What I HATE most about buying knives is.......

The worst part about a new knife purchase is examining the knife only to find:

  • The knife scales don't match!

    Votes: 12 12.6%

  • The edge grind is wavy or uneven!

    Votes: 5 5.3%

  • Its not sharp out of the box!

    Votes: 16 16.8%

  • Its dirty!

    Votes: 1 1.1%

  • There's play in the blade (folders)!

    Votes: 61 64.2%
  • Total voters
    95
  • Poll closed .
I really hate Blade Play. I can overlook a lot of things since all my knives get used, but blade play bugs me the most. Somewhat mismatched scales are fine, as natural materials vary, but I do have a limit there as well. I at least want to see pics of a stag folder before buying, as it can have the widest variation from most other materials I have seen.

Sharpness doesn't bother me
Edge grinds, unless they look like complete crap, are fine as long as I'm not paying hundreds of dollars.
 
Jiki said:
And yet there are many of posts and videos on line where the D*****bag says "I had to put my own edge on it" in a condescending way as if his or her sharpening skills are superior or they are the only ones to be able to define sharp. Heck, there are many in this thread that take part in the douchebaggery of sharpening superiority. It could be its own category here on the forums.
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So true. My edge...... 😆 🤣 😂.
 
You pay Expecting decent quality only to find there are shortcomings, like blade play or obvious gaps, or not even sharp.
 
I don't mind scales that aren't matching much as long as both sides look good. I really don't like blade play though.

Since I mostly buy vintage knives now, them being dirty to varying degrees is almost always part of tge deal. With vintage SAKs that's not a problem, they're easy to wash without doing any damage. With bone handled carbon steel knives that can get more tricky though ...
 
About buying vintage knives online:
--No pics of blades open or pics of only one side.
--Blind sellers who say "no cracks or chips" and you can easily see a crack the size of the Grand Canyon
--"OK snap," which translates to barely any snap
--Every single pic in the listing is out of focus or the camera lens is so dirty that every image looks like it was shot inside fog
--"Original blade polish," when you can see buffed pits in the blade and grind lines are soft
--"Original factory edge," and the blade is scratched to hell from an electric sharpener (like the ones that used to come on the back of electric can openers) or the blade profile is seriously altered from poor sharpening.
--And finally, the seller response of "it's already packed up" when you ask questions about the knife before buying.

Edit: A few more:
--"No returns"
--"Mint condition," ignoring rust, sharpening, cracks and broken blades.
 
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PointyThings said:
About buying vintage knives online:
--No pics of blades open or pics of only one side.
--Blind sellers who say "no cracks or chips" and you can easily see a crack the size of the Grand Canyon
--"OK snap," which translates to barely any snap
--Every single pic in the listing is out of focus or the camera lens is so dirty that every image looks like it was shot inside fog
--"Original blade polish," when you can see buffed pits in the blade and grind lines are soft
--"Original factory edge," and the blade is scratched to hell from an electric sharpener (like the ones that used to come on the back of electric can openers) or the blade profile is seriously altered from poor sharpening.
--And finally, the seller response of "it's already packed up" when you ask questions about the knife before buying.
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I purchased a knife on eBay once. Pictures were all fuzzy, and when the knife was delivered the packaging was good. Upon opening, the scales were clearly separating from the knife. There is no way the seller missed this. His explanation was the change of altitude during shipping caused it…. I returned that knife to seller.
 
ajvail18 said:
I purchased a knife on eBay once. Pictures were all fuzzy, and when the knife was delivered the packaging was good. Upon opening, the scales were clearly separating from the knife. There is no way the seller missed this. His explanation was the change of altitude during shipping caused it…. I returned that knife to seller.
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I should have added something about packaging. Had knives arrive in unpadded envelopes, rattling together loose in a box, and once inside a ziplock plastic bag packed inside a box. But the bag had water in it and the knife was soaked. Box itself wasn't wet. Seller had no idea how water got inside the bag. And the knife HAD been a mint pearl knife with carbon blades.
 
ajvail18 said:
Placed an order this morning.

It's the wait, definitely the wait!
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Lol. When you start buying from abroad you eventually get used to month-n-beyond waiting. I just order-n-forget til it shows up. After that, buying from local stores became a magic of some kind regarding the speed of delivery, as "Really? It is already here?!" 😂
 
PointyThings said:
--Every single pic in the listing is out of focus or the camera lens is so dirty that every image looks like it was shot inside fog
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I gotta say though, I've picked up some really awesome knives for next to nothing with these kinds of listings.

I guess the more competitive buyers aren't willing to gamble, but I figure buying used knives on the internet is already gambling so why not really go all in?
 
birdsbeaks said:
I gotta say though, I've picked up some really awesome knives for next to nothing with these kinds of listings.

I guess the more competitive buyers aren't willing to gamble, but I figure buying used knives on the internet is already gambling so why not really go all in?
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So have I. But when the price isn't a dead bargain, it's hard to pull the trigger when there's issues like I mentioned.
 
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