What Design Features Are Your Biggest Turnoffs In Knife Design?

#1 Dislike - Recurve blades.

I do all my sharpening on a Norton med grit benchstone & a Spyderco med grit ceramic benchstone. I also have a Spyderco Sharpmaker I will use on serrated blades. I just don't like sharpening recurves.

Also not overly fond of super hard steels that are a PITA to sharpen when dulled.

I used to say a bad sheath on a fixed blade was a deal breaker. Nowadays it's a consideration, but if I like the fixed blade a lot, I can always get a sheath made for it.
 
Finger choils (ANY choils really - whyyyy😡), overly thick blades for intended use, slippery handles, fixed blades that don’t come with sheaths, mirror polished scratch magnet blades, slipjoints with weak snap, handles that are too thick or flared near the ricasso, handle scales that stop before where your index finger contacts the blade, folders with blade play and not centered when closed, overly heavy balisongs, any knife with a less than 4 finger grip, scales that are not dead flush with the blade tang.

All of those ^^^ irritate me, but I’ve owned examples of every one. Still do own some.
 
-I've twisted off a couple T6 driver bits on locktighted screws, not high quality ones but they just aren't great for taking things apart when someone didn't want you to.
-Front flippers just seem pointless to me.
-A sharpening coil makes me wonder if that designer has ever cut twine/netting or fabric, same with an undersized finger coil
-A large knife with no birds beak or swell at the end of the handle, hands get tired and I like to keep the knife in my hand even if fatigued.
-Zero guard or design consideration to keep your hand off the blade, it doesn't need to be much but nothing at all is a problem.
-knives that are too thick behind the edge unless it's that specific chop the doors off a car kind of knife.
-The "Clacky" sound of a standard Benchmade Griptillion, it sounds cheap and it definitely ain't.
-Overly slick handle material, I like the factory grips on a Becker BK9 so I am not too picky but some smooth aluminum or polished steel is not good for gripping especially in the cold with dry skin.
 
I hate overly thick bladestock as well, makes it more of a sharpenend wedge that doesn't slice well. Blade choils or other forms of wasted sharpened blade space as others have mentioned, and I do not like short and broad blades. When I see a blade that is almost as tall as it is long it is a definite turn off for me. I bought a Kershaw Shuffle to try it out and do not like it for this very reason. Very broad blades in general I think, I guess that is why I am not a Spyderco fan boy. I do not like long aggressively textured thumbstuds because they scrape the back of my hand when I put my hand in my pocket.
On traditionals I do not really like half stops, and I hate matchstrike nail nicks. Not really a deal breaker, but I really dont like them.
 
Pocket clips that interfere with hand comfort during use, I don't really want to feel the clip when I have a bunch of cutting to do. An example of good clip ergonomics would be a Spyderco Endura 4, cut carpet all day never felt the clip. An example of bad ergonomics on the clip would be the Cold Steel Rajah 3 , it has heavily contoured comfortable grips but the clip digs into your hand in heavy use.
 
MattWRog said:
" milled clip / well executed spring style clip."
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Example of each?

norcalAF said:
Mammoth molar is gorgeous!
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Some of the dyed stuff looks pretty cool

bdmicarta said:
Recurve blades- how do you sharpen those with a flat diamond stone?
Serrations- never noticed that I cut anything with them
Hammered flats on blades
antler bases on stag handles
lockbacks
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Yeah, I'm pretty picky about crowns on stag handles as well

KenCaz said:
Dislike Finger Choils for me...! Even sharpening choils can get in the way... I don't see a need for either...
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The absence of sharpening choils limits systems of sharpening well, especially with belt plnge lines. That said, I don't like sharpening choils either.

David Mary said:
Proud tangs. Just don't like 'em.

Thumb ramps are fine, but I don't like the kind that sticks up past the handle material, which is kinda an extension of the proud tang thing. ETA: unless they are crowned for comfort.
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I don't care for shadowboxed tangs either

RPZIP said:
"Sawteeth" and serrations.

Exception when it comes to serrations is blades that are reserved for emergency use only - unused and always ready.
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Yeah, this thought is why most of the fixed blades I've used to put in get-home-bags I've built and gifted have been knives like the SOG SEAL Pup.
DocJD said:
Not overly boring , usually . ;)
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LOL
Crag the Brewer said:
Ugh ......I'm just not trying hard enough......lol
I'm sorry, I'll do better. haha.
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See, we all knew you were holding back!
 
Halfneck said:
Also not overly fond of super hard steels that are a PITA to sharpen when dulled.
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I don't like the super hard steels either

AntDog said:
Finger choils (ANY choils really - whyyyy😡), overly thick blades for intended use, slippery handles, fixed blades that don’t come with sheaths, mirror polished scratch magnet blades, slipjoints with weak snap, handles that are too thick or flared near the ricasso, handle scales that stop before where your index finger contacts the blade, folders with blade play and not centered when closed, overly heavy balisongs, any knife with a less than 4 finger grip, scales that are not dead flush with the blade tang.

