- Joined
- Feb 28, 2011
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- 27,451
This is a post of firsts. My first higher end fixed blade, first convex edge knife (well, other than a kukri) and my first review on this forum. This knife just came and I thought I would give some first impressions since there doesn't seem to be much about it on the forum. Quick note: I am a bushcraft novice, as my camping is generally done in very tame/civilized environment not far from my car, so I have difficulty judging the knife for that particular use.
Specs
Overall Length: 13.9 inches
Blade Length: 8.5 inches
Blade Thickness: .290 inches by website, a bit closer to .30 by ruler
Blade Height: 1.5 inches
Weight: 16 ounces (trusting the website, as I don't have an accurate scale)
Steel: 154-CM stainless
Fit and Finish: Very good, for the most part. The G10 grips are very well done and fitted very tightly to the knife. They are secured by non-recessed hex screws and the knife is shipped with an allen wrench to remove/tighten them. The grips are level with the tang at all points (obviously barring the pommel) and are nicely rounded with no sharp edges digging into the hand. The blade looks beautiful with, I believe, DLC coating on the portions that have not been ground. The only flaw I noted was that the grinds on the swedge are not quite even, something I would not have noticed except that the DLC makes it stand out. Even so, I'm quite impressed.
Balance: The balance point seems to be approximately .25 inches forward of the ricasso. The knife is quite heavy, but feels lively in the hand, with a subtle handle-heavy feel. It doesn't balance quite like a dedicated fighting knife, but avoids the blade heavy feel of some of the larger choppers I've handled.
Blade: Shipped very sharp, popped hairs easily and made the immediate test cuts I did quite pleasurable. Slices well for such a thick blade, and this is, indeed, very thick. The spine is comparable to my HI kukri at the base, although it thins out quickly as the swedge grind begins 3 inches into the blade.
Ergonomics: Initially, good but not great. It rests easily in the hand, and conforms fairly well, but not the best I've ever felt. The handle swells are well placed and make retention while cutting or thrusting better than I expected.
Overall: Very happy with the purchase. I have some, minor, misgivings about a blade of this type in stainless steel, but 154-CM is good stuff so we'll see how it holds up. It strikes me as an attractive, utility minded bladed with secondary combative use.
Apologies for the lack of pictures.
Specs
Overall Length: 13.9 inches
Blade Length: 8.5 inches
Blade Thickness: .290 inches by website, a bit closer to .30 by ruler
Blade Height: 1.5 inches
Weight: 16 ounces (trusting the website, as I don't have an accurate scale)
Steel: 154-CM stainless
Fit and Finish: Very good, for the most part. The G10 grips are very well done and fitted very tightly to the knife. They are secured by non-recessed hex screws and the knife is shipped with an allen wrench to remove/tighten them. The grips are level with the tang at all points (obviously barring the pommel) and are nicely rounded with no sharp edges digging into the hand. The blade looks beautiful with, I believe, DLC coating on the portions that have not been ground. The only flaw I noted was that the grinds on the swedge are not quite even, something I would not have noticed except that the DLC makes it stand out. Even so, I'm quite impressed.
Balance: The balance point seems to be approximately .25 inches forward of the ricasso. The knife is quite heavy, but feels lively in the hand, with a subtle handle-heavy feel. It doesn't balance quite like a dedicated fighting knife, but avoids the blade heavy feel of some of the larger choppers I've handled.
Blade: Shipped very sharp, popped hairs easily and made the immediate test cuts I did quite pleasurable. Slices well for such a thick blade, and this is, indeed, very thick. The spine is comparable to my HI kukri at the base, although it thins out quickly as the swedge grind begins 3 inches into the blade.
Ergonomics: Initially, good but not great. It rests easily in the hand, and conforms fairly well, but not the best I've ever felt. The handle swells are well placed and make retention while cutting or thrusting better than I expected.
Overall: Very happy with the purchase. I have some, minor, misgivings about a blade of this type in stainless steel, but 154-CM is good stuff so we'll see how it holds up. It strikes me as an attractive, utility minded bladed with secondary combative use.
Apologies for the lack of pictures.