Most over-rated production knife brand?

DrIndianaJones said:
OMG, wait for it. The 'Bear Grills' survival knife, and IMHO (never use to be but sadly now is) Gerber LMF II.
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I honestly dont think any knife enthusiast, regardless of personal taste, thinks the Bear Grills line is good at all. The only people I've known that thought it was the knife of knives where people who didnt know anything about knives.

As for the LMF II, I think it's good but overpriced. Many (MANY) soldiers of all sorts use them and I personally know a paratrooper that is very happy with his. Again, most of them dont know any better, and so did this paratrooper, who just wasnt into knives. You can get better than the LMF II for the price but it is not terrible in itself, it does the job.
 
Buck Knives. Yes shoot me :rolleyes:

I like them, I've had them, I've used them, and they weren't impressive

Handled a silver creek bait knife with blade play (Not acceptable in any knife especially a fixed blade!). I wanted to buy it for our boat but alas the cheapie knife we use to cut sardines was more solid

Blade play in various other brand new models like the bantam and folding omni Hunter

Fell in love with a buck 112 but it was so stiff to open I was constantly worried I'd slip and cut my finger

Had a buck vantage that when used just to cut potatoes the lock would slip and move to the right. Once it was there it was very difficult to disengage the lock

After those experiences I don't think I'll buy another buck knife
 
Kwon Kwang said:
The absolute most? From all the data I've collected in the time I've been a part of this community and into this hobby, I'll have to say CRK. No, they don't all have perfect fit and finish. There are many knives priced at a tenth of the cost of any given CRK that are lighter, offer more efficient grinds for cutting, have stronger locks (if folder) and offer superior ergonomics. Not saying they're bad knives by any means, but even three years after joining BF I fail to see what makes them special. Perhaps it's the price tag itself that people find attractive.
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No, they don't all have perfect F&F, perfection doesn't exist. But I'd like to hear who you think has better across the board F&F than CRK. The only company who comes close is Spyderco, and I've owned a lot of Spydercos and a lot of CRK's, and in my experience, it doesn't come close.
 
Over rated?

Any knife you have to wait 3 to 4 years to get. Nothing is worth that much of my time.

Charging $400 or more for basic steels like 1095 or 440b.
 
Kwon Kwang said:
The absolute most? From all the data I've collected in the time I've been a part of this community and into this hobby, I'll have to say CRK. No, they don't all have perfect fit and finish. There are many knives priced at a tenth of the cost of any given CRK that are lighter, offer more efficient grinds for cutting, have stronger locks (if folder) and offer superior ergonomics. Not saying they're bad knives by any means, but even three years after joining BF I fail to see what makes them special. Perhaps it's the price tag itself that people find attractive.
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I'd love to see some pictures of the fit and finish issues you've found on your CRK knives. Obviously, no knife is perfect, but my experience with CRK over three knives has been industry leading fit and finish. At a similar price point, the only maker I've found that's better is Reate. I have to wonder if maybe you've been dealing with counterfeits. There are lots of decent quality fake CRK's out there.

Which specific CRK knives have you found fault with fit and finish on?

In terms of my experience, I can't jump on the bash Emerson band wagon because all I've ever owned is a ZT and Kershaw collaboration, and those were pretty decent knives.

I guess I've been most underwhelmed by a Strider SNG. It's my first Strider and I got it used off the Exchange. I have no issues with the particular knife, but after reading about the great ergos and quality of Strider...wow, I just don't see it. It looks and feels to me like a $150 knife with a $450 price tag...
 
emjay said:
Buck Knives. Yes shoot me :rolleyes:

I like them, I've had them, I've used them, and they weren't impressive

Handled a silver creek bait knife with blade play (Not acceptable in any knife especially a fixed blade!). I wanted to buy it for our boat but alas the cheapie knife we use to cut sardines was more solid

Blade play in various other brand new models like the bantam and folding omni Hunter

Fell in love with a buck 112 but it was so stiff to open I was constantly worried I'd slip and cut my finger

Had a buck vantage that when used just to cut potatoes the lock would slip and move to the right. Once it was there it was very difficult to disengage the lock

After those experiences I don't think I'll buy another buck knife
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I'll second Buck being over rated.

Now, I don't think they're "bad knives" for the price you pay for them, but they aren't great knives more often then not... but....

Brand recognition... They've been around a long time, they have established a reputation on innovative ideas from yesteryear, but haven't done anything "wow" or groundbreaking for a long time. They still pump out a boat load of 420hc, they do offer (some) s30v and 154cm, but not enough IMO. Fit and finish issues have been plaguing them, but even your most novice of knifers knows a "Buck Kinfe". Myself included before I got bit by the bug, I thought Buck knife was synonymous with greatness. Brand recognition.

