The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Exactly. The locking triangle, the positioning of the ceramic ball and the hardend stop pin obviously are where the dog is buried with the 31.
Tortie
, I certainly understand your point of view, but another way to see it is that a lot of people have been put off of purchasing a great knife, the 31, because of this never ending non-productive thread which just keeps running around in circles without any apparent hope of resolution or information from Chris Reeve Knives. I do not blame anyone who has posted here. I blame the lack of any moderator presence. That is squarely on CRK for not properly hosting and moderating their forum.
Forester_01
. That was like passing a kidney stone. Now it is up to the market place to decide whether the new design was a mistake or not. The ceramic ball interface allows more flex in exchange for a stronger lock and the elimination of lock stick. I believe they should have just ignored the spine wackers trash talk about the 21’s and left good enough alone. 
Sharp & Fiery
for your good wishes. I do not think the knives vary as much as our expectations as collectors do. We are very passionate and opinionated about our knives.Where did you see the problem?
Now, I notice that some people are becoming unhappy with knives they have enjoyed for years, Inkosi's, Zaan's, and 25's, because of all the pushing, prodding, and flex forcing that is going on.
Only two things seem pretty clear: 1, all frame locks will flex at some point, and 2, the ceramic ball interface seems to make the flexing happen with less force. Apparently, the second point went mostly unnoticed with the earlier ceramic ball interface knives, but now all of these knives are being put under a microscope like never before. That is why it is such a shame that CRK is allowing this whole thing to just keep twisting in the wind.
I have no idea why they refuse to address the issue. Most likely, they are selling a ton of 31's with very few complaints. This thread seems to be the epicenter of the controversy, and they might just be waiting it out. They are also probably very worried that whatever they say will be picked apart and used to make things worse. It does not seem to be a big deal anywhere else. That seems shortsighted to me and unfair to loyal customers. Tim Reeve did post a short video on the fan page where he revealed something important. He mentioned how easy it is to break the lock on a 21, and the ceramic ball interface is a much stronger lock. How ironic! The 21 feels stronger, because it is harder to flex, but the 31 is actually a much stronger lock in spite of the fact that it is apparently easier to flex! Some companies, like GEC, just ignore social media and let the market dictate their success or failure. This is the approach CRK seems to be taking by letting this fester. Time will tell whether or not that was a smart decision.
Again, before anyone gets defensive, I am not being critical of anyone who posted their genuine concerns here. Everyone has a right to their own opinions. I am just pointing out that my 31 is rock solid and probably my best knife. Anyone who is interested in trying one should definitely do so. Just buy from a dealer who accepts returns and send that sucker right back if you do not like it. I suspect that the vast majority of people are quite happy with their 31's, but that is a personal decision each buyer must make.
