- Joined
- Dec 26, 2010
- Messages
- 1,091
Well, my Acies2 just came today, without warning (AG Russell doesn't give you tracking info). Like the last knife I ordered from them, it came in a padded envelope, meaning the box was crushed again, but the knife was well protected in some bubble wrap. The f&f is quite good. The blade is ground really nicely, it's very centered, and very sharp. There is some black residue on the tang, but that should clean up easily with a q-tip. The handle scales have no apparent imperfections (I might prefer a bead-blast finish, but that's ok). I like the two screw construction, with the monster stop pin being the only other pillar.
The pocket clip is as high and shiny as everyone has reported. I will try some modifications on it when I get the chance. I will also probably look into buying replacement screws that are polished.
I could have done without the left side thumbstud and corresponding lockbar cutout, but I understand the reasons why it's there.
The lockup is about 40% with no stick. It is not particularly strong, and I understand the presence of the over-extending stop. There is some small amount of lock-flex (lock rock?, not play or looseness), this is probably from the very thin lockbar remaining at the relief cutout. It is a very small amount of flex and the lock doesn't disengage, but you can just feel the tang coming off of the stop pin a hair. It's not that big a deal, but it's a little surprising.
The thumb stud is vicious. I never though that the skin at the tip of my thumb was all that delicate, but it's being chewed up by the thumbstud, and I still can't get it to deploy with just my thumb. I think the combination of pressing the blade further into the detent and the direction the thumbstud ramp is facing is making it difficult. I wish I could turn the ramp in towards the handle more. When it fails to deploy and my thumb slips accross the ramp, it slices my skin up. I see all these videos online of people shooting the blade out with a hint of pressure from their thumb, but I can't figure it out. I really hope this eases up or I figure out a better way of opening it, or this might be a deal breaker for me.
Overall, a really nice knife. I'm not sure it's worth quite as much as AG Russell charges for it, but I'd say quality/design-wise it falls between the Alias2 and the Sebenza, so it's price isn't that much higher than what I might suggest.
The pocket clip is as high and shiny as everyone has reported. I will try some modifications on it when I get the chance. I will also probably look into buying replacement screws that are polished.
I could have done without the left side thumbstud and corresponding lockbar cutout, but I understand the reasons why it's there.
The lockup is about 40% with no stick. It is not particularly strong, and I understand the presence of the over-extending stop. There is some small amount of lock-flex (lock rock?, not play or looseness), this is probably from the very thin lockbar remaining at the relief cutout. It is a very small amount of flex and the lock doesn't disengage, but you can just feel the tang coming off of the stop pin a hair. It's not that big a deal, but it's a little surprising.
The thumb stud is vicious. I never though that the skin at the tip of my thumb was all that delicate, but it's being chewed up by the thumbstud, and I still can't get it to deploy with just my thumb. I think the combination of pressing the blade further into the detent and the direction the thumbstud ramp is facing is making it difficult. I wish I could turn the ramp in towards the handle more. When it fails to deploy and my thumb slips accross the ramp, it slices my skin up. I see all these videos online of people shooting the blade out with a hint of pressure from their thumb, but I can't figure it out. I really hope this eases up or I figure out a better way of opening it, or this might be a deal breaker for me.
Overall, a really nice knife. I'm not sure it's worth quite as much as AG Russell charges for it, but I'd say quality/design-wise it falls between the Alias2 and the Sebenza, so it's price isn't that much higher than what I might suggest.
Get your thumbnail behind the stud and give it a push up, not out. Same motion you would use to flip a coin. I'll bet it will work 100% doing it that way.
