Ten Worst Folders, and a Giveaway

I know this isn't the place, but if you still own the MPR it will be helpful.....the stop pin is hexagon shaped, so when you tighten it you can take all up and down play out of the knife(and make the lock engage further.....my detent has wore in nicely, though i have to admit its retention is a little over the top

I've carried a buck rush for 6 years and have none of these problems

but if the QC was bad enough that you put them on here, i guess they deserve it

I put careful thought into my knife selection.

I wanted to like the Buck, but even with a small amount of negative pressure on the blade the liner would begin to slide. At about 30 or so pounds, it would jump off the tang and the blade would close. No amount of tweaking would help.

Same with the MPR. I made some personal adjustments to the pivot and the detent, but my adjustments ended up making the knife ever harder to open. I thought I had a dud so I exchanged it for another MRP which did the same thing.

Imagine going to a Porsche dealership wanting to test drive a Cayman S. You go to open the door, but it won't budge. It's not locked, but the doorspring is holding the door shut. You look to the salesman and he says "Yeah, it does that. But if you take a toolkit and loosen the spring a bit it should open without trouble."

If that happened, I'd tell him to forget the test drive. I'd go across the street and buy a Lotus Exige instead.
 
Waaaaaaaaaay off topic, but I have to say that it must be sweet to have the Lotus dealership right across from the Porsche dealership! Oh to live in LA. :D :thumbup:
 
Worst folder I ever owned was a custom folder that put me off buying custom folders for years until therapy arrived in the form of a Kit Carson Model 4 that restored my faith in custom makers.

The litany of woes:
- Blade lock engagement is poor. A mild rap on the spine is all it would take to disengage the lock.
- Blade wobbles like that of a $5 throwaway folder from the bargain bin
- Blade tip protrudes out the handle while in closed position. But not to worry because of the...
- Sloopily-sharpened edge, with dull spots. You had to work at it to cut yourself.
- Maker did not reply to queries on the knife's condition after receipt.
- Cost $375
 
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Knives I just despise.

1.Spyderco Tenacious
2.Spyderco Persistance
3.Spyderco Sage
4.Spyderco Gayle Bradley
5.Spyderco Cat (so bad Spyderco discontinued it after only weeks)
6.Spyderco Chicago (so bad Spyderco discontinued it after only weeks)
7.Spyderco Chokwe
8.Spyderco Byrd lines
9.Benchmade Vex

Disclaimer: My top ten includes many spydies, so I'm not flaming Spyderco here.

What's wrong with the Bradley?
 
Knives I just despise.

1.Spyderco Tenacious
2.Spyderco Persistance
3.Spyderco Sage
4.Spyderco Gayle Bradley
5.Spyderco Cat (so bad Spyderco discontinued it after only weeks)
6.Spyderco Chicago (so bad Spyderco discontinued it after only weeks)
7.Spyderco Chokwe
8.Spyderco Byrd lines
9.Benchmade Vex

Disclaimer: My top ten includes many spydies, so I'm not flaming Spyderco here.

IIRC the Cat and the Chicago had issues with production which led to the discontinued stamp on them.

What is wrong with the others, aside from being made in Taiwan and China?
 
From what I've read by 5.56, that.

So nothing is wrong with all the knives made in Japan, but Taiwan and China are all hands off? :confused:

I don't even mind if you don't like them, but to "despise" them and stick them on a list of the ten worst folders seems a bit harsh.
 
So nothing is wrong with all the knives made in Japan, but Taiwan and China are all hands off? :confused:

I don't even mind if you don't like them, but to "despise" them and stick them on a list of the ten worst folders seems a bit harsh.

Everyone has different principals, without them society would be boring and there would be way less fights ;).

For the record, if the knife is good, in my eyes the knife is good.
 
I fear this thread will start arguments between people posting their opinions, and people refuting them. I suggest we all limit our posts to only list their opinions to fulfill the guidelines of this giveaway. Any arguing should be taken elsewhere.



My picks:

1. S&W Extreme Ops folder(s). Horrible heattreat, suspect lockup, bad design (blade hitting standoffs when closed, for example).

