Lone Wolf Harsey Ranger. 1st impressions.

[Cosmic Superchunk]

I brought home a Lone Wolf Harsey Ranger today and I thought I'd post my impressions of this knife.

First, here are the specs (as stated on Lone Wolf's site):
Blade Length: 4.80 in, 12.19 cm
Length Closed:5.90 in, 14.98 cm
Overall Weight: 8.40 oz, .238 kg
Blade Material:CPM-S30V
Handle Material:Titanium liners w/Black Nylon scales
Pocket Clip: Stainless Steel
Fasteners/Rivets: Stainless Steel
MSRP: $299.99

For those familiar with the Lone Wolf Harsey Tactical folder, the "Ranger" is basically the same knife except with a flat ground blade. Lone Wolf markets this knife as the utility/hunting version of the Harsey folder and it is also available in a smaller 4 inch blade version called the T2.

Many will recall that the Harsey Tactical was originally released wih Micarta scales. Lone Wolf has since discontinued the model with Micarta scales in favor of nylon scales for durability. They said that the FRN would not soak up moisture or blood as Micarta would. This move turned off alot of would-be buyers who were of the opinion that the new scales gave the knife a cheap feel, but Lone Wolf claims that it remains a popular knife amongst troops purchasing knives of this type.

Here's a pic of the Harsey Ranger:

Here's a size comparison (so you can get an idea of how big it is):

The knife does feel hefty in the hand, but it's not all that heavy. In fact, I'd say that a Buck 110 is heavier. It's by no means a slim folder. The scales give it a beefy feel and the liners on this folder are thick. They remind me of the liners on the Buck Strider. Lockup is solid (on my sample) and there is no blade play in any direction. Despite the large handle size, the grip is quite comfortable.

The flat ground S30V blade is quite sharp, much sharper than the Harsey Tactical I had to exchange (I'll get to that a little later). The bead blast finish adds to the "tactical" look, which is why I don't understand how Lone Wolf could market it as a hunter.

Let me get all the bad stuff out of the way. Out of the box my sample had a few rust spots on the blade which I was able to easily remove with a little Flitz. Lone Wolf markets this knife as a utlility/hunter. If that is the case, then they should have given this model a satin finish. In my opinion, a satin finish would help minimize rust on a blade that will be exposed to blood, animal fat and other liquids.

I also found that the blade is not centered in the closed position. This may be of concern to some, but the good thing is that the blade does not rub against the liner. Curiously, I found that if I remove the pocket clip, the blade does center itself when closed. Whether you leave the pocket clip on or take it off, it's your choice. You can carry it (sans clip) in the heavy duty sheath provided with the knife anyway. Since the centered blade issue doesn't affect the function of the knife, I'll leave it at that. Another thing I noticed on my sample is that the blade spine isn't even. By that I mean that if you run your finger along the blade spine you can feel a bit if a dip about a quarter of the way towards the tip. It's not visible in the pic and you have to closely examine the blade to see it.

Now we come to the scales. Yes, they are nylon, FRN, Zytel, plastic or whatever you want to call it. Some will argue that the scales make the knife look cheap. I have to admit that at first glance it does look rather CRKT-ish. Personally, I would have opted for G-10 over Zytel (especially on a knife with a $300 MSRP), but the advantage is that it won't shrink, or scuff as bad as other materials will. For it's intended purpose, I'll say that the FRN scales fit the bill, but not at such a high MSRP.

I have to admit that I've been spoiled with my Sebenza, so when I see a high priced knife, I tend to examine it based on Sebenza standards. The Sebbie is in a class all by itself, but I would have expected better fit and finish from a $300 production knife. The quality isn't bad, I just find the knife overpriced. Fit and Finish is comparable to say a Buck Strider. No more, no less (except the Strider had G10 scales).

I like the knife, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it, but I must say that I find Lone Wolf's QC slipping. Before, I ended up with the Harsey Ranger, my intent was to purchase a T2 with Cocobolo scales. The one I saw and handled looked beautiful, but there was a small crack in the wood. I had to pass on it. Of the 5 Lone Wolf Harsey samples the store clerk showed me, none had a centered blade when closed and 2 had slight up/down play. I ended up with the Harsey Tactical which had some up down/play, but the fact that the lockbar wasn't making proper contact with the blade tang bothered me. Rather than sending it to Lone Wolf, I exchanged it for the Ranger.

Is Cosmic happy with the Lone Wolf Harsey Ranger? Yes, I am. The knife is robust and passed the spine whack test (at least on my sample) and there's plenty of room to allow for lock wear. It's a big folder that will perform admirably as a utility/camp knife that will most likely outlast me in years. Too bad I missed out on the Micarta versions, but the good thing is that the scales can be easily removed if you ever want to customize it.

 

[goldie]

I had an earlier version of this knife & had a few problems,too, one being the slipping of the lawks safety that is no longer used, i also had the up & down blade play ,too. i also didnt like the finish of the liners, its a grey blasted finish & machining marks showed through everywhere.the micarta handles was the best thing about it, they were perfect. i sold it off, & im not too crazy about zytel handles on a knife of this price.sounds like some of the early problems still exist.i would not recommend buying one throught the mail, only if you can see it in person, & even then im not too sure...... :barf:

 

[Cosmic Superchunk]

Goldie, I agree with you. I'd recommend handling the knife in person before you make the buy. These new versions don't have Lawks safety, but I do think these knives are way overpriced. I didn't pay the full $299.99 MSRP, but an MSRP of $199.99 sounds more reasonable considering you're buying a folder with nylon scales. Heck if they could tweek up their QC, I'd go with an MSRP of $220.00, but I just don't buy into Lone Wolf's decision to switch the scales from Micarta to Nylon. They claim that the reason the scales were changed were due to Micarta's tendency to absorb liquids and it's low impact resistance, so they went with Nylon. Well, if that's the case then why do we see so many TOPS knives with Micarta handles as well as the Chris Reeve Green Beret knife? (all of which are marketed toward military use).

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Well, if that's the case then why do we see so many TOPS knives with Micarta handles as well as the Chris Reeve Green Beret knife? (all of which are marketed toward military use).

Because tactical knives are heavy duty utility knives, rarely used for actual shedding of Al-Qaeda bodily fluids, and Micarta is inherently tacky when wet, improving the grip, if anything.

I agree knives like this should take G-10, too.

 

[Cosmic Superchunk]

Yeah, I really would have liked G-10 scales. I'm happy with the Harsey Ranger I ended up with, but unless their QC improves, I'd have to recommend examining the knife before you buy it (unless you can order it online from a dealer who can inspect it for blade wobble, fit/finish before shipping it out to you).

 

[Cosmic Superchunk]

Because tactical knives are heavy duty utility knives, rarely used for actual shedding of Al-Qaeda bodily fluids, and Micarta is inherently tacky when wet, improving the grip, if anything.

Which is why Micarta works. I like the tacky grip it gets when wet anyway. I just don't buy into Lone Wolf's explanation as to why they changed the scales from Micarta to Nylon.

In a thread I read on another knife forum, someone posted that they received an email from Lone Wolf which said that "when it came to handle materials, the military tended to favor the fiberglass-reinforced nylon to that of the Micarta." And that "due to Micarta's characteristic of absorbing (the fibers "wick" fluids in and out of the handle) and lower impact resistance, the material was eventually changed to glass-reinforced nylon." They claim that the "wicking is not a problem for most civilians but it can be more risky for the soldiers in the field."