Single features that kill a design for you?

Goosey said:
Liner locks, frame locks, Axis locks, assisted-opening, bushing pivots, bearing pivots, riveted construction, flippers, overly thick blades, weird ergonomics, tacky aesthetics, too small, too large, lack of thumb studs or opening hole.
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Dang Goosey what do you like in a knife then...lol:)
 
I really love design differences between manufacturers and designers. I really enjoy rotating daily through a large selection of knives that have a wide range of features. BUT.... I do have some features or designs that I just don't like or see a need for:

"Tacti-cool" designs. I can understand self defense experts designing knives to match their fighting styles, but I HATE knives just designed to look "Tactical".

Knives with horrible ergos that create hot spots. Using a knife for five minutes shouldn't hurt your hand.

Secondary locking systems. If I need a knife that imitates a fixed blade, I'll just use a fixed blade. The CRKT AutoLawks system comes to mind.

Neck knives. I've NEVER felt the need to stick my hand up my shirt to access my knife. I don't hang out at biker bars, and just don't see the utility in a neck knife. That also applies to neck sheaths for folders as well.
 
Chisel grinds
Tanto points
Thick blades
Excessive writing on the blade
Anything named "Tactical"
Anything named "Zombie..."
Anything sold as "battle ready"
 
KrisOK said:
I really love design differences between manufacturers and designers. I really enjoy rotating daily through a large selection of knives that have a wide range of features. BUT.... I do have some features or designs that I just don't like or see a need for:

"Tacti-cool" designs. I can understand self defense experts designing knives to match their fighting styles, but I HATE knives just designed to look "Tactical".

Knives with horrible ergos that create hot spots. Using a knife for five minutes shouldn't hurt your hand.

Secondary locking systems. If I need a knife that imitates a fixed blade, I'll just use a fixed blade. The CRKT AutoLawks system comes to mind.

Neck knives. I've NEVER felt the need to stick my hand up my shirt to access my knife. I don't hang out at biker bars, and just don't see the utility in a neck knife. That also applies to neck sheaths for folders as well.
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i feel you on the tacticool thing. i have "Fancy"-er looking knives that can cut through Attacker-meat just as well as my knife of similar design thats color scheme is All black.
 
I find that this list has grown the longer I have collected:

Serrations
Tanto blades
auto/assisted opening
No cutout/area to make it easier to disengage the lock
mystery steel
recurve or hawkbill blade shape
coated blades
flames/designs/ect on the handles or blade (think tiger stripped striders)
 
I usually avoid:

- Serrations
- Combo edges
- Chisel grinds
- Oversized ricasso
- Too deep hollow grinds
- Poor cutting geometry
- Thick blades
- Coated blades
- Poor material (handle and blade)
- Knock offs
- Oversized guards
- Poor ergonomics/slippery handles

~Paul~

PS Forgot to mention choils‼
 
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I don't know if there is any one feature that kills a knife for me (it's an addiction after all) but there are several things that I generally dislike. The combination of features is what makes a knife a "must have" or a "pass".

Dislikes:
- Serrations, this is a tough hurdle to get over for me
- Funky pocket clip (JYD anyone?)
- Thumb studs. Give me a flipper and/or hole any day.
- Chisel grind
- High price
- Lockbacks, mostly because they're often hard to push and cannot be open construction. The Spyderco Native is great though.

For example, I think the 0560 is expensive but it meets enough other features to warrant it. Also, I don't like lockbacks but the Native implements it well and is a bargain for what you get. All of my knives are on a spectrum of features that I like and dislike.
-StaTiK-

Edited to add:
Ernie1980 said:
mystery steel
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Yes, this too. There's one company that's been good to me in the past but they choose to not advertise their steel, and it generally means I pass on the knife. If they're embarrassed about the steel they use then they should use better steel!
 
chisel grind, and yes, would never buy a "mystery steel" knife unless i had a deal like "I wont tell you what this is, but if you break it or make it dull i get you a new one and 100$".

Also something that turn me off abit when it come to fixed blades is terrible standard knife sheaths sure you can get one made, but realy if a sheath is included it shouldent be of shit quallity that actualy damage the edge (cold steel im looking at you!)
 
I'm by no means a fan of...

-Chisel grinds
-Mystery steel
-Choils
-I'm not a fan of having one material on one side and metal on the other (Hinderers and Striders)
-Chisel grinds
-Hawkbills
-Recurves
-"Tactical"
-Chisel grinds
-Useless flippers (I prefer flippers, but when the thing barely protrudes from the back of the handle, it's pretty disappointing)

I guess you could say I'm not a fan of chisel grinds.
 
My #1 question when looking at a knife and the one question that will kill it as a design flaw is this:

Is it lefty-friendly? I'm not talking about drilling holes on the opposite side for a pocket clip. Is a knife truly ambidextrous, or does it come in a left-handed version? Needless to say, this eliminates 99.99% of liner/frame locks. I have a left-handed mini-AFCK that is a left-handed liner lock, but it is the only one. Everything else I own is ambidextrous. I have never been able to get the coordination down to use a right-handed linerlock with my left hand and feel safe while doing it. I've spilled blood on too many occasions trying to operate them that way, so I refuse to buy them.
 
I never say never, but I typically steer clear of knives with one or more of the following:

-Mystery steel or a steel below other offerings in its price range. For example, I'm not likely to pay more than $60 for anything with AUS8.
-Tanto points. I just don't like using them and I think they're ugly, double whammy.
-Serrations. I prefer to be able to sharpen my whole edge easily.
-Chisel grinds.
-Flimsy and/or shallow pocket clip. I need something that will retain the knife in my pocket and not let it stick out too far.
-Thumb disks. Again, I never say never, but typically I find these extremely uncomfortable to use.
 
I'm not so much picky when it comes to aesthetics as I am when it comes to weight. If a knife weighs too much, I usually pass on it. I usually like the medium to large folders and appreciate having enough pocket room for other items without feeling like my pants are being pulled down on one side.
 
Serrations, very odd shaped blades, overly large folders, frame locks with a scale only on one side (whose idea was that?).
 
When they only have the thumbstud on one side and when they have insanely big pocket clips for no reason and of course Serrated..
 
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