Why did i buy it? Regret thread

Not sure I'd include my CRKTs from back in the day, I was just young and didn't know any better.

Most recent regret is a few years ago, I bought an Emerson CQC 8. Wanted to try an Emerson. Not impressed at all with anything on the knife. Thankfully I got a decent deal, resold it, and got some of my $ back.
 
luethge said:
Hinderer XM-24 , twice. I will never buy a 24 again.

Bad : Blade ( cutting edge ) to handle ratio, huge choil, snag points.

Good : Fit / finish was incredible, action was perfect, aesthetically it’s bad ass.

Practical to carry - No. Edge was better than any of the 18’s I’ve owned from factory.

*Not bashing Hinderer’s - I’ll stick to other makers for edc folders though.
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I never tried a 24 but what you said here echoes exactly my observation and thinking.

Did you try a skinny xm-18? Also, the no choil xm-18 wharnie seems to be pretty Thin behind the edge.
 
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Just because it was because I was younger and didn't know any better, doesn't mean it wasn't last week. I was younger and there were things I didn't know last week that I know now.

Sometimes decisions made after midnight apply to knives too. I created a vetted purchase list to save me from that. Sometimes a sale will trip me up, but I try to stick to the plan.
 
When I was maybe 12, I saw an ad in a newspaper insert I think it was for some sort of "collectible" knife. Something patriotic, had a "diamond" in the handle. Don't recall exactly what made it attractive to me. Anyhow, my father ordered one for each of us, and when they came, instant disappointment. At the time I was looking at the ad, the advertised value and the price it was didn't add up, even to me, but I shoved that to the back of my brain. The knife was truly a POS, even to me - completely knife ignorant at 12. I suspect my father used this episode as a teaching moment, even though nothing was said; he didn't have to, it worked. Cured me of ever wanting anything form a newspaper insert.
 
I regret buying the first three Massdrop Ferrum Forge colabs. I fell victim to hype and media and what not. They’re not horrible, but I find them meh in just about every way. The Crux is my truck knife. The Gent stays at my parents so I have something disposable to carry when I fly to see them, and the Falcon (which is the most interesting of the three) sits nib in my safe—I’ll probably be gifting it someday.

I also regret my BM 940-2 purchase. It was also knida hype driven. I tried 3 samples at the dealer, all had lousy fit & finish, so I bought the least jenky of the three. I shoulda passed, but again, hype had me convinced I needed one. It’s turned out to be an ok knife after lots of fiddling & fussing, but it just doesn’t do much for me. I think I woulda liked the OG 940 better.

I’m sure there are fanbois & apologists out there for these knives, but it is what it is. FWIW I really like my Small Sebenza 31, but sadly it ain‘t a “touched by God” masterpiece either.

OTOH, I actually enjoyed my SOG part serrated Flash II. It worked well for me as a lightweight backpacking knife. I wound up giving it to my father-in-law when he lost whatever it was he carried (I wouldn’t have paid full retail for it though).

I had a CRKT Drifter and a Kershaw Volt II that were both good $20 knives. They exceeded my $20 expectations. ;)
 
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My Kershaw Link. I like the design, but it was a bit overpriced for 420HC and now I can’t even carry the damn thing without breaking the law.
 
BD_01 said:
I regret buying the first three Massdrop Ferrum Forge colabs. I fell victim to hype and media and what not. They’re not horrible, but I find them meh in just about every way. The Crux is my truck knife. The Gent stays at my parents so I have something disposable to carry when I fly to see them, and the Falcon (which is the most interesting of the three) sits nib in my safe—I’ll probably be gifting it someday.

I also regret my BM 940-2 purchase. It was also knida hype driven. I tried 3 samples at the dealer, all had lousy fit & finish, so I bought the least jenky of the three. I shoulda passed, but again, hype had me convinced I needed one. It’s turned out to be an ok knife after lots of fiddling & fussing, but it just doesn’t do much for me. I think I woulda liked the OG 940 better.

