- Joined
- Sep 5, 2005
- Messages
- 2,826
The price on these has dropped in a number of places and I recently picked up three on eBay for $49 apiece. I just began carrying an M16-14LE, which is very similar, though it's made in Tiawan.
First, all three knives were very well crafted and there were small indications that a little more care had been put into the production. The chisel grind on the knife was of a noticably higher quality than its Tiawan cousin, but it didn't run all the way to the hilt but left a very small space at the very end of the blade. This probably was done by design, but the difference in the overall blade meant that the LE had a substantially longer plain cutting edge of perhaps a fifth of an inch. This would only make a difference with someone who used the knife's plain edge heavily. As I said, the grind was noticably superior; however, the LE was darn good.
Most of the differences were very minor but tilted a small degree to the SFA. But where the difference was major, of course, were the flipper/guards. The SFA in fully open position has an astoundingly secure feel. Because of the size of the flipper/guards, activating the LAWKS was difficult and in this model I believe I'd take the AutoLAWKS over the standard LAWKS. It's odd, but all three of my knives had the standard, but the mini-brochures that came with the knives listed the SFA as having the AutoLAWKS feature. And on one of the SFA blades, someone at the factory had left a very small thumb print at the top of the blade. On the other side was evidence of another finger and some extremely minor surface corrosion. It came out with a little polishing, but clearly shouldn't have been there.
The feel of the SFA was a pleasant surprise. I was expecting the knife to not quite look as good as the LE, but it was every bit as easy to carry and, once open, it felt like I was carrying a solid fixed knife. The hilt was a tremendous addition to the design and greatly added to the knife's stability during use and also bolstered the already robust locking system. Even if the LAWKS became disengaged, a user would have the added safety of the upper and lower guards. The size of these guards also made flipping it open a breeze. Who needs an auto assist with a knife like this?
Overall it's a very well designed and made knife. I already was in love with the LE. But fickle as I am, I imagine I'll be seeing a lot of my new SFA.
----------
The SFA designation means the knife was made in the U.S. (America). Knives with the SF designation are identical, but made in Tiawan. This knife would be a great gift for a soldier. It's a bit more streamlined than the Desert Cruiser, which also is an exceptional soldier's knife.
The SFA is pictured (left) next to the LE.
First, all three knives were very well crafted and there were small indications that a little more care had been put into the production. The chisel grind on the knife was of a noticably higher quality than its Tiawan cousin, but it didn't run all the way to the hilt but left a very small space at the very end of the blade. This probably was done by design, but the difference in the overall blade meant that the LE had a substantially longer plain cutting edge of perhaps a fifth of an inch. This would only make a difference with someone who used the knife's plain edge heavily. As I said, the grind was noticably superior; however, the LE was darn good.
Most of the differences were very minor but tilted a small degree to the SFA. But where the difference was major, of course, were the flipper/guards. The SFA in fully open position has an astoundingly secure feel. Because of the size of the flipper/guards, activating the LAWKS was difficult and in this model I believe I'd take the AutoLAWKS over the standard LAWKS. It's odd, but all three of my knives had the standard, but the mini-brochures that came with the knives listed the SFA as having the AutoLAWKS feature. And on one of the SFA blades, someone at the factory had left a very small thumb print at the top of the blade. On the other side was evidence of another finger and some extremely minor surface corrosion. It came out with a little polishing, but clearly shouldn't have been there.
The feel of the SFA was a pleasant surprise. I was expecting the knife to not quite look as good as the LE, but it was every bit as easy to carry and, once open, it felt like I was carrying a solid fixed knife. The hilt was a tremendous addition to the design and greatly added to the knife's stability during use and also bolstered the already robust locking system. Even if the LAWKS became disengaged, a user would have the added safety of the upper and lower guards. The size of these guards also made flipping it open a breeze. Who needs an auto assist with a knife like this?
Overall it's a very well designed and made knife. I already was in love with the LE. But fickle as I am, I imagine I'll be seeing a lot of my new SFA.
----------
The SFA designation means the knife was made in the U.S. (America). Knives with the SF designation are identical, but made in Tiawan. This knife would be a great gift for a soldier. It's a bit more streamlined than the Desert Cruiser, which also is an exceptional soldier's knife.
The SFA is pictured (left) next to the LE.