Knives with so much potential, and poor execution?

lilknifekid said:
I dont have a 741 Onslaught but Ive noticed that the clip is huge but its not that big of a deal.
I love my Ritter Griptilian but hate the handles. It would be PERFECT if it had G10 handles. I just dont understand why they dont offer a version with G10 handles. Ive got my eye out for a set of Wilkins or Cuscadi scales being sold on here but I just cant bring myself to spend $100 dollars on new ones. I will get some eventually. Ive also noticed that where the edge ends it is square and leaves a good 1/4 to 1/2 inch of space between it and the handle. The edge could be brought down or the handle shaped to create a nice finger choil. It also has some side to side blade play.
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Ugh, that's exactly how I feel about my Ritter Mini Grip. I try not to tell people how much it cost because usually the observation is "why are the handles made of plastic?". I don't know if this is common to all Ritter Grips, but my secondary bevel is higher on one side than the other, and the bevels don't really form a tip. It's seriously blunt enough at the tip to be used as an emergency knife without worrying about stabbing someone.
 
after getting my SMF i liked it but it just filled up too much of my pocket, so i fixed the issue
strider-1.jpg
 
I agree the RAT 1 in s30v and G10 handle would be a good knife.
 
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Kershaw. So many awesome designs, and they go and beadblast the crap out of 14C28N steel making it a rust magnet. I've pretty well given up on uncoated Kershaws using that steel because no matter what I do (Tuf-Cloth, mineral oil, clean it every day, etc) every time I took one out my case to use there were new rust spots on it.
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My OD-1 and Skyline were rust magnets too. I removed the blades and polished them with Mothers Mag polish, took about half an hour per blade. Both knives now have a mirror polish and no issues with rust. Interesting thing is that the blade markings (Kershaw logo, etc) were unaffected by the polishing and remain crystal clear.
 
I feel that SOG's vulcan series have so much potential. If only their blade retention was much better.. A stronger clip, better finishings on the ''gills'' (or totally remove them), and change in handle material prefebably to G-10. All these at the same price offered.
Another one is Spyderco's schempp rock. The blade shape is excellent, but the handle doesn't fit many people hand well, including mine. The sheath is terrible imo.
 
Gerber LMF and Prodigy should have been made without serrations and kept the 12C27 Sandvik steel. Pretty good all round survival knives , but would have been better if they did that.

Cold Steel SRK in 1095 instead of Aus-8

American Lawman/ Recon 1 should be in S30V

Poor sheaths in the Becker line

Sog assisted openers - bad bladeplay and goofy handles

Esee 5/BK-2 should of been FFG instead of sabre ; then I could live with the 1/4" thickness. JMHO
 
Love kershaw, but the Outcast handle just needs turned around and a little fitting.

A LOT of CRTK lives seems to me to have a big ole heavy thick handle you could make a couple of handles out of.

And some one said why did they have to go and change this knife? THAT is what I think. new shape, new handle, new materials, new this or that, not just a little thing here or there, ain't the same knife. they do same crap with candy bars, Now get Snickers with out peanuts... Hey dumbutts that's a Milky Way..... doh......( walking off talking to ones self )
 
Tostig said:
Both the M16 and M21 were two of my all time favorite folders simply because of the overall design , like you I wished again and again for upgraded and better versions , CRKT used to use finer materials like titanium and ATS34 then for some reason decided that people don't like those.. ? I gave my M16 to a co-worker and the M21 to my brother , both of which still carry and use those knives.
I recently saw that, like the s2 for example. They seem to be getting back into that with the Ken Onion designs, especially the Eros, which I have heard from a good source to be near custom quality. The acuto steel is supposed to fall between 440c and 154cm, so it should be a good edc steel, though I've heard issues with rust. Probably better to just go with 154cm, vg10, s30v and such, the staple high end steels. I really really like the design of the Eros though, it's a bit small, but titanium handles with a framelock and ikbs for less than $150? Damn, that's hard to beat. May have to pull the trigger on it. I really like those machined ti handles and just the overall clean look of it.
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PayetteRucker said:
Just about everything from Gerber. I like most of their designs alot, but their horrendous marketing schemes and materials are enough to make me puke. One of the most comfy handles and well designed blades is the Prodigy...
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Like the torch series? Im curious as to why Mr Hinderer would do a lower cost collab with them as opposed to kershaw (not counting zt or the cryo) or buck. Hell even crkt is better than gerber for the fact that they tell you what kind of steel you get most of the time lol. That alone keeps me from taking gerber seriously.
 
