Unexpectedly bad budget blades?

[dkb45]

We've all seen the thread about the good, but how about the bad and ugly (not just ugly, it has to be bad too). Everybody has had knives they had high hopes for that delivered on little more than being vaguely knife-like, or knives we had very low expectations for that still managed to be almost inpressively bad. Let's share the stinkers!

My biggest disappointment to date has to be the Kershaw Emerson CQC-1K. I had a 6K already and figured the rest of the line could be as good. I was very wrong. Out of the box the detent is finger breaking, or so it seems (more on that later). The detent was strong, but it turns out that the pivot was basically cranked down as tight as it would go, felt like the washers were lubricated with contact cement. Blade partially open no amount of wrist action could get it to move without wildly flailing. Tried to swap pocket screws, both stripped completely, had to be slotted and eventually pliered out. Clip screws too short to reach the liner (common on the models with G10 and frame locks). Tried to polish a turd and get it apart, free spinning pivot. Eventually tried heating it to free it, heated it to the point that the G10 started deforming and it still free spun. Got it replaced by Kershaw 3 times with the same pivot issue, with the replacements at least being somewhat functional to open.

You thought that was all? The original knife had at the most acute for an estimation a 60° inclusive edge. Replacements were all over 40°.

I could have been given $10 an that knife and still been moderately disappointed. How about everybody else, any entertainingly bad budget knife disappointments?

 

[Mo2]

Last year's Kershaw natrix was really really bad. Also the MD ffkw falcon was a huge disappointment.

 

[not2sharp]

A thread like this should start with the right example. I suspect many of us were dissapointed as kids when we received the very special Rambo-like survival knife pictured above. I probably paid around $1.99 for mine. IIRC the compass cap fell right off as soon as I removed the knife fom its packaging. It had no edge, the bevel ended with a 1/8" thick flat, which match the sheath which was made from thin vinyl of the poorest kind.

Then we have just about anything made/marketed by the Franklin Mint.

These once again offer no edge of any kind, the cheapest possible materials and poorest workmanship. But, they do come at a higher price and the packaging is better than most. Many of us have had to endure receiving one of these fine gift items from family and friends while trying to control our impulse to projectile barf.

There are plenty of garbage out there for the novice collector and well intentioned non-collector.

Probably the one that bothered me the most was this Paragon Parabow.

It was a good looking package which sold for around $155. So, I bought 2 of them, only to have one of the rubber handle scale fall off as soon as I removed the knife from the box. They were held on with what looked like rubber cement on a smooth metal liner. That was when I discovered that their customer service was non-existent, although they did offer me a 10% if I chose to order a new one. A cool design, but certainly a dissapointment.

n2s

 

[22-rimfire]

Yeah, the Franklin Mint knives aren't much on quality. I have a couple with Colt stuff on them. These were never purchased to use anyway, so I don't have a problem with them.

When I think of bad budget knives, I first think of Frost Cutlery stuff, slippies in particular. They sell lots of them. They are what they are as are most budget knives.

 

[needler420]

I don't buy bad budget knives. That's why I'm a member here.

Yeah, the Franklin Mint knives aren't much on quality. I have a couple with Colt stuff on them. These were never purchased to use anyway, so I don't have a problem with them.

When I think of bad budget knives, I first think of Frost Cutlery stuff, slippies in particular. They sell lots of them. They are what they are as are most budget knives.

I once saw a shoe box full of frost cutlery knives at a yard sale.

 

[not2sharp]

....

When I think of bad budget knives, I first think of Frost Cutlery stuff, slippies in particular. They sell lots of them. They are what they are as are most budget knives.

I was thought a lesson many years ago. I was traveling through Texas on business and had decided to take a break from Dallas and tour part of the northern part of the state. I eventually decided to drive off the main highway and continued through some of the farm roads until it felt like I was in the middle of nowhere. Somehow I found a small town, where some of the folks told me that they had never been on the main highway, and in that town was a small knife store which I of course had to visit.

I was surprised to see that they carried almost exclusively, Frost Cutlery and Colonial products. So I spent some time talking with the owner of the shop, who explained that his customers were mostly farm hands, who could not afford more expensive brands. He said that they were very happy with these knives. That they would buy them and use them in the field all day long, and every day of the week, and that they would come in and exchange their old knives for a credit towards a new one every so often. He showed me a box of these old knives, which were mostly Frost Cutlery items, with very heavy blade wear (most of the main blades had been reduced to toothpicks). So clearly, there were a lot of real people, who depend on these knives, to do a lot of heavy work. The point is that most real work is done by regular people who buy their knives from the big box stores. Most of these are not up to the quality standards that we enjoy on this site. But, that does not make them any less useful to the people who use them.

Frost Cutlery may be budget knives, but they can be made to do real work and often are. Oh, that's when I thanked him, bought a Colonial knife and left.


n2s

 

[22-rimfire]

What was the name of the town in Texas? I may have been there.

I really don't have a problem with Frost Cutlery knives other than they simply aren't made from materials that attract my dollars in general. I have bought a few to try out. This doesn't mean they don't function. It is a preference thing and cheap Chinese manufactured knifes don't do it for me. I however like Rough Rider knives, own a few, but generally speaking I just buy a higher end knife.

 

[DelialFallen]

For me, it was the Kershaw Zing. Terrible knife.

