What are the LEAST FAVORITE Knives You Own?

Interesting thread, I'm so glad that I haven't bought a Gerber Paraframe or a M-16 yet. I have three knives that I don't like but for different reasons. First would be my GI Tanto, it's just as ugly as sin and feels so uncomfortable in the hand. The steel is pretty good and gets really sharp, so I will just have to modify it and make it look nicer. Definitely a beater...
Second would be S&W Extreme Ops. Steel is ok, I like the shape of the handle but unfortunately I can tighten the pivot screw with my fingers, not mentioning the bladeplay. And yes, whoever screams Loctite is absolutely right. It was one of the first knives I bought after being infected, and so I use it from time ot time.
Third and definitely the most disliked knife in my drawers is a Ka-Bar Tactical Folder K2 with the Warthogblade. The bladeshape was the reason I bought it, and I was too damn curious about it. The handle fits in my hand, that is the only positive thing I can say about this knife. The steel ist crap (3CR13 at 50-52 HRC) and gets dull from cutting butter. The linerlock never really worked, the pivot screw doesn't work, nothing works on that POS from China...

But nonetheless it taught me a lesson in keeping my drawers almost free from junkknives...:D
 
I gotta jump on the M16 bandwagon. I have an M16-13z. My sole complaint about it is the steel. Won't hold an edge for shit. I like the design otherwise (except for the silly chisel ground edge). I haven't had a lock failure, but then I treat all folders like slipjoints.

My next least favorite is my Cold Steel Recon Tanto, but I have to say that it is a good knife for its purpose. I have one of the original Carbon V models made by Camillus. The thing is, it is not a very good field knife. It is a prybar you can stab people with. Its inability to take a decent edge is not due to the blade steel, but due to the rather obtuse edge angle. I believe this is an intentional design on their part. It will never get shaving sharp, but it will hold the edge you give it until Armageddon. It's just my least favorite because it's pretty much totally unsuitable for wilderness use. If I were engaged in an occupation where I stab people on a regular basis, I would probably love it. As it is, it sits in a dusty drawer and impresses my friends who know nothing about knives. It looks great, it feels great in the hands, and it's a solid knife... but it's just not very useful.
 
Surefire delta fixed blade hands down . Dull out the box chisel ground edge, worthless seatbelt cutter located on the palm of the grip(blister city), most complicated sheath you ever seen for starters.
 
I see all of the CRKT Posts, What did you expect for the money! Custom Top shelf Quality, they serve a pupose for the cost!
 
Here's my CRKT M16 story.
I bought one last summer, it was serving me well for EDC. Sharp, light, easy to open.
It broke.
The pocket clip, for one, kept on snagging on stuff and bending to near-uselessness.
Then, one day, while opening it, the pivot screw dropped out, and the knife blade shot out.
I kept it like that for about six months, broken and useless. I went on acquiring more knives.
Then, this january, I decided to use CRKTs warranty.
I sent them the broken knife and a letter explaining what happened.
About two weeks later, I'd guess, a brand new knife came back.
+1 for CRKT customer service.
The new knife has done fine, except for the pocket clip snagging problem. I bent the clip back with pliers, to a different angle, and that's done.
Ironically, I love the Gerbers you can buy at Target, and I love my CRKT again.
My Byrd, now that thing is just too darn ugly to love. But it does serve a purpose- it is my folding sharpened pry bar.
 
I don't buy too many "lower end" knives, I guess.

But one knife design that irks me is the laguiole knives from France.

I like how sharp and practical the 12C27 bladed versions can be, but most everyone I've owned has had blade contact with the back spring on closing. Put in cork or rubber as a buffer and the usually good closing snap results in a cut cork or rubber buffer.

WTF - sharpen razor sharp and always get a flat spot.

WHY?
 
I have 2 Laguioles and both of mine do the same thing. Great knives otherwise, like pocket artwork but the stupid blade contact issue keeps them out of the EDC rotation no question.
 
Hi, new poster here.
I'd have to vote for the CRKT M-16 as well. I had bought one about 5(?) years ago and it was and is a great knife, my dad has it now, loves it. Very sharp when I got and when I gave it away. I thought I would get another just like it but wanted a different blade. I found one at a local gun shop and paid 50 bucks for it and is not in the same ball park with the one I gave away. The lock didn't work the same, blade was dull and the metal seems cheap. So here I am looking to take it back and get something else.
Are the military spec ones any better? any others like it better? $100 budget thanks for the great site sorry if I posted in the wrong place
 
Have to say my least favorate folder has to be stider AR. Too big ,horrible finish, It's like a monster and i never have the will to use it
 
A stamped Henckels chef's knife. I have a $3 Ikea chef's knife that outperforms it completely.

A set of Chicago Cutlery steak knives kind of suck, to. I really wanted to like the CC steak knives, too... I'm a Chicago transplant.

