What companies are off of your radar?

CUTS LIKE A KRIS

CUTS LIKE A KRIS

Joined
Sep 28, 2005
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We often talk about who we love and who we hate, but I have never seen a topic about what companies we just don't look at, not boycott due to bad impressions- just not knifes we desire.

SOG is a big one with me- decent designs, too expensive for the materials and bulky looking for my tastes. I have not heard bad thing about them, just not my cup of tea.

Al Mar- Again a well liked company. The few models have been very well made, just not my cup of tea and I feel that the price of their knives is too high for the materials they use.

Buck- used to really like Buck but I do not feel that they have kept up with the other knife companies in pricing or quality. I know they have millions of fans, and I respect what they have done historically- but they do not interest me.

Busse- Not many of their designs are of my liking, I do not like that they do not supply sheathes for the price. I have not played with INFI (my only deal was sold after I said I would take it) but unless I see a good deal I will probably pass on these.


What about your choices (and no flaming here guys- just a discussion of what is not on your radar)
 

Dark Op's
Black Hawk
BRKT
Victorinox/Wegner/SAK's
Boker
Swamp Rat
Fallkniven

I seemed to have bought knives from most of the other production manufactures, But I have nothing from any of the above. No good reason.
 
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Dark ops
Chris Reeve
Bark River
TOPS
Busse
Kershaw

Dark ops I just plain don't like, Chris Reeve and Busse are just a little expensive, and TOPS and Bark River are simply knives I haven't looked at much, but want to at some point. Kershaw is just a company I haven't really tried yet.
 
There are a lot of companies out there that I don't mess with, for various reasons:

Benchmade (I own a whole drawer full already, not interested in any more. Their business practices leave a bad taste in my mouth)
SOG (I own several- not into them)
Kershaw (I own a couple, they're nice, but I like others better)
Cold Steel (I own a whole drawer full from my younger days. I dislike their marketing.)
CRKT (I own several and feel that they are poor quality)
Al Mar (I've never owned one or had much interest)
Boker (I have one or two, just not too interested)
Canal Street (I'm interested, but none of their designs appeal to me so far)
Extrema Ratio (I'm interested, but they have a dodgy reputation, and poor distribution in the US)
Kizlyar (I'm interested, but they have poor distribution- why advertise in the US if the only sites you link to are in Russian? )
Wenger (never had one, not too interested)
Gerber (I own several, they are the suck)
TOPS (Never owned one- the designs don't appeal)
Schrade (A formerly great company being run into the ground)
United (Garbage from one end to another. I own several older Colt fixed blades that are nice, though)
Fury (Bleech!)
Mantis (No thanks!)
Ontario (I'd like one of their machetes, but in general, they come off as scumbags)
Beretta (I have a couple, but they don't offer much these days)
Marbles (I'm better off with Bark River)
Remington (I own a couple older ones, but this is another formerly-great name being driven into the ground hard)
Bear & Sons (I have a bali of theirs, but the quality on everything I've seen from theirs is awful)
Frost (junk)
Mora (I'd actually like a couple of these)
Rough Rider (I own a whole bunch, but at the end of the day, I'd rather have one Case than 10 Rough Riders)
Randall (Too expensive for what they are, too much hype. I'd rather have a Bark River or a Busse)
etc.
I'm sure I've missed a bunch. Some of the above companies make fine knives, just not for me. I like the following makers:

Case- good quality for the price, lots of options, a great company.
Spyderco- excellent design, excellent quality, great customer service, one of the best.
Queen/ Schatt & Morgan- superior fit & finish, great designs.
Bark River- they make amazing knives, period.
Chris Reeve- expensive, but worth every penny. I am a Sebenza believer! My first Sebenza instantly knocked all other knives out of the running for being clipped to my right-front pocket.
Busse- there's a lot of hype, they're crazy-expensive- but I love my Busses.
Victorinox- ultimate consistency, good quality, great availability, very useful tools at a great price.
Leatherman- awesome tools.
GEC- Rock solid quality from this new company
Ka-Bar- gets the "bang for the buck" award from me for sure. They don't get much attention, but Ka-Bar makes some super-tough knives at great prices.
Rat Cutlery- I don't own any yet, but they are on my radar.
 
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SOG -Never really liked any of their offerings.

Benchmade - Again. All their knives seem to look the same. I don't really like 154CM as a steel. Knives are bulky and tip up only.

Cold Steel - General advertising program has pushed me away. I might pick one up at some point, but probably more to do with being bored then anything else.

Buck - 420HC steels on everything. I really don't like the ergo's on a lot of their models.

I guess I could sum it up as their are better knives I could spend my money on then those mentioned above.
 
ALL knives are on my radar... as for whether i would buy them or not is a different story

actually after reading MANY unsettling things about strider on BF ive decided they arent worth the risk
 
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Knives I like,but haven't had a chance to try out (in no particular order)...

