The Tourist
Banned
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2001
- Messages
- 2,796
Over the past several months I hve been simplifying my daily carry gear and trying to be less and less of a knife snob. There was a time when I thought a razor sharp Microtech USSOCOM tanto was a good 'entry level knife.'
To be sure, I love my Strider SnG, but I also have an SOG Tomcat inthat same rotation, and I'm equally served by it.
I did buy the full sized Alpha a few months ago, and it is indeed a great knife. It easily formed a perfect bevel after one trip down the Edge-Pro, it was ergonomic and sliced cleanly. Great camp knife, but a bit big for daily use--in my life, your mileage may vary.
My friend is a Buck salesman, and I orderd a mini-Alpha, and it came yesterday. The blade is a perfect skinner shape, a chunkier version of a Loveless skinner. The Mini is a tad over two inches, and with my average size hand, all of my fingers just fit on the grip. Again, a great ergo feeling.
Alas, the bevel was a tad 'wobbily' (however quite sharp) out of the box. It appeared as if the cutler's hand slightly rotated front to back as he ran the edge over the sharpening wheel for the last time. When the entire edge was painted with a magic marker, the Edge-Pro stone would always leave some ink on the tip or near the choil, no mattter what setting.
Because I hate to senselessly gring metal, I went with the tip angle, and left a small blunt area ahead of the choil. Both the right and left bevels sharpened easily to a burr, and took a great polish and a few licks from a strop and some white rouge.
It slices cleanly with no perceivable feel at the handle.
The best part is the construction. It is ATS-34, hardened by Paul Bos. Fantastic for a knife in this price range. My wife has it now, she is slicing vegetables for a get together of about six ladies at our home right now.
Edit: Mine has the beautiful coco-bolo handle.
To be sure, I love my Strider SnG, but I also have an SOG Tomcat inthat same rotation, and I'm equally served by it.
I did buy the full sized Alpha a few months ago, and it is indeed a great knife. It easily formed a perfect bevel after one trip down the Edge-Pro, it was ergonomic and sliced cleanly. Great camp knife, but a bit big for daily use--in my life, your mileage may vary.
My friend is a Buck salesman, and I orderd a mini-Alpha, and it came yesterday. The blade is a perfect skinner shape, a chunkier version of a Loveless skinner. The Mini is a tad over two inches, and with my average size hand, all of my fingers just fit on the grip. Again, a great ergo feeling.
Alas, the bevel was a tad 'wobbily' (however quite sharp) out of the box. It appeared as if the cutler's hand slightly rotated front to back as he ran the edge over the sharpening wheel for the last time. When the entire edge was painted with a magic marker, the Edge-Pro stone would always leave some ink on the tip or near the choil, no mattter what setting.
Because I hate to senselessly gring metal, I went with the tip angle, and left a small blunt area ahead of the choil. Both the right and left bevels sharpened easily to a burr, and took a great polish and a few licks from a strop and some white rouge.
It slices cleanly with no perceivable feel at the handle.
The best part is the construction. It is ATS-34, hardened by Paul Bos. Fantastic for a knife in this price range. My wife has it now, she is slicing vegetables for a get together of about six ladies at our home right now.
Edit: Mine has the beautiful coco-bolo handle.