 

[Lapedog]

A thread like this should start with the right example. I suspect many of us were dissapointed as kids when we received the very special Rambo-like survival knife pictured above. I probably paid around $1.99 for mine. IIRC the compass cap fell right off as soon as I removed the knife fom its packaging. It had no edge, the bevel ended with a 1/8" thick flat, which match the sheath which was made from thin vinyl of the poorest kind.

Then we have just about anything made/marketed by the Franklin Mint.

These once again offer no edge of any kind, the cheapest possible materials and poorest workmanship. But, they do come at a higher price and the packaging is better than most. Many of us have had to endure receiving one of these fine gift items from family and friends while trying to control our impulse to projectile barf.

There are plenty of garbage out there for the novice collector and well intentioned non-collector.

Probably the one that bothered me the most was this Paragon Parabow.

It was a good looking package which sold for around $155. So, I bought 2 of them, only to have one of the rubber handle scale fall off as soon as I removed the knife from the box. They were held on with what looked like rubber cement on a smooth metal liner. That was when I discovered that their customer service was non-existent, although they did offer me a 10% if I chose to order a new one. A cool design, but certainly a dissapointment.

n2s

3 legendary examples.

That parabow is an absolute masterpiece.

 

[hhmoore]

Kershaw Cryo II
What a piece of crap.

 

[JPD1998]

Kershaw Cryo II
What a piece of crap.

I was just going to post that, but you beat me. Heavy knife and lazy speedsafe. I gave away a Cryo I and it was a better knife.
Also all the junk I ordered from the ads in the back pages of magazines in the 70's .

 

[FullMetalJackass]

CRKT KISS.

 

[Hickory n steel]

What's everyone's definition of a budget knife ?
Isn't a budget knife something inexpensive that's should be decent, and not just flea market crap?

For me I would have to say the Kershaw select fire, the quality wasn't great and neither were the ergonomics of the knife.
The Gerber BG compact multitool, it was basbasically restyled Gerber Vise so I thought it would be decent but it wasn't and 2 of them broke on me shortly after buying them. I'll never buy a Chinese Gerber multitool let alone a BG product.
I would also have to say the Kershaw cryo2, never had one but I witnessed the horrible quality of two owned by my cousin and uncle.
What I witnessed / experienced with the 3 Chinese Kershaw's was the quality of a Tac- Force at 3x the price.
I will never buy a Chinese Kershaw, I just won't do it.

 

[marcinek]

What's everyone's definition of a budget knife ?
Isn't a budget knife something inexpensive that's should be decent, and not just flea market crap?

I think you missed the point of this thread "Unexpectedly Bad Budget Blades" being a counterpoint to a very recent "Unexpectedly Good Budget Blades" thread....you should give it a read

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/unexpectedly-good-budget-blades.1570888/

Maybe you are rejecting the premise of the earlier one entirely and claiming that all budget knives are good? Not quite following.

 

[jceckrosh]

Browning Black Label Vanquish. It looked cool. It sucked. Frankly I have no idea what I was thinking.

 

[marcinek]

...and CRKT Crawford Kasper. Still love the design but the blade on the one I bought years ago (AUS-6?) had the edge retention of something somewhere between lead and Velveeta. And the pocket clip wiggled even when tightened fully.

SOmething like a "budget" Kabar Dozier Folding Hunter just blows it out of the water.

 

[gdog363]

Not that it was unexpected, but the SOG Fielder

 

[NapalmCheese]

CRKT KISS.

This. I thought it was neat, having only one side it was very thin and small and easy to carry.

In reality the pivot kept loosening, the knife kept trying to catch on stuff in my pockets and the single bevel was on the wrong side for a right handed user making it terrible for cutting.

Also the Gerber Crucial multi-tool. I really wanted a multi-tool with a pocket clip, pliers, a file, and a knife on the outside. The Gerber seemed to deliver, until I found out the jaws were made form something terribly soft. The intent was to have a tool I could use to repair my crampons in case they needed repairing in the field and that would replace having to take a second pocket knife. My crampons are steel, the any wire I'd have to cut is steel. Soft jaws and crap cutters simply won't do.

 

[SharpieB]

Buck Mini Iceman. Terrible, terrible Chinese made knife. Hex bits strip the screws immediately (even high end Wihi), the liner lock doesn’t work for more than a few days.... it just sucks.

I think I paid $12 each for 2 of them and just I threw them both out. I couldn’t justify shipping them back to Buck and I really didn’t want to see another one of those knives ever again. Even free, I would pass.

P.s. I am a BUCK guy and own lots of them. ALL made in the US though from now on. I use them almost daily... 110, 102,103, 119, 120, etc... I have about 18 of them.

I’d never buy another Chinese Buck though....

 

[midnight flyer]

Wow... I had forgotten some of the worst knives I had owned until this thread. I am going for my Pepto Bismol now.

I got this miserable POS when they first came out as Gerber was bragging (in so many words) that they were "back". Back in the toilet? Back in the running for the worst knives made? This knife was one of the worst purchases I have ever made. The steel was awful, and the plastic handles turned out to be hollow! The liner lock so puny that the bar lodged itself between the blade and liner making it impossible to close after about a month. This knife and the infamous Gerber Paraframe are the only knives I have literally thrown in the trash to keep someone else from hurting themselves.