- Joined
- Mar 26, 2018
- Messages
- 5,443
Alright... So mine came in on Monday. I wanted to wait a bit before posting to see if my feelings changed about it at all.
First thought when opening the box: Yay! It IS desert ironwood burl.
Second thought when opening the box: Holy cow, that is some thick blade stock!
They used 1/8" blade stock on the knife, which I feel is just too thick for a slipjoint in most cases. The DI burl is gorgeous! Really, really pretty, albeit a bit dark. Try as I might, I just couldn't get a good shot of the knife. Too many shiny surfaces and angles I think, lol. The covers seem to have some sort of coating on them. I would remove it if I was keeping it, but I'm honestly not sure if it will be sticking around at this point. The bolster is integral. That was a really nice surprise that I was expecting. Other than a few areas (more on that later), the fit and finish is pretty good. No gaps in the liners or covers. Good job on the polishing (back spring even has a mirror finish). Great centering and great blade pull strength. Blade is sharp.
The not so great parts... The shield has a couple of gaps. Not a big deal. The pins in the bolster are pretty darn visible. The blade stock is really thick, and is thick behind the edge... Like .023". The part that is really driving me nuts is the grind though. The plunge line is not at all even on the two sides and the angles are different. Lame. :/
The plunge line, looking down from the top of the knife.
And from the bottom. >.<
First thought when opening the box: Yay! It IS desert ironwood burl.
Second thought when opening the box: Holy cow, that is some thick blade stock!
They used 1/8" blade stock on the knife, which I feel is just too thick for a slipjoint in most cases. The DI burl is gorgeous! Really, really pretty, albeit a bit dark. Try as I might, I just couldn't get a good shot of the knife. Too many shiny surfaces and angles I think, lol. The covers seem to have some sort of coating on them. I would remove it if I was keeping it, but I'm honestly not sure if it will be sticking around at this point. The bolster is integral. That was a really nice surprise that I was expecting. Other than a few areas (more on that later), the fit and finish is pretty good. No gaps in the liners or covers. Good job on the polishing (back spring even has a mirror finish). Great centering and great blade pull strength. Blade is sharp.
The not so great parts... The shield has a couple of gaps. Not a big deal. The pins in the bolster are pretty darn visible. The blade stock is really thick, and is thick behind the edge... Like .023". The part that is really driving me nuts is the grind though. The plunge line is not at all even on the two sides and the angles are different. Lame. :/
The plunge line, looking down from the top of the knife.
And from the bottom. >.<