- Joined
- Dec 18, 1998
- Messages
- 417
I received my 460 Tanto a few weeks ago and must admit that it is one of those knives that I absolutely love to carry, train with, and just look at.
I must, however mention that my initial impressions were of a wavering sort. The reasons were that I compared it to my other daily carry - an ATCF. It was quite different on a variety of levels and it was my reflexive response to perceive these differences on a more negative basis. For instance, the handle slabs are not radiused nor do they swell to fit the contour of the palm (as they do on my ATCF). The action is very stiff resulting in a "labored" openning.
I called Mr. Lightfoot regarding this "stiff" matter because I could not loosen the pivot pin - they were very tight (plus I did not have a Torx driver). He was very quick to tell me not to do anything of the sort. The knife was adjusted to that level for a reason. The stiffness of the action provides a safety net for accidental closing, allows a solid draw and openning (snapping the blade out can result in loss of the blade), etc. Basically the knife was meant to be stiff and break in would occur but a loose, snappy openning was not intended for this knife. I was told the folder was built for reliability in self defense situations and it was not your custom "gentleman's folder" that could be openned and closed a thousand times while watching a movie on TV. This seemed very logical and actually made me feel much better about the knife since I carry it for self defense purposes. It is his interpretation of what a sound tactical design is and I find it very interesting and valid. There is of course no absolute in anything.
With this in mind, I continued to carry the knife, practice drills, and aquaint myself with its tactile properties. The blade is quite hefty at 3/16 in., it is beautifully ground and finished. The fit of the handle, bolsters, and liners is the result of a deft hand. I have grown to respect this folder.
One last thing...an interesting thing happenned today, the pivot finally loosened a bit and I found that I could snap the blade out with a slight flick of my wrist. Wow. It was awesome. I however could not leave it in this state because the detent was not strong enough to hold the blade closed without the aid of the pressure from a tightened pivot pin - it just flopped out with the slightest provocation. Basically the detent on this folder seems to be 95% useless! The tightened pivot holds the blade in place, not the detent. Why bother even crafting a detent that is more or less ineffective? Regardless, I went to the hardware store and bought a Torx set and tightened the pivot. It is back to 100% fully functional and a beautiful back up knife it is!
Paul
I must, however mention that my initial impressions were of a wavering sort. The reasons were that I compared it to my other daily carry - an ATCF. It was quite different on a variety of levels and it was my reflexive response to perceive these differences on a more negative basis. For instance, the handle slabs are not radiused nor do they swell to fit the contour of the palm (as they do on my ATCF). The action is very stiff resulting in a "labored" openning.
I called Mr. Lightfoot regarding this "stiff" matter because I could not loosen the pivot pin - they were very tight (plus I did not have a Torx driver). He was very quick to tell me not to do anything of the sort. The knife was adjusted to that level for a reason. The stiffness of the action provides a safety net for accidental closing, allows a solid draw and openning (snapping the blade out can result in loss of the blade), etc. Basically the knife was meant to be stiff and break in would occur but a loose, snappy openning was not intended for this knife. I was told the folder was built for reliability in self defense situations and it was not your custom "gentleman's folder" that could be openned and closed a thousand times while watching a movie on TV. This seemed very logical and actually made me feel much better about the knife since I carry it for self defense purposes. It is his interpretation of what a sound tactical design is and I find it very interesting and valid. There is of course no absolute in anything.
With this in mind, I continued to carry the knife, practice drills, and aquaint myself with its tactile properties. The blade is quite hefty at 3/16 in., it is beautifully ground and finished. The fit of the handle, bolsters, and liners is the result of a deft hand. I have grown to respect this folder.
One last thing...an interesting thing happenned today, the pivot finally loosened a bit and I found that I could snap the blade out with a slight flick of my wrist. Wow. It was awesome. I however could not leave it in this state because the detent was not strong enough to hold the blade closed without the aid of the pressure from a tightened pivot pin - it just flopped out with the slightest provocation. Basically the detent on this folder seems to be 95% useless! The tightened pivot holds the blade in place, not the detent. Why bother even crafting a detent that is more or less ineffective? Regardless, I went to the hardware store and bought a Torx set and tightened the pivot. It is back to 100% fully functional and a beautiful back up knife it is!
Paul