What was the worst most over hyped knife you ever bought?

Either of the couple Randall's I had.

Good knives, but of run of the mill steel, thick blades and heavy for their size. Maybe they were top of the heap in 1950, but they are just not up to the incredible hype and price and wait for them. Only good thing about them was, it was easy to get my money back out of them at a knife show.
 
I don't have anything close as exotic of what's on this list so far, but for me it was my SOG Flash II.

When I first saw my friend with a assisted opening knife I just had to have one. So I read reviews and headed down to my local hunting sports store.
Honestly I must have tried every assisted opening knife in the store, and the SOG seemed to open the easiest and nicest in my price range. But that's the problem I was so focused on how it opened I ignored any of the other features.

After a few weeks of carrying it around it started to feel like It wasn't a defensive weapon but more a inexpensive utility knife. I came to realize I liked my old regular knife a lot more and felt better with it.

But the biggest disappointment for me is the SOG eventually got dirty which meant it started to barely open. My other hobby is watchmaking so I pride myself on keeping screws perfect. Well every screw stripped! I'm not sure what type of lock tight they used but I couldn't break them free, and I've never gotten it apart to clean it. I was extremely disappointed with the quality of the screws.

Now it sits in the drawer as a reminder to me to be a little more picky, and you get what you pay for.
 
I have to cast another vote for the BM 940. The one that was sent to me deserved an Academy Award for excellence in off-centered blades. This was a model that I’ve seen called “iconic” from an aggressively over-hyped manufacturer and it cost me >$180. I was still shaking my head in disbelief as I packed it up to ship back to the vendor.
 
I am surprised to hear about the BM 940, I have owned 6 or 7 over the years and own 2 now and all were perfect. Possibly defective ones? I also call the place I order from and ask if the one I am ordering is centered and a good one. So far that has held true.

For me one of the biggest disappointments was the older XM-18, my example again had a soft detent and sticky lockup. Blade also was not centered. For what they went for at the time and how long I waited to get my hands on my order (ordered it from Rick directly when he still took orders) it should have been perfect. I think he was so inundated with orders alot slipped past him at the time. I sold it for more than I paid even with the defects so I cant be too mad.
 
Most will likely not believe me, but my example is the Sebenza. Ordered one new after saving up and it came with a very thick edge that was not sharp. I should have sent it back, but I sent it to REK instead and Josh put a great edge on it. Second issue was that I just could not find the right angle and/or technique to open the thing smoothly on a consistent basis.after that I got rid of it. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a very nice knife, but a bit disappointing to me.
 
OilMan said:
Hinderer XM Flippers that don't flip worth a dang. And the people that make excuses for them.
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Well, I love mine, especially the XM-24....everybody has their own idea of how a knife is to open....personally I despise what you like...which would be a stiff detent until fingertip turns red and knife explodes open.
Me, I like just enough lockbar tension to mostly engage blade when locked and letting grip settle it in further, if it will, and otherwise only enough tension to hold blade closed...I give the flipper a poke and slight wrist action, and it slings open with near zero friction, pivot as loose as possible with no lateral play.
Adjusting your knife to suit you, rather than how guy in shop.thinks it should be, is not a defect. However, although their website makes this point clear, then they should include the tools required to do any possible adjustments required, and they do not. Half the time, nobody even has his tool in stock.
 
My Randall Model 14. Not pointy, not sharp, looks like it was polished with a Brillo pad, and there are small gaps along the handle slabs.
Edit: Knife was purchased new from that fat bastard in Florida.
 
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jstrange said:
Most will likely not believe me, but my example is the Sebenza. Ordered one new after saving up and it came with a very thick edge that was not sharp. I should have sent it back, but I sent it to REK instead and Josh put a great edge on it. Second issue was that I just could not find the right angle and/or technique to open the thing smoothly on a consistent basis.after that I got rid of it. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a very nice knife, but a bit disappointing to me.
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I would believe you....same as adjacent XM-24 post....they take work and experimentation to get correct for individual owners. My Reeve Large Sebenzas (at least 6) have all taken major lock tweaking to get where it was the dream machine and not painful to thumb tip and inside joints of fingers...

