Arno Bernard iMamba praise

Nice one Mr. Linguini! Yeah know, one thing that I don't think I've ever seen mentioned is that the blasted finish on an iMamba feels different than any other titanium knife I've felt. It has that smooth kind of "cold" finish. Maybe it's vapor blasted or something. They definitely don't use the same blasting media that most do.
 
soIMWKV.jpg
 
I continue to be more than pleased with the one I have but I heard/read rumblings that they might do a small run of thumb studs in lieu of the fuller or opening hole; I might jump on one if they did.

One thing about AB is they do seem to be very receptive to customer's requests and input; such as caged bearings, washers, etc.

Kudos to them!
 
This thread is torture.
I just made an order Nov 1st so it’s going to be awhile. I like really plain knives so no inlays for me just plain Ti flipper with washers. Nice and simple.

Now if they would make me a Sheepsfoot blade version I’d have to order another.
 
You're right BTTLBRN BTTLBRN , they really have been supportive of what customers want so far haven't they? That's something that you don't see very often really. Dang man... I wish you hadn't told us that they might do a thumbstud version.. I might have to sell my non-flipper on washers and get one if they do.
 
I'm sure it's been mentioned, but I'm too lazy to read the entire thread. How thick are these puppies behind-the-edge?
 
matt009au said:
awesome ty - sounds perfect!
is the hollow grind more sebenza (nice and deep) or inkosi (done on a larger wheel)?
Click to expand...
Looks to me to be a little shallower, more like the Inkosi, at least that’s how it appears comparing it with my small Inkosi and small Sebbie. The Imamba blade is more finely polished. I don’t know if you can tell much from a pic, but here they are side by side.

IMG_0990.jpeg
 
jacobconroy75 said:
I'm sure it's been mentioned, but I'm too lazy to read the entire thread. How thick are these puppies behind-the-edge?
Click to expand...
By my untrained eye, nonexistent precision measuring skills, and an old analog micrometer, it looks like .030”. I’ll be interested to see how this compares to someone who actually knows what they’re doing.
 
Danny Linguini said:
By my untrained eye, nonexistent precision measuring skills, and an old analog micrometer, it looks like .030”. I’ll be interested to see how this compares to someone who actually knows what they’re doing.
Click to expand...
Wow. Most of my CRKs are around .020 or a bit more. That seems thick.
 
jacobconroy75 said:
Wow. Most of my CRKs are around .020 or a bit more. That seems thick.
Click to expand...
I don’t know about the large CRK’s, but the iMamba blade is definitely more stout than the smalls. Again, I could very well be wrong - it was rather awkward trying to hold the knife and the micrometer exactly behind the edge and roll the calipers all at the same time to get a quick measurement.
 
Thanks heaps guys - looks like a winner. Super happy they went with a hollow grind - seems like the perfect knife to be honest.
Next payday I'll be placing an order for one. Really liking their fake ivory for some reason....
 
matt009au said:
Thanks heaps guys - looks like a winner. Super happy they went with a hollow grind - seems like the perfect knife to be honest.
Next payday I'll be placing an order for one. Really liking their fake ivory for some reason....
Click to expand...
Just be careful with the inlays, mine was too pretty to use, so I swapped a member here for a PJ 😂 the inlays are all beautiful.
 
I got one of these today, with uncaged bearings. I have a Shiro F3 and Koenig Arius to compare with. I can flip those both, and flick the Koenig with no trouble. (no blade slot to flick the Shiro). They both drop-shut nicely. Initially I could not flip or flick the iMamba. The blade would stop short of lock-out. On a hunch, I put a tiny drop of Hoppe's 9 oil on the inside of the frame lock where the tang rotates against it. Wow! Flips and flicks like a champ now - smooth as silk. Maybe some break-in time would have accomplished the same thing.

It's too tight to drop-shut. I might be able to do some adjusting to accomplish that, but I like the way it feels now, so I'm not going to mess with it.
The 3 knives all have a different feel, and the technique with the flipper tab is unique to each, but I can't pick a favorite: it's just 3 versions of oooohhh - nice! They each have a unique sound, too. Blade is razor sharp.

It has the mammoth tooth scales which look very nice. My only knock is the lanyard - it's not much to look at, especially on such a flashy knife, but that of course is the simplest thing to change.

How does it work as a knife? I'll never know. I have Benchmades for when I actually want to cut things.
 
DFWChief said:
I got one of these today, with uncaged bearings. I have a Shiro F3 and Koenig Arius to compare with. I can flip those both, and flick the Koenig with no trouble. (no blade slot to flick the Shiro). They both drop-shut nicely. Initially I could not flip or flick the iMamba. The blade would stop short of lock-out. On a hunch, I put a tiny drop of Hoppe's 9 oil on the inside of the frame lock where the tang rotates against it. Wow! Flips and flicks like a champ now - smooth as silk. Maybe some break-in time would have accomplished the same thing.

It's too tight to drop-shut. I might be able to do some adjusting to accomplish that, but I like the way it feels now, so I'm not going to mess with it.
The 3 knives all have a different feel, and the technique with the flipper tab is unique to each, but I can't pick a favorite: it's just 3 versions of oooohhh - nice! They each have a unique sound, too. Blade is razor sharp.

It has the mammoth tooth scales which look very nice. My only knock is the lanyard - it's not much to look at, especially on such a flashy knife, but that of course is the simplest thing to change.

How does it work as a knife? I'll never know. I have Benchmades for when I actually want to cut things.
Click to expand...
Haha, hell yeah man sounds like a looker with the mammoth inlays! It's crazy to think how long ago those teeth were inside a living animal! Yeah it'll only get smoother and smoother with use. That's the good thing about knives of this quality, as long as you don't break the blade or something doing something crazy, they'll last ya forever and will continue to just keep getting smoother and more mated in together. I have a Sebenza 21 that's really been around the block, and carried a lot ever since it was made, and it's the smoothest, most awesome action I've felt on a Sebenza.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top