pictures versus the knife itself

J

jpsmith

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Feb 6, 2009
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Has anyone else ever looked at a picture of a knife, either online or in a catalog..., and did not like the looks of it? Then a while later, you get to see one in person and your attitude toward the knife completely changes. This has happened to me on several occasions. I will look at a pic of a knife, look over its measurements and develop a feeling about it. For instance, the Benchmade Vex. I did not like the look of it via numerous pictures. Today, i stopped by a local gun and knife shop and found that i DO like it. The same with Delicas. They seemed too small in photos, and based on the written measurements. After handling several a few weeks ago at a gun and knife show, i fell in love with the Delica. Ditto the Native. The Benchmade 690. Hated the blade shape from pictures. The actual knife is great. It's never happened the other way around though. I have never found myself attracted to the way a knife looks and found myself disappointed with it once held it in my hand.
 
The complete opposite with me...

I was really digging the RC-4 pics people posted, I wanted to be part of the RAT culture. But the knife was very uncomfortable in the hand. Wound up trading it...

The dejavoo was really off my radar until I held it at the range I go to. VERY smooth knife, I had to break in my natives, this was just crazy smooth with no play. I am in the process of trading for a new pe satin finish. The liner was a turn of too, but this was very comfortable to use, and I've learned a liner lock is bad at all. As long as you use a folding knife for it's intended purpose it's a fine lock.
 
It happens the other way around more times than not probably.

MY two examples are the SOG Flash II and Spyderco D'Allara.

The Flash II looked great on paper. Nice blade profile, good looking handle. So I bought one. It's the only knife I've ever regretted buying. Everything about that knife feels wrong to me. The cutting edge of the blade is too far back from the forward edge of the handle, the FRN feels cheap, and it has in my opinion the absolute worst pocket clip in production (both in placement and materials).

After the mistake with the Flash, I learned not to purchase blindly online. The D'Allara looked nice, it was actually a good looking Spyderco. I thought, and still think, the ball lock is interesting, great steel and Spyderco's FRN is nice stuff. I went to the knife store with every intention of buying one. In fact I made a special trip just to buy that knife and I was really excited about it. Got it in hand and hated it. I tried so hard to like that knife, but I just couldn't. It just felt wrong in every aspect. To this day, it and the Native III are the only Spydercos that don't feel at least usable in my hand.

It's funny. When I see pictures or reviews of any version of the D'Allara it just turns me away. After handling that knife I can't even stand to look at it anymore.
 
ALL the time. The Chinese Lum was one of the knives that didn't do it for me with pictures. First time I held it, I HAD to buy it.
 
I thought the Waved Spyderco Endura looked ridiculous. Then I handled one and couldn't believe how much I liked the concept. I'll have one here shortly.

I had the exact opposite reaction to the Case Russlock. I thought it was a neat design, at least in print, then I saw one in a store, and pretty much hated it. That blade extension is a thing of evil, waiting to impale you. Same thing for the Mid-Folding Hunter. Great design, looks great on paper, but in person, it just looks like half the blade is missing.

thx - cpr
 
Based on pictures of it, I would never buy an Al Mar Nomad. But then I carried and used my daughter's a few times. Wow! Great little knife.
 
Since most of my purchases are online , it's gone both ways.

But a few weeks ago I was in my local Gander Mountain and they had a Mini Rukus in the display case. From the pictures I've seen I would never had ordered one , but in person I had to buy it. Even my daughter said it was a nice knife.
 
jpsmith said:
Has anyone else ever looked at a picture of a knife, either online or in a catalog..., and did not like the looks of it? Then a while later, you get to see one in person and your attitude toward the knife completely changes.
Click to expand...

Yep. All the time.
 
It's good to see that i am not entirely alone. It is also cool to see that there are others who work the other way around. It occurred to me early this morning that i was not entirely truthful when i said it only happened the one way for me. I remembered the Kershaw Blur. I really liked that knife from seeing many many pics of all different versions. When i finally got one in my hands, i got turned off. In the interest of fairness, though, it was only the assisted opening that bothered me. I don't care for assisted openers. I don't hate assisted opening, and it certainly won't stop me from getting knives that i love with it. This being said, however, i will most likely send it to someone on here that is good at taking knives apart and removing the feature.
 
I had looked into buying a sog Twitch XL but I didn`t think I would like the handle "too thin" and "square looking" but I got one in trade and I have been carrying it insted of my Spydercos and kershaws!!!!
 
I'm w/ the OP... 9/10 times I'll not like pics, but dig the knife in hand... I can't think of a single time I've liked pics but disliked the knife in hand. If I like the pics I like the knife, but I almost NEVER like knives just by pics... The Strider SnG is probably the ONLY knife I've ever seen pics of and just wanted one... then as it turns out in hand...one of the best in hand I've ever experienced.

There can be little things that you just don't see, or really aren't of interest for people who take pics of knives that I sometimes don't dig about the knife... little things like depth of the tip in the handle... like the Spydie UKPK... I think this is one of the best designs ever made, but the tip covered only 1mm by the handle just blew it for me.
 
The Benchmade Skirmish always looked cool to me, but in pictures it seemed like it would make a good collectors piece. The Skirmish is very ornate and beautiful. It seemed like the type of knife that would be good to look at and handle, but it I thought that it's rightful place would be in a collector's case.

I was totally wrong on that one. The Skirmish is the biggest, toughest and most capable knife I own. It's a work horse, a Clydesdale to specific. I EDCed it for about 3 months. I sliced, chopped, a hacked everything I could find. That is one awesome knife. It is in the same class as ZTs and Striders.
 
Pictures of the Sebenza didn't do anything for me (boring looking knife anyway) until I handled one at a knife show. Wow.
 
i saw a mini grip and thought it was amazing. got it in the mail and thought it was too small. i then forced myself to ude it and found its a perfect edc knife for me
 
Back in the day I loved the look of the Sog Trident Tanto, and I even thought that the locking mechanism was ambi. Boy was I disappointed... I do regret buying that knife like psychopomp.
 
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