What companies are off of your radar?

I just have zero interest in anything from any of the following companies.

-SOG
-Chris Reeve
-Emerson
-William Henry
-Busse
-Strider
-Microtech
-Al Mar
-Gerber
-Ontario
-Schrade
-CRKT
-Kabar
-ZT

There are probably more but that's all for now.
 
georges said:
companies that are off my radar:
victorinox: fragile knives
ka bar: not as robust as it claims to be, some of the kabars are made in china
spyderco: no my favorite designs and not the safest folding knives
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I know I probably shouldnt do this.. but my head is hurting after reading these. Care to explain your experience which made you come to these conclusions? Primarily Vic, and Spyderco. As far as ka bar goes, almost every brand has "some" knives made in China. Not a great reason to knock a company.
 
Wenger. I just can't get over the idea that they make knockoff Victorinox knives, no matter how incorrect that may be.

Kershaw. The majority of their designs just don't appeal to me.

Buck. Most of the styling is too old school for me. On the models I've been moderately interested in in the past, the price point either doesn't match the quality of the materials used, or the blade steel on a nice design is sub par.

CRKT. Again, materials used, and I don't like the locking mechanisms they use on their knives.

Böker. Every time I see something by them I kind of like, it's either overpriced for what it is, or is under built for what it is.

Mantis. Just... No thanks.

Cold Steel.

Emerson. I just haven't seen anything appealing by them. I appreciate the wave feature, but I'm not a fan of chisel grinds.
 
Honestly nobody is off my radar. Every manufacturer has at least a couple of interesting designs made of good enough material with reasonable price. As I work in a corporate office, I have no need for hard use knives. As long as the knife is made by a well known manufacturer, has interesting design and not composed of mystery steel, I'm game.
 
Jake Bauer said:
I know I probably shouldnt do this.. but my head is hurting after reading these. Care to explain your experience which made you come to these conclusions? Primarily Vic, and Spyderco. As far as ka bar goes, almost every brand has "some" knives made in China. Not a great reason to knock a company.
Click to expand...

Hi Jake

I used to have a victorinox many years ago. Over the time the pivot that retained the main blade and the other tools became loose. Also even for cutting the knife didn't have an outstand razorshap blade. In a folding knife, you better have to have a strong and reliable blade locking system.
A friend of mine who is a gunsmith and who sells knives, showed me his spyderco endura with a vg 10 blade. He told me what was the initial blade length and what became the blade length after 5 years of intensive use (opening cans, big cables and also add the fact of constant resharpening) the blade lost 20% of its length. Plus there are things that are personal and which I don't like in spyderco, the design of their blades, their grips and also the premium you pay for some of their folders that are vastly over priced.
Yes sure, many brands have some of their knives made of China, even china has its own super steels 8CR14MOV and 9CR13COMOV that are listed as very good but I don't have enough personal experience with these steels so it doesn't make me confident or it doesn't put me at ease in purchasing a spyderco. Other brands like chris reeve, randall, kizlyar, rosarms or extrema ratio for example have not one of their knives made in China, yes at the end the product costs more but the expected quality is higher too. Some brands make their products in China for labor force and costs cutting/saving reasons and this to the detriment of quality and reliability over the long run, I am not saying all Chinese made knives are bad but I would rather stick with a 100% inhouse made products. Each brand has their fans and to be honest you can't like all knife brands.

those are just my own thoughts which are to take with some grains of salt of course :)

have a great week end

regards

georges
 
Wenger. I just can't get over the idea that they make knockoff Victorinox knives, no matter how incorrect that may be.
Click to expand...
[snicker] they're the same company now. ;)
 
Gerber - quality seems to be low
Buck - they seem to use cheap materials for the most part now
Boker - The new stuff seems to not be up to past standards
SOG - only one model appeals to me and I dont like the steel
Knives of Alaska - Dont like the design or the marketing
CRKW - not into the designs or the materials
Emerson - loved them but now they all look the same and I think the Wave is just goofy
CRKT - nice designs but the blade materials need upgrading then I would buy and pay more
 
