- Joined
- Jun 23, 2012
- Messages
- 2,846
This is the Iron Dragon
There are a few like it, but this one is mine.
As many of you are probably aware, the Iron Dragon is a titanium frame lock folder from Emerson. I acquired this one at Blade Show, so I've had it for 10 days now. There is very little information as of yet on the web about the Iron Dragon, so I just thought I would do a quick review to give my impressions of this knife.
To start, let me say that I have carried the Dragon every day since I got it, and have pretty much been playing with it constantly. Although I have not "hard used" this knife (I have no doubt that I could), I have used it for basic EDC type tasks. IE: cutting open packages, slicing sandwiches, cutting some para cord, and other such life and death struggles. It passed all of these tests with flying colors, and is actually a very good slicer.
That being said, the reason I bought the Iron Dragon was to be carried often, and used little. My primary use for the Dragon is as an off side carry. An emergency blade in the gravest of extremes. I don't want to get into the whole using a knife for self defense argument, but for me this is a "get off me knife" as are all my EKI's. This would come into play in the event that someone grabs my gun, or is literally on top of me, and I need to fight for my life. I am more than confident that the Dragon would excell in that roll.
So now let's talk about the details of the knife itself.
The blade is by my measurement about 3.8" in length, and the standard EKI .125" thick. The primary bevel is a fairly thin v grind, with an absolutely stupid sharp chisel ground edge (the sharpest out of the box I have ever seen). The blade is a Bowie style clip point with a recurve edge, and is in my opinion, drop dead gorgeous.
The handle is a nicely stonewashed titanium slab on the frame lock side, and a textured G10 slab on the presentation side. The Iron Dragon features brushed stainless steel hardware instead if the usual EKI black hardware. I think this contrasts nicely with the black G10, and ads an attractive touch, and a bit of flair to the knife. The Dragon also features a stonewashed stainless steel pocket clip instead of the usual black clip. Another nice aesthetic touch.
The G10 is a different texture than the standard G10 used on EKI liner lock knives. It has a more course texture, and offers an excellent grip. I've noticed that it does not seem to hold on to lint, dirt, and debris like the more finely textured G10 does. The G10 handle side has no liner, and this saves weight without (IMO) sacrificing strength. I cannot perceive any flex in the handle whatsoever.
And speaking of weight, this knife feels light for its size. It is noticeably lighter than other EKI knives in this size range. I don't have a scale, but it seems to weigh about the same as my large Sebenza 21, which is 4.8 oz. it is also substantially thinner than my other EKI's. It is by my measurement 3/8" thick. So that's what? About .4"? It is actually a hair thinner than my Sebenza. The combination of the light weight and the thinness of the handle, make it very comfortable in the pocket.
Concerning ergo's, as I said this is a thin knife. That is great in pocket, but I feel like it's not as hand filling as my other EKI's, so I would give it a small hit there. Not a big deal, as otherwise, it is a very comfortable handle similar in shape to a commander. The light weight makes it feel agile in hand and it balances right at the finger choil. The choil also does a good job of locking your hand on to the handle.
As far as fit and finish, this one is exemplary. the blade grinds are beautiful, and perfectly executed as far as I can tell. The handle has no sharp edges or uneven surfaces anywhere.
The blade centering is dead on center.
The lockup is solid, with no play in any direction, and the action is as slick as buttered glass.
I am very impressed with this ball bearing pivot. I have owned 3 ZT flippers with bearings, and I have a Boker Kwaiken with IKBS. The pivot on this Dragon is WAY smoother than any of those knives. The blade just falls closed on its own weight when you release the lock bar, and there is no perceivable grittiness, glitching, or bumps. Just an ultra smooth gliding action for the full length of the blade travel.
The detent is just right. It is positive, with a reassuring click when closing, but not so stiff that it is a pain to open. I have no worries of the knife opening in my pocket, and I cannot shake the blade out of the handle. It also thumb flicks open like a champ, without any wrist action.
Now for the very minor negatives. When I first got the knife, the pivot would not stay tight. A drop of blue lock tight fixed this issue, and there has been no problem since.
Also at first there was a bit of lock stick. Unusual, because this knife has a steel lock bar insert. I think the surface of the insert, or the blade tang may have been just a little rough, because after playing with the knife for a while, the stick went away. There has been no issue with lock stick since then.
When I first got the Dragon it locked up at about 30%. Within the first couple of days it moved to 50%, right where I like it, and has stayed there ever since. It is solid, and there is no lock rock, or slip.
One interesting thing I noticed, is that EKI has hidden the lock bar insert. The only indication of its existence, from looking at the outside of the knife, are the two phillips head screws on the lock bar. Just a nice touch I thought.
In conclusion, I find that the Iron Dragon is well made, well finished, durable, ergonomic, solid, easy to carry, and fun to play with. It will be a permanent part of my collection, and should offer a lifetime of service. If you can find one, I highly recommend it.
