Review TwoSun TS277

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old4570

Banned By Request
Joined
Jul 28, 2010
Messages
803

A) Nothing to complain about
B) Except the FUBAR factory edge .. It was , ............ FUBAR .

What we have is a 8.5 inch BB Flipper with a liner lock . The lock holds well .
Knife is smooth and fidget friendly .
It is by no means a small folder or a pocket knife . More a belt sized folder .
It's almost a transitional knife between a pocket knife and a fixed blade ( Size wise ) .
It be a very solid build , maybe not over built like some other TwoSun , but no light weight either .
It is a very nice slicing knife that is comfortable in the hand .
Oh yeah , 200 slice fail with a rolled edge ! ( Factory Edge )

Has been reground and maybe 30% of the blade toward the handle is still FUBAR due to the less than stellar factory grind .
I have to say , there is something to be said for a machined blade .. ( Accuracy ) .
The center line of the edge was out and is still out .. How many years of use to regrind / correct = Not worth worrying about !
Will go back to the rope with the fresh grind and see what happens .
 

Back to the rope with the re ground edge ..
Aaaargh ! A 300 slice fail with a rolled edge .. ( only a 50% gain )
Yeah , the edge rolled again ... A wood strop and the edge was slicing paper again rather well ...
But a fail is a fail ...
Leather stropped the edge back .... ( Hmmmm ) Should I run the stropped edge thru the rope ?
When the new guided knife sharpener gets here , I might have to do this knife @ 22 degrees .

I can only think the wet stone grinder , well it does a hollow ground bevel ! And might leave the 14c28n blade a little thin at the edge .
So a proper V bevel might not roll ( one can hope ) .
Come on snail mail , less snail and more mail .
 

22deg micro bevel ontop the 18deg main bevel

Edge rolled again .. Thats 4 times in a row the edge has rolled ..
That steel may be way soft (?) I havent had at it with the diamond cutters yes ? So not sure how hard the steel is .
But a 150 slice fail due to a roll is not good ! So ...
200 slice fail with factory edge
300 slice fail with the wet stone grinder edge
150 slice fail with a stropped edge
150 slice fail with a 22deg micro bevel
And all fails as a result of a rolled edge ..
I think I am over Sanvik Steel ... Might put it away with AUS8 as a steel best avoided .

Just wish knife makers would stick to one steel ! D2
Because good D2 , I mean really good D2 can run with the big dogs ( Value for money ) .
So why do knife makers use steels they can't cook properly ?

I have to say , another disappointing knife from TwoSun ... ( Performance is disappointing )
 
How many edges have you put on this knife so far? I ask because my experiences with 14C28N over the years have been overwhelmingly positive. The edge retention isn't amazing or anything but I've found it to be a good performer at the budget level. Even when run a little softer, it always tends to hold a better edge than 8Cr13Mov for me and is usually better than AUS-8. Given some of the wide performance range I've experienced with Chinese D2, I've looked at 14C28N as a safer choice in cheaper knives.

I'm not familiar with how TwoSun does it but I've heard that 14C28N is relatively easy to heat treat. (Contrast that with D2, which is apparently a bit more challenging to properly heat treat in large batches.) Other Chinese companies that don't have as good of a reputation seem to do a decent job with 14C28N. I'd expect TwoSun's 14C28N to be at least okay.

So I'm wondering if something went wrong at the factory grinder. Having fatigued steel on a factory edge is nothing new. Sometimes though, the damage from overheating can run deeper. Taking off a little more steel might help. I've seen cases of this happening in testing from Outpost 76. Either way, don't give up on 14C28N.
 
The edge is constantly rolling .. This is certainly not normal ..
TwoSun does put out some SOFT steel from time to time ..
I still havent put a diamond stone to the blade , because I am waiting for a new guided knife sharpener ..
If the diamond Eats the steel , then it's soft . The harder the steel , the more difficult to remove material .
I have a ( Had - gave it to my brother ) knife that is so damned hard , that even diamond had problems creating an edge . ( Hardest knife steel I ever encountered )
Was my fathers knife and the only knife he failed to destroy ! ( My father was a destroyer of knives ) .
Crazy hard and tough steel .. ( Finish Knife ) .
Never come across a knife with such a hard blade before or since .
Every knife is soft in comparison .
 
old4570 said:
The edge is constantly rolling .. This is certainly not normal ..
TwoSun does put out some SOFT steel from time to time ..
I still havent put a diamond stone to the blade , because I am waiting for a new guided knife sharpener ..
If the diamond Eats the steel , then it's soft . The harder the steel , the more difficult to remove material .
I have a ( Had - gave it to my brother ) knife that is so damned hard , that even diamond had problems creating an edge . ( Hardest knife steel I ever encountered )
Was my fathers knife and the only knife he failed to destroy ! ( My father was a destroyer of knives ) .
Crazy hard and tough steel .. ( Finish Knife ) .
Never come across a knife with such a hard blade before or since .
Every knife is soft in comparison .
Click to expand...

S110V is a steel with that kind of reputation. The only knife in that steel I had been interested in trying had been the Spyderco Military but it's been out of stock for too long to care. So when I saw a TS261 in S110V up for auction, I went for it. Let's hope that they didn't run it too soft and/or fatigue a bunch of steel under the edge at the grinder.

I remember seeing Pete from Cedric & Ada do a test on a TwoSun in S90V. It did pretty well versus any other knife at the price he paid, but it definitely wasn't up to par with other more expensive knives he had tested in S90V.
 
TwoSun - I own several and reviews posted on this forum .
They are a hit and miss company .. In regard to blade steel ..
I have D2 that fails at 150 and D2 that fails at 600 ... That is a 450 slice variable from one company and one steel .
Buying TwoSun is like buying a lottery ticket .
I see a knife that I like ( the looks off ) , and the blade steel disappoints ..
ANd I buy another cos I got it cheap and the blade steel blows me away .
????? The Chinese still dont have a handle on QC ...
 
old4570 said:
TwoSun - I own several and reviews posted on this forum .
They are a hit and miss company .. In regard to blade steel ..
I have D2 that fails at 150 and D2 that fails at 600 ... That is a 450 slice variable from one company and one steel .
Buying TwoSun is like buying a lottery ticket .
I see a knife that I like ( the looks off ) , and the blade steel disappoints ..
ANd I buy another cos I got it cheap and the blade steel blows me away .
????? The Chinese still dont have a handle on QC ...
Click to expand...

Chinese D2 is a special issue and it has generated controversy. I take it you've seen Outpost 76 and Supersteel Steve's respective videos on that?

As far as general QC, lots of Chinese companies do fairly well. Overall, I've been very happy with WE (including their sub-brands), Kizer, Bestech, Tuya, and Petrified Fish. Petrified Fish sometimes leaves their scale edges and transitions a little crisp but that's an easy fix and they're also the cheapest among those brands.

My experience with TwoSun is limited but they seem to do a very nice job with their machining. I have a few of their non-knife items including a couple of EDC pry bars that are excellent. The variable with them seems to be the heat treatment. I'd love to see more of their knives tested. I enjoy taking knives apart and occasional tinkering but as far as testing, they just get regular EDC duty and are sharpened as needed. My EDC rotation has gotten ridiculously large though so it can be a while...
 
I have one Kizer , and just ordered a second Kizer ...
Petrified Fish ( hopefully this year ) and Bestech .
WE is responsible for CIVIVI , and my Civivi blows chunks .
 
Civivi Dogma D2 , been at the rope about 6 times now .. Just disappoints ( Rather soft steel )
I contacted Civivi about it , and they basically said ( tell some one that cares ) .
Civivi has no interest as best I can tell in customer satisfaction . And WE owns Civivi .. ( Budget brand )
So with their attitude towards customers and the rubbish Dog of a knife I got , they will never see my money again ,
 
old4570 said:
Civivi Dogma D2 , been at the rope about 6 times now .. Just disappoints ( Rather soft steel )
I contacted Civivi about it , and they basically said ( tell some one that cares ) .
Civivi has no interest as best I can tell in customer satisfaction . And WE owns Civivi .. ( Budget brand )
So with their attitude towards customers and the rubbish Dog of a knife I got , they will never see my money again ,
Click to expand...

That's unfortunate. I wonder how much the first thing is a Civivi problem and how much is a Chinese D2 problem. Outpost 76 had a Civivi like this but he also had a lot of Chinese D2 like this. There are a lot of factors that we just don't know about in manufacturing over there but it's a problem steel. Some companies do better than others with it but seriously, I wish they'd all stop using it in knives over $30.

I've had maybe thirty WE knives across my bench, including from Sencut, Civivi, and Ferrum Forge. Quality is usually great. I've never actually used their D2, mostly because of my aversion to Chinese D2 and also their options in better budget steels. That said, they've perfected their heat treatment for 9Cr18Mov. They really do a nice job on it and I'd recommend making an exception, at least to try it for a data point.

The second thing surprises me. I've interacted with their customer service one time. They got back to me right away and the American rep for Civivi was extremely helpful. They are a sponsor here. It might be worth reaching out.
 
Im in Oz , and I own a Dog of a Civivi . I think of it as evidence that Civivi can put out rubbish steel .

I own Ganzo D2 that performs , and my brothers Ganzo D2 ( I tested it ) also is a 450 slicer .

I own a Marttiini thats a 600+ and another ( same model ) that's a Dog in comparison . So even Fins can put out junk blade steel .
Play with enough knives ( edge retention testing ) and the picture begins to look checkered .
THe knives are all bolted together just fine , if
Looks
Fidgeting
Feel
ANd how well the knife is bolted together
Is what counts , then 99% of knives are great ! But , get down to what the knife is supposed to do and test it . And a whole new picture emerges .
So many knife reviews and all they lack is substance .
 
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