What are some features on a knife that tun you off?

psy-ops

psy-ops

Joined
Sep 27, 1999
Messages
3,164
When looking at knives, what are some features that just get your goat?

1. Black coatings (Yes, even on carbon)
2. False edges
3. Hollow grinds
4. Fancy Curvy blades
5. Aluminum Scales
6. Brand Names that stand out too much and over power the blade

Please, don't mention brands and lets be civil
 
1. Coatings
2. Tanto points
3. Serrations (unless it's a bread knife)
4. Liner locks
5. Kraton and other rubbery handle material
6. Cord wrapped handles
7. Hollow handle "survival" knives
 
1) "Tactical" knives. I don't believe in such a thing in civilian carry, and the military doesn't believe in them either. And don't get me started on "tactical folders" - the ultimate oxymoron.
2) Blade coatings on a non-decorative knife
3) "Super steels" that are, at one time, super hard, super tough, super easy to sharpen, and highly corrosion-resistant
4) SAK's and the like - I am not a fan of the jack of all trades school of thought
5) Slip joints - any knife worth making is worth making safe
 
1. Combo Edge
2. Tanto blade
3. Liner Lock
4. Slippery handles
5. Black handles
6. Black coating
7. Assisted opening
8. Autos
9. Too big
10. Too small
 
Homer49 said:
1. Combo Edge
2. Tanto blade
3. Liner Lock
4. Slippery handles
5. Black handles
6. Black coating
7. Assisted opening
8. Autos
9. Too big
10. Too small
Click to expand...

What he said, except I don't mind liner locks too much.
11. Any serrations. Unless it's my steak knife, I want it plain.
12. Knives that aren't visually balanced. You know, the blades way too big for the handle or vice-versa. It better look nice.
13. Companies that think I'm a secret commando.

:barf:
 
Combo edge
Hollow grinds
Stag or horn handles
Plastic looking handles
Made in Taiwan, China, or Pakistan.
Disc openers on folders.
Little folders- or good folders that should be just 1/2 inch longer. There's a lot of those.
Incorporating the brand name into the clip or the blade or any of that cute crap.
Flipper folders that also have thumb studs.
Knives where form follows some random design some guy made on a computer to look cool or tactical or trendy, rather than having form follow function.
Karambits
 
Tanto blades
Combo edges
Unpractical blade designs
Skeletonized handles
Folders with giant beefy handles
Sawback blades
Tom brown trackers or any variant :D
 
Combo edges (full serrations or nothing)
false edges
weird blade shapes (a lot of Benchmades like this)
Tanto points
black coatings on blade
Black handles
Thumbstuds
 
1. Blade coatings. They look great until they scratch right off.
2. Unreasonably weapon-like shape and design.
3. Large or multiple brand markings on the blade or scales.
3. Oversized etching or designs on the blade, esp. containing the name brand or model.
4. Handles that are excessively larger than the blade
5. Partial serrations. Most look like a slapped-on afterthought.
6. Rainbow colors.
5. Saw-back blades.
6. Lack of even a minimal finger guard or choil to keep fingers off the blade.
7. Low-end (below 440C or AUS-8) or no-name blade steel, other than on a SAK or slipjoint.
8. Liner locks.
9. Excessively recurved blades.
10. Goofy-looking blade shapes, e.g. an Am. Tanto point on a radically recurved blade.
11. Cutaway or "skeletonized" handle scales. Just cover the handle with the scale.
12. Handle cutouts big enough for a fingertip to slip into.
13. Gimmicky "added features" on a non multi-tool.
 
Last edited:
psy-ops said:
What are some features on a knife that tun you off?
Please, don't mention brands and lets be civil
Click to expand...

1) Funky grinds that make the blade extremely difficult to sharpen.
2) Non-ergonomic handles.
3) Combo edges.
4) Lock releases that are too easily accessed in standard grips.

That's it.

Regards,
3G
 
i hate:

- blade coatings
- hard to sharpen in the field blade steel
- rat tail tangs
- fantasy knives

but most of all:

chisel edges or serrations on the WRONG SIDE of the blade...seems all the knife makers are LEFT HANDED! I dont cut towards myself, i cut AWAY from myself using my right hand....so why are some edges and serrations on the WRONG SIDE! &*&%^&$^&&*(!

(i like serrated knives, esp Spyderco, their rescue knives are #1)
 
1. Rubbery handle materials
2. Combo blades
3. Serrated blades
4. Gimmick blade shapes
5. Great knife design done with crappy steel
6. Neo-Japanese samurai knockoff designs
7. Single bevel blades
8. "Neck" Knives
9. Slippery handle materials/design
10. Gaudy multi-colored damascus
 
Seriously irritating:
1) "Commemorative" knives
2) overdone blade etching
3) ridiculous advertising

Knives I don't usually care for:
1) serrated or partially-serrated blades
2) recurve blades
3) liner locks
4) coated blades
 
1. Blood Grooves
2. thin liner locks
3. slip joints (sorry SAW fanatics)
4. American Tanto
5. "tactical"
6. replicas
 
1. Coatings of any kind.
2. Weak locks on folders.
3. Single bevel blades.
4. Serrations, both fully and partly.
5. Tanto points.
6. "Tactical" crap.
7. Gimmicks of any kind.
8. Rubber handles (exceptions can be made).
9. Oddly curved blades.
10. Non ergonomic grips.

That pretty much sums it up, yeah.
 
Why dosnt anybody like Liner locks?

Do you mean ALL liner locks, or just badly done once?
 
1. Blades under 4 inches.
2. Finger-Grooved Handles.
3. Thin Liner locks.
4. Multi-colored handles.
5. Cutesy names.
6. Laser etching.
7. Task specific blades.
8. Hawkbill blades.
9. FRN.
10. Tips that break.
 
Tanto
Bright coloured knives
thin liner locks
Small blades with large handles
fully serrated blades
pointy hand guards on folders
 
Wow, I never thought knife nuts could get so prissy about knives. I like 'em all. Granted there are some features I have no real use for such as sawbacks or guthooks, but such things wouldn't keep me from buying a knife that otherwise was a good value.

The only characteristic that turns me off is a price tag over about $50. Having dropped lots of coin on a few occasions, I've found such knives generally too precious to be a good value to me in the end.
 
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