- Joined
- Feb 5, 2005
- Messages
- 857
I moved to the Denver area from Austin this past May and I'm still trying to find time (and funding) to visit all the knife retailers in my area.
Today, I visited Sportsman's Warehouse (a chain I'd never encountered in Texas) and was astounded to find new (Taylor) production Schrade LB7 models on sale for $14.99 (plus tax). I'd been wanting to pick up a new Taylor Schrade to check QC and fit-and-finish, and I figured for $15, I'd take the leap.
I previously owned a Schrade folding hunter (6OT) with Delrin scales, but never an LB7 with wooden scales. The fit and finish on this new Chinese-made LB7 is very good - I'd say 3.5 out of 5 stars, maybe 4/5 if you disregard the blade (see below).
The wooden scales are smoothly finished and tight on the frame; there's no gap between scales and bolsters, and the bolsters are well-machined and gleaming. The lockback is rather stiff and the blade pivot feels gritty, but one gets that even with high-end knives (or at least I do).
The blade locks up tight with no play in any direction and was not-quite-shaving sharp out of the packaging. My only slam against this knife is the blade profile. The hollow grind and edge seem competently done for a knife at this price point (my Buck 110s and Spydercos have all been better-ground out of the box, but they cost more, too). However, the 'arc' of the blade -- the outline of the edge, not the edge itself -- is not smooth and uniform. In other words, if you imagine that the belly of a clip-point blade forms part of an imaginary arc, the belly of this LB7's blade is ragged and uneven.
Sorry, the blade thing is hard to explain. I can post a pic later if there's interest. But, for $15, I'd say this LB7 seems like a good beater. We'll see how it 'cleans up' after a few passes on my Sharpmaker and some cleaning and oiling.
PS - The only clearly crappy part of the deal was the leather sheath. The leather itself is clearly bottom-of-the-barrel quality and the sheath is too wide so the LB7 rattles around inside when the flap is shut. Still, for $15...
Today, I visited Sportsman's Warehouse (a chain I'd never encountered in Texas) and was astounded to find new (Taylor) production Schrade LB7 models on sale for $14.99 (plus tax). I'd been wanting to pick up a new Taylor Schrade to check QC and fit-and-finish, and I figured for $15, I'd take the leap.
I previously owned a Schrade folding hunter (6OT) with Delrin scales, but never an LB7 with wooden scales. The fit and finish on this new Chinese-made LB7 is very good - I'd say 3.5 out of 5 stars, maybe 4/5 if you disregard the blade (see below).
The wooden scales are smoothly finished and tight on the frame; there's no gap between scales and bolsters, and the bolsters are well-machined and gleaming. The lockback is rather stiff and the blade pivot feels gritty, but one gets that even with high-end knives (or at least I do).
The blade locks up tight with no play in any direction and was not-quite-shaving sharp out of the packaging. My only slam against this knife is the blade profile. The hollow grind and edge seem competently done for a knife at this price point (my Buck 110s and Spydercos have all been better-ground out of the box, but they cost more, too). However, the 'arc' of the blade -- the outline of the edge, not the edge itself -- is not smooth and uniform. In other words, if you imagine that the belly of a clip-point blade forms part of an imaginary arc, the belly of this LB7's blade is ragged and uneven.
Sorry, the blade thing is hard to explain. I can post a pic later if there's interest. But, for $15, I'd say this LB7 seems like a good beater. We'll see how it 'cleans up' after a few passes on my Sharpmaker and some cleaning and oiling.
PS - The only clearly crappy part of the deal was the leather sheath. The leather itself is clearly bottom-of-the-barrel quality and the sheath is too wide so the LB7 rattles around inside when the flap is shut. Still, for $15...
