Lion Steel Dom

Mine looked like that too. I just got a qtip and wiped it out
 
I've had a few days or so to actually use my Dom now, and all I can say is I love this knife. It has accompanied me on several bicycling trips on hot and very sweaty rides, and it looks brand new still, it has cut a bunch of cardboard and still glides right through it. Has also helped cut some cucumber and squash vines at the roots and it cut them easily and cleanly. I love the snappy action on this knife, and the easy pinch ability to get it open. I'll be keeping an eye on whatever comes down the pike on these, but really would be all over a two blade version, especially if the main was a deep bellied spear or clip, and the secondary was a 2/3 length wharnie...one can wish, no? :)
 
Hey bikerector bikerector , since I know you got a chance to try both out and I know I can trust your opinion, which do you prefer.. The Micarta or the Ebony? The one I sent back shows delivered so I'm hoping to hear back from Collector tomorrow and I did ask if he'd be able to hold back an Ebony for me until mine was able to get processed through.

The Micarta I received was very well done, and it was insanely light. I imagine the Ebony has a bit more heft, but I am a sucker for the look. I'm going to call mine "The Black Sheep", original I know haha. I imagine they both preform equally, but have you noticed a difference in how they feel to you? Mine'll be a user no matter what, so in a user scenario do you think Ebony is a good choice or does the Micarta reign supreme? I've truly learned to respect wood a lot more than I have in the past, it's just as tough and durable as any man made material.

I'm not trying to put you on the spot, but it seems I'll have to enjoy the Dom vicariously until I get one back, haha. Thank you in advance!
 
McFeeli said:
Hey bikerector bikerector , since I know you got a chance to try both out and I know I can trust your opinion, which do you prefer.. The Micarta or the Ebony? The one I sent back shows delivered so I'm hoping to hear back from Collector tomorrow and I did ask if he'd be able to hold back an Ebony for me until mine was able to get processed through.

The Micarta I received was very well done, and it was insanely light. I imagine the Ebony has a bit more heft, but I am a sucker for the look. I'm going to call mine "The Black Sheep", original I know haha. I imagine they both preform equally, but have you noticed a difference in how they feel to you? Mine'll be a user no matter what, so in a user scenario do you think Ebony is a good choice or does the Micarta reign supreme? I've truly learned to respect wood a lot more than I have in the past, it's just as tough and durable as any man made material.

I'm not trying to put you on the spot, but it seems I'll have to enjoy the Dom vicariously until I get one back, haha. Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...

So I haven't used the ebony at all but I have used the micarta. As a general statement, the wood will be a little more slippery, especially when wet. I'm a huge fan of micarta for use, especially when wet. I use my folder for food regularly and that usually means wet hands since I the blade and apples, lettuce, etc. off a lot as a habit from working in the food industry.

Having said that, you're not hard using folders very often where you need a lot of grip, IMO. If you're looking to carve up some wood then I have had mixed results with some of the whittlers and such with really smooth wood sides but for general EDC use, go with what looks good.

For weight, both my ebony and micarta were 2.1 oz on my kitchen scale.
 
bikerector said:
So I haven't used the ebony at all but I have used the micarta. As a general statement, the wood will be a little more slippery, especially when wet. I'm a huge fan of micarta for use, especially when wet. I use my folder for food regularly and that usually means wet hands since I the blade and apples, lettuce, etc. off a lot as a habit from working in the food industry.

Having said that, you're not hard using folders very often where you need a lot of grip, IMO. If you're looking to carve up some wood then I have had mixed results with some of the whittlers and such with really smooth wood sides but for general EDC use, go with what looks good.

For weight, both my ebony and micarta were 2.1 oz on my kitchen scale.
Click to expand...

For the most part I'm pretty easy on my traditionals. The Dom may be an exception seeing as it's sporting a blade steel that can cut abrasives for months without a touch up. But I imagine it'll be used for apples, mangos, a quick stab and cut through some cardboard so it burns quicker, normal knife duties really. So I don't need a serious amount of grip. That's what my Manix is for. So I think the Ebony is the answer.

That said I have a deep appreciation for micarta as a scale/cover material. It's tough stuff. I absolutely love it on my fixed blades, but that Ebony gives the Dom a fantastic look. Classic and modern, which is what the Roundhead, Shuffler, and Dom line is all about, right?

Thank you for your insight! Now comes the hardest part, the waiting.. Haha. Thanks again!
 
Well I just received a surprise email.. My store credit from CollectorKnives! On a Sunday night! That was very unexpected, and very cool. Took me a few a tries to get the order right(my fault, too many damn email accounts to keep track of), and voila my "Black Sheep" jumped it's first hurdle.

Thanks @knifeswapper ! I created an account at the same time as the order, so I'm sure this won't be my last!
 
I've been carrying both of my Doms on pretty much an every other day rotation, and I can say with all honesty that these have reached the upper echelon of my favorite knives. I can't tell you which is my overall favorite, because I can't decide.

Of my two, I definitely prefer the look of my rams horn. It may not be quite as gorgeous as some of the other ones here, but it's perfect to me. Mostly black, with some blonde streaks, and the pile side has some ridges.

The stag is my favorite in hand though, as it has nice texture, and the handles on it are just thick enough (but not too fat) to fit my hand perfectly.

