Blackjack Small

M

mikemck

Joined
Sep 22, 2000
Messages
1,221
I got my Blackjack Small model yesterday from knifeware, and I must say it's an amazing knife. The specs and a pic can be found HERE

Lacking the capacity to write a thorough and coherent review, I will attempt to convey some of the reasons for my satisfaction, because honestly, everyone should have one of these knives.
Even at almost twice the price the Small would be a great knife.

The fit & finish are fantastic, and overall this is just a gorgeous knife. The pics on the site really do not do justice, but you can get an overall idea.

It's a bit smaller than I had expected, and I was intially disappointed, but I soon came to realize that the size is really just about perfect for a wide variety of tasks, large and small, and it fits my hand nicely. With the right sheath, the Small would also make a good neck knife for a medium or large from person.

I used it extensively yesterday, cutting clear vinyl tubing, pipe insulation, cardboard, and food, and am just amazed at the cutting ability and edge holding. Out of the box, the Small was incredibly sharp, and after a day of cutting the edge is still scary sharp. I of course did not attempt any chopping or other edge chipping resistance tasks, so I cannot comment, but really, on a knife this small and with the convex geometry, it's probably not much of an issue either way.

I opted for the pocket sheath, for versatility, and it's also an extremely stout piece of work. The leather halves are approx. 1/8", well stitched, and very durable indeed. Retention is good, covering about 1/2 of the handle, while still allowing an easy draw. As an added benefit, the leather is nicely finished and quite attractive.
I wore the sheath on my belt, and it just disappeared, even on my small 5'5" frame, which was really nice.
I did not try out the pocket carry, as it seemed a good idea to break the sheath in before trying a pocket draw, so no comment on pocket use.

The Blackjack Small is an incredible bargain, so if you are looking for a small fixed blade, you should do yourself a favor and consider the Small.

BTW, there seems to be some kind of pricing confusion on the knifeware site. My Small cost $88 delivered, not $95.50.
 
Very nice. I like knives that size.

Tempting. I bought my son an original Trailguide II and I LOVE it.

Mike
 
I love my Small, too! I use it in the kitchen, and then take it with me to the woods. Although I have the belt sheath/pouch, I have found out it works great in my front jeans pocket if I don't want to take the time to put it on a belt. I used it to mark trees the other day, and it was still sharp when I finished!:)
 
Well, I have been wearing my Small for a few days now, and it's great. The sheath is a wonder, in that it just disappears on my small frame, does not catch or snag, and yet provides a secure hold and an easy draw.
The knife is still scary sharp, so I can't comment on the ease of sharpening, but I can't imagine it will be a problem.

The Blackjack Small is without doubt the best knife I have bought in the last 2 years, and it's also the greatest bargain I have found anywhere.
 
My Blackjack Small arrived yesterday. It’s a nice little knife, and arrived very sharp. The design seems very well thought out, and the pocket sheath is interesting.

The fit and finish wasn’t all that great on mine though. The sheath was roughly edged and the leather was scratched in many places. The guard itself also had many scratches, and there were marks where the blade was affixed to the guard. The pommel end of the handle was badly shaped, and the tip of the blade was slightly rounded. I didn’t expect a very high quality knife at this price point, but the QC was worse than expected.

I spent an hour trimming a new hiking stick, and the knife did well. The blade geometry is very efficient, taking thick slices out of a white cedar stick with very little resistance. The edge held up quite nicely, still shaving after creating a literal pile of wood shavings.

I also carried the knife in my back pocket for a two-hour walk. Within 20 minutes, the tip of the knife was already sticking out of the bottom of the sheath. Either the sheath wasn’t shaped correctly, or it’s insane to make a sheath of this style without using a hardened leather center strip. Either way, I now have a hole in the back pocket of my Levi 501s.

Overall, I’m very disappointed in the Blackjack Small. While the designs of both the knife and the sheath have many merits, the overall quality of construction was to the point of absurd. I’ve never had a knife with this volume of quality control issues. It’s too bad though, as I really wanted an alternative option to the Marbles designs. But alas, this Blackjack did not even come to within a ballpark’s length of achieving the fit and finish of a Marbles.
 
Originally posted by Buzzbait
Overall, I’m very disappointed in the Blackjack Small. While the designs of both the knife and the sheath have many merits, the overall quality of construction was to the point of absurd. I’ve never had a knife with this volume of quality control issues. It’s too bad though, as I really wanted an alternative option to the Marbles designs. But alas, this Blackjack did not even come to within a ballpark’s length of achieving the fit and finish of a Marbles.
Click to expand...

Buzzbait, have you considered getting a small, custom fixed blade in that size? Several makers offer them in the $80-130 range. IIRC, Geno Denning has a small fixed blade model for about $125 or so. The Jones Bros have a few pocketable fixed blades for decent prices too. Gene Osborn at Centercross Knives makes some attractive fixed blades with 3" blades in the $100-125 range. Mebbe he can make you one with a shorter blade. Check this out: http://www.centercross.com/Current/sale.htm

I've been eyeballing the second model in the table for quite some time...

HTH
Chris

This just in...

Went looking for some Denning knives and found this (Model C stag): http://www.bladeart.com/artists/geno_denning/geno_denning.htm

Scroll down to the last knife on the page. Very yummy. If i wasn't dumping all of my extra cash into landscaping, I'd buy it.
 