I’m sure there are fanbois & apologists out there for these knives, but it is what it is. FWIW I really like my Small Sebenza 31, but sadly it ain‘t a “touched by God” masterpiece either.

OTOH, I actually enjoyed my SOG part serrated Flash II. It worked well for me as a lightweight backpacking knife. I wound up giving it to my father-in-law when he lost whatever it was he carried (I wouldn’t have paid full retail for it though).

I had a CRKT Drifter and a Kershaw Volt II that were both good $20 knives. They exceeded my $20 expectations. ;)
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The hype is real. The CRKT CEO was one of the worst offenders. Everyone raved about it. The design is great but the execution left something to be desired. At least it's not an expensive knife, so it wasn't like I was left cursing the gods and my empty wallet at the end of the day. What I really wanted, but didn't know it when I bought the CEO, was the MKM Flame, also possibly the Kizer Feist or Splinter; one or more of those three I'll likely pick up one of these days. The hype will often have you focused on one knife and try to influence you to buy it, before you have a sense of all the better alternatives available. Always take a step back from the hype and consider your options, no matter how shiny that knife looks right now.

I ended up giving the CRKT CEO to my girlfriend and she really likes it, so I guess I've finally taken another step towards becoming a curmudgeonly knife snob. She also really likes the Ontario Rat1 (AUS8) I rotated in as the kitchen utility folder and I agree that it's a good knife, so maybe I'm not a complete knife snob quite yet.

I think with the more expensive knives or pretty much anything like it, a good way to look at the value is the way my photography teacher talked about the different levels of course work. The introductory course would improve your work 40-50%. The intermediate course 20-25%. The advanced level course cost more than the first two courses did individually, but would only lead to a 3-5% overall improvement in your work (more in specific areas less in others). Those tiny improvements in fit and finish can cost a lot, as those margins for improvement grow finer, and it's up to each of us to decide if that extra price is worth it.
 
Wild Willie said:
I once owned a Gerber paraframe...
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Is it just me, or is the steel in those knives complete garbitch?

I'm far from an expert at sharpening (although I'm starting to get the hang of it) but my Gerber Paraframe is one of only two knives in the entire house (along with a POS stainless kitchen knife from the 1950s) that I CANNOT put an edge on.

Anyone else experience this with the Gerber Paraframe?
 
Cementite said:
Is it just me, or is the steel in those knives complete garbitch?

I'm far from an expert at sharpening (although I'm starting to get the hang of it) but my Gerber Paraframe is one of only two knives in the entire house (along with a POS stainless kitchen knife from the 1950s) that I CANNOT put an edge on.

Anyone else experience this with the Gerber Paraframe?
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There's a reason I got rid of it.
 
Rather than admitting I bought and paid good hard earned money for a crap piece of knife I tell everyone I got it to scrape paint, carbon and corrosion to save my good knives. Lol dare I venture to cut something with it lest someone sees me trying. Lol
 
1. That I didn’t just stop with my first Benchmade Mini Grip. I enjoyed that knife, but then I fell for the hype about how much better the Doug Ritter version was and micarta scales. So I bought a Ritter Mini Grip and modified it with some OD green micarta scales and a stonewashed aftermarket clip. It was a gorgeous looking knife, but I could never establish a connection with it like my original, much cheaper classic Mini Grip. The original was smoother and fit in the hand better. It did make me realize modifying knives to be more expensive/aesthetic isn’t a need for me. Simple and functional makes me happy, so later on I got it right by getting a basic Bugout that has been a joy to use.

2. That I fell for the hype that I needed a bunch of knives everywhere. I went on a spree where I felt like I needed a knife stashed in every bag, multiple in the truck, and a few to choose from at home. But truth is I didn’t, and it was a waste for me personally. All the knives stashed everywhere barely got any use, if at all. And I remembered back before I went down the internet rabbit hole where I only had one or two knives. I carried the same one everyday, and it was great. So I eventually went back to that after progressively pairing down, and it’s been wonderful. Lesson learned, but money wasted along the way.
 
