Pet peeves about knife discussions and youtube videos

[Krelldoggy]

I've reading and watching knife stuff lately and I am struck by some bizarre logic I see with these Internet knife experts. Sort of in the tradition of Nutnfancy and his weight fixation I see the following two points over and over that strike me as weird.

1. "Blade/Handle Ratio" - somehow people advance the idea that a knife has more value if the blade is an close as possible to the length potentially available in the handle. Really? A handle is for a hand...a blade is for cutting and different blades make sense for different types of cuts. By the logic I am hearing a short blade would HAVE to also have a short handle even if it does not fit well in hand. Or are they saying that all folding blades should be the same length as a comfortable handle? Really? Who thought of this criteria for evaluating a knife? I think designers (Emerson and Hinderer come to mind) that design good ergonomic handles regardless of the blade shape/length have a better plan.

2. Flippers the MUST flip with with almost no effort or wrist action. Folks, that is called an automatic knife. Is that the goal? I hear an XM-18 is a "bad flipper" because a new one takes a tiny amount of wrist to make it flip. Really? It opens reliably one-handed using the thumb stud or the flipper. Seems fine to me. I think this concept kind of reinforces the idea of knives a toys rather than tools. Is sitting on the couch and flipping (as fun as that is...) really the point?

Ok so I got that off my chest...I better flip for a while to calm down.

 

[G. Scott H.]

1. The blade:handle ratio thing is a non issue for me.

2. The flipper thing drives me nuts. If you're gonna put a flipper on a blade, it should allow you to flip the blade open without doing anything else. I DO want a flipper to essentially act like an auto. :thumbup:

 

[ludo410]

1) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As long as the customer/buyer likes a knife, they can whatever the heck they want. Personally I prefer to have more grip no matter what size the blade; that said, I also (personally) like symmetry. Really, it depends on the knife and its use, but I think a 50/50 blade/handle ratio would look silly with Bowies and/or those made for shucking oysters.

2) Here in California, if a blade is too easy to open, it's often seen as "against the law". :thumbdn: Assisted or not, you can be arrested for this stuff. So while I get what they mean, sometimes it isn't feasible everywhere (even if we'd love that kind of ease).

 

[chopsaki]

2. The flipper thing drives me nuts. If you're gonna put a flipper on a blade, it should allow you to flip the blade open without doing anything else. I DO want a flipper to essentially act like an auto. :thumbup:

Although I'm not a flipper kind if guy I would concur with this statement. If pressed properly a flipper should open without flicking your wrist IMO.

As far as the blade to handle ratio. I suppose there are different ways to look at it but it is nice when there is a good balance between the two. Part of the reason I like the 940 so much is because of the blade to handle ratio and why I got rid of my PM2. The PM2 is like all handle and for my EDC tasks it just took up too much pocket real estate.

 

[craytab]

2. Flippers the MUST flip with with almost no effort or wrist action. Folks, that is called an automatic knife. Is that the goal?

Not it any sense of the legal or engineering definition. My pet peeve is when people get basic facts wrong when trying to further an argument.

 

[The Aflac Duck]

Since we're talking about pet-peeves, I have something to get off of my chest.

I frickin' hate when people take knife pics like this:

Why the hell do you think I'm more interested in looking at your arm instead of your knife

 

[Krelldoggy]

I don't know of a consistent legal or engineering description of an automatic knife, but feel free to enlighten us. I'm saying if you want a blade to deploy with the touch of a button get an automatic. I think the deployment action on my XM-18 is great, much better than my ball bearing flippers, but that is just an opinion.

My overall point is that designing a knife to be played with rather than actually used lessens my interest in the knife. I have different toys, but to each his or her own.

Not it any sense of the legal or engineering definition. My pet peeve is when people get basic facts wrong when trying to further an argument.

 

[craytab]

Since we're talking about pet-peeves, I have something to get off of my chest.

I frickin' hate when people take knife pics like this:

Why the hell do you think I'm more interested in looking at your arm instead of your knife

Oh come on! It's a very nice arm! Next thing you know people will complain about feet in knife pictures.......

 

[trevitrace]

Since we're talking about pet-peeves, I have something to get off of my chest.

I frickin' hate when people take knife pics like this:

Why the hell do you think I'm more interested in looking at your arm instead of your knife

Ha! I concur.

 

[Thumber]

My pet peeve is janitors locking one side of double doors. And people slow walking three abreast on the sidewalk. Oh and TP loaded in the rear deployment configuration. Drives me batty.

Wait, what were we talking about?

 

[hank_rearden]

"silent" knife reviews (with bad noise in the background like cars honking, the radio, etc.)

 

[craytab]

I don't know of a consistent legal or engineering description of an automatic knife, but feel free to enlighten us. I'm saying if you want a blade to deploy with the touch of a button get an automatic. I think the deployment action on my XM-18 is great, much better than my ball bearing flippers, but that is just an opinion.

