Why a TiNives Knife?

roshi

roshi

Joined
May 3, 2001
Messages
1,501
This is a chance for all you TiKnives fans to tell me why you own one.

First let me tell you that I'm not a collector. I'm a martial artist who hasn't ever found the right folder. The REKAT Sifu came close but it's too big and the the handle doesn't have the right feel. The large Sebenza is too short in the blade and again the handle is made for utility work not knife figthing.

Do I ever expect to get in a knife fight? Hardly, but I don't expect to sword fight but I've got a 600 year old user Katana that I use regularly for Iaido. I practice Shotokan kata five days a week but don't expect to have to use it either.

I want to hear from those of you who actually carry and have used your TiNives knife, especially manuals since that's what I'm considering.

Does it come sharp? Is it easy to keep sharp? Does the handle feel comfortable and provide a slip free grip? Does the fancy finish wear off the handle? Does that expensive roller bearing get gooped up with lint and dust?

Why should I spend $ 300+ on a TiNives knife when a custom folder isn't much more?:rolleyes:
 
roshi-

I owned one for a while about a year ago. My observations:

Does it come sharp?
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VERY sharp. The one I had (Tactical Speedroller 4.25) would easily pop hair right out of the box.

Is it easy to keep sharp?
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Unless something has changed, they do have a full convex edge, so unless you have the proper equipment, I imagine sharpening would be difficult. Under light use, mine never needed sharpening. I believe that TiNives does offer resharpening for a nominal fee.

Does the handle feel comfortable and provide a slip free grip?
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The grip did not feel comfortable for MY hand. I personally prefer a wider, thicker grip, but TiNives have an already slender grip that tapers a lot towards the butt. This, combined with the blade-heavy balance, made it feel like it was going to slip out of my hand. Your own mileage may vary in this regard.

I also seemed to remember wishing that there was some sort of checkering, etc. on the spine of the blade for use in sabre grip..........

Mine did have a lightly checkered texture on the slabs that definitely enhanced grip security.

Does the fancy finish wear off the handle?
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Out of the box, mine had a few VERY tiny chips (smaller than a pinpoint) in the finish (red anodized) around the pivot. I did get the pocket sheath with my knife (I wouldn't recommend it-It makes deployment difficult with the manual model) which definitely protects the finish, and I can say that mine developed no additional chips during the time I owned it.

Does that expensive roller bearing get gooped up with lint and dust?
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I was most interested in this feature when I bought the knife, and I discussed it at length with Scott Self before I purchased the knife. It is shockingly smooth, and it is designed to be self maintaining, so that any grit, etc. will get worked out during use. Beyond that, I don't think that it requires anything mroe than a shot of compressed air now and then. If I recall correctly, it does not need and should not receive any lubrication.

If possible, I would strongly recommend handling one before you buy.
I pretty much liked everything about it, except for the grip. There is also an option of a pocket clip to consider, which may add some mass to the handle.

I hope this helps.
 
Roshi ,


I've had mine for 3 years . A Tiger patterned auto . The knife has been opened hundreds of times and is still tight ( no side or up and down play ) . The handle did take awhile to get famaliar with but as with any defense tool one should manipulate it as much as possible to ingrain its system of use into your muscle memory . I have carried mine alot and the finish is as good as new . The blade was hair spliting sharp out of the box .


I firmly believe the knife is well worth the money . The company ( Scott and Wife ) are great to deal with . Scott stands behind his products . I'm very surprised that Kevin's knife was not replaced if Scott knew about the finish problems .


Jerry
 
Jerry,

Thanks for commenting. Did you order your knife from their web site?
 
Originally posted by JERRY SHIPMAN


I firmly believe the knife is well worth the money . The company ( Scott and Wife ) are great to deal with . Scott stands behind his products . I'm very surprised that Kevin's knife was not replaced if Scott knew about the finish problems .
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I second what Jerry said about Scott and Debbie's service. :) I phoned in my order and spoke with Debbie, who was an absolute pleasure to deal with. I had a technical question for which Debbie did not have the answer, so she said that she would look into it. The next day Scott called me back with the the answer! I can't think of any other company in which the owner personally calls their customers to answer questions.............

