Disapppointments??? I could write a book!
My first Emerson SARK. It was grainy and gritty feeling when opening it, stiff and the lock stuck terribly. Loosen the pivot to make it easier to open and Wave and then the blade was rubbing the sides with each opening. You could not find a happy medium with this folder to make it work. In short, other than the green handle scales which I loved it was a very expensive POS! Not to forget to mention that for the over $200 price tag when I got it I expected it to be a 'hard use' knife. It had these pocket clip thin liners in it and the lock flexed. I kept it and broke it in some. It got a bit better, the lock went from sticking terribly to no longer sticking and then it could not be trusted because I could defeat it with simple spine pressure on the blade tip. Overall it was a terrible disappointment after reading all the hype. I rebuilt it into a frame lock and gave it to my son. He loves it.
That was my first Emerson. I was not aware of the one side grind back then, or the fact that most Emersons come stiff and gritty when NIB until later. In fact I had not researched the company that much at all other than reading an article in some magazine which I have since learned you can't trust. For the money I expected it to be smoother than I get from a $50 Kershaw I guess. Live and learn.
My first SnG by Strider was a disappointment. Off center blade, off center grind on the blade so one sides bevel was wider than the other, pivot that loosened up by itself and a thick blade that wouldn't slice worth a darn. Had this paper thin lock cut in the rear to bend the lock that made it look fragile vs tough as nails as I expected, and it developed vertical blade play before I really even put it to the test because the lock was not sprung enough to make it continue to self correct from use. All of which I fixed except for the off center blade and grind. Later sold it to a Strider nut that loved it and thought it walked on water. Go figure.
Since then I've managed to own at least two SARKS that blew the doors off that first one, and one more SnG that was an absolutely flawless folder. So, it just goes to show you that you can't judge the company or the maker by one example of their work. :thumbup:
I owned a Ralph Freer folder which was my first ever purchase from A.G. Russell. It was a very very expensive liner lock. Like $460 before shipping. Got it and it had one side with a metal liner only which was the titanium lock. The rest was macassar ebony and I was not too thrilled about the non lock side being this thin brittle wood all by itself for this kind of money. First test of the lock looked like it engaged just great. Spine pressure proved that wrong though when the lock slid right off the contact and allowed the blade to close with no more pressure than it takes to close a slip joint. It was a very disappointing purchase. I fixed it, kept it and carried that knife for years regardless even though A.G said he'd take it back. Later I bought another just like it and got it and it was the same way in every way, with vertical play to boot. I sent that one back but wish I'd kept it now.
I later became friends with Ralph. We discussed the issues, traded goods and supplies a time or two, emails, phone calls and I know he felt bad about the two experiences I had. He looked at my corrections on the one I kept and thanked me and I like to think he improved his knives as a result I think with a slightly different contact angle on the ones after that because of one I got later. He gave me a true left handed liner lock in the exact same model in black Micarta which I gave to my brother as a gift with the new angle. It was much better and my brother still carries that one and uses it daily even after I told him of Ralph's death recently. He was a nice man. Instead of getting defensive when there was a problem he saw it as an opportunity and as a result we both learned and grew from it in the exhange. Its nice when it goes that way.
Thanks Ralph. You were a class act and I'll miss ya. :thumbup:
STR
