Grayman Dua folder!!!! Wow

flash900 said:
I have an Acies2 and had a Dua.

The Dua is larger and heavier; I'd consider it a hard-use folder.

The f&f on the Acies2 is quite a bit better. But the Dua is just fine for its intended purpose.

I returned my Dua because of an issue with the lockbar. Refund was cheerfully made. The Graymans are good people.

But I loved the looks and I'm impressed enough with the Dua that I plan to order another and give it a second chance. It's a lot of knife for $255 (more for the CF, G10 or coated versions.)
Click to expand...

Update: I did order another Dua and it is just about perfect.

So is the third one that I bought. That's two for three.
 
Im gonna see if Mike and Sue will make me up a nice custom Dua for my best friend who is a Major in the Corps! My experiences with most of my Graymans are they need a
"break in" period, and after that they are smooth as my Sebs!!
 
So I acquired a bead blasted Ti/Ti Dua in a trade last week, used, and I wasn't feeling it. I liked the design and everything, but something about it just didn't feel right to me....I needed the cash more at the time SO - it got sold along with a few other knives...

But the design, ergonomics, blade/handle size and company just intrigued a lot and I couldn't shake the urge to pick up another one - so I went right to the source and ordered a DLC/Green G10 Dua from Grayman. Figured if I didn't like a new one their return policy is pretty straight-up, I'd return it. But all I can say is WOW!! This knife rocks!!

I wasn't expecting the DLC coating on the Ti lock side and on the Ti under the G10, I thought it was going to be bead blasted Titanium and DLC blade - what a pleasant surprise! This knife looks great. The fit and finish really is superb. I heard someone say that the Dua is what the child of a Strider and Sebenza would be. And I have to say that is kinda spot on. The bank vault lockup and massive chunks of Titanium remind me of the CRKs I've owned. But the Blade shape and combination Ti/G10 scream Strider-esque.

What really is attractive to me is the size and the amount of blade this thing packs for the size when folded. It carries really, really well in pocket and feels good in hand, but doesn't feel huge. One thing that kept me from carrying my SNG all the time is it just felt clunky and a lot stuck out at the top. Plus when it was opened there was a lot of handle there - good grip and all, but felt excessive. The Dua, on the other hand, feels way more balanced to grip. Fills the hand but doesn't protrude either - I don't feel like I don't know what to do with the rest of it.

Been really impressed with this knife in so many ways. Really feels way bigger than what it is in a good way. Its like a little tank.

Here are a couple quick shots with my Striders:







I still love the PT, that one I'll never sell. But the SNG has been sold now - never felt right in the pocket and the Dua pushed it out of the rotation.
 
Grayman has really grown and has earned a great reputation for their well built hard use knives!! Its been so cool watching a little tiny operation grow into a flourishing business! Rock on Graymans!!! :thumbup:
 
Just picked up a dua. Their edges are top notch sharp out of the box these days. Cant believe striderco started this thread way back in 2011. The satu is the best hard use folder out there in my humble opinion.
 
Looks like Grayman is offering a new stonewash finish! Gonna have to give Mike a call and get one of those bad boys! Wow yeah I cant believe it has been going this long!
 
I was very impressed when I got mine not too long ago. Nice fit and finish and a rock solid overall package. The Graymans are nice people too:thumbup:
 
Just picked up a brand new Dua off the exchange. First impressions? Truly rock solid, and smooth —*and gotta love that bushing pivot.

The wide blade shape reminds me of the Doug Ritter RSK MK1 (which is a good thing).
 
