Thoughts on Uncommon Knives

[ATwistedStaple]

My current list of "to-buy" production folders is as follows:
Boker Kwaiken Carbon
Boker Thorn Damascus with Olive Wood scales
Lionsteel Opera G10
Lionsteel Opera Cocobolo
Boker Plus Stingray
Mcusta MC-31D
Benchmade Sequel
And whatever the 2015 traditional forum knife ends up being(maybe).



Others on next post...

 

[ATwistedStaple]

I don't know what's up with that thumbnail... ^^^ Oh well.



I didn't bother posting a pic of the sequel of the Suquel because I think we already know it's an awesome blade. The others I've posted though don't seem to get a lot of attention.

I'd like to hear some comments from those that already own any of the knives pictured or variants of the same knife. Particularly the Thorn. I don't know why I've taken suck a liking to it. Potential or previous owners are welcome too of course.

I'm also interested in alternatives if there's anything similar on the market that may be better.

 

[yexactly]

I don't know what's up with that thumbnail... ^^^ Oh well.

View attachment 515262View attachment 515263

I didn't bother posting a pic of the sequel of the Suquel because I think we already know it's an awesome blade. The others I've posted though don't seem to get a lot of attention.

I'd like to hear some comments from those that already own any of the knives pictured or variants of the same knife. Particularly the Thorn. I don't know why I've taken suck a liking to it. Potential or previous owners are welcome too of course.

I'm also interested in alternatives if there's anything similar on the market that may be better.

re: Mcusta.. Regret buying mine cuz it also doesn't have a pocket clip so hardly ever use it.. Way off centre.. came really stiff which led to cutting my thumb 2x the day it came cuz with the narrow blade and thumb stud there is no room for error. The vg10 blade is awesome and comes really sharp.

 

[ATwistedStaple]

re: Mcusta.. Regret buying mine cuz it also doesn't have a pocket clip so hardly ever use it.. Way off centre.. came really stiff which led to cutting my thumb 2x the day it came cuz with the narrow blade and thumb stud there is no room for error. The vg10 blade is awesome and comes really sharp.

Wow. That blows. The "way off center" and "really stiff" could be two results of the same issue. Did you try loosening the pivot?

That knife will fall into the "gentleman" role so I don't mind the lack of clip and the pouch is really nifty. I can't abide those other two issues though. Will be interested to see if it's a common problem.

 

[yexactly]

Wow. That blows. The "way off center" and "really stiff" could be two results of the same issue. Did you try loosening the pivot?

That knife will fall into the "gentleman" role so I don't mind the lack of clip and the pouch is really nifty. I can't abide those other two issues though. Will be interested to see if it's a common problem.

Yes. Did loosen the pivot and applied a drop of oil.. But the main problem is tightness getting the blade out of the handle.. It's a bit 'unpredictable' as to how much force it takes to release it.. Blade is very narrow so be careful! Beautiful design you are looking at.

 

[ATwistedStaple]

Yes. Did loosen the pivot and applied a drop of oil.. But the main problem is tightness getting the blade out of the handle.. It's a bit 'unpredictable' as to how much force it takes to release it.. Blade is very narrow so be careful! Beautiful design you are looking at.

I'll give you $20 for it... Lol.

 

[yexactly]

I'll give you $20 for it... Lol.

That's the problem.. It's not worth the time to sell it.. I'd do the deal but you'd have to pick it up from me here in Canada

 

[mtbaddict]

A thought on another to add to your list, the boker skellerns are pretty rare to see around here, but they're fantastic. The decade edition limited release that just came out has become one of my favorite knives very quickly. With premium hand materials and VG-10 and relatively inexpensive it's hard for me to overlook.

 

[ATwistedStaple]

A thought on another to add to your list, the boker skellerns are pretty rare to see around here, but they're fantastic. The decade edition limited release that just came out has become one of my favorite knives very quickly. With premium hand materials and VG-10 and relatively inexpensive it's hard for me to overlook.

Thanks, that's pretty slick. I'll have to give it a look.

 

[draggat]

I vote for the Lion Steel Opera. I have a Cocobolo and a G10 version but I like the Cocobolo one much better. One thing to notice is that the Cocobolo version is studless (mine has them but it's not typical).

My honest opinion is that none of these knives are particularly uncommon. They just aren't the ones repeated over and over here. Mcusta knives have been discussed at pretty great length on here over the years. The general consensus is that they are very good. As with all knives, the occasional lemon does slip through but it's not the norm. Of the 3 I have had, they were all very well done with excellent F&F. They were also among the sharpest knives out of the box I've ever come across. Hair whittling sharp!!

I hated the Sequel 707.... just too small and dainty for me.
The Boker Kwaiken is okay. The version I have is not the flipper, but with the enlarged thumbstud. It's decent but larger than the Opera or the 707. I haven't handled the others so I can't attest to their size.

May I suggest another knife? The Viper Gent. It is about the same size as the Opera, but IMHO, has a lot more class. It is a gentleman's knife though, so no pocket clip. It uses a button to unlock, but it's actually a nested liner lock and the button is just attached to the locking bar. The steel is N690co which has been compared to VG10. I think it's a very good steel. The only problem is that it may be a bit harder to find. Blade HQ has them occasionally, but I had to track down the three I own from an Italian website. You'd be hard pressed to find something that is just like it! There is a video review on YouTube done by a someone who is a member here as well. One last thing.... despite the fact that it is studless, it is easily opened with one hand. The tang of the blade sits very high on the handle when closed and you can use your thumb to lever the blade open. The tang is shaped a bit like a friction folder but with a much shorter lever and there is adequate jimping on that portion.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[Riz!]

Let me add this to your list. If you like that Sal Manaro Stingray...

The Southern Grind Bad Monkey...

 

[ATwistedStaple]

Let me add this to your list. If you like that Sal Manaro Stingray...

The Southern Grind Bad Monkey...

I'll have to check that out. I've ruled out the Stingray due to the enormity of the thing. Do love that blade shape though. Silly, but gorgeous.

 

[The Aflac Duck]

Careful with those lionsteel operas, the small ones I had were problematic. The blade hits the backspacer if you push down on the blade or "snap" it shut, resulting in a constant dull spot.

I'm not sure about the large ones.