I actually did not notify TiNives about the small finish defects. They were minor, so I hope I didn't give the impression otherwise. :) I ultimately sold the knife because it didn't fit my hand, which I consider my own problem, for not doing enough "homework" on my end.
 
HI GENTLEMEN ,


I ordered my knife from them over the phone . Scott spoke to me personally . I had alot of questions and he delt with me until I was satisfied . They are great people . I am the type of person who judges a company almost as much by their customer service as their product .



A few weeks back some negative threads were started about Ti-nives here on the forums . Some said ," The company wouldn't call them back , answer e-mails , or respond to the forum . To help these folks out ( since I live here in Ga. ) I called Scott and Debbie at 9:30 p.m. , not only did I get an answer , we had about a 15 minute conversation . They did what they said . I guess I'm just a very satisfied client . I too had another knife from them that had a few problems , Scott took the knife back and upgraded it without charge ( can't ask for more than that ) . Damn , I wonder if I can get compensated for these endorsements . later---------



Jerry
 
Jerry,

I was one of those people that complained about unreturned emails and a lack of presence in this forum. Another fellow from outside the US also complained about the same things plus no one answered his phone calls.

I've purchased knives for more than 40 years. I purchased items through the internet since 1995. I've mostly been satisfied but have been burned. Plenty of good and bad knife companies have come and gone in thsoe years.

I can't afford to buy a $ 300 item from a company that can't deliver or won't stick by their product.

TiNives don't advertise outside of their web site. They don't produce a catalog. There are no stores where I live that sell any high end knives. I don't get to knife shows. I haven't seen any reviews of TiNives in the forums since I started patricipating. The end result is the only interface between me and TiNives is their web site and this forum.

If they don't respond to email and they don't participate here then they are doing themselves great harm and missing lots of sales opportunities.

I'm still interested since the blade geometry and handle ergonomics appeal to me from my experience with martial arts. The high level of "art" displayed appeals to me as well. It's still difficult to place an order for something you have never even seen in person let alone handled, especially when that item is expensive.

I'd like to again thank you all for your comments. I'm alot closer to ordering that 4.25 inch manual. It's tough to settle on a finish.

However, I still have to take exception to TiNives lack of communication. It's costing them business.

If they don't want to communicate here they should drop the forum or hire one of you guys to run it for them. If they don't answer email, they should note that on their web site.

I hope they and you all take this as constructive criticism of TiNives and not a slam against them as a company or as "knife people".:)
 
>>>If they don't respond to email and they don't participate here then they are doing themselves great harm and missing lots of sales opportunities. <<<

Exactly. It was me who complained about their lack of responsiveness. I sent several e-mails to the company and only the first one was answered (I asked whether I could get specific number from the "golden" series). The following e-mails (whether they could hold the specific number for me - at that time I was really ready to order one) were not answered. I could not call since the 800 number is not accesible from here. I thought about it and decided not to order the knife fearing that they would not answer me in case I had some problems with the knife - since I do not live in US and my only way to communicate with them is to use e-mail or this forum.

David
 
I BELIEVE YOUR ON WEB PAGE SAYS " DON'T WORRY IF YOU DON'T

RESPOND FOR DAYS OR WEEKS BECAUSE YOU TRAVEL "


David ,

I responded to both your post , here and in the auto forum . If memory serves me right I never got a response from you . Now , I'm not going to get in a pissing contest over a post but please do as you expect others to do .




Malcolm ,

I am such a firm beleiver in the human being to do right that I would send my own blade to you, for a few days to see how ya like it . I'm not completely insane I just happen to be able to find folks if they by some chance didn't return my blade .

