Worst knife deals you ever saw?

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Smiling

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By this I don't mean on Chinese knock-offs or gas station knives, as that junk is pretty much a waste of money more often than not, and we all know that.


I mean on knives from well known manufacturers that are grossly overpriced. I mean, a knife where you aren't getting what you're paying for on so many levels, a knife that made you wonder "Wait, someone buys THAT?"

To me, that's CRKT Gulf (over 100 euros here, for 8Cr13MoV liner lock) and basically any Rockstead, since they cost in thousands of Euros (Don ZDP or Un ZDP)... for that price you can buy a car.


In case someone wants to give me some heat for mentioning Rockstead here - I would only consider buying them if I'm really really rich and I really really liked something they're making. But I'd still think several times, as at that hardness I don't know if the steel is going to be durable?
And they are also very, VERY stingy with their warranty, you pay few thousands for their knife and they're even searching the internet, looking for any excuse to avoid fixing something that was factory defect which shouldn't be there at a first place at that price point (I remember one thread here). Yes, they're going that far to save few $...
 
HANDS DOWN. The Ontario M9 Bayonet. My tactical obsessed friend (that owns no firearms...) got this against my advice. The thing is useless despite being advertised in it's versatility.
1. The thing is $200CAD!!!
2. It's made out of 420HC which usually is on $30-$60 fixed blades.
3. The blade is HEAVY, it only has a 7" blade but it's heavier and thicker than my "10 blade K-tac Kukri! No one in their right mind would slap this on the muzzle of their rifle...
4. The bevel and blade profile is terribly obtuse... it makes an axe look like a straight razor.

So now you have a super expensive medium sized fixed blade that cannot cut, cannot do fine tasks, cannot be used for a bayonet practically, and is too small to substitute a machete or hatchet despite being the weight of one...
 
One man's overpriced waste of money is another man's cherished treasure.

As long as the buyer is happy, I wouldn't say they got a bad deal.

The value of a deal is not measured only by the amount of money spent, but also by ones happiness with their purchase.
 
Mine was a Strider SNG. Owned couple different ones. Around $450 at the time here in Canada. One of the. The lock bar stuck so badly the knife was almost unusable. I formed blisters on my thumb trying to break it in as enthusiasts would chirp. Graphite or permanent marker would help but finally I got tired of a knife that expensive needing so much effort to keep working. On the other, the lock bar would disengage much to easily at nearly any back pressure. I finally realized that this was ridiculous and was done with them forever.
 
As far as everyday knives, it's all the overpriced knives in 8Cr13Mov. It's a steel that once represented a decent bargain for budget knives. It was a step up from stuff like 420, AUS-6, or lower-numbered members of the same series. In the years since it dominated the budget market, many Chinese companies have gone direct. Now they are offering similarly priced knives in much better steels such as 9Cr18Mov, Acuto 440, AUS-10, D2, and Sandvik steels.

CRKT and Kershaw are repeat offenders. For all we know, they contract with the same factories making those better knives but remain stuck in their ways.

Spyderco gets an honorable mention here. It's an amazing company that makes amazing knives. However, their Tenacious in 8Cr13Mov is still around $50.
 
Spyderco, at least in my country (South Africa). I can't see the value in them. Even their Byrd line is expensive here. It's a shame because I really wanted to try out a Delica. I liked the ergonomics and feel in hand and pocket but the price was just nuts. I won't pay for a name. I can find knives from different manufacturers at lower prices with better steels. The other models like the Para 2, Manix, etc cost more than my rent! I can't justify that for an object that just needs to separate material. Benchmade also comes to mind but I haven't taken a good look at them because I'm not a fan of those omega springs

Certain Kershaw models with their low end steel at higher than expected prices also deserve a mention
 
Smiling said:
By this I don't mean on Chinese knock-offs or gas station knives, as that junk is pretty much a waste of money more often than not, and we all know that.