Jake Bauer said:
RAT Cutlery (over rated? crazy. stand up people, tough blades, stellar warranty)
Click to expand...
Yes. I think RAT knives are over rated. Hardly innovative designs, very derivative actually. 1095 steel, serviceable, but hardly great. Coated blades to prevent rusting, but (like any coating) increases drag. Good knives, just not spectacular ones. I feel there are better blades out there for the same amount of money. Almost a custom price for a very generic product in terms of design and materials. That is why they are off my radar.
 
georges said:
Hi Jake

I used to have a victorinox many years ago. Over the time the pivot that retained the main blade and the other tools became loose. Also even for cutting the knife didn't have an outstand razorshap blade. In a folding knife, you better have to have a strong and reliable blade locking system.
A friend of mine who is a gunsmith and who sells knives, showed me his spyderco endura with a vg 10 blade. He told me what was the initial blade length and what became the blade length after 5 years of intensive use (opening cans, big cables and also add the fact of constant resharpening) the blade lost 20% of its length. Plus there are things that are personal and which I don't like in spyderco, the design of their blades, their grips and also the premium you pay for some of their folders that are vastly over priced.
Yes sure, many brands have some of their knives made of China, even china has its own super steels 8CR14MOV and 9CR13COMOV that are listed as very good but I don't have enough personal experience with these steels so it doesn't make me confident or it doesn't put me at ease in purchasing a spyderco. Other brands like chris reeve, randall, kizlyar, rosarms or extrema ratio for example have not one of their knives made in China, yes at the end the product costs more but the expected quality is higher too. Some brands make their products in China for labor force and costs cutting/saving reasons and this to the detriment of quality and reliability over the long run, I am not saying all Chinese made knives are bad but I would rather stick with a 100% inhouse made products. Each brand has their fans and to be honest you can't like all knife brands.

those are just my own thoughts which are to take with some grains of salt of course :)

have a great week end

regards

georges
Click to expand...

I love how you call 8Cr14MoV a super steel. :D It's equivalent to AUS-8. ;)

You talk about a Spyderco's "premium" on their knives, then you mention that you have no problems paying a premium from other makers, as long as absolutely know model is made in china. Spyderco is 100% in house. Sal toured china looking for reputable manufactures to make the Byrd series of knives.

To each his own though, eh?
 
Fargus said:
Yes. I think RAT knives are over rated. Hardly innovative designs, very derivative actually. 1095 steel, serviceable, but hardly great. Coated blades to prevent rusting, but (like any coating) increases drag. Good knives, just not spectacular ones. I feel there are better blades out there for the same amount of money. Almost a custom price for a very generic product in terms of design and materials. That is why they are off my radar.
Click to expand...

Custom price for a knife? What "custom" knives cost $50-100?
 
Basically, those non-European brands for which:
- I have to pay too much taxes to have 'em imported; and
- already have European counterparts/alternatives; and
- are not that special.

So, Benchmade (except for the Bradley Alias), Gerber, SOG, Cold Steel, Microtech, TOPS, Kershaw & ZT, Lone Wolf, Emerson, CRKT, RAT, Ontario etc.

If Fehrmans, Sebenzas and Busses could be produced in Europe, I don't think I would buy (m)any American knives.
 
Josh K said:
Custom price for a knife? What "custom" knives cost $50-100?
Click to expand...
Izula - $81
RC-4 - $161
RC-5 - $145
RC-6 - $200

Except for the RC-5, all prices taken from their web site. What model are you getting for $50-$100 outside of the Izula?

In response to another comment:
Josh K said:
I love how you call 8Cr14MoV a super steel. It's equivalent to AUS-8.
Click to expand...
At one point in time AUS8 was a 'super steel'. Times change with innovation.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Georges.

Fargus, the designers of Rat Cutlery have no intention of being one of the more innovative designs type of knives. Their philosophy is if it aint broke, dont fix it. They have used designs similar to those that have been used for years because they are simple, ergonomic, strong, and they just work. Of course your opinions are yours and I respect that, but my experience with 1095 (from KA BAR or RAT) has been stellar. Well above serviceable imo. If coatings are an issue, There are several threads in the RC forum about how to easily remove it. I like it though because obviously it helps corrosion resistance. Maybe you have spent a lot of time using them and think there are better, and thats completely cool, but if you've only used them a little bit, I think you should give em another try. They grow on ya.
 
