When you buy a knife, any kinda knife, what are your basic 'expectations'?

Ergonomics, blade material, workmanship, and manufacture’s reputation all play a role in my book.

Some things are not that important.
Bling is very low on my list. Most knives I own have G-10 or FRN scales.
 
Aesthetics that appeal to me, including blade styles & different grinds along with good fit & finish. Decent, Reliable steel for taking a good edge, along with edge retention.
Trustworthy Locking mechanisms,
& the 'spring' tension of a slip joint & traditional.
Also, a well designed pocket clip, (If a clip is appropriate for the particular knife,
and/or sheath for a fixed blade.
B.T.B.
Chronovore said:
At $75, it's not a big deal and I don't mind chamfering those edges myself. At almost $200, I have to ask how TRM let them leave the factory like that.
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-My opinion is, even with a 'lower' priced knife,
the craftsmanship details should Not be overlooked.
 
No duplicates, no G-10 or FRN, unique colors and handle materials, unique locks depending, no tantos, prefer regular or modified wharncliffe or drop point. Must have a good fidget factor, CPM-154 or better. As picky as I am, its still easier to shop for a good knife than a good wife.
 
K.O.D. said:
That's debatable. I mean William Henry has that knife going for $45,000. Then again I have a client whose wife has a pair of $130,000 earrings... They have matching Omega's for daily wear and matching Rolex's for formal wear.
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After 38 years of marriage $45K is a drop in the bucket.

Example: June 25, 2021….

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1. Not made in China
2. Attractive design and materials
3. Decent fit and finish
4. Good steel. Not necessarily super steel.
5. For fixed blades, a well made proper fitting sheath with secure retention
6. Reasonably sharp at delivery
7. Not a tanto
8. Not an OTF
9. No serrations
10. No carbon fiber
11. No G 10
12. No weird colors
13. No karambits or wavy blades
14. No liner locks
 
- Made in the USA
- Ideally 154CM or S30V
- Easy disassembly
- Nylon or phosphor bronze washers, no bearings
- Available with subdued colored scales (black G10, black or OD green micarta, blasted Ti)
- Liner or frame locks only
 
Basic expectations is a hard question, mostly because my expectations change depending change based on what I'm buying.

At basic I expect a knife to be "as advertised", not sure if that makes any sense...
 
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My basic expectation is the knife has good fit and finish, material use, design, performance and QC/CS 'worthy' of the price tag, or close to it.
 
MingOnMongo said:
Howdy y'all from another newb, both to blade 'collectables' and the site. If I might ask, with so many good 'choices' these days, and apparently to fit most every budget, what do you usually look for in a knife... aka, what do you expect from that particular knife, if anything?

For example, certainly got own my 'personal' preferences, like blade type, belt clips, minimum steel, 'assisted' opening, whatever... but still mostly looking for Functionality and 'Value' (aka, return on investment), as opposed to strictly "You gets what you pay$ for". Since my sense is that even some of the proverbial 'cheap chinese crap' is finally catching up nowadays (but that's another topic for discussion... lol)!

But how do you 'choose'?
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I want a knife that cuts and slice *very* well. Given I'm a bit of a spyderco fanboy, I lean pretty heavily there. Full flat grind, tip up carry is a preference for me. Most of the things that I cut is cardboard, with a bit of dealing with weeds in the yard. Spyderco generally fits well for my hands, so I rarely worry about ergos from them.

I've found for myself that the high edge retention steel is also a PITA to sharpen, so I'm frankly less picky about the steel as long as it's sharp, and not difficult to bring it back to sharp.

Those would be the basic things I require in a knife. I might have some specific choices, such as something that would work in an office environment, so looking for non-threatening looks, colour on the handles. I might lean towards deep carry clip for normal EDC, but it's not strictly required.
 
calyth said:
I want a knife that cuts and slice *very* well. Given I'm a bit of a spyderco fanboy, I lean pretty heavily there. Full flat grind, tip up carry is a preference for me. Most of the things that I cut is cardboard, with a bit of dealing with weeds in the yard. Spyderco generally fits well for my hands, so I rarely worry about ergos from them.

I've found for myself that the high edge retention steel is also a PITA to sharpen, so I'm frankly less picky about the steel as long as it's sharp, and not difficult to bring it back to sharp.

Those would be the basic things I require in a knife. I might have some specific choices, such as something that would work in an office environment, so looking for non-threatening looks, colour on the handles. I might lean towards deep carry clip for normal EDC, but it's not strictly required.
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So, are you saying that your knife should cut well and fit in with the surroundings?
 
sabre cat said:
So, are you saying that your knife should cut well and fit in with the surroundings?
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For me? Yeah. I don’t pry a hell of a lot, so I lean to thinner stock, flat grind, sharp edge. My EDC needs are rather pedestrian, if I’m honest.

If your daily task often require prying, you might lean to thicker stock and thicker tip construction, possibly a Tanto style. Seems like a separate prying tool is now somewhat in vogue.

I was active on this forum years ago, and I was quite into the blade steel because it was yet another technical thing that I could geek out on. Now I think I approach things from the utility angle first, and not get too hung up on the blade steel as long as it performs adequately, with a decent steel and heat treat
 
My expectation is to get the knife that I paid for based on pics/reviews and any other info.

WHY I choose to buy particular knife is an entirely different question.
 
Snacktime said:
Value or features or impulse?

I try to buy different things as I like to sample a wide range of stuff. Actually some drunk ebay bids have yielded real winners.

I think fit and finish is what I buy for. Bad fit or finish and it's not sticking around in my collection.
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You know, that's probably my main metric too. If the fit and finish impresses me and I found the knife to be a good value, or impossible to replace without spending twice the money, I am very unlikely to sell it and if I do it's going to be a slower decision than a knife I spent MAP on and can re-buy for MAP and only MAP at any time. A knife I don't like the build of is getting gifted or sold if I can't send it back.
 
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