Would You Buy A Frail Knife?

Would you buy a frail, slicing-performance oriented knife?

  • Yes, damn the risk.

    Votes: 31 53.4%

  • Yes, but only if it had a warranty.

    Votes: 3 5.2%

  • Yes, but only if I can buy replacement blades.

    Votes: 3 5.2%

  • Nope. I need to stab old barrels.

    Votes: 21 36.2%
  • Total voters
    58
Petunia D. Feeble

Petunia D. Feeble

I sharpen things.
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jun 30, 2016
Messages
4,695
People are often willing to buy cars that aren’t terribly reliable, even for huge sums because they’re performance vehicles… Could the same be true for knives?

If a manufacturer made a model with 15V steel and a stock thickness of only .04” would you consider purchasing it? It will definitely perform well in cutting tasks, but a high hardness with that thin blade it could be more likely to snap than one at .125”.

I’d consider it. Especially if the brand owned up to it. If they acknowledged the potential durability issue and stated plainly that they couldn’t warranty it against breakage, but COULD provide replacement blades for a reasonable fee I’d be all in.
 
As long as I know I can pay for a blade replacement, I'm open to thin stock in low toughness steels for high performance slicing. I'd still be careful to respect the limitations of that configuration but accidents happen.
 
T.L.E. Sharp said:
People are often willing to buy cars that aren’t terribly reliable, even for huge sums because they’re performance vehicles… Could the same be true for knives?

If a manufacturer made a model with 15V steel and a stock thickness of only .04” would you consider purchasing it? It will definitely perform well in cutting tasks, but a high hardness with that thin blade it could be more likely to snap than one at .125”.

I’d consider it. Especially if the brand owned up to it. If they acknowledged the potential durability issue and stated plainly that they couldn’t warranty it against breakage, but COULD provide replacement blades for a reasonable fee I’d be all in.
Click to expand...

This is basically how many Japanese kitchen knives are marketed. Hard steel in the core and disclaimers about not cutting into bone or food that's frozen.

I like thin blades, but there's a limit as I don't want it to flex for 95% of my uses as it can be both annoying and make it more difficult to sharpen. But a hard hardness steel that's maybe a bit brittle and thin for just slicing would be nice for many tasks.
 
Some enterprising knucklehead hasn't already cornered the market on super steel blades for utility knives? We can get a 400 dollar box cutter, but not performance blades for them? What a world we live in .🤣

In all seriousness though, I do like a thin ground blade. Considering the fact that such a product would be geared towards we elite enthusiasts I'd think little warning would be necessary...

Nevermind the warning part, I'd forgotten about such influential experts as Joe X.
"My super thin, high hardness blade broke when I tried to use it as a climbing piton. IT'S TRASH!!!"
 
Well, a folding knife is exactly the type of knife that does not need to be very robust & can easily get away with thin blade stock or grinds. So.. yes, I don't see the disadvantage. If I want something studier I use a fixed blade.
As far as I'm concerned most modern folders have blades and grinds which are too thick anyway. About 2mm stock with 0.2-0.3 mm BTE in a 60+ HRC stainless steel is my sweet spot for folders.
 
I mean, my Neutron is .09 20CV, which isn't exactly the world's toughest steel, but I got it specifically to be a slicer for simple tasks. Opening mail and packages, food prep, that sort of thing. I've got tougher knives and a pocket pry for other tasks.

But if you're asking if I'd carry that is my only knife, then probably not unless the warranty covered it.
 
That sounds like most nice kitchen knives and all straight razors, but there are certainly spice oriented folders, too. I have enough knives that some can be highly specialized, I just don't use them too hard. Most of my thin slicers are traditional knives, which are small enough that you can carry it as a secondary along with a modern folder.
 
Depending on the knife, sure.

They are made to cut, and if they cut well I'm good with that. Frail is what frail does. I have literally hundreds of pounds of steel that will take a ridiculous beating in my Trunk O Knives. If I find a good performing but frail cutter, I'll take a change.
 
I imagine most companys avoid it for the simple fact that the average person (non knife nut) uses their knife for things they shouldn't and it would be a money pit in replacing blades and publicity nightmare from idiots crying that it won't stab a car door without breaking.
 
I love thin bladed folders. As long as I also have a standard blade stock folder as well, I'd definitely try one. I agree that most of us have enough knives where we can have certain knives, with certain traits, for certain jobs. The super thin, high hardness folder for just being a cutting monster, cutting yards upon yards of cardboard and other stuff (careful to avoid staples). And then the thicker bladed folder for working with wood, cutting wet rope, and whatever else life throws at you.
 
I have a kransbol. Which would technically be a frail knife. But because I use it to cut things it is not that big an issue.
 
Ever broken a steak knife? Yeah, me neither. They’re usually pretty thin. They’ll flex but go back to true.

Most knives are thicker than they need to be for just cutting. I can see wanting thick stock for something to chop wood or pummel around with, but gimme thin any day for pure cutting.

I broke a Tops Street Scalpel trying to pry the chain lock off my own front door once trying to get in when I’d locked myself out. Didn’t surprise me. I was prying with it and the tip snapped off. This is 1/4” 1095.

If you’re just going to cut stuff thin stock works just fine, and cuts a hell of a lot better than thick. Thin knives don’t necessarily need to be thought of as “frail” especially with a lot of the steels out these days.
 
Thin is fine, but not so thin that it will either flex or snap under normal loads such as when cutting thick plastic clamshell packaging.
 
Not for EDC , but yes , of course, for kitchen , scalpel , box cutter etc . :cool:
 
Only for kitchen or cardboard use and if it's affordable. Yet again - standard chef knife or boxcutters exist for those purposes.

I prefer thicker blades and tougher steels honestly.
 
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