Josh K said:
I love how you call 8Cr14MoV a super steel. :D It's equivalent to AUS-8. ;)

You talk about a Spyderco's "premium" on their knives, then you mention that you have no problems paying a premium from other makers, as long as absolutely know model is made in china. Spyderco is 100% in house. Sal toured china looking for reputable manufactures to make the Byrd series of knives.

To each his own though, eh?
Click to expand...

The chinese steel I mentioned isn't that bad, it is really comparable to a good 440c steel. I don't know how reputable are Chinese knives manufactures, but I know that when it comes to cutlery I will always favor a product that has a good feedback and that comes from a country reputed for its blades.
Yes, to each his own I agree.
 
Fargus said:
Izula - $81
RC-4 - $161
RC-5 - $145
RC-6 - $200

Except for the RC-5, all prices taken from their web site. What model are you getting for $50-$100 outside of the Izula?

In response to another comment:

At one point in time AUS8 was a 'super steel'. Times change with innovation.
Click to expand...

That is MSRP. They can be found much cheaper all over the place.
 
Fargus said:
Izula - $81
RC-4 - $161
RC-5 - $145
RC-6 - $200

Except for the RC-5, all prices taken from their web site. What model are you getting for $50-$100 outside of the Izula?

In response to another comment:

At one point in time AUS8 was a 'super steel'. Times change with innovation.
Click to expand...

Ummm... The izula without survival kit will go for $50, RC-4 will go for around $90, RC-5 will go for around $135, RC-6 for $120. The RC-3, which you didn't mention, goes for around $85 without molle sheath kit. All of these prices are amazing for what you get in my opinion.
 
georges said:
Hi Jake

I used to have a victorinox many years ago. Over the time the pivot that retained the main blade and the other tools became loose. Also even for cutting the knife didn't have an outstand razorshap blade. In a folding knife, you better have to have a strong and reliable blade locking system.
A friend of mine who is a gunsmith and who sells knives, showed me his spyderco endura with a vg 10 blade. He told me what was the initial blade length and what became the blade length after 5 years of intensive use (opening cans, big cables and also add the fact of constant resharpening) the blade lost 20% of its length. Plus there are things that are personal and which I don't like in spyderco, the design of their blades, their grips and also the premium you pay for some of their folders that are vastly over priced.
Yes sure, many brands have some of their knives made of China, even china has its own super steels 8CR14MOV and 9CR13COMOV that are listed as very good but I don't have enough personal experience with these steels so it doesn't make me confident or it doesn't put me at ease in purchasing a spyderco. Other brands like chris reeve, randall, kizlyar, rosarms or extrema ratio for example have not one of their knives made in China, yes at the end the product costs more but the expected quality is higher too. Some brands make their products in China for labor force and costs cutting/saving reasons and this to the detriment of quality and reliability over the long run, I am not saying all Chinese made knives are bad but I would rather stick with a 100% inhouse made products. Each brand has their fans and to be honest you can't like all knife brands.

those are just my own thoughts which are to take with some grains of salt of course :)

have a great week end

regards

georges
Click to expand...

Well of course a knife is going to lose blade length if you are using it hard for 5 years and re-sharpening it a bunch of times. What knife wouldn't? In my opinion that is a tribute to spyderco that it only lost that much blade length.
 
Josh K said:
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.
Click to expand...

154CM is a great EDC, my buddy raves that it is his fav. i like D2 and S30V a lot
not looking to pick a fight but sometimes no frills (which cause knives to sometimes look the same) are the way knives should be.
most of the knives have switchable carry options
to each his own
 
I really do not care for 154CM either, so many Benchmades are off my radar. Gerber has worked their way off. Cold Steel's basic Voyager line is a solid knife but I stay away from their new over-hyped stuff. I am not much on most of CRKT's line but the Graham Razel series is awesome. I guess there is exceptions to everything, Ontario is the only company I will under no circumstances buy from.
 
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