The Predator II folding knife by Fox Knives Military Division, in Maniago, Italy.
SPECS:
Size: 8.97cm (3.53in.) blade length
0.31cm (0.12in.) blade width
11.97cm (4.71in.) handle length
1.46cm (0.57in.) handle width
20.94cm (8.24in.) open length
Weight: 154.2 grams (5.44oz.)
Material: N690Co blade (58-60 HRC)
T6-6061 Aluminum scales (w/stainless liners)
Phosphor bronze bushings
Finish: Teflon coated blade
Black anodized scales
Blade: Drop-point flat grind
Lock: Liner lock
Deployment: Ambidextrous thumb studs
Pocket clip: Reversible tip-up only
Assisted: No
Designers: Ron Lake & Michael Walker
Italian made
MSRP: $142.36
Street price: ~$130.00
Initial Impressions:
To start off, I ordered this off of eBay from the official US importer of Fox Knives for a reasonable price ($130.00 +$26.55 shipping) and they shipped it very quickly considering they said there might be as much as a 30-day processing period. Needless to say, I got it relatively quickly.
When I first got the knife, I was pleasantly surprised with the packaging. It comes in a nice sturdy tin with a slick-looking plastic sleeve and inside there is some foam that protects the knife from damage while in transit. This packaging is top notch!
Pulling the knife itself out, I was instantly in love. The knife just looks spectacular. The blade shape is attractive and very useful. The thumb-ramp is not too ridiculous and the jimping works! I'm sure the Teflon coating on the blade will hold up to a lot of use, also.
The fit and finish is spot on with hardly any blemishes (none that my eyes can detect). The blade centering is perfect and the speed of deployment is fast. I will admit that I think the detent is a tad strong, but it isn't terrible and merely takes some getting used to. The thumb studs are terraced nicely and do not stick out too far. The lockup is also very good and does not have any major play (tiny bit of side-to-side, as is the case with all folders I've seen except my ZT 0560).
The edge on this thing from the factory is INCREDIBLE! The grind is perfect and nicely finished and very fine (not very course like some Kershaw's and Spyderco's I've come across). I could shave with it easily.
I like the linear handle quite a lot, as I find most contoured handles do not fit my hands. They are very nicely rounded and comfortable in hand. The texture is good and not too aggressive, making extraction from the pocket simple.
Now the best part: the pocket clip is perfection. Loop-over design, secured with four T6-Torx screws, located as high up as possible without interfering with the lanyard hole and coated with a nice black Teflon coating. It is also reversible for left- or right-sided tip-up orientation! This is great for us lefties :thumbup:
Overall, this knife is superb! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for this type of knife. It ranks right up there with my all-time favorite SOG Visionary II, the Benchmade McHenry & Williams 710D2, Spyderco Paramilitary 2 and Kershaw Piston 1670. Go and treat yourself on one!
I've read that they also make a G-10 handled version of this knife, which I would be extremely interested in. If anyone has ordered the G-10 version, chime in on the comments! I'd love to hear about it
SPECS:
Size: 8.97cm (3.53in.) blade length
0.31cm (0.12in.) blade width
11.97cm (4.71in.) handle length
1.46cm (0.57in.) handle width
20.94cm (8.24in.) open length
Weight: 154.2 grams (5.44oz.)
Material: N690Co blade (58-60 HRC)
T6-6061 Aluminum scales (w/stainless liners)
Phosphor bronze bushings
Finish: Teflon coated blade
Black anodized scales
Blade: Drop-point flat grind
Lock: Liner lock
Deployment: Ambidextrous thumb studs
Pocket clip: Reversible tip-up only
Assisted: No
Designers: Ron Lake & Michael Walker
Italian made
MSRP: $142.36
Street price: ~$130.00
Initial Impressions:
To start off, I ordered this off of eBay from the official US importer of Fox Knives for a reasonable price ($130.00 +$26.55 shipping) and they shipped it very quickly considering they said there might be as much as a 30-day processing period. Needless to say, I got it relatively quickly.
When I first got the knife, I was pleasantly surprised with the packaging. It comes in a nice sturdy tin with a slick-looking plastic sleeve and inside there is some foam that protects the knife from damage while in transit. This packaging is top notch!
Pulling the knife itself out, I was instantly in love. The knife just looks spectacular. The blade shape is attractive and very useful. The thumb-ramp is not too ridiculous and the jimping works! I'm sure the Teflon coating on the blade will hold up to a lot of use, also.
The fit and finish is spot on with hardly any blemishes (none that my eyes can detect). The blade centering is perfect and the speed of deployment is fast. I will admit that I think the detent is a tad strong, but it isn't terrible and merely takes some getting used to. The thumb studs are terraced nicely and do not stick out too far. The lockup is also very good and does not have any major play (tiny bit of side-to-side, as is the case with all folders I've seen except my ZT 0560).
The edge on this thing from the factory is INCREDIBLE! The grind is perfect and nicely finished and very fine (not very course like some Kershaw's and Spyderco's I've come across). I could shave with it easily.
I like the linear handle quite a lot, as I find most contoured handles do not fit my hands. They are very nicely rounded and comfortable in hand. The texture is good and not too aggressive, making extraction from the pocket simple.
Now the best part: the pocket clip is perfection. Loop-over design, secured with four T6-Torx screws, located as high up as possible without interfering with the lanyard hole and coated with a nice black Teflon coating. It is also reversible for left- or right-sided tip-up orientation! This is great for us lefties :thumbup:
Overall, this knife is superb! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for this type of knife. It ranks right up there with my all-time favorite SOG Visionary II, the Benchmade McHenry & Williams 710D2, Spyderco Paramilitary 2 and Kershaw Piston 1670. Go and treat yourself on one!
I've read that they also make a G-10 handled version of this knife, which I would be extremely interested in. If anyone has ordered the G-10 version, chime in on the comments! I'd love to hear about it
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