The 10 Deadly Sins of Knife Design by the Nick Shabazz
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
- Today, I'm gonna rant right quick about 10 things that knife designers do that just always make me sad. Some are matters of taste, and some matters of cosmic justice, but all of them are major issues, and tend to put "gem" just out of reach.
"The other approach is to carry your knife incorrectly" 😂 awesome
I dislike knives with lots of branding and logos all over it. Printing "Broken Skull," for example, in huge letters on the blade just ruins it for me.
cough cough SOG cough
Andrew Greiner agree
Oof, that's what I hated the most about the spyderco police. POLICE printed across your knife with bold black letters is mall ninja-y as crap.
11) Sharpened portion of edge overlaps handle, making it hard to sharpen without removing the blade.
That seems like it falls into the objectively wrong category
My pet peeve is all those frame-locks that pretend they're useful for lefties by making the pocket clip moveable to the 'show side'.
Another pet peeve is those frame locks that put g10 or something on the 'show side'. To me they always look as though something fell off when you flip it over.
Some day someone will get smart and make a high quality frame lock that is available with the lock on the other side for lefties. Why manufacturers do not make them both ways is hard to understand.
Building one now
Zodiac Bladeworks - keep an eye out in a few weeks
Serrations are always something I stay away from. Combo-edges are the worst in my opinion, sharpening them is just... Not at all convenient, and aesthetically they just don't look quite as nice as just a simple, clean straight edged knife. Functionally, I just never really have anything that I have to use serrations for, and if I ever do, I'll just use a multitool with a dedicated saw in it.
Well, serrations are a lot different from a saw, but I also dislike combo blades. They're less useful than either type.
I’ve never found any use for serrated pocket knife blades. In fact, the only serrated knife blade I’ve ever found useful was on a bread knife- and there the whole blade should be serrated, not just half or a third of it.
Agreed
I use combo edge for my backup, emergency combat knife. I dont plan on sharpening it because its not a user and the purpose of serrations is that it cuts even when not sharpened anyways. If i do feel like sharpening it, its not impossible.
@@imaginehydreigons5377 there's no such thing as a combat knife
Completely agree with the disassembly thing. Really turns me off of Spyderco because they have such great designs but apparently servicing them voids the warranty :/
Subbed. I like the way you present a mix of fact and opinions, yet you don't seem to mislead or confuse the two.
To add to the conversation, shiny bolsters. I will hard-use/borderline abuse any knife, but shiny bolsters make me feel an obsessive need to keep them clean. Functionally, though? Giganti-bellied knives that can't pierce. Sometimes, all you want is a puncture or pinpoint entry, not a frickin butterfly cut.
Glad you're enjoying, and thanks for the subscription! :D
same here, and that i see the knives in similar light
i think he messed up returning that small 21, but damnit he made me want a norseman....so i guess we broke even?
Anthony B. Your second sentence is the reason I subbed too. I'm a big fan of this guy and his channel.
Nick, interesting subject and you are prolific, but I wanted to say above all: You are great at making videos. Your videos are fun to watch, informative, but not dry, drawn out or make me want to click out or fast forward. I enjoy your presentation a great deal and your enthusiasm is high energy and infectious! Keep doing what you want and how you want to bec otherwise you will lose your best feature.
I agree. He's a real gem of a TH-camr.
+Corey Ballard Aww, thanks much for the kind words both of you!
ssunfish i
People who carry knives tip-down are in the same category as people who run their toilet paper in the 'under' orientation, like their steaks 'well done' and eat pizza with a knife and fork; there is something deeply and pathologically wrong with them, we must politely but firmly ask them to leave and stop letting our children and their children play together.
+Bullpup92 Now now, Chicago Style Pizza does require a fork and knife, but said knife can still be carried reasonably :)
Nick Shabazz Ah, fair point, never had a pizza lie that personally, having never been anywhere near Chicago.
+Bullpup92 The logic of a knife being carried tip down is an old one, based on the pre-detent and locking pocket knife. It's not an unreasonable one.
if you carry a knife for sd tip down can make sense. look at kelly mccan's logic regarding that. i can get my delica open and ready to use safely and fast if i carry tipdown.
shorty xmoshpigx Nope. Knife for self defense, tip down is stupid. Tip down takes longer to draw and open.
