What do you hate about the knife industry?

Ignorant family run knife companies that

1. Don't recognize the potential for an individual to make a real difference in the way the public views them.

2. Hold non-family employees to higher standards than they hold themselves to.

3. Don't appreciate a true collector as an employee over a fledgling gender questionable work force.

4. Are now kicking themselves.

Bitter, table for 1?
 
Not enough money to buy.. or they are too expensive :)

(I do want to be an milionare :)
 
Doh, interesting thread ;)
My main problem or dislike is the long waiting period.

One thing though, what's wrong with steel snobery or snobs?
I don't like 420, 425 M and clones. If someone is willing to bet money that I won't be able to tell the difference between that and INFI, CPM3V, ATS-34, BG-42 whether that is cutting or sharpening I'll take that bet :D
Otherwise what's wrong with willing to have the best? You don't like it, you don't buy it, you prefer AUS-X over S90V? Ok, cool, you won't have to pay as much as I have to. Do I have to dislike you because you like 420?
 
1) Near-orgasmic enthusiasm over the "designer" steels....

2) The boy-ninja advertising that suggest that all "black ops" in the world use a particular blade

3) Cheap materials of any sort

4) Lack of quality customer service

5) Outrageous "retail" prices that oft-times are twice that for which the knife may be realistically purchased..thereby making the novice think they've actually gotten a good deal

6) Self-proclaimed obsolescence

7) Lack of quality knife care education to the public in general


But frankly, #1 and #2 above chap my buns more than any of the other...
 
Originally posted by Gator97
One thing though, what's wrong with steel snobery or snobs?
Click to expand...

There's absolutley nothing wrong with preferring BG-42, 154CM, ATS-34 or any other high-end steel as long as you use your knives. What I don't like are steel snobs who come down on AUS-6 or 420HC, yet hardly ever use their upper-end blades. I've met guys that tote Microtechs & Benchmades who are afraid to use them because they don't want a scuff on the blade. They carry them as a status symbol just to feel cool. My feeling is that if you wish to invest your hard earned money on a high quality piece of cutlery, use it, learn to sharpen it and get your money's worth.
 
what do I hate about the knife industry?

The definite answer is: crowd mentality .


that's what detest the most about the knife industry
 
1. Sheaths that aren't made from real leather.
2. Stamped sheet metal blades.
3. Chisel grinds, especially on tantos.
4. Serrated edges.
5. Upper edges that aren't sharp.
 
Here are some of my peeves:

1.) Photography in magazine ads that makes knives look more substantial than they really are.

2.) Photography that does not convey the size of the knife.

3.) Articles in popular knife magazines by authority authors that make out each knife model to be the next coming of Christ.

4.) Same magazine articles whose photos don’t show all views of the knife, such as closed folders on the clip side.

5.) Why custom makers don’t offer returnable test units out to qualified customers so that they can get a true feel for what it is they’ll be laying down some hard cash for. This is especially for those buyers who are not near a knife show.

Just getting this off my chest.
 
It took until the reply before this to mention photography!

1. I hate (well that's too strong a word) the silly prejudice that forces all knife photography to be from the left side.

2. Even more, I hate the even stupider notion that because of the left-side photo prejudice, most chisel ground blades are ground on the left and not the right side where the grind belongs. Indeed this is the knife industry's big concession to south paws!

3. Oh yea, I don't particularly like chisel grinds either; no matter what side they're on!
 
my pet peeves:

1. super duper high speed, low drag, barney badass "tactical" knives that either don't have any finger protection at all or have a little finger guard molded out of kraton (ie cold steel). finnish pukkos with no finger guard are one thing, but a fighting or survival knife should make it as difficult as possible for you to hurt yourself while using it (especially if you're supposed to be able to stab something with it).

2. knives with sawbacks. i've never met a sawback i didn't hate.

3. "tactical" knives that look like they were designed by Klingons...wacky useless blade shapes with huge sawbacks and unneccesary holes drilled all over the place.

