Which knives/styles do you plain dislike? For no real reason, rubs ya wrong, design, steel, handle, blade-shapes, brands. Judgement-free opinions.

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I'm very opinionated when it comes to this topic.

Generally, a knife not having a stainless steel blade is a deal-breaker. I have a few in my collection, but I'm not looking for any more. I don't carry the ones I have because I don't like rust nor do I think a patina is good-looking.

I don't like trappers or any multi-blade knife that has similar or the exact same blade shape. A Wharncliffe trapper would be the exception. Too bad they are not the norm.

I don't look twice at "art knives" or highly decorated examples that look like something Prince Valient would own. I don't like blade holes that are purely ornamental, like the kind in the shape of a deer head or something like that. Knives made in the "Native American" aesthetic are of no interest to me nor are any overly decorated styles.

I don't like antler, mother of pearl, horn, stone or any of those kind of "premium" natural handles. Wood is preferred, if I want a natural material.

I don't like yellow, orange, pink, purple, or bright green. Case makes numerous handle materials and colors I'd never buy. Bubba gum? No thanks. I tend to like black or muted colors but darker shades of red also look good to me.

"Tactical" is ok if it's made well and not too weird. I've seen expensive stuff that looked just as dumb as cheap Bud-K crap.

Gaudy blade etching or silly graphics have ruined some knives I may have considered buying. I don't want another company's name on my knife like Ford or Chevy or Harley Davidson. That is a no-go, unless they gave me the knife for free.

The concept of "character marks" is absurd to me. I have knives I use frequently that look pristine because I take care of them. I wish the "character mark crowd" would buy my pick-up. I charactered the shit out of that truck.


I don't buy Chinese knives.
 
Scandinavian grinds and coated blades for me, there's others but those are the first 2 that come to mind.

Edit to add: Oh and tactical knives! got zero love for them.
 
luethge said:
Not sure if this is applicable to the theme of the thread.

I greatly dislike the word “spidey” often associated with spyderco. “Spidey flick” makes me cringe whenever I read, or hear it. For some reason the word “blurple” infuriates me as well, often associated with spyderco. Hearing people mention “spidey flicking their blurple PM2 in whatever steel of the week is .. brings me great resentment.

I do like spyderco knives for the most part. I dislike terrible terminology associated with spyderco though.

I’m probably an ___ hole that should see a therapist 😂.

No intention of upsetting anyone with my “spydie” rant.

Any Folder with a choil makes me cringe as well ( besides the F3).
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Words you don't like! Totally applicable!

I am a Spyderco fan but I can absolutely laugh at this. I prefer a good burgundy or wine-red, anyways. Looks more royal or vampyric or something.

Some other people hate "slippie" "fixie"
GAGL said:
Framelocks.

I owned quite a few.Tried to like them...
They look and feel like the last production step was left out..i get an unfinished product feel from them
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With the one scale some beautiful, stunning wood or bone or whatever, and the second... boom, slab o' titanium there for you, absolutely beautiful, $700, discount price. 😂
Yes, I also dislike most of the framelock variety, but I would gladly accept a CRK to try, as opposed to a Medford, or so, where if I found it on the ground outside of Bladeshow, my only thought would be "MONEY MONEY MONEY NOM NOM NOM"

gazz98 said:
I've still never understood the Ti and CF handle craze. I find them slick tbh. Admittedly, my frugalness plays a part in this. I'm content with G10, micarta, and nothing wrong with Spydercos textured FRN.

Cleaver shape blade. Not for me. Plus, when the blade is close, it seems like the knife is 4"+ wide.

Never understood Medford knives. I'm convinced Medford is Latin for "pocket brick". Ok, they have a few slim models.

Tired of "lifestyle" brands. James Brand comes to mind. Whiskey, knives, gear, etc. If you don't drink 19 y.o. scotch and carry a $400 knife, you must be a schmuck. I had a can of Guinness while carrying a Rat 1 D2 last night. I guess I'm a schmuck.
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coolbreezy37 coolbreezy37 because you mentioned this too, James Brand is absolutely cheap, Chinese, sort of for 20-something hip lumberjack looking East Coast people to feel useful. Absolutely sad when I see a good person here, who carries good knives, whip out a James in the EDC section. I don't say anything, of course, but I just think "Come on man, don't you know who James Brand is? You're much too good for that!" Same with those man-boxes or whatever, that start with the bar-rock, bluesly intro, slow-drum-heavy "We got what you need. We've scoured the globe for all sorts of products that will make you the man you are inside..." and then it's like, a quickshot of an Opinel. "It's from France" 🙄 (Absolutely no Opinel hate here, full hate towards dumb lifestyle brands, never have a dollar for one).

I should start a "knives of the world" club aimed at these folks and just send an Opinel one month, then MAM, K55 Mercator, Higonokami, Okapi, small Higo, Douk-Douk... all over and over for like 12-25 dollars while charging a premium. 😂

Also do not love Ti, do not LOVE CF, have one special Ti PM2, and one CF Chapparal. That's me sorted right there. Also, my steel-framelock Spyderco Cricket - exception to the rule.
Cleaver shape - only if it's a thin one. Kizer 10V Sheepdog (haven't even used it yet) seems actually thin and nice. Yojumbo + Yo2 or bust, otherwise, for the cleaver shape. I have a real cleaver being made - that's what I'll use. It's a nostalgic callback, nothing more.
 