My overall point is that designing a knife to be played with rather than actually used lessens my interest in the knife. I have different toys, but to each his or her own.

You must be joking. Automatic knives are precisely defined in legal terms by most every state. The definition is especially important to pay attention to in states where they are illegal (there is that silly legal definition thing). Of course YMMV when arguing in front of a judge that the "states" definition of an automatic knife is wrong.

Opinions are one thing to have and others can disagree which is what drives discourse. Opinions are good things. There are inarguable facts though. A flipper is not an automatic knife. Fact. To think other wise completely discredits whatever your other arguments might be.....

 

[Ray5118]

I turn them off immediately when
1 The speaker admits up front they know actually nothing about the knife ( why post a video ? ) or knives in general
2 There is loud background music and I can't hear a GD thing
3 And the speaker is a child , in their room , or the basement ( sorry kids )

I have plenty more pet peeves

 

[Stubai]

1. Yep, the designers you mentioned have put a BUNCH of time/effort into getting the right feel of the handle. Of course,
we all have differing hand sizes, not a one-fits-all. When I first pick up a blade, I make sure the handle fits right. The
very last thing I want in my knife is a poor fitting handle. Res-C has worked well in my Basic 9.

2. To flip or not to flip...each to his own. I have a sweet Benchmade Triage that I have no problem opening with either
hand. Automatics can sometimes land you in a heap of trouble with the fuzz. Again, your mileage may vary!

 

[USMCPOP]

I have a beautiful example of a Hmien hill tribe knife here, from Thailand that I got over 35 years ago. 17 inches overall. 7 1/8" handle, 9 7/8" blade. You can grab it with one hand or two, as you wish, if you have small hands. At 2" out from the handle it's a generous 3/16" thick at the spine and that is the balance point. Tapers to the point and slightly toward the grip/tang. Completely shiny blade (No remaining forging marks) and a handle of some hard rosewood or ebony-like wood. Best $5. I ever spent. I have a second one that is similar.

 

[Krelldoggy]

I'm in Washington and it pretty murky to me.

"A spring blade knife is defined by Washington statute as a knife with a blade that is automatically released by a spring or other mechanical devise or with a blade that opens, falls, or is ejected by the force of gravity, or by an outward, downward, or centrifugal movement (spinning the knife). No other knife is defined by the statutes or by the case law."

That sounds like it would cover a Microtech or a flipper...you think it's "precise"?

Anyway, not my point at all to argue what is an automatic. My "peeve" is why the emphasis on extreme ease of flipping? It's not something I care about but clearly others do.

You must be joking. Automatic knives are precisely defined in legal terms by most every state. The definition is especially important to pay attention to in states where they are illegal (there is that silly legal definition thing). Of course YMMV when arguing in front of a judge that the "states" definition of an automatic knife is wrong.

Opinions are one thing to have and others can disagree which is what drives discourse. Opinions are good things. There are inarguable facts though. A flipper is not an automatic knife. Fact. To think other wise completely discredits whatever your other arguments might be.....

 

[Sosa]

When you get to super and mega folders blade handle ratio becomes very important.

 

[Danke42]

Filming in portrait mode.

 

[Brusiedmeat]

My ideal review would be straight to the point and less about irrelevant things.
It's not Facebook, it's a review. Do not care what you ate 2 hours ago..
I really do not like when video of them unboxing.. Side stories and etc.

 

[craytab]

I'm in Washington and it pretty murky to me.

"A spring blade knife is defined by Washington statute as a knife with a blade that is automatically released by a spring or other mechanical devise or with a blade that opens, falls, or is ejected by the force of gravity, or by an outward, downward, or centrifugal movement (spinning the knife). No other knife is defined by the statutes or by the case law."

That sounds like it would cover a Microtech or a flipper...you think it's "precise"?

I never said your state's knife laws were "precise". It's not my fault your state is confused about the difference between a gravity knife and an automatic knife. Personally, I would be more concerned about what they define a weapon as....

Anyway, not my point at all to argue what is an automatic. My "peeve" is why the emphasis on extreme ease of flipping? It's not something I care about but clearly others do.

Well, then don't come along and completely miss-define what an automatic knife is. Then there won't be an argument. Most people and most state and federal law say that an automatic knife is defined as having an automatic component, which a flipper does not. Even your state says this but they throw in a bunch of garbage about gravity knives. I can get just about any knife to be a gravity knife. Are they all illegal in Washington? Nope. Look, its okay to have an opinion but don't tell us something is what it isn't. You said this: "Folks, that is called an automatic knife." but no, no it is not. If you think that? Great. Say it as such. Don't tell us a well accepted norm in this community and in most legal definitions is completely different to further your personal pet peeve. This right here is what happens when you do such a thing.