What are your deal killers?

on_the_edge

on_the_edge

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When you buy a traditional slipjoint (let's keep this discussion to those knives under $100 that are factory produced), what are deal killers for you when you finally get the knife? I know many online dealers will allow a brief inspection period with a full refund return if the buyer is not fully satisfied. But what does it take for you to take that step and return the knife? Remember, we are talking about production knives under $100. I am interested to know what we all expect of such knives. Do we expect too much, or sometimes do we have no expectations?

As a traditional knife newb, my mind is ready to soak up information like a dry sponge thrown into the pool! :p So any and all thoughts will be greatly appreciated! :thumbup:
 
The big three for me are centered blades (no blade rub), great walk and talk (especially after a good oiling), and scales that match at least pretty close.
 
I know people complain about some traditional companies' edges, but that is easily corrected. I expect blades to not be "perfectly" centered, and maybe even a slight gap between liners and springs. BUT, the deal breakers for me are radically mismatched scales and severe blade rubs. Just about everything else can be worked out by just using it.
 
I'm not a huge fan of nail-breakers but I do prefer a stiffer spring to a weak one. I've had a couple that were very nice when it come to fit & finish but had weak springs and felt like they lacked a little quality. I can overlook a blade that isn't centered perfectly, a crink that is a bit aggressive or proud springs but weak springs just seem to leave me less than impressed.

That said, I have yet to have to return a new knife for that reason. I have traded into or bought second hand those that have disappointed me but you can't really learn any other way.
 
The blade while in the open position. It should flow gracefully. If the tip is up or down it has to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What is interesting i cant remimber ever having any old knifes like that. Most of the grinds on new knives suck.
 
Proud or shy backsprings, when the blade is in the closed or open positions are deal breakers for me. A little is acceptable for me at the $100 price point, but not too much. An off center blade, bladerub, or excessive gaps in the scales or springs are also deal breakers.

Dull or off-center edges I can deal with. I'm fairly proficient at sharpening and I really thin the bevels out anyway on all my knives, so I kind of expect to to it anyway.
 
I recently returned.a couple knives because they were just quite a bit bigger in person than I had expected. Probably my fault rather than the dealer's, and they were perfect in every other way, but luckily I was dealing with a top notch dealer who refunded my money.
 
RobbW said:
Proud or shy backsprings, when the blade is in the closed or open positions are deal breakers for me.
Click to expand...

Yea...I've never liked that either. But one interesting fact is that a very well known and respected Japanese slipjoint maker typically makes knives with the blade shy of the back spring. At least he has done that on the knives I own and on the knives owned by other's I've talked to about it. It's enough of an offset to believe it was not done by accident. Go figure...I don't mind it because I love his knives...but still don't understand the reasoning behind it.
 
Blade wobble, open or closed is a deal breaker, and I would send it back. My 2009 Forum knife has scales that are a tad different in color. It was never a deal breaker. I got over that real quick, since you really can only see one side at a time, unless you are looking at it in the mirror, which I really do not do. TEOL>

A large gap between liner and spring, and bad fit of the scale to the bolster can be a deal breaker as well.
 
What about the pins and the shield? If some pins are obviously set deeper or prouder than others which are flush, do folks care? What about shields--say it's slightly crooked or one end of the shield sits lower in the smooth handle than the opposite end?
 
Raised spring on open (never feels comfortable in the hand!) Soft springs (this NEVER gets better!) the two usually also have offensive gaps....
 
Lifted scales is about my only real deal breaker, If its not an antique with a handle material I expect to have warped or shrunk a bit over time its going back....I generally dont like gaps and only let this pass on antiques I occasionally carry. Oh and weak springs, my OT 120T while has a firm snap open and close my ONE complaint is how placid the spring is (other schrade seem to have light springs that I have had a chance to open, its probably why I only have the one OT at this point)...I want it just before the point of nail breaker, with an aggressive snap in open and close.
 
Honestly, I'm not too concerned about blade centering or factory edge (as long as the bevel grind isn't so poorly done that it damages the overall profile of the blade).

The main deal breakers for me are wildy mismatching scales, lifted/gapped scales, and uneven finishing on the liner/scale/bolster interfaces.

Basically, I can deal with things that are manufacturing variations, but not things that show an obvious lack of care in the QC department.
 
Blades must be tight, no wobble allowed. Some can live with it, I just can't. Also, scales must be pinned. I've had glued scales fall off in the past. Other than that I can usually fix bad edges, high sitting blades, etc.
 
Apart from mismatched scales or huge gaps between the liners/springs, the only deal breakers for me are those that affect the functionality of the knife. I can deal with a little bit of blade wobble, but more than that is a deal breaker. I expect some blade rub; even blades that don't rub when closing can rub when opening, simply because they flex when you put pressure on the nail nick. I sent back a 63032 not because the blades rubbed, but because the pen blade opened up directly into the nail nick of the sheepsfoot. I'm sending back a Queen whittler not because the blades rub, but because the master blade is so far askew that it gets in the way of the pen blade from closing. I'd send back a knife that snapped shut so hard that the edge hit the backspring so hard that it deformed the edge. I'd send it back if the scales were warped and stuck out over the bolsters (maybe not affecting the functionality of the knife, but definitely the ergos).
 
I have had two,almost $100 knives,that showed up from a dealer,with one pin crack on one bone scale,each.
Thats basically a no brainer descision to send back. Out of the two,one came back hafted in a similar(not the same) bone as originally,it might not have been perfectly matched as good as the original,but it was unique & better looking bone.

Really ,really lazy blades is NG,too
-Vince
 
I guess the single issue that would make me return a knife is a lot of blade wobble on a new knife. Otherwise, it takes more than one minor issue on the same knife to become a major with me.

I have a Bulldog peanut that is a veritable who's who of bad workmanship - stag scales are way too thick, blade fit is extremely poor on the main clip, access to the nail nick on the master is extremely difficult because of blade shape and position, it is underbladed pretty badly and the blade angle is poor. It was one of those auction knives where "you buy it and it's yours".

Ed J
 
The biggest for me is the integrity of the maker and seller. If that is not there typically any other problem can not be solved.
 
my expectations depends on the cost of the knife
What is a deal breaker at $80 is okay for a $30 knife

I do not like blade wobble
 
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