What brands WON'T you own?

I've noticed a few of you have said you wouldn't buy from Bark River. I'm just curious why...one guy said because they don't have decent size handles...a legitimate reason. But, what about you others, is it because you don't like the Bark River company for a certain reason, or you don't like their products.

I ask, because I've been considering buying a couple of their knives. After reading on their forums, I was under the impression that the owner is a stand-up guy and most people really love their products...so I'm just curious and hoping you can elaborate a little.
 
hated my sog flash 2 - wont buy from this company again
broke my buck bones - bought it as a beater knife, broke it in less than a week
 
I'll never buy a Strider. Nor will I buy DarkOps. I'll never buy another Kabar (broke two chopping and batonning hard wood). I also won't buy anything Cold Steel.
 
motts said:
I've noticed a few of you have said you wouldn't buy from Bark River. I'm just curious why...one guy said because they don't have decent size handles...a legitimate reason.
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I think this is a legitimate complaint on some of their knives, but not on all of them and it depends too on the size of your hands. Just check the overall length versus the blade length in the specs and make your own determination on if the handle of a particular knife is large enough.

I ask, because I've been considering buying a couple of their knives. After reading on their forums, I was under the impression that the owner is a stand-up guy and most people really love their products...so I'm just curious and hoping you can elaborate a little.
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BRKT seems to have a fairly dedicated customer base. Most all BRKT customers seem to be very satisfied with the quality of their products, and with the qualuty of their customer service. The owner seems to be dedicated to insuring the customer is satisfied. :thumbup:

There have been some (unsubstantiated in my opinion) rumors of one or two... questionable buisness practices with regards to colaborators/supplies/whoever. Some people have latched on to this as an excuse to not deal with the company (and that is certainly their right) but some of them also use it as an excuse to bash the company at every opportunity, making the problem (if it ever really existed at all) seem larger and more endemic than it ever really was. :rolleyes:

My own practice is to just make judgments on what I can see and know first hand. In the case of BRKT I know that they make quality knives, use quality materials, and have quality customer service so I gladly do buisness with the. Others must make their own decisions.
 
I'll never buy:

Gerber
Buck
CRKT
SOG
Cold Steel
Tops
Wenger

Their knives just don't appeal to me.

I'll always buy:

Spyderco
Victorinox

I'm surprised to see you guys saying Strider. Any reasons?
 
Cold Steel .. flat-out goofy marketing/designs
Strider. Won't mention it.
CRKT
Dark Ops (I hate even typing the name)
 
If an opportunity presents itself almost everything is game:D, that being said i can safely say i wouldnt buy Dark Ops or Strider as neither really appeals to me... Thought about adding Cold Steel but in all honesty i like the look of their bowies and they had a few slipjoints(produced by camillus:thumbup:) a few years ago that i would jump on if i find one...
ivan
 
motts said:
I've noticed a few of you have said you wouldn't buy from Bark River. I'm just curious why...one guy said because they don't have decent size handles...a legitimate reason. But, what about you others, is it because you don't like the Bark River company for a certain reason, or you don't like their products.

I ask, because I've been considering buying a couple of their knives. After reading on their forums, I was under the impression that the owner is a stand-up guy and most people really love their products...so I'm just curious and hoping you can elaborate a little.
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+1 curious. There are no brands I reject on name only, but my experience is limited to very few... Spyderco, Buck (USA), Leatherman, Victorinox. All have served me well, not only with good products but also excellent customer service. At this time I have a prejudice against Chinese made knives, regardless of brand name, not for political reasons but because I have never seen one as well made as comparable versions from other sources, USA and elsewhere. That could change, so I try to keep an open mind.
 
barrabas74 said:
I am curious as to what Benchmade has done to get on peoples Bad List? I have had nothing but good experience with the knives, so what has there CS dept done to mess people over?

I wont buy anything Gerber anymore. I own some SOGS and like what i have from them but dont see myself buying anymore due to price and what you get.
I dont see myself getting anything from Ontario. I can spend a little more and get better QC.

sytletoy that is disheartening to hear about your KaBar Beckers. Have you brought this up over in the Becker forum? They seem to be pretty active over there and Ethan seems to respond alot.
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The chant on the Becker Forum is to send it back to KA-BAR. So I did and they sent me another blemished one (two times) ! : ( Some say its alright to have blemishes at that price point but I say no way as cheaper $10 knives made overseas are perfect. Ethan Becker wants to make it right but he isn't KA-BAR or KA-BAR quality control which is the problem.

Its an easy fix for me as there are too many knife companies in competition to worry about KA-BAR and their quality control problems.
 
Strider/Microtech/Chris Reeves: too expensive, for that price I'd buy a gun instead.
CRKT: usually cheap steels.
Gerber: cheap steel and cheap everything else.
Mantis & Dark Op: Mall ninja crap
MTech/Maxim: Chinese made craps
 
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CRKT,Gerber,Dark Ops,Mantis,Strider,Frost/United/Taylor Cutlery,SOG


Mostly because of quality/CS/mediocre materials-high price/F&F issues,except for Strider.Striders are high quality,but just too heavy & clunky for my taste.

I wouldn't totally rule out Cold Steel,although I'm not into about 90% of their products.


