Pet Peeve

[So-Lo]

Gary that knife is a stunner :thumbup:

 

[Capt. Carl]

I don't like the notch at all either. It gets especially bad when cutting things like plastic wrap.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Yep, plastic is a bad one for that, even the Spyderco UK Pen knife, nice knife
doesn't have the notch, some of the Spyderco's do or did, not sure why, maybe
just the collaboration ones?
Here's a quick shot taken while I was in Mexicali glass factory working on some upgrades
of our machines;

G2

edited to add, thanks So Lo it's a nice traditional slip joint knife, fairly big too!

 

[Lycosa]

You are right about Chris Reeve having a nice fix for that peeve of yours. Thanks for the pic, Gary.
That is one polished traditional!

 

[annr]

Gary,
I don't know if someone will contradict this or not but IME sharpening mostly straight edges (spine, edge and handle all parallel) I need some room at the heel when I sharpen or the edge:spine:handle relationship will go out of true. So I have the opposite pet peeve, keeps the universe in balance.

BTW how do you get in that little corner?

I actually prefer that choil notch. My pet peeve is not being able to get the knife sharp in that area when a notch is not there, so I prefer to have the notch there and that takes care of it. Nearly all knives have a small radius there, so sharpening right up to the plunge grind is not possible. Also, it does save the corners of my stone. I've not really noticed a problem with hanging up during cutting either. I prefer a notch that is not completely on the edge, but one that splits the grind and the edge, like in Gary's first notch pic. The Scott Cook model has a notch, its just huge and angled. The lack of this notch is not a deal breaker, so its not as much a pet peeve as a preference, and if the lack of a notch becomes an issue when sharpening, which my Buck, Spyderco, and Boye never did, I'll make one with a Dremel.

I'm with you on this one. I've wanted to use the dremel but haven't worked up the nerve.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

The thing is, you can still do that, just don't bring the knife that close,
you'd still have your real edge starting out a little ahead of the plunge cut
but you'd not have any opening to catch material as you cut,

BUT, as I say, it's a pet peeve and yours would balance the universe or as
much of it as we can see

One maker puts the planet the knife is from, just in case and also, no notch

Here's a Lonewolf city knife, very keen of edge!

Here's the JYD II that I started to round that abrupt opening but didn't go
any futher;

G2

 

[gdwtvb]

Gary,

You don't know how nice it was to read your post. I work in a warehouse and most of my cutting is shrink wrap plastic and cardboard. I also hate the choil! (I'm not a big fan of thumbstuds either) That being said I EDC a sebenza (large and small, I switch off)

It took several years before I got a sebenza because of the choil and being hollow ground. I finally pulled the trigger when they had a limited release of flat ground blades. (my tastes have changed and hollow ground blades don't bother me so much anymore) In looking closely at the sebbie, it becomes obvious that a serious redesign would be needed in order to remove it. (the choil is also the blade stop when closed.)

Thankfully Spyderco is about release my personal grail knife... well almost. the Sage RIL (Reeve Integral Lock) No choil! No thumbstuds! and sadly no lanyard hole. (I have a drill press, so I'll rectify the lack of lanyard hole if there is room.) (I'm not a fan of clips either.)

I haven't yet bought a custom but, I won't ever buy one that has a choil.

Keep up the good fight.

Later GDWTVB

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Yes, G, it's good to know we're not alone!

as to pet peeve's, most can be marked down as personal preference, some with strong feelings attached.

A short list of other things that I also dislike and some mentioned in this thread;

blade play or poor lockup, detest that a bunch

poor fit and finish, an easy one most would agree with

thick edges, especially on folders, say .030 or thicker on a pocket knife??

folders with lanyard holes, BUT no provision to use it, meaning it's only carry is tip down

folders with no lanyard holes, just got one it, will work something out about that, but
obviously it wasn't a deal breaker

One knife I had, might buy again soon, was a Kershaw Leek with G10 scales, nice knife
good blade shape, I'm more a wharncliffish kinda guy as I don't hunt and it had a lanyard
hole and carry method that worked, also it didn't have the notch so when I was working
cutting loose material, which is something that isn't as precise to cut, you just need to
clear it out, I could just push the knife into the material and draw it across, no worries
and no hang ups, pun intended

Handy size too, hmm looking it makes me start reaching for my wallet again...
G2

 

[John T Wylie Jr]

someday I knew you would lose it Gary , and let the world know of your pet peeve.

