- Joined
- Nov 20, 2001
- Messages
- 2,600
Well, Ive been waiting for the Seb for some time now, to get a feel for the perfect production knife. So much has been said of this piece, that I just had to be a part of the passaround. Im going to break it down as much as I can, but really, theres no definitive review of this piece.
Ill start with the blade, which was easily my favorite part. Perfect size, great shape, I even liked the stonewashed finish. It seemed to have fantastic edge geometry, and although I was too afraid to use it for much, it looks like it would easily do any task it was put to. The heat treat on the s30v was so nice, the blade made a great ping sound when flicked with a fingernail. Jimping was a little gentler than I prefer, but the nicely rounded spine was attractive, and a touch of class.
Its opening was fantastically smooth, but about as smooth as a bm735.
It was an overall very useable size, about perfect for my largish hands, and had a great blade to handle ratio.
This will conclude the positive things I have to say about this knife.
I was surprised to find so many things that I felt could have been improved on this knife.
The thumbstud was uncomfortable to use-it was too pointy, and kind of small. Im surprised that it isnt ambidexterous..It clearly goes all the way through the blade, why not just but another tip on the other side? Also, the anodizing was wearing off; it was almost colorless when I got it in any area that your thumb would touch it.
The Handle was useable at best; its shapelessness was surprising. Essentially, it was a block of Titanium. There were some nice features, like the texturing along the back. The scallops where your fingers go were also pretty well done. I was amazed at how badly the Ti was marked up already; Im terrified to think what happens to all the special engraving that comes from the factory. It was grippier than Stainless, due in part to its coating, or oxidation, Im not sure which it is. Its overall construction was great- very few parts, and not many places to get crap stuck in. One of the things that I cant get over is the 2 holes in the slabs-I know that theyre from the tooling, but their presence looks careless, as if there is a better way to make the slabs, but they couldnt be bothered.
On to the lock: it was very secure, and locked up nicely. Getting it unlocked was a different matter. Right handed its almost impossible, and is too difficult to disengage. I have about 7 chunks that are missing from my thumbnail due to the way the lock disengages, and the subsequent flick of the blade right into my thumb. I have to say, if this is the best framelock that can be made, Im not going to bother with them.
The clip:
A great idea, but so poorly executed. First of all, its on the lockbar, so it adds to the difficulty of disengaging the lock. It should be moved over to the other section of the handle. The double grab seemed great, but I found that I either didnt put the knife all the way into my pocket, because I am used to doing it by feel, or I had a hard time getting it back out-I put the lanyard back on it just to get the knife out of my pocket. It also looked highly beat up by the time I got it; I was surprised it was so marked up.
There are some other areas that could have been reworked as well; just my preference, and Im nitpicking because of the cost of the knife. The handle slabs could be rounded over or something-theyre too square feeling. The top of the handle comes to a point; it should be rounded to match the arc of the thumbstud. The tang should be hidden when the knife is closed, and should sit more flush with the back of the handle when open.
Overall, I still have mixed feelings. It looked classier than g-10, but overall, it looked cheap. The knife carried amazingly well, and took up very little room in my pocket. The blade as outstanding, and I understand why folks lust after the RSK, which would be a better fit for me, probably. The knife opens great, and the lock locks up just right. Its too difficult to unlock, and the handle could use some work. I was really disappointed, as I was looking for an excuse to buy one, but Ill pass. Maybe CRKs other offerings would fit me better, maybe not. As my Dad used to say, theres an ass for every seat.
Ill start with the blade, which was easily my favorite part. Perfect size, great shape, I even liked the stonewashed finish. It seemed to have fantastic edge geometry, and although I was too afraid to use it for much, it looks like it would easily do any task it was put to. The heat treat on the s30v was so nice, the blade made a great ping sound when flicked with a fingernail. Jimping was a little gentler than I prefer, but the nicely rounded spine was attractive, and a touch of class.
Its opening was fantastically smooth, but about as smooth as a bm735.
It was an overall very useable size, about perfect for my largish hands, and had a great blade to handle ratio.
This will conclude the positive things I have to say about this knife.
I was surprised to find so many things that I felt could have been improved on this knife.
The thumbstud was uncomfortable to use-it was too pointy, and kind of small. Im surprised that it isnt ambidexterous..It clearly goes all the way through the blade, why not just but another tip on the other side? Also, the anodizing was wearing off; it was almost colorless when I got it in any area that your thumb would touch it.
The Handle was useable at best; its shapelessness was surprising. Essentially, it was a block of Titanium. There were some nice features, like the texturing along the back. The scallops where your fingers go were also pretty well done. I was amazed at how badly the Ti was marked up already; Im terrified to think what happens to all the special engraving that comes from the factory. It was grippier than Stainless, due in part to its coating, or oxidation, Im not sure which it is. Its overall construction was great- very few parts, and not many places to get crap stuck in. One of the things that I cant get over is the 2 holes in the slabs-I know that theyre from the tooling, but their presence looks careless, as if there is a better way to make the slabs, but they couldnt be bothered.
On to the lock: it was very secure, and locked up nicely. Getting it unlocked was a different matter. Right handed its almost impossible, and is too difficult to disengage. I have about 7 chunks that are missing from my thumbnail due to the way the lock disengages, and the subsequent flick of the blade right into my thumb. I have to say, if this is the best framelock that can be made, Im not going to bother with them.
The clip:
A great idea, but so poorly executed. First of all, its on the lockbar, so it adds to the difficulty of disengaging the lock. It should be moved over to the other section of the handle. The double grab seemed great, but I found that I either didnt put the knife all the way into my pocket, because I am used to doing it by feel, or I had a hard time getting it back out-I put the lanyard back on it just to get the knife out of my pocket. It also looked highly beat up by the time I got it; I was surprised it was so marked up.
There are some other areas that could have been reworked as well; just my preference, and Im nitpicking because of the cost of the knife. The handle slabs could be rounded over or something-theyre too square feeling. The top of the handle comes to a point; it should be rounded to match the arc of the thumbstud. The tang should be hidden when the knife is closed, and should sit more flush with the back of the handle when open.
Overall, I still have mixed feelings. It looked classier than g-10, but overall, it looked cheap. The knife carried amazingly well, and took up very little room in my pocket. The blade as outstanding, and I understand why folks lust after the RSK, which would be a better fit for me, probably. The knife opens great, and the lock locks up just right. Its too difficult to unlock, and the handle could use some work. I was really disappointed, as I was looking for an excuse to buy one, but Ill pass. Maybe CRKs other offerings would fit me better, maybe not. As my Dad used to say, theres an ass for every seat.