Wanted: Whimpiest knife on the planet

not2sharp

not2sharp

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Jun 29, 1999
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We probably have hundreds of threads on the thoughest, best edge holding, with the best steels. Just for a change (and a few laughs), lets talk about some of the whimpiest knives you have owned. I'll volunteer the cliffhanger folder series, and those extra special Tiwan manufactured survival knives from the mid 80s. Either one could fall apart as soon as you pull them out of the box.

Frost cutlery, probably has a couple of contenders, but I haven't played with them recently....

I was turned onto knives after a couple of cheap American Camper machetes failed on me during the late 70s. I started looking for a more reliable machete and discovered the world of collectible knives. Perhaps, some of you have had similar experiences

n2s
 
Back when I was selling factory knives, one of my distributors sent me a damascus knife made in China.

It had the same design as a Buck 110, but all similarities ended there. I swear you would bet that the knife had piviot washers made from sandpaper. Never have seen (or felt) anything so bad.

The kicker is I used to take it to shows as a joke and some fool swiped it off my table along with a Loveless logoed Gerber Guardian.
 
I have a little Chinese-made folder that can't be more than two inches long, total. The butt of the handle, which is plastic, is pulled rearward to activate a faux switchblade-type action to open the little blade. The entire thing is very flimsy.

Edge Company was selling a version of this at one time that was attached to a break-away cord that you'd hang from your belt (sort of like the Schrade Cliphanger, only this was first). Pulling the knife free would cause it to open "automatically." I think the knife I have is a Chinese knockoff of the Edge Co. concept.
 
The whimpiest folder I've ever owned was the Schrade Cliphanger, which I bought when they first came out. Needless to say, it was :barf:
 
When I first started getting into knives, I didn't know anything about quality, and being a poor college student the SMKW specials appealed to me. I got a cheap little keychain knife with an LED light in the handle. Talk about whimpy! I don't think it had even 2 inches of blade. At least the lock-back was decent.

DD
 
Yes, the Cliphanger is one of the least reliable knives ever made. The liner on that thing is such a joke. It is one of the most dissapointing purchases that I have ever made. Another bad knife was a Coast copy of the Gerber LST. Darn thing fell apart second time of use.
Matt
 
I like to take a bar of handsoap and use it until it gets those sharp edges. Then I tape it to a popsickle stick. I keep it in my sheath made of fruit roll-ups.
 
I was given a "Zippo" lighweight lockback, kind of like a Gerber LST with about a 2 inch blade. I carried it for about a week and a half. Used it to cut general office stuff like mail and boxes.

The lock froze. I tried to force the blade back, and one of the scales fell off.


Good news, I replaced it with a Spyderco Walker Lightweight.
 
It is still in kit form. Pull on the Lanyard and it opens. If anyone wants it, email me.
 
komondor,

Don't give these guys any ideas. They will be marketing that stuff in no time, and then the Pakistani knockoffs will turn up ..... ;)
 
That fruit rollup sheath would go good with a survival knife, where it could double as an extra days rations.;)
I had a whimpy lil knife with an led in it also. It was one of the first one handers I owned.
G.
 
Originally posted by bteel
It is still in kit form. Pull on the Lanyard and it opens. If anyone wants it, email me.
Click to expand...

bteel -- what's the name of the Edge Company's version? Is it stamped with its place of manufacture? Just curious, as I remember them existing but remember little else about them.
 
Last Christmas at work someone bought me a knife for our secret santa present swap.This was a 2" reproduction of a Victorinox type keychain knife with scissors and file.When I opened the scissors,the spring flew out across the room.The file had a better edge than the knife, neither of which would remain open unless turned upside down!Luckily,I did receive something a little better along with it.
 
I purchased several items from Brigade Quartermaster. In their catalog, I noticed a blurb stating that if one's order was over $50, that a FREE KNIFE!!! would be given the customer as a bonus.

The knife was in a plastic baggie in the package. Or maybe a paper envelope. Can't remember. I placed the knife by my PC. While I lurk, I often play with one or another of the knives I don't regularly carry.

On what might have been the 20th cycle of the knife, or so, it disintegrated in my hand. One scale simply divided into several pieces. The blade, and the lock back spring, and maybe a washer or two were loose in my hand. I think the other scale remained intact. I just turned and dumped all in the waste basket.

During a period of paranoia, when I perceived myself as not having sufficient money to spend much on a decent knife, I bought several inexpensive knockoffs (Spyderco mostly) on E-bay. Those varied in quality. A couple were actually pretty decent, while a couple others were extremely poor. THe others fit somewhere in between, mostly towards the lower end of the spectrum. The extremely poor knives were, IMO, infinitely better than my FREE KNIFE from BQ.
 
Originally posted by not2sharp
I'll volunteer the cliffhanger folder series, ...
Click to expand...


Edit: Hehehehe, I meant Cliphanger I/O Cliffhanger (there really isn't a great deal of suspense with these knives - they fail right away)
 
Wow ET, you remembered that huh? Those were some pretty awful knives :)

I will also agree with those who mentioned the Schrade Cliphanger. I got one when they first came out. Paper thin lock that would disengage itself just by hand pressure on the blade.
 
Actually, almost any knife made in Pakistan would qualify. A friend asked my to sharpen his Pakistani copy of a Buck 110. After an hour I gave up. As far as I could tell, it was made of some kind of stainless that wasn't heat treated. I took it out back and threw it as far into the bushs as I could and gave him a Gerber folder that I didn't need. :barf:
 
My finest POS was made by a very large Company into everything. I see their logo onjust about everything made today. The company name is "Made in Taiwan". I bought one of their Great florida auto knives and luckily waited until I got outside the buiolding to test fir e it. never did find the blade......wolf:barf:
 
Then there was that sword-like thing that exploded on the HSN, injuring one of the hosts. I missed the original show so I am not sure what they did; but on a subsequent show it was clear that the guy had (we hope temporarily) lost partial use of his right hand.

Mental note: it's not good when a sword shatters like glass
 
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