2. CRKT M16 series. Why should a knife need a secondary lock unless the primary lock is suspect? Mediocre steel.

3. Cold Steel Paradox. It's a balisong that's not a balisong. What's the effing point?:confused:

4. Cold Steel Espada series. Ridiculous size, mediocre steel, absurd-beyond-belief price.

5. Cold Steel Black Talon. Obvious ripoff of the Spyderco Civilian/Matriarch, absurd price.

6. MTech anything. No explanation needed.

7. Senmenru 710. Low quality Sebenza ripoff.

8. Mantis MT8R Zmora. Mall Ninja buffoonary at its pinnacle.

9. Dork Ops Stratofighter. Besides being an overpriced, low quality Extrema Ratio ripoff, their marketing campaign is rivaled in its ridiculousness only by Mantis.

10. CRKT KISS. Just a horrible idea. A framelock with only half the frame? Easy to disengage by accident just by holding the knife. The chisel-ground edge is duller than a dog turd, and if you try to make it sharper, you're liable to cut yourself when the knife is closed.

Thanks for the chance!

I'm hoping you'll post a few knives you like so I can diss them like you've dissed my Cold Steel Paradox (modified, and it does look cool, and is a terrific cutter), and the Sanrenmu 710 (which is a nifty little EDC, sorry you don't like it.)

On the other hand, no need to post the ones you like. I'll use the search function and see if any you like are the pits to me.

Have a great day!

Cheers!!

P.S. I really wonder what the true intention of this thread really is....
 
ALL CRKT's. Name one that isn't poorly implemented.

Poorly implemented, as in poor quality?

Hmmm..

Well, I have a few that I like.

First, the Kommer 30-30. Nice, no nonsense, gentleman's type folder, wicked sharp out of the box, thumb flicks open nicely.

I just love this Stubby Razel folder (truth be told, I personalized this knife too):

IMGP0214.jpg


And these two Ripples: the Ripple 2 (shortened the blade, reground, modified the frame) and the Ripple, just modded the finish and frame...

IMGP0193.jpg


IMGP0201.jpg


No complaints from me, great knives IMHO.
 
Congrats to Spydercofan!
He suffered the excruciating pain and anguish of weaving in and out of the never ending maze-like aisles, fending off zombie consumers only to have his hard won prize fall apart in his hands! Drama, comedy, tragedy! Better than Hollywood anyday!
He definetly deserves the prize!
 
What's wrong with the Bradley?

IIRC the Cat and the Chicago had issues with production which led to the discontinued stamp on them.

What is wrong with the others, aside from being made in Taiwan and China?

Keep buying them up guys.

Maybe someday Spyderco will close the USA factory and outsource everything.:thumbup:
 
Keep buying them up guys.

Maybe someday Spyderco will close the USA factory and outsource everything.:thumbup:

I seriously doubt that unless Sal gets replaced by a deranged cyborg. Have you noticed that the number of Spydies made in the US seems to be increasing?

My worst experience with a folder was the Gerber Paraframe. Won't take a good edge and the freaking thing cut me while it was closed. Fortunately, this forum has kept me from purchasing another "bad" knife.
 
Spydercofan: you won! I haven't received an E-mail from you yet on where to send the Tenacious. Click on my user name, and there will be a link to send me and E-mail. Let me know where to send the knife and it's yours.

...I really wonder what the true intention of this thread really is....

Well, I wanted to give away a knife, that was the primary reason. But, what would be an unconventional idea for the giveaway? Top 10 Folders? Been done. Top 10 fixed blades? Done. Top 10 Knives For Self-defense? Nah, old. So how about the worst knives? In all truth, doesn't that give better feedback than a "Best Of" list? We get told all day here which knife we should buy and plenty of reasons and photos why, but how often do we see entire threads about which knives to avoid?

To add: the prize here is an unused Spyderco Tenacious, a China-made knife, shipped to your house for free. How many who posted about the "typical Chinese quality" would refuse the prize if they won?
 
A lot of people are listing obviously crappy knives with very low prices. I'm going to try something a little different and list knives that you would have a higher expectation of given their higher price points.

