Thanks, Frank, for your efforts, and to Spyderco for the opportunity to inspect this knife!
First Impressions:
- Solid structural design.
- Secure grip.
- Easy opening and one-handed closing.
- Open frame design for easy cleaning.
- A bit of vertical blade-play at lockup.
Some Carry Properties:
Carry Weight: 4.615 ounces.
Handle Width: .540 inches (Not including clip).
Clip can be changed for tip-up or tip-down carry - it came to me with clip set for tip-up carry and I left it that way. Set for tip-up carry, about 3/4" of knife is exposed above the pocket. The blade is under spring pressure when closed, so tip-up carry seems quite safe.
My estimate is that about 1-1/8" of the knife would be exposed with clip set for tip-down carry. Due to the guillion and thumb-ramp shaping of the scales, I suspect that tip-down carry would result in some uncomfortable hand/finger collisions.
I have no opinion for or against the clip design, since I have no experience with long-term carry with this clip design.
Some Structural Properties:
Nested Liners: Dual nested liners (Inner nested liner thickness couldn't be measured).
Lock Liner Thick: .052"
Scale Thickness: Varies due to 'sculpted' handle design; .194" at thickest scale dimension.
Structurally, the Lil Temp is a tough little folder. (I'd REALLY like to see the Military design updated to include the dual nested liners, thicker locking liner, thicker scales and open-back design of this folder!)
Lil Temp Compression Lock Operation:
- Easy opening.
- Easy one-hand closing.
- Fast inertial-opening possible.
- Accidental closing very unlikely.
I found the Lil Temp lock operation easier than the Paramilitary - and I have no idea why. Same lock design by the same company for both knives.
This knife exhibited some slight blade-play-at-lockup when received. After cleaning the locking ramp/ledge area, the problem was changed from constant to random occurences. When blade-play is exhibited, some lock-assisting thumb pressure locks the blade firmly, and it stays locked. This problem might disappear as the lock 'wears in'.
The Blade:
I measured the width of the blade-spine at .157", same as my Military. The shorter 3" blade and taller spine-to-edge blade height results in a sturdy little blade with good apparent tip-strength. The dual straight grind of the S30V blade should make this blade an outstanding slicer and excellent overall utility blade.
I was disappointed with the slick thumb ramp area on this blade. The excellent milled non-skid thumb-ramp of the Military is one of the great ergo features that I now find almost indispensible.
The edge-grind was about 1/16" short of completion at the base of the blade, on the clip side. Not a big problem - but an immediately-obvious flaw.
The Grip:
The grip was perfect in length, girth, shape and security for my medium-sized hand. My only reservation is the slick thumb ramp.
Summary:
- Tough and compact structural design - dual nested liners and thick scales.
- Open-frame design for convenient cleaning.
- Sturdy blade with good apparent tip-strength.
- Excellent double-flat blade grind.
- Easy opening and one-hand closing.
- Inertial opening of the Paramilitary is possible without thumb or lock-release assistance.
- Safe for tip-up carry.
- Secure grip.
Reservations:
- The slick blade-spine thumb-ramp bothered me.
- The slight blade-play-at-lockup was troubling - but might be a self-curing problem as the lock wears in with use.
- The small edge-grind imperfection is trivial, and seems common in folders in this production price class by various makers.
Setting aside the reservations above, the robust construction and excellent blade of the Lil Temp is probably a good value for $125 from on-line vendors.
Personally, I'd rather see the structural improvements of this tough little folder incorporated into the Military design. I wouldn't trade my older Military for this knife.
First Impressions:
- Solid structural design.
- Secure grip.
- Easy opening and one-handed closing.
- Open frame design for easy cleaning.
- A bit of vertical blade-play at lockup.
Some Carry Properties:
Carry Weight: 4.615 ounces.
Handle Width: .540 inches (Not including clip).
Clip can be changed for tip-up or tip-down carry - it came to me with clip set for tip-up carry and I left it that way. Set for tip-up carry, about 3/4" of knife is exposed above the pocket. The blade is under spring pressure when closed, so tip-up carry seems quite safe.
My estimate is that about 1-1/8" of the knife would be exposed with clip set for tip-down carry. Due to the guillion and thumb-ramp shaping of the scales, I suspect that tip-down carry would result in some uncomfortable hand/finger collisions.
I have no opinion for or against the clip design, since I have no experience with long-term carry with this clip design.
Some Structural Properties:
Nested Liners: Dual nested liners (Inner nested liner thickness couldn't be measured).
Lock Liner Thick: .052"
Scale Thickness: Varies due to 'sculpted' handle design; .194" at thickest scale dimension.
Structurally, the Lil Temp is a tough little folder. (I'd REALLY like to see the Military design updated to include the dual nested liners, thicker locking liner, thicker scales and open-back design of this folder!)
Lil Temp Compression Lock Operation:
- Easy opening.
- Easy one-hand closing.
- Fast inertial-opening possible.
- Accidental closing very unlikely.
I found the Lil Temp lock operation easier than the Paramilitary - and I have no idea why. Same lock design by the same company for both knives.
This knife exhibited some slight blade-play-at-lockup when received. After cleaning the locking ramp/ledge area, the problem was changed from constant to random occurences. When blade-play is exhibited, some lock-assisting thumb pressure locks the blade firmly, and it stays locked. This problem might disappear as the lock 'wears in'.
The Blade:
I measured the width of the blade-spine at .157", same as my Military. The shorter 3" blade and taller spine-to-edge blade height results in a sturdy little blade with good apparent tip-strength. The dual straight grind of the S30V blade should make this blade an outstanding slicer and excellent overall utility blade.
I was disappointed with the slick thumb ramp area on this blade. The excellent milled non-skid thumb-ramp of the Military is one of the great ergo features that I now find almost indispensible.
The edge-grind was about 1/16" short of completion at the base of the blade, on the clip side. Not a big problem - but an immediately-obvious flaw.
The Grip:
The grip was perfect in length, girth, shape and security for my medium-sized hand. My only reservation is the slick thumb ramp.
Summary:
- Tough and compact structural design - dual nested liners and thick scales.
- Open-frame design for convenient cleaning.
- Sturdy blade with good apparent tip-strength.
- Excellent double-flat blade grind.
- Easy opening and one-hand closing.
- Inertial opening of the Paramilitary is possible without thumb or lock-release assistance.
- Safe for tip-up carry.
- Secure grip.
Reservations:
- The slick blade-spine thumb-ramp bothered me.
- The slight blade-play-at-lockup was troubling - but might be a self-curing problem as the lock wears in with use.
- The small edge-grind imperfection is trivial, and seems common in folders in this production price class by various makers.
Setting aside the reservations above, the robust construction and excellent blade of the Lil Temp is probably a good value for $125 from on-line vendors.
Personally, I'd rather see the structural improvements of this tough little folder incorporated into the Military design. I wouldn't trade my older Military for this knife.
