Natrix Copper

Mine came in today, and I like it but I'm trying to get adjusted to the flipper with the small size. I actually really love the 2.75 blade, for comparison one of my all time favorite from Kershaw is the mini-Mojito and it's even smaller. However, because of the small size, when I hold it and press on the flipper I think my middle finger naturally wants to put pressure on the sub-frame lock which increases the tension and makes it harder to open the knife. I'm hoping I get accustomed to holding it in a way that won't make using the flipper hard.
 
grownstar said:
I'll be looking forward to your report, piggy!
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I am back!

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Sorry for the low quality image, not enough light. Anyways, I am liking the copper Natrix. The fit and finish, flipping action, centering, etc. are all good. It feels dense but not too heavy; the milling out of the inside of the scales was a smart choice. I like the diminutive size and it feels good in the hands. The only two drawbacks are more minor gripes than anything: (1) The detent is too hard for my liking. There's a big difference between a "crisp" detent (a good thing) and a merely "hard" one, and it seems like Kershaw/ZT usually just err on the side of making them hard. (2) The edge isn't quite even. This is not a huge deal and can be fixed with sharpening.

Overall, I am happy with it.
 
brancron said:
I am back!

Sorry for the low quality image, not enough light. Anyways, I am liking the copper Natrix. The fit and finish, flipping action, centering, etc. are all good. It feels dense but not too heavy; the milling out of the inside of the scales was a smart choice. I like the diminutive size and it feels good in the hands. The only two drawbacks are more minor gripes than anything: (1) The detent is too hard for my liking. There's a big difference between a "crisp" detent (a good thing) and a merely "hard" one, and it seems like Kershaw/ZT usually just err on the side of making them hard. (2) The edge isn't quite even. This is not a huge deal and can be fixed with sharpening.

Overall, I am happy with it.
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I'm really very happy with mine. I agree with you about the weight being just about right, I think they hit the sweet spot. It feels heavy and solid and high quality, a dense well-constructed little marvel of a thing, but without being so heavy that it's annoyingly so. It's a dense little package and I think that adds to the feeling of quality I get from it for some reason. The detent on mine is just about perfect, I think, so there may be some variation there or it may just be a matter of taste.

The fit and finish on mine is quite good, and the edge grind is very even. I do wonder if a grey backspacer wouldn't have completed the look better than the black, though. Then again, maybe after some patina forms on the copper the black will make more sense.

I like it enough that I've re-profiled and sharpened mine to the casually-shaves level that I prefer. It and my Busker are my current favorite little knives to fiddle with.

I'm concerned that my sickness is growing stronger; I've lately taken to often carrying two folders--one larger knife, and then either the Busker or copper Natrix for amusement purposes.
 
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Should be shipped shortly.. Got my tracking number!! WOOOO HOOOO!!! :D John
 
Mine is on the way. I am sure we will see some cool patina pics in the future.
 
Soo.. My Natrix has an eta of tomorrow (Friday) !!! :D But I will not be able to get it till Monday night!!!:( John
 
evilgreg said:
I'm really very happy with mine. I agree with you about the weight being just about right, I think they hit the sweet spot. It feels heavy and solid and high quality, a dense well-constructed little marvel of a thing, but without being so heavy that it's annoyingly so. It's a dense little package and I think that adds to the feeling of quality I get from it for some reason. The detent on mine is just about perfect, I think, so there may be some variation there or it may just be a matter of taste.

The fit and finish on mine is quite good, and the edge grind is very even. I do wonder if a grey backspacer wouldn't have completed the look better than the black, though. Then again, maybe after some patina forms on the copper the black will make more sense.

I like it enough that I've re-profiled and sharpened mine to the casually-shaves level that I prefer. It and my Busker are my current favorite little knives to fiddle with.

I'm concerned that my sickness is growing stronger; I've lately taken to often carrying two folders--one larger knife, and then either the Busker or copper Natrix for amusement purposes.
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Nah, two knives is normal. I love large, tactical-style folders, but I also have to admit my daily cutting is more efficiently done by small knives with thin blades and great geometry. To that end I often end up with a Hogue EX-01, Viper Italo or Cold Steel Immortal in one pocket and a Spyderco Chaparral, Urban or Bestech Goblin in another.
 
Looking to hear more reports on this one. I owned the KVT natrix, and the detent was so uncomfortable to use, I ended up selling the knife.
 
