Hi,
Just got this knife yesterday. Here's my likes and dislikes.
REKAT Pioneer II Tanto folder review
====================================
Likes
=====
1) Shape of handle is very pleasing to the eye.
2) Flawless joining of G10 scales to liners, no visible gaps of any kind.
3) Thumb stud was comfortable to use repeatedly.
4) The action was not as smooth as my AFCK, but it was much better than alot of other knives I've tried, eg Voyager, Kershaw Liner Lock, etc
5) Lockup is super solid, no play at all in any way. Love the rolling lock.
6) I love the finish of the blade, a no-nonsense non-shiny finish, very utilitarian look, perfect for a working knife. No qualms about scratching it.
7) Edge was scary sharp, tried it on facial hair and it did fine.
8) Tanto blade had a slight curve to it, and was not ground at a sharp angle. With repeated sharpenings I'll hope to reprofile it to look more like a drop point-tanto marriage.
9) Closing mechanism is quite easy to operate after some practice.
10) The price is reasonable, and the fit and finish good.
Dislikes
========
1) The one thing that spoilt it for this excellent knife in my opinion, is the carry clip. Its situated too near the bottom edge of the handle, and is really uncomfortable when used moderately or for more than one or two cuts. How such an obvious design flaw could be overlooked is beyond me. The position of the clip defeats the ergonomic shape of the handle. A real pity here. Any advice on how to remove the clip will be appreciated.
2) The tanto blade was hollow ground, kind of an oxymoron if you ask me. The reason I wanted a tanto was because a strong tip is important in what I do, and a hollow ground tanto tip weakens it significantly.
3) There's no lanyard hole. I initially wanted to remove the clip and wear it around my neck on a cord, but without the lanyard hole, this is also not possible.
Minor details
=============
These are minor points that I noticed.
1) Traces of blue locktite on the screws were quite visible. They can however be scrapped off with a nail.
2) The hex screws looked used (as they should be). I can't understand how Benchmade manages to put the knife together, and tighten the hex heads without the screws looking like they've been used at all.
3) On one of the scales, the profile of the scale and liner did not entirely match. The G10 scales covered a little more area than the liner. However, this is a minor workmanship thing and should in no way affect the knife's function.
After some practice, I've found the knife is easiest to close by facing the edge to the side (not up or down) and operating the lock. This helps to make it much easier to unlock the knife. When I was trying to do it with the edge facing up, it was quite difficult. Remeber to keep those fingers out of the way.
All comments welcome.
Pang
Just got this knife yesterday. Here's my likes and dislikes.
REKAT Pioneer II Tanto folder review
====================================
Likes
=====
1) Shape of handle is very pleasing to the eye.
2) Flawless joining of G10 scales to liners, no visible gaps of any kind.
3) Thumb stud was comfortable to use repeatedly.
4) The action was not as smooth as my AFCK, but it was much better than alot of other knives I've tried, eg Voyager, Kershaw Liner Lock, etc
5) Lockup is super solid, no play at all in any way. Love the rolling lock.
6) I love the finish of the blade, a no-nonsense non-shiny finish, very utilitarian look, perfect for a working knife. No qualms about scratching it.
7) Edge was scary sharp, tried it on facial hair and it did fine.
8) Tanto blade had a slight curve to it, and was not ground at a sharp angle. With repeated sharpenings I'll hope to reprofile it to look more like a drop point-tanto marriage.
9) Closing mechanism is quite easy to operate after some practice.
10) The price is reasonable, and the fit and finish good.
Dislikes
========
1) The one thing that spoilt it for this excellent knife in my opinion, is the carry clip. Its situated too near the bottom edge of the handle, and is really uncomfortable when used moderately or for more than one or two cuts. How such an obvious design flaw could be overlooked is beyond me. The position of the clip defeats the ergonomic shape of the handle. A real pity here. Any advice on how to remove the clip will be appreciated.
2) The tanto blade was hollow ground, kind of an oxymoron if you ask me. The reason I wanted a tanto was because a strong tip is important in what I do, and a hollow ground tanto tip weakens it significantly.
3) There's no lanyard hole. I initially wanted to remove the clip and wear it around my neck on a cord, but without the lanyard hole, this is also not possible.
Minor details
=============
These are minor points that I noticed.
1) Traces of blue locktite on the screws were quite visible. They can however be scrapped off with a nail.
2) The hex screws looked used (as they should be). I can't understand how Benchmade manages to put the knife together, and tighten the hex heads without the screws looking like they've been used at all.
3) On one of the scales, the profile of the scale and liner did not entirely match. The G10 scales covered a little more area than the liner. However, this is a minor workmanship thing and should in no way affect the knife's function.
After some practice, I've found the knife is easiest to close by facing the edge to the side (not up or down) and operating the lock. This helps to make it much easier to unlock the knife. When I was trying to do it with the edge facing up, it was quite difficult. Remeber to keep those fingers out of the way.
All comments welcome.
Pang