Intrigued by the design, I recently (beginning of December) purchased a Gryfen (#3) from Sean Perkins ( http://www.perkinsknives.com ). This is a small knife, about 3 overall, with a differentially tempered 2 blade of A2 steel. I actually considered this knife for several reasons. First, because it seemed to have potential as a key-ring knife: a small, inoffensive blade to be kept handy at all times, in almost all places (courtrooms excepted). Second, the aesthetics of it intrigued me. I like the effects that can be produced by differential tempering (though I know little about the hows and whys), and this seemed like a nice way to showcase them. Finally, Ive been looking at Mr. Perkins website for some time, as he originally made these knives from ¼ stock, with a scythe grind, and Ive seen how his techniques have changed (though the style has, to my eyes, remained very similar). Ive always thought they were neat little knives, and so I decided, struck by this particular design, that it was time for me to have one.
On to the knife itself. As I remarked above, this is a small knife. I somehow expected it to be bigger, and when I received it and opened the package, I was a little disappointed. But as soon as I took the edge to paper, effortlessly slicing off a narrow ribbon, I knew this knife was a keeper. The edge has a unique feel to it, either a result of the hardening process, or of the somewhat rustic finish given the blade. It is toothy, even after a light sharpening on a white Spyderco Profile stone, and a quick stropping. Despite this toothiness, the knife will still shave arm hair, and cuts extremely smoothly and aggressively. The blade even seems to keep this aggressive cutting characteristic when slightly dulled. I havent let it get really dull, so I cant comment on ease of sharpening or other wear characteristics, but edge retention is good, and touchups are simple. For opening boxes and envelopes, snipping threads, and the like, the blade on this knife is just about perfect. I should also note that the hamon formed by the hardening process is nicely distinctive, and I really like the overall look of this knife. The finish might best be described as rustic, with grind lines slightly showing. I find this attractive, given that it is the intended effect, and do not feel that it is a flaw in terms of the knifes finish in any way. In fact, I find it adds to the authenticity of this knife as a handmade object, and really like it. Additionally, it seems to hide scratches quite well, and I havent seen any sign of rust on the knife so far despite its constant presence in my pocket.
The sheath this knife came with is also impressive. Formed from an extremely thick piece of leather, and secured with several rivets, it does a good job of protecting both blade and user. I had my worries about its security in the pocket, however after a month or so of daily carry the blade sat somewhat deeper in the sheath than it had originally, and Im really not worried about it coming out now. I should note that I do take care, when pulling my keys out of my pocket, to grab the sheath along with my keys, as I think this is safer. Aesthetically, this is also a very nice sheath, with the thick leather dyed a nice shade of reddish-brown, and showing a little bit of fading on the edges that get the most rubbing my pocket. On the reverse of the sheath the number 3 is stamped, while on the obverse is S. Perkins. All in all, this sheath compliments the knife very nicely in terms of general classiness and use. In some ways a kydex sheath would be better (lower profile, marginally more secure), as found on Emersons version of La Griffe, but I dont think it would look or feel half as nice, and Id hate having to jerk the knife out all the time to get at the blade if the retention was too tight. There is a small hole along one side of the sheath, for passing a cord through for use as a belt-loop or neck thong. I havent carried the knife in this way, and dont plan to, so I dont really care about this feature. I can see it being useful to attach a lanyard to keep the sheath attached to the knife, or to ones belt, if carried in the pocket, however I think any other use would result in the sheath flopping around and would not work particularly well.
The ergonomics of the bare knife are not particularly impressive. I found the extremely short handle on this model difficult to index and control. But this knife comes with a keyring attached, and with four keys (car and house) attached, along with a Photon II microlight, there is just about the perfect amount of bulk for comfortably pulling the knife from its sheath and using it for light cutting tasks. The index finger cut-out in the handle comfortably fits my somewhat fat little digits, and the file-work on the back of the spine provides good security for my thumb in a saber grip. These are however a little sharp-feeling when doing any hard cutting that requires pushing down on the back of the blade. I also found (whether intentional or not) that the knife is very comfortable when held as a push dagger between my index and middle fingers, with the blade facing down when held in a thumb-up fist. This results in a very strong grip, and one that I feel would be suitable for both slashing and stabbing in an altercation.
One other note I should make is that this knife is slightly wider (I think), with a little more belly, than the Gryfens currently on display on Mr. Perkins website, for those of you who may be considering buying one.
Overall, I really like this knife. It fits the role I had in mind for it perfectly. It is both an attractive art object, and a really useful, thoughtfully designed, and well-made cutting tool, capable of doing work that belies its small size. Ive received many compliments on it when people ask Can I borrow a knife? For the price, as well, I feel it is a great value. I doubt that it will be my last purchase from Mr. Perkins, who I should note was truly a pleasure to deal with. He kept me informed of the status of the knife, and always returned my e-mails courteously and promptly, as well as giving his blessing to my request to do a brief review. As always, I welcome questions or comments in this thread, or via e-mail at brkriete@yahoo.com.
(edited for UBB code and fixed paragraphs)
[This message has been edited by Burke (edited 02-02-2001).]
On to the knife itself. As I remarked above, this is a small knife. I somehow expected it to be bigger, and when I received it and opened the package, I was a little disappointed. But as soon as I took the edge to paper, effortlessly slicing off a narrow ribbon, I knew this knife was a keeper. The edge has a unique feel to it, either a result of the hardening process, or of the somewhat rustic finish given the blade. It is toothy, even after a light sharpening on a white Spyderco Profile stone, and a quick stropping. Despite this toothiness, the knife will still shave arm hair, and cuts extremely smoothly and aggressively. The blade even seems to keep this aggressive cutting characteristic when slightly dulled. I havent let it get really dull, so I cant comment on ease of sharpening or other wear characteristics, but edge retention is good, and touchups are simple. For opening boxes and envelopes, snipping threads, and the like, the blade on this knife is just about perfect. I should also note that the hamon formed by the hardening process is nicely distinctive, and I really like the overall look of this knife. The finish might best be described as rustic, with grind lines slightly showing. I find this attractive, given that it is the intended effect, and do not feel that it is a flaw in terms of the knifes finish in any way. In fact, I find it adds to the authenticity of this knife as a handmade object, and really like it. Additionally, it seems to hide scratches quite well, and I havent seen any sign of rust on the knife so far despite its constant presence in my pocket.
The sheath this knife came with is also impressive. Formed from an extremely thick piece of leather, and secured with several rivets, it does a good job of protecting both blade and user. I had my worries about its security in the pocket, however after a month or so of daily carry the blade sat somewhat deeper in the sheath than it had originally, and Im really not worried about it coming out now. I should note that I do take care, when pulling my keys out of my pocket, to grab the sheath along with my keys, as I think this is safer. Aesthetically, this is also a very nice sheath, with the thick leather dyed a nice shade of reddish-brown, and showing a little bit of fading on the edges that get the most rubbing my pocket. On the reverse of the sheath the number 3 is stamped, while on the obverse is S. Perkins. All in all, this sheath compliments the knife very nicely in terms of general classiness and use. In some ways a kydex sheath would be better (lower profile, marginally more secure), as found on Emersons version of La Griffe, but I dont think it would look or feel half as nice, and Id hate having to jerk the knife out all the time to get at the blade if the retention was too tight. There is a small hole along one side of the sheath, for passing a cord through for use as a belt-loop or neck thong. I havent carried the knife in this way, and dont plan to, so I dont really care about this feature. I can see it being useful to attach a lanyard to keep the sheath attached to the knife, or to ones belt, if carried in the pocket, however I think any other use would result in the sheath flopping around and would not work particularly well.
The ergonomics of the bare knife are not particularly impressive. I found the extremely short handle on this model difficult to index and control. But this knife comes with a keyring attached, and with four keys (car and house) attached, along with a Photon II microlight, there is just about the perfect amount of bulk for comfortably pulling the knife from its sheath and using it for light cutting tasks. The index finger cut-out in the handle comfortably fits my somewhat fat little digits, and the file-work on the back of the spine provides good security for my thumb in a saber grip. These are however a little sharp-feeling when doing any hard cutting that requires pushing down on the back of the blade. I also found (whether intentional or not) that the knife is very comfortable when held as a push dagger between my index and middle fingers, with the blade facing down when held in a thumb-up fist. This results in a very strong grip, and one that I feel would be suitable for both slashing and stabbing in an altercation.
One other note I should make is that this knife is slightly wider (I think), with a little more belly, than the Gryfens currently on display on Mr. Perkins website, for those of you who may be considering buying one.
Overall, I really like this knife. It fits the role I had in mind for it perfectly. It is both an attractive art object, and a really useful, thoughtfully designed, and well-made cutting tool, capable of doing work that belies its small size. Ive received many compliments on it when people ask Can I borrow a knife? For the price, as well, I feel it is a great value. I doubt that it will be my last purchase from Mr. Perkins, who I should note was truly a pleasure to deal with. He kept me informed of the status of the knife, and always returned my e-mails courteously and promptly, as well as giving his blessing to my request to do a brief review. As always, I welcome questions or comments in this thread, or via e-mail at brkriete@yahoo.com.
(edited for UBB code and fixed paragraphs)
[This message has been edited by Burke (edited 02-02-2001).]
