Alan Davis Custom Frame Lock in S35VN - Full Review

Ankerson

Ankerson

Knife and Computer Geek
Joined
Nov 2, 2002
Messages
21,094
I ran my Standard Rope, Cardboard and Wood testing method on this excellent knife. I made 90 slicing cuts on 5/8" Manila rope then went straight to cardboard without resharpening. The knife would still slice printer paper after that. I resharpened the blade and cut wood taking thin and thick slices out of it to test the strength of the edge, it held up well and was still sharp enough to slice TP clean after.

Specs:

Steel - S35VN

Blade - 3 3/8" Trailing Point FFG .128" thick spine ground to .015" behind the edge, Distal taper.

G10 Scale, Ti Frame Lock .093"

Weight - 3.4 Ounces

Low rider Pocket clip

OAL - 8"


A few Photos of the knife, Alan Davis does excellent work as you can see from the photos below.

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Now on to the testing

1st off was 5/8" Manila rope, I made 90 slicing cuts and had no chipping or other issues with the edge and it was still sharp enough to easily slice printer paper after.


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Next up was Cardboard cutting, it sliced through cardboard like a razor knife and would still slice printer paper after I was done.


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Last was cutting wood, I sharpened the knife before this stage, I do this to test the edge for strength, it did extremely well and would still slice TP clean after.


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Conclusion:


Overall the knife performed extremely well throughout all the stages of testing with no issues, blade play or problems with the thin edge. It fits well in my hand with zero hot spots and was comfortable to use even in hard cutting tasks. Alan Davis really knows how to put a knife together and heat treat the blade steel, he is a great craftsman.

Note on S35VN, it performs like S30V, but is slightly easier to sharpen due to the lower vanadium content, but I doubt people will notice the difference between S35VN and S30V in real use.
 
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Awesome knife and great tests as usual Jim. Always fun to see what info you gather. Made me a lot smarter, that's for damn sure. :D:cool:
 
:rolleyes:@Ankerson:

The blue micarta (?) side seems to have very rounded edges compared to the metal (titanium?) side. Is that comfortable in hand? It does look very ergonomically designed... Just I'm kind of new, and haven't seen that many asymmetrical knives outside of Hinderer's and stuff.

In fact, the round micarta side is on the left side. I should remember from all your videos, but I forget... :confused: Are you a lefty? :) If you're a righty I would've thought the rounder side is more comfortable in the palm.

Sorry if this is a bit of a noob question. I've only been into the knife thing for about three months. :rolleyes:
 
Lagrangian said:
:rolleyes:@Ankerson:

The blue micarta (?) side seems to have very rounded edges compared to the metal (titanium?) side. Is that comfortable in hand? It does look very ergonomically designed... Just I'm kind of new, and haven't seen that many asymmetrical knives outside of Hinderer's and stuff.

In fact, the round micarta side is on the left side. I should remember from all your videos, but I forget... :confused: Are you a lefty? :) If you're a righty I would've thought the rounder side is more comfortable in the palm.

Sorry if this is a bit of a noob question. I've only been into the knife thing for about three months. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Yes, it's very comfortable in the hand, I am right handed.
 
Alan davis makes awesome knives for sure at an affordable price.

I own two pieces, and I find his 1095/heat treat to be superb for edge retention.
One I flipped, but one I've had for some time already and has served very well.
1095 differentially hardened with a wickedly well done hamon with plenty of boshi yet remains very even and controlled which is hard to do.
 
Great review as always Jim :thumbup: I've had my eye on a few of Alan's blades lately and his prices are some of the best I've seen for what you get hands down imo!!
 
Good stuff man. I had a Damascus Persian flipper he made and it was incredibly smooth. I had to sell it because it was just a hair too small for me but he is going to make me a tank to replace it. Great review and pics. Cheers.
 
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