Weirdest video ever. Jerry Lewis reviewing knives with the makeshiftiest powerpoint ever made. Fucking awesome.
Oh and I totally agree with #6! Having the knife clip in tip-down configuration is very annoying because the clip totally gets in the way when using the knife in a pinch-grip. The pocket clip makes it quite awkward for sure! I like tip-up configuration much more because it keeps the pocket clip mostly out of the way when griping the knife to use it.
For me one of the biggest sins is making a one handed not ambidextrous in some way if it is possible. If there is a thumb stud on one side it should be on the other. If a cutout lets you reach an opening hole on one side then the other should have it. I should also be able to operate a lock with both my right and left hand. This is why most Cold Steel folders are low on my interest list at the moment. I don't see anything wrong with a thumb stud that can be removed, but I shouldn't have to take it out to make left hand operation as easy as right hand operation.
I'm a lefty and that's my biggest frustration with a lot of high end knives. Being able to put the clip on the other side would be nice too.
JerehmiaBoaz That's a good point. I'm rh dominant partially ambidextrous and tend to flip the side I carry on frequently enough that I never bother changing the clip. That said there really should be an option for dedicated lefties.
Also add using very soft hardware that makes dis-assembly a nightmare. If you have to add a couple of bucks to put hardened screws to hold the knife together, I would pay the difference...cheap screws and excessive locktite drives me nuts. A good knife should be able to be dis-assembled, serviced, and re-assembled in 30 minutes with standard tools. Having a locktited screw in a free spinning barrel inside a plastic or g10 back spacer is just nuts, and has caused me to have to use a small pry bar between the scales and the liner just to get the screws out. Ease of dis-assembly should be part of a well thought out design.
I concur on all of these. I also hate weak detents (especially on tip-up knives, I've ruined two pairs of pants with an XM-24), and mushy flippers. Flipper should be almost impossible to half-deploy; if you break past the detent, they should fly to lockup every time. Also hate thumb discs (they do absolutely nothing better than a stud or a hole). Partial serration is also a no-go for me, as is a bulky pocket clip that digs the hand. Also not a huge fan of "drop-closed" actions, especially on non-flipper knives that require a finger in the blade path to disengage the lock; that's just dangerous. It's perfectly possible to be butter-smooth without being frictionless.
I definitely agree with a lot of your points, but I've actually come to appreciate teflon washers on some knives. Not all knives, but sometimes they work better for the action, depending on the knife. I recently got a ZT 0770CF that I de-assisted and I polished the phosphor bronze washers before reassembling the knife. The action was good and flipped nicely. I was very pleased with the fact that the knife de-assisted well and had great detent strength, but I had this crazy idea to try some teflon washers that I had sitting around. I put those in and surprisingly enough, they worked even better for the action, the knife is much smoother, has a drop shut action, and the knife is centered with no play at all. I'm so happy with it. I couldn't believe I would be able to have a manual ZT 0770CF with a drop shut action that actually flips like a dream.
As far as tip up vs. tip down, I prefer tip up for flippers and tip down for thumb stud only knives. Tip down for thumb stud only knives is easier to engage after pulling it out of the pocket.
I disassembled a Chris Reeve knife once and it was impossible to reassemble it. And before you judge, I've disassembled Todd Begg knives with the IKBS bearings, Benchmade knives, Spydercos, WE, and a few others. I'm not sure why the Chris Reeve knife was so difficult unless it was defective when I received it. I did have to pay CR to repair it but it was nominal. Once I had it returned to me, I ditched that knife so fast. I really don't see the appeal. They're overpriced thumb studs and I have an injury to my thumb which prevents me from opening them, so I prefer flippers anyway.
Was it a Mnandi? Sebenza is basically the easiest folding knife in existence to assemble or disassemble. You have like two screws holding the frame together. Screw them down tight then insert the blade and tighten down the pivot. Don't even need to adjust anything.
The $5 teflon folder I got from Walmart has smoother action than the ball bearing folder I got from gerber
dont buy walmart knives or gerber knives lol
I, too, am strongly offended by tools and appliances that are not user-serviceable. I was going to name some, but there are far too many examples to list.
