One deciding factor that can kill a knife purchase for you

Fasteners with standard slotted or phillips heads
Brown scales which are not made of wood
Packaging which includes a picture of Bear "Time to drink me own piss again" Grylls
 
Partial serrations they tend to be more of 1/3 than one half blade length, rendering them useless.

Tip down only clip.

S30V. Absolutely abhor it.
Chinese steel. 8crGTFO

Smooth metal handles.

Sent via carrier pigeon
 
I'm totally with you guys. Tip up right sided carry only, non spring assisted, non serrated, no easily corrosive steels.
 
Looking at my knives, I have:

-Tantos, daggers, Bowie knives, Wharncliffe, sheepsfoot, drop point, spear point, Persian, Hawkbill, and weird ones that I cannot really find a name for
-Tip up and tip down carry knives
-Thumb studs, thumb holes, and thumb disks...and nail slots
-Frame-locks, liner-locks, back-locks, compression locks, Tri-Ad locks, a Power Lock, and slip joints (and a friction folder...so no lock)
-Fully serrated, half serrated, and non-serrated
-full tang (tapered, full, and hollowed-out), partial tang, rat-tail tang, even a hollow handle knife with a short tang held with a nut
-Chisel grind, hollow grind, flat grind, combo grind, convex grind
-Metal handles, G-10 handles, carbon fiber handles, rubber handles, FRN handles, wood handles
-Folders that weigh less than an once, and folders that weigh 14 ounces...

I guess I don't get to play in this thread. :D
 
Absolutely no clones or knives from lying/thieving companies/makers.

No tip-down assisted knives.

Other than that, I have my preferences, but they aren't deal-breakers. Not a fan of combo-edges, sculpted pocket clips, thumb disks, assisted opening, etc.
 
Not necessarily a 100% deal killer but, before buying any assisted/automatic/OTF, bayonets, daggers, etc. I really think about it twice, due to legislative ban to carry enforced here for these items :( . To pull my gun permit just to buy one, go to Police station to register a new “weapon” possession and go through all the bureaucracy is rather annoying and, most of the times, not worth the hassle for a knife. Also, to be forbidden to carry and use these outside my home premises is rather limiting and kills a lot of fun for me. As a matter of fact, I don’t own any of these as today. Luckily, most of the times, manufacturers have non-assisted, non-automatic same models/designs in their line-up and I don’t suffer too much :).
 
Armadew said:
Absolutely no clones or knives from lying/thieving companies/makers.

No tip-down assisted knives.

Other than that, I have my preferences, but they aren't deal-breakers. Not a fan of combo-edges, sculpted pocket clips, thumb disks, assisted opening, etc.
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hudak said:
Made in China kills it for me.
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I'll have to agree with the above, for the most part. I had a bad experience with the Taylor Brand version of the Old Timer Deerslayer that is now made in China, that I bought to replace one that was stolen. Handle construction, blade material, sheath construction and material, quality of grind, fit and finish...all were so far from the original that I considered taking it back to where I bought it. Instead, my wife, who has a cooler head than me, said that it would be great in the pick-up, and if the truck is broken into and the knife stolen again, we'd be out just a few bucks. I've since bought a USA made model, used and without box.

I'd also like to add Pakistan to the list of countries of origin that I steer clear from. Loose handles, bad or broken springs, soft blades...junk, in my opinion.

I do own a few Chinese made blades, but they are memorial knives or advertising knives. I won't use them out of fear of breaking them...and I wasn't the one that bought them. When your children are given a few bucks to spend at Christmas and that's what they bring back to you, you cherish the gift.
 
I don't tend to like chisel grinds, tip down only carry, and flippers with no alternative opening method. But I do try and get knives that I wouldn't usually enjoy to see if my preferences have been formed too early, or formed via one bad experience.

Example, I used to hate backlocks/triad locks, but after trying the Cold Steel Ultimate hunter, and then the Delica wharncliffe I found I was wrong, and that it was an excellent lock in those applications. Besides, some preferences like hating tip down can be fixed, I had a Spyderco Military with a tip up conversation (miss that knife so badly) and just converted a Cold Steel tuff lite. The knives are better post conversion for me, and I may have missed out on trying such excellent knives if I hadn't been willing to try them. I tried to like the tip down, found I didn't like it, but the solution for it was simple and didn't require me to get rid of the knife.
 
Not a fan of serrated blades, don't like Damascus or that zebra stripe stuff that ZT puts out...I just don't like my blades to have all sorts of different colors on it..although I love the stonewashed look that's about as far as I'll go..and no tanto blades..
 
Stringplucker said:
...I'd also like to add Pakistan to the list of countries of origin that I steer clear from. Loose handles, bad or broken springs, soft blades...junk, in my opinion.
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The problem with Pakistan blades is you often don't know where they come from other than they are "imported". I also would stay away from blades made there. Yes, pretty much a deal breaker. So I might spend a little more money, but once spend it usually is quickly forgotten but the blade remains to remind me in terms of quality.
 
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