- Joined
- Jan 28, 2001
- Messages
- 3,709
Over the years I've seen many knives sporting the names and logos of Gun companies like Remington, Colt, Winchester, Smith & Wesson, Browning, Beretta, HK and Glock just to name a few. Some are average, some are outright crap, but some are consistently well made production knives. One of those "Gun Manufacturer" brands that have never disappointed me has been Beretta.
It was 7 or 8 years ago that I received my first Beretta knife as a gift from a family member who knew I was into knives. That knife was a large Beretta Airlight. At the time I thought it was a nice looking lightweight knife with it's skeletonized blade and brass medallion on the green Zytel handle, but I found it too thick to carry loose in the pocket and lacked a pocket clip. My wish became true soon afterwards as the same knife was made available with a removable pocket clip and in different handle colors. To make things even better, Beretta soon came out with an aluminum handled version which became a personal favorite of mine because of it's thin profile, solid aluminum handle and scary sharp edge.
Well....Beretta has unleashed an upgrade to the Airlight; simply called: the Airlight II. The knife is made in Japan by Moki for Beretta and is available in 3 blade sizes: 2.25, 3.12 and 3.75 inches (plain or partially serrated). It is available in black or silver/grey aluminum handle scales.
Pics from Knivesplus.com
Like it's predecessor, it sports a skeletonized blade of AUS-6 steel, but it has a wider blade with much more belly. Unlike the standard Airlight, the Airlight II uses a linerlock instead of a lockback and is of open back design to allow for easy cleaning. The removable pocket clip is held in place by 3 small Phillips head screws and is positioned for tip down carry, however, it is not reversible for left side carry. Dual thumbstuds are present for left or right hand opening and best of all they're not abrasive as are the ones on the original Airlights.
The Airlight II model I decided upon was the large 3.75" plain edge silver model: JK003A03. What I immediately noticed when opening the knife is how silky smooth the opening action is thanks to the synthetic washers. I'm not sure of what material the washers consist of (Mylar??), but they provide a nice easy glide when opening and closing the knife. The stainless steel linerlock engages the tang with an audible click and lockup is secure with no blade wobble in any direction. The handle fits the hand very well and there is a grooved thumb ramp on the blade and a choil to prevent the hand from slipping towards the blade when in use.
The handle on the Airlight II consists of stainless steel liners under anodized aluminum scales that sport an attractive matte finish with the Beretta logo stamped at the butt end. Three sets of Phillips head screws keep the handle together and the aluminum scales are held by two sets of small hex screws. Also, the scales appear to be removable which will allow the user to customize their Airlight II by using whatever handle material desired.
The blade on my sample has a nice satin finish with an extremely sharp toothy edge that shears through paper and fabric with ease. AUS-6 is the steel on this knife which many a steel-snob look down upon, but I find it very servicable and easy to maintain. It's not S30V, but I don't mind sharpening my knives and there's plenty of steel to go before this knife will be retired. Best of all, AUS-6 keeps the price of the knife affordable for the average Joe. I paid just under $50 for mine at a local shop. As usual, prices will vary on the net from site to site, but they are not at all expensive.
What I like:
Razor sharp edge
Affordable price
One hand opening/closing
Ergonomic
Slim profile
Pocket clip
Adjustable blade tension
Open back design
Solid lockup
3 sizes and two handle colors to choose from
What I didn't like:
No lanyard hole
No tip up carry
There's not much I don't like about this folder other than some minor personal preferances. It's overall design and look is very appealing and it makes a great using knife at an affordable price. It's blade cutouts give it a strikingly modern look that contributes to it's light weight and it's Japanese workmanship is top notch. Will I keep and use this folder? You bet. Cosmic likes the Airlight II very much.
It was 7 or 8 years ago that I received my first Beretta knife as a gift from a family member who knew I was into knives. That knife was a large Beretta Airlight. At the time I thought it was a nice looking lightweight knife with it's skeletonized blade and brass medallion on the green Zytel handle, but I found it too thick to carry loose in the pocket and lacked a pocket clip. My wish became true soon afterwards as the same knife was made available with a removable pocket clip and in different handle colors. To make things even better, Beretta soon came out with an aluminum handled version which became a personal favorite of mine because of it's thin profile, solid aluminum handle and scary sharp edge.
Well....Beretta has unleashed an upgrade to the Airlight; simply called: the Airlight II. The knife is made in Japan by Moki for Beretta and is available in 3 blade sizes: 2.25, 3.12 and 3.75 inches (plain or partially serrated). It is available in black or silver/grey aluminum handle scales.
Pics from Knivesplus.com
Like it's predecessor, it sports a skeletonized blade of AUS-6 steel, but it has a wider blade with much more belly. Unlike the standard Airlight, the Airlight II uses a linerlock instead of a lockback and is of open back design to allow for easy cleaning. The removable pocket clip is held in place by 3 small Phillips head screws and is positioned for tip down carry, however, it is not reversible for left side carry. Dual thumbstuds are present for left or right hand opening and best of all they're not abrasive as are the ones on the original Airlights.
The Airlight II model I decided upon was the large 3.75" plain edge silver model: JK003A03. What I immediately noticed when opening the knife is how silky smooth the opening action is thanks to the synthetic washers. I'm not sure of what material the washers consist of (Mylar??), but they provide a nice easy glide when opening and closing the knife. The stainless steel linerlock engages the tang with an audible click and lockup is secure with no blade wobble in any direction. The handle fits the hand very well and there is a grooved thumb ramp on the blade and a choil to prevent the hand from slipping towards the blade when in use.
The handle on the Airlight II consists of stainless steel liners under anodized aluminum scales that sport an attractive matte finish with the Beretta logo stamped at the butt end. Three sets of Phillips head screws keep the handle together and the aluminum scales are held by two sets of small hex screws. Also, the scales appear to be removable which will allow the user to customize their Airlight II by using whatever handle material desired.
The blade on my sample has a nice satin finish with an extremely sharp toothy edge that shears through paper and fabric with ease. AUS-6 is the steel on this knife which many a steel-snob look down upon, but I find it very servicable and easy to maintain. It's not S30V, but I don't mind sharpening my knives and there's plenty of steel to go before this knife will be retired. Best of all, AUS-6 keeps the price of the knife affordable for the average Joe. I paid just under $50 for mine at a local shop. As usual, prices will vary on the net from site to site, but they are not at all expensive.
What I like:
Razor sharp edge
Affordable price
One hand opening/closing
Ergonomic
Slim profile
Pocket clip
Adjustable blade tension
Open back design
Solid lockup
3 sizes and two handle colors to choose from
What I didn't like:
No lanyard hole
No tip up carry
There's not much I don't like about this folder other than some minor personal preferances. It's overall design and look is very appealing and it makes a great using knife at an affordable price. It's blade cutouts give it a strikingly modern look that contributes to it's light weight and it's Japanese workmanship is top notch. Will I keep and use this folder? You bet. Cosmic likes the Airlight II very much.