Great video, but G10 is actually a cery tough reinforced fiberglass. I agree that it isn't very good without liners, but it certainly isn't plastic.
Definitely agree on the screws. I had to improvise once and make a custom screwdriver out of 1095 to get the handle scales of a knife once.
You forgot knives with thumb-discs instead of thumb-studs
As a girl, I laughed my ass off at "forgetting about the pocket". No matter what, a knife will be taking up a majority of my pocket... unless i'm wearing field pants.
I have sometimes wondered how girls carry anything in their pockets
I'll add 10 more things, some more sinful than others, to Nick's thoughtful listing:
* A logo that is large, or too large for the blade size, or ruins a big spot in the damascus etch. Similarly, unreadable logos in damascus are a bummer (this is where a logo inside the handle, e.g. on the backspacer, can be just the ticket).
* Sharp edges or surfaces on the handle, or where the hand makes contact with the blade. Pointy handle butts fit here.
* Finger choil areas that really aren't large enough to actually use with your index finger, but use up blade length. Also, choils that have a sharp edge that can hang up in a cut. Agree with a previous comment that choils put behind the plunge line of a bevel are annoying and nearly completely useless.
* Jimping on the spine or flipper tab that are sharp, with unbroken edges, and are sharp to the thumb. The worst are sharp edged cuts made far apart by a few quick passes of the mill. Personally, I prefer the fine jimping made e.g. by a checkering file. Spyderco has numerous knives with fine jimping that I find appropriate for the purpose. If the price point doesn't allow for acceptably finished jimping, just skip jimping all together.
* Thumb studs with overly sharp edges.
* Flippers that are not positioned properly, and require a lot of wrist motion to get the blade moving. A related problem is a ball detent that doesn't allow the blade to snap open when it releases. The Spyderco Southard flippers are a classic example of an otherwise nice knife with poor flipper design. Seriously, how do these make it out of the prototype stage?
* Cheap screws that strip outor break, on the drive side (hex, Torx) or on the thread side . Spend a few more pennies per knife for quality hardware, vendors! Threads cut directly into micarta or G10 are a big sin also, destined to failure.
* Knife blades run softer than HRc=58 as a part of their normal specification. If the steel is run softer than this, it is not a knife I want to own, because the edge is quick to roll or deform, period. Or, the vendor chose the wrong steel for the application (really big choppers or machetes are the exception, where you can make a case lower hardness to resist chipping). If you have to run softer than HRc=58, consider a better quality steel, or a better suited steel. This will draw some ire, but as an example, nearly anything in 1095 will be a tougher knife at the same HRc if made from a 1080/1084 series steel with lower carbon in solution. O1 steel is in the same category as 1095. There are better choices. The science behind this doesn't lie. See Larrin Thomas' excellent, authoritative, and easily found research work on this topic. Quality of heat treat (e.g. fine grain structure) and cutting geometry are extremely important also... geometry is a function of intended use and too complicated for a bullet here.
* Knives with flexy handles (typically thermoplastics) that lack liners or enough reinforcing metal. Some Grivory knives provide good examples.
* Flipper knives that nearly lock themselves shut with hand pressure on the lock (typically frame locks). This can be a combination of excessive lock force, large surface area of the frame lock such that you can't get your hand off the lock when opening without some contortion, and/or improper detent design. Again, how do these make it out of the prototype stage, or out of QC?
You forgot to mention knives that have spinning parts. Ruins my day when I can’t unscrew a pivot without getting two different screwdrivers and barely managing to get it with my thighs. And not to mention spinning stuff with no screw hole in the opposite side.
I agree with #2 the most. I can’t stand black coated blades. I bought one and almost 2 hours later it had scratches in it. I only use satin finishes now
I like the look of beat up dlc or tini though. My Kershaw cqc-8 is absolutely beat to hell and looks great at the same time
The worst sin that any knife maker, or for that matter any company can make, is to not listen to their customers. Knife makers need to see what people think and want and then adjust their product lines accordingly. Also, I think more companies need to offer both budget and higher end versions of their designs. I love the CRKT Pilar, but would love it more in a better steel, like S30V or what have you. Listen to your customers and you will sell more knives!
i bought a paramilitary 2, unpacked it, saw that spyderco likes to but the pocketclip in the wrong way (tip-down), wanted to change it and thought “oh no problem, i already bought a screwdriver set for changing the pocketclip on my other spyderco„ and what happends? spyderco put so much loctide on each screw, that it took me a 1/2 hour just to unscrew it.