FAAC3651-A6D4-4C7C-A03D-2E7475D9C413.jpeg Just received mine and my initial impressions are positive. Centering is spot on and flipping action is smooth with a medium detent. The secondary bevel is not perfect but is easily fixed. Out of box sharpness was superb. Mine is already showing signs of patina. The only thing I don’t like is the company name on the blade. It would look so good naked.

After fondling it for an hour or so, I am not a fan of the picket clip. It’s sharp and creates a hot spot. Overall, For the price, I think Kershaw has a winner here.
 
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I don’t think it was lost on Kai decision makers that Marfione made the Matrix with copper handles at one point...
 
I received mine today. I am not all that thrilled with it. In fact, it is just ok.

Waited about 8 months to get this knife and it is not worth the wait.

The copper handles are dirty, dingy, and dull. I might try some Flitz to see if they clean up. I understand that they will patina, but I would like them to be clean copper and then patina over time. The stone washed finish is ok.

The detente is so STIFF that it is almost impossible to open the blade. Edit: I determined that I am placing my thumb on the lock bar. Once I make sure that I am not pushing it, it releases pretty well. I guess that I have to get used to it being so small.

The blade is well finished, but they failed to remove the burr, so it is not really very sharp.
 
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Mine arrived today..... Nice stone wash on copper and blade...…. centering, lockup, detent, sharpness are all fine...It flicks open with the best of them..... Very nice knife.... There is nothing on mine that I would complain about..... In fact I might buy a couple more as Christmas gifts..... IMO, the Cu scales are forged..... I can't see the trim line, but the stonewash would remove that..... Forging gives Cu hardness and eliminates machining all the facets on the scales..... The only machining would be the Drill/tap operations...
 
Mine came in today too (pics to come on Monday when I have time). :) Overall I am very happy with it, especially for the price. I really think Kershaw found the sweet spot for the price to material to build quality ratio with this one. I really wish the Kershaw Dimension would have been done this well.

For the price, D2 is just fine in my book. The blade stock is a little thick in my opinion, but I absolutely love the shape of the blade. The stonewash finish looks fantastic as does the blade fuller. I was pleased to see the sharpening choil, but the handle reaches past the choil so I'll have to be careful when sharpening on the Edge Pro. Don't want to ding up those beautiful scales. I have small girly hands and even so... The jimping is a good 3/4" - 1" too far back to be of any real use. Doesn't matter much to me. The knife came fairly dull and the grind a bit uneven on one side. Neither of those matter to me since I like to set my own edge though.

The handle is beautifully done! I know Kershaw spent a lot of time deciding which finish to go with and I'm glad they did. I really like how it turned out. It has a nice and warm look and I think it's going to patina very well. I think a lot of people are going to find the handle a bit small, but it feels GREAT to me with a saber or Filipino grip. I was very pleasantly surprised by the thinness overall knife. The pocket clip doesn't cause a hotspot for me. I think the subframe lock could be slightly improved by increasing it's height by about 1mm. It can be a little tricky to engage if you snap the knife open too hard. The knife sits really well in my pocket, taking up very little space. I'm really glad Kershaw went with a deep carry clip. I'm not a fan of the detent. It's a bit too stiff for my liking. It's solid other than that though and fires very consistently. In fact, this is the very first flipper my wife has ever been able to flip.

Guess that's about it for my first impressions.

*edit
Oh, and I would have liked to see barrel spacers instead of the backspacer.
 
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Finally got my copper natrix. Overall I'm happy, but I am a little underwhelmed by the weight. I was hoping for a slightly weightier handle. The handles smell like copper but feel like aluminum, the blade feels like it weighs more than the handle. I am also disappointed with the finish on the handle. It looks dirty, scuffed up, and has a prepatina on it. I was hoping the handles would be shiny and clean when it arrived, allowing it to patina on its own time and in its own way. Oh well, it flips amazingly and the blade shape is perfect.
 
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Badazzelanore said:
Finally got my copper natrix. Overall I'm happy, but I am a little underwhelmed by the weight. I was hoping for a slightly weightier handle. The handles smell like copper but feel like aluminum, the blade feels like it weighs more than the handle. I am also disappointed with the finish on the handle. It looks dirty, scuffed up, and has a prepatina on it. I was hoping the handles would be shiny and clean when it arrived, allowing it to patina on its own time and in its own way. Oh well, it flips amazingly and the blade shape is perfect.
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Milled would of been a preferred finish for me, but any copper knife is uncommon and awesome.

Maybe we'll see one of these Kershaws polished.

 
Well my Natrix arrived early, and overall I like it, but a handle screw stripped. Still got the other side apart and cleaned it, now it's running real smooth. Next step will be to antique the copper, going to try a blue green finish.
 
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