- Joined
- May 14, 2012
- Messages
- 11,228
Well folks, I’m back with another review on a new large fixed blade. (This is a one-off compound grind with liners, not the original offering, which is just as darn sexy.)
REK does it again with the Quarantine or as @Fullflat dubbed it...the “Q.” This is a big knife. Not a long blade, but a huge knife. I can’t sugar coat this for you...I was super hesitant to purchase this blade, as I was not quite sure I was on board with the design. However, I took the plunge, and super stoked I did. This is the first part of the review “The Intital Impression.” Enjoy.
REK Quarantine.
Lets start with the size. When I first opened the box and saw the Quarantine I thought, “Woah, this is a big knife.” Enter skepticism...then I picked it up. The balance on the “Q” is amazing. It takes this large, wide blade and makes it feel like you are holding a smaller nimble knife in your hand. It is easy to spin this knife in your hand from regular grip to reverse grip without feeling like you are going to drop it. It is neither blade heavy nor handle heavy in hand. This blade, balance-wise, is very, very well thought out.
My particular Quarantine has a beautiful compound grind. I generally stay away from compound grinds, but opted for more “meat” on the tip, as I have planned to use this hard. The tip is flat ground and the main grind is hollow. This knife is full tang and the blade is CPM Cruwear. It is shaving sharp outta the box, and the grind is superb. The grinds are perfectly symmetrical on both sides to my eye, and this is coming from an OCD perfectionist. Haha. Trust me, I checked. I’m going to stop right here, as a lot of you know, I’m a huge fan of Josh’s grinds, and could ramble on for hours. I’ll let these photo’s show the lines.
Let’s talk ergonomics.
Something I don’t see a lot of thought put into these days is the ergonomics of the knife. (Mind you, there are a few makers who focus on this and nail it.) REK nailed it on this one. Actually, really nailed it. I haven’t been this impressed in a while.
The “Q’s” scales are sculpted OD green micarta and your hand just grabs on to this and takes a deep breath and tries not to wet itself with excitement. It is that comfortable. The thumb ramp is in the perfect place with the perfect angle for comfort. Whether I choke up or use the knife in regular grip, the thumb ramp feels excellent. The jimping is not too aggressive that it tears up your thumb, but is subdued enough to actually still work. The ramp makes tip control on this large knife feel possible, and it is.
Lets get back to the sculpted scales. When I first saw the drawing for the scale “dips”, I thought, “well this is interesting.” I was curious to whether there would be “hotspots,” which I despise. So far no hot spots, just full, comfortable purchase. This is a knife you can really bare down on! As I put the knife to work, I will come back with an update to the comfort of these scales, whether its a yes or no.
One thing that I am extremely impressed with, is the tolerances on every REK knife I’ve had the pleasure of examining. Josh does strive for perfection, and I couldn’t be more impressed.
The scales and liners are perfectly mated to the tang. The finish is superb, and there are no sharp corners. Just astounding.
The spine is also crowned, which I personally appreciate.
The REK logo is dang crisp, as well as the “CRUWEAR” logo, which is beautifully placed on the spine of the knife. Even with the two logo’s, this is a very clean looking blade.
I want to mention that the Quarantine has a lanyard/fob hole. I love ‘em, and this one works. Obviously. Haha.
On to use-ability...
This blade is thick...very. It comes in just under 1/4” thick. I am expecting it to be strong. Time will tell. Im going to go ahead and say that this is a heavy duty, hard working bushcraft type knife. It will handle battoning, swinging and chopping. The tip has “meat”, but most likely will puncture well. It could be used in a pinch for field dressing game, with its hollow grind and sharp edge, but I don’t think I would want to rely on it.
Splitting the tip of a good sturdy stick and placing the knife handle between, with both sides of said cut laying in the scale scallops and lashed would make an excellent spear in a pinch.
In the future, I would not be opposed to seeing this released with a slightly thinner blade stock, as it would slice well.
The Quarantine comes with a very tight fitting kydex sheath. This is a bonus for me as I invert carry my bush knives. It releases the knife with a tug and a satisfying snap. The sheath also is set up for cord or fits the large tek-lock.
Quarantine specifications:
Blade: CPM CRUWEAR @ 63HRC
Blade grind: Compound -Full flat tip & hollow main
Blade thickness: .224” so just under 1/4”
Blade Length: 4 3/4”
Cutting edge length: 4 1/2”
Handle length: 5 1/4”
Overall length: 10”
Handle material: Ergo sculpted OD Green Micarta with Orange Liners
Sheath: Tight fit Kydex with fastening holes
With all the scepticism in my brain of what this knife would or would not be, I was blown away. Having this “in hand,” and feeling all the thought that went into the Quarantine was worth the purchase.
If you are searching for a hard use, heavy duty knife, the ergonomic beauty and excellent grind of the Quarantine is a great contender to consider.
*disclaimer: I do know Josh personally, but I am alway honest with my reviews. So far REK’s two fixed blade releases are astounding and well executed. If Josh ever releases something subpar, I would be surprised! Haha. Thank you all!
REK Knives
*This Quarantine is a one-off compound grind. The Quarantine’s original offering comes with a regular grind or a performance grind. Josh, please feel free to post a photo in the comments of the other grinds.