One thing I always hear from knife channels is food prep. Does anyone ever cut up food with a pocket knife? I just don't think I've ever needed to cut up a potato with a pocket knife.
Hiking and such.
I live in Asia . My pocket knives get used for absolutely everything . Food , opening feed bags , cutting rope and twine , right down to cleaning my nails . So I don't own expensive knives , but then again , they aren't cheap either .
My deal breakers are: painted blade, thumbstuds, thumbdiscs, serrations, slipjoints, unknown steel...
I don’t know why but I like when the DLC coating gets scuffed and scratched up...
You’re honestly not missing much with microtech. I bought a utx-85 about 2 months ago with 204p blade steel. It came shave sharp but started to chip and roll right away. I sharpened it and it continues to chip and roll. It holds an edge for less time than my D2 or 154 or s35vn knives and it’s a real bear to sharpen. Honestly I love the cool factor and the thin carry, USA made, looks are good to go for me and I have TRIED to like it. I really wanted it to be my end all be all knife. Perhaps if it was in 154 or s35 or d2 I would have liked it more. I enjoy touching up and sharpening my knives but there comes a point when you’re doing a whole lot of work for not a lot of return and I can’t help but wonder if that’s intentional much like the proprietary hardware, they use a blade steel that doesn’t hold and edge and requires anyone who uses the knife for anything more than a safe queen to send it in to be resharpened, otherwise they wash their hands of you and you’re on your own, warranty voided. A part of me hopes I’m wrong and hopefully this run during Covid had a bumb heat treat or SOMETHING. But honestly, this is the first knife I’ve paid big money for that has completely let me down. Sorry for the long rant, but I love my benchmade 940 and the blade on the microtech was almost a 940 clone with that slim carry and otf deployment. What could go wrong? Everything.
I can't stand an improper sharpening choil! The most important functional characteristic of a knife is a sharp edge...give us the ability to keep the knife functional. Nothing bugs me more!
I actually should have said an improper plunge grind. As another viewer mentioned...the lack of a choil on some Spydercos works fine for me because their plunge grinds are perfect.
the disasembly thing really bugs me too its like if glock would say you cant take ur gun apart to clean it even tho it needs to be cleaned people wouldnt buy glocks idk why the knife world is different the knifes that should be popular are ones that you can disassemble easily and put back together just as easily
You meant the Pry-torian ;)
1. depends on the knife...but generally yes agreed
2. yes Hate that...maybe except for only "showknifes"
3. No sorry...there are some very thick useful knifes. Böker magnum survivor was one of my first knifes and it like you said could even be used as a small prybar...one time I hammered it into a tree to climb up the tree and stand on it
4. quicker transition = better for batoning and splitting
5. yes
6. had never a problem with that
7. agreed
8. yes common problem
9. especiallly sucks when it comes loose
10. but why ? cleaning and sharpening are no problem without taking it apart.
11. When knifes are sold as "tactical" knifes in black for a much higher price then usual
12. When on fixed blades the end of the handle has no other uses. like a flat end for crushing/hammering things
So I’m putting this on all your videos starting now. You must bring back terrible knives live!!
I like more traditional looking knives and my pet hate is companies who use beautiful fantastic materials that should add up to a knife of practical lasting beauty then it's put together just good enough so you don't instantly send it back but no better. They rely on people wanting to keep that knife because it comes from their country and they want to think better of it for that reason.
Aside from the sins mentioned, some Spyderco knife blades have sharp edges on the deployment hole, blade spine, or finger choils. For example the HAP40/SUS410 bladed Meerkat and Heinnie Haynes branded S30V bladed UKPK both have deployment holes that can easily cut circular slice into your thumb. A proper knife blade should be benign to the user. To remedy this oversight I used a ceramic rod to 'soften' the deployment hole and blade spine as well as finger choil edges on both these knives. I understand that it takes extra time to smooth things out, but it should be part of making a quality knife. End of Rant.
