What defines a quality knife?

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Flygrain

Joined
Nov 16, 2013
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What are the charateristics that set apart a "good" knife? Whats the difference between a good, $100 folder and $10, hardware store folder? Is it in the steel, the fit and finish, the name?? All of the above?
 
Everything about it.

If they use cheap steels or fail to process them properly, you get blades that might as well be made from aluminum and locking mechanisms that wear out faster, or are more prone to failure. Hardware cqn be made soft, or out of spec as well. Those slightly undersized grip screws can mean your knife coming completely apart in your pocket (had that happen on a CRKT). Those cheap plastic scales can break, warp, and stretch over time.

A lot goes into making a knife right. That's not to say the cheaper end knives can't do it, some of them just choose not to. Fairly, this can happen at any price range.
 
It really is different for every person I think, but to us knife guys Steel, Materials, where it is made, who made it, and how it was made. How much time went into making it. I am thinking of budget kershaws to benchmades to Microtechs and then on into customs. There is a big difference in all of those.
 
It's complete subjective but the bare minimum is a quality steel (even 8cr and aus8 count here), solid lock up, minimal blade play and no obvious fit & finish flaws.

$10 hardware store knives rarely meet any of those criteria.
 
also quality grip materials, doubt you'll find many $10 knives with G10, good hardwood, micarta, etc. scales. There are exceptions, but none you're likely to find for sale locally. Don't underestimate the value of a good pocket clip either, unless you're intending to carry in a holster.
 
I'll add:
- Warranty and reputation of manufacturer
- Heat treat
- Ergonomics
- Durability
 
Design, steel, heat treat, grind, fit and finish... everything. If one detail from concept to sale is off, it effects the quality of the knife.

A name, however, does not. A name doesn't define a knife's quality, but it can give you an idea of the quality you might expect.
 
Flygrain said:
What are the charateristics that set apart a "good" knife? Whats the difference between a good, $100 folder and $10, hardware store folder? Is it in the steel, the fit and finish, the name?? All of the above?
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Warranty. If the company doesn't back their products then its not worth owning.
 
Thanks to everyone who pitched in here :) I'm fairly new to knives and am trying to learn to identify quality. Which brings me to the next question. How DO I identify quality steel? Can you ID different grades of steel by a visual inspection? Or do you rely on the printed specs by the manufacturer?
 
Most production knives have the steel stamped on the tang of the blade, but that's only half the story. e.g. two manufacturers may both use the exact same 154CM steel, maybe made in the exact same plant, but use a different heat treat process. So knowing what steel you're getting gives you a rough idea of how the knife will perform, but heat treat, grind, etc. all factor into overall performance.

Really, reading here and looking at reviews by people who have used your prospective purchases hard is your best bet.

That said, I suspect that you won't get a disappointing knife from any well regarded manufacturer (Benchmade, Spyderco, Kershaw/Zero Tolerance, Emerson, etc. etc. etc... you'll see the same names repeated over and over again and I'm not attempting to make a complete list, just tossing out a few off the top of my head) unless it just so happens that the ergos of that particular knife aren't to your taste. And if you do have an actual problem out of the box, since you bought a knife from a quality manufacturer through a reputable dealer (online or B&M) they'll likely resolve the issue for you.

Finally, for general EDC duty probably any modern folder is massive overkill, but then again, those boxes, envelopes, oranges, T-shirt tags, etc. won't stand a chance! And you wouldn't be here if you weren't at least a little interested in quality and a little overkill. And it is just so nice to feel quality in your hand.
 
Could someone tell me where to go to locate info concerning the steels used in the best custom knives. Would also like to know about Damascus steel. Thanks for your help.
 
how it feels, how it cuts and how long it holds an edge, for example I make and own some really nice knives but I still have a lot of love for my $10 Mora 511
it cuts really well for the price and hold an edge nicely, but it really depends on how you like a knife.
 
MissouriEd said:
Could someone tell me where to go to locate info concerning the steels used in the best custom knives. Would also like to know about Damascus steel. Thanks for your help.
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trick Question there are not best custom knives and there are hundreds of steels and thousands of makers, as far as I know about Damascus it is the sum of the parts put into it.

http://www.zknives.com/knives/steels/steelchart.php
 
G10 or titanium (or a combo) in scales. Decent blade-steel, about 3" for casual carry. Solid lockup; centered blade when closed. Nice solid grip in the hand without being slippery. Price can go from $30 for a Ontario Rat 1 to $400 for a Sebenza.
 
Materials are important but geometry is most important. Fit and finish cant be lacking either.
 
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