Knives you overestimated

MaximIsayev said:
Buck Vantage Pro small in S30V. Opened the box, took the knife out, flipped it open few times, put it back in box. Been sitting on a shelf since. Really poor flipping action and an uncomfortable handle make it a pain to open. Probably should've handled it at the store before buying...
Click to expand...

Mine flips open no problem, gets razor sharp to boot. Might help that I've had it for close to 6 years.
 
Gaston444 said:
All the CPM steel knives that I tried were well over $500 customs (Gerber Mark II 70th Anniversary excepted, that was "only" about $300), one was an $1800 RJ Martin Vanguard series Raven (or Blackbird, whichever of the two is the bigger one): How you can call these "low quality" is beyond me...

In total we are talking over $3000 in knives that had to be sold, and were so bad they were not functional as knives.

At least in 440, the bad ones are the minority... And not one bad apple in the half dozen I have seen made of Aus-6/8s...

I have a 75 year old stainless French Sabatier Jeune boy scout knife, a vicious looking 7" fighter-like thing that used to be issued to ten year old Boy Scouts, this in a primitive no-name stainless steel of the 1940s... Cutting cardboard or chopping wood at one quarter the edge thickness and 2/3 the edge angle (10 degrees per side on 0.010" vs 17 dps and 0.040") and yet despite the thinness it made S30V's weak folding prone edge look like an utter embarrassment... Just how much time and money is someone supposed to invest to finally find a good CPM steel?

I found a cheap GSO-10 in CPM-3V, so I will give CPMs steels yet another chance in a few months... Let's just say I am not holding my breath...

From what I have seen so far from $3000 of that stuff, CPMs are not even useable as knife steels anywhere below 20 per side... I you don't rub the edge with your nail to check for micro-rolling, or go below 20 DPS, maybe you won't know the difference...: Perhaps the apex still cuts even rolled over like a drunken sailor, but when I see huge chunks of my nails shaved off on one side after one chop in Maple or one slice in cardboard, I know that $1800 apex is a basket case, no matter how well it still cuts or how abrasion resistant it theoretically is...

Gaston
Click to expand...
try bark river 3v its amazing my bravo 3 is a god tier blade i will keep forever and it will likely never go dull.
 
Benchmade 485 Valet.
Difficult to open, difficult to close, too small to be a decent working knife, too thick behind the edge to be a decent slicer. To top it all off, the ergos are pretty bad and it came with a pretty bad factory edge.

I've had other knife disappointments, but no failures quite as epic (and expensive) as the 485.
 
Riz! said:
Ive sold EVERY ZT that I have owned. They werent bad, they just didnt do it for me. The Sevenza 21 and 25 were sold. Every PM2 that I have tried, and I have tried numerous, has been passed on. Every Busse I have owned was sold as well. None of them were bad, just didnt really perform like I wanted. I have realized I want a big folder that is slim, light weight and slicey. Found the Spyderco Military is the folder for me. As far as fixed blades I am still searching. I have a few that have proven themselves. I am glad that the listed knives didnt do it for me because they helped me figure out exactly what i like, want and need.
Click to expand...

My dude, you are probably already aware, but the K390 Police is out and it runs .13 stock, if I recall correctly. That's probably rounded up. I suspect it's .125, but nevertheless, big and slicy is the name of that knife's game. If you haven't already, you should check it out!

Edit: My largest overestimation was definitely the large Sebenza, only because the hype surrounding the knife painted this idyllic picture of The Knife, The One, that which once you held it in hand, you would be imbued with the warm, bright power of the Grail. It was supposed to lock with the clank of two tectonic plates colliding. Security agencies around the world were supposed to study, with the hopes to replicate, its bank vault lockup. The very fabric of space and time was to be parted by that hollowgrind so thin and so slicy you swore you could see through it!

In truth, I have never seen another knife work so hard to be the actual best cutting tool possible. It is a fantastic cutting implement with impeccable quality. But I should never have let myself see anything more than a well-made tool.
 
Last edited:
Hinderer - crude and sub-par FF
CRK - underwhelming steel
BRKT bushcrafter - the scandy-convex grind on it is so thick behind the edge, - it renders the knife useless.
 
A Buck Large Vantage. It felt rough, most other Bucks I've owned felt smooth. It has a tiny flipper. It's not very comfortable to hold.

But it IS still a Buck and holds an edge well enough. It locks up like a bank vault and doesn't flex like cheaper knives will. I don't carry it but I do keep it in my wife's car.
 
This will likely cause some flame but pls I am just honest with my feeling: CRK plain large Sebenza 21. Did not feel the legendary hydraulic smoothness even when it was already a light user and even after a warranty service (for other reasons). The ergo of it, dare I say is subpar to most Spydercos and Hinderer xm-18.

This, however, does not prevent me from giving it another try in the future (maybe one with some sort of inlay).
 
First one that comes to mind is the Microtech DOC. Painful flipper, awkward blade, proprietary pivot... I was sold on looks alone, but hated it basically immediately.
 
Comeuppance said:
First one that comes to mind is the Microtech DOC. Painful flipper, awkward blade, proprietary pivot... I was sold on looks alone, but hated it basically immediately.
Click to expand...

It's probably pretty useless , as far as being practical but the latter model I bought flips very well. It also has an extremely solid feel to it. I never carry it though, but I suppose if I knew I was going to stab something living, I might .
 
I think I overestimate a knife based on the price (higher $ higher expectations) and the knife’s reputation based on the reviews I’ve seen prior to purchasing the knife.

- Spyderco Endura 4. I just don’t find anything all that great about this knife. It’s my least favorite Spyderco. Seems like I’m in the minority here.

- Cold Steel Spartan. Based on the reviews I was expecting a lot from this large folder. At the low price I knew it would not have the most high-end quality but I thought it would be a great hard use performer.

After receiving the knife I was totally perplexed by the outrageous and unrealistic design. It seems almost like a sturdily built M-Tech or Rac-Force “fantasy knife”.

- Al Mar SERE 2000. I really want to like this knife but it has severe lock-stick. Maybe better to call it lock-bind. I’ve never seen such a bad case with a liner lock and it makes the knife unusable. Based on the price and the stellar reputation I totally over estimated this one.
 
Throw the Endura in the kitchen drawer, it's our favourite kitchen knife, just the right size, the whole family use it . . A purple Endura, a great do all kitchen knife that's sharpened on a steel . .
 
jill jackson said:
It's probably pretty useless , as far as being practical but the latter model I bought flips very well. It also has an extremely solid feel to it. I never carry it though, but I suppose if I knew I was going to stab something living, I might .
Click to expand...
You know DOC is just a silly name right?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top