What are your deal killers?

Number one for me is a nail breaker. If I can't open the knife then what is the point of even having it? Beyond that the typical such as blade rub and wobble. At $100 the knife should be pretty close to perfect.
 
If the backspring snaps or the scales pop off the first time I open it, it goes back. I have knives I've kept because of the defects, just as reminders.
 
Lazy or weak walk and talk, blades not centered bone badly mismatched or bone that doesn't appeal to me. I use to think that walk and talk couldn't be too heavy but GEC and as crazy as it may sound my Case Humpback Whittler have made me rethink it! I have both of these broke in good now but I wouldn't dare want one the least bit heavier then these! On my Case and my GEC it's really just on the secondary blades/blade but I use them too!
 
Blade wobble really pisses me of especially if I ask that question first. You know someone has pried with it
or worse. also pulling away scales, missing rivets, repinned blades and grinding wheel marks that werent
disclosed when buying...
 
I hate horizontal blade play, hate it on production knives, won't tolrate in customs and have seen a couple with play...
centered blades, clean handle borders, well done sharpenings, edge geometry and thickness, maybe rub are other things I don't like but may accept, play is the worst

Maxx
 
blade play and blade rub....any other imperfections i can usually deal with, depending on the price.
 
I agree with proud or sunken back springs when open or closed. That has always irritated me. I am finally beaten down with the sharpening issue to the point I know I will have to sharpen most knives I buy before they are close to usable, so that doesn't bother me. ( I think knife makers should pay more attention to this detail, though; look how pleased ALL of us are when we get one that is ready to use out of the box!)

The second would be a real honest to Pete nail breaker. I like a stiff pull and a crisp snap. But to consciously struggle to open a tool before you use it is nonsense. I know a few here love them. But split nails are no fun; and for me, I don't want to stop absolutely everything I am doing to make sure I get my thumbnail in the exact position to exert the leverage needed in a specific spot to open the blade without problems.

To each his own, though. I know that some knife makers even sell picks. That way you can carry a nail breaker, and an additional tool to use when you need to open it for use!

Robert
 
A nail breaker for $20 on ebay doesn't bother me so much - there's always a chance a good cleaning and lubing will fix it (hey, I can dream can't I? :D )

On a $50-$100 production knife, nail breaking is just unacceptable, it would go back fast.

Weak spring, well, that's a matter of degree. Might keep it if it's cheap enough or there's something else I really like about the knife. I've had a bit of oil help this also, on a little Buck I found on the trail a couple years ago.

I've never gotten a knife with the point proud of the liner (though I just recently heard of such a thing :D ) - on a production knife that would be a return, on a used knife I'd likely fix it if I could.
 
Fit and finish deal breaker depends on the knife cost, what is always makes me mad is significant blade play and weak back spring, no matter what the cost of the knife is. To me these are the basics of a slip joint.
Mike
 
How about when there's so much snap that the blade slams against the backspring? I've got a few 70's Cases that do this and I have to remind myself not to let the main blade close without me slowing it down. I just realized my Moore Maker 3300 (Camillus made) that I thought was close to perfect was doing this.
 
Planterz said:
How about when there's so much snap that the blade slams against the backspring? I've got a few 70's Cases that do this and I have to remind myself not to let the main blade close without me slowing it down. I just realized my Moore Maker 3300 (Camillus made) that I thought was close to perfect was doing this.
Click to expand...

As in the edge hits the backspring or just the stop slamming down? I have some with aggressive blade snap but none that hit hard enough to damage the edge.
 
Robert.B said:
As in the edge hits the backspring
Click to expand...

Yeah. The spear blade of a 64052 will bounce off the backspring where there's the hump from the pin. I have a 6318HE that hits in the same place. I have 2 6332s that hit right at the tip. My Moore Maker hits at the belly close to the tip. Of course, all are pretty new (well, some are 30+ years old, but still "new"), so I expect with some use and sharpening enough blade will have been removed that it no longer hits the spring. In the meantime I just have to be careful.
 
Planterz said:
Yeah. The spear blade of a 64052 will bounce off the backspring where there's the hump from the pin. I have a 6318HE that hits in the same place. I have 2 6332s that hit right at the tip. My Moore Maker hits at the belly close to the tip. Of course, all are pretty new (well, some are 30+ years old, but still "new"), so I expect with some use and sharpening enough blade will have been removed that it no longer hits the spring. In the meantime I just have to be careful.
Click to expand...

Ahhh I understand, that would irk me pretty good too! I get really frustrated with dull spots or rolled edge when I go to use them and like to be able to just snap em closed one handed on my jeans quite often.
 
Fit and Finish that matches the price I paid. (Very Speculative) No sign of the word "Pakistan". I buy by maker and have my favorites. All of them are willing to take the knife back. Even when buying a inexpensive knife, I expect things to be put together correctly and to be sharp right out of the box. When buying older used knives, it all needs to be there and functioning. Tang stamps should be visible. Age is considered, but I want an accurate description so there are no surprises when the knife arrives. If there is blade rub or a crack in the handle, no matter how slight, I want to know before it arrives. Show actual dimensions with a ruler.
 
Vertical blade play in a lockback

Can fix anything else - but that just pisses me off

A backlock is tricky to nail, plenty of evidence that it must be :) and if you can't nail it, you shouldn't bother in the first place
 
Don't know if its a "deal breaker" but i bought a solingen eye brand stag "barlow" for around 50 $AUD.
when it got here there was a sizable chunk missing from around the centre pin. It would not have gotten better.
I don't see why I should fork out my money for something new out of the box and then have to fix it.
I think what annoyed me the most was that it was a factory blemish & had been polished up anyway instead of being relegated.
I contacted the dealer on ebay who could not have been more helpful & prompt in supplying a a replacement.
Having said that the finish on the new one isn't fantastic either...AND...
I got stuck with the 10.00 return postage fee for something that wasn't my fault.
cheers.
 
I agree with just about all the above complaints and comments, especially blade wobble and blades that can's be opened without a needle nose pliers.
My attention to F & F is in direct relation to price paid.
That's why it is ideal to actually buy a knife in person, but in this day and age, a lot or most, of our purchases are over the internet.
Great post
 
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