Extrema Ratio. Your thoughts & experiences?

J

jskelton

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Feb 18, 2010
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I went on a little binge today and bought a few knives. Titanium LE Junk Yard Dog II, Zero Tolerance 0350, and two Extrema Ratios.. out of curiosity. The MF1 and the BF3 "Dark Talon".

I'm sre these have been discussed ad nauseum, but without a valid search feature available to freebie-newbies, I could not help but make an apparent repost.

So, any thoughts on these two models or the brand in general?

Thanks in advance.....
 
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Thanks for that, it was an interesting read. I think I'll be happy with the two moderately priced ones I bought. Perhaps if I had given into my urges to buy the Reventon, I might have been dissatisfied a bit.
 
I had a Fulcrum II that I bought used and tested. Beat the crap out of it really and it took it all and asked for more. Had I not gotten a deal on it I'd never have seen one because my thoughts before buying was that they were over priced pry bars with an edge. That is still my feelings on them but they are tank built super tough knives with super thick blades and very stout locks.

STR
 
They are military knives.
M-16's are miltary rifles.
Some like 'em, some don't.

If you only like pretty, polished knives, look elswhere.
 
STR said:
I had a Fulcrum II that I bought used and tested. Beat the crap out of it really and it took it all and asked for more. Had I not gotten a deal on it I'd never have seen one because my thoughts before buying was that they were over priced pry bars with an edge. That is still my feelings on them but they are tank built super tough knives with super thick blades and very stout locks.

STR
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Steve, in this thread

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3559409

your opinion in Extrema Ratio folders was quite different:

You know this really bothers me. That is not a very good lock up. I take apart my fair share of folders and rebuild them and that has to be one of the worst lock ups I've seen on a supposedly high dollar quality built heavy duty folder. The Spyderco Calypso Jr. which is considered a light duty gents folder has more metal seating into the blade where the lock bar and the blade mate up than this knife pictured does. It is not normal and if Jason thinks it is he needs to personally call this back yard knife mechanic to get a few tips on how to properly build a lock back. If all are made this way then ER is relying an awful lot on the lock for the lock built into this knife.

There is also more to consider here in a lock back than just the mating up of the blade and the lock bar. Many people have no idea of how many 'schools of thought' there are out there in the 'proper' making of a lock bar.

For example: some makers harden the lock bar to the same hardness of the blade heat treating them together while other makers don't harden the lock bar at all. The ones not hardned are done this way because if the blade has play after the knife is assembled it is an easy fix using a small punch to squish out a small bit of the lock bar on each side where it meets the blade to make it lock up tight. You lock back owners can look on your lock bars and these punch marks are clearly evident most times if you depress the lock bar and move the part that mates to the blade up. Simply look on each side of the bar. If you see tiny little indents on the side and protrusions on the face its been adjusted. To continue: Still other makers harden the lock bar only to a point like the same hardness as the liners and lock spring (if stainless) which are usually somewhere in the vicinity of 45Rc which are still malable enough to adjust.

All these factors come into play forming questions in my mind when I see a lock mating to a blade the way the ER knife does. Just to give you some ideas of what goes through my mind. If that lock bar on the ER knife is not hardened or only partially hardened and it mates to a hardened blade that way with very little contact what part do you think is going to roll from wear over time as the both blade and lock bar stresses from use? Of course the lock bar will wear and roll in this case because there simply isn't enough metal there on that small lip to hold back a hardnened blade. If it gets to the point that something has to give the blade will win in this situation unless the lock bar seats deep enough.

In any given year I adjust several lock back folders as well as liner and frame lock folders that get loose from wear. I've already adjusted three in 06. You can tell immediately which ones are hard and which ones are malable or soft. All it taks is an anvil and a 3/32 flat end punch or hardened flat head screw driver and a small tap on the rotated out lock bar once you remove the blade. IF it is soft it better have a lot of meat on it sinking nice and deep for contact. Otherwise it spells nothing but trouble.

STR
__________________
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Do you still think so or is there some reason you recently changed your opinion?
I own a Nemesis but, based on your opinion quoted, I do not feel it to be safe enough and do not use it.

I would appreciate your opinion very much - I really believe you are an expert.

Franco
 
04.jpg

Just got this MF0 yesterday and it's great.
This really is a tank of a knife, I've owned some striders and agree that you can call this the Italian Strider.
It came shaving sharp with a nice edge, I don't know the steel but will see about that.
I'll write a complete review about this knife in a week if I used it a bit more.

Some of the big fixed blades maybe are a bit overpriced but there are other brands that do that.
This will not be my last Extrema Ratio.
 
Thanks for the feedback Bierkameel. Yours looks terrific!

I was certainly in the EDC and tacti-cool mode this order cycle, and that's why I went the way I did on my choices. I'm back to looking at fancier models again (have my finger hovering over a Chris Reeve buy buttonas we speak), but these Extremas and ZT's should do me well for what I'm lookin for.
 
I've got two ER: one Col Moschin and one Fulcrum II T (heavy duty folder).

both are super solid and built like a tank, the Col Moschin is very lightweight, cuts incredibly well and it is just awesome to look at.

The Fulcrum IIT is probably one of the toughest folders out there (still 6,3mm blade), but it DOES not cut so well, infact I'll be having mine factory resharpened.
But again, it is a tank with a solid safery mechanism, and it is very heavy for its size, so it can also be used as a "batoning tool"/hammer, or just to smash windows. I took the T version, which has got tanto blade (stronger than drop point) and the serrations.
I leave it in my car, in case of emergency it can be used to break windows or cut through seatbelt.

I really like both of my ER, I now would like to buy another Fulcrum II, but this time take the D version (drop point with NO serrations) or the MPC (which is a longer version of the FII), and a Shrapnel OG, as a all-around knife.
 
Poor fitting lock bars was one thing I've read Dark Ops knives commonly have, too. (I've only seen one DO and it seemed to lock up fine, but we sold it and the guy said he reworked the lock bar to get it to fit better)
I suppose they copied a bit too closely?
 
jill jackson said:
Poor fitting lock bars was one thing I've read Dark Ops knives commonly have, too. (I've only seen one DO and it seemed to lock up fine, but we sold it and the guy said he reworked the lock bar to get it to fit better)
I suppose they copied a bit too closely?
Click to expand...

Was it me? I'm the fella in Malaysia. I think I dealt with ur pa in EBay.

In the end I gave it away. Because of the "weakest link in this chain" to quote STR. The relatively puny, relatively tiny, thin pivot pin in the lockbar was the weakest component. It does not matter if the blade is 2 inches thick or the handle is made out of adamantium, the puny pin will shear off first. Same goes for ER lockback folders. same thickness of pivot pins on the lockbar.

Don't get me started on the softness of the aluminum or the ergos.
 
Had a Fulcrum II D (unserrated Drop Point w/pocketclip) and Nemesis (unserrated spearpoint w/pocketclip). Very strong knives, but thick blades aren't my thing. That one in Bierkameel's post looks a lot better than what I had for general usage. And for just looking better.
 
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