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In Defense of Plastic; 5 Reasons to Love Injection Molded Knife Handles

In the knife world people often talk down on injection molded plastic handles. These are often called things like FRN or Grivory (among other acronyms and trademarks), but they’re all a plastic injection molded to the handle shape with some sort of supporting material added (like fiberglass, carbon fiber, etc.). People online often criticize these types of handles and claim they feel cheap, are less durable, and other such nonsense. Well in this article I’ll give you 5 solid reasons why I love plastic handles on knives and think they deserve more appreciation in the community.

1: They’re ergonomic

Due to being manufactured using injection molding, this type of handle can have significant curvature at the edges (or even across the whole surface). These smooth corners and edges make the knife more comfortable to hold, especially in extended or heavy use. This is in contrast to most G10 handles (which, by the way, is just as synthetic as this type of handle) which usually have sharp corners along the entire edge of the handle and little contouring. What it really comes down to is that it’s easier to make a mold have more contour and curvature then inject into that countless times than it is to grind the same contour and curvature into a handle material that isn’t produced by injection molding. A comfortable handle is a huge part of what makes using a knife enjoyable, so I think this is a major “pro” for injection molded handles.

The classic Benchmade Griptilian with its checkered pattern and jimping

2: They offer great traction

One of the things people look for in a user knife handle is good traction. People in promotional or review videos often comment on the texture of a knife handle and its affect on the user’s ability to hold the knife in use, even when the user’s hands are wet. Now, I have very rarely found this to be a point of practicality. Only in unusual circumstances where my hands are very cold, very wet, or both have I found a knife’s handle texture to be the deciding factor in whether or not I can keep hold of it and manipulate it effectively. Moreso I think that is a function of the handle shape. That said, injection molded handles often offer much more aggressive texturing than other handle options. This more aggressive texture is possible because the injection process allows for more void areas in the handle than would be feasible in other handle types. While I personally don’t find myself using knives in a way where I need extreme traction all that often, I think it’s a positive trait of injection molded plastic handles for those who do need or want better texture.

Spyderco Endura with bi directional texture

3: They allow for unique patterns and colors

One of my personal favorite things about injection molded handles is that they offer basically endless possibilities of pattern and color combinations. The mold can be made to have various patterns, from something as simple but functional as the triangular Xs on some Cold Steel knives to the honeycomb pattern on Honey Badger knives or the dragon scale pattern on the Civivi Wyvern. Beyond pattern, injection molded handles also come in a huge variety of colors. Pick any color you can think of and I’m sure a knife has been made with an injection molded handle in that color. In a sea of knives handled in flat slabs of black G10, I think this diversity of pattern and color is sorely needed in the knife market. Some people like their knives serious and plain, but I like a little vibrancy and injection molded handles allow for that in pattern and color.

Civivi Wyvern with a dragon scale pattern

4: They are durable

Injection molded plastic can take a beating and keep working. Sure, it might take scratches and dents more easily than harder materials like G10 or Micarta. However, these harder materials are more likely to chip or crack in a way that affects function or ergonomics than the softer and tougher (in my experience) injection molded plastics. Again, this characteristic makes this type of handle ideal for a user knife. If I’m gonna be putting a knife through its paces, I’d much rather it get some scratches and dents and keep going than get a crack or chip that makes it less functional. I have used knives with injection molded handles extensively and have found them to be much more than adequately durable for all types of cutting.

Kershaw Thistle with the K Texture pattern

5: They are budget friendly

Knives with injection molded plastic handles often come at some of the most budget friendly prices on the market. This is in part because the injection molding process allows for some manufacturing cost reduction, particularly when compared to other handle types like G10 or Micarta (not to mention natural handle materials). As much as I love knives and wish I did, I don’t have unlimited money to spend on knives. So I appreciate cost savings, especially when they also offer as many positive characteristics as injection molded handles do. I often find knives with injection molded plastic handles offer better values than comparable knives with different handle types.

Cold Steel Voyager XL with triangular cross pattern

So, what are some knives worth picking up with injection molded plastic handles? Below are a few options that I have and enjoy. I have linked to KnifeCenter for all of these purely because they have a sale this weekend (ending 2/6/22 midnight) for free shipping. SMKW also has a Valentine’s sale going on. These aren’t affiliate links, so feel free to shop around to see if you can find better prices. I hope you enjoy whichever you choose as much as I have enjoyed them!

Civivi Wyvern

A very cool and well made knife for a budget friendly price. I love the ergonomics and blade shape, but I think the handle pattern is just plain cool. If it’s your style, I think you’ll be happy with what you get.

Benchmade Griptilian

A classic for a reason. Lots of different options for handles, blade shape, and blade steel. The base model has an injection molded handle with some nice jimping and texturing plus a cross hatch pattern. Great warranty also.

