10 piece of crap knife fell apart while he was cutting some zip ties that were holding a temporary plastic fence together. He went across the street to the Ace Hardware that happened to be at the job site and bought another $10 piece of crap. At first he thought the knife was pretty nice but then he realized that it had tons of blade play. He tightened the pivot and that helped some with the blade play but ruined the action. Regardless, it definitely could've served to cut some zip ties. He returned it.
 
I have a bit of a spectrum when it comes to expectations I expect all knives to do what they are supposed to do. The lock has to lock well, the edge needs to cut, the handle needs to stay in my hand. I don't care if the knife is $5 or $500 these initial points must be met. Once I start moving up in price I expect more materials sure, finishes, attention to detail should all improve as price goes up. Centering is one of those issues if a cheaper knife is not perfectly centred but it is not rubbing then I'm good but past $100 it had better be at least okay if its a bit off no problem. For anything over $200 I basically expect perfection action must be good centering must be good nothing should be out of alignment everything must not just function but function well. One of the reasons for this is that my Rat model 1 is so well done. If the Rat 1 can get it right at $30 then your $300 knife better get it right. I assume the OP may be thinking of benchmade if that's the case then people get upset because they market themselves at as a premium brand from a premium brand I have higher expectations. So after all that in general I don't think knife people are too picky especially if they are willing to pay to have their expectations met.
 
SpySmasher said:
One of my work buddies just got back to the office a few minutes ago. He is not a knife guy.

His $10 piece of crap knife fell apart while he was cutting some zip ties that were holding a temporary plastic fence together. He went across the street to the Ace Hardware that happened to be at the job site and bought another $10 piece of crap. At first he thought the knife was pretty nice but then he realized that it had tons of blade play. He tightened the pivot and that helped some with the blade play but ruined the action. Regardless, it definitely could've served to cut some zip ties. He returned it.
Click to expand...
What did he get to replace it? Do you know?
 
Collectors and enthusiasts who spend hundreds of dollars for their knives should have an expectation of perfection. No matter how good a knife maker is, occasionally a lemon gets through and how they handle the dissatified customer often makes or breaks a knifemakers reputation.
What makes me crack up is when someone expects that same level out of a $30 knife. I've been fortunate with all my Vics, Bucks and Case knives. Of course those are all users and if they came with a scratch on the blade or a blemish on a scale, well it's going to happen anyway.
 
sabre cat said:
What did he get to replace it? Do you know?
Click to expand...
The one he returned? He didn't replace it. It literally happened an hour ago or so. I'm going to give him one of my lower-end knives for free. He's a friend and I have more knives than I need.

We'll both win: he'll get a "cheap" knife and I'll be happy knowing that he's not carrying around a piece of crap. :)
 
It depends on what I paid for the knife. A $50 beater - I don't mind some problems. A knife that costs $400 or more better not have any discernible problems.
 
There were definitely things bugging me about one of the last knives I got.
Little niggly things that didn't matter, but my "knife knut OCD" was engaged.
So I took it out and used it; that made it better. :)

ntQ90NB.jpg


ifvzk7M.jpg


FX2dHb7.jpg


IWCUZJS.jpg


KpsHniJ.jpg


So the answer to "knife knut OCD" is lobster.
All you folks feeling annoyed by knife "defects" are obviously suffering from severe lobster deficiency. :D
 
dwdickey said:
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.
Click to expand...

My opinion on the subject is the same as many others who've already posted, but nonetheless, my take on the subject:
A flaw is a flaw, regardless of its size or severity and whether it's on a $10 big box special or a $500 high end custom so imo it's fair game to point out. That being said, the smaller flaws that you mention people being nit-picky about a good deal of the time, I see their acceptance is likely tied to the price of the product. Finding certain flaws on cheaper knives (as others have mentioned) is likely something that most members of this forum will be able to live with (although it may itch the knife knut part of their brain unceasingly), but as the cost of the knife goes up, so to would expectations on the finished product. An analogy to this could be with cars. Let's say that I as a car enthusiast, I am going to purchase car and I buy a brand new $20,000 Ford. Immediately following the purchase, let's say I discover there's a relatively minor problem with the exhaust. While annoying to find this out (maybe more so as a car guy), mechanically, the problem doesn't affect the use or performance of the vehicle in any way, so I decide to live with it, or save up the money to repair it at a later date, or when I next have some free time I'll get in touch with the dealership to see what they can do about it. Now, if this same scenario played out but instead of a $20,000 Ford, I had bought a $250,000 Bentley, you could bet your money that I'd be turning around and driving straight back to the dealership as fast as I could!

TL;DR: IMO, a flaw on anything is still a flaw and can be pointed out as such, BUT the validity of the complaint(s) about said flaw(s) generally increases with the price paid for the item/knife. Outside of extenuating circumstances, people tend to expect a better product the more they pay for something.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top