I recently gifted my all black DLC Dua to a buddy of mine that is a combat vet who suffers from ptsd and other medical issues! It did seem to cheer him up! He loves it! I also gave him one of their Pounders! I was disappointed however when I looked on their site after giving mine away to find that no Duas are currently available!!?? WTF?? They must be jammin over there in Grayman HQ's!?! When they have some more Duas available if someone remembers please let me know?!! I ve told the Graymans about the publicity they ve gotten over the yrs now on here but they dont seem interested in getting involved with the forums or IG or anything like that?! I honestly think they are just a small company where Sue does the orders and books and Mike just grinds away in the shop!! Rock on Graymans and Grayman fans!! I truly think they are the most underrated knife company out there!! Their knives should be selling for way more than they are!! Let's not tell them that though!! :D
 
I have my first DUA on the way. This thread was a fantastic read. And worthy of a zombie thread revival. Can't wait to see how it stacks up. I have owned hundreds of knives and while I have had a recent love affair with the Spyderco Delica (ignored it for years due to more expensive knives and plain knife snobbery). I wanted to have one little tank of a knife in my collection again and saw the Green G10/DLC coated one available from a knife vendor and ordered it.
 
I just picked up a Dua and figured I'd just bump this thread again since it's one of the top hits via Google.
I've only had if for about two days but my initial impressions are very good. I was lucky enough to get it used from a forum member locally so I got to see it in person before buying. I had never held a Grayman knife before. I took my Sebenza 25 along when I checked it out since it's my most frequent high-dollar EDC knife at this time. I felt the Dua compared favorably so I bought it. I'm working on a video review but for now I'll just list some hightlights.

What I like:
  • The fit/finish are good. Not quite to Chris Reeve levels but still very good. I bought this used so keep that in mind. It has plenty of use marks.
  • It has a pivot bushing like a Sebenza (Regular, Classic, 21). Its action is actually smoother than any of my Sebenza's.
  • Lock up is very solid with no movement.
  • The jimping is very functional and there is plenty of it.
  • The knife is very comfortable in a variety of grips
  • The stonewash looks good.
  • The thumb studs look good and they are very functional. I prefer them to those on the Sebenza.
  • The blade shape seems good for general utility but I need to use it more.
  • The overall size is nice. It kind of falls between what I consider large and small sizes, a good middle ground.
  • Customer service (see below).

What I would change & Issues I've Encountered:
  • I would change the pocket clip so it's easier to slide over the lip of the pocket. The angled portion at the tip of the clip seems too small and abrupt.
  • The Phillips fasteners on the clip seem out of place. Just just torx like the other fasteners.
  • Personally, I like steel inserts on titanium lock bars. Or Chris Reeve's ceramic ball on the Sebenza 25/Inkosi/Umnumzaan which is AWESOME.
  • The stonewash finish looks good but makes the knife a little slick. I don't mind this on smaller knives (ZT 0450/0900/0808, Spyderco Techno, etc.) but this one is getting large enough that I'd prefer a nice blasted finish like the Sebenza has. I think that is what keeps me from really liking my ZT 0095 too, though I prefer the feel of the Dua to that one. I don't have any fear that the Dua will fly out of my hands like a wet bar of soap though.
  • Those are all pretty nit picky but I am having a really issue with it: lock stick. If I open the knife hard there is none at all and it still has great lock up. I don't like to open my knives hard and sometimes can't (office). When I open it slowly I get varied lock stick ranging from slight to insane. Several times I've had to use two hands to disengage the lock bar. I shot Grayman an email asking about it just after 5PM today (Saturday). Within 10 minutes Sue had responded asking me to send it in. That's pretty darn good. I'm going to do so and see what happens but I'll probably carry it for a while first to see if it persists.

Overall I like the Dua so far and I'm glad I picked one up. I plan to use it quite a bit as a EDC to get a better feel for it.

8A58242D-0C07-4D51-94F8-DEB46DB69A05_zpsrywbagko.jpg


F19A6200-BAD6-4003-919A-05B692519589_zpsbgt3irzx.jpg
 
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A video look at the Dua. It's lengthy but I'll show it next to several other knives for size comparisons.

[video=youtube;LpyMc-NUEEA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=LpyMc-NUEEA[/video]
 
Another comparison pic to keep the Grayman thread alive. Really like mine.

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Torn apart for cleaning after I got it off the forum here.

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