Spyderco Police 4 Lightweight

If I had to only keep one knife, it might be this one. It’s very big, but it carries easier than you’d think because it’s thin. Great ergonomics and blade shape. The two I’ve had have both come with surprisingly smooth action also, not to mention solid lock up.

Cold Steel Voyager XL

The Voyager XL is ridiculously huge, but you’ll never be under knifed. Of course there are smaller versions available, but that’s up to your preference. The ultra strong Demko designed Triad lock is easy to use and worth relying on. Extremely aggressive texturing on the handle might need some sanding below the clip, but overall this is a great heavy use or tactical knife.

I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts

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We Need to Talk About Proud Tips and Blade Rap on Traditional Slipjoints

I’ve had enough of it, and it’s time someone said it; proud tips and blade rap are manufacturing defects that are far too prevalent on traditional slipjoint knives. Proud tips and blade rap are issues that plague slipjoints across the spectrums of price, quality, and manufacturer. So, what are they, why are they a problem, and what can be done about them?

What is a proud tip?

A proud tip, simply put, is when the tip of the blade sits above the blade well when closed. What is considered a proud tip can vary depending on the shape of the blade and handle, and the personal preference of the observer. That said, if you can catch a fingernail under the tip of the blade when its closed that is a definite indicator of a proud tip.

What is blade rap?

Blade rap is when the edge hits against the spring when the blade is closed. Many people assume when they hear it said that it is “blade wrap” because of the edge damage that it causes. However, I have always known it to be “rap” meaning to rap against the spring, like “rapping at the window”. This happens because the momentum of the blade closing due to the spring pressure of the backspring causes the blade to overtravel and hit against the inside of the backspring (usually at the backspring pin hump). This causes edge deformation, usually in the form of rolling but sometimes pure flattening or occasionally even chipping.

What makes them legitimate issues?

Both proud tips and blade rap are legitimate manufacturing defects because they cause practical issues.

A proud tip, though unlikely, could catch on clothing fabric and inadvertently partially open the blade risking injury or even directly catch on skin when you reach in a pocket and potentially cause injury. Now, some people will say “well you can just file the kick, so it’s not a real issue” (my video on filing a kick). While it is true you can usually fix a proud tip by filing the kick, there’s two reasons that doesn’t excuse a proud tip. First, filing a kick involves an extremely fine balance between filing enough that the tip falls below the handle without filing too much and causing blade rap. Second, and more importantly, the consumer should not have to modify a product for it to function correctly.

Blade rap is more straight forward; an edge with damage doesn’t cut as well. Sure, the damage is usually only on a very small portion of the blade, but that doesn’t change the fact that that area will catch and not cut like the rest of the edge. Now, some people will say “well blade rap just means that the company fit as much blade into the blade well as possible”. The argument there is that the more blade is fit into the handle the more sharpenings a blade can take and therefore the longer working life the knife will have. While that is technically true, it doesn’t make up for the downside of blade rap for two reasons. First, either you have a knife that doesn’t cut as well as it could or you sharpen out the blade rap and take away that extra blade height. Second, and more importantly, the consumer should not have the modify a product for it to function correctly.

Now, being the astute and attentive reader you are, I’m sure you noticed that both second reasons and final sentences in the previous two paragraphs are the same. Therein lies the real crux of the issue; no matter the upsides or how easily the issues are rectified by the owner, knives should not come with practical issues from the manufacturer and consumers shouldn’t be expected to accept those issues.

What can be done about them?

So, what could be done to mitigate the issues of proud tips and blade rap?

Well, as mentioned above the consumer can often fix these issues themselves if they have the tools and will to do so. But, as I mentioned above, I don’t think consumers should have to do those things on a new knife. Aside from fixing them themselves, I think the only thing for a consumer to do is let the manufacturer know that they are unhappy with their knife coming with these issues. You could also return knives to the dealer that come with these issues. I personally have reached a point (after getting an Albers Cutlery Company knife with blade rap and being frustrated by trying to fix it myself) that I intend to commit to not keeping any knife that comes with either of these issues. This can actually be more difficult than it might seem. If you fight through the drops and finally secure a highly sought after Great Eastern Cutlery knife, it can seem like a small issue like a proud tip or blade rap isn’t worth sending the knife back… and maybe it’s not!

Better yet, there are things the manufacturer can do to mitigate these issues. One thing that some brands, like A.G. Russell and LionSteel, have implemented is a stop pin. Using more accurate methods of cutting out blanks, like laser cutting or EDM rather than punching with dies, could help to get more consistent interfacing between the kick and the backspring and therefore making proud tips less likely. A stop pin stops the momentum of the blade closing and doesn’t allow for the overtravel that the backspring does, which makes blade rap much less likely.