I don't take anything said on these forums personaly, a person has the right to speak their mind . Send me an e-mail and lets work out the details . Later------------------



Jerry
 
It's not necessary Jerry. I trust you and the others about your TiNives blades and your buying experience with Scott and Debbie.

I'm going to call them next week to see what 4.25 inch manuals they have in stock. If the prices are current on their web site, I'll order one.

Please understand that I'm not be critical of their blade design, quality, or their customer service onece the sale is made. However, if these knives are half as good as you say, they are missing out on a lot of sales by not providing good information on here and not responding to requests for info using their message/email system on their web site.

I'll follow up here about my buying experience and the knife. They should be paying you all a sales commission.
 
Roshi ,


I think you will be happy with the knife . I really like mine alot . I've got a case full of mistakes , so I understand your wanting to make sure of the company and the satisfaction of it's customers .

What color handle are you interested in ? The graphics are all done really well . The handle may seem a little slick at first but after some use it wears in . Enjoy-----


The knives are so different from everything out now, they sure catch other knife freaks eyes when you show it off .


Jerry
 
Based on recent events I feel compelled to choose Stars&Stripes if it's available.
 
Originally posted by JERRY SHIPMAN
I BELIEVE YOUR ON WEB PAGE SAYS " DON'T WORRY IF YOU DON'T

RESPOND FOR DAYS OR WEEKS BECAUSE YOU TRAVEL "


David ,

I responded to both your post , here and in the auto forum . If memory serves me right I never got a response from you . Now , I'm not going to get in a pissing contest over a post but please do as you expect others to do .




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Jerry,

I know you responded and I thank you. But I did not find a reason why to respond to you since you are just a customer of theirs (not their business representative). Even the owner of TiNives responded here and I apologized for my words. In my post above I just expressed my feelings about their lack of responsiveness. It was just my experience and I did NOT say "DO NOT BUY THE KNIVES". I am sure the knives are great and if you live in States and you can call the company everything is OK.

The info on my web site says: Please note that I am not a knife dealer and I do this in my spare time. There are days (weeks) when I travel and cannot answer my e-mails for some time. Please be patient and do not get angry when I do not reply right away.

Yes I do travel and do not respond to my e-mails every day, but I respond to my e-mails 100% (and the longest delay was 3 days). If I am on vacation - I post info on my web site in advance. I work in a Customer Relations Management business and I realize that communication with the customer is the most important thing.

Jerry, if you know the owner of the company maybe you could talk to him and became a moderator for this forum? I am sure it would be a benefit for them and for us as well.

David
 
I spoke with Scott today and he explained that their work on their bayonet for the military and commercial screening work were using more than half their shop space.

They just completed a parts run for the smaller series of TiNives folders.

Their stock of manual knives in 4.25 inch length was limited to four Dressers that didn't appeal to me.

The only manual model in Stars & Stripes was a smaller model and Scott only had four of these left. After that there will be no more Stars & Stripes of any size :eek:

The costs of the photo screening are so expensive now that they can't afford to do any more.

I ordered a small size Stars & Stripes manual. Scott offered me a great deal if I purchased more than one knife of any type but I couldn't afford it this week :(

I post my impressions of my new knife when it arrives and more after I give it a test drive.

With all their bayonet work I don't think we'll see much of Scott and Debbie around here.
 
Hi Roshi and David ,



David ,

Thanks for the note , just an observation of mine . I would like to see more post on this forum . Maybe people will write more now that some kind of dialog has started . Please keep up the post , we are not always going to agree but that's what makes this type of forum interesting . Take care-------- Jerry




Roshi,

Glad to hear you got your knife ordered . I sure hope you like it half as much as I do mine . Yeah , Ti-Nives is very busy at this point ( sure hope they get caught up and make more designs ) I can't wait to get my hands on one of the Double Actions . It had a redesign from what I understand . Let me know when you get your blade .


Regards ,

Jerry
 
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