Knife trends you just don't understand?

[ladybug93]

I don't understand the appeal of the "desert warrior" donut knives...

the original dessert warrior is hilarious to me and i had to have one. i'm a dad and i love dad jokes. i love puns and playing on words. i love that a simple misspelling online led to such a fun collection piece. i do, however, hate how much they've tried to capitalize on it. it should've just been the one knife and not a huge series that shows no signs of stopping. it was funny at first, but it's getting dumb. it's not a joke on anything but the desert warrior.

[spydergoat]

I don't understand the appeal of the "desert warrior" donut knives...

the original dessert warrior is hilarious to me and i had to have one. i'm a dad and i love dad jokes. i love puns and playing on words. i love that a simple misspelling online led to such a fun collection piece. i do, however, hate how much they've tried to capitalize on it. it should've just been the one knife and not a huge series that shows no signs of stopping. it was funny at first, but it's getting dumb. it's not a joke on anything but the desert warrior.

OMG I never even made the desert/dessert connection. Well now I at least understand it!

[ladybug93]

I don't understand the appeal of the "desert warrior" donut knives...

the original dessert warrior is hilarious to me and i had to have one. i'm a dad and i love dad jokes. i love puns and playing on words. i love that a simple misspelling online led to such a fun collection piece. i do, however, hate how much they've tried to capitalize on it. it should've just been the one knife and not a huge series that shows no signs of stopping. it was funny at first, but it's getting dumb. it's not a joke on anything but the desert warrior.

OMG I never even made the desert/dessert connection. Well now I at least understand it!

yeah... it was a boker desert warrior that someone referred to online as a dessert warrior, so bhq made it a reality. i think that's hilarious. it's just overdone now.

[Spicy Suplex]

fidgeting is probably somewhat related to anxiety. i'm a fidgeter and constantly expending "nervous" energy in that manner. i found myself fidgeting with knives because i always had one on me. i got a dragonfly because it's smaller and less threatening, but people still looked at me weird. i tried a squarehead, which works better in that capacity and gets almost zero attention. now i typically fidget with a squiddy balisong trainer. it's a lot of fun, but it does draw looks and questions. usually people ask me if it's a switchblade, which instantly gives me an idea of how much they know about knives. i just tell everyone it's my fidget spinner and show them it's all plastic.

anyway, i find typical fidget toys to be highly unsatisfying. i like the feeling of something nicely machined. i don't think there's anything wrong with fidgeting with a knife as long as you're not making other people uncomfortable and willing to accept the risk of cutting yourself.

Agreed on anxiety. If I'm not screwing with a pen or light or knife (at home), I'm likely bouncing my foot. Sometimes both. Fidget toys are too far apart in their price points - the cheap ones are, unsurprisingly, cheap and crappy, and then the nice lookin' ones are way too expensive to take a shot on. I've been playing with pens ever since the movie Goldeneye thrilled me as a child, and it evolved from there into drumsticks and knives and basically anything I have in my hands. I can roll an endura (closed!) through my fingers much like Boris, but marching drum sticks were always the best for that, weight-wise.

ETA: for anyone who is a finger-roller, fidget-friendly, anxiety-ridden pen clicker of a person, consider some marching snare sticks for something affordable and with nice weight distribution. And hey maybe even a practice pad if you like the sticks a whole lot after playing with them, you never know what could happen

[w3tnz]

I have a sudden unexplainable urge to use my decorative fob to withdraw my deep carry pocket clipped compression lock knife just to fiddle with it.
Hope you guys don't mind.

[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.

Ok. You said DLC was for aesthetics only but that’s not true. I thought helping you understand why that’s not true might help to better understand the DLC trend that you have claimed not to understand. I’m not arguing in favor of DLC or trying to convince you to choose DLC over satin; I was just trying to help.

Honestly though, this was a very validating response to my original post on page 1 of this thread. I guess I just still don’t get it.

No again it is appreciated, not blowing your points off. I guess I am just saying if DLC made a tool steel rust proof then it is a big plus. But DLC might help with rust, maybe, it’s hard to call that a definitive clear plus.

[CDEP]

I give BHQ props for poking fun at themselves (and their customers who respond to couch ninja marketing), but I've passed on buying into the joke. I totally get it, though.

