Less hyped or noticeable knife characteristics which are important to you

Thumb ramps. I love the aesthetic and function of a well designed thumb ramp integrated seamlessly into the overall design of the knife like you find on the Carothers EDC, most Winkler knives and even the Sebenza has a nice little thumb ramp. The thumb ramp on my Bark River Gunny on the other hand just didn't do it for me, it kind of just felt like an afterthought in the knife design and was way too small, sharp and uncomfortable.

One that I haven't seen mentioned yet, machining on the handles. I love fine machining work that gives the handles of a knife a pleasant texture, once again I'll point to Carothers Knives as a prime example. Benchmade also does a great job with this, every single Benchmade I've owned has had beautifully machined G-10 or aluminum handles. In particular, I absolutely love the machining work on the handles of the Mini-Adamas, Turret and especially their Immunity knife. It's also likely something that plays a factor in Benchmade's high pricing that I don't think people appreciate, even if the knife is still overpriced.

Edit:
One more thing that I think gets overlooked in the steel/Heat Treat/blade grind discussion far too often is ease of sharpening. I doubt it's an unpopular opinion, but it is a point I rarely see brought up in knife reviews. I despise grinding away at a knife for hours by hand to get an edge that will still struggle to shave. Now granted I'm not the best at sharpening and I'm still learning after 4 years but it is really nice to have a knife that will go back to shaving sharp with a few minutes on a honing rod and strop.
 
Last edited:
Balance.
A properly designed knife will balance just under the first finger of your gripping hand. Many don't. A properly balanced knife is easier to use. It feels like an extension of your hand.

Edited to add:
Unfortunately, this is seldom covered by reviewers and I usually need to buy the knife to determine if it is properly designed.
 
As I’m getting older and suffering from arthritis I appreciate a good grippy hand filling handle that’s easier to keep a hold of and prevents hand fatigue during extended periods of use. A thin narrow handle can cause my fingers to cramp up and soon after my hands give out and I have to stop or I drop the knife. A slight texture not jagged or rough on the handle that isn’t slippery is what I prefer like Elk antler or jigged bone. Some micarta that isn’t polished is also good.
 
knarfeng said:
Balance.
A properly designed knife will balance just under the first finger of your gripping hand. Many don't. A properly balanced knife is easier to use. It feels like an extension of your hand.

Edited to add:
Unfortunately, this is seldom covered by reviewers and I usually need to buy the knife to determine if it is properly designed.
Click to expand...
This is highly subjective, as I strongly prefer a blade-heavy or handle-heavy knife, and don't prefer the in-between balance point.


Interesting.
 
XtianAus said:
Sharpening choil 🤙🏼
Click to expand...

Assumably the lack of sharpening choil, especially with chonky part of blade that grinds against your stone damaging it is one of the most annoying things I know. Also handle scales that are in the way of the blade in same fashion, not to forget big dumb thumb studs in the middle of the blade that get scuffed and are in way of cutting.
 
I find a lot of value in a smooth, easy operating frame or liner lock. It's surprising that some can make it like butter while others are just uncomfortable and unnecessary stiff to disengage.

I don't personally find a correlation between easier working locks and unintentional lock bar pressure when opening.
 
The True North said:
This is highly subjective, as I strongly prefer a blade-heavy or handle-heavy knife, and don't prefer the in-between balance point.


Interesting.
Click to expand...
Likely flavored by the usage of the knife, which I should have mentioned in my post. For a large knife, especially a chopper, a blade heavy knife is going to be preferable. But for everyday use on a standard EDC, a neutral balance gives a knife that just sings.

One of the reasons I seldom carry my Hogue Magnacut Deka is that they hollowed out the thermoplastic handles (GOK why). The end result was a blade-heavy knife. The original in 20CV had solid G10 handles and balanced under the front finger. The difference was noticeable to me in everyday use, so the Magnacut Deka stays in the drawer.
 
Light handles that don't fall off plates when I am eating.

And for work. Fast opening and closing. So i can pocket, use knife, pocket.

Rather than pocket, use knife, put it on a bench, sit on it.
 
"Less hyped": A good liner lock. It seems among the knife community, there are many who dislike liner locks, either in theory, or because they had a bad experience with one. But I must have lucked out, because the Spyderco Tenacious and Resilience knives have become my favorite folders to carry and use. A little refinement to the ergonomics and geometry, and they punch way above their price point for me. But I have never had to do anything to their locks, except on maybe two or three out of a dozen or more than I owned, where I slightly enlarged the detent hole for snappier deployment. The locks on these knives have been even better for me that the liner locks on the liner lock Millies.

Why I like the liner lock, at least on these knives, aside from their reliability and strength more than sufficient for any use I have put these knives to, they are very easy for me to actuate ambidextrously, which is important to me, as it is almost whimsy that determines which hand I use the knife in on any given task.

To preempt the question why have I owned so many if I like them so much: I don't tend to hold onto very many users, and ultimately move them along when something new arrives.
 
David Mary said:
"Less hyped": A good liner lock. It seems among the knife community, there are many who dislike liner locks, either in theory, or because they had a bad experience with one. But I must have lucked out, because the Spyderco Tenacious and Resilience knives have become my favorite folders to carry and use. A little refinement to the ergonomics and geometry, and they punch way above their price point for me. But I have never had to do anything to their locks, except on maybe two or three out of a dozen or more than I owned, where I slightly enlarged the detent hole for snappier deployment. The locks on these knives have been even better for me that the liner locks on the liner lock Millies.

Why I like the liner lock, at least on these knives, aside from their reliability and strength more than sufficient for any use I have put these knives to, they are very easy for me to actuate ambidextrously, which is important to me, as it is almost whimsy that determines which hand I use the knife in on any given task.
Click to expand...

Fully agree with this. Been adding liner locks in more and more. Comfortable, protected, and handsome. What's not to love?
 
Along with customer service and warranty, I like a good purchasing experience. Architect Knives, knife builder, is a great way to get what you want. It would be fantastic if other companies (CPK) could do the same. CPK are among my favorite knives but can be difficult to acquire.
 
Crag the Brewer said:
I'm a handle guy.....I like to hold things
Click to expand...
This is not to understate the knife part of the knife. Steel material and geometry are obviously important. As a high drag low speed knife guy like myself though, the handle is a bigger consideration these days. I like simple, comfortable grips that just work.

Total package knives with a great steel and a great handle are even better.
 
I dislike super tight clips on rough texture scales under a pocket clip....pocket shredders. also clip edges gap and angle, where it's too narrow a gap to fit over jeans pocket without two hands. put all those things together and it ends up not being carried or used for me.

folder for me needs to be somewhat easy to get out of my pocket and to put back in one handed.

don't mind it being secure a bit but not a two handed pull out and put back in.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top