For that, I do agree they are over rated. They make a fine enough knife, but they are not the industry leader they were 30-40 years ago. They've stalled, and while they continue to do what they've done well enough, what they built a reputation on, the industry moved forward with innovation, new steels, new designs, new makers, and Buck, which was once, "THE BUCK" to own, today they are more or less, "just a Buck"...

I'm anticipating the new s35v Marksman, but they should be doing more to be a leader in the industry, more premium offerings, rather then finding contentment in riding their Storied past.
 
Strider- As much as I love the designs they are too expncive for what you get and the customer service is terrible.
CRK- Again I love some of the designs in owned a couple never understood the hype and I Helen to disagree with trying to tell people how to handle there knives if you know people are going to flick them engineer it to sustain it.
And Emerson I onw a road house and if heard all these stories of great customer service but my experience was far from great.
 
Busse; any brand that produces ¼" thick slabs of sharpened steel and charges $700 for them. There is no steel worth that. (I can understand knife jewelry—I would gladly buy an Mnandi for the pretty.)

Any brand that thinks thicker is better or that the locking mechanism on your folding knife needs to be able to support your full body weight. It's a knife, not a rappelling implement.

Emerson.
 
strategy9 said:
I'll second Buck being over rated.

Now, I don't think they're "bad knives" for the price you pay for them, but they aren't great knives more often then not... but....

Brand recognition... They've been around a long time, they have established a reputation on innovative ideas from yesteryear, but haven't done anything "wow" or groundbreaking for a long time. They still pump out a boat load of 420hc, they do offer (some) s30v and 154cm, but not enough IMO. Fit and finish issues have been plaguing them, but even your most novice of knifers knows a "Buck Kinfe". Myself included before I got bit by the bug, I thought Buck knife was synonymous with greatness. Brand recognition.

For that, I do agree they are over rated. They make a fine enough knife, but they are not the industry leader they were 30-40 years ago. They've stalled, and while they continue to do what they've done well enough, what they built a reputation on, the industry moved forward with innovation, new steels, new designs, new makers, and Buck, which was once, "THE BUCK" to own, today they are more or less, "just a Buck"...

I'm anticipating the new s35v Marksman, but they should be doing more to be a leader in the industry, more premium offerings, rather then finding contentment in riding their Storied past.
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I've had so many quality control issues with Buck knives, my expectations are now too low to consider them over-rated :)
 
Böker Knives! They have a decent portfolio of designs and manage to make absolutely terrible knives (inc. poor: steel choices, construction and execution).

-flugzeit
 
Medford-just don't understand the designs, laughably overbuilt with ergos that are some of the worst going(its like holding a square block) a few ive handled were actually thin behind the edge too bad it doesn't matter cause in a half inch it reaches the 1/4 in thick blade stock.

Emerson- basically what everybody else said(which sucks because the ergos and blade shapes I love.

Strider- price for what you get f&f, cutting edge length, and lock up(they don't seem to get the up and down anymore but the break in is ridiculous.
 
Lycosa said:
Best thread yet!
Or at least, one of them. :D
rolf
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I know, right? Who could have predicted it would go this way...

Gaston444 said:
2-Busse: Thick edges and so-so fine edge-holding... I'm sure they are hard to break. Not sure that is what knives are all about... Did not own this, but that is the general impression I get...
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One of my thinnest EDC fixed blades is a Busse and it is made out of steel that is very good at holding a fine edge......so your argument is completely invalid :)

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Danke42 said:
This should be a poll.

I vote GEC.

It's just a rehash of knives made years ago with a manipulatively restrictive delivery channel that encourages flippers to cyber squat on the site, soak up as many knives as they can and then I quote "Catch & Release" them at twice the price and thrice the value.

That should stir folks up.
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Dang man. Don't get those traditional guys riled up, what are you freakin' crazy? Why not just start a dustup with a street gang while you're at it?

:)
 
Responses are going to depend on your needed uses for a blade and your carry philosophy. I don't knock any company unless they put out junk and don't stand behind it. Companies can charge what they want and design the way they want. It doesn't mean you have to pay their prices though. This is why the secondary market is a great place. Junk on the other hand.. just do your research and don't buy it.
 
Vulture equipment works?

Sorry, had to...
:D
 
stabman said:
Why?
Because of the Omega springs that only seem to break on the internet?

It works, it's strong, and plenty and folks like it.
Plus, they do offer knives with other locks.
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Yea, it's the springs. They broke on my Minigrip, and on a 90 dollar knife, thats pretty annoying, especially since the refuse to send out replacements.

Also, ive found that very little lint or dust will gunk up the lock enterface quite fast and make it feel gritty and cheap.

Im not trying to piss anyone one off, Benchmade does make great knives, but they have a few things to sort out before I buy from them again.
 
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