R J Martin tactical folders - any opinions?

B

ballenagris

Joined
Jan 24, 2006
Messages
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I'm considering the Avenger by R J Martin. Does anyone on the list have any experience with His knives? I want to buy a high quality tactical folder, and surely don't want another liner lock.
 
I've heard from several sources that RJ Martin's knives are among the sharpest out there.
 
Only buy an R.J. Martin knife, if you're serious about quality and extreme sharpness. :thumbup:
 
Great craftsmanship, unbelievably sharp and I was also impressed with how light it was too.
 
I would give a kidney for an RJ Martin folder!! I don't have any money right now.
 
As soon as my tax refund comes in, I'm ordering a Contender in black G10 or carbon fiber, I haven't decided yet.

RJM6596.jpg
 
You absolutely cannot go wrong with ANYTHING RJ makes, but his folders are awesome. As everyone else has said, they are slick, tough and unbelievably sharp. On top of everything else he is a super guy and very easy to deal with. What more could you ask for?

Bill
 
They are SHAARRP..they have GREAT fit and finish, the pivot bearing system is ungodfully smooth and RJ Martin is a great guy to communicate with
 
I currently have 5 of R.J.'s knives, they are among the best tacticals on the market today.
 
Ballenagris: Just to clarify, the Avenger is a framelock-The frames are between .090 and .100 thick. It is a very solid knife!

Thanks to all who chimed in on this thread with positive comments-They mean a lot to me!
 
RJ lives like 2 minutes from my house. I've met him and he's a great guy. He makes a knife that is VERY well executed and VERY well appointed. His attention to detail is unfailing, and I've gotta say that if you have a problem he'll hook you up!

-Anthony

edited to add: I've bought a fixed blade from RJ and it was VERY well done. Nothing fancy (because I didn't want anything fancy), but VERY well done and easily sharper than any other knife I've owned.
 
RJ sent me a couple of e-mails that are fairly technical, and it's late at night, but I'll tell y'all what, we're gonna do some business soon as I get a tax payment off. That Avenger picture on his website is something to behold. Thanks to everybody for the imput. I'm gonna get free of the liner locks. He actually said that he whacks the action with a hammer to make sure he doesn't have to work on it in the future. Being a service plumber with a small business - Me- I can relate to getting things right the first time. If you read what he says on his website, for instance, how he describes his heat treating oven, how he wraps foil around his blades, etc. Well, This is a detail oriented fellow who is obviously into what he does. If you haven't looked at his website, take a look, you'll see the same things I did. I had actually made my mind up to buy an Avenger last night, to be honest.:thumbup:
 
ballenagris said:
... He actually said that he whacks the action with a hammer to make sure he doesn't have to work on it in the future...
Click to expand...

Wow! That's just amazing.

Dang, I wish I had the money to get one of those. That is one BEAUTIFUL folder.
 
As others have said, RJs work is incredible. I own four of his knives and can't find a flaw in any. Just as important, however, is the service he provides to his customers. He has always been very decent when I have written to him and he stands behind his work. There is not a problem with getting maintenance, such as sharpening, when you need it. You won't regret buying one of his knives.
 
Actually, the spine whack test I do is to rap the back of the spine against the edge of my workbench, to verify that the lock actually becomes tighter. I don't hit them with hammers.
I will say that lockup geometry is the single most important thing in a tactical folder, and I have gone to great lengths to eliminate all variability from the processes that produce the tang and locking bar geometry (to less than .001"). Consistency and safety in lock-up ate totally related to precision and correct design.
I am writing an article for an upcoming issue of BLADE magazine that will show you how to evaluate a tactical framelock folder in a step-by-step process that is quick and easy to do. This process is the same one I follow in my own shop, and it quickly identifies any problem areas in a folder. Hopefully, this will help you to buy knives that will work the way they are supposed to-Knives you can have confidence in.
 
Woohoo to Mass! Anything made in MA is of higher quality inherently due to the wonderful, good looking people who live in that fine state.
 
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