Less hyped or noticeable knife characteristics which are important to you

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DangerZone98

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Dec 7, 2019
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Hyped in this discussion could mean blade steel, blade length, or even blade shape I suppose (clip point, tanto). These are the things all of us are excited about.

What about the less hyped stuff though? This is a matter of opinion, but I suppose you can put blade grind, lanyard holes, spine jimping here. It can even be abstract things like weight, carrying experience, how it sits in the pocket, likelihood of attracting unwanted attention.

My hope with this thread is to generate discussion on little things or less visible characteristics that other folks here might miss. To reiterate an example, before I got in the knife game, carrying experience wasn’t even in the equation. Now it’s more important to me than blade steel.
 
Pocket clips.

How tight does it hold the knife against your pocket? Some of this is the handle material itself.

How easy is it to stow, which seems to be mostly the little tab at the end of the clip.

Clip orientation. Half of this is where the clip is mounted, the other half is the clip's orientation, relative to the long axis of the knife. A knife with a curved spine should have the clip off-angle to the long axis so that it's easier to jam the knife against the side of your pocket, keeping it out of the way when you reach for whatever else is in there.

Finally, mounting pattern. Cold Steel is my favorite example, since they do a generally good job with their clips, except things like the Recon series where the mounting pattern is a triangle. My thinking is that the third screw forms a leverage point, allowing the other two to get "walked loose" while you're doing other things. When I carried a Recon, I got into the habit of checking the clip screws every week or so, and torquing them back down when they needed it.
 
Smallest ricasso as possible. Definitely no finger choil in the blade. I can add a sharpening choil if needed. Good grinds that are even and rounded spine.

Tight lockup on folders. Lock backs and sharklock are my current favorites. Prefer washers if done right - smooth and quiet. Good clips (agree with Shorttime above)
 
When considering a purchase, I have to pay close attention to the way the pocket clip is attached.

I remove the pocket clips from my knives and carry horizontally at the bottom of my pocket. On some knives, one or more of the clip screws serve double duty as a fastener for the handle slabs.

Sometimes the clip screw won’t seat properly without the thickness of the clip in place. That screw is sometimes longer than the other screw and will contact the opposite screw before it seats. Leaving the screw out means that there’s no fastener for the handle slabs on that side.

It can be tricky to determine this just by looking at pictures. Sometimes disassembly videos help but not often. I usually have to ask somebody who owns that model.
 
Railsplitter said:
When considering a purchase, I have to pay close attention to the way the pocket clip is attached.

I remove the pocket clips from my knives and carry horizontally at the bottom of my pocket. On some knives, one or more of the clip screws serve double duty as a fastener for the handle slabs.

Sometimes the clip screw won’t seat properly without the thickness of the clip in place. That screw is sometimes longer than the other screw and will contact the opposite screw before it seats. Leaving the screw out means that there’s no fastener for the handle slabs on that side.

It can be tricky to determine this just by looking at pictures. Sometimes disassembly videos help but not often. I usually have to ask somebody who owns that model.
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It's sad that this is even an issue. I don't understand why companies would do this.

I use the scale screw hole as one of the clip screws on my folders but I always include an extra appropriately sized scale screw so folks can remove the clip if they choose and still have a properly fastened scale.
 
J. Doyle said:
It's sad that this is even an issue. I don't understand why companies would do this.

I use the scale screw hole as one of the clip screws on my folders but I always include an extra appropriately sized scale screw so folks can remove the clip if they choose and still have a properly fastened scale.
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This is excellent! I wish all makers would do this.
 
Deep carry pocket clip for sure!
Also, I like a slim design (personal preference though)
 
David Mary said:
Handles with no hard edges or sharp corners.
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This. Typically that isn't a problem but I've owned knives before, one in particular that comes to mind, that were terrible to actually hold on to and use. When hype is driven by fidget factor and "action" on a folding knife rather than useability it easier for those types of knives to become popular.
 
Monofletch said:
Another turn off is GIANT flipper tabs. I love carrying this Tim Britton, but the flipper tab is huge! I use the thumb studs.

View attachment 2750285
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Preach! I tried to like flippers two or three times. They're great for opening the blade, and they get in the way at any other time!

I have also tried the "front flipper". It's better for design purposes because you don't have to work around a "beak" sticking out of the lines of your knife. Otherwise, it's no easier or harder to operate than any other method.

I find the easiest method is a cutout in the blade, or a thumb disc. Studs are a dice-roll, and seem to need more work put into them than most companies are willing to do, to make them "good".

Something like what Microtech is doing with the Amphibian looks like a promising alternative. The main problems I have with thumb studs is that they can get in the way of a cut if they're poorly located, and the patterning on some doesn't offer enough traction, especially against a lock that has some spring force. Microtech's design seems like it would be better for traction, at least.
 
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Railsplitter said:
When considering a purchase, I have to pay close attention to the way the pocket clip is attached.

I remove the pocket clips from my knives and carry horizontally at the bottom of my pocket. On some knives, one or more of the clip screws serve double duty as a fastener for the handle slabs.

Sometimes the clip screw won’t seat properly without the thickness of the clip in place. That screw is sometimes longer than the other screw and will contact the opposite screw before it seats. Leaving the screw out means that there’s no fastener for the handle slabs on that side.

It can be tricky to determine this just by looking at pictures. Sometimes disassembly videos help but not often. I usually have to ask somebody who owns that model.
Click to expand...

If you have a coarse or medium sharpening stone it’s pretty easy to shorten the screws. Obviously not good for resale value though.

I’m with you though, it’s annoying- in particular when custom screws are used, like for Demkos.
 
Crag made this knife for me and it has several things that make it really special:

1. The slight clip makes for a wonderful pointy tip that excels in fine work, removing a splinter etc.
2. I call it Handschmeichler - literally hand-flattering (Palmstone) as the ergos of the handle and the 100% hotspot free material are so good that you can use the knife for hours without any discomfort whatsoever.
3. No choil, as I like to be able to cut snag free very near to the handle for better control and have the full length of the blade available (especially with EDC knives)
4. A thin, slicey blade with a thin BTE & great geometry for actually cutting stuff. If I need a thicker or tougher blade, I have lots of options...

Palmstone.jpg
 
Regarding the OP, with a folder, the smallest amount of lock stick can annoy me to no end. And I try to avoid thin Pivots.

On a great fixed blade, even if the sheath is also good, if it will sit only an inch too low, it’s a no go.
 
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