[edited]I realize now I was a little too harsh in my opinion about SOG & CRKT.I would still buy both.
 
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There are brands that I like but don't think they are worth the money, brands who make knives I would buy but have bad (in my opinion) ethics, brands that are good but have designs I don't care for, and brands that generally suck.

Designs I like - Emerson, CRK, Tops, Bradley, etc. Nice knives, but so overpriced I'd be afraid to use them and seem more vanity that useful.

Companies with suspect ethical practices - Ontario/Queen, CS, Benchmade (recently),

Good Brands with knives I don't like - Kershaw, Lone Wolf, KaBar,

General Suckage - CRKT, SOG, Chinese Bucks & Gerber, United, new Schrade, Frost, Mantis, Leatherman (knives). There are others, but these come to mind quickly.

Brands I generally like, with the occasional exception:

Case
Boker Slipjoints
Benchmade Blue box
RAT Cutlery (Not Ontario)
Spyderco
AG Russell Branded Knives
Mcusta (not for everyone)
Fallkniven
Al Mar
Buck (US MADE Stuff)
Leatherman Multi-tools

As has been said many time above, these are not absolute but general trends.
 
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Man, am I glad I stumbled across this thread, just about to plunk down a c-note for a SOG. Think I'll get a new Spydie instead. Brands I won't touch-any company that uses the armchair-rambo marketing crap (we know who they are;)) and the mall-ninja stuff(we know who they are too;)) Got sick and tired of defending Gerber ages ago, things have gotten so bad with thier QC that I won't even look a the stuff, I have had two disasterous China Bucks in a row,Cold Steel except for the clip point Voyager, Sold all my Emersons except for a gift CQC-7, Strider and Chris Reeve are just too damned expensive in fact the only brands I am loyal to are Case and Spyderco because they EARNED it with thier fantastic service.
 
quattrokid73 said:
I'm surprised to see you guys saying Strider. Any reasons?
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For a lot of people it is probably because of the past personal issues with Strider... I'm not going to open a can of worms again, but if you do a little searching you will see what I'm talking about..

For me it is not so much brands I wouldn't own. I've owned some fairly expensive knives, but I also have a Kershaw Vapor that I got from WM for 18 bucks that I actually like. Made overseas, but it is well made.

I'll stick to my Case knives for the most part. As Yabbos mentioned, they still care about their customers and make a good useable product at a reasonable price
 
tirod3 said:
Knives are tools, first and foremost. If they fit the job and the hand, it's a successful choice, regardless of the maker. A knife is much more the intent to balance materials, blade steel, ergonomics, features, and construction techniques to create something that in whole does a better job than another tool, however similar. The result is influenced by synergism, the creation of superiority in function beyond the simple addition of it's parts.

BUT - choosing to eliminate not only a knife, but a whole brand because of metaphysical concerns - like politics or the reputation of the maker, things that can't be scientifically evaluated or tested - is an emotional reaction. In that, everyone has the right - but as is pointed out, in America, you have the right to be wrong. And the more vociferous the opposition, especially when the products are useful, even superior, just drives others to investigate and ask why.

Some of the time it's discovered it's just a clique-ish thing of community identity to disparage a manufacturer. Other times, reasons have substance. Most of us agree that price influences our choices, and that the reputation of the customer service department could affect our decision, even though some complainers have what might be perceived as unrealistic expectations.

All that, however, is just a smokescreen for the real issue - does the purchaser actually understand the maker's intent - why they designed the knife for what job under what conditions? Those that do, and choose not to buy it are making a good decision. Those that don't understand and buy, or not buy, based on emotional assessment, just seem to dig themselves in deeper attempting to explain.

Buy on features and tasks, let them take you to the knife that can fill the need. That way a grossly mismatched tool for the job doesn't make the owner look like one too.
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Well put tirod3!

My main limiting factor is price. If a maker only offers $400+ knives, I most likely won't be buying from them. I don't exclude based on brand but rather price. As one poster put it, I could buy a gun for the price of some of the more expensive knives which is what I'd rather do.
 
I don't buy things that aren't made in America. Obviously, this limits the choices pretty significantly.
 
Probably Spyderco for me. I honestly hate just about every single knife I see from them. And the few that I may be interested in are overpriced compared to knives of similar design I can get elsewhere. Not a fan. I have no problems with them as a business, or anything like that...I just plain don't like their designs or "style" if you will.

Can't say I've ever been interested in anything by United Cutlery. Not impressed with the few Remington knives I've held.

I really don't go around making a list of "good" and "bad" knife brands, because there is usually at least once knife I can find from a brand that I really like. Even Spyderco...but then they slap a ridiculous price tag on it so I keep walking.

Some of my favorites...
Kabar
Cold Steel
Buck
Kershaw
CRKT
BRKT

But they each also have knives that I scoff at. No brand is perfect.
 
quattrokid73 said:
I'll never buy:

I'm surprised to see you guys saying Strider. Any reasons?
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Long story short...

Mick Strider (real name Mickey Berger) is a convicted felon (carjacking) and lies about his military service in order to sell knives.

And although his knives are good, you can get better knives for less money.



edited to add: I forgot to add Cutco to my prior list.
 
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