For me:
1. Knife with a nail nick that cannot be opened any other way
2. Fake carbon fiber print
3. Chisel grinds
4. Liner locks that don’t stick out at all (Fat fingers)
5. Paracord wraps
6. Very high carry clips/ tip down only
7. Plastic handles
Any knife I use regularly has to have some kind of blemish... I find that when I first buy a knife and it's new and pristine, I have to force myself to use it. It's painful in a way. But once it gets that first scratch, the wall comes down and I can't stop using it because I want the blemishes to be uniform. ...I guess that's an OCD thing. I think some degree of OCD is requisite to being a collector of any particular thing.
My BUCK Cavalier has a pivot you cannot adjust. The pivot cover just spins . So true.
The worst to me…recurves, tantos and serrations. I have a single tanto and it’s fine…but that’s enough. The other two…I could never fathom spending money on something with serrations (even though spyderco is one of my favorite brands). “Ohhh, you can seat belt this and rope that”…that’s great. The two times in my life I’ll need cut a seat belt or a length of rope, my plain edge will be just fine.
On G10 hard use knives: The Recon 1 has no liners, is fully G10 and has been succesfully torture tested countless times.
Kniveswith very weak detent that shake open. That’s unsafe. I’ve had knives open in my pocket because of this luckily it cut my pants only. lol
good fun video i agree with your list i would add as a lefty pass on all knives i cant move the clip. my personal design thing i dont get two diff types of handles on either side of a knife just wrong for me. the other thing is the 90 degree line of the tang of a knife going into a handle breaking the symmetry of all the organic lines of a knife particulary if adding just of bit of handle would hide it weird kink but for me find it much more pleasing to the eye when its not there. (now that i have said it watch how it bugs you)
Having just finally finished with the disassembly of a knife that took over 2 hours and the use on the screws with a soldering iron, my vote is for the use of red loktite. As a matter of a fact the use of such should be a criminal act and include some prison time for the offender. Who's with me???
For No 4, this is the reason why a higonokami is just a little worse then an opinel, both carbon, both friction folders (basically) and similar steel thicknesses and both cheap enough. Opinel is just a better slicer due to that grind..
To me, knives look better used. An unused knife isn’t worth the money, the fade and streaks and wear look great. A lot of love behind it
11. Assisted Openers. They are almost always put on low-end knives to cover the sub-par fit and finish. Don't believe me? Do-assist that Cryo and then compare it to the PM2 or a Benchmade. Well made knives don't need an assist.
+SaoDavi That's a good one. I'm fine with assists on cheap knives, to disguise a bad action (because you're not going to get a great flipper action for $25, ever), but on high-end knives, it drives me nutty.
+SaoDavi Totally. Even on budget knives I think manufacturers should just step up their game so they don't need it. As an example, my $23 Kershaw Nura has an un-assisted ball bearing action that is right up there with higher-end production knives.
Agreed. My CRKT Ripple was pretty inexpensive and was smooth as glass. I imagine the Eros, Swindle, etc. are similar.
Jerry moen blue max assisted?
I think they also put you in a situation of questionable legality in jurisdictions that ban automatics. You are literally just one attorney general's interpretation of the law away from legal trouble.
I totally agree with almost every point you have made here. Though I do like DLC coatings and the way they look when worn, I tend to avoid them on stainless blades. I do however like a coating on a carbon steel bush knife. I have said for years that blade stocks should be thinned out, my HEST and SR-1 simply don't slice due to the thickness even when real sharp. I also refuse to buy tip up which puts the weight of the knife high up making it easier to use and exposeing the pivot area to all the dust n dirt etc building and sticking to the oiled area. As far as hardware in the sliceing path, this is one more reason Spyderco kiks ass and WHAT WAS QUARTERMASTER THINKING???? 3 thumbstuds!?!?!?! WTF! another great vid Nick
+RealBushMonkey On Carbon Steel, coatings are absolutely fine. Great point, I should've included that. But there it's functional, for rust prevention, less so on modern stainless. And that's an interesting justification for carrying your knife incorrectly, thanks for sharing :)
I work in the bush and dirty gritty environments so I just cant have that pivot exposed. And I agree, though I think it looks cool with wear, coatings on stainless not only serve
no purpose, they cost more....but its SOOooo TACTICAL!?!?
