- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
- Messages
- 361
These are a couple of knives i have that i find to be sorta similiar, so i thought i'd do a review, this is just a quick review, as i only got the hk today
Handle:
Both handles are about the same length, though the HK is a bit thicker and this makes it feel better in the hand, also the useable handle on the hk goes much closer towards the blade, giving the knife a much more comfortable grip, though the minigrip is still pretty good for a four finger grip, it's a bit squashed- though i do have pretty big hands.The HK is made of a textured G10- which i quite like, the mini grip made out of some sort of injection molded plastic. For all intents and purposes both are made of plastic as far as i'm concerned, and both work well enough, though the hk definitely looks much better.
Blade:
the HK has a 154cm blade and the mini grip a 440c, i have found the grips blade to be excellent, stain resistant, easy to keep sharp and easy to get sharp, i haven't had much experience with the HK blade but my prior experience with 154cm makes me feel pretty confident about it. The hk had an outof the box edge, which i must admit i was a bit dissapointed wiht- yes it was sharp, but it wasn't REALLY sharp, my mini grip has my preffered edge for this sort of knife- a pretty toothy 400grit secondary bevel, and sharpening it is a doddle. In this respect i'm a bit worried about the recurve edge on the HK, as i have neither experience nor means to adequately sharpen it. I much prefer the satin finish on the hk's bladeyet i was a bit put off by the solid, bold black markings of HK 154cm and "USA" i thought they took away from the looks of the knife and would have been much better in the much more subdued browny gold colour of the minigrip's markings. Even though i prefer the finish on the hk, it must be said that the blade finish on the grip has stood up very well.
Pocket Clips:
Both models have pretty good pocket clips, my favourite being the mini grips, purely just because i prefer it's less flashy design, and i think the more subdued black coating is better than the shiny clip on the HK, though if the HK clip were satin finished it would be just as good. Also, the HK has sanded smooth areas where your trousers would run underneath the clip, mking it silky smooth in and out of your pocket, with just the right tension. The grip's clip sits directly over a patch of quite coarse checkering and so has a tendency to grip alot, which is both good and bad at the same time. Both clips are mounted high enough on the handle to make them pretty discreet.
Lock:
both axis locks, pretty damned fine locking mechanism, just about the best out there if you ask me.
Cutting:
The blade obn the HK is just over 3mm thick, whilst the grip's blade is a hair under 3mm, i think this is why the grip- at the moment at least, far outcuts the hk for my needs, though this could also be due to the grip having my prefferred edge on it.When properly sharpened i imagine the that the recurve blade of the hk would make it ideal for lots of EDC tasks like cutting open packaging, cutting food etc. The tip of the grip is also much finer, making it, for me more useful though as the HK is a "tactical" knife thealmost spearpoint and pronounced swedge could make it very good for certain activities.
Opening:
again, both very fine performers, due largely to the axis lock, yet the positioning of the thumbstud on the grip is far superior ot that on the HK, making it a bit easier to open.
Conclusions:
both knives are extremely good, a few niggles are the handle shape and size on the grip, and theblade thickness, and shape of the hk, as well as it's shiny clip. Some upsides, the grips easily sharpened and tough blade, and the hk's lovely finish and superior looks.
sorry to have rambled on for so long!
Nathan
Handle:
Both handles are about the same length, though the HK is a bit thicker and this makes it feel better in the hand, also the useable handle on the hk goes much closer towards the blade, giving the knife a much more comfortable grip, though the minigrip is still pretty good for a four finger grip, it's a bit squashed- though i do have pretty big hands.The HK is made of a textured G10- which i quite like, the mini grip made out of some sort of injection molded plastic. For all intents and purposes both are made of plastic as far as i'm concerned, and both work well enough, though the hk definitely looks much better.
Blade:
the HK has a 154cm blade and the mini grip a 440c, i have found the grips blade to be excellent, stain resistant, easy to keep sharp and easy to get sharp, i haven't had much experience with the HK blade but my prior experience with 154cm makes me feel pretty confident about it. The hk had an outof the box edge, which i must admit i was a bit dissapointed wiht- yes it was sharp, but it wasn't REALLY sharp, my mini grip has my preffered edge for this sort of knife- a pretty toothy 400grit secondary bevel, and sharpening it is a doddle. In this respect i'm a bit worried about the recurve edge on the HK, as i have neither experience nor means to adequately sharpen it. I much prefer the satin finish on the hk's bladeyet i was a bit put off by the solid, bold black markings of HK 154cm and "USA" i thought they took away from the looks of the knife and would have been much better in the much more subdued browny gold colour of the minigrip's markings. Even though i prefer the finish on the hk, it must be said that the blade finish on the grip has stood up very well.
Pocket Clips:
Both models have pretty good pocket clips, my favourite being the mini grips, purely just because i prefer it's less flashy design, and i think the more subdued black coating is better than the shiny clip on the HK, though if the HK clip were satin finished it would be just as good. Also, the HK has sanded smooth areas where your trousers would run underneath the clip, mking it silky smooth in and out of your pocket, with just the right tension. The grip's clip sits directly over a patch of quite coarse checkering and so has a tendency to grip alot, which is both good and bad at the same time. Both clips are mounted high enough on the handle to make them pretty discreet.
Lock:
both axis locks, pretty damned fine locking mechanism, just about the best out there if you ask me.
Cutting:
The blade obn the HK is just over 3mm thick, whilst the grip's blade is a hair under 3mm, i think this is why the grip- at the moment at least, far outcuts the hk for my needs, though this could also be due to the grip having my prefferred edge on it.When properly sharpened i imagine the that the recurve blade of the hk would make it ideal for lots of EDC tasks like cutting open packaging, cutting food etc. The tip of the grip is also much finer, making it, for me more useful though as the HK is a "tactical" knife thealmost spearpoint and pronounced swedge could make it very good for certain activities.
Opening:
again, both very fine performers, due largely to the axis lock, yet the positioning of the thumbstud on the grip is far superior ot that on the HK, making it a bit easier to open.
Conclusions:
both knives are extremely good, a few niggles are the handle shape and size on the grip, and theblade thickness, and shape of the hk, as well as it's shiny clip. Some upsides, the grips easily sharpened and tough blade, and the hk's lovely finish and superior looks.
sorry to have rambled on for so long!
Nathan