Any knife that self advertises as "tactical". All that tells me is the knife is built for some unrealistic fantasy rather than an actual practical application. Also on an unrelated note, I just hate the terms "hair popping" and especially "hair whittling" sharp.
 
CyberRacer said:
Two words - Chisel Grind

I've seen the "tactical" justifications, but in the real world where most people aren't "operators" I've never been able to figure out a purpose for them unless you're using your knife to scrape paint. Honestly they seem lazy, like one side of the blade is finished and the other isn't.
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100%.



Also, some of the best quotes ever in this thread....
Shorttime said:
and while the Sebenza and it's kin are undoubtedly more than the sum of their parts, I'm not excited enough by the parts, to pay the required sum.
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luethge said:
“spidey flicking their blurple PM2 in whatever steel of the week is .."
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luethge said:
Ratatoskr said:
Giant Mouse knives that ARE NOT EVEN THE SIZE OF REGULAR MICE
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Drop bear said:
karambits.

Because they are dumb.
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I thought I loved Karambits, I really just love reverse-S shape, for non-karambit and karambit duties. I look at a normal folding karambit from.... Fox? Emerson? and go bleh. Probably not a huge difference to a lot of forumites, just that the reverse-S is REALLY USEFUL in its smaller iterations, way more than the karambit.

kafolarbear said:
Any knife that self advertises as "tactical". All that tells me is the knife is built for some unrealistic fantasy rather than an actual practical application. Also on an unrelated note, I just hate the terms "hair popping" and especially "hair whittling" sharp.
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I do not mind a genuine knife that could be used for a particular defensive purpose, Cold Steel, prime example.... but when it's a drop-point, ti-framelock Strider thing, or an Emerson, it does nothing for me or the 12 year old boy in me.

I can't imagine being alive and aware while the whole "tactical craze" started. I assume the BS knives/tactics/martial arts touted all over the place from then to the current day does not help most people's view of such knives. I really like it when someone can make something that may be seen by some as "cool" or "badass" and not be an idiot about it/the marketing. Like, Glock, I don't know.
 
Hashishiin said:
I thought I loved Karambits, I really just love reverse-S shape, for non-karambit and karambit duties. I look at a normal folding karambit from.... Fox? Emerson? and go bleh. Probably not a huge difference to a lot of forumites, just that the reverse-S is REALLY USEFUL in its smaller iterations, way more than the karambit.




I do not mind a genuine knife that could be used for a particular defensive purpose, Cold Steel, prime example.... but when it's a drop-point, ti-framelock Strider thing, or an Emerson, it does nothing for me or the 12 year old boy in me.

I can't imagine being alive and aware while the whole "tactical craze" started. I assume the BS knives/tactics/martial arts touted all over the place from then to the current day does not help most people's view of such knives. I really like it when someone can make something that may be seen by some as "cool" or "badass" and not be an idiot about it/the marketing. Like, Glock, I don't know.
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But thats the thing- if a knife is marketed as "self defense" I might roll my eyes a bit but atleast it was made for a specific use case, noone seems to know what makes a knife "tactical" or what a "tactical" knife does well that any other knife doesn't.
 
kafolarbear said:
But thats the thing- if a knife is marketed as "self defense" I might roll my eyes a bit but atleast it was made for a specific use case, noone seems to know what makes a knife "tactical" or what a "tactical" knife does well that any other knife doesn't.
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General purpose other than self defense? That’s how I read it.
Just like ‘bushcraft’ isn’t really crafting anything, and certainly not the best tool for dealing with bush, just a name given to knives intended more for general outdoor use.
 
I don't like thumbholes and thumbstuds. I could probably live with a flipper, but I prefer autos. I don't like rattail tangs. I only like full or skeletonized tangs. And I hate knives that look gimmicky and goofy like something a 12-year-old would love. I also don't like finger choils.
 
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kafolarbear said:
But thats the thing- if a knife is marketed as "self defense" I might roll my eyes a bit but atleast it was made for a specific use case, noone seems to know what makes a knife "tactical" or what a "tactical" knife does well that any other knife doesn't.
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That makes perfect sense. I don't get why a Seal operator, say. would choose some drop-point blade with a million just like it over something crazy like a 5.5in tanto, that'll mess somebody up and stab through a car-door. Might be cringe to see those CS videos, but at least they DO something, that could POTENTIALLY be called upon.
 
Can't stand:

Tantos
Partial serrations
Thick blades/prybar
Heavy
Wave openers
Assisted
Benchmade

Dislike, with exceptions:

Thumbstuds

However, I have reasons for all of these.

Not a big fan of framelocks either.

I've always disliked karambits, and for many years tactical stuff in general.
 
Hashishiin said:
That makes perfect sense. I don't get why a Seal operator, say. would choose some drop-point blade with a million just like it over something crazy like a 5.5in tanto, that'll mess somebody up and stab through a car-door. Might be cringe to see those CS videos, but at least they DO something, that could POTENTIALLY be called upon.
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I'll bet you $100 that my Carothers DEK1 will stab through a car door with no damage.

CPK Pix-7a.jpg
 
I really dislike wall hangers, be they knives or swords. If I have a sword, I want to be able to pick it up and follow Braveheart.

Also, I don't like "zero edge" Scandi grinds. I use them for garden knives, but they are just too thick for my tastes.
 
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