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

fantasy blades and handles
chisel ground
handles with sharp edges that "pinch" when you hold it
wierd shaped handles
slippery handles
finish that chips off easily
cheap "stainless steel"
 
1. Cheapo liner locks
2. Rough thumb studs (kills my hand when I reach into my pocket)
3. Overly expensive knives that obvioulsy aren't worth the $
4. Great knives that come wtih crappy sheaths
5. Knives with names that imply they are strictly for SD and marketing tactics that do the same.
6. Obnoxious pocket clips that scream "Hey I'm carrying a goofy knife in my pocket"


Unlike others here, I really like slipjoints.
 
Blade coatings
Serrations
Large choils
Gut hooks
Tanto points
Rubber scales
Dull from maker
 
I positively HATE mirror polished blades. :barf::thumbdn:
I don't care for serrations, or tantos either.
 
Why dosnt anybody like Liner locks?
Do you mean ALL liner locks, or just badly done once?
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I don't really care for them at all. No bad experiences, just my least favorite lock style - I'd rather carry a slipjoint (and I often do).
 
Thumb holes.

5) Slip joints - any knife worth making is worth making safe
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An argument can be made that, because you will use a slip joint safely, it is the more safe knife. Abused, locks can fail, but if you don't have a lock and aren't going to abuse your knife like you do, you won't get hurt.
 
- "American tanto" points
- serrations
- sawbacks
- choils
- large guards, especially double guards
- metallic handles
- cord-wrapped anything
- "knives" that fold, that is to say folders
- weird blade designs with unneeded features foisted on them (a lot of tactical knives are guilty of this, especially Dark Ops)
- dulled points
- chisel grinds
- hollow grinds
- guthooks
- ricassos

That's the worst ones, I think.
 
Cons;
Handles that are too small
Poor heatreat
Inferior sheaths
Folders that should have a sheath or at least make them an option

Preferences;
Leather sheaths
Natural handle materials
 
+1, good thread.

I don't understand the animosity towards blade coatings. If it's a good one like DLC or titanium nitride, it will not scratch easily. If you have any inkling of ever using the knife for sd, a black blade is a good idea. For a sheeple-friendly knife, a rainbow ti-ni coating is a good idea.

I hate knives that weigh more than necessary due to super-beefy handles. If a folder is going to break, it will be at the tip or maybe pivot, not the handles.
 
jim preston said:
...An argument can be made that, because you will use a slip joint safely, it is the more safe knife. Abused, locks can fail, but if you don't have a lock and aren't going to abuse your knife like you do, you won't get hurt.
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I don't buy it. I've heard people make the same argument about motorcycle helmets. It's all well and good until something unforseen happens and an accident occurs. Also, the solution to lock failure is a better lock, not no lock.
 
Dislikes:

tanto-tips
hawkbills
wavey blades
combo-edges
double-guards
grooves on the spine of the blade or thumb-ramp
sharp peaks on the thumb-ramp
uncomfortable handles
choils, on most knives
thin and narrow handles
pocket-clips, on most knives
cord wrapped handles
huge fixed-blades
 
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Brands that associate crudeness with outdoorsy
Folders that are heavier than necessary
Wide handle in a folder (blocks access to everything else in that pocket)
Mall Ninja branding/advertising
Rebranded Stuff/Stuff that isn't what it used to be (Smith and Wesson, Gerber)

Otherwise, don't care
 
You guys came up with about everything that I thought of.


Made in Taiwan, China or Pakistan - automatic disqualification
Cheap Knives, generally either in construction or price
Serrations of most designs
Rubber grips
Any part that is made of fragile material
Poor machining
Poor fit
Thin unsubstantial parts especially liner locks
Weird shape blade that's hard to sharpen
Karambits
Anything made by United Cutlery
Anything sold by those F'ing idiots on the shopping channels
 
chuckschilling said:
3) "Super steels" that are, at one time, super hard, super tough, super easy to sharpen, and highly corrosion-resistant
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Yeah, nothing like top-quality materials to ruin a knife :confused:

For me:
Most hollow grinds
Lettering and stupid mallninja crap written all over the blade
Tiger stripes
Short little grinds (see below)
Poor Geometry
Combo Edge
"Americanized Tanto"
Chisel Grind
Assisted openers with a thumbstud instead of a flipper
Blade Play
Brass
Designs that look like someone threw up their legos.
"Blood Grooves" (I don't mind fullers ;) )
Kraton
Junk
 
I don't buy it. I've heard people make the same argument about motorcycle helmets. It's all well and good until something unforseen happens and an accident occurs. Also, the solution to lock failure is a better lock, not no lock.
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Any lock will fail, given enough time. You don't do stuff like push, pry, stab, or hammer with a slipjoint- things that are accidents waiting to happen, even with locks.
It's where people become so dependant on a safety feature that they stop to use safe habits. Like buyin a $1000 gun to carry but not being situationally aware.
(And about motorcycle helmets- there is a line where not using a safety feature goes from building good habits to stupid. In the gun example above, not having something to defend yourself with can kill you, even if you are the most situationally aware person out there.)
 
Tantos
Chisel grinds
Serrations
Large Finger Choils
Cheap or Teflon blade coatings, DLC is good though
Large recurves
Stiff liner locks (it makes the knife not so fun to play with)
Thick blades
Uneven grind lines
"Flexy" handles
Most assisted opening
Fixed blades that don't come with sheaths
Unbalanced knives
Over priced knives
Excessive blade play
Wide profile when knife is closed (takes up too much space)
Soft steel
Wide handles
Overly ergonomic handle designs (I like neutral handles best)
Skeletonized anything (except liners)
Short cutting edge on longer blade
Blade length isn't balanced with the handle
Easily scratched handles
Riveted construction
Bad pocket clip design
 
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1. Hollow grinds
2. Serrations (combo or otherwise)
3. Tanto points
4. FRN/Grivory/Plastic handles without inflexible steel liners
5. Fantasy
6. Assorted 'tacticool' features, ie Arterial Spray Deflectors et al.
7. Defective or Branded pocket clips.

Also while we're talking about slipjoints I'll put in my 2 controversial cents:

How is it possible to think slipjoints are 'inherently unsafe' but not say the same thing about lockbacks? Obviously you must be triggering the lock release every time you grip the handle. I mean, you just put your hand on there and squeeze and the lock can pop right open!

What's that? You're not supposed to use it that way? You have to hold it in a certain way or be careful not to exert pressure in that area? ...Hmmm. :rolleyes:

If you can't use a slipjoint safely I'm not sure you're ready to be using folding knives.
 
Things that guarantee I will NOT buy a knife:
-slick handles
-lack of guard, choil, or contouring to ensure a secure hold
-any bladesteel that requires a lot of maintenance
-primary grind at too a low an angle(thick behind edge relative to width and thickness)

Things I prefer not to have on a knife:
-anything other than a full flat or full convex primary grind
-lack of a lanyard hole or attachment point of some kind (like a bail or split ring on a SAK)
-serrations(most of the time)
-false edges
-too much writing/etching on blade
 
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