Knives you won't buy (and why)

Helderberg said:
For me it is any liner lock/frame lock is unacceptable as there are good locks available that do not require you using two hands to close or placing your hand in front of the blade to close.
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Nfd538 said:
All my frame and liner locks need only one hand to open/close. I do occasionaly get my fingers in the way though.
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marcinek said:
That said, sooner or later, somebody in this thread will probably get bent outta shape about somebody else's deal breaker, and let us know all about it.
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See? :cool:
 
There are really 4 things that stop me from buying a knife.

1)Clearly low quality. I don't buy gas station knives, Tac Force, MTech folders, Frost Cutlery, and that sort of stuff.
2)Price. I won't buy questionable cheap knives, but at the same time, when it comes to folders, $125 is about my limit...maybe pushing to $150 if I'm really fanatic about the design. Once you get to that point, the difference in quality isn't enough to justify the difference in cost for me.
3)Excessively "blingy" designs. Of course, since most of those sorts of designs are customs or super expensive production models, most of these would be ruled out by the previous exclusion anyways.
4)Fakes. I'm not automatically totally opposed to buying a clone of another knife(like MTech's clone of the Cold Steel Trailmaster) as long as they aren't trying to actually pass themselves off as that other company's knife.

Lock type doesn't matter to me, country of origin doesn't matter to me, serrations don't matter to me(I'm less likely to buy a combo edged blade than a plain edge or full serrated, but it's not automatically a deal breaker), tip down/tip up doesn't matter, I dislike chisel grind but it's not a guaranteed deal breaker...
 
American tanto style blades, tiny serrations, painted blades, pocket anchors, slick metal handles, handles that hurt my hand with needless sharp corners. These are all non-starters for me along with poorly made wares and ethically dodgy companies.
 
Any knives with small diameter springs that actuate the lock (Axis Lock and it's derivatives).

Over the lifetime of the knife, those springs will fail. I could make my own out of piano wire, but when paying into the 3 digits for a knife, I should expect the lock should last well into when I'm in my 80's without any problems.

The Ball-Bearing Lock uses a single, fairly more robust spring. Excellent design.
 
I used to buy knives without hollow handles. I regret buying most of them, so I don't anymore...

Gaston
 
Chisel grinds. For me a knife with a chisel grind is... just a chisel.

Stainless fixed blades over 4 inches blade length

Fixed blades with less than a full stick tang (no moras for me)

Wave feature looks shit and honestly thumbstuds can do the same job

Spydercos look terrible and hostile fanboy experiences have put me off

Nothing made or endorsed by somebody who has lied about their military career

Gerber folders

Russian made knives
 
Combo edge. I just cant stand the way they look. It makes it to cheap looking to me or something. Its like every gas station knife in the world is combo edge.
 
I won't buy Striders. Don't need to go into it.
 
Chisel ground knives. I just can't get over the asymmetry, doesn't look or feel good in my hands.
 
It's quite simple. If it costs less than $500 it's not a serious knife and I won't buy it.
 
Partial serrations. Finger grooves for each finger. Chisel grind. Wave. Recurve. Mystery steel. Any knife that only has flipper no hole or stud. Endura sized knives or bigger. Ken onion knives.
 
I don't buy knives I don't want to buy...because I don't want to buy them.
That's pretty much it. :D
 
I see knives similar to the way I view women...
("Viewed" women, because the one I'm currently with is the only one I view anymore)...

I really don't have a "type", I know what I like, and I know what I don't like, but there's no real rhyme or reason, or specific definable "eureka" moment to some it all up...

Old ones that are not completely worn out and decrepit, young ones (as long as they're legal), big ones, small ones, thin ones, chunky ones, red, brown, blue, green, natural or synthetic, European - African - Latin - Asian, there is no specific turn off, or turn on for that matter for me...
I know I can look at one and say, "I love it!"
Or, "ew, not for me."
Or, "hmmmm, intriguing."
Or, "well, I don't hate it."
But I'm not always sure what "it," is exactly that catches my eye, it just does, or it doesn't... It could be too flashy, it could be too plain, It could be the stag that makes it pop, or it could be the stag that turns me off
..

I can say Gerber lost my respect, (blatently cheap companies like MTech and Tak-Force never earned it), I find the vast majority of Spyderco to be an aethetic eyesore, QTRM5TR knives are an even bigger eyesore (and the name spelled like a preteen girl's text message makes it exponentially worse), I'm not a huge fan of serrations, and require my knife steel to be identified with at least 0.5% carbon (Bos 420hc and Trusharp being the exceptions at just a hair under).

That all said, blatently cheap brands aside, QTRM5TR would probably take the cake...
I would probably buy a fully serrated, "surgical steel" Gerber, that had a typical Spyderco profile, and was reported to have been made with 3cr13, at a flea market, before I spent my money on anything with QTRM5TR written on it... She's just an ugly chick with a horrible sense of style, and a crappy personality to boot.
 
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