- Joined
- Mar 23, 2015
- Messages
- 458
At the behest of a friend, I'm posting this here for the community. I'll be updating it with more information, pictures, etc. as the week progresses. Enjoy!
I was lucky enough recently to pick up a Rike 1507s off of the exchange, and after spending a whole day with it I can comfortably say that it is a very, very impressive piece.
Tolerances are amazing. I've never seen a blade given so little room between its scales, and yet I have zero concern about rubbing; this thing is dead bang centered down to its tippy tip. Blade play isn't even hinted at, especially since the stops would prevent any side to side even if there was any to be had. The scales fit right up against the backspacer, the clip is vault-tight everywhere except the one direction where it needs to give...you get the point.
Detent is moderate-light; far from a ZT *bang*, but certainly respectable and not a limp flipper by any means. The sheer size and thickness of the blade keeps it from being a lightning-fast deployer, but it's consistent, satisfying and effective.
The blade is thick, like I said...not Medford or Direware, but about 3/16th of an inch, and with the relatively narrow kwaiken style shape, you'd be tempted to question its slicing pedigree. But rest assured it's plenty sharp, and even with the minimal secondary bevel, it's a hair shaver. The flat grind lets it motor through cardboard; though the blade is no super-thin tomato peeler, it's up to any task and the S35VN holds an edge like a champ. And it's finished with this intriguing partial hand-rubbed/stonewashed hybrid that's very unique and appealing.
The handles are fascinating; machined with all kinds of lines and angles and chamfers and striations, giving it a very futuristic appearance. And in a nice and really unnecessary touch, these machined line textures go from large to medium to small to even barely visible on a few facets. There's literally no reason to do this other than for the enjoyment of the owner; raw titanium has enough texture to provide ample grip, so it's a testament to the level of care put into this.
What else can I say? It's another home run from a Chinese manufacturer, so with Reate and Kizer leading the charge it's clear that smaller houses like Rike are following in good footsteps and continuing the burgeoning tradition of strong upper end production with mid level pricing. I'm looking forward to pocketing it today as well!
I was lucky enough recently to pick up a Rike 1507s off of the exchange, and after spending a whole day with it I can comfortably say that it is a very, very impressive piece.
Tolerances are amazing. I've never seen a blade given so little room between its scales, and yet I have zero concern about rubbing; this thing is dead bang centered down to its tippy tip. Blade play isn't even hinted at, especially since the stops would prevent any side to side even if there was any to be had. The scales fit right up against the backspacer, the clip is vault-tight everywhere except the one direction where it needs to give...you get the point.
Detent is moderate-light; far from a ZT *bang*, but certainly respectable and not a limp flipper by any means. The sheer size and thickness of the blade keeps it from being a lightning-fast deployer, but it's consistent, satisfying and effective.
The blade is thick, like I said...not Medford or Direware, but about 3/16th of an inch, and with the relatively narrow kwaiken style shape, you'd be tempted to question its slicing pedigree. But rest assured it's plenty sharp, and even with the minimal secondary bevel, it's a hair shaver. The flat grind lets it motor through cardboard; though the blade is no super-thin tomato peeler, it's up to any task and the S35VN holds an edge like a champ. And it's finished with this intriguing partial hand-rubbed/stonewashed hybrid that's very unique and appealing.
The handles are fascinating; machined with all kinds of lines and angles and chamfers and striations, giving it a very futuristic appearance. And in a nice and really unnecessary touch, these machined line textures go from large to medium to small to even barely visible on a few facets. There's literally no reason to do this other than for the enjoyment of the owner; raw titanium has enough texture to provide ample grip, so it's a testament to the level of care put into this.
What else can I say? It's another home run from a Chinese manufacturer, so with Reate and Kizer leading the charge it's clear that smaller houses like Rike are following in good footsteps and continuing the burgeoning tradition of strong upper end production with mid level pricing. I'm looking forward to pocketing it today as well!