What I really appreciate about Spyderco is that they do not pander to their customers. When Mr. Janich creates a game changer SD knife like the Yojimbo it isn't called the "Tactical Ninja Stabber 5000" or some such. "Yojimbo" is a perfect and more subtle name, and assumes we have some intellect and "get it."

As a result, I own a couple of Yo2s even though I am not trained / interested in SD (with edged weapons). My Yo2s work as exceptional utility/beast carries, and I don't have to be embarrassed when a friend asks what it is (and nobody who sees it doesn't ask).

[WilliamMunny]

This might be controversial but…

DLC - it serves no positive purpose other than cosmetic.

I feel that you're mistaken, William.

DLC provides two functions outside of aesthetics.

1. Reducing light reflections (Obviously not applicable to most, if not all of us here, but it does matter to certain people in certain lines of work).

2. It significantly reduces rust.

I invite you to take a look at this thread:

viewtopic.php?t=87786

Or take a look at the liners from my two Resilience folders. They're not even DLC coated, it's a lower quality coating but the effect is still noticeable:

viewtopic.php?p=1728834#p1728834

I've done a lot of testing with regards to how different pocket knives react to my unusually corrosive sweat. Bead blasted finishes reduce corrosion resistance, DLC and other black coatings enhance it.

I've been making these observations for close to two decades now. My first DLC knife was a Para 2. The stop pin, liners, etc. were coated in thick layers of rust, while the blade was pristine. This is one reason I then purchased a DLC Manix XL, which had all coated hardware and liners. Nothing on the knife ever rusted.

For a while me claiming this in itself was controversial here, but I think it's becoming accepted that I'm on to something. Or maybe Spyderco started coating liners and screws on DLC models for a different reason. Either way, these are my reasons for generally going with DLC versions over satin.

Good to know, I was under the impression that DLC did little or nothing to help rust.

[Spicy Suplex]

Oh lord again. Triple I guess.

[Spicy Suplex]

Doubled up by quoting myself oops.

[vivi]

Good to know, I was under the impression that DLC did little or nothing to help rust.

I thought the same thing at one point. Figured it was just for looks.

[Bolster]

I think some people are convinced others won't be able to tell if they're carrying a knife with the deep carry clips. As someone that's done security at major concerts and sporting events - we know.

Um, no.

I don't care a hoot if the police or security know I'm carrying; they know the law and they know I'm legal. It's the "Karens" of a certain age who need diapers if they discover someone nearby is carrying a knife. Don't underestimate the ignorance of pampered, gated-community limousine elites; in their minds carrying a knife is tantamount to being a murderer. Same thought process as those who state that "all men are potential rapists." I don't care to raise a harpy's blood pressure, or pick a fight with people so practiced and expert in playing the victim, so I'll pick a deep carry clip when in social situations. It works wonders. I've been around these folks for 20+ years and nobody has been the wiser that a Caly is tucked away IWB.

[vivi]

I think some people....

Like I mentioned there's a variety of motivations for deep carry clips.

Either way I'm glad I live somewhere where open carry firearms and fixed blades don't get a second look, lol.

[bdblue]

I have mixed feelings about most of the trends mentioned, if people like them then they can buy them, I don't have to.

The trend that I don't understand is hammered flats on fixed blade knives. Does someone want us to believe that they hand forged the blade and then ground the bevel into it? I was buying hand made fixed blades when the better makers did an awesome polished finish, knives intended for serious use had brushed finish.

[Bolster]

Like I mentioned there's a variety of motivations for deep carry clips.

Either way I'm glad I live somewhere where open carry firearms and fixed blades don't get a second look, lol.

Understood. Some day I look forward to being your neighbor. I remember, as a kid, going to Wyoming and seeing guys shopping in stores with cocked and locked .45s on their hips, and I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. People were very polite, as I recollect. I'm O.T. so will end there.

[kennethsime]

I love deep carry clips. Much more comfortable, and the knife gets caught on stuff less. I have several knives that don't get carried very often because I haven't bought a Lynch clip for them yet. I agree with the comments about flipper tabs, sharpening choils, and replacing OEM hardware with cheap, imported anodized hardware.

I think the biggest trend that I don't understand in the knife industry is how most knife consumers just aren't critical thinkers.

If some guy on YouTube says a thing, suddenly everyone is saying that thing. Spyderco probably has folks who've worked QA for them for 20 years, but if some guy on YouTube says that the blade centering on his knife was off, then Spyderco has failed miserably not only as a knife manufacturer but as an ethical business.

