- Joined
- May 13, 2012
- Messages
- 5
Howdy all,
My first knife review here, and the knife under review is a custom left-handed framelock custom-made by Alan Davis.
If someone decides this post should be in another forum then please let me know.
This review is intended to be especially for the benefit of my fellow left-handers looking for a custom linerlock or framelock.
First, a few background comments regarding my knife preferences and customary uses, for frame of reference.
I prefer locking knives with pocket clips. Most recent daily carry knife was a Benchmade 585. For less intense situations, I'd carry a Benchmade Stiegerwalt mini (NRA 12410). Finally, right now I'm mostly in office situations, so cutting tasks are frequent but low intensity. As an amateur landscaper, I sometimes press my knife into service for opening landscape supply packages, finish pruning on tree cuts (i.e., woodcarving-type cuts), and other landscape chores. And of course there's always the occasional food-prep related activities.
One year ago I ordered a custom left-handed framelock from Alan Davis (drawback to being left-handed: not many production left-handed framelocks or linerlocks. Advantage to being left-handed: an incentive to order custom knives!).
I asked Alan if he could make the following:
-Left-handed framelock
-Titanium frame
-deep carry pocket clip
-blade length less than 2.5" (building carry restrictions)
-carbon steel blade (wanted to try non-stainless)
-sharpening choil
-something subtle that doesn't scream "I'm expensive!!"
Alan also recommended his stonewash finish to reduce blade maintenance.
And here's what he came up with!
Blade is 1084 steel.
Frame is titanium.
Blade length is 2-7/16"
Cutting edge is about 2-3/8"
OAL (open) is 5-1/2"
OAL (closed) is 3-1/2"
These four pictures are Alan’s, and used with his permission.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13900184056/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13923296635/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13900172161/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13923356713/in/photostream/
(my pics follow; sorry, I only have cell phone camera)
deep carry pocket clip; looks great with jeans or black pants!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13923741664/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13923356933/in/photostream/
Sharp edge and good blade geometry make for lovely pinewood curls.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13923296965/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13923357113/in/photostream/
Alan's price was very reasonable. Since he posts knives here regularly, I'll let you check his recent posts to get a sense of his current pricing.
Initial assessment:
knife came very sharp. A few strokes with a ceramic rod brought it to shaving sharp.
The stonewash finish is very durable, but does drag a bit when cutting thick materials.
Also, another side effect of the stonewash finish is that you can feel the liner bearings engaging the texture when opening and closing. I've thought about polishing the bearing surface. Maybe one of these days.
Blade lockup is very tight; no movement in any direction.
The knife feels great in the hand. The deep carry pocket clip is perfectly curved to fill the hand for a more comfortable hand hold, so you get the best of both worlds: a knife that's super thin in the pocket, but has a welcome bit of extra bulk in the hand.
Fit and finish are good, and exactly fill the understated look I requested. The parts are clearly custom-fitted together; careful adjustments were made to the parts to ensure flawless operation. The blade is perfectly centered on closing. As some of his other knives show, Alan can produce outstanding finish for those who wish.
Alan's filework on the spine is beautiful, and adds a nice aesthetic touch.
The texturing on the blade is quite welcome, especially when the hand gets sweaty on hot days.
Short blades often come with short handles. Alan kept a good handle length so that in my M/L hand, it's still a four-finger knife even with the short blade.
One-handed blade deployment is fast, though the optimal flick angle is more out than forward--if that makes sense--due to the the position of the thumbstud relative to the pivot point.
And after one year, here's the assessment:
My lefty linerlock has become the knife I grab most often for daily carry. It's very people-friendly with its subdued non-tactical look and short blade, and quite adequate for most daily tasks. I'll switch to the 585 if I'm working outdoors all day, or headed into the woods.
As I indicated above, I use the Davis framelock for daily office-type tasks; cutting paper, string, fabrics, some food, and the occasional landscaping task. So it hasn't been subject to any abuse or intensive use sessions (though there was that one night with all those sheets of cardboard . . .)
Even so, it holds its edge well, and has only required periodic strokes with a ceramic rod to keep its edge. I haven't done any quasi-scientific studies to compare how edge-holding on this Davis-treated 1084 carbon steel compares to some of my production stainless (440c; 154CM), but it feels on par, and carbon steel sure is easy to sharpen.
Alan knows his blade geometry. The curve of the blade is reminiscent of a drop point hunter, and makes for a long usable cutting edge. It would be no problem to break down a chicken or other small animal.
The location of the blade tip is high enough to be out of the way when it's not needed, but low enough that I can bring it into action for detail work without an awkward hand position, even for fine detail work like woodcarving or digging out splinters.
About the only time I wish for a longer blade or different blade geometry is when I'm slicing apples or pears, as the blade (even though it's high flat grind) produces resistance when cutting hard fruit.
Lockup is still as tight as the day I received it.
There's been no sign of rust on the carbon steel blade, even after months of pocket carry in hot and humid environments. A light wipe with oil and a chance to dry out is all that's been required.
In summary, I love the knife and would gladly contact Alan again if I needed another knife. He's a true gentleman, and great to work with.
The knife itself has performed admirably, and it's nice to own a piece of quality-made American craftsmanship.