The CRKT M16-04Z & M21-04 knives are the exception to the Teflon Rule. Free fall blades,zero blade play and a great flipper action. I wonder if there are different grades of Teflon because I have a couple of other knives with Teflon washers that aren't so stellar. Wish you would do a review on these two models Nick. Really good knives,especially considering their price. Mmmm BTW you forgot pocket peckers.
For the most part i totally agree with you Nick. I do however love the look of a used knife more. So i'm on the other side of No 2 haha. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing nicer than opening a new knife. But for me it's all in the usage. And love for the tool. Cos that's what a knife is to me. Love your videos. Keep up the great work.
+jblogs666 Yep. Some of us show love to the tool by letting it wear, and some by keeping it in great shape. Different grinds for different kinds!
One of my deadly knife sins is when makers create the blade in such a way as to make sharpening more difficult. Sharpening choils are good!
Totally agreed with #9, and #10... I wanted the FF Arch Bishop a lot until I learned that they put red locktite on the pivot :-( Can't take it apart without a blowtorch!
I very much agree with your 10th point Nick. I buy knives to use as tools, I don't baby them much. If I can't take it apart to look after it myself then I don't want it. That's my #1 reason for not owning a Spyderco.
You forgot the blade hitting the backspacer
I can't for the life of me understand the whole "I'm taking a knife in my lint lined pocket to cut fruit all day" idea. To each their own but it seems like searching for a use for a knife for people that have no real use for one.... especially for an "edc" folder.
Camping is one thing but it really weirds me out when someone is in a kitchen, with kitchen knives and pulls out a folding knife to cut some food up.
I agree with that. I never think about it but now that you bring it up, it is weird when people have cuisine knives and use their folder. It’s warranted when outdoors tho
@@RubleInnawoods outdoors absolutely..... Otherwise it comes off as " everybody look at me"
Leeskie Ferrell agreed
Poorly designed assisted openers (especially if there's no locking mechanism for the assist)
And I agree fully on the point about disassembly, I need to be able to disassemble and clean my blades.
Also, not a fan of tip down carry. Not certain why or how, but I'll never buy a tip down only knife.
Hey, probably a wierd video to ask, but do you know how accessible that graham Razel you had is?
I grew up on knife TH-cam channels and was even a part of bladeforum for several years from like 13-16 I think and have always been into custom knives but never been able to afford them. I recently fell in love with the Razel design and it rekindled the old passion for knives I had when I was a teenager (I’m 25 now)
I watched a Jim Skelton review of the Razel and then saw your video on the CRKT razelcliffe and purchased it two days later (on the date I proposed to my girlfriend, which was just this last weekend)
Anyways, I love my crkt razelcliffe to death but it just has so many low production value flaws that it makes enjoying it difficult, and I’m considering saving up to buy my first custom knife and try to get my hands on a real graham Razel like the one you reviewed.
Over sharing over, I can’t find a Razel for sale anywhere and am worried I missed my chance to get one some day, do you know if they are regularly made still and where they are available?
Could not have said it better. But I would like to add a couple more. 1. If a manufacturer makes an assisted knife with a flipper, then why in the hell would you want thumb studs. just make another version with thumb stud opening. 2. why a $150 knife has more blade play and is so off center than knife's that cost 2/3 less.
well tip down only should only be a sin in a flipper. to open the knife you must re-adjust your grip to flip. tip down does have some advantages in thumbstud or thumbhole knives. you don't have to re-adjust your grip
Damn I hate painted/coated blades as well.
For me it's sharpening choils. I would prefer to have one, but only if it's done properly and in the right place! Choils put behind the plunge line of a bevel are completely useless. Overly acute choils that just snag on anything you are cutting. Even on the very highest end knives this is a problem. Even on the famous and apparent "worlds best knifemaker" Jay Fisher's knives the choils are all wrong. Another sin for me is Jimping, the purpose of it is to add extra traction, not grind the flesh off my thumb.
I'm with you on the choils. I'm starting to prefer knives that don't have them, though. They're especially annoying when cutting something like cardboard. I don't want a feature of my knife to require me to relearn or modify how I cut things.
