Wow. Just got my new Extrema Ratio Harpoon F. What a blade! First of all, Frank of www.target-masters.net was incredibly polite and helpful. Very prompt with everything.
The blade: Came in a very cool black box, with the Extrema Ratio logo embossed on it in silver leaf. Very classy and beautiful, as one would expect of the Italians. (Extremas are made in Italy.) Also; Extrema Ratio blades were originally designed for the Italian special forces. Frank has shipped loads of the blades to Ranger units in his area, and has gotten lots of positive feedback from them.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If a blade, or any other implement for that matter, is good enough for the special forces, then it's surely good enough for me!
So I pull the blade out of its sheath. Wow. My eyes welled up with tears of joy at the sight of that blade!!!
The Extrema Ratio Harpoon F is not a small blade by any means. If you like large, scary looking "tactical" knives, look no further. At 13.5" overall, it could very easily be used as a Harpoon against Moby Dick! My baby has beautiful tiger stripes, and a spine adorned with the most ferocious teeth! A pic can be seen here.
Beautiful!
Despite its size, the Harpoon F is actually surprisingly light. It feels very well-balanced. The handle is a thing of beauty. It is made of an interesting compound, not as soft as I thought it was going to be, but very comfortable nonetheless. The sides are basically identical to the "hook" side of velcro, only fashioned of a much stouter material. It is not uncomfortable in the least. The handle has a slight curve to it, and it fits my hand so beautifully, its ridiculous! Especially comfortable is the "hammer" grip. Just below the blade guard on the spine, at the very top of the handle, the tang is exposed, and has two dimples, which I believe are for your thumb to make more delicate work easier. These grooves give a great place for your thumb to rest. About 1/4" of the tang is exposed at the butt of the knife, creating a wonderful striking point, either defensively, or as a tool for breaking a window or something. There is also a lanyard hole drilled through the tang at the very end there. The blade is also a full 1/4" thick.
It came scary sharp out of the box, and the only problem was a sticky substance on part of the edge, probably from the sheath. It came off fairly easily, but I did slice my thumb nicely while trying to clean it off.
I have not had the chance to subject it to any real use (or abuse) yet, but when I do, I'll post, of course.
The sheath: is a work of art. I chose the black "ballistic gum" option, which is like a stiff neoprene or foam rubber. It is exquisitely made, and holds the knife securely of its own right. The button-snap fastener is secured by velcro, which means that it is removable and you can also position it for left or right-handed opening. Refer to the pics on Extrema's website. In addition to a snug sheath and the snap fastener, the sheath also has a patch of the "velcro" on it where the handle rests, which helps to further secure the blade. It really does help, too. How ingenious!
It also has many carry options. The sheath comes with a drop-leg extender, and a thigh strap, both of which are easily removable. The sheath also has a metal loop on the bottom tip as another anchoring point. I highly recommend this sheath option. The sheath is slim, and rides incredibly comfortably on my calf. (Yes, I said calf!)
Overall, the Extrema Ratio Harpoon F is a beautiful, well-crafted blade, that exemplifies Italian craftsmanship. It is well worth the money. Again, contact Frank at www.target-masters.net He is very eager to help.
Drjones
The blade: Came in a very cool black box, with the Extrema Ratio logo embossed on it in silver leaf. Very classy and beautiful, as one would expect of the Italians. (Extremas are made in Italy.) Also; Extrema Ratio blades were originally designed for the Italian special forces. Frank has shipped loads of the blades to Ranger units in his area, and has gotten lots of positive feedback from them.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If a blade, or any other implement for that matter, is good enough for the special forces, then it's surely good enough for me!
So I pull the blade out of its sheath. Wow. My eyes welled up with tears of joy at the sight of that blade!!!
The Extrema Ratio Harpoon F is not a small blade by any means. If you like large, scary looking "tactical" knives, look no further. At 13.5" overall, it could very easily be used as a Harpoon against Moby Dick! My baby has beautiful tiger stripes, and a spine adorned with the most ferocious teeth! A pic can be seen here. Beautiful!
Despite its size, the Harpoon F is actually surprisingly light. It feels very well-balanced. The handle is a thing of beauty. It is made of an interesting compound, not as soft as I thought it was going to be, but very comfortable nonetheless. The sides are basically identical to the "hook" side of velcro, only fashioned of a much stouter material. It is not uncomfortable in the least. The handle has a slight curve to it, and it fits my hand so beautifully, its ridiculous! Especially comfortable is the "hammer" grip. Just below the blade guard on the spine, at the very top of the handle, the tang is exposed, and has two dimples, which I believe are for your thumb to make more delicate work easier. These grooves give a great place for your thumb to rest. About 1/4" of the tang is exposed at the butt of the knife, creating a wonderful striking point, either defensively, or as a tool for breaking a window or something. There is also a lanyard hole drilled through the tang at the very end there. The blade is also a full 1/4" thick.
It came scary sharp out of the box, and the only problem was a sticky substance on part of the edge, probably from the sheath. It came off fairly easily, but I did slice my thumb nicely while trying to clean it off.
I have not had the chance to subject it to any real use (or abuse) yet, but when I do, I'll post, of course. The sheath: is a work of art. I chose the black "ballistic gum" option, which is like a stiff neoprene or foam rubber. It is exquisitely made, and holds the knife securely of its own right. The button-snap fastener is secured by velcro, which means that it is removable and you can also position it for left or right-handed opening. Refer to the pics on Extrema's website. In addition to a snug sheath and the snap fastener, the sheath also has a patch of the "velcro" on it where the handle rests, which helps to further secure the blade. It really does help, too. How ingenious!
It also has many carry options. The sheath comes with a drop-leg extender, and a thigh strap, both of which are easily removable. The sheath also has a metal loop on the bottom tip as another anchoring point. I highly recommend this sheath option. The sheath is slim, and rides incredibly comfortably on my calf. (Yes, I said calf!)
Overall, the Extrema Ratio Harpoon F is a beautiful, well-crafted blade, that exemplifies Italian craftsmanship. It is well worth the money. Again, contact Frank at www.target-masters.net He is very eager to help.
Drjones
