Knife trends you just don't understand?

[bobnikon]

Agree with a lot of the comments in here.
For me the two big ones (pun intended in one case ) are:
1. Frame lock relief on outside, especially right at edge of clip as it catches loose material of pocket. I had to two hand release my paysan the other day as the pocket material bunched up in the notch. Same has happened on my swayback. I realize it would take more milling with the paysan with it being integral, but these are the things that would make the knife live up to its potential along with figuring out the lock stick. Never had this issue with my CRKs, Spartans, etc...
2. The obsession with XL'ing (yes I verbed that) every model. Enough already.

Cheers
Erik

[Mushroom]

This might be controversial but…

DLC - it serves no positive purpose other than cosmetic. Knife will still rust, DLC will scratch with hard use, DLC picks up marks that you need to clean off, tip repair would ruin the DLC and so on.

Again just my opinion but other than making a knife look neat, which I admit it can, it doesn’t do much else.

Not understanding something should never be controversial. There should always room to learn.

DLC actually does serve a positive purpose beyond just being cosmetic. It is true that a knife with a DLC coating can still develop rust but it is also true that the DLC coating itself can and does serve to further protect a knives steel against corrosion. For one, it is literally a film coating a large portion of the blade. That in itself helps prevent some level or corrosion. That level of corrosion can also be influenced by the thickness of the DLC coating itself. Secondly, DLC coatings are “microporous” and have a microstructure that helps retain rust inhibitors and oils significantly better than a satin blade; which serves to even further increase it’s corrosion resistance.

DLC is also more than likely harder than whatever steel it is coating. If something is able to scratch the DLC coating, it most definitely would have also scratched an uncoated blade. Often times, the visible “scratches” are not actually in the DLC itself but are just marks left from whatever material it contacted.

Also, tip repair technically ruins any type of blade coating. I wouldn’t attribute that exclusively to DLC coatings.

[sshook]

Ultem. It looks like pee to me. Why ? Just why?

[GarageBoy]

Flipper knives and front flipper knives - I guess flipper tabs double duty as a guard, but I find them in the way for cutting. Front flippers are finicky to me and takes too much effort to open

"Acoustics" on knives - I guess it's cool when you knife makes nice thunk when you open it, but it's definitely not a selling point for me...

[MidnightCoalCo.]

This may be just me and I might be in the minority on this but I don't see the need to have to put a deep carry clip on every knife you own. Don't get me wrong, I will never complain when a company has them installed from the factory but some knives if the clip is mounted at its highest point with a non-deep carry clip then having that small bit of knife sticking out never really bothered me. I guess some examples for me would be my PM2s and Manix 2 models, I actually like the way they sit in my pocket with the standard clip, and yes I actually do like the stock spyderco clips. I never understood why people talked so badly about them, they seem to offer great pocket retention.

[TomAiello]

I agree on most flippers, and especially front flippers. I just can't get into the front flippers, and some flippers are fun, but mostly I end up using them just for that fun factor.

And I also agree on the deep carry clips. On some knives I definitely like them, but a lot of work and EDC I want the knife riding higher so it's easier to pull the knife out and replace it quickly.

[Wartstein]

- On sharpening choils:

While I completely respect that some people like those, like Vivi I personally literally don´t understand them (and it might very well be me who is missing something) - I´d much rather have a tiny unsharpened or crudly sharpened flat area where otherwise the notch would sit and potentially snag on matter.

This comes from my own real life experience: Never liked sharpening notches on any knife, and do have both a Tenacious with and without a sharpening notch. While admittedly the notch does not bother me all the time (or even not very often), I much prefer the blade without one

- On deep carry clips

There are definitely a lot of people who just like deep carry clips for valid reasons: Might make for better ergos for them, or they have to / want to conceil their folders.

But honestly: I think there is also a share of people (probably not many on this forum though) who reflexively say and think that a deep carry choil is inherently "better" and an upgrade to any folder, cause they heard so on youtube and so on.And not really unbiased tried for themselves in order to find out what they prefer

I personally don´t like deep carry clips at all on knives larger than a Chap (but that´s something different to "I don´t understand them", I actually do, they are just not for me).
Makes the knife effectively longer in pocket, a bit less convenient to retrieve (even though I don´t grab the knife just at the very end that sticks out of the pocket but move my thumb deep into the pocket anyway), places the hand further from the opening hole.



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[ChrisinHove]

Lots of things aren’t to my taste, but that’s my problem, not yours.

I don’t like people referring to a pocketknife blinged-up with shop bought accessories as “custom”. I think that’s a significant disservice to skilful custom knife makers.

[Cl1ff]

I actually think I understand all of them and all of the ones expressed in this thread. There are many I don’t like, don’t agree with, or consider functionally inferior, but I understand why someone else might think differently.
This isn’t always the case for me in everything, but it is true for what I’ve seen in knives.

I find it frustrating that many things I dislike are popular and that it is also popular to discourage many of the things I do like.

I typically have a harder time wrapping my head around the latter and I’m sure we all have experienced that and become frustrated.

[Mrj]

Small lanyards with decorative beads. I get the use of a lanyard that your hand fits in. But the fancy little string and bead remind of something I can’t say on here .

