Saturday, March 10, 2007

The Knives that Lawyers Wrought?

Over the course of the last three months I have been trying to locate a pocket knife. Not just any pocket knife but the pocket knife of my dreams - the right blade shape, the right edge holding characteristics, the right ergonomics, etc. You would think this should be an easy search, right? Drop in to any sporting goods store and browse through the dozens of knives they carry to find what you want. Hah! I have purchased cheap knives. I have purchased expensive knives. I have purchased moderately expensive knives but, you get the picture, no luck to date.

As a matter of fact, I believe one of my most common complaints is entirely related to a litigation-prevention measures taken by most knive manufacturers on their folders. More on this later.

I don't believe my requirements for a pocket knife are too terribly outrageous but . . . you tell me.
  • Blade - The blade should be a drop-point style without serrations between 2.5" & 2.9" with a V grind
  • Blade Material - Stainless steel with good edge keeping qualities.
  • Lock Style - Liner or frame lock
  • Carry Method - Pocket clip broad enough to not damage clothing
  • Handles - Any material that gives a good wet grip but is not so sticky as to impair drawing from the pocket
  • Handle Style - Easy-to-draw rectangular or lozenge shape with no sharp edges to damage or wear clothing
  • Carry Style - Tip-up
I do have one knife that is just about perfect but it is just a bit too big to carry and use conveniently. All the rest I have handled or even purchased suffer from one or more flaws. Some flaws are minor and easily ignored or remedied. Others are fatal to the utility of the knife. I will enumerate all the boring details in excruciating detail in later posts.

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