My first knife review here, and the knife under review is a custom left-handed framelock custom-made by Alan Davis.
If someone decides this post should be in another forum then please let me know.
This review is intended to be especially for the benefit of my fellow left-handers looking for a custom linerlock or framelock.
First, a few background comments regarding my knife preferences and customary uses, for frame of reference.
I prefer locking knives with pocket clips. Most recent daily carry knife was a Benchmade 585. For less intense situations, I'd carry a Benchmade Stiegerwalt mini (NRA 12410). Finally, right now I'm mostly in office situations, so cutting tasks are frequent but low intensity. As an amateur landscaper, I sometimes press my knife into service for opening landscape supply packages, finish pruning on tree cuts (i.e., woodcarving-type cuts), and other landscape chores. And of course there's always the occasional food-prep related activities.
One year ago I ordered a custom left-handed framelock from Alan Davis (drawback to being left-handed: not many production left-handed framelocks or linerlocks. Advantage to being left-handed: an incentive to order custom knives!).
I asked Alan if he could make the following:
-Left-handed framelock
-Titanium frame
-deep carry pocket clip
-blade length less than 2.5" (building carry restrictions)
-carbon steel blade (wanted to try non-stainless)
-sharpening choil
-something subtle that doesn't scream "I'm expensive!!"
Alan also recommended his stonewash finish to reduce blade maintenance.
And here's what he came up with!
Blade is 1084 steel.
Frame is titanium.
Blade length is 2-7/16"
Cutting edge is about 2-3/8"
OAL (open) is 5-1/2"
OAL (closed) is 3-1/2"
These four pictures are Alan’s, and used with his permission.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13900184056/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13923296635/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13900172161/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13923356713/in/photostream/
(my pics follow; sorry, I only have cell phone camera)
deep carry pocket clip; looks great with jeans or black pants!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13923741664/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13923356933/in/photostream/
Sharp edge and good blade geometry make for lovely pinewood curls.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13923296965/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123592455@N06/13923357113/in/photostream/
Alan's price was very reasonable. Since he posts knives here regularly, I'll let you check his recent posts to get a sense of his current pricing.
Initial assessment:
knife came very sharp. A few strokes with a ceramic rod brought it to shaving sharp.
The stonewash finish is very durable, but does drag a bit when cutting thick materials.
Also, another side effect of the stonewash finish is that you can feel the liner bearings engaging the texture when opening and closing. I've thought about polishing the bearing surface. Maybe one of these days.
Blade lockup is very tight; no movement in any direction.
The knife feels great in the hand. The deep carry pocket clip is perfectly curved to fill the hand for a more comfortable hand hold, so you get the best of both worlds: a knife that's super thin in the pocket, but has a welcome bit of extra bulk in the hand.
Fit and finish are good, and exactly fill the understated look I requested. The parts are clearly custom-fitted together; careful adjustments were made to the parts to ensure flawless operation. The blade is perfectly centered on closing. As some of his other knives show, Alan can produce outstanding finish for those who wish.
Alan's filework on the spine is beautiful, and adds a nice aesthetic touch.
The texturing on the blade is quite welcome, especially when the hand gets sweaty on hot days.
Short blades often come with short handles. Alan kept a good handle length so that in my M/L hand, it's still a four-finger knife even with the short blade.
One-handed blade deployment is fast, though the optimal flick angle is more out than forward--if that makes sense--due to the the position of the thumbstud relative to the pivot point.
And after one year, here's the assessment:
My lefty linerlock has become the knife I grab most often for daily carry. It's very people-friendly with its subdued non-tactical look and short blade, and quite adequate for most daily tasks. I'll switch to the 585 if I'm working outdoors all day, or headed into the woods.
As I indicated above, I use the Davis framelock for daily office-type tasks; cutting paper, string, fabrics, some food, and the occasional landscaping task. So it hasn't been subject to any abuse or intensive use sessions (though there was that one night with all those sheets of cardboard . . .)
Even so, it holds its edge well, and has only required periodic strokes with a ceramic rod to keep its edge. I haven't done any quasi-scientific studies to compare how edge-holding on this Davis-treated 1084 carbon steel compares to some of my production stainless (440c; 154CM), but it feels on par, and carbon steel sure is easy to sharpen.
Alan knows his blade geometry. The curve of the blade is reminiscent of a drop point hunter, and makes for a long usable cutting edge. It would be no problem to break down a chicken or other small animal.
The location of the blade tip is high enough to be out of the way when it's not needed, but low enough that I can bring it into action for detail work without an awkward hand position, even for fine detail work like woodcarving or digging out splinters.
About the only time I wish for a longer blade or different blade geometry is when I'm slicing apples or pears, as the blade (even though it's high flat grind) produces resistance when cutting hard fruit.
Lockup is still as tight as the day I received it.
There's been no sign of rust on the carbon steel blade, even after months of pocket carry in hot and humid environments. A light wipe with oil and a chance to dry out is all that's been required.
In summary, I love the knife and would gladly contact Alan again if I needed another knife. He's a true gentleman, and great to work with.
The knife itself has performed admirably, and it's nice to own a piece of quality-made American craftsmanship.
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