I think it's great that Larrin has made data-driven knife steel research more accessible. I also think it's great that Spyderco took so much time perfecting their heat treat for Magnacut. However, it now seems that in addition to critiquing a knife company's choice of knife steel, knife consumers are now also critiquing the company's heat treat of said steel. That's fine, but what on earth does the average knife consumer know about heat treating steel? Like honestly, does the data sheet on Crucible's website actually mean anything to you?

Now whenever some yahoo manages to chip his high-vanadium steel on a staple or concrete, he bashes "[Knife Company]'s heat treat," instead of just bashing S30V like he used to. Meanwhile, if he happens to not hit a staple or concrete in the first 2 weeks with a new knife, he's praising [Knife Company]'s heat treat. Subsequently, hundreds of YouTube personalities suddenly start lauding or denouncing [Knife Company]'s heat teat, and thousands of consumers repeat that nonsense on forums. You're buying on faith anyway, stop putting on airs.

I don't get folks who nitpick every last detail on a $200 knife. Sure, I appreciate the finer details of most pocket knives, but I also understand that $200 doesn't go nearly as far as it did 20 years ago. I really don't get people who think that the pinnacle of knife design is "M390 Ti Flipper," and think the best knife company out there is the one who gets them that combo at the cheapest price. I'd much prefer to spend $200 on an American-made workhorse like the PM2 than another M390 Ti Flipper from one of the Chinese companies.

Ok, I finished my , and the rant is over: have a great night, folks.

[vivi]

I love deep carry clips. Much more comfortable, and the knife gets caught on stuff less. I have several knives that don't get carried very often because I haven't bought a Lynch clip for them yet. I agree with the comments about flipper tabs, sharpening choils, and replacing OEM hardware with cheap, imported anodized hardware.

I think the biggest trend that I don't understand in the knife industry is how most knife consumers just aren't critical thinkers.

If some guy on YouTube says a thing, suddenly everyone is saying that thing. Spyderco probably has folks who've worked QA for them for 20 years, but if some guy on YouTube says that the blade centering on his knife was off, then Spyderco has failed miserably not only as a knife manufacturer but as an ethical business.

I think it's great that Larrin has made data-driven knife steel research more accessible. I also think it's great that Spyderco took so much time perfecting their heat treat for Magnacut. However, it now seems that in addition to critiquing a knife company's choice of knife steel, knife consumers are now also critiquing the company's heat treat of said steel. That's fine, but what on earth does the average knife consumer know about heat treating steel? Like honestly, does the data sheet on Crucible's website actually mean anything to you?

Now whenever some yahoo manages to chip his high-vanadium steel on a staple or concrete, he bashes "[Knife Company]'s heat treat," instead of just bashing S30V like he used to. Meanwhile, if he happens to not hit a staple or concrete in the first 2 weeks with a new knife, he's praising [Knife Company]'s heat treat. Subsequently, hundreds of YouTube personalities suddenly start lauding or denouncing [Knife Company]'s heat teat, and thousands of consumers repeat that nonsense on forums. You're buying on faith anyway, stop putting on airs.

I don't get folks who nitpick every last detail on a $200 knife. Sure, I appreciate the finer details of most pocket knives, but I also understand that $200 doesn't go nearly as far as it did 20 years ago. I really don't get people who think that the pinnacle of knife design is "M390 Ti Flipper," and think the best knife company out there is the one who gets them that combo at the cheapest price. I'd much prefer to spend $200 on an American-made workhorse like the PM2 than another M390 Ti Flipper from one of the Chinese companies.

Ok, I finished my , and the rant is over: have a great night, folks.

I don't agree with 100% of what you said, but I can raise a toast to you and give you a thumbs up regardless. Well said.

[Bolster]

Ok, I finished my , and the rant is over: have a great night, folks.

OK kids, pay attention, this ^ is how a quality rant is done.

Kennethisme: You can come rant in my house any time you want to. Door is always open. Helluva good rant.

[RugerNurse]

The zombie hunter green fad that was popular awhile back.

[Woodpuppy]

It’s not that I don’t understand the trends, it’s just that I don’t prefer so many. Horses for courses. That’s why there are so many choices.

++kennethsime!!