Here are my picks, in no particular order.

10. Cold Steel XL Espada. Too big to be practical for anything other than scaring your mother. Hefty, but feels cheap. With an MSRP of $469.99, you'd have to be both wealthy AND out of your mind.

9. Benchmade LFTi. A knife that had so much potential. Up-down and left-right blade play right out of the box. Not exactly the ideal send-off for the late and legendary Bob Lum. $270.

8. Spyderco Poliwog. The lock will fail if you add any kind of lubricant to it. The clip is far too tight for a knife of its size. Poor blade and handle ergonomics, so it's useless for cutting. And all for just $200.

7. Emerson CQC-15. A blade shape that isn't quite good for piercing, or cutting, or utility work. And welcome to Re-sharpening Hell. Your sins will be punished in the order in which they were received. And as always, when buying an Emerson knife you're automatically entered into the EKI "Shit-and-Finish" lottery. Will your knife have burrs, uneven edges, dremel burns, and other unsightly blemishes that can only be found on a "hand-ground" (see: CNC'ed) knife? Buy one and find out. $240.

6. Spyderco SpydeRench. Loose fittings, small components that were easy to lose, and about as heavy and pleasant to carry in your pocket as a wad of elephant dung. The detachable knife was a nice feature, but certainly not worth the price of admission. $150.

5. Buck Rush. Useless paper-thin liner lock that would easily disengage. Secondary lock that was guaranteed to fail. Very slow deployment for an assisted opener. $80.

4. Gerber 06 Automatic. Rubber bands on a Buck 110 would make a better automatic. Poor heat-treat on good steel led to blade chipping. More play in this thing than Six Flags. The world's most sensitive pivot and spring mechanism. This thing stockpiled dirt and grit. About $200.

3. Benchmade MPR. This knife has bigger balls than you do - detents that is. Absolutely impossible to open if you're placing pressure over the detent while you're opening it. Extremely heavy for its miniscule size. Blade play in all directions, and the framelock setting is very shallow. $235.

2. Emerson Combat/Super Karambit. Emerson's patented "Shit-and-Finish", left-handed chisel grind on a knife meant only for combat, and an open karambit ring which would flex and on occasion cause the liner to jump off the scale. $250-300.

1. Kershaw ET (External Toggle). External toggle mechanism that would actually CUT YOU as you opened it. The pocket clip was integral to the opening mechanism, meaning it would come out as you loosened it from your pocket. Worst opening mechanism by far. $100.

Really enjoyed reading this post. Well done Edge!
 
A few come to mind:

- Cold Steel Kudu...damn ring lock design ended with a trip to the emergency room for six stitches...you have to be smarter than the knife, but just a weird design
- Frost cutlery...anything ever from that company
- Smith and Wesson "Special Tactical" model...yes, they make one cheaper than the "special ops" or "tactical"....many prison shanks are sturdier and better built...
 
a lot of you guys were somehow crazy-stupid critical of the CRKT M16 series. this is pure idiocy. i bought several M16 variants at or near the ft. bragg px back in '03, had em on deployment, and never had a bad thing to say about them. even after i got out, i had bought an m16 that lasted many years and was finally passed on to a friend. those knives may be mass produced taiwanese or chinese production pieces, but i do know for a fact that (at least 8 years ago) they where a hell of a knife for the price, many, many, many (albeit many rookies)soldiers carried and used them, and they(the knives) never failed to perform tightly.
 
a lot of you guys were somehow crazy-stupid critical of the CRKT M16 series. this is pure idiocy. i bought several M16 variants at or near the ft. bragg px back in '03, had em on deployment, and never had a bad thing to say about them. even after i got out, i had bought an m16 that lasted many years and was finally passed on to a friend. those knives may be mass produced taiwanese or chinese production pieces, but i do know for a fact that (at least 8 years ago) they where a hell of a knife for the price, many, many, many (albeit many rookies)soldiers carried and used them, and they(the knives) never failed to perform tightly.

You are arguing with a year old post. :rolleyes:
 
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