Gary and I have chatted on IM about this numerous times , to me , I can take em or leave em. What I can't stand is when the edge ends and there is 1/4 of blade left with no edge , that annoys me more than a sharpen to here notch.

I put em on some of the knives I make , others I don't , depends on my mood. Haven't really given it much thought why or why not.

My pet peeve , tip down folders. There are quite a few custom folders( and productions ) I have passed on or bought and soon sold , just due to them being made tip down. Why not offer both options ? Especially on a ti framed knife.

Slip joints and lockbacks have solved that lil clip issue quite nicely.

Don't worry G2 , when I make you a knife , it will not have the sharpen to here notch. ( and be thinly ground ).

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Thanks John and yep, finally lost it for sure
won't go into what tipped the scales...
G2

 

[RKH]

Gentlemen, I have to list my pet peve when it comes to knives.

Edge to thick to cut efficiently
Blade off center
Excessive blade play
Liner locks that can be flip open very easily.....Gravity knife

I like Queen knives but they come with the worst edge in the business. Yes, I can sharpen them and have but I should not have to do this on a new knife. Also, I have bought high end factory knives that had poor attention to edge geometry.

RKH

 

[CarpScot]

I'm right there with you on the sharpening notch thing. They interfere with whittling, and for some reason just seem "wrong" to me. I will only buy a knife with a notch if the knife will see no whittling duties whatsoever, and that is pretty rare.

 

[Papaver]

I don't like the notch at all either. It gets especially bad when cutting things like plastic wrap.

I don't mind the notch in general but I admit I sometimes notice it when cutting plastic, as you say.

The worst for the notch catching is cutting fine netting. It catches constantly. I don't have to cut netting too often thankfully.

It also catches when cutting up fabric.

All in all not a great problem for me. It's not a dealbreaker.

 

[Lavan]

folders with lanyard holes, BUT no provision to use it, meaning it's only carry is tip down

I put a lanyard on my tip down configured engraved SS Delica. It acts as FRICTION to put just a BIT of friction in the pocket to keep it from slipping out when I am swinging from vine to vine in tactical situations.



BUT this thread DISTURBS me as now I find that I ....ADDED.... a pet peeve to that same Delica by FILING a ....."CHOIL" ..... into the blade.

:grumpy:

AND another pet PEEEEEEVVVEEEEEE of mine is the sometimes vague manner of selling knives on the board where you never know WHO has actually "I'LL TAKE IT"-ed the dern thing.

I'd sure like to know how to tell AHEAD OF TIME whether to pursue a knife I might want or just gracefully bow out or ignore it like a craven coward.

I ...know... it must cost the seller some sales. I'd LIKE it if they put a no question ABSOLUTE rule of what has to be posted to actually GET the dang thing.

Ain't you sorry you asked now?

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Lavan, now don't you feel better?

and usually first in wins, but it would be handy for folks
to let others know that, I over communicate often and
just like to keep people in the know, it's better that way
and saves a lot of time...
G2

 

[JB in SC]

I don't care for them; my favorites don't have them....

 

[antonio_luiz]

That dull/missing bit of edge p's me off too. Even more annoying than a combo blade. Where do I find the petition to sign?

 

[sodak]

I prefer a choil also. Most of the time, when I'm using a knife for fine work, it's with a pinch grip. The choil allows me to pinch right up to the edge, and also gets my thumb and forefinger closer together, which is more comfortable for me, both mechanically, and because I have an old elbow injury. But you do give up some edge for it, that's true.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Sodak, there in lies some confusion as to terminology, choil, ricasso, to me I always
just called it the cutout/notch before the edge,
but like on this Spyderco UK pen knife, you can see the area just before the edge
that allows you to do as you are saying, choking up on to the blade for finer control
I'm all for that, no worries, it's just when they go and cut into the blade to make that
empty area before the edge, the sharp cutoff that catches onto material, that's the
area that gets me, the other part, that's fine and works for me too.

Also like in JB's lower image there as an area that allows you to grip onto the blade

G2

 

[StretchNM]

Gary, now I understand it's a peeve of yours, so this is not designed to tease, but: how could we let this thread go on without another picture of said "notch"?

I have promised myself NOT to cut plastic with it! ((( )))