Two thumbs up.:thumbup::thumbup:
ebidis
There are a few like it, but this one is mine.
As many of you are probably aware, the Iron Dragon is a titanium frame lock folder from Emerson. I acquired this one at Blade Show, so I've had it for 10 days now. There is very little information as of yet on the web about the Iron Dragon, so I just thought I would do a quick review to give my impressions of this knife.
To start, let me say that I have carried the Dragon every day since I got it, and have pretty much been playing with it constantly. Although I have not "hard used" this knife (I have no doubt that I could), I have used it for basic EDC type tasks. IE: cutting open packages, slicing sandwiches, cutting some para cord, and other such life and death struggles. It passed all of these tests with flying colors, and is actually a very good slicer.
That being said, the reason I bought the Iron Dragon was to be carried often, and used little. My primary use for the Dragon is as an off side carry. An emergency blade in the gravest of extremes. I don't want to get into the whole using a knife for self defense argument, but for me this is a "get off me knife" as are all my EKI's. This would come into play in the event that someone grabs my gun, or is literally on top of me, and I need to fight for my life. I am more than confident that the Dragon would excell in that roll.
So now let's talk about the details of the knife itself.
The blade is by my measurement about 3.8" in length, and the standard EKI .125" thick. The primary bevel is a fairly thin v grind, with an absolutely stupid sharp chisel ground edge (the sharpest out of the box I have ever seen). The blade is a Bowie style clip point with a recurve edge, and is in my opinion, drop dead gorgeous.
The handle is a nicely stonewashed titanium slab on the frame lock side, and a textured G10 slab on the presentation side. The Iron Dragon features brushed stainless steel hardware instead if the usual EKI black hardware. I think this contrasts nicely with the black G10, and ads an attractive touch, and a bit of flair to the knife. The Dragon also features a stonewashed stainless steel pocket clip instead of the usual black clip. Another nice aesthetic touch.
The G10 is a different texture than the standard G10 used on EKI liner lock knives. It has a more course texture, and offers an excellent grip. I've noticed that it does not seem to hold on to lint, dirt, and debris like the more finely textured G10 does. The G10 handle side has no liner, and this saves weight without (IMO) sacrificing strength. I cannot perceive any flex in the handle whatsoever.
And speaking of weight, this knife feels light for its size. It is noticeably lighter than other EKI knives in this size range. I don't have a scale, but it seems to weigh about the same as my large Sebenza 21, which is 4.8 oz. it is also substantially thinner than my other EKI's. It is by my measurement 3/8" thick. So that's what? About .4"? It is actually a hair thinner than my Sebenza. The combination of the light weight and the thinness of the handle, make it very comfortable in the pocket.
Concerning ergo's, as I said this is a thin knife. That is great in pocket, but I feel like it's not as hand filling as my other EKI's, so I would give it a small hit there. Not a big deal, as otherwise, it is a very comfortable handle similar in shape to a commander. The light weight makes it feel agile in hand and it balances right at the finger choil. The choil also does a good job of locking your hand on to the handle.
As far as fit and finish, this one is exemplary. the blade grinds are beautiful, and perfectly executed as far as I can tell. The handle has no sharp edges or uneven surfaces anywhere.
The blade centering is dead on center.
The lockup is solid, with no play in any direction, and the action is as slick as buttered glass.
I am very impressed with this ball bearing pivot. I have owned 3 ZT flippers with bearings, and I have a Boker Kwaiken with IKBS. The pivot on this Dragon is WAY smoother than any of those knives. The blade just falls closed on its own weight when you release the lock bar, and there is no perceivable grittiness, glitching, or bumps. Just an ultra smooth gliding action for the full length of the blade travel.
The detent is just right. It is positive, with a reassuring click when closing, but not so stiff that it is a pain to open. I have no worries of the knife opening in my pocket, and I cannot shake the blade out of the handle. It also thumb flicks open like a champ, without any wrist action.
Now for the very minor negatives. When I first got the knife, the pivot would not stay tight. A drop of blue lock tight fixed this issue, and there has been no problem since.
Also at first there was a bit of lock stick. Unusual, because this knife has a steel lock bar insert. I think the surface of the insert, or the blade tang may have been just a little rough, because after playing with the knife for a while, the stick went away. There has been no issue with lock stick since then.
When I first got the Dragon it locked up at about 30%. Within the first couple of days it moved to 50%, right where I like it, and has stayed there ever since. It is solid, and there is no lock rock, or slip.
One interesting thing I noticed, is that EKI has hidden the lock bar insert. The only indication of its existence, from looking at the outside of the knife, are the two phillips head screws on the lock bar. Just a nice touch I thought.
In conclusion, I find that the Iron Dragon is well made, well finished, durable, ergonomic, solid, easy to carry, and fun to play with. It will be a permanent part of my collection, and should offer a lifetime of service. If you can find one, I highly recommend it.
Two thumbs up.:thumbup::thumbup:
ebidis
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