Camillus Aftermath Review

goldie · Jul 21, 2003

Got one today, heres some info i can give as for now; the blade is about 5 1/2" long, same finish & edge as the cuda maxx. capable of slicing paper out of the box. grind is perfect, & there are no machining marks on the top & bottom guards like on the maxx; the carved titanium handle is perfectly done,as are the grooves on the top front & back, & the grooves on the liner & back bottom. the flames that are carved are perfect, no shaky lines, the finish is a satin-like one, with the darker grey matte behind it.The robo mechanism; it takes a litle bit of effort to get it going,then it takes off & locks with a stern click.liner goes about 1/2 way to end. its about as fast as a dalton militia side opener,but with a much louder click,if anyone is familiar with that one.lock up is real solid, locks just like the maxx,too. pocket clip is just like the maxx as well. blade is centered in handle. the handle is solid feeling in the hand,feels pretty comfortable. lots of similarities between this one & the maxx. overall a real nice knife. it really is a lot of money for a production knife, i think alot of the price is in the carving of the handle,among other things. also , ive never paid this much for a production knife,but it is made very well,& theres not much out there thats new or as unique as this one .its almost like buying a semi custom knife.in the pocket it feels pretty good,also feels similar in the pocket as the cuda maxx or rekat sifu. you definitly will know its there.if i had to buy it over again i would...

Walking Man · Jul 25, 2003

Are you able to open it more quickly and easily now that you've had it for a while?
Otherwise, good review.

goldie · Jul 26, 2003

I'd say yes.It still takes the same amount of force to open now that i've played with it for a few days. i think that its partly a safety feature to prevent this from accidently opening. once you get used to the pressure required to open it, its fine.its a real fun knife to have if you dont mind the price....

Manji · Jul 26, 2003

i think the aftermath is one beautiful knife but it's way too big for me personally. And I think you are correct in referring to it as a semi custom, it sure looks like it. And the price tag seems to agree too.

Roadrunner · Jul 26, 2003

I was fortunate enough to play with one of these at Blade, along with the custom version at Darrel Ralph's table. To be honest the handles on the two were nearly indistinguishable. Camillus did a beautiful job with this one, hopefully they fixed the issues I had with the Robo mechanism so I can justify buying one. Or a manual version, that would be great too.

458tnr · Aug 4, 2003

Originally posted by Roadrunner
Camillus did a beautiful job with this one, hopefully they fixed the issues I had with the Robo mechanism so I can justify buying one. Or a manual version, that would be great too.

Roadrunner,
Can you tell me what was wrong with the Robo mechanism? I am seriously considering buying one within the next month, but will hold off if there is a problem with the mechanism.

I just found another review of the Aftermath where you stated the spring was too strong. No need to reply to this one. Thanks.

Cory Steiner · Aug 4, 2003

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Robo Mechanism is somewhat similar to a leaf spring. As such, it seems rather fail safe. As big as the knife is it fits very comfortably in most pockets (I've been living with mine for a few days now). Just feels right in the hand as well. I listed mine for sale and am glad that it didn't move. This is a very unique knife and is the one that I'd like to have with me should the need arise.

Dirk · Aug 4, 2003

I had been told that the Robo -Mechanism will be easier to work on the production knives being released. The one at Blade was a working proto.

goldie · Aug 4, 2003

It just takes a little more effort to push on the extended flipper. i think it was done as a safety measure. you dont want this opening in your pocket! once you get used to the pressure needed to move the flipper, its no problem at all.it is really well made & its like buying a custom knife.

bquinlan · Aug 6, 2003

Let me start off by saying that I really like this knife!

I just received my Aftermath yesterday. The fit and finish are perfect. Everything is even, perfectly aligned, and smooth as silk. The blade came just short of hair-popping sharp from the factory. The knife looks stunning.

Ergonomics are exceptional in both sabre and reverse/blade-out grips. I like having something to stop my hand on both ends of a handle. The finger-indent/guard combo does a great job on the blade side. The pommel curve does an equally certain job on the other end. I'm not sure how much good the indentations on the inside of the scales really do for the grip, but if nothing else they provide better indexing. And I like having a flat "stiker" surface at the base of the pommel.

The blade is thicker in the belly than I had expected, but balance is still excellent. I like clip-point recurves for their versatility and this seems a good one: lots of belly, a reasonable point, and a long shallow recurve.

I have mixed feelings about the ROBO mechanism. Even considering the safety issues it is stiffer than I like. I think I will get used to it, but two different friends who handled mine were simply unable to move the flipper. I may end up removing the spring. On the other hand, once you get it moving the ROBO does a beautiful job of opening the blade quickly and positively without throwing it out of your hand. And, unlike my Kershaw Boa, the opener does kick in before the flipper is level with the back of the frame.

One day is not enough for me to have much to say about the Aftermath's actual performance. I'm going to EDC it for a few weeks and see how things go. At this point I'd say it's about 50/50 whether I stick with this or go back to my Maxx Bowie in the long run.

Overall this is an innovative and beautifully executed knife. Kudos to Camillus for raising the bar yet again.

--Bob Q

458tnr · Aug 7, 2003

I ordered one yesterday. Can hardly wait to get it. My current EDC is a CS Vaquero Grande. Planning of replacing it with the Aftermath.