- Joined
- Feb 4, 2006
- Messages
- 562
Got one of these big folders not too long ago as an intro into >4" folders.
For around $30, I think it's hard to beat as a hard use backup to a fixed blade.
It was not too sharp out of the box, but it only took a minute on the Sharpmaker fine rods to get it very very sharp. The blade is about .130" thick at the spine, and comes down to a nice thin .020" edge. I like the very simple blade design and flat grind. It's very versatile and very useful. After cutting some double thick corrugated cardboard, I found the edge holding performance of the Krupps 4116 steel a little underwhelming. I would rate it slightly underneath Kershaw's 440A, 13C26, and Cold Steel's AUS-8. However, I would rate CS's 4116 steel above those 3 in edge durability. After cutting cardboard, there were no nicks in the edge, and no rough spots were detectable running my thumbnail down the edge. The edge was also in fine condition after some light chopping on some wood. Overall, I like the blade a lot. Thin enough to be an effective slicer, and thick/stiff enough to do some light prying in wood without flexing or breaking.
What I really like a lot about this knife is the lock. The lock has been rock solid from the start, and shows no signs of letting up. It is not the easiest lock to operate, but it is incredibly solid, and seemingly very strong. There is basically a steel bar shoved between the back of the blade and the spine of the one piece steel handle (which is also the stop pin). I'm no expert on these things, but it doesn't seem to get much tougher than that. The lock withstood chopping, and heavy, repeated spine whacks on wood with ease, and still locks up like new. You will need 2 hands to operate this knife unfortunately, but I don't see the need for that in normal use.
The handle is not the most ergonomic for rough use, but feels pretty good in normal cutting. It is swelled out in the middle and reaches slightly over 1/2" in thickness. The stamped steel used for the handle is thin, so the edges of the blade channel can be uncomfortable in heavy cutting, and especially chopping (which I would recommend gloves for). The clip is reversible, and is placed well. The knife fits fine clipped into my jeans, though it leaves a good portion visible (which should be expected for a large knife).
For $30, there is no quality competition that I know of in this size class. Big, cheap, tough as nails, and versatile. An excellent knife in my opinion, though I'd leave the high volume, abrasive cutting jobs up to the higher carbide steels like S30V.
For around $30, I think it's hard to beat as a hard use backup to a fixed blade.
It was not too sharp out of the box, but it only took a minute on the Sharpmaker fine rods to get it very very sharp. The blade is about .130" thick at the spine, and comes down to a nice thin .020" edge. I like the very simple blade design and flat grind. It's very versatile and very useful. After cutting some double thick corrugated cardboard, I found the edge holding performance of the Krupps 4116 steel a little underwhelming. I would rate it slightly underneath Kershaw's 440A, 13C26, and Cold Steel's AUS-8. However, I would rate CS's 4116 steel above those 3 in edge durability. After cutting cardboard, there were no nicks in the edge, and no rough spots were detectable running my thumbnail down the edge. The edge was also in fine condition after some light chopping on some wood. Overall, I like the blade a lot. Thin enough to be an effective slicer, and thick/stiff enough to do some light prying in wood without flexing or breaking.
What I really like a lot about this knife is the lock. The lock has been rock solid from the start, and shows no signs of letting up. It is not the easiest lock to operate, but it is incredibly solid, and seemingly very strong. There is basically a steel bar shoved between the back of the blade and the spine of the one piece steel handle (which is also the stop pin). I'm no expert on these things, but it doesn't seem to get much tougher than that. The lock withstood chopping, and heavy, repeated spine whacks on wood with ease, and still locks up like new. You will need 2 hands to operate this knife unfortunately, but I don't see the need for that in normal use.
The handle is not the most ergonomic for rough use, but feels pretty good in normal cutting. It is swelled out in the middle and reaches slightly over 1/2" in thickness. The stamped steel used for the handle is thin, so the edges of the blade channel can be uncomfortable in heavy cutting, and especially chopping (which I would recommend gloves for). The clip is reversible, and is placed well. The knife fits fine clipped into my jeans, though it leaves a good portion visible (which should be expected for a large knife).
For $30, there is no quality competition that I know of in this size class. Big, cheap, tough as nails, and versatile. An excellent knife in my opinion, though I'd leave the high volume, abrasive cutting jobs up to the higher carbide steels like S30V.
), I think I'll be able to open this blade one handed pretty easily. And I have very medium sized hands. Closing it is still a two handed operation, but the more I work with the knife the less it feels like a guillotine. 