Mephtyrm said:
Most of SOG'S 100% reinforced plastic handled assisted knives, they are far too complex to function well without liners,
and the manufacturer they have chosen to produce them apparently can't handle the complexity of their designs.
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Lol SOG knives have way too much bladeplay. I have the sub $30 Chinese made ripple that locks up more solidly than the trident my brother owns. Ive seen the trident going as high as $120 which is a freakin joke. The knife takes a nice edge and holds it decently for aus8, and it came with a nice edge, but seriously, their zytel handles suck, and even the thought of zytel on a $100+ knife makes me want to vomit. Plus their clips suck, everything about their knives is just too wobbly.
 
If you really want to know how far Gerber has fallen, you should get your hands on an old 60's or 70's mark 1 or 2 in L6. The real decline started right after the buyout when they went to stainless for those models, IMO. I have one of the last of the forged L6 Mark II's from the early 70's and had a pure stock removal L6 Mark I back in '78. When I lost my Mark 1 in 80 or 81, I bought a new one, but by that time, they had gone to 440C. Blech!!! As for SOG's i would say the same thing about there VERY early Nam style "bowies" and the big Tigershark from the early 90's. My early Tigershark had a nasty edge. The Tomcat folder from that same era was still clunky, however, but it was one strong mother.
 
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Id have to second Emerson linerlocks. its like a$200 CRKT with a slightly better bladesteel, except a $30 CRKT would have a smoother action and better lockup.

I absolutely love the designs, but I don't see why they don't push liner standards up to a level you can get at 1 tenth their pricepoint.
 
i agree with a lot of points already made.
-i'd love to see an m16 with better steel. it wouldn't hurt my feelinsg to see g10, but i'm fine with zytel in that $30-$50 range.
-griptilian with g10 scales
-most sog folders... i've seen a lot of theirs i love at first sight, then... blade play, or lack of liners in certain models.
 
Misanthropia said:
For me, it's the Buck Vantage Pro. It has a classic design and excellent materials, with the Bos treated S30V, polished G10, and deep carry pocket clip. While people do get good ones from the factory, myself and many others have had annoying QC issues with the blade centering/pivot. Buck still seems to have trouble resolving this (which for me only required some locktite) as even ones made in 2010/2011 are still having problems. It's a shame because it's an excellent knife for the price.
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Vanguard41xx said:
I vote for CRKT as well. There are some designs I like, but have poor fit and finish and cheaper steel.
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The above pretty much sums it up for me as well. I have 3 Vantage knives, including the Pro, and none are centered or centerable (sic) for that matter. As for CRKT...:barf:
 
Might get flamed but busse ash 1 fat one. For a six inch blade at a third o of an inch thick it its crazy. To short for a chopper to long and awkward for cleaning game gets tiring to use fairly quick. Splits wood well tho
 
Nothing says "so much potential, but poor execution" like the DPx HEST folder. Both the knife itself and the nuclear meltdown of the owner/designer Robert Young Pelton. The first run had serious issues with lockup, breaking pocket clips, and exposed tips. The second run isn't without its issues either. Most disappointing though was the psychotic downfall of RYP, causing his forum here to be locked down, and causing many, many potential customers to abandon him.

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My own most recent personal disappointment was with the Kershaw Random Task II that I had the opportunity to play with in a passaround. I loved the blade. Absolutely loved it. My ideal EDC blade is exactly that style...an edge-forward tip with a very slight curve (modified wharncliffe or reverse tanto). The hollow grind on the RTII's blade made it a ludicrously sharp slicer.

The problem was that I couldn't get the damn thing open. It's a flipperless assisted knife with thumbstuds that are practically impossible to get to. And if/when you can get to it, it requires so much force that you're liable to slice half your thumb off along the blade when it opens. Such a great blade wasted on the fact that I'd never carry the knife because it's difficult and unsafe to use.

I'd buy a Random Leek instead, but the only ones available available now are partially serrated, which I hate, and with scallop serrations, which I hate even more.
 
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There are two that immediately come to mind.

Spyderco Paramilitary (1 and 2):
The blade grind goes straight through the Spydie hole. =Fail.
PLUS and more unfortunate, The Spydie hole removes 50% of the blade stock at its width. =Fail.

Strider SJ75.

Just my nitpick, but I REALLY would like the blade to sit farther in the handle when closed. The knife is absolutely outstanding in every other way. Bummer!
 
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