Last week I got a Phantom Reflex (made by RKK) from the dudes at 888knivesrus.com . I dunno what the automatic knives they make are like, but the assisted opener (read: legal for people like me to EDC) is one nice knife for the price.
This knife has a few features that make it a real winner in my book. The first would be the opening mechanism- a flipper gets the blade moving, and the torsion bar takes it the rest of the way. I prefer this to an assisted opener that begins via a thumbstud because that method has a greater chance to slip and cut oneself once the blade begins to move. However, the Phantom has a thumbstud as well so you could open it that way if one preferred.
Once the blade is open, the flipper becomes part of the substantial (for a folder) guard. The back of the blade is notched for a thumbrest and in the forward grip, this knife fits my hand securely and comfortably. I have no fear if I poke something hard my hand is going to run off the handle onto the blade.
The opening itself is solid, but a bit on the slow side compared to my well-used Kershaw Scallion. Initially, it was slow and a bit sticky, but after a few dozen practice openings its become rather snappy and much smoother. Lockup is great- there is no blade play. The liner lock seems to have no glaring flaws- for normal use it seems fine, but I wouldn't want to bash this knife through a frozen log either. The stop pin is internal- the thumbstuds do not act as the stop, unlike on other popular assisted knives. The pocket clip is placed for tip-down carry and can't be switched to tip-up, but I feel tip down works better for a knife of this design (usually I favor tip up).
Quality on the Phantom, for the asking price, is a 10/10 for me. The body is thick aluminum that feels solid (no flexing when I squeeze it) and the ATS-34 blade came real sharp out of the box. The blade has a little bit of everything- a good point, a bit of belly, and a slight recurve- a good utility shape.
I would say this USA-made knife from a company slightly less well known than Kershaw or BM nonetheless compares well with anything else in the price range.
This knife has a few features that make it a real winner in my book. The first would be the opening mechanism- a flipper gets the blade moving, and the torsion bar takes it the rest of the way. I prefer this to an assisted opener that begins via a thumbstud because that method has a greater chance to slip and cut oneself once the blade begins to move. However, the Phantom has a thumbstud as well so you could open it that way if one preferred.
Once the blade is open, the flipper becomes part of the substantial (for a folder) guard. The back of the blade is notched for a thumbrest and in the forward grip, this knife fits my hand securely and comfortably. I have no fear if I poke something hard my hand is going to run off the handle onto the blade.
The opening itself is solid, but a bit on the slow side compared to my well-used Kershaw Scallion. Initially, it was slow and a bit sticky, but after a few dozen practice openings its become rather snappy and much smoother. Lockup is great- there is no blade play. The liner lock seems to have no glaring flaws- for normal use it seems fine, but I wouldn't want to bash this knife through a frozen log either. The stop pin is internal- the thumbstuds do not act as the stop, unlike on other popular assisted knives. The pocket clip is placed for tip-down carry and can't be switched to tip-up, but I feel tip down works better for a knife of this design (usually I favor tip up).
Quality on the Phantom, for the asking price, is a 10/10 for me. The body is thick aluminum that feels solid (no flexing when I squeeze it) and the ATS-34 blade came real sharp out of the box. The blade has a little bit of everything- a good point, a bit of belly, and a slight recurve- a good utility shape.
I would say this USA-made knife from a company slightly less well known than Kershaw or BM nonetheless compares well with anything else in the price range.