I mean on knives from well known manufacturers that are grossly overpriced. I mean, a knife where you aren't getting what you're paying for on so many levels, a knife that made you wonder "Wait, someone buys THAT?"

To me, that's CRKT Gulf (over 100 euros here, for 8Cr13MoV liner lock) and basically any Rockstead, since they cost in thousands of Euros (Don ZDP or Un ZDP)... for that price you can buy a car.


In case someone wants to give me some heat for mentioning Rockstead here - I would only consider buying them if I'm really really rich and I really really liked something they're making. But I'd still think several times, as at that hardness I don't know if the steel is going to be durable?
And they are also very, VERY stingy with their warranty, you pay few thousands for their knife and they're even searching the internet, looking for any excuse to avoid fixing something that was factory defect which shouldn't be there at a first place at that price point (I remember one thread here). Yes, they're going that far to save few $...
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Have you ever held a rockstead?
 
Hinderers on the secondary market! It sucks when you miss out on buying one the day they are released. So you can either wait for months (and hope the next batch is the one you want) or pay an extra $200 for a used one on eBay 🤨
 
tony281sc2 said:
Hinderers on the secondary market! It sucks when you miss out on buying one the day they are released. So you can either wait for months (and hope the next batch is the one you want) or pay an extra $200 for a used one on eBay 🤨
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Many are being sold in the "Exchange" here on a regular basis. Not all of them are being sold at scalper's prices. At least not from what I see.
 
Maybe I’ll try that out. It’s only like $20 to be able to buy/sell here right ?
Blues said:
Many are being sold in the "Exchange" here on a regular basis. Not all of them are being sold at scalper's prices. At least not from what I see.
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Chronovore said:
Spyderco gets an honorable mention here. It's an amazing company that makes amazing knives. However, their Tenacious in 8Cr13Mov is still around $50.
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$52.50 right now. They could honestly cut that price in half. 8Cr, G-10, Liner lock at $52.50 is just not a good value anymore. You get better materials and action than a tenacious out of the entire Civivi lineup essentially.
 
tony281sc2 said:
Hinderers on the secondary market! It sucks when you miss out on buying one the day they are released. So you can either wait for months (and hope the next batch is the one you want) or pay an extra $200 for a used one on eBay 🤨
Click to expand...

Hi Tony,

If you are looking for a Bowie, as you mentioned in the other thread, PM me, I have more than one spare.

Roland.
 
jmarston said:
Mine was a Strider SNG. Owned couple different ones. Around $450 at the time here in Canada. One of the. The lock bar stuck so badly the knife was almost unusable. I formed blisters on my thumb trying to break it in as enthusiasts would chirp. Graphite or permanent marker would help but finally I got tired of a knife that expensive needing so much effort to keep working. On the other, the lock bar would disengage much to easily at nearly any back pressure. I finally realized that this was ridiculous and was done with them forever.
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Same. Mine was one of the worst knives I have ever had. No idea what all the hype was about with the SNG.
 
emjay said:
Spyderco, at least in my country (South Africa). I can't see the value in them. Even their Byrd line is expensive here. It's a shame because I really wanted to try out a Delica. I liked the ergonomics and feel in hand and pocket but the price was just nuts. I won't pay for a name. I can find knives from different manufacturers at lower prices with better steels. The other models like the Para 2, Manix, etc cost more than my rent! I can't justify that for an object that just needs to separate material. Benchmade also comes to mind but I haven't taken a good look at them because I'm not a fan of those omega springs
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That's terrible! In many places around the United States, the monthly rent for even a small studio apartment is Quadruple the price of a Manix 2, and that's if you get one in premium steel.

I ordered a small fixed blade from African Custom Knives on sale for under a hundred USD. It's only 12C27 but that's a solid step up from 8Cr13Mov. How do their prices stack up locally?
 
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The AG Russell catalogs are loaded with horrible deals all dead retail if not more so, as well as tons of overpriced knives in 8cr steel...
 
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