Ouroboros; too many photos BRACE !

Wowbagger

Wowbagger

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Sep 20, 2015
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OK just got it hours ago.
Pardon dirty hands; scrubbed but . . . . Been quite a week.

I will do this in a few posts for those who don't enjoy encyclopedic length entries.

So . . . how sharp ? Out of the box edge clean; no wire edge AT ALL, no dings, no rolls, shave sharp(ish) / not hair whittling. Not particularly sharp but usable.

Well almost. I tried to nip off this bit of what ever attatched next to my finger nail. One of my tests for USABLE sharp. The edge wouldn’t do it without excess pressure. Cut into nail and left a line but really would not clip off the thing / would just go into it and stop.


Buuuuusssssed out the Spyderco Ultra Fine rod. Got just a touch of a bur. Took off bur with the little hunk of Norton 8000 water stone. Getting to be some what hair whittling.


The edge easily cut through the finger nail thing.
 
Some size comparison
Top knife is my Grail; Boker Urban Trapper rehandled.
Dragonfly
Ouroboros
UK PK
Cold Steel Ti Lite Four


I liked that line up best as a photo but really we need a Para 2 in there so here it is


More length comparisons








Ouroboros with the Para 2


Ditto


Urban Trapper and Ouroboros
 
How’s the action ?
Soon after I got it I loosened the pivot probably one half of a revolution aprox. I did this in about six entsie increments while testing for play and ease of drop. This was done dry / no lube was added. Until later.

Out of the box, before and after adj. = quite usable and nice but no where near as free as the Para 2.
I added Starrett Instrument oil to the ball on the compression lock and to the pivot / white washers. Very sparingly.

After the photo session I picked up the Ouroboros off the counter, held it with the blade about 45° or a bit more tip up and pressed the compression lock, pinched between thumb and index finger all the way to the scale. The blade did not drop.

Shake it and it will drop. Apply ever so light a touch with my other hand and it will drop.

There is a starting friction that must be over come. Even though there is a trace of play in the pivot.


Picked up the Para 2 and it dropped like it was falling out of an air plane with big rocks in it’s pockets.


Tried the Ouroboros again. Nope . . . same as the first try.


OK so the blade is way lighter and it can’t be expected to drop like the Para . . . right ? . . .
Here is the Dragonfly, dirty and some pocket lint. NEVER BEEN CLEANED JUST LUBED AND USED . . . drops . . . that little blade drops.

Whaaaaaaaahhhhhhh ?

One dif I noticed / looked for . . . the white washers in the Dragonfly are quite a bit larger in diameter than the ones in the Ouroboros . . . and obviously the Dragon is broken in but I never really did any intentional flipping or break in . . . it hasn’t been used all that much and I can’t recall a time when it wasn’t this free.


What else ?
That’s enough for now . . . RIGHT !

Bottom line : so far I love the Ouroboros = size, blade shape, materials (steel and handle), compression lock. I don’t really care that it isn’t a super dropper. To be fair ; after I carry it in my pocket and it warms up some it seems to be freer and does drop but is unpredictable. Some times it just hangs. There appears to be NO DAMAGE TO THE WASHERS. They look really clean and good though obviously I haven’t disassembled it. I may never disassemble this knife. Time will tell. I am not eager to do that now. I”ll just use it a good while first.
 
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And another thing
:D

This Ouroboros middle finger flicks open like a son of a gun !
Funny that I was just talking about how I missed the way my Manix opened that way so well and none of my other Spydie hole blades do.

Nice !
I'll take it !
 
Yea, if it was 3 times that size I'd be interested. In its current dwarf state, no thanks.
 
Wanimator said:
I can't wait for the larger version. I love that series of knife.
Click to expand...

Love your sense of humor. :p :)

PS: Ohhhhh you mean the knife !
I thought you were looking forward to my larger version of the knife review.
Never fear everyone that comes later.
Once I've had another pot of coffee.
 
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shinyedges said:
Yea, if it was 3 times that size I'd be interested. In its current dwarf state, no thanks.
Click to expand...
Any chance you have tried the Cold Steel Colossus ? Seems similar.
The handle scares me . . . looks like it could come alive and take over my soul to do its bidding. Once there it would become mystified and leave . . . so I'm not really worried about that but . . . ugly handle none the less.
 
I think I have found the 100% easy close technique.
Pretty subtle and requires minimal hand movement and it feels natural; one doesn't have to hold one's mouth just right or close one eye . . . no gym strength training regimes . . . like some locks I have.

Wannnahearit?hereIgo :
Rather than angle the blade upward simply hold the knife blade horizontally in the downward cutting position (like cutting on a cutting board), compress the lock release with thumb and index finger and at roughly the same time role your wrist over like driving a screw and before my wrist has stopped turning the knife is closed. Works really well. The true test is doing this at work while working and concentrating on other stuff and talking to a customer at the same time. I manage to screw up even a Griptillian due to blade bounce. Can flip all day on the couch and no prob. Must be all my adrenaline charged enthusiasm of being at work getting in the way.:p:D:(:rolleyes:
 
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Wowbagger said:
Any chance you have tried the Cold Steel Colossus ? Seems similar.
The handle scares me . . . looks like it could come alive and take over my soul to do its bidding. Once there it would become mystified and leave . . . so I'm not really worried about that but . . . ugly handle none the less.
Click to expand...
Never handled the colossus, the ergos look good on the ouroboros just to small for my tastes.
 
Update / some action shots.
Good enough letter opener. The first three of three were opened quite easily with the Ouroboros. For comparison the Urban Trapper struggles as a letter opener. Who knew.

Orange peeler. I just scored through the skin and then peeled the orange by hand after I put the knife down. Felt really good and natural for the scoring though.



Here is a series of the closing technique I was attempting to describe. Works every time.
Hold knife with blade parallel to the floor, press lock with thumb and index and turn the knife over rotating wrist like turning a screw driver.




 
Nice pics!
Wow I thought it was a muuuuuuuuuuuch bigger knife.
Kinda put it out of my list now.
Thanks Wowbagger I saved a coupla $$ :)
 
FullMetalJackass said:
Nice pics!
Wow I thought it was a muuuuuuuuuuuch bigger knife.
Kinda put it out of my list now.
Thanks Wowbagger I saved a coupla $$ :)
Click to expand...

Every body wants it bigger . . .
Think of it as a gigantic Spyderco Dragonfly.
there . . . now it seems big . . . it's a BIG little knife.

Look at that big 'O edge compared to the Dragon
IMG_4581_zpsyctz1wer.jpg
 
Unloaded a bunch of pallets today. There was three of us. First the Ouroboros came out to slit the shrink wrap while somebody stood and looked at it mystified. They got the idea and next he pulled out his leatherman and slit some of the next one. Next the third guy who, I know for certain, carries a SAK wood handled knife. Was pulling and straining with wads of shrink wrap and looking a bit helpless . . . before he could think about the SAK Ouro was out zip slash slit and back in the pocket.

Again and again Ouro came out and back in. Leatherman boy gave up after his first volley and just tugged and strained until I would reach over and slash another wad. I wonder why . . . was the knife just not sharp ? Too slow to get out an put back? All in all I probably deployed the Ouro six or eight times.
And you know what ?
(I liked it).

Came home and a mailing envelope with bubble wrap liner was waiting for me. Ouro took care of that too and felt really good working his way through that.

It just came to me . . . I think I’ll call him Boris.



This is a generic photo but tall like this
 
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