Blackhawk Blades Kalista comparison 56K warning

[eojk]

Having been a fan of Michael Janich's designs since getting a Yojimbo as my first Spyderco, I am proud to present one of his newer designs: the Blackhawk Blades Kalista.

The most obvious comparison that I could make to this knife was another Janich design, the Ronin. For those familiar with the Ronin, here are some direct comparison pics:

One more with something a little more familar to most of you:

The Kalista is very similar in overall size to the Ronin, being only slightly longer and a bit thinner in width. The thickness of the blade stock is about identical.

Mr. Janich is a strong proponent of what he calls the "Filipino Grip." This is basically a modified sabre grip. I encourage the curious to search threads that discuss it in more detail. Some comparisons of this grip:

The knives feel quite similar in this grip, though I feel the Kalista is a bit inferior. This is due to the cutout that lies right under the thumb in this grip. The jimping on the blade's spine secures the thumb, but this cutout gives a sense of instability. Here is a more traditional sabre grip using said cutout:

The knife is still stable in this different grip, though the Ronin is the clear winner here. This is for a specific, perhaps equalizing reason that I will get to, however.

Continued:

 

[eojk]

The Kalista works in the icepick(edge out) grip, as does the Ronin:

Again, the Ronin works slightly better in this grip, due to it's more rounded finger cutout, which anchors the pinky more securely. The Kalista does this as well, but its cutout is shallower and wider. This slight deficiency is redeemed, however, by the opposing cutout on the spine. In this grip, the spine cutout contours to the "meat" of the palm, and works to stabilize the knife.

Now, I'll discuss a defining characteristic of the Kalista. I mentioned before the presence of the dual cutouts in the handle. These exist so that the Kalista may be effectively wielded in all the major grip types. This is a striking feature, and one reason I was attracted to the design. In addition to the aforementioned two grips, the knife can also be used forward grip edge-in, and reverse grip edge-in. Some refer to these grips as P'kal grips. Forward grip edge-in:

In this grip, the knife is not as ideal as say, a Shivworks Disciple, but it is stable and controllable. There is no worry of the knife twisting uncontrollably in the hand, and it is unlikely that the hand may slip forward.

The Kalista works in reverse grip edge-in as well:

The blade profile, while not quite the wicked-straight wharncliffe of the Ronin, is acute enough to be useful for this grip style. I think P'kal practitioners would have little difficulty in using this knife.

On the whole, the Kalista is a superb design. I'm aware of few other fixed blade designs that are so effectively adaptable to differing grips. The hollow grind provides a very acute edge, in line with the cutting performance of the Ronin, I'd imagine.

The blade coating has a nice matte finish, and has been durable for the little I've thus far carried and used the knife. The G-10 handle slabs provide a very grippy surface and are assisted by jimping on the underside of the handle. The overall fit and finish is quite good, with my only complaint being the "scalloping" for the thumbrest at the end of each g-10 slab was smoothed to a different depth on each opposing G-10 slab. This is a relatively minor issue, however.

The Kalista comes with the "Total Concealed Carry Solution™" (TCCS™) concealment system. This is also a point of comparison to the Ronin, and a distinguishing aspect of the knife. I will try to address this in another post.

Pros:
-adaptable to nearly any grip
-the rough G-10 offers a superb grip
-the edge and geometry lend themselves to several grips and styles
-retains strong cutting ability for pressure cuts
-good black coating
Cons:
-not ideal for any one grip
-the corners at the end of the handle opposite the blade could be smoothed a bit
-fit and finish is not immaculate(ref my G-10 slab "scallops")

Overall, I still give a slight nod to my Ronin. This is partially due to familiarity and its excellent ergonomics. The Kalista, however, is an excellent alternative and is appropriate for a wider set of needs. At the moment I'm carrying the Kalista as my EDC:

I just can't get a grip on the Ronin at all wearing mittens, or even some gloves. The Kalista sticks firmly in the hand. This speaks clearly about the design's stability.