Of course, I’m not an engineer or involved in knife manufacturing in any way, so it’s not my place to make suggestions or assumptions about the process. I just love traditional slipjoints and want to see them be as good as they can be. I hope that these issues become less common and help slipjoints continue their rise back to quality and popularity.

My wife’s observations of my experiences with blade rap;

A Guide to getting rid of your blade rap:

  1. buy some fancy sharpening stuff
  2. find a tiny miniscule little nick on the blade to nit pick for several days at a time
  3. set up in the most annoying location possible, so the most people can hear the horrible noise of the knife sharpening.
  4. sharpen the knife
  5. feel the blade
  6. swear
  7. Repeat 4-6 5-7x before you become disgusted and swear that you’ll never buy this type of knife again.
  8. buy that type of knife again.

I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts

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Don’t miss one of the best values ever on a hard use EDC knife!

To make a long and still developing story short, Cold Steel was sold to GSM Outdoors recently and since then several knife models have gone on deep sales. I was recently able to get a Voyager XL Drop Point for the incredible price of ~$48 from Midway USA, and you can watch my unboxing video below. These price cuts are in contrast to price increases across the knife market, including some significant hikes in the Cold Steel catalog.

So, even though this isn’t the usual type of article for Knife Thoughts, I wanted to post about the incredible deal right now on the Cold Steel 4 Max Scout (Amazon affiliate link).

I bought a 4 Max Scout for ~$100 from White Mountain Knives in 2020, and I feel that it was a good value for the knife. By the way, White Mountain Knives has the knife for ~$85 right now so you can get it for ~$77 with my discount code “KnifeThoughts”. I think that’s an amazing value for this knife if you’d rather not patronize Amazon.

I have used my 4 Max Scout a lot for everything from breaking down cardboard to splitting tinder in the almost 2 years I’ve had it. I have never had any issues, never had to adjust the pivot, it has incredibly smooth action, rock solid lock up, and have sharpened it several times with no real difficulty. To put it frankly, I think this is the best budget hard use type folding knife available right now. Sure, some might scoff at the nylon handles and AUS-10A steel but I doubt anyone who’s really used the knife will have any concerns over the materials. They’re not high end or fancy, but there’s no question they work. Plus, there’s essentially no difference between the design of this budget version and the multi-hundred dollar version. It still has the insanely strong Demko Triad lock and great design reminiscent of Demko’s customs. It’s just a super solid knife that can handle anything that any folding knife could with a great design that makes it easier to carry and use than you’d expect of such a big knife.

Now, the 4 Max Scout isn’t for everyone. It’s a VERY big knife. It isn’t ground ultra thin for slicing performance like a kitchen knife or something like the Paramilitary 2. You also might want to sand under the clip a bit so that it doesn’t wear down your pants pocket too much. But it’s a big burly budget friendly blade at a steal of a price. I highly recommend it even at the normal price, let alone about 50% off. I actually bought a backup, and I don’t hesitate to suggest that you get one at this price… who knows how long the sale will last!

I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts


As an aside, I realize I haven’t posted an article in a long time. I have started and almost finished several, but just haven’t been able to complete them to my satisfaction. It’s been a hectic several months. But I will be finishing and posting them soon, so make sure you’re subscribed via email and to my other media outlets!

The links to Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate links. That means that if you click them and purchase the product you won’t pay any more than you normally would on Amazon, but I get a commission from the sale. This is just a way for you to support Knife Thoughts and allow me to procure more funding for the project and its knives.

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5 Unusual but Important Reasons to Sharpen Your Own Knives

So, you’ve found your perfect knife (or, if you’re like me, your latest in a string of perfect knives) and you’ve put it to good use. The edge just doesn’t have that lightsaber sharpness anymore, and it’s in need of a thorough sharpening. Now you’re faced with a decision; should you have it professionally sharpened, or should you do it yourself?

There are a multitude of reasons to sharpen your own knives. However, there are a few ‘pros’ of sharpening your own knives that you might never have thought of before. Read on for 5 obscure but important reasons that sharpening is a great skill to practice, and for what I use to sharpen my knives!

It’s Good for your Knives

When you’ve resolved to sharpen your own knives you’re less likely to abuse them. Things like prying, hacking, scraping, and other abusive tasks often don’t only dull a knife’s edge, but also actually damage it with chips, rolls, and broken tips. These types of damage take much more time to correct than a normal dulled edge. So, since we all value our limited time, having to sharpen the damage out from abusive use of your knife makes you less willing to undertake those types of use. That said, you can use your knife appropriately to your hearts content without worry; almost every well heat treated steel can be brought from dull to sharp with ease using the right tools (read on for what I use).

It’s Good for the Environment

Sharpening your own knives reduces waste and pollution. If you send your knives out to be sharpened you’ll use a box, packing tape, etc. that could have been saved. Then it’ll have to be shipped (or driven by you, in rare cases where you have a professional sharpening service nearby) likely hundreds of miles by truck, contributing harmful emissions to the ecosystem. Then all that will have to be done again for the knife to get back to you. Doesn’t learning how to sharpen your own knives sound worth the slight trouble, and great eventual satisfaction, if it can help keep our planet and its inhabitants healthy?

It’s Good for your Mental Health

Sharpening knives can act as a form of mindful meditation. Mindful meditation is a practice of focusing on a particular phenomenon, often the breath, and allowing thoughts to go by without attaching to them. While meditation might seem hokey or overly trendy to some, it’s been shown to have real benefits for things like productivity, mental health, and cognitive function. Knife sharpening lends itself extremely well to mindfulness practice because it requires repetitive focused action (the passing of the edge on the stone at a maintained angle) with tactile feedback that provides a very fitting phenomenon on which to rest the mind.

It’s Good for Travel

Sharpening your own knives, or at least knowing how to sharpen the knife you’re using, makes travel more convenient. The last thing you want, if you’re able to bring your EDC with you on your travels, is to be half way through a trip and your knife already dulled. Also, I (and I think many others) prefer to go the AirBnB route when traveling so that I can experience the area more fully… and cook for myself, rather than having to go out for every meal. The problem is, most places you stay have knives that just don’t live up to the sharpness we enthusiasts have come to expect. While you often can’t bring your knives with you when you travel, you can almost always bring sharpening gear (especially something like the minimalist setup I use, described below). That way with just a few minutes of work you can have sharp and usable tools, whether it be your knife or your home away from home’s knife.

It’s Good for your Relationships

Everybody loves to have a sharp knife. Being able to sharpen your friends’ and family’s knives can be a gift that you can give over and over. The great thing is, it’s not something that only knife enthusiasts appreciate! The vast majority of people use a kitchen knife regularly, and most struggle to keep them sharp. With a portable setup you can always be ready to make someone’s day by sharpening their carry knife or kitchen knife.

My Sharpening Setup

So what do I use to sharpen? I prefer to use a minimalist setup for the majority of my sharpening. For a long time I used a DMT Diafold, a Spyderco Double Stuff, and the Stropping Young Lad Pocket Strop. However, I’ve now pared it down to an even more minimal setup that works just as well for me: the WESN Pocket Sharpener and a Sunshine Cloth. I’ve been extremely impressed with the versatility of both these items. The WESN stone has an aggressive 400 grit diamond plate on one side, which I find can be used both to cut a new apex if the edge is damaged and also to bring an existing apex together. The other side of the WESN stone is a fine ceramic plate that is great for touching up an edge from working sharp to shaving sharp. It’s literally pocket sized and comes in a nice leather slip, so you can take it pretty much anywhere. I have really been enjoying this stone, and it has effectively filled the roles of both the DMT and Spyderco stones I previously used. While I still love and use the Stropping Young Lad Pocket Strop, it’s no longer in stock and the maker isn’t sure when or if more will be available. I have used Sunshine Cloths for years and they work surprisingly effectively as a strop, as well as their normal use for polishing and cleaning. I wrap a Sunshine Cloth around my WESN Pocket Sharpener and slap a rubber band around it and I’m pretty much covered for most sharpening jobs, and the whole setup fits easily in a pocket. I highly recommend these tools for a simple sharpening setup!

Here’s a great article from WESN on how to use their Pocket sharpener

Conclusion

While these are all great reasons to learn to sharpen knives and to sharpen your own knives, sharpening is also just plain fulfilling. Maintaining your own knives and helping others maintain theirs provides a feeling of small but useful accomplishment and self sufficiency, and we all deserve to feel that way sometimes. I often say “the world feels right when your knives are sharp”, and I think if you decide to sharpen your own knives you’ll understand what I mean!

I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts

The links to Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate links. That means that if you click them and purchase the product you won’t pay any more than you normally would on Amazon, but I get a commission from the sale. This is just a way for you to support Knife Thoughts and allow me to procure more funding for the project and its knives.

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Waynorth Cutlery “OIL THE JOINTS” Hats Available Now!

Waynorth Cutlery "OIL THE JOINTS" Hat

Waynorth Cutlery “OIL THE JOINTS” Hat

Show your support for Waynorth Cutlery with this “OIL THE JOINTS” hat. It’s 100% cotton with a low profile, an adjustable strap, and curved visor.

$21.00
Shop now

Show your support for Waynorth Cutlery with this minimalist “OIL THE JOINTS” baseball hat! As with the shirts, a portion of the sales of these will go directly to Charlie Campagna AKA Waynorth. Another huge thanks to Steve for creating the design files to match the tang stamps. The framed “OIL THE JOINTS” design looks really clean in embroidery. As for the hat, it’s the classic cotton unstructured baseball hat with a curved bill and adjustable buckle strap. I think you’ll like it!

I think these turned out great!

I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts