Hello, this is my first knife review on BladeForums. I have lots of knives I'd like to review, but this is one I think would be good to start out with because it seems like not many people know about it. If that's the case, let me just say it's extremely underrated. This is without a doubt one of the best folding EDC knife deals I've ever seen, for what you're getting. This is going to be a lengthy review, so if you don't have the time, understand that I think the knife is outstanding for the money.
Let's start off with the specs.
Overall Length: 8.26''
Handle Length: 4.73''
Blade Length: 3.45''
Blade Thickness: 0.126''
Blade Steel: 8Cr13MoV
Blade Style: Drop-Point
Blade Grind: Hollow-Grind
Steel Finish: Satin
Handle Material: G10 w/ Skeletonized Steel Liners
Weight: 4.5oz
Locking Mechanism: AXIS Lock
Opening Mechanism: Dual-Thumb-studs
Pocket Clip Orientation: Tip-Up, Right-Hand
Handle Construction: Pillar Construction (Flow-Through)
MSRP: Not sure, but street price is ~$17
Well, I have a lot to say about this knife. First off, it's pretty amazing for the price. I got mine for $15 shipped new on eBay. The one downside is that it comes from Honk Kong, but it only took no more than a week to arrive. I was expecting it to take at least a couple of them. Even if I had to pay like $38 for it though... let me tell you, I'd still be happy with this purchase. Like I said it's an amazing deal for what you're getting.
The Blade
It has 8Cr13MoV steel, the same stuff that's in the Spyderco Tenacious line. It's on the softer side and it rusts fairly easily, but as long as you continuously strop and take care of your blade, you'll be totally fine with it. It was scary sharp out of the box, which surprised me. Like, really, really sharp. Like enough to cleanly cut through a receipt. This really surprised me for the knife's price.
I even went out of my way to test it, simply because it could have a sub-par heat treatment (being a sort of no-name brand knife), but it did very well. I didn't test it all that much, but I felt it was realistic. I basically just cut up an entire medium-sized cardboard box with it as much as I could, into tiny little pieces. After the testing, cutting receipt paper again, it was still just as sharp as it was. Yes, I didn't cut for like 20 minutes straight, however, the fact that it was still at it's out-of-box sharpness after cutting up an entire box tells me that it had a very decent heat-treatment and could go on a lot longer and still have some cutting-power in it. I conclude that the blade steel and heat-treatment on it is more than adequate for the price.
But even that being said, if you use this knife REALISTICALLY, you're not going to have an issue with it dulling up too fast. Keep it stropped. And in a few months, when it DOES dull on you, resharpen it. It won't take long, as with softer steels they do sharpen up very fast and easily. I say the blade steel is perfect for EDC, especially at its price-point.
The blade is 3.45'', which is a great all-around size for EDC. Perhaps a bit big for some, though it's nice to have extra edge to work with. Decent amount of reach.
The blade style I find gorgeous. It is what I would call a drop-point, but it has somewhat of a narrow-tip. it is very reminiscent of the proven CRK Sebenza blade design, if you're familiar with that. It has a satin finish on it as well, which is nice. All in the glorious plain-edge. It is hollow-ground, which makes it an excellent slicer. Again, a great choice of grind for an EDC knife in my book.
There is gimping on the spine of the blade, which is very sharp and very functional if you're into that. The blade has dual-thumb-studs, so as far as opening goes it is ambidextrous. The thumb-studs are cylindrical, and not shaped like cones so they're pretty functional and easy to get a grip on with your thumb. Though they are not the best designs I have seen, they're a bit fat and short. I wish they just protruded out a bit more. It's not a big deal though, I have seen much worse for much more money. The thumb-studs are fine.
The Locking Mechanism and Pivot
This brings me to my next like about this knife: the Benchmade AXIS locking mechanism. This is what sets this knife apart from the other sub-$20 folders. The AXIS lock is a very proven design and functions absolutely phenomenally. They're super fast and lockup bank-vault tight. There is no vertical movement in this blade that I am detecting, however there was side-to-side out of the box, but that can be adjusted out (which I will talk about soon). The AXIS lock can be disengaged while the knife is in the closed position in order to swing out the blade and lock it again. It works just as any Benchmade knife would. The only complaint I have with it is the fact that, like the thumb-studs, the AXIS lock on this knife does not protrude as much as I would want to. It's slightly more flush into the handle in comparison to the Benchmades, but it really isn't a big deal. They protrude out enough to be functional and at least fairly comfortable and easy to use. The action on the knife is very smooth, which I think is partially due to the steel liners. It also has phosphorous-bronze washers in it, as I detect.
One of the biggest hits I give on the knife is the pivot screw. At least it isn't pinned into the handle, but it is a proprietary. It has this awkward Y-shape on the head. Enlan sells proprietary tools (I didn't look at their prices), but if you don't want to buy them I heard you can adjust it with a pair of needle-nose pliers. I don't doubt it, but the only pliers I currently have on me are somewhat fat, so I can't really get a decent grip on the head of the screw. I'm stuck with the side-to-side I have for now, but I plan on finding a way to adjust it soon. The play is very minimal and totally reasonable for its price. One thing you could do is hacksaw a line through it so you'd be able to use a flat-head screwdriver to adjust it. I have done it before on a Spyderco Persistence which had a stripped head, and I was able to adjust it again. Just an idea, though not entirely recommended. But after opening and closing the knife for a while, no new play has developed. Again, there is no vertical, which is the more important one in my book.
The Handle
The handle scales are G10, which is fairly high quality for a knife of this price. There's no texturing on them, but the knife still manages to be grippy. Not in a sandpapery-type grip, but it's almost a rubberized-feeling. I like it. It feels smooth but at the same time it won't slip out of your hands too easily. I know, that's what she said, I'm sorry. But all in all, outstanding handle scales. Under the pocket clip it's smooth, so you don't need to worry about sanding it down or anything. Which bring me to my next talking-point, the pocket clip.
There are 3 torx screws screwed into the handle through pillars to pin them together. It's a pillar-construction design, so it's easy to clean, unless you count the skeletonizing in the liners. I really don't care about it, but some may. The knife is overall very elegant and simple looking, I like it. There's also a lanyard hole, which is fairly small, but it's about the standard size that most knives seem to have. You can tie a lanyard around the pillar at the butt-end of the handle as well, the blade does not come close enough to cut it.
The Ergonomics
The ergonomics on it are good. Overall it's a medium-large knife I would classify it as. Most likely when you're holding it, you'll have a bit of handle protruding out, making it a very versatile handle design. It doesn't melt in the hand superbly or anything, but it has some cutouts in the handle to form slight, gradual finger choils, and they work fine. It's comfortable, not bad at all. The overall handle is on the wider side, so I feel that it's quite hand-filling. It will take a bit more pocket room when carrying it, but it's not IMMENSELY thick or anything. Perfect for me.
The Pocket Clip
The pocket clip is a great, functional design. It takes 3 torx screws to pin it down, so you can take it off, all though you cannot swap it to the left side or mount it tip-down, which is the second hit I give the knife: it is not ambidextrous. Just adding three screw holes on the other side of the handle would have made this knife 100% ambidextrous, considering the AXIS lock as well as the dual-thumb-studs. It's a shame. But anyway, it's a ventilated clip, so there's a cut out in the middle of it. It's a design thing, and I like it, very reminiscent of the Buck Vantage pocket clips. Although it is not a loop-over design, in fact it is mounted fairly low on the handle. There's about 0.7'' of handle protruding out of your pocket while carrying it clipped. It isn't super obnoxious, but I think I'd like it a bit more buried within the pocket, but again, not a big deal. The tension on the clip is perfect, and that's mostly all that matters. It has a satin finish on it like the blade does, so it's not a blackened clip. It carries very nicely overall.
The Weight
The knife is 4.5oz according to specs I've seen on multiple websites. Not too heavy, not too light either. If you're looking for an ultimately lightweight folder, this may not be the one for you, but it certainly isn't too heavy, not for me anyway. For the weight, you're getting a pretty sturdy, strong knife.
The Verdict
So really, the only thing I don't like about the knife is the proprietary pivot screw. That's it. I like the tip-up orientation, for the most part it's what everyone wants. It sucks that it's not ambidextrous as far as the pocket clip goes, yes, but since I'm right-handed it's fine for me. If you have a way to adjust the pivot and you're fine with the right-hand, tip-up carry, I say it's a home-run. Simply an amazing knife for $15 shipped, I can't say enough about it. It's a simple, proven, working design, and it's executed very well. I feel it's on par with the quality of perhaps a Spyderco Tenacious or something along those lines. Outstanding, can't say enough about it. I'm very impressed, and I think you will be too if you got one in-hand.
I give it an 8.5/10 for an overall score.
Thanks for your time, I hope you found my first knife review helpful.
Let's start off with the specs.
Overall Length: 8.26''
Handle Length: 4.73''
Blade Length: 3.45''
Blade Thickness: 0.126''
Blade Steel: 8Cr13MoV
Blade Style: Drop-Point
Blade Grind: Hollow-Grind
Steel Finish: Satin
Handle Material: G10 w/ Skeletonized Steel Liners
Weight: 4.5oz
Locking Mechanism: AXIS Lock
Opening Mechanism: Dual-Thumb-studs
Pocket Clip Orientation: Tip-Up, Right-Hand
Handle Construction: Pillar Construction (Flow-Through)
MSRP: Not sure, but street price is ~$17
Well, I have a lot to say about this knife. First off, it's pretty amazing for the price. I got mine for $15 shipped new on eBay. The one downside is that it comes from Honk Kong, but it only took no more than a week to arrive. I was expecting it to take at least a couple of them. Even if I had to pay like $38 for it though... let me tell you, I'd still be happy with this purchase. Like I said it's an amazing deal for what you're getting.
The Blade
It has 8Cr13MoV steel, the same stuff that's in the Spyderco Tenacious line. It's on the softer side and it rusts fairly easily, but as long as you continuously strop and take care of your blade, you'll be totally fine with it. It was scary sharp out of the box, which surprised me. Like, really, really sharp. Like enough to cleanly cut through a receipt. This really surprised me for the knife's price.
I even went out of my way to test it, simply because it could have a sub-par heat treatment (being a sort of no-name brand knife), but it did very well. I didn't test it all that much, but I felt it was realistic. I basically just cut up an entire medium-sized cardboard box with it as much as I could, into tiny little pieces. After the testing, cutting receipt paper again, it was still just as sharp as it was. Yes, I didn't cut for like 20 minutes straight, however, the fact that it was still at it's out-of-box sharpness after cutting up an entire box tells me that it had a very decent heat-treatment and could go on a lot longer and still have some cutting-power in it. I conclude that the blade steel and heat-treatment on it is more than adequate for the price.
But even that being said, if you use this knife REALISTICALLY, you're not going to have an issue with it dulling up too fast. Keep it stropped. And in a few months, when it DOES dull on you, resharpen it. It won't take long, as with softer steels they do sharpen up very fast and easily. I say the blade steel is perfect for EDC, especially at its price-point.
The blade is 3.45'', which is a great all-around size for EDC. Perhaps a bit big for some, though it's nice to have extra edge to work with. Decent amount of reach.
The blade style I find gorgeous. It is what I would call a drop-point, but it has somewhat of a narrow-tip. it is very reminiscent of the proven CRK Sebenza blade design, if you're familiar with that. It has a satin finish on it as well, which is nice. All in the glorious plain-edge. It is hollow-ground, which makes it an excellent slicer. Again, a great choice of grind for an EDC knife in my book.
There is gimping on the spine of the blade, which is very sharp and very functional if you're into that. The blade has dual-thumb-studs, so as far as opening goes it is ambidextrous. The thumb-studs are cylindrical, and not shaped like cones so they're pretty functional and easy to get a grip on with your thumb. Though they are not the best designs I have seen, they're a bit fat and short. I wish they just protruded out a bit more. It's not a big deal though, I have seen much worse for much more money. The thumb-studs are fine.
The Locking Mechanism and Pivot
This brings me to my next like about this knife: the Benchmade AXIS locking mechanism. This is what sets this knife apart from the other sub-$20 folders. The AXIS lock is a very proven design and functions absolutely phenomenally. They're super fast and lockup bank-vault tight. There is no vertical movement in this blade that I am detecting, however there was side-to-side out of the box, but that can be adjusted out (which I will talk about soon). The AXIS lock can be disengaged while the knife is in the closed position in order to swing out the blade and lock it again. It works just as any Benchmade knife would. The only complaint I have with it is the fact that, like the thumb-studs, the AXIS lock on this knife does not protrude as much as I would want to. It's slightly more flush into the handle in comparison to the Benchmades, but it really isn't a big deal. They protrude out enough to be functional and at least fairly comfortable and easy to use. The action on the knife is very smooth, which I think is partially due to the steel liners. It also has phosphorous-bronze washers in it, as I detect.