EVERY frame lock is so adjustable, it is not funny....it is IMPOSSIBLE, or nearly so, for an assembler to make anyone happy but themselves, or possibly owner, as everyone wants them set differently.

I was suprised, for sure, how much tweaking both Reeve and Hinderer took to get an action opening to my liking...

Yes, sir, I believe you.
 
No contest. I bought two Hinderer XM-18's yrs ago...one 3" slicer and one 3.5" spanto...for a total of about 1500 bucks.
The 3" was a brick in my pocket. The 3.5" brick always tried to open IN my pocket. I sold both within about two wks...and wouldn't even consider spending another buck for those things...
 
scottyj said:
My Randall Model 14. Not pointy, not sharp, looks like it was polished with a Brillo pad, and there are small gaps along the handle slabs.
Edit: Knife was purchased new from that fat bastard in Florida.
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With him, you likely received a perfect knife, which he kept, and sent you the dud, hoping you would not know about knives more than to run to the Randall forum and crow about your new wonderful craftsmanship handmade legendary Randall.
He has done that with knockout stag, kept the good ones when they came in, as well.
I ordered two Astros in a time frame he said was doable, for Christmas gifts to same household...he sent me two, and one was not even in original wrap.paper, he whined how hard he had to work for that second one, and had to trade for it at a show...never ordered from him, again.
Buxton shop will open a new knife listed and honestly tell you the Model 18 saw teeth are the largest they have ever seen, and ask if you want to look it over, and return if you no like...
Have had no problems with Gary Clinton, as his listed knives are pictured, and the six or so shop ordered and received through him were luckily all pretty decent.
 
scottyj said:
My Randall Model 14. Not pointy, not sharp, looks like it was polished with a Brillo pad, and there are small gaps along the handle slabs.
Edit: Knife was purchased new from that fat bastard in Florida.
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Whose the fat bastard in Florida? I know a lot of fat bastards here so I just want to get the right one.
 
Joshua1973 said:
I am starting to have a bad opinion of Spyderco. I won't speak on it here but I am not impressed with my Endura 4 and 3 1/2 weeks now in their shop still waiting for them to fix blade play or even to ship back to me. I may end up selling mine if I ever get it back and not buy another Spyderco.
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Spyderco has been stellar for me minus the experience with the Lum Tanto.
 
Mine was/is a custom with which the maker decided he should be allowed "artistic license". :rolleyes: It was not at all like the knife I told him/described to him,that I wanted made. I'm not naming him because it is a wonderful knife and he did offer to take it back and make me another (I just didn't trust his human nature to not be pissed, making an inferior knife; perhaps not fair but...). :( Anyway, I now, with customs, draw a diagram of what I want "in detail" and send it including all measurements, and specifications (e.g. lanyard holes in lower guard and pommel, width, thickness, etc.). Yes, I know it may not all work out exactly and I'm OK with that; haven't had a problem since. :cool: N.B. ;)
 
Two of the most favored from benchmade and spyderco...

940 and the para 2

Just didn't like the ergos for either. I've had 2 or 3 of each model to see if I'd have a change of heart and it never happened.
 
NicoColt1911 said:
Not trying to be a smartass here but that sounds as if you might have a lemon with a defective detent. The detent generally prevents the knife from opening in your pocket. In a flipper it also provides enough resistance so that one can build up the force needed to fully open the knife with ease. So a weak/broken detent could be the cause of your problem.

My brother had similar problems with his TRE and sent his knife in - came back just perfect.

Maybe write Lionsteel an email (info@lionsteel.it) or ask for help in the Lionsteel forum.
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Actually... There is not detent, it's just some plastic inserted where there should be a metal ball. Awesome QA for a knife of that price.

And with the recent shift on knives laws in Canada, I'll have to pay shipping fees for a knife that will probably never make it back. So nope, enough damage.
 
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