This thursday, I got my Greco Defender Mk II from
Blades Point.
Here are my first impressions :
The knife is made of 1/4inch A2 bar stock, with black micarta scales.
Pictured are the Defender, its leather sheath and an AFCK for size reference.
The sheath is leather, with a leather belt loop and no retaining straps. Due
to the curved blade shape and the tapered "rooster comb" on the spine, the knife is
held quite securely inside. The first thing I noticed when I picked it up for
the first time is the weight (about .240kg) and the balance (handle heavy, CM at
the first hex screw). The handle fills my hand and is very comfortable.
Finish is "functional", i.e. the micarta scales are fitted precisely, the grind
lines are nearly even, all the edges (excluding the edge) are rounded smoothly,
yet there are some work marks on the blade. The A2 is coated with transparent
lacquer, giving it a dull grey finish (from a distance, it looks like a bead-blasted
finish). The cutting edge arrived sharp enough to slice paper, yet not sharp enough
to pop hair of my arms, so I started a Sharpmaker session to fix that.
This picture shows the knife in its sheath on my belt in a lefthand-reverse grip
draw position.
Blade geometry and performance :
The blade has a faint hollow grind that is about 1/2 inch wide close to the guard,
which is far too thick to get great slicing performance. The primary edge now has
the Sharpmaker angle of 40 degrees and pops hair. With its hook shape, the knife
can be used for slashing and ripping with the tip. Slashing against cardboard with
the tip and using only the first inch of the blade to slice through was a lot of
fun, producing a clean, smooth cut. Using the edge's part very close to the guard,
the cuts will often become ragged because of the thick spine. The tip is thin enough
for opening letters. The rooster comb adds weight to the blade and provides a forward
stop for the thumb resting on the spine. Apart from that, it just looks too cool.
In conclusion, this is a limited-use blade. In self-defense, snap cuts with the tip
will probably be very effective. Other applications are cutting taut ropes, seat
belts and removing clothing from a wounded person (The mean looks of the blade might
give them a heart attack, however). To improve cutting performance, the blade should
be fully flat ground and/or made from thinner bar stock, with the roosters comb removed.
Despite its limitations, I just love the looks of this blade. It fits perfectly in my
collection of odd blade shapes, right next to the CS Desperado.
For a custom, it is incredibly cheap.
Take care,
Tobse !
Blades Point.
Here are my first impressions :
The knife is made of 1/4inch A2 bar stock, with black micarta scales.
Pictured are the Defender, its leather sheath and an AFCK for size reference.
The sheath is leather, with a leather belt loop and no retaining straps. Due
to the curved blade shape and the tapered "rooster comb" on the spine, the knife is
held quite securely inside. The first thing I noticed when I picked it up for
the first time is the weight (about .240kg) and the balance (handle heavy, CM at
the first hex screw). The handle fills my hand and is very comfortable.
Finish is "functional", i.e. the micarta scales are fitted precisely, the grind
lines are nearly even, all the edges (excluding the edge) are rounded smoothly,
yet there are some work marks on the blade. The A2 is coated with transparent
lacquer, giving it a dull grey finish (from a distance, it looks like a bead-blasted
finish). The cutting edge arrived sharp enough to slice paper, yet not sharp enough
to pop hair of my arms, so I started a Sharpmaker session to fix that.
This picture shows the knife in its sheath on my belt in a lefthand-reverse grip
draw position.
Blade geometry and performance :
The blade has a faint hollow grind that is about 1/2 inch wide close to the guard,
which is far too thick to get great slicing performance. The primary edge now has
the Sharpmaker angle of 40 degrees and pops hair. With its hook shape, the knife
can be used for slashing and ripping with the tip. Slashing against cardboard with
the tip and using only the first inch of the blade to slice through was a lot of
fun, producing a clean, smooth cut. Using the edge's part very close to the guard,
the cuts will often become ragged because of the thick spine. The tip is thin enough
for opening letters. The rooster comb adds weight to the blade and provides a forward
stop for the thumb resting on the spine. Apart from that, it just looks too cool.
In conclusion, this is a limited-use blade. In self-defense, snap cuts with the tip
will probably be very effective. Other applications are cutting taut ropes, seat
belts and removing clothing from a wounded person (The mean looks of the blade might
give them a heart attack, however). To improve cutting performance, the blade should
be fully flat ground and/or made from thinner bar stock, with the roosters comb removed.
Despite its limitations, I just love the looks of this blade. It fits perfectly in my
collection of odd blade shapes, right next to the CS Desperado.
For a custom, it is incredibly cheap.
Take care,
Tobse !