Too much focus on folding mechanism, not as much on the knife?

[PURPLEDC]

What do you mean by poorly done? Poor quality is always bad, but what if a knife's mechanism is basic, slow, or requires two hands, like a Buck 110 or Opinel?

What happens when the Buck or Opinel end up actually being more useful as knives than a ZT or Benchmade? (For instance, not actually claiming they are.)


Aside from bored husbands driving their wives crazy flicking knives on the sofa, is the true measure of a good folder the 1-2 seconds it takes to get them into action, or what they will do once they are deployed?

Depends on the task at hand and the urgency to complete than task. just because you dont have a need for a fast knife that doesnt mean no one else does. And really isn't this hobby a little bit more than having a basic tool? If not why have more than one?

 

[jac_solar]

What do you mean by poorly done? Poor quality is always bad, but what if a knife's mechanism is basic, slow, or requires two hands, like a Buck 110 or Opinel?

What happens when the Buck or Opinel end up actually being more useful as knives than a ZT or Benchmade? (For instance, not actually claiming they are.)


Aside from bored husbands driving their wives crazy flicking knives on the sofa, is the true measure of a good folder the 1-2 seconds it takes to get them into action, or what they will do once they are deployed?

It has nothing to do with speed of deployment. I would guess that there's even more focus on the folding mechanism in slipjoints.

Poorly done, as in extremely off center blade, wobbling, loose detent, or in the case of Buck/Opinel, a lockbar with insufficient or too much tension, or loose locking ring, that doesn't properly hold the blade in place. All things being equal (Good materials, blade, grind, etc.), the one thing that can be objectively reviewed, or isn't as subjective as the other things, is the action, or folding mechanism. If something like the blade grind, materials, etc is not of a decent quality, the review usually digs into it. So, again, it makes sense that reviews focus a bit more on this element.

 

[Insipid Moniker]

It has nothing to do with speed of deployment. I would guess that there's even more focus on the folding mechanism in slipjoints.

Poorly done, as in extremely off center blade, wobbling, loose detent, or in the case of Buck/Opinel, a lockbar with insufficient or too much tension, or loose locking ring, that doesn't properly hold the blade in place. All things being equal (Good materials, blade, grind, etc.), the one thing that can be objectively reviewed, or isn't as subjective as the other things, is the action, or folding mechanism. If something like the blade grind, materials, etc is not of a decent quality, the review usually digs into it. So, again, it makes sense that reviews focus a bit more on this element.

I wouldn't say the other aspects of the knife are more subjective at all, just that they're more difficult and expensive to review objectively.

 

[jac_solar]

I wouldn't say the other aspects of the knife are more subjective at all, just that they're more difficult and expensive to review objectively.

I was thinking along the lines of a generally well done knife; good design, handle comfort, grind. But, you're right in that performance and certain other characteristics could be reviewed objectively, but it would probably be quite expensive and very time consuming indeed. You'd have to test many types of materials in different types of conditions to give an accurate, objective take on the grind and steel, but since it would have to be sharpened, the cutting/slicing performance would then be based on the knife sharpened by the reviewer, and his sharpening skills, and not the knife received from the factory. Though I'm not sure that would matter, and it'd still be a useful review, of course, since it'd give insight on the steel quality.

 

[Insipid Moniker]

I was thinking along the lines of a generally well done knife; good design, handle comfort, grind. But, you're right in that performance and certain other characteristics could be reviewed objectively, but it would probably be quite expensive and very time consuming indeed. You'd have to test many types of materials in different types of conditions to give an accurate, objective take on the grind and steel, but since it would have to be sharpened, the cutting/slicing performance would then be based on the knife sharpened by the reviewer, and his sharpening skills, and not the knife received from the factory. Though I'm not sure that would matter, and it'd still be a useful review, of course, since it'd give insight on the steel quality.

And if you really wanted to do it right, you'd want multiples of each model reviewed to see if results were consistent. Although, as I said before, there are definitely some objective measurements that can be fairly easily taken with a $15 set of calipers that would, IMO, provide useful information.

 

[59Bassman]

I also think one of the reasons is that folks who are trying to become "professional" reviewers have to get a lot of material up to gain followers. To do so either requires a significant investment to buy, test, and keep all of the knives, or for the individual to become a serious trader to get a steady flow of knives coming through.

Used knives are a harder sell than one that you can say "only used for a review, cut 3 pieces of paper and an apple, edge still perfect!". The lock and pivot typically don't show wear, and the next user may appreciate that you've flipped it 5,000 times to break it in.

 

[B34NS]

Most people posting "reviews" on youtube are little more than unboxings while reading the specs. I wish I could block those feeds personally.

 

[Insipid Moniker]

Most people posting "reviews" on youtube are little more than unboxings while reading the specs. I wish I could block those feeds personally.

Honestly, I don't mind those as long as they're self-aware enough to realize what they're doing, keep it short, give some clean looks at the knife in-hand and maybe a size comparison or two. Unfortunately, being self-aware and on Youtube are almost mutually exclusive properties, it seems.

 

[B34NS]

Honestly, I don't mind those as long as they're self-aware enough to realize what they're doing, keep it short, give some clean looks at the knife in-hand and maybe a size comparison or two. Unfortunately, being self-aware and on Youtube are almost mutually exclusive properties, it seems.

I hear that, or understanding depth of field when showing details.

 

[Czechmate]

No, I'm not saying it trumps all those things, just that it needs, at the very least, to be well done. The folding mechanism of a folder is an essential part of it, it's what makes it a folder, and if that mechanism is poorly done, it doesn't really matter what sort of design, performance, materials it uses.

Okay, that's fair and I agree with you. :thumbup:

I wish more knives had pivots similar to the ZT0300; it's beefy, easy to adjust because of the 3/8" hex head and has large PB washers so there's no side to side play at all unlike many other folders I've tried the side to side flex test on.

One of my fav's for sure.