Online Knife Purchase - Most Disappointing Purchase

S

southbeachlaw

Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
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Not too many places around me that have good knife selection so forced to buy what I like online. However, not being to handle and see the knife first can lead to a dissapointing purchase. I don't ever spend big money on knives since I'm new and am pretty happy with my purchases to date (save one Gerber Mini Fast Draw). Here are my biggest two dissapointing online purchases:

1. Sog Flash I - not very sharp out of the box and feels kinda cheaply made. Keep it in the car as a spare just in case.
2. SAK Trekker - Blade tip was kind rounded, just machined that way....is it supposed to be like that? I know it's not a spear point, but damn it was rounded. Just didn't like the knife. Threw it in my glove box and haven't taken it out since.
 
It was from the Home Shopping Network. Of the 70+ knives I ordered, only six little blue lockbacks were good. The rest would've made a fleamarketing mall-ninja blush with shame.
 
Here are some of my disappointments.

BM Snipe - wanted this knife for quite a while and was probably the biggest disappointment. Pivot can not be adjusted without making it either too tight or too loose, causing the blade to rub against the frame.

Gerber Evo - A copy of the the CRKT M16 series but the steel is so soft the edge rolls with normal use.

Puma Medici - Always wanted one , great design , should have bought an older one because the newer models look like they were assembled in the dark.

Hen & Rooster Sowbelly - Springs are so week the blades barely snap to the open position.

Bull Dog Sowbelly - Got one lemon out of three I bought on Ebay. One blade was so out of alignment that it would slip in front of an open blade and block it from being closed.
 
I'm generally not disappointed, but occassionally its not what I expected. I find the most difficult thing to handle online is the size of a thing.
 
I seldom buy something unknown. We have very little for knife selection in our small city. However the next bigger town over has a Gander Mnt. Scheels All Sports, Sportsmans Warehouse and a couple smaller sporting goods stores. Most any knife that I want to handle, I can find there. I also visit Cabelas on a regular basis. Then also of course, I read a lot here. (talk a lot too):D
 
I am still a bit disapointed with Kershaw knives. Every one I have, including the newest Junk Yard Dog II with titanium handle and SG2 blade have very noticable assymetric blades. I have yet to see a Kershaw with the grinds the same on both sides. I know it does not affect cutting performance to a big degree, but when you pay $150.00 for a knife, it should be straight.
Never seen a Benchmade or Spyderco with assymetric grinds, obviously not counting serrated blades which are intentionally assymetric.
I just recently got the JYD II. Even my leadman at work noticed how crooked the grinds are from one side to the other. Maybe I should stop buying them.
I have 5 and every one of them is crooked. All were bought from internet sites.
 
I regards to your Trekker, I got one about 2 weeks back and loved it. The tip on mine is not exactly what I call Perfect but the Blade is wicked sharp for just being one of 10 tools on the knife. Mine is a One Handed model with the longish hole to open. The blade reminds of a Ginsu knife, serrated/super hard and cuts through anything. $36.00 what more could I ask for? I buy 99% of my knives online. Here in the Exchange where I bought (2) this week. New Graham/Scrap Yard I bougt (2) GW from Busse as well as two T-Shirts and two sheaths on 12/14 and they arrived on 12/17. I have purchased from eBay with not one bad experience. Tad Gear Has been great if they have it in stock. You have to shop around, ask Q's in places like Blade Forums or maybe USN. Look at alot of pictures and and make sure it is "IN STOCK". But knock on wood, I have not had one (1) bad transaction. Happy New Year!!! ~baba~
 
The CRKT Desert Cruiser.

Have never been able to get it sharp.

Thicker and bulkier than I was expecting. Ugly.

CR7914DSF.jpg
 
Biggest disappointment was 4 Case knives- all had QC problems. KaBar folding Warthog- great potential in the blade but handle sucks the big one.




Moon Song Sebenza- just crap throughout

(kidding guys- time to go to the hospital for the burst blood vessels).
 
Smash05 said:
I'm generally not disappointed, but occassionally its not what I expected. I find the most difficult thing to handle online is the size of a thing.
Click to expand...

Yeah, when I got my Mnandi, I was pretty disappointed. I had no idea they were so small. Love it now though.
 
Knife I just purchased from a "maker" on ebay. It is a file bowie and have wanted a decent one for quite sometime. I just like them is all. Well looked at the pics, feedback, and pulled the trigger on it and won it. A piece of amateurish crap is all I can say. Wrote the fella yesterday about it and got a big song and dance about how his father is 70 yrs old, ill, blah freaking blah. Thankfully it was less than a c note or I would have been really pissed. The only second bad experience I have had on it while buying a knife. keepem sharp
 
longbow said:
Knife I just purchased from a "maker" on ebay. It is a file bowie and have wanted a decent one for quite sometime. I just like them is all. Well looked at the pics, feedback, and pulled the trigger on it and won it. A piece of amateurish crap is all I can say. Wrote the fella yesterday about it and got a big song and dance about how his father is 70 yrs old, ill, blah freaking blah. Thankfully it was less than a c note or I would have been really pissed. The only second bad experience I have had on it while buying a knife. keepem sharp
Click to expand...

About $160 from Plowshare Forge will get you a damn good hand forged knife by D. Brock.
 
my biggest online diapointment was when i was just getting into knives. I hadn't even bought one of the craptastic cold steel knives yet. I bought a marine combat kukri from Budk(dont buy from them). 2 days after i got the thing the handle loosened up and the black coating came off. Second was the buck mantis, i think, i bought from i think budk along with my recon 1. it was about half the size i expected, made in china, horribly dull, really hard to open and to top it all off i lost it on the third day of summer camp.


Long storry short even with the low prices do not buy from Budk
 
So far so good - no dissapointments when buying online. Then again, I've only ever bought Busse Combat knives online...

Also:

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