- Joined
- Apr 9, 2011
- Messages
- 156
It would be safe to say that there are a limited amount of reviews on the folders produced by Italian knife company Extrema Ratio. Perhaps this is due to the fact that they are not manufactured where the majority of the tactical market is based, or because their knives sit in a somewhat higher price bracket than the popular North American manufacturers (with a few exceptions such as Strider).
http://www.edgeobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/MF1_open_2.jpg
This has always been a bit enigmatic to me namely because Extrema Ratio has single handedly been contracted to design real use edged weapons and survival tools by the military more so than many of their competitors combined. In fact, many companies can only make claim that their products are often used by military and law enforcement personnel, a claim that is not quantifiable and somewhat speculative. Additionally, Extrema Ratio are an official supplier of the Italian Armed Forces, NATO approved and their factory is ISO 9001:2008 certified.
So, what about the knife?
Well, the knife that I am going to look at is the Extrema Ratio MF1. The MF (medium folder) sits in between ERs basic folder series (BF) and their heavy folders (these dont have a prefix for some reason). The MF is a bit of a misnomer however as there is very little that is medium about these knives; from the first look, you realize that this knife is designed and manufactured with rigid quality control specifications, out of very good materials and is cared for in every step of the process right down to the boxing. The combination of all these factors also demands a high premium (about 320$).
A knife in this price range should encompass several design and functional elements. It has to be durable and the fit and finish needs to be impeccable. The MF1 meets this with flying colors.
The long sloping dropped point blade has a swedge that continues all the way to its over sized jimping and thumb ramp. The cutting edge has a soft belly that quickly sweeps to a point, making it an excellent thrust and slash cutting blade, lending itself to both of these tasks equally.
The blade is .157″ (4mm) at its thickest (.039″ or 1mm thicker than most blades at this size) and about* 1.4″ (3.5 cm) at its widest. With a long, gradual flat grind it seems very durable right up to the tip which would likely survive modest prying jobs. As with the majority of Extrema Ratio knives, the blade has a matte black finished that the company calls burnished. This is a carbon-nitride coating and very closely resembles ZTs DLC coating or Spydercos BodyCote. It ships very sharp.
The hard anodized anti-cordal black aluminum handle has several features that many other knives do not. Firstly, there is a large safety that can block the liner lock from giving way when subjected to heavy cuts or shock. This can only be engaged when the knife is in the open position and is much more reliable than many other lock safeties. It does not allow any side to side play of the liner lock. The liner lock itself has a very small thumb tab. Its size and position makes an accidental release unlikely, but also makes this knife near impossible to close with one hand.
http://www.edgeobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/MF1_glass-breaker.jpg
At the end of the handle there is a sharp tungsten-carbide glass breaker. This is nestled subtly in one side of the scales in between a slot cut in the low ride pocket clip. It can be used very effectively with the knife closed because the blade tangs design intentionally utilizes the stop pin in both the closed and open position, therefor holding the blade firm in your grip. Many other knives with butt end glass breakers and pommels have significant inward blade play when squeezed because they arent designed for this type of load.
The handles profile deters slip that might otherwise be problematic with smooth all aluminum scales. A large flat area milled out for your thumb and forefinger allows for better grip and extra purchase on the thumb studs. If these arent enough features there is also a circular indentation on both sides of the handle to help you switch from standard to reverse grip.
My only small criticism of this knife is that the lock toggle is red. For some reason ER decided that all of the MF models would share the red lock toggle while the rest of their line, with the exception of some of their emergency multi tools, dont have this.
Although not a problem for me, this knife does not have a flipper (other MF series knives such as the MFO does) nor is it spring assisted so it doesnt have the snappiest one hand deployment. If it is an issue for you and your jurisdiction allows, youd want the MF1 full auto instead.
Over all this is an excellent knife. At this price range, once the material use, build quality and features are considered, the competition is very, very sparse. This is even more true when Extremas experience, garnered from collaborations and contracts with the Military, is factored in.
To conclude, if you are looking for a premium folder that is still a great value the MF1 is a solid choice that will bring you many years of reliable professional use.
Specs
Total Dimensions and weight :
Length opened 8.86″ (22.5 cm)
Length closed 5.12″ (13 cm)
weight 5.82 oz (165 g)
Blade :
Length : 3.6″ (9.2 cm)
Steel : Bohler N690
Thickness : (4mm)
cutting edge: 3.4″ (8.5 cm)
ambidextrous thumb studs
Black carbon nitride coating
Lock :
Liner Lock with safety
Handle :
anti-cordal Aluminum
Stainless Liner on one side
If you guys like my review, please check out my blog: http://www.edgeobserver.com
Thanks for taking the time to read this, I appreciate it.
~EO
