What is one characteristic or spec from a manufacturer that disqualifies them for you

R

rchesler

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Mar 13, 2016
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For me, I actually love some of the design of the zero tolerance folders, but I just hate the way the finish looks on their blades. That kind of scratchy, stonewashed and pitted look just doesn't seem as nice to me and I always shy away from them because of it. Wondering what keeps you away from other makers. Maybe it's rumors about their heat treatment or their default blade steel or maybe it's just their design aesthetic.

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I won't touch a hollow grind so Buck is out for me. I will no longer buy anything but stainless which means that the majority of GEC is now out for me. Tacti-cool is a no go, that's a lot more out of the running :(
 
The hindered detent that feels more like a mushy diaper I can't seem to get over. Tried 3 times.

Thats the only manufacturer specific problem I've found.
 
Broker's inconsistent QC has me afraid to purchase any of their products. My success rate have been lower than 50%
 
Price vs. Steel Type is the biggest no-go.

I'm always on the lookout for great deals, but for extreme examples; I won't pay $100+ for 7cr17 and I won't pay $20 for ELMAX... as long as prices are comparable to their respective makes, I would pay $20 for a 7cr17 knife that catches my eye, and would have no problem paying $100+ for Elmax.
 
Blade and edge thickness for me. I'm over the sharpened prybar thing for edc knives. Uneven secondary bevels has become another gripe for me. No knife over $200 should have an uneven bevel - yet so many do... Im definitely becoming more picky.
 
EDIT:
Awkward locking systems. especially CRKT [FONT=&quot]AutoLAWKS™.[/FONT]
 
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Well I used to carry a crkt m21 in Aus 8 for many years. The knife was taken by some ignorant police officer who called it assisted. When I went to replace it with another I noticed the quality had gone down. The model I was looking at was g10 but felt like soft rubber and was already coming apart. Also they went from Aus 8 to 8cr13mov which lots of folks have tried to convince me is just about the same but I just don't trust it.
 
Pomsbz said:
....I will no longer buy anything but stainless which means that the majority of GEC is now out for me.
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Most of the GEC stuff is 1095. Some is 440C.

I generally do not like flippers or titanium handles, even on one side. That eliminates a lot of the higher end folder for me.

Chinese manufacture does not disqualify a purchase, but it is "factored in".

My recent purchase of the LionSteel Opera in stag reflects my non-titanium or metal scale preference.
 
Oh, so many things. Naming just one would be really difficult.

The cost/benefit ratio is number one for me. If I feel that I'm paying for the name on the blade, or some "limited edition" nonsense, that's a stopper.

If it checks that box on the list, there are a bunch of other things that need to be right.

Ergonomics is next for me. The most amazing blade in the world isn't worth anything if it hurts your hand nearly as much to hold it with the right end, as it would the wrong end!

Heat treat is next. Kershaw used to use the same 8CrOvM17A8n64... whatever it is, as CRKT, but they did a proper job of thermal cycling it. Don't know about anymore, but the two plain-jane Cyclones that I have are pretty good for the price.

Edge geometry. Much as I love sharpened prybars, the job of a knife is to cut things, and if the edge bevel is too obtuse to do that, then it ends up being more of a novelty piece that I keep for those "hard use knife" threads....

There are other things: colors, pivot screws that need a dedicated tool to tighten, serrated blades and recurves are not my favorites anymore, and on, and on.

I believe that if you think too hard about what features you like and don't like on a knife, you end up in a similar situation, where it's easier to talk yourself out of a knife purchase, than into one.
 
Well . . . three things come to mind right off since all of my knives are users :

1. Blade thickness. Even for a blade four inches long if it is over 2.5 mm I pretty much turn the page in the catalog which means everything but kitchen knives are off the radar . . . unless I want the knife so badly I am willing to grind it to some semblance of sanity and grace.
Next I consider

2. Blade Thickness
and
3. BLADE THICKNESS.

4. If it is a five hundred dollar knife and the titanium scales are just flat plates; not sculpted, I just kind of slip into my vision of how much better it could be and some how forget to click the buy button. (what is this ? ? ? some body in China agrees with me and is even doing something about it . . . hmmmmmm . . . buying from china bad . . . supporting local business and local craftspeople good . . . must stop hand from creeping toward the add-to-cart-button . . . must stop it . . . must . . . . resist . . .

5. Recently : I shy away from steels that are being used in knives that were originally DESIGNED for other uses like for industrial molds . . . steels with big goofy, weakly bonded, "super hard", carbides that fall out if you get near some tuff hard rubber or even, heaven for bid, try to cut said hard rubber. I realize there are plenty of examples to quell my fears but I find when I stick to steel designed for knives I am SO MUCH happier. I recently was up nights loosing sleep over a fixed blade made from S90V . . . (well I'm up late loosing sleep every night . . . I enjoy it) . . . finally that was the deal breaker . . . if it had been made from M390 I would have been all over it like a pack of rats.

6. and finally . . . steel . . . I want a Case Trapper in the big fat handled REAL stag (I already have one but as you all will relate I want a second one) BUT I want some steel in that sucker . . . I can't even get it in CV ! ! ! ! ! just SS. I would say which steel I want but the M the 3, the 9 and the 0 buttons on my key board are starting to get worn out.

I am pretty much willing to put up with most all locking mechanisms, even horror of horrors, slip joint. I recently got a Spyderco Endura and it came with a lock back, I have too many lock backs, Oh Joy, I have to use two hands. Then I watched a vid and he showed how I could just press the lever and the blade would drop. Man this one is very firm . . . could I actually do this . . . one handed . . . Oh YES ! ! ! no problem what so ever. I'm a happy knife owner ! ! !

AND IT'S ZDP- . . . love my ZDP, love, love, love.

so yah steel plays a role too

PS: and finally does it have BLUE spacers ? I can be screaming down the road at a hunert miles an hour but my head will turn and look in a shop window if there is a knife there with blue spacers . . . so I'm not totally immune to glitz and pretty.
 
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Pretty much agree with OP. Also I don' t like how ZT uses their blades as billboards. So many nice designs ruined by all those superfluous lines of text.It doesn' t help that I don' t like their logo either.
 
Theft ala Ganzo.

An "us vs them" mindset among users and makers.

Either are my only hard and fast dealbreakers.
 
I think I know what you mean Marcinek, and may feel similar, but could you explain a little more? Thanks--
 
SVTFreak said:
The hindered detent that feels more like a mushy diaper I can't seem to get over. Tried 3 times.

Thats the only manufacturer specific problem I've found.
Click to expand...

abbazaba said:
Broker's inconsistent QC has me afraid to purchase any of their products. My success rate have been lower than 50%
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I'm guessing that these folks are referring to Hinderer and Boker...
If not, I sure won't be rushing out to buy Hindered or Broker knives. :D
 
Skywalder1,

Also I don' t like how ZT uses their blades as billboards. So many nice designs ruined by all those superfluous lines of text.It doesn' t help that I don' t like their logo either.
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Sounds like you have Zero Tolerance for ZT.

:p sorry . . . couldn't help it. I don't have a one but it isn't any of those things. I kind of like blades with stuff etched on them. It is just that most of them look like their sole purpose off the drawing board was to stab through armor plated machines and people. Since I don't do a lot of that, lately anyway . . ., gee has it been a year already, . . . unless they call me back . . . but I've said too much.:eek:

:p
 
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