Ian Snyder Yeah, having a knife snag when cutting is a big no no for me. One of the reasons I always gravitate towards Spyderco knives for EDC is their lack of choils. That being said they do help with sharpening. Also I will admit some hypocrisy here, I make knives and almost everyone I have done has had a choil, because customers want them. A 50/50 finger/sharpening choil has become a mainstay in my blades now. To me it offers the most amount of utility for the least amount of compromise.
Wait... A teflon washer knife never falls shut? I have a 35$ damascus folder, that runs on teflon... After some good oiling and tuning it has a beautiful fall shut actually... Stil no play tho... It's the only knife I own that has that but stil... It also used to be an assisted knife btw. If you want to see that, I'm planning on doing a re-review of that knife.
[Edit] NVM about the re-review it's gonna be in german i totally forgot.
My Kershaw CQC-6K on teflon washers is smoother than my Sebenza 31. Dont really carry the Kershaw anymore but its by far my smoothest opener
why is tip down wrong? like what are your cons? I like it because I can immediately flip open the blade with the thumb stud. Tip up i basically have to put my hand all the way in my pocket, or reposition my hand after retrieving my knife. To annoying to do that.
great list. Spyderco still hasn't changed policy... bummer
I found this video in 2019, total agree with you nick
I mean G10 is very strong fiberglass. I do understand not liking ONLY G10, I’ve never broken one with only G10 but having that metal support is def a peace of mind
Who ever liked tip down carry? You need to open the knife always with the tip “up” in your hand that the tip swings “down”. So if you carry it tip down you always need to rotate the knife 180 to open it. It’s just preventing a fast opening if you pull the knife upside down, so where is the point in doing it?
very good points Nick, some of the knives i hate the most are knives which as you said, is thicker than needed, like medfords and direwares, they are so unattractive. Also can't the Kizer pivot be adjusted with a flathead screwdriver ?
+poisoncobra7 Oh Direware. And the Kizer's too thin for flathead, but can actually be adjusted by jamming the right sized allen key in there. But it's a hack, it scratches the fastener, and it's no excuse for not using Torx.
Sing it brother! I agree 100% with you. I would buy a Southern Grind knife today if it were not for those stupid screws. I have never owned a knife that from time to time the screws did not need to be tightened.
I'm way late to the party, but try gun oil on teflon washers. Butter smooth.
Price - (Probably #1) a knife is a tool not a jewel.
Quality is great but why do I want to spend A LOT of $$$$ on something I'll scratch, break and possibly lose?
When was the last time you dropped your knife ?
An EDC with a lifetime free sharpening minus s&h then the price [retains] it's investment.
(Rule) never spend $250-400 on a knife that gets you a gun
SAFETY - Tip up or down carry ?
Would you carry a gun barrel up ? Why would you want to grab the business end of either one ?
Right
As far as the craftsmanship, you have eyes and a pair of hands. Use them.
on KIZER, all you need to do is grind down the end of a 5mm allen wrench about .5mm, just enough to remove the chamfer on it. that way its completely flat.
Tip down is the correct answer for the BACK pocket
Good point about the placement of the thumb stud; had not thought of that. But you seem to like flippers (me too) and some would say they get in the way of being able to push the blade all the way down on material resting on a surface. Is that a bother for you (I take that it isn't, but...)?
As a knifemaker i don't like G-10. When it is finished smooth, its too slippery. You can not polish it but then the color is muted. Black G-10 finished to 400 grit is not so slippery but its not black, its gray.
The next thing i dislike about g-10 is the glass fiber. Glass fiber destroys bandsaw blades. Even expensive bi-metal blades. And the dust is nasty stuff. I don't care how good your dust collection is, you are going to get the dust from g-10 gets all over your shop. You stir it up every time you turn on a machine.
Is it weird that I want to buy the craptastic Z hunter, Mtechs, and Master USA knives after seeing Nick's hilarious take downs of them in his reviews?
In #8 What knife are you comparing the Spyderco to? Thanx
Number 10 for the win Nick! Awesome video.
I do hate painted blades, I sanded my whole knife down just to get rid of the paint and now I’m in the middle of sharpening it until i can touch paper with it and the paper will be cut
I could tell most of these things just by watching a handful of your videos. I was actually wondering why you haven't mentioned Microtech that I've seen. I can understand why it's off putting, and can relate to the Android v Apple argument. On the other side of the coin, some of the best looking knives (to me) come out of Microtech. Actually, what got me deep into knives was the Marfione custom Mini Matrix. But I put design at a higher priority than some who use their knife a couple times a day and while I have taken mine apart, it's not something I feel the need to do. Especially since there's always the option of sending it out to someone that can. The same could be said about #2 as well. I have a good friend that owns a cerakote business and it's not too expensive to get that service done after a year or two. On an unrelated note, I'd be really interested to see how you do your mirror edges. I think that would make a good video showing the right and wrong ways to sharpen and maybe some tips for us guys who are kind of new. Also, I vote for the CRKT 2-stage compact for budget thursdays. Yes, it may tick a couple of those sins but it's incredibly well built for the $40 you can get it for now.
+Daniel VanDusen Microtech bugs me too because they've stolen a few designs, so I'm not huge on supporting Marfione, despite having some great original ones. And I don't claim to be a sharpening god, but it could still be fun.
+Nick Shabazz Ahh. I didn't know that about MT. That sucks.
There are so many knives that I have not bought because they are only tip down carry. I hate it.
Who else what's to see nick review a knife with all of these?
one thing that really annoys me, strangely enough, is Tanto blades. I find they have no purpose other than the "cool factor". yes, they have strong tips.. so do wharnecliffs. so do drop points.. etc
I could be wrong, but from the few videos of yours I've seen you also don't prefer serrated blades. Personally I don't like them because they're a pain to sharpen, but I'd be interested to hear your opinion.
I own a micro tech screwdriver. Got it on Amazon for around $2. Never had to use it though.
A sin I would add: Useless swedges. Why would you have a swedge that takes up the whole spine of a blade and then sweep up and leave the tip like a wedge? Aren't swedges meant to thin out the top of a blade to make it pierce easier?
I agree with all except the G10 point. G10 is very strong and I don't believe it should be compared to plastic. Sure, Ti is a little stronger but I would rather save an ounce and have G10 (and I think weight goes along with your 8th point about actually carrying knives).
swedges are meant to give the tip some bulk but thin the blade a little for piercing
Item 5 - what about Cold Steel American Lawman or Recon 1 with full G10 handles? Surely you're not saying these can't be 'hard use' knives?
wanted to add that g10 is not plastic it is a composite material much closer to fiberglass or carbon fiber than plastic. I think it is plenty strong for a knife handle with no liner. bet the blade will snap long before a g10 handle scale will. the strider scale did look a little thin I will give you that
Cold steel beaters are using nothing but g10 on each side and they're pretty strong knives, e.g.: Recon 1, American Lawman, etc...
Don’t agree with no.10. Traditional slip-joints and Swiss Army knives can’t be disassembled but they’re fine for light pocket-knife duties.
What us wrong with tip-down carry exactly?
hey nick like your vids man lot of info and entertaining..... hey could ya let me know if ya have any blades for sale thanks keep up the good work
Jesus christ.. I just looked up the Grimsmo Norseman just to realize I would have to sell my car in order to justify buying one 😂
Has anything been added to the list since this video?
regarding folders:
thick blades - a folder will never be able to withstand any kind of prying.
hidden stop pins. unnecessary weakpoint.
any knife:
sharpening choils - especially the bigger ones like on strider knives.
forward finger choils - why??? just put the edge further back towards the handle and everything is fine.
With regards to #6 tip down carry...
Have you never put your hand into your pocket, only to find that somehow the blade opened about 1/4 inch and the tip is pointing up right into your finger tip/ finger nail? When it happens, you might change your mind on this one.
Add this....great big billboard logo on the grind portion of a blade. I saw a Tekut Zero knife with a great big ZERO logo on the blade. Zero is somewhat appropriate because the word zero means nothing, and that is what should be on the grind portion of the blade...nothing!!!!
I'm one of the guys that likes the look of a worn painted blade. I prefer a nice patina on a carbon steel blade but let's face it, carbon steel isn't ideal for every kind of blade. Works well for my hunting knife that only sees use on food, meat and hides but not so much for my "cut it all" pocket knife.
Hi Nick. What is the titanium knife you bring into the shot around 2:08 into the video when you talk about knives and blades being painted? Many thanks.
Baboon McGoon It was the Brad Southard Tulk Shows it again at 12:26 ish