- Joined
- Feb 4, 1999
- Messages
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I recently obtained a Ed Chavar Monocacy in trade (yes, I have been doing a lot of trading recently!). Ed is a custom/handmade maker out of Bethlehem, PA and I believe he makes both folders and fixed blades. I also think he apprenticed with Bud Nealy, and although I have never held one of Bud's knives, the influence apparent in photos can readily be seen in Ed's Monocacy.<p>
The first thing I noticed about the Monocacy was its light weight. The knife is probably about 6 inches overall with a 2.75" blade or so (sorry, lost my ruler. You can probably get specs at Bladeart). I don't know what steel it is, but I would guess ATS-34 or 154CM. The stock is also very thin. It isn't as thin as 1/16", but it is thinner than 1/8", so I am guessing it is 3/32" thick. The knife has a hollow grind and a very thin edge, and of course, cuts like crazy as a result! The plunge cuts and grinds are almost dead even, and the blade gets a beautifully done satin finish (400 grit, maybe?). There is no filework, thumb traction, or other embellishment, making this a very plain, elegant knife.<p>
The handle is black G-10 with three black Micarta pins and a stainless steel thing hole liner. The scales are very symmetric in their shape, and are also very thin. Despite being just barely rounded and contoured, the G-10 scales are very comfortable, mainly due to their thinness. If the scales were this flat, but thicker, the edge would dig into my hand. The scales are quite smooth (other than texturing or beadblasting, G-10 readily takes a smooth finish), although I would say they are probably only finished to 220 grit, max. I don't have a scale, but the Monocacy weighs noticeably less than a Spyderco Military (admittedly a much bigger knife). <p>
The knife is rounded off by a Kydex sheath that is very nicely made. Fit and retention are both very good, and Ed uses a wide strip of heavy duty Velcro to secure the sheath to your belt. This is a nice quick release method, and is adaptable to a variety of belt widths and pack straps. Ed took as much care in the sheath as he did the knife, which is saying a lot!<p>
Because of its light weight, the Monocacy is more of a light utility knife or self-defense tool rather than something you could do havy duty work with (although I use the heck out of my 1/16" thick ATS-34 Aki machete). The knife is very comfortable in the hand and has near flawless fit and finish. If you think "tactical" also means ugly or boring, you need to get one of Ed's knives to prove yourself wrong! The blade moves very quickly and I imagine it would be stupendous as a neck knife.<p>
I do have a few criticisms. While the Velcro is nice on the sheath, I prefer a G-clip. The sheath is usable on the belt only in horizontal carry mode, so the Velcro limits options quite a bit. I did notice a handful of tiny, tiny vertical grind lines close to the edge of the blade, and there is a tiny bit of gapping between the pins and handle, but these are of such a slight degree that someone who doesn't make knives probably wouldn't even notice. I also noticed that there is about 1/2" unsharpened area forward of the plunge cuts. Again, not a big deal, but I always prefer when as much of the blade gets sharpened as possible. Overall, the Monocacy is an incredible knife. It is the best fit and finish I have seen, and the symmetry is perfect on both sides. Paired with a better than average sheath, there is a lot of value represented in this knife. For being a "tactical" blade this is surely the classiest one I own!
The first thing I noticed about the Monocacy was its light weight. The knife is probably about 6 inches overall with a 2.75" blade or so (sorry, lost my ruler. You can probably get specs at Bladeart). I don't know what steel it is, but I would guess ATS-34 or 154CM. The stock is also very thin. It isn't as thin as 1/16", but it is thinner than 1/8", so I am guessing it is 3/32" thick. The knife has a hollow grind and a very thin edge, and of course, cuts like crazy as a result! The plunge cuts and grinds are almost dead even, and the blade gets a beautifully done satin finish (400 grit, maybe?). There is no filework, thumb traction, or other embellishment, making this a very plain, elegant knife.<p>
The handle is black G-10 with three black Micarta pins and a stainless steel thing hole liner. The scales are very symmetric in their shape, and are also very thin. Despite being just barely rounded and contoured, the G-10 scales are very comfortable, mainly due to their thinness. If the scales were this flat, but thicker, the edge would dig into my hand. The scales are quite smooth (other than texturing or beadblasting, G-10 readily takes a smooth finish), although I would say they are probably only finished to 220 grit, max. I don't have a scale, but the Monocacy weighs noticeably less than a Spyderco Military (admittedly a much bigger knife). <p>
The knife is rounded off by a Kydex sheath that is very nicely made. Fit and retention are both very good, and Ed uses a wide strip of heavy duty Velcro to secure the sheath to your belt. This is a nice quick release method, and is adaptable to a variety of belt widths and pack straps. Ed took as much care in the sheath as he did the knife, which is saying a lot!<p>
Because of its light weight, the Monocacy is more of a light utility knife or self-defense tool rather than something you could do havy duty work with (although I use the heck out of my 1/16" thick ATS-34 Aki machete). The knife is very comfortable in the hand and has near flawless fit and finish. If you think "tactical" also means ugly or boring, you need to get one of Ed's knives to prove yourself wrong! The blade moves very quickly and I imagine it would be stupendous as a neck knife.<p>
I do have a few criticisms. While the Velcro is nice on the sheath, I prefer a G-clip. The sheath is usable on the belt only in horizontal carry mode, so the Velcro limits options quite a bit. I did notice a handful of tiny, tiny vertical grind lines close to the edge of the blade, and there is a tiny bit of gapping between the pins and handle, but these are of such a slight degree that someone who doesn't make knives probably wouldn't even notice. I also noticed that there is about 1/2" unsharpened area forward of the plunge cuts. Again, not a big deal, but I always prefer when as much of the blade gets sharpened as possible. Overall, the Monocacy is an incredible knife. It is the best fit and finish I have seen, and the symmetry is perfect on both sides. Paired with a better than average sheath, there is a lot of value represented in this knife. For being a "tactical" blade this is surely the classiest one I own!