Received my new BM450 today from Roger at Bayou Lafourche. As in my previous experience, the item was in stock, shipped immediately and was offered at the lowest price in the United States (and I did a lot of looking and calling).
My review comments:
Metal Handle - either you like them or you don't. The aluminum scales are elegantly shaped and are visually very precise. The boxy look with minimal curvature is a good piece of industrial design and very consistent with the "Park Avenue" name.
Coated "Wharncliffe" Blade: I too do not like coated blades. I have a Boker Klotzli KLM3 with a satin glossy black coating which many others have found objectionable, and I rarely carry. I prefer a satin finish with obvious grind marks to keep glare down. Compared to my BM940, which is too shiny for my taste, the boron coating on this blade is great. It has a "transparent" quality which keeps it away from looking like it was dipped. You can still see the metal under the coating. Comparing it to the CRKT Wasp, it retains a clean and easily cleanable surface, wheras the Wasp features the bead blast finish which as too much surface texture and fouls easily.
Blade came out of box razor sharp and cleared at 2" x 2" patch on my arm in two passes. Blade shape is sexy and unlike any grind I have seen. My main reason for getting this knife is the blade height. Although I love my Spydies, all 14 of them, they have very tall blades. This makes them great for downward strokes and push cutting, but not as good for twisting or curving cuts IMO, such as in fruit. One way to think about the Park Avenue is as a very sophisticated SAK. (If only Spyderco made the Worker with a liner lock).
Ergonomics/Liner Lock: After 5 minutes practice, I found the sweet spot which makes this knife easy to open. Although I will be adjusting the pivot tension to be a bit lighter, this knife opens quickly once your thumb remembers how to hit that spot. Liner is nested and springs a full half width across the blade. No play whatsover. The cutout on the RH scale makes for easy access to the liner for closure.
Jewlers Chain/Clip: Felt a little lightweight to me. However, the clip is what it is intended to be, virtually un-noticable. Clipped at the low side of my pocket, a pinch on the clip easily gets the knife out of my pocket. Since this isn't an emergency or self-defense knife, I think it is a great approach. "Hanging" the knife does what Spyderco intended with the clip, it keeps the knife out of the bottom of your pocket so it doesn't mix with change, tokens etc. Hanging the knife also allows it to ride better with sitting and standing.
Overall: I think it is very sucessful at achieving what what intended. It won't substitute for every task, but it is a great EDC for the urban dweller. I plan on carrying the Park Avenue in my right pocket, and then rotate my Native and MOD Hornet as a self-defense, hard cutting knife. I am glad to own this Terzuola design.
