- Joined
- May 13, 2015
- Messages
- 841
Hi there! This week-end I was out with my Officer V3. Took it for a long walk and had some fun in the kitchen. This is one of my latest acquisitions, with me since some months now. Still in its break-in period! Just sharing some personal thoughts, my own impressions and few pics. As said, Im just a passionate hobbyist and week-end hiker, so these are just my methinks 
.
The Officer V3 is the third edition of the rather well known, medium size, frame-lock folder, mid-tech model from Sasha Thiel. The blade is made of Böhler N690Co, sporting a modified spear-point design, characterized by a pronounced swedge and a hole that makes it possible one-hand opening. The handle features one G10 olive green scale with a smooth texture (in this chosen version of mine) while the side of the frame lock is made of titanium, which has been given a sandblasted effect. A stainless steel clip is elegantly housed in the frame-lock side, non reversible, tip-up carry only. Excellent the fit & finish. The two sides of the handle are connected by a back-spacer, made of polymeric material, which anyway safeguards the benefits of an open-pillar construction. This is one of the small changes compared to V2 edition. The handle also has a hole for a lanyard. Factory grind was very good, the blade came very sharp. Edge retention is pretty good also. During these months I just touched it up a bit with ceramic sharpener, after use.
It came in a simple black pouch, containing the knife and a Sachas business card. To my eyes, used to production knives (though of a good quality, I like to believe), the workmanship and finish are very good. The blade flips open with a reassuring "thwack" sound and the frame-lock is rock-solid. No blade play whatsoever. Its possible to open it with one hand using the hole, where "possible" does not mean "easy. This has improved over time, but still I would not define opening as smooth. In the beginning I was trying to open the blade by applying thumb pressure on the stop-pin, which I mistook for a thumb-stud, but I soon destroyed my finger, so I stopped. The distinctive swedge adds a sleek and aggressive touch to the knife. The handle fits perfectly in my hand (medium-large), in a normal or forward grip. The design of this knife reminds me something in between a Strider SnG and a Spyderco Native of some time ago, but in a kind of dressed-up for the prom way. For me it's nice, but not "too nice, a very solid and usable folder. Not a pry-bar but not a scalpel either, a very good and precise cutting tool.
With its version 3, the Officer seems to have resolved completely all the past issues with the lock (known to me only by reading about it in the net what a geek I am) with the face of the lock which has been "carbidized" and which has been given a slightly different geometry. "Carbidized", in this case, as explained by Sacha, it means that a thin layer of tungsten carbide has been deposited on the titanium face of the lock. The advantage is that the Ti gets a kind of "ceramic materials characteristic, thing that solves the minor problems of lock stickiness, due to Ti tenderness, when in comparison (and contact) with the steel. Sacha, in my opinion, has done a great job when it comes to maximize the length of the cutting edge in this shape of blade. The jimping is adequate, providing good retention and grip for the thumb. The clip is easy to attach, works for what it is design and the pocket carry is rather discreet.
Overall, I am very happy with my Officer V3 :thumbup:. I think its a very good folder, well thought and built with good quality materials, care and attention to details. Its a folder I use without hesitation, a really performing cutting thing. Also the Officer its really lightweight, given its size, compact and efficient. During these months I've cut the usual stuff in office/warehouse, took it out on the trails and prepared some food, as usual. This knife performs very well in all the tasks and ergos are great to me. If I really have to find a couple of negative things: This G10 resistance to wear and tear seems poor. Overtime, it got some marks with normal handling. It fell one time on a concrete floor (Vaffa ...!), fortunately when closed, but I had to state the G10 scale took a good chip. Not the same with other G10s. And then, size wise, its really on my upper limit for pocket-ability as EDC knife.
As far as the "midtech" definition, a lot has been said and written. To me, I associate mid-tech with products much closer to mass production than to custom. Often nowadays, the designer/maker creates the CAD drawing and then outsources the production of almost everything. The only "internal" production processes are a final fit & finish check and touch and some assembly. An official standardized production standard, rules and specs for mid-techs do not exist today; the range of possibilities is very wide, so the ones for the maker. Sacha in this is very transparent, honest and also fun! In my personal opinion, the outsourcing of processes which imply the use of CNC machines, state-of-the-art water-jet or laser cutting technology, etc. performed by specialized companies (Italian ones in particular), it gives a great reliability and a guarantee of sustainable quality, at more competitive prices. I only see positives in this, but thats just me.
