Here's my review from the General Discussion forum.
Kabar Bobcat folder, a first impression.
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I first read about this knife this past Sunday, immediately ordered one, and got it yesterday. Of course I haven't had a chance to test it much, but I do have some first impressions to share.
First thing I noticed was the weight of the knife as it is heavy. I didn't weigh it, but saw the weight listed at GPKnives as 8.3 ounces. Heavy don't bother me as it gives this particular knife an extremely solid feel, but it would bother some.
It has one of the best grips I've felt in a long while. The kraton inserts feel good and the overall shape and thickness of the handle just make it a very good fit in my hand. The zytel has a pebbled finish to it and looks quite good.
Blade is coated black with a teflon based coating that I'm guessing will probably scratch up with hard use, I much prefer the DLC coatings you find on the Kershaw ZT's, but at the cost of the Bobcat it is evidentally cheaper to go with the teflon based coating. Blade grinds are nice and even all the way out to the point and the blade came very sharp. A couple of minutes on the Sharpmaker did the trick and it now pops the hair off.
The action is very smooth considering it is a lockback. I did tighten the pivot a bit to get it where I like it and you can still flip it out in one thumb flick. Blade is very secure in the locked position with no movement in any direction, and upon closing, the blade is centered within the blade channel.
The pocket clip is a foldover deep pocket carry clip that puts the entire knife into the pocket, I would sure like to see more manufacturers go with this style clip versus having a clip that lets an inch or more of handle stick out of your pocket.
Between the handles and the steel liners there is excellent fit, but between the liners and lockbar/back strap there is daylight. The gap is even though from front to rear and on both sides. Almost looks like the lock bar needs to be a little thicker, maybe a mm. or less.
All in all, for a $45.00 knife, I think this is an excellent buy. Btw, the blade is 4.0" long X .140" thick.
