A.G Russell Feather-Lite One Hand Knife

N

Nightingale

Joined
Nov 2, 1999
Messages
16
Greetings!

Does anyone have one of these? What's it like?

They're only $49.95 in ATS-34 or $34.95 in AUS-8A.
 
Sorry that I haven't tried one, but they were on my "maybe list" for my last folder purchase. AG Russell is a good company. They really know knives and steel. The AUS-8 blade will be harder than your typical folding knife blade and can be sharpened to a true razor edge easily. The ATS-34 will be very hard and will hold an edge maybe twice as long as the AUS-8. It will also be much harder to sharpen and will generally not get as sharp as the AUS-8. For a utility blade the ATS-34 is probably better. If you need a pocket straight razor (like I think I do) then AUS-8 is better.

For a knife that may do some skinning I favor the clip-point blade rather than the utility blade design. It looks to me like the edge curves backwards in the point area more on the clipped point, something I want in a skinner.

The locking mechanism looks like you would typically use two-hands to unlock it. So I see the knife as a one-hand-open / two-hand-close design. The reason is that you need to pinch and pull back on the lock to release it. If the lock is weak it probably wouldn't be too hard to do this with one hand, but if it's strong (which is desireable) you may have trouble getting it to release with your knife-holding hand.
 
Hi Jeff -- looks like we posted at the same time! RE lock: 2 pts --

1) I don't know if the AG Russell lock has been submitted to the sorts of weight-hanging, etc, tests that others have, but my guess is that it would rival locks on folders twice its cost. Its precision is high and it did not loosen up on me or show "play" after hard duty.

2) For me, it was actually much *easier* to close w/one hand rather than two. I just turned the knife over in my hand, gently nudged the blade spine against my thigh as I disengaged the lock, and voila. Migh sound strange or unsafe, but I never cut myself and it became very natural very quickly.

My .02 --
Glen
 
I figured that you'd close it the way you described, I just thought the lock might be too stiff to do it safely. I've handled a lot of Italian push-button knives that use a post on the blade that drops into a widened flap on the back spring. If you could close them against your thigh it generally meant the back spring was too loose.

The Spanish Navaja's used a similar lock, but they had a little secondary lever on the back spring/lock to disengage the lock.
 
Thanks very much for your input folks. I'm a real novice at this knife stuff but I'm really keen to learn and start buying a few.

This is such a supportive place!
 
Oh, and what would you choose between this knife and the Gent's lockback for a suit-and-office knife?

Here is the Gent's lockback:
http://agrussell.com/agrussell/a325.html


I know they are very different but ....I can only afford one right now. (I can't see them as I'm currently living in Taiwan and they ain't around)
 
AG Russell is one of the most professional and reliable and experienced dealers out there, and has some really good knives made to his specifications. That gent's lockback was designed for suit and office environments where folks whose opinions count are easily frightened by one-handed knives.

The Featherlight one-hander is a handier design because it's one-handed (closing as described above, a very safe method since your fingers are never in harm's way). It's a great design for when you don't want a pocket clip showing.

I carry various knives with pocket clips in the office, because folks there are used to me having a bunch of sharp objects.


------------------
- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
I haven't handled the Gent's folder you're considering, but it is certainly far more elegant than the regular Featherlite. Keep in mind that there is a significant difference in blade/handle length and "ergonomics" (Featherlite has a very effective finger groove for greater safety and purchase on the handle for harder use, while the Gent's has no guard or other safety to keep your fingers from sliding up on the blade). Also, 1.5 oz truly feels like nothing in your pocket, while you will feel +/- 3 oz (tho' not much...)

If you want it just for light chores which don't require a secure grasp, the Gent's is certainly more attractive and is, no doubt, very well made. If you want greater security and the versality of a 3" blade, go w/the Featherlite. So long as you know your own needs/wants, can't really go wrong w/either!

Glen
 
Nightingale, you should take your own advice, and buy a few. Buy one of each! Switch off, you may like the Gents for the office, and the Light weight for the weekends. That's where the fun of collecting starts. You can't make a mistake at this point, certainly not from A.G.Russell. Now, when you start dipping into the kids college fund, to buy knives, that's when it becomes a problem. Only kidding! Buy knives it's good for the soul.
 
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