Blade: Böhler N690Co steel
Locking mechanism: Frame-Lock
Handle: G10 & Titanium
Designer/Maker: Sacha Thiel
Weight: 117 g
Overall length: 198 mm
Blade length: 85 mm
Blade thickness: 3.5 mm
Features: lanyard hole, clip
.The Officer V3 is the third edition of the rather well known, medium size, frame-lock folder, mid-tech model from Sasha Thiel. The blade is made of Böhler N690Co, sporting a modified spear-point design, characterized by a pronounced swedge and a hole that makes it possible one-hand opening. The handle features one G10 olive green scale with a smooth texture (in this chosen version of mine) while the side of the frame lock is made of titanium, which has been given a sandblasted effect. A stainless steel clip is elegantly housed in the frame-lock side, non reversible, tip-up carry only. Excellent the fit & finish. The two sides of the handle are connected by a back-spacer, made of polymeric material, which anyway safeguards the benefits of an open-pillar construction. This is one of the small changes compared to V2 edition. The handle also has a hole for a lanyard. Factory grind was very good, the blade came very sharp. Edge retention is pretty good also. During these months I just touched it up a bit with ceramic sharpener, after use.
It came in a simple black pouch, containing the knife and a Sachas business card. To my eyes, used to production knives (though of a good quality, I like to believe), the workmanship and finish are very good. The blade flips open with a reassuring "thwack" sound and the frame-lock is rock-solid. No blade play whatsoever. Its possible to open it with one hand using the hole, where "possible" does not mean "easy. This has improved over time, but still I would not define opening as smooth. In the beginning I was trying to open the blade by applying thumb pressure on the stop-pin, which I mistook for a thumb-stud, but I soon destroyed my finger, so I stopped. The distinctive swedge adds a sleek and aggressive touch to the knife. The handle fits perfectly in my hand (medium-large), in a normal or forward grip. The design of this knife reminds me something in between a Strider SnG and a Spyderco Native of some time ago, but in a kind of dressed-up for the prom way. For me it's nice, but not "too nice, a very solid and usable folder. Not a pry-bar but not a scalpel either, a very good and precise cutting tool.
With its version 3, the Officer seems to have resolved completely all the past issues with the lock (known to me only by reading about it in the net what a geek I am) with the face of the lock which has been "carbidized" and which has been given a slightly different geometry. "Carbidized", in this case, as explained by Sacha, it means that a thin layer of tungsten carbide has been deposited on the titanium face of the lock. The advantage is that the Ti gets a kind of "ceramic materials characteristic, thing that solves the minor problems of lock stickiness, due to Ti tenderness, when in comparison (and contact) with the steel. Sacha, in my opinion, has done a great job when it comes to maximize the length of the cutting edge in this shape of blade. The jimping is adequate, providing good retention and grip for the thumb. The clip is easy to attach, works for what it is design and the pocket carry is rather discreet.
Overall, I am very happy with my Officer V3 :thumbup:. I think its a very good folder, well thought and built with good quality materials, care and attention to details. Its a folder I use without hesitation, a really performing cutting thing. Also the Officer its really lightweight, given its size, compact and efficient. During these months I've cut the usual stuff in office/warehouse, took it out on the trails and prepared some food, as usual. This knife performs very well in all the tasks and ergos are great to me. If I really have to find a couple of negative things: This G10 resistance to wear and tear seems poor. Overtime, it got some marks with normal handling. It fell one time on a concrete floor (Vaffa ...!), fortunately when closed, but I had to state the G10 scale took a good chip. Not the same with other G10s. And then, size wise, its really on my upper limit for pocket-ability as EDC knife.
As far as the "midtech" definition, a lot has been said and written. To me, I associate mid-tech with products much closer to mass production than to custom. Often nowadays, the designer/maker creates the CAD drawing and then outsources the production of almost everything. The only "internal" production processes are a final fit & finish check and touch and some assembly. An official standardized production standard, rules and specs for mid-techs do not exist today; the range of possibilities is very wide, so the ones for the maker. Sacha in this is very transparent, honest and also fun! In my personal opinion, the outsourcing of processes which imply the use of CNC machines, state-of-the-art water-jet or laser cutting technology, etc. performed by specialized companies (Italian ones in particular), it gives a great reliability and a guarantee of sustainable quality, at more competitive prices. I only see positives in this, but thats just me
.Blade: Böhler N690Co steel
Locking mechanism: Frame-Lock
Handle: G10 & Titanium
Designer/Maker: Sacha Thiel
Weight: 117 g
Overall length: 198 mm
Blade length: 85 mm
Blade thickness: 3.5 mm
Features: lanyard hole, clip