1.CRK folders(very soon;))
2.RAT
3.TOPS
4.Strider folders
5.Moki

Knives that are completely off the radar (mostly aesthetic & quality reasons) are-

1.Cold Steel
2.Gerber
3.Mantis
4.Remington,S&W,Winchester,Colt
5.CRKT(only own the S-2)
6.Frost,United,Ridge Runner(all BudK crap)

...anything with a cord-wrapped handle:barf:
 
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crkt-busse-chris reeves-tops-ontario-becker-swamp rat-al mar-strider-benchmade. Too cheap, suspect quality, too exspensive, ethic issues.
 
At the moment, all companies are off my radar except...Busse, CRK, and Spyderco.

I have and love many others(esp older Case stag) but those are the only three I have bought from in the past year. I do buy a couple of customs at Blade each year.
 
Things I want nothing to do with:

Strider- leadership issues
BRKT- leadership issues
SOG- gotten cheesy over the years
Gerber- looks like they may come back but no time soon
Dark Ops and Mantis- no explanation needed
 
CUTS LIKE A KRIS said:
We often talk about who we love and who we hate, but I have never seen a topic about what companies we just don't look at, not boycott due to bad impressions- just not knifes we desire.
Click to expand...
I guess one would be CRKT for me. They seem to be nice knives for the money, but just nothing that really appeals to me. :yawn:

Another would be Wenger. I have a number of Victorinox SAKs and love them, but for some reason I have just never even bothered to look at Wenger SAKs. :confused:
 
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TOPS knives don't realy interest me, thier just too millitary styled for my tastes. same with extrema ratio, strider, and the blackhawk/MOD line.
I'm not going near darkops or mantis knives with a fifty foot barge pole.
bark river also fail to interest me, although I'm not sure why, by rights they are the top end of the kind of knives I need. :confused:

there are plenty that I would love one (or more) of their products but I don't have the money :grumpy:, RAT cutlery being the biggest example at the moment.
 
Guys- lets try and keep opinions about leadership, marketing... away from this if possible. There are TONS of threads about those issues. I am more interested about why GOOD companies are now what you look at, not which companies have questionable practices. Many of the companies listed I have issues with but did not put them on my list. I purposely left mall ninja CCC stuff off for that reason.

Like mdauben's post for one example.

Thanks
 
Rat, BRKT, Kershaw, Gerber, Buck, Tops, Ontario Rat, CRKT, Almost all Customs, Shrade, Case, Boker, Dark Ops, Kabar, Chris Reeves (fixed blades), Strider, Randall (too long a wait), SOG, Cold Steel (Although I have one exception in mind), Mantis, ZT (I have a strong dislike for recurves), anything with recurves... with the exception of one or two Busse's in particular, Beretta, Smith & Wesson, Benchmade, knives made in Taiwan or China (I know this is silly but I can't help it) etc...etc...

I know, I'm a tool.:D:thumbup:
 
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Lost interest in these brands (in no particular order).

Spyderco:
After a long absence from buying anything from this maker, (late 1980’s), I just bought two of their highest end models. Fit, finish and lock function isn’t as good as many other knives in the same price range that I own. (And these were their best models?!?) Back off the radar for another decade I guess. Hey, I tried. ( The Phoenix I bought is a cool looking knife though, I must say.)

Benchmade:
I was a huge fan for many years. The last couple years offerings have gotten pretty stale.
Seems like they are trying to compete with Spyderco and Kershaw by offering cheaper models, instead of maintaining, or raising the bar, like they used to do.
Besides, I already have every model I want that they make or made.

Busse:
I’m only interested in one particular model. Of course, you can’t get it unless it happens to be in its once-every-couple-of-years production run. Paying someone 50% more for a used one ain’t where it’s at for me. INFI isn’t the only game in town anymore or I might try harder to get one.

SOG:
Seems expensive for what you get.

Tops:
Seems expensive for what you get.

Buck:
Who?

Gerber:
Who?

Case:
I’m not my Dad, and I don’t drive an Oldsmobile. They still seem to be pretty good quality though.

Cold Steel:
I actually had a couple of their first knives, back in the early 80’s I think.
They were way ahead of their time, Kraton handles, tanto tips, laminated steel. (Yeah I know about Fallkniven, I don’t remember even seeing them in the US at that time. They may not have even existed then) Anyhow, CS used to be rather cutting edge, now, not so much.

Victorinox:
One word: Leatherman. ( I do miss the toothpick thingy)

These are the companies that I USED to have an interest in and/or buy from. Therefore, I am not slamming them, I just don’t find their offerings appealing anymore.
 
Wenger/Victorinox/SAK
CRKT
Spyderco
Schrade (except older ones)
Buck
Case
Winchester
Remington

Kevin
 
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Al Mar: Not my cup of tea for the money.
SOG: Based on SHOT Show meeting.
Leatherman: Political reasons.
Busse: Got a few; that niche is filled.
Cold Steel: Got some old ones (mainly Carbon V); new stuff less interesting for my applications.
Boker: Never got me excited.

DancesWithKnives
 
Boker
Busse and Kin
SOG
TOPS
I want to like buck, nothing wrong with them, they just don't fill any role for me.
Microtech
 
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