Overbuilt folders : Yes or no?

Anything with a good edge will perform well for shallow cuts. Thick blades only become sub-optimal if you’re cutting such that the blade moves a fair bit into the medium. So, an Opinel and a Praetorian are going to be similar cutting zip ties, but the Opinel will vastly outperform the Praetorian when cutting perpendicular to double wall cardboard.

Whether or not an overbuilt knife is a good or bad cutting tool depends on the job at hand. In my experience, a .12” blade with a high or full flat grind is ideal for my work on day shifts, but a .16” blade is just fine for everything else I do.
 
Overbuilt folder? Sometimes they are cool...

However I think it is completely possible to make a tough knife without making it “overbuilt.” Sebenzas are virtually indestructible but aren’t overbuilt.

Then there is the fact that most of these overbuilt ti framelocks have their lockbar cutout be quite thin. So what is all that thick titanium good for if it will just fail where it is thinnest.
 
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I like some of 'em for the cool factor. Only folder I have that might qualify is the Boker Vox F3. It's got some seriously thick slabs of ti and a thick blade. Doesn't mean I'd trust the lock more than any other framelock. The hollow grind actually makes it a respectable cutter.
 
BeyondTheBox said:
Love the first 4.

Wouldn't pay that for any of them. Where's the $50 lookalike Chinese option? Lol
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Lol the 2 you don't like are the strongest of the bunch and don't have weak links (frame lock/axis lock) ;)

Everyone likes what they like, lets face it, nobody needs overbuilt folders but they are fun for the novelty and piece of mind. Just like we don't need cars that can do 11 second quarter miles out the factory.
 
I'm another who has a fetish for overbuilt folders. While I'll admit they aren't optimum for many of the smaller tasks, I do carry an extra folder or two designed with a thinner/slicing type blade. Other than just liking big, overbuilt folders, they do serve a purpose for me. When I'm out on missions and wearing my battle belt in conjunction with my plate carrier, I can't carry a fixed blade on my belt kit (unless it's horizontal and then takes up too much real-estate) due to the interference with the plate carrier. A beefy folder simply works better and having a robust design just provides some additional mental comfort.





I will say, the 4Max is a larger design for just a 4" blade; however, I added a deep-pocket clip and with deep pocket cargo pants, it actually carries okay. It's a little overkill pulling it out in the dining facility (which is why I have a smaller folder for that purpose) to slice up my bratwurst, but it works for many other general cutting chores just fine.

ROCK6
 
ROCK6 said:
I'm another who has a fetish for overbuilt folders. While I'll admit they aren't optimum for many of the smaller tasks, I do carry an extra folder or two designed with a thinner/slicing type blade. Other than just liking big, overbuilt folders, they do serve a purpose for me. When I'm out on missions and wearing my battle belt in conjunction with my plate carrier, I can't carry a fixed blade on my belt kit (unless it's horizontal and then takes up too much real-estate) due to the interference with the plate carrier. A beefy folder simply works better and having a robust design just provides some additional mental comfort.





I will say, the 4Max is a larger design for just a 4" blade; however, I added a deep-pocket clip and with deep pocket cargo pants, it actually carries okay. It's a little overkill pulling it out in the dining facility (which is why I have a smaller folder for that purpose) to slice up my bratwurst, but it works for many other general cutting chores just fine.

ROCK6
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That's a great collection. Lots of beauties.
 
Overbuilt folders are awesome.

I don't collect/carry the knives that I do because they're practical, just like you don't drive a Lamborghini because it's reliable.

You only get this one play through as this character, no need to justify anything.

I think that almost every one of my folders qualify as overbuilt...

Kwaiback, Combat Troodon, A15, Iron Dragon, ZT0560, Manix 2XL, Stinger XL, K2...
 
JParanee said:
No

Over built folders are imho a silly genre

Over built frame lock folders are a stupid genre

Sorry :)
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I do think there is a lot of faux-marketing of "over-built" folders. Quite honestly, they're still folders and have the inherent weakness of where folders are vulnerable; the locking mechanism. No folder is a replacement for a fixed blade, but there are times folders are simply more convenient or a more compact package (such as in my case for certain circumstances) suited to the environment. There is the "art" perspective, but I also believe their is a point where the over-built aspect doesn't necessarily overcome the inherent vulnerability and weight then becomes the larger detractor vice the folding mechanism. That said, I don't really use my folders overly-hard to the point of pushing failure, but some designs can withstand quite a bit of hard use. I remember a Tactical Knives article many moons ago where the author used a "tactical" folder for a host of survival tasks. It was a simple Benchmade AFCK, and he used it to build a shelter, fire-prep, make traps, and some tools. Not an ideal tool, but fully capable. Of course, I saw some bushcraft video of a guy doing very similar tasks with a non-locking blade jackknife which was quite impressive and proof that folders are often more capable than the skill of the user. Some do define requirements for a hard-use/over-built folder. The design of the original Al Mar SERE folder and the Extrema Ratio RAO are two examples built with a specific purpose to fit a niche-set of requirements. I think the 'over-built' marketing sells more mental-comfort than hard-use utility. With that in mind, I'm indifferent. A folder is a folder, some are simply heavier than others, some will be more efficient cutters, but I don't consider a folder as a replacement to a fixed blade, just a tool to augment or fit a niche in a system where a fixed blade is problematic for any number of reasons.

To some a silly or stupid genre, to others a feasible tool, and to others a piece of mechanical art they value as a conversation piece in their collection.

ROCK6
 
Do the Cold Steel Code 4, Ontario RAT Model 1 and Real Steel T101 Thor qualify as over-built? Or merely heavily-built? I'm thinking the latter, after seeing what else is on this thread. However, I do prefer heavily-built folders as folders are often the only knives I'm carrying and I'd like them to be able to handle some abuse. True story: I used my Ontario RAT Model 1 to cut climbing rope entangling a live and very angry crocodile. That said, I think I'm quite unlikely to step into over-built territory because I already carry a Leatherman Surge and I really don't want my folding knife to feel like another brick.
 
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Overbuilt doesn’t mean stronger. Some of the strongest knives that people can actually edc i.e. cold steel American lawman are only 3.9oz but i bet it can out-cut and out-baton any of the “built like a tank” folders out there.
In fact most of the triad lock folders are stronger yet ligher than knives of similar size.
Overbuilt=/=strength, a good design is more important.
 
hkyew said:
Overbuilt doesn’t mean stronger. Some of the strongest knives that people can actually edc i.e. cold steel American lawman are only 3.9oz but i bet it can out-cut and out-baton any of the “built like a tank” folders out there.
In fact most of the triad lock folders are stronger yet ligher than knives of similar size.
Overbuilt=/=strength, a good design is more important.
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100% correct
 
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