I think there are two different models with damascus blades and Micarta handles. I’ve had a MCusta “Basic” for a couple of months now. It has a 3 3/8” long blade and a handle that's just under 4 3/8”. The Basic comes in several different variations. Mine has a damascus blade, a clip and Micarta scales. (Pic below from Universal Cutlery.) It’s actually become my main EDC knife lately. (Sometimes I carry a little Mcusta “Take” too!
)
The Micarta scales are hard and very smooth. I think they’re probably paper Micarta. The color of the scales is advertised as being green, but they’re actually made of alternating layers of black and brownish/tan colored Micarta. The layers are visible due to shallow, scalloped cutouts on the surface of the scales. Ergonomics are good and the scallops seem to add a bit of traction to the grip.
I think the blade geometry is great. Clip points with a hollow grind that isn't too deep are one of my favorite blade shapes (EG: Classic Sebenza and Spyderco Scorpius). The primary grinds are symmetrical and the edge is
extremely sharp.
The damascus on the blade is well made. It may not be the most exciting pattern, but the lines are crisp and easily visible. The etching on the blade isn’t completely even; there are some spots that are a little bit darker than others, but I don’t think that’s a big deal.
Looking down on the blade’s spine, two thin lines running lengthwise are visible. These lines make it easy to see how the VG-10 core was sandwiched between the layers of damascus. If you rub your fingers over the surface of the blade, you can actually feel the separate layers of steel.
Lock-up is very solid on the knife, although the liner traveled a fair distance during the first few weeks that I used it. The liner started out only partially engaging the tang and now it falls to the right of center on it. The thumbstuds have caused minor dents at the top of the handle, allowing the blade to open a bit further than it did before. (The stop pin keeps the blade from closing too far and dual thumbstuds prevent the blade from opening too far.) The liner has stopped moving now though. There’s no up-and down play and the lock passes the spine whack test consistently without incurring any damage.
The knife opens and closes very smoothly, but if you press down too hard on the blade it will rub against the liner. It uses teflon washers that work well. There is a little bit of side-to-side play that can’t be adjusted out though.
Something that’s kind of interesting about the Basic is its integral clip. The clip is actually part of the liner; it’s bent up and over the scale and then down to form a clip. There’s a hole in the clip to accommodate the pivot screw.
One benefit of this design is that the clip can’t break off and you don’t have to worry about clip screws stripping out. You can’t remove the clip though if you want to change its orientation or just prefer to go clipless. The big advantage of this clip is that it allows for deep-pocket carry, but a downside is that the thumbstuds and pivot screw can snag on the seam of your pocket, making drawing and replacing the knife more difficult.
I’ve done two small things to modify the knife. The inside edges of the liners were pretty sharp, so I used a stone to break the edges - rounding them off a bit to make the grip more comfortable. The other thing I did was enlarge the ball detent hole in the blade. The ball bearing was just barely falling into the hole before, but now it keeps the blade closed more securely.
I really like the MCusta knives. They’re attractive, good EDCs, and an excellent value. I’m just trying to decide which one I want to buy next! LOL. The Basic with white Corian scales does look very cool, but I might try another model.
