NJBillK
Custom Leather and Fixed Blade modifications.
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2014
- Messages
- 9,594
This is a review of "Austin Goldman" and his "ATS-34 Utility Knife
1/16" ATS-34 flat ground, heat treated by Bos to 60Rc.
4" blade, 8 1/4" OAL.
416 Stainless and micarta pins.
Kydex sheath with paracord included.
$50 (Keep that in mind)"
So I picked this up last week and finally got around to using it . I put it through quite a bit of a workout in the kitchen today.
The Good:
Cut some fruit, vegetables, salted, cured and raw meats and cheeses. Works rather well as a boning knife on pork shoulder and paring on the fruits and veggies... The knife made quick work of them all and held a good edge throughout. Scales have some nice color to them and even got some compliments today.
The Bad:
So the grind wasn't even. The scales are near glass smooth which get slick when wet. Some of the sanding on the scales was uneven (small area) and had an accidental pointy spot or two and an over-sanded flattened spot on the butt. The blade/tang had some marks from over-grinding and by the scales wasn't polished to the same point as the rest of the blade. Some Minor scuffs on blade in the right light/angle. The kydex sheath is rather, well, rectangular... It doesn't fit the pocket well and doesn't follow the lines of the blade. I don't know if a tek-lok will fit but I wouldn't feel safe without any form of retention since the sheath doesn't offer much.
Now for pics:
Over all: 6.75/10
You're essentially buying a pretty good steel with an equal set of scales with a good heat treat... It can use a little once over but nothing major.
Shipping speed was good but it was in a padded envelope when I prefer a box and I did ask for a tracking # via pm and did not receive one.
Would I Recommend:
I would recommend others buy one as a dedicated kitchen or a small light duty knife.
If something a little bigger is a offered from "Austin Goldman" I would buy it as camp knife if the price was in line of what I would consider reasonable for product and quality of service received.
1/16" ATS-34 flat ground, heat treated by Bos to 60Rc.
4" blade, 8 1/4" OAL.
416 Stainless and micarta pins.
Kydex sheath with paracord included.
$50 (Keep that in mind)"
So I picked this up last week and finally got around to using it . I put it through quite a bit of a workout in the kitchen today.
The Good:
Cut some fruit, vegetables, salted, cured and raw meats and cheeses. Works rather well as a boning knife on pork shoulder and paring on the fruits and veggies... The knife made quick work of them all and held a good edge throughout. Scales have some nice color to them and even got some compliments today.
The Bad:
So the grind wasn't even. The scales are near glass smooth which get slick when wet. Some of the sanding on the scales was uneven (small area) and had an accidental pointy spot or two and an over-sanded flattened spot on the butt. The blade/tang had some marks from over-grinding and by the scales wasn't polished to the same point as the rest of the blade. Some Minor scuffs on blade in the right light/angle. The kydex sheath is rather, well, rectangular... It doesn't fit the pocket well and doesn't follow the lines of the blade. I don't know if a tek-lok will fit but I wouldn't feel safe without any form of retention since the sheath doesn't offer much.
Now for pics:
Over all: 6.75/10
You're essentially buying a pretty good steel with an equal set of scales with a good heat treat... It can use a little once over but nothing major.
Shipping speed was good but it was in a padded envelope when I prefer a box and I did ask for a tracking # via pm and did not receive one.
Would I Recommend:
I would recommend others buy one as a dedicated kitchen or a small light duty knife.
If something a little bigger is a offered from "Austin Goldman" I would buy it as camp knife if the price was in line of what I would consider reasonable for product and quality of service received.
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