Those aren't lanyards, they're fobs. They can be used to improve your grip on a small handle, although I suspect most just use them as decoration.

I call them tamp strings . I’ve never needed one to grip my knife. Spyderco does a wonderful job on their frn to make it grippy. Although I mostly use larger knives. But the trend of strings with beads just makes me

[Sharp24/7]

I don’t get aftermarket clips. Ruins the ergos of most knives IMO.

[Larry_Mott]

Exclusives.
How many shades of beige do you need of a certain model?
Deep carry pocket clips,
perfect for those who like to faff and fish for the knife in pocket.
The obsession with compression lock,
sure it's a great lock and all but by now i don't think there's a single Spyderco model someone hasn't asked "why isn't it available with compression lock"

[ladybug93]

Replacing the plastic ball bearing cage on a Manix when the number of people that have broken a black cbbl cage through normal use is less than 5?

whoa whoa whoa... take it easy there. i've changed out two plastic ball cages and i do like the feel of the metal much better, even though they aren't necessary upgrades.

[CDEP]

All knife trends are easy to *understand*, they just don't interest me at all. If someone starts a thread about trends we don't *like* I can do a nice little dissertation, but that wasn't the OP's question.

Ultimately, most if not all trends are driven by marketing, and I wouldn't presume to know the industry well enough to pass judgment on the TACTICAL (wink) use of marketing trends and their benefit to the makers.

Caveat Emptor is a good governing philosophy in all things.

[HolySteel]

Call me 'Junior High School' if you want, but I love to flick.

https://i.imgur.com/BLktMAM.mp4

[WilliamMunny]

This might be controversial but…

DLC - it serves no positive purpose other than cosmetic. Knife will still rust, DLC will scratch with hard use, DLC picks up marks that you need to clean off, tip repair would ruin the DLC and so on.

Again just my opinion but other than making a knife look neat, which I admit it can, it doesn’t do much else.

Not understanding something should never be controversial. There should always room to learn.

DLC actually does serve a positive purpose beyond just being cosmetic. It is true that a knife with a DLC coating can still develop rust but it is also true that the DLC coating itself can and does serve to further protect a knives steel against corrosion. For one, it is literally a film coating a large portion of the blade. That in itself helps prevent some level or corrosion. That level of corrosion can also be influenced by the thickness of the DLC coating itself. Secondly, DLC coatings are “microporous” and have a microstructure that helps retain rust inhibitors and oils significantly better than a satin blade; which serves to even further increase it’s corrosion resistance.

DLC is also more than likely harder than whatever steel it is coating. If something is able to scratch the DLC coating, it most definitely would have also scratched an uncoated blade. Often times, the visible “scratches” are not actually in the DLC itself but are just marks left from whatever material it contacted.

Also, tip repair technically ruins any type of blade coating. I wouldn’t attribute that exclusively to DLC coatings.

Good points but nothing substantial or at least could be argued.

1. Rust yes DLC can hold oils better. Flip side DLC can hide rust in those same pours and under the coating.

2. A scratch on DLC looks bad and no way to hide it. On satin you might not notice it unless the light hits it right, plus potentially you could buff/sand it out if it really bothers you.

3. Tip repair, with DLC the whole spine of the knife would be sanded down, looking bad. With Satin, if it’s a smaller tip Brest you may never notice the repair.


In no way saying your points are not valid but I personally consider DLC 100% looks. If it helps with a few things you mentioned above I consider it a small bonus rather than a reason to pick it over satin.

[CDEP]

Call me 'Junior High School' if you want, but I love to flick.

Obviously, a significant number of knife buyers agree, and that is why makers service that demo, and why reviewers cover it in their videos. I understand, it just isn't for me. I'm happy to see large numbers of people made happy by "fidget factor" as long as I can still get what I want.

[HolySteel]

Call me 'Junior High School' if you want, but I love to flick.

Obviously, a significant number of knife buyers agree, and that is why makers service that demo, and why reviewers cover it in their videos. I understand, it just isn't for me. I'm happy to see large numbers of people made happy by "fidget factor" as long as I can still get what I want.

Rats...my humor missed again

[CDEP]

Call me 'Junior High School' if you want, but I love to flick.

Obviously, a significant number of knife buyers agree, and that is why makers service that demo, and why reviewers cover it in their videos. I understand, it just isn't for me. I'm happy to see large numbers of people made happy by "fidget factor" as long as I can still get what I want.

Rats...my humor missed again

I got it, just trying to avoid encouraging you...

[HolySteel]

Call me 'Junior High School' if you want, but I love to flick.

Obviously, a significant number of knife buyers agree, and that is why makers service that demo, and why reviewers cover it in their videos. I understand, it just isn't for me. I'm happy to see large numbers of people made happy by "fidget factor" as long as I can still get what I want.

Rats...my humor missed again

I got it, just trying to avoid encouraging you...

Don't worry - that video was not easy to make

I DO often flick my flickable knives when sitting on the couch watching t.v.; however, I never open them that way when carrying/using. I've also found that with most compression locks, if you adjust the pivot screw to where it flicks well, that's also where you want it so that it opens well using your thumb.