Which Knife Has Disappointed You The Most, Which Has Pleasantly Surprised You?

B

B.F.U

Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Messages
8,469
I'm interested to hear what knives you all have had high hopes for and then been disappointed by. Whether it had a high price tag and you didn't think the value was there upon receiving/using it, the quality or fit and finish was lack luster, or whatever. Any knife you were excited about that did not live up to your expectations, and why.

For me, it's the Ontario RAT 7. I know it doesn't have the reputation of the similar ESEE 6 etc., but I was still excited about using it. I got a relatively good deal, but it's still a big purchase for me. After using the knife for a lot of gardening/outdoor maintenance I am disappointed. I find myself either wanting more blade for batoning and chopping or wanting less for detailed stuff. I also wasn't impressed by coating, it came off pretty quickly so I stripped and patina it. Also, for some reason I find it more difficult to sharpen than exotic stainless steels.

Strangely, the knife that has pleasantly surprised me is the Ontario RAT 1. I bought the RAT 1 a while back and liked it at first. However, the non lock side scale was not flush or flat fitted to the liner and I noticed with use that it created a hot spot. Then the clip came so loose it didn't really do much. Finally, after less than two weeks of light use, it developed blade play that made me concerned the lock would fail. Recently I decided to give it another try, as members here insisted I must have gotten a dud. I couldn't be happier with it. The fit and finish is perfect, the lock up is solid, it came extremely sharp, it even feels heftier. Most importantly, it's standing up to some real use. If I had to describe it with one word, I'd say "solid". An amazing value.

I know this is long, but I like detail in reviews to see why someone likes or doesn't like a knife. It is extremely helpful in making purchases, and I look forward to hearing any of your stories.

ALLHSS
 
Dissapointed the most: strider pt. I thought it would be a substitute in my rotation for a small Sebenza, but no. It is small and the actual cutting edge is actually quite short. Don't get me wrong here.....the knife had good finish and a solid lockup etc, it just was not what I thought it would be.
Surprized me: my case muskrat. I did not really know what to expect, I just liked the concept. The knife came to me with perfect fit and finish and a nice snap. Both blades were razor sharp and centered perfectly, and the stag handles were perfectly matched. Overall, an amazing knife for $70. I bought 2 other case knives after that as a direct result.
 
Biggest disappointment would have to be a benchmade mini-grip, don't get me wrong i still liked the knife but the grinds we're waaaaaay off. I'm talking like a 25 degree on one side and a 40 on the other. It had to be a lemon but other than that it still worked until I lost it at work one day lol. The one that surprised me the most has had to be my first bark river knife which was an A2 gunny in black micarta, I literally sliced a phone book in half and all my friends we're in awe as I did it right in front of them, super sharp from the factory, carbon steel is no joke, it gets wicked sharp.
 
fingerjonsin said:
Biggest disappointment would have to be a benchmade mini-grip, don't get me wrong i still liked the knife but the grinds we're waaaaaay off. I'm talking like a 25 degree on one side and a 40 on the other. It had to be a lemon but other than that it still worked until I lost it at work one day lol. The one that surprised me the most has had to be my first bark river knife which was an A2 gunny in black micarta, I literally sliced a phone book in half and all my friends we're in awe as I did it right in front of them, super sharp from the factory, carbon steel is no joke, it gets wicked sharp.
Click to expand...

The grind on my 940 was off similarly. Not just side by side, but also it changed along the length of the edge. The entire grind was also a little off kilter.
 
Ernie1980 said:
Dissapointed the most: strider pt. I thought it would be a substitute in my rotation for a small Sebenza, but no. It is small and the actual cutting edge is actually quite short. Don't get me wrong here.....the knife had good finish and a solid lockup etc, it just was not what I thought it would be.
Surprized me: my case muskrat. I did not really know what to expect, I just liked the concept. The knife came to me with perfect fit and finish and a nice snap. Both blades were razor sharp and centered perfectly, and the stag handles were perfectly matched. Overall, an amazing knife for $70. I bought 2 other case knives after that as a direct result.
Click to expand...

How do you like the ergonomics on the strider?
 
consider this a wide-eyed beginner's view but all my spyderco purchases impressed me beyond positive bladeforums endorsement (now that's saying something.) hardly anything to be disappointed with. the only uncertain thought at the back of my head is the pricing relative to other makes.

if there's a spydey knife that has disappointed me, it's the one i haven't bought: the paramilitary. that's another story though.
 
Okay, this post is almost half confession...so quite a few years ago (but not nearly enough for me to really forgive myself about it) I was at a local knife shop and saw a Damascus knife with a blade of about 8" for $80. Over here that's incredibly cheap for a Damascus blade. So I thought to myself "hey, this must be quality...no brand to speak of but that has to be okay, I mean it's Damascus after all...and Pakistan can't be too bad a place for knife manufacture" and forked out the cash. Yeah, no surprises it's over-ground, unbalanced and oddly enough doesn't really hold an edge. Lesson learned. I mentioned it was years ago, right?

