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
No. Why would I buy a knife made to an inferior quality based on a manufacture promising to help me fix their inferior knife?
 
I carry a somewhat frail Victorinox pocket knife on my key chain. It is good for small cutting jobs and comes with some little handy tools. I also have a Spyderco Gayle Bradley 1 for more serious knife work.

 
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In general I am not likely to buy a knife I view as 'fragile', they all need to be fit for purpose, however a nice super thin stocked blade with a corresponding laser grind, or a larger knife that uses thin stock and a more gradual grind vs heavier stock that's got a more dramatic bevel, those are both neat parameters. I wish more EDC-type manufacturers would run .10" and thinner stock on at least some of their knives, though that would be a big decision and would probably lead to a different kind of action than the trendy icy smooth guillotine that we all love
 

Yes, damn the risk.​

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DocJD said:
I don't think OP was about poor quality .

More like thin blades and maybe lightweight . Not overbuilt / hard use .
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No I get that and didn’t mean to come of harsh. Just that I cant see buying a knife, hard use or not that was prone to breakage, and that the manufacture wouldn’t warranty but would sell you replacement blades. I guess for me if thats the need ill buy a utility knife.
 
T.L.E. Sharp said:
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”.
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0.04 inches is pretty thin even for a paring or fillet knife. My Victorinox paring knives are about 0.065 inches. I don't have a fillet knife, but the thinnest one I see at KnifeCenter is a BlackFox at 0.04 inches. I think I would never use anything that thin, especially not in a steel like 15V with low toughness. So, no, I would not consider purchasing such a knife.
 
It depends on the definition of frail. For some that's anything but a full tang, fixed blade with a thick blade. I'd have no problem buying an obsidian or ceramic knife, but I'd also adjust the way that they're handled. I have a pair of Opinel folders that get used a lot and those thin, slicey blades are just great for a lot of occasions where having a sharpened brick isn't the correct answer. Kukri traditionally have stick tangs and if that's good enough for most of the Gurkhas, in most instances it's going to be good enough for me. In the end it all comes down to what you plan to use a knife for.
 
Not voting, but I bought a super frail knife after the review of a super well known reviewer CL talked it up. It had do much blade play I just tossed it. The knife was MAM Portugal knife. Cheaper than a opinel 8
I wouldn't trust that knife to cut refrigerated butter
 
abcdef said:
Maybe frail is the wrong word.
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The correct word is fragile.....
ShaiHulud said:
Not voting, but I bought a super frail knife after the review of a super well known reviewer CL talked it up. It had do much blade play I just tossed it. The knife was MAM Portugal knife. Cheaper than a opinel 8
I wouldn't trust that knife to cut refrigerated butter
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There is junk, and there are knives that can break easily if used in the wrong manner. You discovered that difference......

As far as blade thickness goes, I measured some old Imperials, including a 50 year old Kamp King scout knife that I used the hell out of when it was new, and found that they are mostly in the .05" range......I've heard many say that Imperials were cheap knives, but nobody has ever said they were fragile....
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Arathol said:
The correct word is fragile.....

There is junk, and there are knives that can break easily if used in the wrong manner. You discovered that difference......

As far as blade thickness goes, I measured some old Imperials, including a 50 year old Kamp King scout knife that I used the hell out of when it was new, and found that they are mostly in the .05" range......I've heard many say that Imperials were cheap knives, but nobody has ever said they were fragile....
l6dv2da.jpg
aY7NMua.jpg
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I Enjoy the evidence of a well used knife
 
I don't understand the question.

I have a Spyderco folder that sees to be stoutly made of quality maqterials. /the blade is flat ground and cuts well. Havent used it to cut up tomstos or steak . . .but I bet AI could field dress a white tail with it and process it for the freezer later.

I would characterize it as a "slicer".

Is it a baton-tough camp knife? Well no. But it is not "frsail" either.
 
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