I gave away my CRKT M16 too! How funny. I didn't give it up because it sucked though, I liked it at the time. Then I replaced it with a JYDII and I'll probably pick up a JYDII for the guy I gave the M16 to.
 
grickie77 said:
Hi, new poster here.So here I am looking to take it back and get something else. Are the military spec ones any better? any others like it better? $100 budget thanks for the great site sorry if I posted in the wrong place
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When I first bought my M16s, I liked them. They looked nice and opened quickly, plus I liked their locks. As the blade dulled and I used other knives, I found the chisel grind configuration a real hassle. It would rip paper, not cut it, and I could never quite get it as sharp as my V-grind knives. Not even close. I have an M16 in my drawer and occasionally I get it out and try to sharpen it, but I prefer the M21-04, which seems to cut very well and is easy to sharpen. Overall, my favorite carry knife is either my Cold Steel Voyager 5-inch plain or my Cold Steel Recon 1. The Recon has a usable stretch of plain blade and a nice serrated portion. The serrations also aren't bumpy and cut very well. If I had to cut someone out of a seatbelt, it would be a good choice. But the Voyager is great. Very strong, very sharp and very light.

CRKT's quality is going down the tubes. I detest their chisel grind knives and will never buy another. Do take a look at their M21, though, without serrations. Their serration pattern is like trying to cut with a spiked comb.
 
The small Cold Steel Tanto Voyager is a piece, and was my first real folder after my fifth-grade year of school. I got it for as a reward for a year of good grades at Knob Creek. Simple summation: boo. Solid lock, the rest sucks.

On the subject of Columbia River, most of their knives suck. Plainly. End of story. A fellow Scout bought a KISS and, as far as I'm concerned, he would have been better KISSing...well, you know. My old-stock large Crawford-Kasper folder is a very good knife that I managed to steal from SMKW for $20. Can't complain there.

Since then, the only two knives I've purchased that weren't Spydercos included a Buck Hartsook and 110---both classics. Stick with Spydies and Mr. Glesser. Enough said. :D
 
Well after reading over 6-7 pages of this thread i'm sure glad I never got a M16. The worst knife I have personally came into contact with would probably be my Kershaw Vapor. I got it at Walmart right when I started getting into knives and thought it was cool. In all reality the factory edge was suited for an axe blade and couldn't hold an edge for an entire visit to the woods. I ended up giving it to a friend. I know it was only a $20 knife, but any Byrd i've played with has put up with more abuse and feels much more quality. Price is no excuse for lack of quality.
 
"Price is no excuse for lack of quality"

Amen! Take pride in the fact that you offer a higher quality product for a lower price...

Ingenious business model, ain't it??
 
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I will revive this long-dead thread to express my displeasure with my CRKT Lake Laredo 2. I bought it on a whim from steepandcheap.com for $22 shipped and regretted it as soon as I opened it. I leave it in my drawer at work because it is admittedly razor sharp and good for opening packages (including my other knives as I receive them in the mail!), but it feels junky and suffers from several major design flaws. Considering that I could have bought a SOG Flash I or a Spyderco Tenacious for just a bit more money, this feels like a really bad choice.
 
Too bad about CRKT , they have made some nice knives in the past though that should not be overlooked , the apache , Seahawk , S-2. The older M16 models were ok , I had one for years , got rid of the chisel grind and it was sharp as heck aus-8 , never had a problem , gave it to my co-worker who still uses it to this day , he loves it.


So my girlfriend got me a M-16 ti for Christmas , I've wanted one for a while but never got it , anyways...

I was pretty pleased when I opened my present ! titanium , decent steel.

Well the blade flicked open like a champ , that was because the pivot was so loose it wasnt even funny , the side to side play was horrible !

I'm the kid of guy that cannot leave a knife of mine unmodded for more than an hour so by the following night it was in very nice shape , I colored the Ti , the lockup is solid and blade play is zero , the flipping action is great , it's a good knife now......

but the box it came in makes me think they are marketing those to military and leo's or people who want to think they are using military / leo type equipment :D

My point is that , if anyone out in the field , or someone who wasnt comfortable working on their own knives , got the same M16 I got , all loose and so forth , they would lose their flippin minds at what a POS they just bought.

Kershaw , Spyderco and such you do not have to worry about that happening when you buy a knife of their brand.


CRKT should take a year off from new designs and concentrate on making the existing ones QC as good as their competitors.


This is why they get such low props on the forums.


tostig
 
Every knife I bought that I really objected to I've sold already - I have to say the three worst 'big name' knives I've owned were the Gerber Mk.II (nice looking but totally useless), the Gerber Guardian (same story with even worse blade steel :eek:), and the Cold Steel Ti-Lite (made a fancy letter opener, but they couldn't be bothered to sharpen the whole blade :p)
 
My first knife that I actually went out and bought was a CRKT M-16 and I have to say that I actually really liked it. I'd probably still be carrying it if I hadn't ran into you guys haha.
 
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