As for the surprisingly impressive knife. I was recently in Vietnam and for the heck of it I picked up a really crude knife that's half cleaver, half machete. It's made from a single slab of basic forged carbon steel, the handle is made by wrapping the steel into a cylinder and they hadn't even sanded off the jagged bits - that kind of crude. I paid a massive 70,000 Vietnam Dong (about $3.50) for it, and I'm pretty sure I paid quite a bit more than the locals. But these knives are used for everything there, from filleting fish to cutting bamboo for construction scaffolding to chopping pork and slicing paper-thin slices of root vegetables. When I got it home I sanded off the jagged bits, sharpened it up (it takes a mean edge) and it's now one of my favourite kitchen knives. I also feel confident in knowing that I could cut a small tree down with it if I had to.
 
Biggest disappointment was a Boker Arbolito 513 MHX my wife bought me on a camping trip in the badlands, loved the look of the knife, though it was VERY big for my taste, she meant well. I never really used it until that Christmas, I tried trimming some small branches off the base of our tree that year, and the blade BENT on 1/2" twigs. Sent it back to Boker, and they replaced it right away, but I sold the replacement immediately.

Biggest surprise was my Entrek Javalina, I was weary of beating the heck out of a 440C blade, but that knife has taken everything I've thrown at it, and laughed at my efforts! Now that I've made a new sheath for it, it's my go to camp knife.
 
Biggest disappointment: Spyderco Military. I ordered the knife and looked forward to getting it. When it came in, I immediately did not like the feel of the knife in my hands. I thought that maybe with time, the knife would grow on me. It hasn't. To be clear, there really isn't anything wrong with the knife. It just doesn't sit comfortably in my hand. Part of the reason is the size, part of the reason is the location of the liner lock and how it impacts on the forefinger when gripping the knife.

From an appearance sake, it is OK, I guess. I like black blades and it has the black blade with camo scales. I bought a PM2 (which I like much better) in the same scheme. But the blade does look undersized for the handle.

Still, it slices nicely, it rides properly in the pocket, and is a well built knife. I just don't like the thing.


Most pleasantly surprised: Spyderco Manix2 XL. At the same time that I bought the above mentioned Military, I also bought a Manix2 XL. Expectations were not particularly high. I was thinking that it would just be a different knife, a larger knife, in the EDC box. Boy, was I wrong. I love the knife and, in fact, it has become one of my top five knives. My hand fits it perfectly. The blade is a great design. The same day that I got it, I cut up some tomatoes and onions just to see it in action (I never use a pocket knife in the kitchen, this was a very rare exception) and it made salsa out of the stuff in no time.

It is, quite simply, a great knife for its price point - IMHO. I later bought the smaller Manix2 and it is a nice knife as well. I'll own many more from this line before they stop production. Very, very, pleasantly surprised.
 
Disappointed - T-MAG. WTH were they thinking? It's cool and smooth, but less lockup than a pair of scissors!

Pleasantly surprised by SnG. Looking at them for years I never thought I'd like it, but found myself in a trade recently. The knife is great in that by holding it by the handle makes it feel like a big knife, but using the blade choil gives it a superb grip for detail work. Even though it is considered a "hard use" knife it only weighs 4.4oz.
 
Greatest disappointment? XM-18's, a 3" slicer (too small to hold onto) and a 3.5" Spanto. Couldn't find any trees to cut down. I'm a casual user.

Greatest surprise? My Kershaw Blem JunkYardDog 2.2 for 59 bucks. Composite blade with D2, very nice manual flipper, solid as a rock, and cuts like nobody's business. Amazing value here.

Sure, the Hinderer is a great knife; very heavy-duty and will last forever. But, try to buy what you'll need; not more. Heavy-duty stuff often is too thick to slice well; too heavy to carry, so you leave it home and then sell it.
 
My biggest disappointment was a RAT folder in D2 made by Queen. I was very excited about it, because it had all the things I wanted in an EDC slipjoint: an awl, a sheepfoot blade and a longer clip point blade, good steel and nice handle material (sheep horn). The thing arrived blunt. Not a bit dull, I'm fine with that as I'm an experienced sharpener, but absolutely lacking a cutting edge on the blades. Returning it wasn't an option (I'm a few thousand kilometers away), so I had to take it to a local knifemaker to have it ground properly (without screwing up the heat treatment). I've had problems with other knives, but all had either simple solutions or were quickly sold to somebody who didn't mind the flaw.

The biggest surprise came from two Spydercos, a Viele (the old AUS8 version) and a Walker Lightweight. I was very conservtive in my knife tastes a few years ago, and thought plastic handles, pocket clips and one hand opening features (holes, disks, studs) were just gimmicks. And ugly gimmicks, to boot. I was all about forged carbon steel and natural handle materials (which I still love). One day I walked into a gun shop and they were having a big sale of some old stock, so I grabbed a bunch of knives and threw those in just to round out the price. I can't remember any of the other stuff I bought that day, these two Spydies changed the way I saw pocket knives and got me to try out a lot of different brands I had never thought I'd own.
 
Biggest disappointment:

Wilson Combat Rapid Response Folder:
005-9.jpg


What a joke! $400 for a flipper you have to pitch like a baseball to deploy. A double detent system that makes it damn near impossible to improve the flipping ability, and an overall size that is just awkward. I couldn't get rid of this thing fast enough.

Most surprising:

Southern Grinds Bad Monkey:
009-7_zpsb8dacbd9.jpg


I was expecting just another liner lock and I fell in love with this thing almost immediately. It's HUGE and so light. I love Sandvik so that's a plus. Fit and finish is the best I've seen on a knife in this price range.
 
Disappointed - ZT0561 and ZT0560: Elmax doesn't hold an edge, minor blade play, poor clip retention, rough stud placed and also the rattle sound from blade stop pin....

Surpirced - Plain Spyderco Paramilitary2: great ergo, nice blade steel, light, great lock, nice grind. For me it's by far the best knife for money.
 
Biggest dissappointment was a Mora Scout Classic. It was relatively inexpensive, but I was expecting a better knife based on all the talk on the forums. No more Mora's for me.

Most recent surprise was a Kabar Becker BK16. I just love this knife. I really wasn't expecting a lot, but bought it because of all the talk on this forum. Another pleasant surprise was the Condor Kephart. Same sort of knife as the BK16. Like it.

Generally speaking, my fixed blade preference has been moving toward smaller blades and my pocket knives have gradually gotten larger.
 
My biggest disappointment was a Spyderco Vallotton. It was uncomfortable in my hand and unwieldy to use. Although some consider crisp handle edges a sign of manufacturing quality I found them to be sharp and uncomfortable.

My biggest surprise was a Spyderco Anso Zulu. Excellent slicer, comfortable in the hand and easy to use.
 
Biggest Disappointment: CRK Star-Tac

An absolutely gorgeous blade with a beautiful polished edge. It came fairly dull with a slight roll in the edge. I am guessing that the edge may be overbuffed. Either way, I will have to resharpen it.

Most Suprisig: CRKT Stockman

A cheap little slipjoint, but it came quite sharp. The fit and finish was quite nice too. It has a permanent place in my EDC.
 
Oooohhhh.... Biggest disappointment. That covers so many knives I've owned and flipped. None of them I'll mention were necessarily bad, just not for me. I hate to say it but most Busse knives I've owned. 0.32 ASH, Killa Zilla, SAR4, Tankbuster and some others. They are beastly, the Busse team seems great and they're good knives but I think they're a bit expensive for what you get. Also they tend to be on the thick ( to insane) side with wide edge angles which tends to make them less than useful for knifey stuff. I know you can have them reprofiled for your intended use but that's my gripe. I did dig the NMSFNO, HG55 and still have a couple SAR5 ( the Busse bastard child). That being said, I'll probably pick up one of their ridiculous choppers because, c'mon... they're friggin cool.

Didn't care for the Strider SMFs that I've owned. Again, nice knives but I'm not huge on folders that try to be fixed blades. They're clunky, too thick to be great slicers and not a great ratio of edge to overall knife size. Again, cool knives but not efficient IMO. The ZT 0561 was also a bit of a let down. Well made and smooth as glass but overall kind of clunky to carry and handle.

Knives that I've been pleasantly surprised with. Spyderco Military. This is what I feel a folder should be; light gripppy, great cutter, large blade and a big handle that offers multiple grips. When I knock folders it's probably because this is my baseline. It'll be a crap pry bar and you probably don't want to do a lot of piercing of hard materials with it but it serves it's purpose as a folder admirably.

McCurdy Kukri: Well built, decent sheath and reasonably priced. You want a large chopper that won't break the bank... I love this one.

Roselli Carpenter knife: Pukkoo style scandi ground knife in UHC steel. Not the prettiest thing but very utilitarian and the birch handle feels great in hand. Maybe a bit expensive for what it is but I'm overall very surprised with how much i like this style of knife.
 
Biggest disappointment - Spyderco Southard - most overrated piece of Chinese junk I've ever bought.

Biggest pleasant surprise - Emersons - resisted liking them for years. Now probably my favorite maker.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top