Everyone's latest acquisitions!

Castorea from Rosecraft Blades arrived today. This is going to be the last of my mad month of knife purchases since I re-started this hobby. Will try to rein things in until Christmas.

This knife ticks a lot of boxes for me. Gotta love the orange, and the barlow-like design is so cool. Love fake bolster with the gray g-10 on the pivot end of the scale.

Here's a mini review.

It's a back flipper with a button lock. You can pinch it open 2-handed but the swedge makes gripping the blade difficult when closed, the fipper is clearly the intended opening method. This is my second button lock knife, I bought a Pyrite at the beginning of the month, the Castorea executes the button lock a lot differently.

I was looking for a larger knife, because I find the handles on my Pyrite and my Raccoon just a bit too short for my hands. The Castorea is definitely a full grip. Something like 4.5" of handle, and the blade is getting to pocket sword length, at least for me, almost but not quite a full 4". Big and heavy.

The reviews I've seen tend to complain about the action of the Castorea on open and closing. It's not a "fidget friendly" knife. There's quite a strong detent but it's easy to fail the open if you don't put a bit of wrist into it, and it definitely doesn't drop shut, you have to flip the blade to get it to close. After my Pyrite opened in my pocket due to its apparently dangerously weak detent, I'm happy to know that this heavy blade is held a bit tighter. Not going to be shaking this thing open.

Regarding the strong detent, this isn't due to a strong spring in the button. The blade is held closed by an actual detent ball on a tension arm cut into the steel liner. I haven't seen any reviewer mention this but it's easily observed even without taking the knife apart (which I haven't done).

The philosophy of this knife seems to be to bring traditional designs into a modern format. We get barlow-like knife but with a modern lock, one-hand deployment, screws rather than pins, and a pocket clip, but it's not a fidget toy, it takes some effort and intent to operate. I really like this.

My complaints are relatively minor. I wish the pocket clip was a bit deeper carry and it seems a little short, not sure it will fit over a thick denim jeans pocket seam (and I'm not so committed to this review that I'm about to get up to get a pair of jeans to try it). Also, it would be nice if the liners were skeletonized a bit to cut some weight. I was wearing thin hiking pants today and it felt a bit clumsy clipped to the pocket. If they sold a tab filler for the show side I'd strongly consider buying one.

Overall I'm very happy with this knife.

castorea.jpg
 
A few new ones arrived yesterday...

* Benchmade Bugout in Damasten and Titanium from the custom shop - bit me while closing it the first time 😣
* Vero Engineering Impulse with diamond-like coated M390 blade, stonewash Ti w/ blue anodized VAEL engraving.
* Vero Engineering Impulse with diamond-like coated M390 blade and handle, with blue anodized VAEL engraving.
* KUNWU mini TAO Elmax and Ti

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DocJekl said:
A few new ones arrived yesterday...

* Benchmade Bugout in Damasten and Titanium from the custom shop - bit me while closing it the first time 😣
* Vero Engineering Impulse with diamond-like coated M390 blade, stonewash Ti w/ blue anodized VAEL engraving.
* Vero Engineering Impulse with diamond-like coated M390 blade and handle, with blue anodized VAEL engraving.
* KUNWU mini TAO Elmax and Ti

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Is that BM love at first bite? 😁
 
Did not buy but received as a Bday present - my girlfriend comes home and says that she found something cool today and I would like it. She comes holding a Vic 91mm, I'm like "Cool, a SAK!!" and then I see it's baling dangler (?) And then the old model screwdriver and then the clip point small blade!!

Made from sometime in the '50s-'70s but pre-73 from my understanding as that's when they disco'd the clip point. She got me an old school SAK like nothing!! View attachment 2367660View attachment 2367661I'm so proud. She wasn't even aware of what she had till I told her. Will cherish it.

She also has her sister ready to gift me a real,old school 20's Schrade Presto!! I am in awe and very in love! With my girlfriend as well as the knives! Haha.

Contains scissors, saw, openers, driver and awl as backtools, unsure of model. It is like a Camper without a corkscrew
 
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