- Joined
- Aug 24, 1999
- Messages
- 2,294
I picked up this Farid T1000 from Bladearts table (thanks Larry!) at the New York Custom Knife Show
I absolutely love it! Id like to share a few pics (and mini-review) of what is becoming my favourite folder
Blade: The blade is made of T-1 steel, which is a high speed steel with 18% tungsten and 1.6% moly. The steel is heat treated to 60-62 RC. The steel is not stainless but it is protected by a Diamond Matrix coating (except for the edge, of course). The coating is much harder than titanium carbon nitride. In fact, it has a RC of about 100!!!!
This is my first chisel-grind and I have come to the conclusion that I LOVE this type of grind! In addition to the aesthetic appeal, it leaves the most meat behind the blade I would feel confident prying something with this blade (and the flat side of the grind would help wedge the knife in BTW, I have SUCH an urge to slap someone with that flat-side
) yet the point is sharp enough and there is a cutout or groove to facilitate penetration.
Handle: Finally a handle that fits my hand well! At over .5 thick, this is a beefy knife. In addition to being thick, the handle is also very wide. This (coupled with the excellent balance of the knife) allows you to transition from forward to reverse grips in lightning speed. In fact, I have never been able to transition through grips this quickly with other folders! Speaking of grip changes, the symmetrical shape of the handle makes it comfortable in any grip (e.g. forward, reverse-blade-in, reverse-blade-out, Filipino, etc.) the (thick) serrated thumb-ramp also helps you to maintain a secure grip.
Another thing that I like about the handle is the integral skull crusher at the end, which effectively transforms this knife into an impact weapon. When the knife is closed, you can comfortably rest your thumb on top of the flat bolster/blade tang for leverage. When the knife is open, the skull crusher is a comfortable spot for capping the knife in reverse grip.
Action: The action on this knife is the closest to my definition of perfection that I have ever encountered. Most people tend to prefer mechanisms that are ultra-smooth and open with the slightest effort I never feel confident with that type of action and I prefer a bit of resistance. Unfortunately, many knives that have some built-in resistance are too tight, making them very difficult to open or close. The Farid is just the right balance! It will not fly open like a JW Smith or Boguszewski (no disrespect to those makers intended its a matter of personal preference) but it is loose enough (and the blade is heavy enough) that I CAN flick it open I really like the feel!
The liner-lock has ample serrations to provide a secure grip. I suppose that the lock could move further in but I imagine that it will set over time.
Bolster: I find that the polka-dots add a certain charm to the knife. The polka-dots were created through a simple beadblasting process. First, the bolster is satin finished. Next, stationary stickers are strategically (read artistically) placed and the bolster is blasted take the stickers off and voila! It was a nice touch to partially cover the screws too the shiny parts of the screws are part of the design!
Overall construction: Again, this is a BEEFY knife! The pivot, backspacers, and thumb-stud are the biggest that I have ever seen on a folder. The screws appear to allow for quick and easy takedowns (although I have not tried to take it apart).
The bottom line: I love this knife! I hope to add its big brother, the T5000 to my collection in the near future.
RL
PS Thanks to Farid for this great piece, Larry for making it happen, and Murray White for the pics!
Blade: The blade is made of T-1 steel, which is a high speed steel with 18% tungsten and 1.6% moly. The steel is heat treated to 60-62 RC. The steel is not stainless but it is protected by a Diamond Matrix coating (except for the edge, of course). The coating is much harder than titanium carbon nitride. In fact, it has a RC of about 100!!!!
This is my first chisel-grind and I have come to the conclusion that I LOVE this type of grind! In addition to the aesthetic appeal, it leaves the most meat behind the blade I would feel confident prying something with this blade (and the flat side of the grind would help wedge the knife in BTW, I have SUCH an urge to slap someone with that flat-side
) yet the point is sharp enough and there is a cutout or groove to facilitate penetration. Handle: Finally a handle that fits my hand well! At over .5 thick, this is a beefy knife. In addition to being thick, the handle is also very wide. This (coupled with the excellent balance of the knife) allows you to transition from forward to reverse grips in lightning speed. In fact, I have never been able to transition through grips this quickly with other folders! Speaking of grip changes, the symmetrical shape of the handle makes it comfortable in any grip (e.g. forward, reverse-blade-in, reverse-blade-out, Filipino, etc.) the (thick) serrated thumb-ramp also helps you to maintain a secure grip.
Another thing that I like about the handle is the integral skull crusher at the end, which effectively transforms this knife into an impact weapon. When the knife is closed, you can comfortably rest your thumb on top of the flat bolster/blade tang for leverage. When the knife is open, the skull crusher is a comfortable spot for capping the knife in reverse grip.
Action: The action on this knife is the closest to my definition of perfection that I have ever encountered. Most people tend to prefer mechanisms that are ultra-smooth and open with the slightest effort I never feel confident with that type of action and I prefer a bit of resistance. Unfortunately, many knives that have some built-in resistance are too tight, making them very difficult to open or close. The Farid is just the right balance! It will not fly open like a JW Smith or Boguszewski (no disrespect to those makers intended its a matter of personal preference) but it is loose enough (and the blade is heavy enough) that I CAN flick it open I really like the feel!
The liner-lock has ample serrations to provide a secure grip. I suppose that the lock could move further in but I imagine that it will set over time.
Bolster: I find that the polka-dots add a certain charm to the knife. The polka-dots were created through a simple beadblasting process. First, the bolster is satin finished. Next, stationary stickers are strategically (read artistically) placed and the bolster is blasted take the stickers off and voila! It was a nice touch to partially cover the screws too the shiny parts of the screws are part of the design!
Overall construction: Again, this is a BEEFY knife! The pivot, backspacers, and thumb-stud are the biggest that I have ever seen on a folder. The screws appear to allow for quick and easy takedowns (although I have not tried to take it apart).
The bottom line: I love this knife! I hope to add its big brother, the T5000 to my collection in the near future.
RL
PS Thanks to Farid for this great piece, Larry for making it happen, and Murray White for the pics!
