Spartan Knives - Huge Disappointment

Status
Not open for further replies.
kongfool said:
I just looked him up, perhaps his knives are too good, they're all sold out! 😂 They do look damn good though!
Click to expand...
They pop up in the exchange here, usually for reasonable prices. Typically around $4-500 depending on handle engraving.
 
I felt the same way about CRK. Very underwhelming. Plus when I was told it needed to be “broke in” that was the icing on the cake. No thanks.
The Spartan Harsey needs an overhaul. They could use 1/2 the thickness of the blade and scales and have a very nice, near perfect knife.
 
Thank you for your service and sacrifices.

I have had similar experiences with Spartan. Blade came dull out of the box. I sent it back to Spartan and it came back just as dull as when I sent it in. I’m done with Spartan folders due to this bad experience. I truly hope you have better luck than I did.
 
I saw the S45Vn models marked down quite a bit on line. 389 for the large embellished ones. That definitely tempts me, but I would rather handle one or 2 in person first.
 
I bought a 2023 Magnacut Momento Mori that I was a bit underwhelmed with due to the centering of the blade and uneven grind.

Spartan customer service was awesome. They came out of the gates saying that that was unacceptable. They paid to ship the knife both ways, turned it around to me in about a week start to finish, and sent me a couple of stickers and a really nice American made ball cap as bonus swag.

The SHF is what I am going to call a classic design. It's not really cutting edge, it's nice if you want that fitted feel of titanium on steel lock up there you can't get from CRK anymore. Their edges are made for hard use, not really precise cutting. They are sharp but fat and not slicey.

I really like mine and I think they are worth the money, but they are not an elegant tool by most measures ;)17583803033262237146787721581373.jpg
 
My only Spartan knife is Enyo in MagnaCut and it's flawless, and it came extremely sharp too...

But this is unacceptable at that price range. I'm glad you were able to get a refund.
 
Appreciate your service, Sir!

I've had a few good experiences with them and really like the design. They aren't slicers, they are cutters though.

Both had to wear in with a little time, which I prefer, especially with washer knives. Metal parts are either wearing in or wearing out. :)

 
norcalAF said:
I can't blame ya there buddy, I have several knives I bought due to my personal experiences. My kiddo is half Japanese, so I bought this 😁View attachment 2980544
Click to expand...

I got this exact knife because I'm half Japanese, lol

The grinds on these are fairly thick and I agree that the quality is not extremely impressive. But they make a solid knife that's usable and very nice overall IMO. I read similar reviews before I got mine, so I wasn't expected CRK levels of precision and wasn't disappointed with it when it showed up. That being said, I really like the designs of their laser patterns; most lasered knives look tacky to me but they seem to put more effort into the designs. Also, a good knife design is not to be taken for granted, and Harsey did a great job on that front.

Side note, Hinderer's quality is very similar to the Spartan Harsey IMO. I ended up selling mine because I didn't think the cost was justified compared to a Hinderer-designed ZT. But I'm planning to keep my Spartan Harsey because I just like the design and the laser etch so much.
 
My SHF Koi was a demo model according to the seller with a decent markdown. I have no complaints to make about it, which is only one data point. They must concentrate on improving their quality control if they want to play in this price range. My Hinderers and my iMamba were excellent on delivery.
 
kongfool said:
I 100% agree I'd rather the money go to the knife than the packaging.
Click to expand...
My two favourite knives (Da Vinci Spartan Harsey, Hinderer XM-24) came in a cardboard box with foam peanuts. At first it really bothered me, but I started playing with the knives and slowly forgot about the packaging. That said, it sounds like you received a lemon, OP. I am sorry about that.
 
I did some research and shopping around last night, I did a bunch of a large variety high end premium steel collectable knives. I'd like to see Spartan Harsey line to implement more strong edge retention steels like Cru-Wear, rather than toughness and corrosion resistance steels like S45VN or Magna Cut. They'd be able to cut down production cost from steel material, and overall increase their brand design and packaging. The amount of money they'd save from using Cru-Wear would be enormous. These knives are collectables IMO, they're not going to be used in field so it's unnecessary to focus so heavily on corrosion resistance.

And just like another reply mentioned, to firmly establishing their brand in this price range Spartan needs to make some adjustments. The biggest selling factor to me are their handle graphic designs. But, at this price point, they need to improve the overall package.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top