I don't think I've found the "perfect knife" yet, but no others have checked off as many boxes for me as the Dom so far.
IMG_20180704_030046.jpg
 
Well my new Dom found its way home again. Though, maybe I'm just lucky, but this one seems to have the same minor issue as the other, oh well I suppose. I'll try fixing this one myself. It's not as bad as it was on the first one.

The snap on this one does feel a bit lighter, not by much, but maybe a 5 instead of a 6. There was a lot less gunk inside this one than the last(less cleaning for me!). Edge is a little better too.

I really, really like the Ebony. It feels good in hand all while looking fantastic. I may end up switching the mark cover with the pile side at some point. I like the blend of black and tan, the mark side has it too, just not as much.

uloWIio.jpg


Overall this one'll definitely be sticking around. I can't wait to actually use it, looks like I'll have to find some cardboard to cut up when I get home.
 
covers look great. I got horn, mostly because I didnt have that in my collection, and they're lovely. Not sure you can swap out cover sides, as I recall, the innards dont allow for that (I tried:) .
McFeeli said:
Well my new Dom found its way home again. Though, maybe I'm just lucky, but this one seems to have the same minor issue as the other, oh well I suppose. I'll try fixing this one myself. It's not as bad as it was on the first one.

The snap on this one does feel a bit lighter, not by much, but maybe a 5 instead of a 6. There was a lot less gunk inside this one than the last(less cleaning for me!). Edge is a little better too.

I really, really like the Ebony. It feels good in hand all while looking fantastic. I may end up switching the mark cover with the pile side at some point. I like the blend of black and tan, the mark side has it too, just not as much.

uloWIio.jpg


Overall this one'll definitely be sticking around. I can't wait to actually use it, looks like I'll have to find some cardboard to cut up when I get home.
Click to expand...
 
Laurelbb said:
covers look great. I got horn, mostly because I didnt have that in my collection, and they're lovely. Not sure you can swap out cover sides, as I recall, the innards dont allow for that (I tried:) .
Click to expand...

Well that's good to know, even though it puts an unexpected hault to my plans, haha.

I wouldn't have thought it'd be any trouble. Since they're both uniform in shape, and have the same tap locations I figured it'd be a simple swap. I'm going to have to break it down some time anyway, so I'll see what I'm working with.

The ram's horn I've seen on this thread has been incredible. It's above and beyond what I've seen on the previous runs, it almost looked like it was a bit thinner overall as well(thicker than the wood/carbon fiber/micarta), but thinner than the past runs.
 
This video has a disassemble of the roundhead, I assume the internals are similar. Lets you see some of the machining of the slabs before you take it apart yourself. That starts at about 9:15

 
Underneath the scales of the new dom are indeed different than the roundhead. I wish I had taken a picture. The head on the pins are raised in the original roundhead as a result a small bored hole in the scale allows for clearance of the head of that pin as seen in this video. ^^

The dom now has those same pins machined flat with no protrusion thus not needing those same holes. Those holes found previously on the roundhead scales are no longer evident on the scales on the dom. I think it may be feasible to swap them from side to side but I am not 100% sure on this. Really wish I had taken a picture.

Not sure what it's like under the shuffler scales as I have yet to take any of mine down. I'm sure others will chime in with their recent findings. If I get the time this weekend I'll try and snap a few pics of the differences.

The rams horn scales on the previous runs had more of a swell to them that filled into your palm. These on the dom have that roundness flattened/planed down it seems. All look fantastic, both variations fit the hand well.
 
My micarta Dom has been in my pocket almost every day since I got it. The build quality is great and it's just a nice "user" knife. I carry it in a slip in my main pocket, the slip keeps it from sliding down sideways. Then I carry a smaller "pocket jewelry" knife in my watch pocket. I can see myself rotating through some nicer small knives and carrying the Dom along with them as my heavy user. Glad I decided to pull the trigger on one finally. The Shuffler and the Roundhead never spoke to me, but this sheepsfoot is a whole 'nother story.
 
Well damn, I see the problem now. Oh well, I'm just glad I got one back in my pocket.

Because... I absolutely love this knife! I had a feeling I'd like it when I bought it, when the micarta showed up I knew I was in for a treat. Sadly, I didn't get the chance to really use it. It's only been a day since my Ebony showed up, but by god am I in love, haha. For a larger slipjoint, it carries loose very well. I hardly notice it in my shorts, which is a stark difference between my GEC 73, granted it's an STL model and 2 blades, but the size is almost exactly the same as the Dom. The weight difference is astronomical.

I'm liking the "semi" straight edge a lot, actually really like that it has a ever so slight curve up to the point, makes the point incredibly sharp(I've broke the skin a few times testing it out). I'm definitely going to have to look into the Shufflers when they arrive, I don't know if I'd carry it more than the Dom, but if I like it even just a bit as much I'll very happy.


A bit off topic, but does anyone know the best route to try to get an extra screw? Dealer or Lion Steel directly? Mine came with a rough-to-the-touch one on the top mark side bolster. If I do decide to switch the covers I figured I'd pull the screw out and try sanding down the top a bit to smooth it out. If I run my finger over the bolster it tends to catch on that screw(no big deal, but it's something I notice when I'm fondling it, which is more often than I'd care to admit..).
 
Last edited:
here's a pic of my 2nd gen roundhead, built like the others, see the asymmetrical (off to the side) pin in the middle? that's the part that makes it not possible to switch mark and pile side cover slabs. i learned this trying to do it on my Shuffler. anyway, they are great knives!IMG_2629.JPG
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top