It's all about the blade.
That statement puts it all in a nutshell about this this knife. The blade is a triple layer blade, from what I understand. Not unlike the Swedish Mora laminated blade. It cuts great, and with a tiny bit of honing it gets very scary sharp. With the slight curve of the cutting edge, it's a slicing demon. I wouldn't want to get in the way of that blade. I now have an understanding of the Japanese blade fans. In the past few days, it's cut everything I put it to with almost zero effort. This blade is like somebody took a bare 327 block to a primo automotive shop and had a totally blueprinted engine built from the ground up. It's all about the performance.
But…
In the past few day of using this knife exclusively, I've discovered a flaw. It's not a fatal flaw, but one that keeps reminding you that this is a light duty pocket knife in spite of having a primo blade. The handle, shaped from a single piece of sheet metal, has very thin edges on the bottom side where the blade nests. This is not a problem in normal light use, but prolonged whittling or heavier cutting like breaking down boxes, makes for some hot spots. The thin edges dig a bit, and the scalloping on the edges are a bit irritating. That makes for a slightly frustrating experience when using this fine blade, not unlike taking that beautifully built 327 Chevy engine and dropping it into a Yugo. Ya got a great engine there, but it's going to waste in that car. This blade is going to waste in that thin sheet steel handle. On the other hand, it's now easy to open with one hand using the thumb lever. OMG, I'm carrying a one hand opener!
All in all, it's kind of like carrying a nice quality strait razor around in a pocket. Great cutter, but limited by it's overall package. But.. did I mention that it's a great cutter? Kind of like an Opinel, you overlook the quirky limitations and weaknesses of the design because it cuts sooo darn well. Okay, maybe not a Yugo, maybe more like a 327 stuffed into a Vega.
It's all about the blade!
That statement puts it all in a nutshell about this this knife. The blade is a triple layer blade, from what I understand. Not unlike the Swedish Mora laminated blade. It cuts great, and with a tiny bit of honing it gets very scary sharp. With the slight curve of the cutting edge, it's a slicing demon. I wouldn't want to get in the way of that blade. I now have an understanding of the Japanese blade fans. In the past few days, it's cut everything I put it to with almost zero effort. This blade is like somebody took a bare 327 block to a primo automotive shop and had a totally blueprinted engine built from the ground up. It's all about the performance.
But…
In the past few day of using this knife exclusively, I've discovered a flaw. It's not a fatal flaw, but one that keeps reminding you that this is a light duty pocket knife in spite of having a primo blade. The handle, shaped from a single piece of sheet metal, has very thin edges on the bottom side where the blade nests. This is not a problem in normal light use, but prolonged whittling or heavier cutting like breaking down boxes, makes for some hot spots. The thin edges dig a bit, and the scalloping on the edges are a bit irritating. That makes for a slightly frustrating experience when using this fine blade, not unlike taking that beautifully built 327 Chevy engine and dropping it into a Yugo. Ya got a great engine there, but it's going to waste in that car. This blade is going to waste in that thin sheet steel handle. On the other hand, it's now easy to open with one hand using the thumb lever. OMG, I'm carrying a one hand opener!
All in all, it's kind of like carrying a nice quality strait razor around in a pocket. Great cutter, but limited by it's overall package. But.. did I mention that it's a great cutter? Kind of like an Opinel, you overlook the quirky limitations and weaknesses of the design because it cuts sooo darn well. Okay, maybe not a Yugo, maybe more like a 327 stuffed into a Vega.
It's all about the blade!