REK does it again with the Quarantine or as @Fullflat dubbed it...the “Q.” This is a big knife. Not a long blade, but a huge knife. I can’t sugar coat this for you...I was super hesitant to purchase this blade, as I was not quite sure I was on board with the design. However, I took the plunge, and super stoked I did. This is the first part of the review “The Intital Impression.” Enjoy.
REK Quarantine.
Lets start with the size. When I first opened the box and saw the Quarantine I thought, “Woah, this is a big knife.” Enter skepticism...then I picked it up. The balance on the “Q” is amazing. It takes this large, wide blade and makes it feel like you are holding a smaller nimble knife in your hand. It is easy to spin this knife in your hand from regular grip to reverse grip without feeling like you are going to drop it. It is neither blade heavy nor handle heavy in hand. This blade, balance-wise, is very, very well thought out.
My particular Quarantine has a beautiful compound grind. I generally stay away from compound grinds, but opted for more “meat” on the tip, as I have planned to use this hard. The tip is flat ground and the main grind is hollow. This knife is full tang and the blade is CPM Cruwear. It is shaving sharp outta the box, and the grind is superb. The grinds are perfectly symmetrical on both sides to my eye, and this is coming from an OCD perfectionist. Haha. Trust me, I checked. I’m going to stop right here, as a lot of you know, I’m a huge fan of Josh’s grinds, and could ramble on for hours. I’ll let these photo’s show the lines.
Let’s talk ergonomics.
Something I don’t see a lot of thought put into these days is the ergonomics of the knife. (Mind you, there are a few makers who focus on this and nail it.) REK nailed it on this one. Actually, really nailed it. I haven’t been this impressed in a while.
The “Q’s” scales are sculpted OD green micarta and your hand just grabs on to this and takes a deep breath and tries not to wet itself with excitement. It is that comfortable. The thumb ramp is in the perfect place with the perfect angle for comfort. Whether I choke up or use the knife in regular grip, the thumb ramp feels excellent. The jimping is not too aggressive that it tears up your thumb, but is subdued enough to actually still work. The ramp makes tip control on this large knife feel possible, and it is.
Lets get back to the sculpted scales. When I first saw the drawing for the scale “dips”, I thought, “well this is interesting.” I was curious to whether there would be “hotspots,” which I despise. So far no hot spots, just full, comfortable purchase. This is a knife you can really bare down on! As I put the knife to work, I will come back with an update to the comfort of these scales, whether its a yes or no.
One thing that I am extremely impressed with, is the tolerances on every REK knife I’ve had the pleasure of examining. Josh does strive for perfection, and I couldn’t be more impressed.
The scales and liners are perfectly mated to the tang. The finish is superb, and there are no sharp corners. Just astounding.
The spine is also crowned, which I personally appreciate.
The REK logo is dang crisp, as well as the “CRUWEAR” logo, which is beautifully placed on the spine of the knife. Even with the two logo’s, this is a very clean looking blade.
I want to mention that the Quarantine has a lanyard/fob hole. I love ‘em, and this one works.
Obviously. Haha.On to use-ability...
This blade is thick...very. It comes in just under 1/4” thick. I am expecting it to be strong. Time will tell. Im going to go ahead and say that this is a heavy duty, hard working bushcraft type knife. It will handle battoning, swinging and chopping. The tip has “meat”, but most likely will puncture well. It could be used in a pinch for field dressing game, with its hollow grind and sharp edge, but I don’t think I would want to rely on it.
Splitting the tip of a good sturdy stick and placing the knife handle between, with both sides of said cut laying in the scale scallops and lashed would make an excellent spear in a pinch.
In the future, I would not be opposed to seeing this released with a slightly thinner blade stock, as it would slice well.
The Quarantine comes with a very tight fitting kydex sheath. This is a bonus for me as I invert carry my bush knives. It releases the knife with a tug and a satisfying snap. The sheath also is set up for cord or fits the large tek-lock.
Quarantine specifications:
Blade: CPM CRUWEAR @ 63HRC
Blade grind: Compound -Full flat tip & hollow main
Blade thickness: .224” so just under 1/4”
Blade Length: 4 3/4”
Cutting edge length: 4 1/2”
Handle length: 5 1/4”
Overall length: 10”
Handle material: Ergo sculpted OD Green Micarta with Orange Liners
Sheath: Tight fit Kydex with fastening holes
With all the scepticism in my brain of what this knife would or would not be, I was blown away. Having this “in hand,” and feeling all the thought that went into the Quarantine was worth the purchase.
If you are searching for a hard use, heavy duty knife, the ergonomic beauty and excellent grind of the Quarantine is a great contender to consider.
*disclaimer: I do know Josh personally, but I am alway honest with my reviews. So far REK’s two fixed blade releases are astounding and well executed. If Josh ever releases something subpar, I would be surprised! Haha. Thank you all!
REK Knives
*This Quarantine is a one-off compound grind. The Quarantine’s original offering comes with a regular grind or a performance grind. Josh, please feel free to post a photo in the comments of the other grinds.
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I like to have a little fun w/ each batch if possible at the end...keeps things interesting!