Cementite said:
Is it just me, or is the steel in those knives complete garbitch?

I'm far from an expert at sharpening (although I'm starting to get the hang of it) but my Gerber Paraframe is one of only two knives in the entire house (along with a POS stainless kitchen knife from the 1950s) that I CANNOT put an edge on.

Anyone else experience this with the Gerber Paraframe?
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It is what it is with Gerber nowadays. The Paraframe is that knife that lives in some random drawer and gets used as a pry bar, scraper, chisel, etc.

If a company doesn't list the steel type, I'd be suspect. If a company actively ignores and gives the runaround to customer emails and questions regarding steel type, it's a no go..

Anyways, yes, garbage steel indeed, usually along with a sub par heat treat. Probably using whatever they can source the cheapest, probably some sort of 5cr/7cr/420j/440, likely at 54 or 55 hrc.

Tough in a "malleable" sort of way, sure I guess, but 2 apples, 3 amazon boxes and one zip tie later your already looking for your strop. My .02 cents, ymmv, etc etc..
 
The three regrets that I have that didn't come from being a newb was:

1) Benchmade Auto Triage. The Auto was a pain to close with one hand, the edge was never very sharp which meant I was using the serrations constantly, the glass breaker was sharp and pointing at all the wrong times, and the seat belt cutter opened constantly. I lost it when it fell out of a velcro pocket on a pair of 5.11 Tactical pants and I've never missed it.

2) Microtech Ultratech Sith Lord. I loved the Star Wars blades and found this on their Microtech Gear sight with a slight chip for $100 off. The problem was the action was the stiffest I've ever used on an OTF, and I've used Combat Troodons that were easier to fire. Thankfully, I sold it for what I paid for it, so it wasn't that painful.

3) Guardian Tactical Recon 035. Everything you've heard about the action you've heard about this knife is 100% true. The problem was the rest of the knife. The whole thing is a slick as a bar of soap. It was so slick it slipped out of my hands while I was trying to flick the switch and scratched some of the anodizing off when it hit the ground. There's no reason to make an OTF that slick.
 
Ok, I’ll add to my pile. And subtract one while I’m at it. Microtech UTX-70. Nowhere near worthy of the hype, in my opinion. It’s an ok OTF, and that’s it. Good materials, action sucks. It’s been sold, as has the Axial Shift I yammered on about earlier in the thread, and I’ll never buy another of either. And there was the Camillus Centerfire I added to the cart just to get over the minimum for free shipping. Nearly tore the skin off my thumb trying to disengage the liner lock that just refused to budge. That regret, however, was somewhat tempered by the tragic and violent end it met against my garage floor. Yet still the sour taste lingers.

BUT … I no longer regret the Ochs Worx Solarstorm. In fact it’s worked its way back into the favorites part of my knife list. Why? After spending a good bit more on a handful of higher-end knives over the last few months, I’ve come to appreciate the Solarstorm more for the damn good quality knife it really is, costing much less than similar quality competitors, and without all the hype that certain other brands heap upon themselves. I like it … a lot, I’m glad I have it, and I’m gonna keep it.

Interesting how the few regrets make me appreciate the others so much more.
 
Hinderer XM-*, don't understand the fuss about Hinderer

Microtech MSI, overhyped, feels very cheap, the 'ramlok' sucks.

Boker AK

All the mall ninja crap I bought in Chinatown as a kid.

Anything crkt has been a letdown, was always disappointed after purchase, never again

Haven't met a Kershaw I liked, I keep making the mistake of thinking it will be different this time.



I will say, friends, family, and coworkers benefit greatly from all of this because I am too lazy to sell knives and end up giving them away.
 
Love my CEO and Hinderers and CRK's and even my CRKT's.

I don't know if I've ever regretted buying a knife, I've had ones that are less than stellar that's for sure but I enjoy all of my knives as they all have a story to them.
 
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