I'd love to get an inexpensive custom, but am having trouble finding what I'm after. I'm only interested in a 52100 blade, from somebody with good experience in its heat treatment and the creation of full convex grinds. That thins out the herd in a hurry!!!! I also don’t want to wait a year for the knife. I want to use it this spring and summer.

I’m betting that pretty much leaves just production companies like Marbles and Blackjack.
 
I got a Woodswalker for my mother-in-law. She absolutely loves it.

The Woodswalker isn't what I'm looking for though. It's too small, doesn't have 52100 carbon steel, and does not have a convex grind. Other than that.... it's perfect. ;)
 
I thought I'd give you guys an update. I just got off the phone with Ken at Knifeware. He was very surprised to hear of my sheath problem, and promised to send me another one right away. I didn't bother to go into the other issues, as they are for the most part cosmetic. The sheath problem was the only thing keeping the knife from realizing its full useful potential. So I should have another sheath arriving later this week, and will give it some good testing over the weekend.

I’ll also mention at that Ken was very nice and very informative. We had a good time talking over the blade and sheath design, as well as sharpening tips. But you know us convex guys. We have to stick together. :)
 
Nice contrasting viewpoint Buzzbait, any comment on the difference in cutting ability, edge holding, ease of sharpening, or durability between the two?

By the way, Ed Caffrey makes some small blades in 52100 and he uses convex grinds. He modified my 52100-MEUK to a full primary convex grinds, with however a secondary bevel, which isn't difficult to remove is desired.

Nice job Mike, it is good to see some simple functional blades getting some press, tacticals have had quite a run.

-Cliff
 
I'd say that the Blackjack Small gets the nod over my Fieldcraft if the area of cutting efficiency. I don't have anything with which to make a definitive measurement, but it feels like the Blackjack has a thinner cutting edge. The cutting difference is very minimal, but it’s there. I guess you just have to weigh the difference between cutting efficiency and the edge durability of a thicker grind. Seeing as both the Blackjack and Fieldcraft are made of what appears to be a very durable steel, thinner may not compromise the strength of edge too badly.

I’ve only used the Blackjack on cedar so far, so I don’t really have any impressions on edge holding. I will say that I haven’t had to sharpen it yet, but I didn’t expect to. 52100 and a convex grind is a killer combination. If you have to sharpen it frequently, and on such a small blade, then something is very wrong with the knife.

The Blackjack is definitely made to cut, no matter what way you look at it. The cutting performance, so far, is superb. I’ve also noticed that there is some sort of relationship going between Blackjack and Marbles. This may explain the similarities of style, blade steel and grinds.

As far as my QC comments go, they only go so far. I was met with great customer service, which means a lot to me. I also only have one Blackjack, and have only handled a handful of Marbles. For all I know, the frequency of QC issues is the same between the two brands.

You are correct Cliff. It’s great to see something other than tactical folders getting some spotlight. I bet that a good percentage of BladeForums people have never used a convex ground knife, or a carbon steel fixed blade for that matter. I’d love to see more people trying out these more traditional fixed blade designs.
 
The Blackjack "small" was on my "someday" list, but I was preparing to take it off based on your comments.

Mike
 
I remember when Blackjack knives was a viable concern before their current incarnation they always prided themselves on how sharp their knives came, much of which had to do with the thin edge they generally put on. I even remember an ad they ran which had text something like "Blackjack sharp...anything else is just a pointy piece of metal," implying that Blackjacks were one of the few knives on the market that were designed to cut, and cut well.
 
Originally posted by Burke
implying that Blackjacks were one of the few knives on the market that were designed to cut, and cut well.
Click to expand...

As odd as this may sound, I almost agree with this implication. I find the convex edge of knives like Marbles and Blackjack to be an enormous improvement over most knives. As much as I love my Dozier K-4, I'd take a Blackjack or Marbles for the pure cutting efficiency. If you haven't tried a full convex grind yet, I highly suggest doing so. It's a revelation.

Michael - If you're picky about fit and finish, I'd probably steer towards Marbles. The Marbles I've seen have had a QC issue or two, but never a bunch on the same knife. The Blackjack Small had a number of issues, most of which were merely cosmetic. But if you just want a good using knife, and are particularly intrigued by the Blackjack design, I'd give one a try. It's a good knife if you don't put it under a microscope of scrutiny.
 
Yep, I'm a big fan of convex edges and grinds...I have one of the old Blackjack-made BK&T Magnum Camp knives with the full convex grind (:D), as well as a few others, including a Ray Kirk Lil Blue in 52100 with a convex grind and slightly thinner stock than the normal ones. If you haven't checked out any of Sean Perkins' knives with his Scythe grind (convex chisel), check that out. They cut much better than you would think based on the fairly obtuse bevel. I think the full chisel grind on one side leaves them strong and contributes to cutting efficiency, while the flat other side tends to make them cut with a little "bite." I'd like to see more knives with this grind.
 
Yah. Doris is a little miffed at me, but here’s the deal. I’ve been spending a whole lot of time in woods over the last year. And I’ve been using a number of different knives for common chores, trying to figure what makes for a good outdoor utility knife. As good as Doris is, I don’t think that I’d ever choose a hollow grind for outdoor utility. A hollow grind just doesn’t seem to cut wood very well in comparison to a convex grind, which is what most of my outdoor work consists of. Doris is awesome as an everyday carry fixed blade, and rocks the house down for skinning, but wood is not her forte. So Doris has been relegated to doing household chores, skinning animals and cleaning fish. That’s not so bad though, as she’s the one who gets to draw blood. My convex grinds mostly just draw sap. ;)
 
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