- Joined
- Jun 8, 2005
- Messages
- 4,761
I was dropping by the Parks Mall for a movie with some friends and I stopped by the Knife Shoppe. I'm pleased to say that, unlike my previous visit, everyone was very nice and the guy I talked to actually knew about knives.
All these conversations in the general forum about lock integrity had me telling folks to get a small fixed blade for those duties and save a ton of money. I realized I was being hypocritical (of course, I don't do those crazy things with my folders...) because I didn't have a small fixed blade (except for an old German dagger, but that's not for use..). So when I saw the CRKT STIFF KISS for 15 dollars, I couldn't resist.
I chose the tanto model (with 50% serrations), as opposed to an available drop point, just because I didn't have a tanto in my inventory yet. The blade is a little over 3 inches in length, and it and its full tang are made of AUS6. I normally prefer something more along the lines of AUS8 or 440C, but for 15 dollars, I won't complain.
It came shaving sharp, but it takes a bit of effort--it definitely could be sharper. However, the serrations are far and away the sharpest thing I've ever used. Unfortunately, the blade chokes on cardboard unless you're very quick about it--the shape near the tip of the blade causes a lot of resistance, I believe. Slicing should be fine, however.
The ergonomics are reasonably solid. It's a very simple knife. I used the supplied paracord to wrap the handle, but it's a bit short. Another inch or two would have allowed a nice lanyard, but as it stands, only an an inch is left over. Lateral rotation becomes a slight issue due to very thin tang/handle. Also, the notches on the spine are about half an inch too far back--my thumb only lands on half of them. Otherwise, the knife feels good in the hand.
The supplied sheath is pretty decent. It looks a little less secure than I'd like, but I tried many times to "throw" the sheath or knife and could not. Because of this, I'm very confident in its ability to retain the blade safely. It comes with attachments for the sheath for other forms of carry, but I haven't utilized them yet to review. Suffice to say, the sheath will serve you fine but won't impress anyone either.
All in all, an excellent offering for 15 dollars. I'd add more, but four girls just came to cook dinner.
When I'm not studying, I love college. Go Frogs!
All these conversations in the general forum about lock integrity had me telling folks to get a small fixed blade for those duties and save a ton of money. I realized I was being hypocritical (of course, I don't do those crazy things with my folders...) because I didn't have a small fixed blade (except for an old German dagger, but that's not for use..). So when I saw the CRKT STIFF KISS for 15 dollars, I couldn't resist.
I chose the tanto model (with 50% serrations), as opposed to an available drop point, just because I didn't have a tanto in my inventory yet. The blade is a little over 3 inches in length, and it and its full tang are made of AUS6. I normally prefer something more along the lines of AUS8 or 440C, but for 15 dollars, I won't complain.
It came shaving sharp, but it takes a bit of effort--it definitely could be sharper. However, the serrations are far and away the sharpest thing I've ever used. Unfortunately, the blade chokes on cardboard unless you're very quick about it--the shape near the tip of the blade causes a lot of resistance, I believe. Slicing should be fine, however.
The ergonomics are reasonably solid. It's a very simple knife. I used the supplied paracord to wrap the handle, but it's a bit short. Another inch or two would have allowed a nice lanyard, but as it stands, only an an inch is left over. Lateral rotation becomes a slight issue due to very thin tang/handle. Also, the notches on the spine are about half an inch too far back--my thumb only lands on half of them. Otherwise, the knife feels good in the hand.
The supplied sheath is pretty decent. It looks a little less secure than I'd like, but I tried many times to "throw" the sheath or knife and could not. Because of this, I'm very confident in its ability to retain the blade safely. It comes with attachments for the sheath for other forms of carry, but I haven't utilized them yet to review. Suffice to say, the sheath will serve you fine but won't impress anyone either.
All in all, an excellent offering for 15 dollars. I'd add more, but four girls just came to cook dinner.
When I'm not studying, I love college. Go Frogs!