Hey Guys,
I have had mine for almost a month now. I bought the plain edge version instead of the pre-production run with the combo edge. Here are my thoughts on the knife:
blade ---> ATS-34, satin finish (BT coated blades were not available when I got mine), 3.25" long, 0.115" thick (if memory serves correctly), and quite wide. The blade is very sturdy thanks to its width and the fact that a lot of the thickness is carried out towards the tip. Since I have had the knife I have used it for a lot of small chores such as cutting fruit and vegetables, paper, cardboard, rope, etc. The blade has a lot of belly which has made it very suitable for all of these chores thus far. At this time I don't know how it would handle heavier chores but I have a feeling it will do just fine due to the blade geometry.
Handle ---> made of machined 6061-T6 Aluminum with a black coating and a large BM logo on the side opposite the clip. The handle fits my hand very well and is very comfortable. One thing I have noticed is the pronounced hump at the butt end of the hanlde which my pinky rests against when gripping the knife. For me it is fine as it adds to stability in gripping the knife. I have somewhat larger than average hands, and for someone with bigger hands than mine I think this hump might interfer with grip and make for some discomfort, I may be wrong. For me the knife is very comfortable though in all grip positions.
Lock ---> Axis Lock, enough said.
Clip ---> The knife came with the clip mounted for right-side, tip-down carry. The handle is pre-drilled so that the clip can be moved for right-side, tip-up carry. In the tip-down carry mode the knife rides very low in the pocket, if converted for tip-up carry the knife will ride somewhat higher with more of the handle exposed over the top of the pocket. As the knife is now, there is no option to convert the knife for left-side carry. While I am right-handed I still think this is a mistake. One of the great things about the Axis lock is that is completely ambidexterous; the knife also has dual thum studs yet it currently is not set up for left-hand carry, go figure.
OVERALL ---> For me this is a great knife, everything about it is very solid. For a knife its size it is a little heavy but there again to me that just speaks to how solid the knife is.
Compared to the 710 ---> I like, no love, them both about the same. Bladewise I like the 720 better, handlewise the 710 probably wins. I think for most people it will come down to personal preference: which feels more comfortable and which size is more appropriate for the tasks it will be performing. I will say that for users with very large hands or left-handers the 710 is probably a better bet. For me it is the 720 though, better blade and better size IMHO.
Travis
