Are there any Zu Bladeworx Viper Reviews?

[Tony Nguyen]

I was wondering if anyone on the forums has purchased a knife from Zu Bladeworx? I am interested in one of their models but at this point it is a purely aesthetic interest. The model I am interested in is the Viper.

I need to know if they perform at their price level. It would be difficult for me to justify a knife at a busse price level if it does not perform at the busse level.

Some things I am interested in are:

How good is the edge retention?
Does the groove in the knife get bound up by wood when batoning?
Is the handle comfortable?
Does the single piece construction transfer and uncomfrotable amount of shock when chopping/batoning?
What is the rockwell hardness?
How does it perform general bushcraft tasks (fuzzsticks, drilling, making trap triggers, etc)?

Any experience with the knife would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

T.

 

[Irezumi]

Hi mate,

Here is a link to a review of the Viper. http://www.australianbladeforums.com/vb4/showthread.php?14944-Viper-Review

You could easily remove bricks from a wall with one (if you felt like it)

 

[darkangel55555]

Got one recently. It's...different. A lot heavier than I was initially expecting, and the handle is somewhat slick without a paracord wrap (I haven't gotten around to it yet). The jimping and handle grooves are almost perfectly placed for my 7.5"-glove hand, and provide a very reassuring amount of grip despite the otherwise smooth cerakoted handles.

Like the ABF guy said, the edge isn't immediately shaving, but it does slice exceedingly well, probably belt finished at a medium to high grit. There's no finger choil, which bothers me a little, but the edge starts close enough to the guard for most close and fine tasks. The segment of spine above the fuller is flush with the rest of the flats, and I doubt there'd be much drag. Obviously, soft woods may pose more binding risk. I'd expect that the cerakote introduces a bit of drag compared to a polished grind, but at the same time, A2 could benefit from the corrosion resistance offered by the coating. I would've liked to see it in an oxide finish, but that's just me.

The (upgraded) sheath I got with it is a two-tone with a fairly interesting retention method. Two 'leaves' of kydex interface with each other to prevent widening of the opening, hence retaining the knife. It's akin to the snap on a holster, except a little more fiddly and requiring more force.

The sheath contours are very well suited to assisting draw, though that probably matters less when belt-mounted.

There are obviously some grind imperfections and asymmetry, and the sheath scratches up the flats even more, but it feels about as indestructible as a wrecking bar, and probably would serve in the same role if called upon to do so. I'd recommend it, if your application calls for something of this nature. In the absence of a glass breaker, I'd just use the point. No doubt that would suffice, and the guard would easily prevent me from removing my fingers in the process. I'm quite attached to those.

Hope this helps!

 

[Irezumi]

Got one recently. It's...different. A lot heavier than I was initially expecting, and the handle is somewhat slick without a paracord wrap (I haven't gotten around to it yet). The jimping and handle grooves are almost perfectly placed for my 7.5"-glove hand, and provide a very reassuring amount of grip despite the otherwise smooth cerakoted handles.

Like the ABF guy said, the edge isn't immediately shaving, but it does slice exceedingly well, probably belt finished at a medium to high grit. There's no finger choil, which bothers me a little, but the edge starts close enough to the guard for most close and fine tasks. The segment of spine above the fuller is flush with the rest of the flats, and I doubt there'd be much drag. Obviously, soft woods may pose more binding risk. I'd expect that the cerakote introduces a bit of drag compared to a polished grind, but at the same time, A2 could benefit from the corrosion resistance offered by the coating. I would've liked to see it in an oxide finish, but that's just me.

The (upgraded) sheath I got with it is a two-tone with a fairly interesting retention method. Two 'leaves' of kydex interface with each other to prevent widening of the opening, hence retaining the knife. It's akin to the snap on a holster, except a little more fiddly and requiring more force.

The sheath contours are very well suited to assisting draw, though that probably matters less when belt-mounted.

There are obviously some grind imperfections and asymmetry, and the sheath scratches up the flats even more, but it feels about as indestructible as a wrecking bar, and probably would serve in the same role if called upon to do so. I'd recommend it, if your application calls for something of this nature. In the absence of a glass breaker, I'd just use the point. No doubt that would suffice, and the guard would easily prevent me from removing my fingers in the process. I'm quite attached to those.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the feedback Darkangel - much appreciated!