4. black bake on epoxy finishes that look like crap as soon as you cut ANYTHING with your expensive new knife.

ahhh...the chance to be crabby,

e.
 
I didn't think I had anything to offer but...

I agree about photos that don't show size well, don't show the clip side, and in many cases that don't show a knife closed.

I have found no use for serrated edges, nor black blade coatings.

And I have found the deeper a clip will let a knife hide down in my pocket, the better!

And lastly, of course me being what I am - PRICES!!!!

Joe Shmoe - as Cheap A$$ed a dude as you will likely ever find!
 
not2sharp said:

"The use of cute proprietary steel names to obscure the true properties of the material used. Why are we still guessing at the composition of Carbon V and Infi?"

In the case of INFI, your statement seems unfair.

To begin with, the composition of INFI is easily publicly available, including right here at bladeforums, as well as at the forum at BusseCombat.com. We're not still guessing at it's composition.

Secondly, INFI's not just a proprietary steel name; it's a proprietary steel. It even includes an element (Nitrogen) not used in other steel, and apparently requires new manufacturing processes to create a steel with that element. Jerry Busse researched and developed the steel himself, why shouldn't he name it the way he wants to? And how is the name he chose more obscurantist than a name like AUS8, or S30V, or any other steel name? He's gotta call his proprietary steel something.

Thirdly, Busse Combat has done everything they can to prevent the properties of INFI from being obscure, including publishing reproducible test results, showing performance videos on the website, conducting live demonstrations and tests at knife shows, and backing up all claimed test results with warranty coverage.

The case of Carbon V seems to be of a different sort, apparently just renaming a common steel for marketing purposes. You may hate that, but I really don't see just cause to lump INFI's name into the same category.
 
BOK: that's sad really. I'll check it out next time I walk by there.
Now someone had mention it... one of the things I hate is... easily damaged coats with handles that are impossible to remove. (Read: my CS SRK) It's a decent thing but it's such a pain to see the coating to be stripped off so damn easily while you can't get it recoated without paying some outrageous amount to get it rehandled too.
I'm sticking with the BK&T
 
I am a little disappointed whem I see people get jumped on when something they made slightly resembles something by another maker. I don't mean knockoffs, because those piss me off. Just the ones which use similar styling or a similar curve at the same part of the blade, etc. It seems the makers are never the ones who worry about this, but the overzealous fans.
 
Blade length ambiguity is my worst problem with the knife industry.

There is nothing worse then searching for a knife that will be legal, finding one and when it arrives you realized the the blade length in the listing (or on the web site) does not include the ricasso (the unsharpened part of the steel between the edge and the handle or guard).

Manufactures, Designers and Dealers: Pay Attention! Any LEO or DA is going to measure to the first obstruction, (guard or handle) the ricasso doesn't count! You need to list measurements to the handle or guard, which ever would stop a stab first.
 
Originally posted by lunumbra
Blade length ambiguity is my worst problem with the knife industry.

There is nothing worse then searching for a knife that will be legal, finding one and when it arrives you realized the the blade length in the listing (or on the web site) does not include the ricasso
Click to expand...

I had some ricasso last night, along with some garlic bread .....


;)
 
dealing with the wrath of the Mrs. when she finds out just how much I have spent on knives!:eek:
trying to come up with a lame a$$ reply to the above.
When certain companies keep coming out with stuff I just gotta have... THANKS Camillus and BK&T!!!;) :rolleyes:
The WAIT when I know I have something sharp and pointy coming in the mail.
 
The next time I inevitably hear about "what a good steel 440A/AUS6A/420 is"....it's all crap. Buy it if you like it, but don't dis me for preferring D2/ATS34/INFI any day.

The next time I will hear or read in a post the word "sebenza"...give it a rest.
 
I won´t be callin´ out names...

1. Not too inexpensive folders failing the spinewhack test.
2. Zytel dissed by almost everyone (it´s not that bad IMO).
3. "Ultra-ergonomic" handles which turn out to be uncomfortable.
4. Decent-looking knives with crappy blade steels.
 
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