Rating: 8.0/10
Recommended: Yes
Overview:
I carried one of the titanium ti-lites when I was in Iraq in 08-09. I traded it for a benchmade switchblade and missed it ever since. I did not care for the G-10/Aus-8 offering. But this has changed all that. I jumped on the chance to get one of these for $80 from BladeHQ. I have always had a few CS knives around. None of them ever really grew on me. The ti-lite is one of those designs that did for some reason.
Fit and Finish:
I am impressed with the fit and finish of this example. Everything melds together it seems and the finish feels durable. It feels solid in the hand but not heavy. Well, maybe a little on the heavy side. The various cuts and shapes on the blade all line up.
I have a 1 point ding, and that is the thumb stud which is still hard to use without a lot of flick. It feels kinda sharp and maybe could have been radiused slightly for comfort. The two easiest ways to open it is using the thumb stud and flicking it or using the quillon to shred your jeans. The detent is fairly stout. but the action is very smooth and it locks up with a resounding "click."
A half point ding is the typical sharpening notch not being used. The grind does not start all the way back as seems to be common on cold steel knives. Another half point goes to the grind on one side which is noticeably higher, but still lines up perfectly on the cutting edge.
Out of box sharpness:
Man, this thing came legitimately SHARP. I am not exaggerating when I say that I could have lathered up my face with shaving cream and shaved with it. Even though slightly high on one side, the grind and polish seems to have resulting in a thin but even sharpness through the length of the cutting surface. I touched it up on a tan ultra-ultra fine DMT hone. The CTS steel polished up after a few strokes, but I imagine it was because the edge was done right at the factory.
Pics:
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Overall:
I was excited to see this offered in the upgraded steel. I am not disappointed and genuinely impressed in the quality, fit and finish. Despite losing 2 points because of very minor things, I think this is an excellent example of an upgraded ti-lite. I can not speak to the edge retention of the CTS-XHP steel as far as this knife is concerned because this is not a hard use knife to me and I do not beat on my folding knives. I do not think that the blade profile will lend itself well to utilitarian tasks and such a knife is carried as sharp as possible only to be used in emergencies. For me, the ti-lite occupies a role as an emergency, last-ditch "my sidearm is broken or inoperable" self-defense or self-rescue tool. I think with the enhanced steel it would perform even better if called upon. Therefore, I can not recommend it as an EDC knife. However, I do fully recommend it as an emergency defense tool.
Recommended: Yes
Overview:
I carried one of the titanium ti-lites when I was in Iraq in 08-09. I traded it for a benchmade switchblade and missed it ever since. I did not care for the G-10/Aus-8 offering. But this has changed all that. I jumped on the chance to get one of these for $80 from BladeHQ. I have always had a few CS knives around. None of them ever really grew on me. The ti-lite is one of those designs that did for some reason.
Fit and Finish:
I am impressed with the fit and finish of this example. Everything melds together it seems and the finish feels durable. It feels solid in the hand but not heavy. Well, maybe a little on the heavy side. The various cuts and shapes on the blade all line up.
I have a 1 point ding, and that is the thumb stud which is still hard to use without a lot of flick. It feels kinda sharp and maybe could have been radiused slightly for comfort. The two easiest ways to open it is using the thumb stud and flicking it or using the quillon to shred your jeans. The detent is fairly stout. but the action is very smooth and it locks up with a resounding "click."
A half point ding is the typical sharpening notch not being used. The grind does not start all the way back as seems to be common on cold steel knives. Another half point goes to the grind on one side which is noticeably higher, but still lines up perfectly on the cutting edge.
Out of box sharpness:
Man, this thing came legitimately SHARP. I am not exaggerating when I say that I could have lathered up my face with shaving cream and shaved with it. Even though slightly high on one side, the grind and polish seems to have resulting in a thin but even sharpness through the length of the cutting surface. I touched it up on a tan ultra-ultra fine DMT hone. The CTS steel polished up after a few strokes, but I imagine it was because the edge was done right at the factory.
Pics:
Overall:
I was excited to see this offered in the upgraded steel. I am not disappointed and genuinely impressed in the quality, fit and finish. Despite losing 2 points because of very minor things, I think this is an excellent example of an upgraded ti-lite. I can not speak to the edge retention of the CTS-XHP steel as far as this knife is concerned because this is not a hard use knife to me and I do not beat on my folding knives. I do not think that the blade profile will lend itself well to utilitarian tasks and such a knife is carried as sharp as possible only to be used in emergencies. For me, the ti-lite occupies a role as an emergency, last-ditch "my sidearm is broken or inoperable" self-defense or self-rescue tool. I think with the enhanced steel it would perform even better if called upon. Therefore, I can not recommend it as an EDC knife. However, I do fully recommend it as an emergency defense tool.
