- Joined
- Jul 2, 2000
- Messages
- 2,357
There are a few times in your life that you find a knife that you feel really passionate about. That passion may come from a few factors. Ability to hold a great edge, weight and size, the look and feel, fit and finish, and lastly price. Well when you find one that has some or all of the above you feel pride of ownership. This is the way I feel about the Mini SOCOM Elite. The specs are as follows. Open length: 7.75", blade length 3.4", and it weighs 2.2 ounces. The lock is a frame lock, however there is a small peice of steel bolted to the frame where it contacts the rear of the blade. The nice thing is there is a stop on the frame that doesn't allow you to over extend the lock when you unlock it. Almost like a built in Hinderer. The blade finish is black and grey camo, and it looks like it is TiNi like they always use. The coolest thing about this one is the claw logo. Yeah I know it has been done before on more expensive MT's, but it is nice to see on a lower priced model. Steel on this jewel is 154CM, and mine is serrated. The blade looks flat ground to me, and it finishes itself at an almost non-existant bevel. This allows for a really, really, really, did I mention really sharp edge. I don't know how I feel about the MT tamperproof screws, but I know there are tools circulating around now that allow you to take them out. I don't have a need to take this knife apart, so I won't go into the guts. The clip is removable with regular torx style wrenches, so you can take it off if you want to. It is positioned for tip up carry, which in my opinion is nice for fast deployment. The handles are T6061 aluminum and are hardcoat camoflaged just like the blade. The inserts are like sandpaper and are really grippy. Overall, the fit and finish is flawless, and I can't find a design error, and I have tried. I guess only time will tell if this knife will stand up to the rigors of use. Oh, and I am gonna use this knife a lot. I attached my black and red Merc leash to the lanyard hole in the back of the handle. The sheath that is supplied with the knife is amazing. It is so well made. It is nylon and has a clip lock closure, and a velcro attachable belt loop. One more cool thing is that Microtech supplies a military like user manual with the knife. It goes into the history of the Mini SOCOM, and all about the construction, care and feeding of the knife, and a catalog of replacement parts on the last page. If you get the chance to buy one of these from a dealer who still has them, or trade for one here on the forums, I would do it. It is definately a "Feel Good Knife". 