All of those ^^^ irritate me, but I’ve owned examples of every one. Still do own some.
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We think a lot alike, and yes I still own some too LOL. It's how we know they annoy us! :oops:🤣

thebrain said:
-I've twisted off a couple T6 driver bits on locktighted screws, not high quality ones but they just aren't great for taking things apart when someone didn't want you to.
-Front flippers just seem pointless to me.
-A sharpening coil makes me wonder if that designer has ever cut twine/netting or fabric, same with an undersized finger coil
-A large knife with no birds beak or swell at the end of the handle, hands get tired and I like to keep the knife in my hand even if fatigued.
-Zero guard or design consideration to keep your hand off the blade, it doesn't need to be much but nothing at all is a problem.
-knives that are too thick behind the edge unless it's that specific chop the doors off a car kind of knife.
-The "Clacky" sound of a standard Benchmade Griptillion, it sounds cheap and it definitely ain't.
-Overly slick handle material, I like the factory grips on a Becker BK9 so I am not too picky but some smooth aluminum or polished steel is not good for gripping especially in the cold with dry skin.
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I don't like flippers either, and any chopper has to have a rear swell or birds beak for me.

Selfe Made Knives said:
Sharpening choils on outdoor knives
Fat oversized handles
Round barrel shaped handles that you cannot index
Thick blade stock on pocket knives
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Round handles can be a pain
chevyrulez1 said:
I do not like short and broad blades. When I see a blade that is almost as tall as it is long it is a definite turn off for me.
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I'm the same way. I bought a Ka-Bar Warthog in the 90s/00's and the short wide blade just really didn't work for me.
DangerZone98 said:
1. Assisted opening.

2. Assisted opening.

3. Assisted opening.

4. Serrations.

5. Sharpened swedges.

6. Paracord wraps (prefer wood or G10).
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It's almost like you don't like assisted opening 🤣

thebrain said:
Pocket clips that interfere with hand comfort during use, I don't really want to feel the clip when I have a bunch of cutting to do. An example of good clip ergonomics would be a Spyderco Endura 4, cut carpet all day never felt the clip. An example of bad ergonomics on the clip would be the Cold Steel Rajah 3 , it has heavily contoured comfortable grips but the clip digs into your hand in heavy use.
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Yeah, I get that. Bad pocket clips can ruin an otherwise great knife!
 
SCANDI, there I said it. I feel that super low sabre grinds and scandi grinds are a way to make cheap knives from lower quality steel and keep toughness higher. But at the expense of a very obtuse design that with time wears down the primary grind and has to be completely reground. I do own many SCANDI and low sabre ground blades. But not really a fan anymore. Hence, I won't buy any more.
 
Cobalt said:
SCANDI, there I said it. I feel that super low sabre grinds and scandi grinds are a way to make cheap knives from lower quality steel and keep toughness higher. But at the expense of a very obtuse design that with time wears down the primary grind and has to be completely reground. I do own many SCANDI and low sabre ground blades. But not really a fan anymore. Hence, I won't buy any more.
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That’s a big one for me too. Gimme full flat all day. Or at least a high grind.
 
AntDog said:
That’s a big one for me too. Gimme full flat all day. Or at least a high grind.
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Exactly, or even a high saber grind is fine. I'll also take a sabre shallow hollow grind or slight convex. That all takes some skill.

I am not paying for a piece of flat stock that someone ground an edge on and called it scandi. Well, not anymore.
 
Cobalt said:
SCANDI, there I said it. I feel that super low sabre grinds and scandi grinds are a way to make cheap knives from lower quality steel and keep toughness higher. But at the expense of a very obtuse design that with time wears down the primary grind and has to be completely reground. I do own many SCANDI and low sabre ground blades. But not really a fan anymore. Hence, I won't buy any more.
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A friend of mine has had his Mora for 25ish years. Originally it was a scandi. Through time it has evolved/sharpened-down into a kinda scandi, scandivex/convex.

They're great for breaking down wood, a sharpened wedge. Other than that, inefficient, too specialized. Sharpening involves a lot of steel removal. Meh.
 
other memory said:
A friend of mine has had his Mora for 25ish years. Originally it was a scandi. Through time it has evolved/sharpened-down into a kinda scandi, scandivex/convex.

They're great for breaking down wood, a sharpened wedge. Other than that, inefficient, too specialized. Sharpening involves a lot of steel removal. Meh.
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Yup. And their cheap. Which makes them worth it, I have a bag full. Probably makes me a hypocrite. But, then you see all these fancy ones for lots of money. Lol. Those are the ones I can't understand.
 
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