One of the biggest hits I give on the knife is the pivot screw. At least it isn't pinned into the handle, but it is a proprietary. It has this awkward Y-shape on the head. Enlan sells proprietary tools (I didn't look at their prices), but if you don't want to buy them I heard you can adjust it with a pair of needle-nose pliers. I don't doubt it, but the only pliers I currently have on me are somewhat fat, so I can't really get a decent grip on the head of the screw. I'm stuck with the side-to-side I have for now, but I plan on finding a way to adjust it soon. The play is very minimal and totally reasonable for its price. One thing you could do is hacksaw a line through it so you'd be able to use a flat-head screwdriver to adjust it. I have done it before on a Spyderco Persistence which had a stripped head, and I was able to adjust it again. Just an idea, though not entirely recommended. But after opening and closing the knife for a while, no new play has developed. Again, there is no vertical, which is the more important one in my book.
The Handle
The handle scales are G10, which is fairly high quality for a knife of this price. There's no texturing on them, but the knife still manages to be grippy. Not in a sandpapery-type grip, but it's almost a rubberized-feeling. I like it. It feels smooth but at the same time it won't slip out of your hands too easily. I know, that's what she said, I'm sorry. But all in all, outstanding handle scales. Under the pocket clip it's smooth, so you don't need to worry about sanding it down or anything. Which bring me to my next talking-point, the pocket clip.
There are 3 torx screws screwed into the handle through pillars to pin them together. It's a pillar-construction design, so it's easy to clean, unless you count the skeletonizing in the liners. I really don't care about it, but some may. The knife is overall very elegant and simple looking, I like it. There's also a lanyard hole, which is fairly small, but it's about the standard size that most knives seem to have. You can tie a lanyard around the pillar at the butt-end of the handle as well, the blade does not come close enough to cut it.
The Ergonomics
The ergonomics on it are good. Overall it's a medium-large knife I would classify it as. Most likely when you're holding it, you'll have a bit of handle protruding out, making it a very versatile handle design. It doesn't melt in the hand superbly or anything, but it has some cutouts in the handle to form slight, gradual finger choils, and they work fine. It's comfortable, not bad at all. The overall handle is on the wider side, so I feel that it's quite hand-filling. It will take a bit more pocket room when carrying it, but it's not IMMENSELY thick or anything. Perfect for me.
The Pocket Clip
The pocket clip is a great, functional design. It takes 3 torx screws to pin it down, so you can take it off, all though you cannot swap it to the left side or mount it tip-down, which is the second hit I give the knife: it is not ambidextrous. Just adding three screw holes on the other side of the handle would have made this knife 100% ambidextrous, considering the AXIS lock as well as the dual-thumb-studs. It's a shame. But anyway, it's a ventilated clip, so there's a cut out in the middle of it. It's a design thing, and I like it, very reminiscent of the Buck Vantage pocket clips. Although it is not a loop-over design, in fact it is mounted fairly low on the handle. There's about 0.7'' of handle protruding out of your pocket while carrying it clipped. It isn't super obnoxious, but I think I'd like it a bit more buried within the pocket, but again, not a big deal. The tension on the clip is perfect, and that's mostly all that matters. It has a satin finish on it like the blade does, so it's not a blackened clip. It carries very nicely overall.
The Weight
The knife is 4.5oz according to specs I've seen on multiple websites. Not too heavy, not too light either. If you're looking for an ultimately lightweight folder, this may not be the one for you, but it certainly isn't too heavy, not for me anyway. For the weight, you're getting a pretty sturdy, strong knife.
The Verdict
So really, the only thing I don't like about the knife is the proprietary pivot screw. That's it. I like the tip-up orientation, for the most part it's what everyone wants. It sucks that it's not ambidextrous as far as the pocket clip goes, yes, but since I'm right-handed it's fine for me. If you have a way to adjust the pivot and you're fine with the right-hand, tip-up carry, I say it's a home-run. Simply an amazing knife for $15 shipped, I can't say enough about it. It's a simple, proven, working design, and it's executed very well. I feel it's on par with the quality of perhaps a Spyderco Tenacious or something along those lines. Outstanding, can't say enough about it. I'm very impressed, and I think you will be too if you got one in-hand.
I give it an 8.5/10 for an overall score.
Thanks for your time, I hope you found my first knife review helpful.
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I made a similar pivot screw mod to the one in this video to both my EL-01s. I used copper washers from the hardware store and some RC helicopter prop screws from ebay (which have slightly larger heads than the ones in the vid). Works out about the same, though, and it's nice to be able to tweak the pivot with a regular Torx bit. :thumbup:
flash, if you're referring to me, I'm not Jobim. I was just stating that I'd made a mod similar to the one in his video and inspired by his video. I may be able to answer the question you have, but keep in mind that I didn't use the exact same components as he did, and so I can't answer anything specific about those components. :thumbup: