Your Traditional knife turn-off's

Hickory n steel

Hickory n steel

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There have been many threads about traditional knife preferences, but I don't recall any about what we dislike.

So what are the things you don't really like ?

For me the biggest would be swedged spear point blades, for some reason I just don't like the way they look.

Next I'm just not huge on folders with 2 equal length main blades, this means trappers, moose, and especially muskrats.
I have a couple really small trappers that I carry sometimes because they were gifts, but in general I'd much rather have a main blade and smaller secondary.
Some people really love them, but it's just not a configuration I find useful for me.
 
Blade cant, blade rub, blades that have been cleaned with a Dremel :thumbsdown:
 
Hickory n steel said:
There have been many threads about traditional knife preferences, but I don't recall any about what we dislike.

So what are the things you don't really like ?

For me the biggest would be swedged spear point blades, for some reason I just don't like the way they look.

Next I'm just not huge on folders with 2 equal length main blades, this means trappers, moose, and especially muskrats.
I have a couple really small trappers that I carry sometimes because they were gifts, but in general I'd much rather have a main blade and smaller secondary.
Some people really love them, but it's just not a configuration I find useful for me.
Click to expand...
I am with you on those two points. For example the 2014 IRJ had a spear but it was thin & had an adequate nail knick.
When the 2015 came out with the swedged blade & the long pull it ruined the looks of the knife IMHO.
Sometimes you really need that small blade for detail work or lack of working space, on a trapper or muskrat you are out of luck
 
Shields on stag handles.

Why oh why do you want a shield on some of natures most beautiful material to break up the view????????

To include on this shields on very small pocket knives like Case peanuts and copperheads. It says the name on the blade tang, you don't need a little bill board on a small jigged bone handle to redundantly post the name brand again????

Shields are over done.
 
I can't stand California clip blades, and don't like excessive blade rub either. But my least favorite thing that a traditional can have is a nail nick that goes under the liner so accessing the blade is a pain:mad:
 
Tall clip point blades, bear trap pulls, and nail nicks covered by the other blade are all things I dislike.
 
Hey! I really like swaged spear blades! Not everyone's cup of tea though.

Soft springs/weak pull.

Hard to describe but I don't like disproportionate blades. Well, not exactly disproportionate but oddly shaped. Like if it doesn't look right to me I wouldn't want it. What I mean to say is I do not like Muskrat Clips (Example: think of the GEC #38 Special)

I do not really like plain shields or shields with colors or glued on shields (Case).
I love to see classy shields. I mean, if you just look at the "Old Knives" thread you see all of these unique but beautiful shields. I wish GEC would do more on their production knives rather than on their SFOs. I love to see a Federal shield rather than a hotdog or plain oval. GEC's Beaver Tail shield is really cool.

Other than that I don't really dislike any traditional knives. They are all awesome in their own right!
 
Tangs that tower over the handle when closed like on this Laguiole. I have two or three knives like this. I like the knives in general but I don't like that feature. I will often pass on a knife that has a towering tang even if I like the looks of it otherwise.

IMG_0850.JPG
 
jackknife said:
Shields on stag handles.

Why oh why do you want a shield on some of natures most beautiful material to break up the view????????

To include on this shields on very small pocket knives like Case peanuts and copperheads. It says the name on the blade tang, you don't need a little bill board on a small jigged bone handle to redundantly post the name brand again????

Shields are over done.
Click to expand...

Could they not also save a but of money if they didn't have to route out the little scales for a shield ?
I don't necessarily hate them, but I do see why they should be left off of small knives.
 
Not a fan of weird shields - I like them simple. For example, GEC's use of the hot dog shield is not for me... why would anybody want a hot dog on their knife! Every time I see that shield I think how much better the knife would look with a bar shield.

I don't like to worry about anything to do with operating the knife. I like the sound of a slip joint closing. I don't want to worry about closing the knife and having it hit the back spring. I don't want to worry about the tip poking me when I reach in my pocket to use it... I'd like to get a knife where the tip sits just right from the factory so I don't have to file the kick.

I like stag knives that have polished stag to the bolster. I don't like seeing under the bolster due to recessed parts of the stag.

I like a softer pull on small secondaries. It's tough to get good leverage on tiny secondary blades. Sometimes they can be a bear to open without pushing the blade into the liner.

Not a fan of most synthetic covers.

I like the jigging to match and not look like two different people did it... especially when it's on the same side of the knife.

That's about it for today :)
 
I’m not big on stag that has deep long grooves in it. I’m not a fan of micarta either.
 
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