- Joined
- Jul 16, 2010
- Messages
- 7
Looking for Ti Frame Locks.
http://www.redbladeknives.com/knifegallery.html
This is my first written review on a knife so be sure to let me know what you think in the comments. I chose Red Blade Knives, Pig model as topic of my first written knife review. I will cover the specs, thought process, manufacturing, carry, user ability, and personal thoughts as well. My qualifications are extremely in the end-user category and with 8.5 years in the military with some of the hardest infantry units 2/6, 2/5, 3/9. I and others like me in LEO, EMS and Mil are some of the prime demographics that knife companies key in for. Serving in several different theaters of War and Peace I have seen knives come and go and grown a fondness for not only usability but quality and durability. This is where Red Blade Knives or RBK comes into the pictureThe birth of RBK came from Dan Rotblatt, Sean “Griz” Coulter, and Robi Mukherjee. Dan being a knife and sword maker of 35 years brings to the team the art. Griz is well known within the knife industry. Rubbing elbows with some of the legends of the knife world has brought him vision in not only the processes needed but also the caliber of work he wants to achieve with RBK and the tools that RBK will produce. Robi is the Master Machinist of the trio. Bringing 33 years of CNC programming and CAD design along with a Veteran background in the 11 Armored Cavalry Regiment. This team will have all the art, vision, and solid design foundation a true tool should deserve.RBK has allowed me the ability to carry and T&E (Test and Evaluate) the PIG. One of the premiere models I learned of in 2012 at G4, their “Grunt” Capable tool for me to look at and test against real world situations.Specs:
Blade: CPM S30V
Lock; Line .080 thick
Scales: Textured G-10 (Black, Tan, OD green)
Clip: Titanium
Overall Length: 8 1/8
Blade Length 3 5/16’’
Blade Thickness: 1/4’’
I will break this knife down from top to bottom. You’re working with 1/4 inch thick Cpm S30v that is stonewashed on my model (other finishes will possibly be available soon) that is a robust yet compact 3 5/16 inch in length blade. The knife edge is beyond sharp (my thumb was almost lopped off in an accident at work and I didn’t feel a thing). With an octagonal thumb stud that is on both sides of the knife to allow for ambidextrous deployment, this knife opens with no issues. The wide yet sleek swedge will allow of great penetration. The knife when deployed has a secure grip and the choil lines up perfectly to allow for the knife to have a deep finger guard that is jimped for traction. Along with a wide lock face to allow of solid lockup.Jimping draws me to the body of the knife the part that will be one of the most handled pieces. Dressed in a course G10 it allows for great use in wet and dry environments. Gloved or ungloved this tool will hold securely with a jimping pattern that is grippy yet not so aggressive to deter from hard use. With a Pivot that glides like oil on glass with PB (Phosphor Bronze) washers and white lithium for lubricant. The base of the structure of this tools lock is a robust 0.080 thick Titanium liners that have a solid lock up with years of use left in them. The G10 has been drilled for a Tip Up carry that is ambidextrous in carry allowing for the Titanium pocket clip to be worn left or right. Follow on to the bottom of the knife is a 1/4 inch thick Titanium back strap that is jimped on top and the bottom of the tool to allow for ice pick grip and still have traction. One oddity is the way the lanyard attachment is utilized. Rather than bore a hole all the way through the G10, liners, and back strap the bottom is shelled out in a fashion to allow for a pin to be emplaced for lanyards to be attached to the knife without struggling with your choice of thickness or type of media the user would your i.e. 550 cord, beads, and the like. This allows for the attachment to be as slim or as robust as the user prefers.Handling is a one aspect of the knife I usually have gripes on, personally I have smaller hands than most men so this poses a problem with most knives in the tactical community. But this is not so with the PIG it’s big enough for a man with big hands and medium enough for the man with smaller hands. Its titanium liners means a lot of the weight is from the blade but the balance is the way the handle is contoured to have the back strap to counter weight to have the weight sit in the hand not in the blade, making it a very secure cutter in my opinion.The construction along with the geometry of the blade gives me a great amount of pride and respect to the maker, designer, and machinist.Total usage is paramount due to the fact that beyond all the specs, technical data, and thought process that went into this the function of the tool is to cut and be able to close up. And put in the pocket and this tool does just that and EXCELS to the top of that ladder. I have owned many knives and used them on a daily basis. This knife may not be as flashy as some of the more well known knives in the industry ……but that’s where this tool is a work horse and a sleeper. It has opened cans of soup along with whittled down wood. It’s definitely the Clark Kent until you open it and faster than a speeding bullet it is your Superman. The simplicity in the design and the solid foundation that it was built on is a testament to the 100+year’s cumulative experience that this team puts together.All the pieces are 100% true American made and most if not all the manufacturing is done in house except for heat treat of the blades. This allows for total overview of the process by these true artists. The hand rubbed feel and the fact that this a true USA made product shows the close tolerances that they expect to produce and that come out of that shop. RBK team looks for a hole in the industry and they didn’t find it they carved their own place. They stamped their own niche in the industry with what they are trying to offer and time will tell if there name stands up as well as the product. RBK has shown me in their product that they are a place for the hard men and women in any profession that expect the same out of their tools as they do out of themselves. Hard tools for a hard use this should be the mantra of the company. They expect the same out of themselves as they do out of the tools they produce. Knowing well and well what kind of situations that these tools will be hurled into. Lives depend on these tools as well as the operators be they MIL, LEO, EMS and the regular man that is a hard worker who needs such a tool to push them further. There is no room for error for tools that are needed in such a capacity.In my opinion as a man who expects the same usage of my tools as I do out of myself, I give Red Blade Knives the respect and the stamp of approval that they deserve. This is a tool I would gladly carry to have as a light to medium use folder…As my ONLY folder in any situation. But with so many choices out there it makes for quite a problem.
http://www.redbladeknives.com/knifegallery.html
This is my first written review on a knife so be sure to let me know what you think in the comments. I chose Red Blade Knives, Pig model as topic of my first written knife review. I will cover the specs, thought process, manufacturing, carry, user ability, and personal thoughts as well. My qualifications are extremely in the end-user category and with 8.5 years in the military with some of the hardest infantry units 2/6, 2/5, 3/9. I and others like me in LEO, EMS and Mil are some of the prime demographics that knife companies key in for. Serving in several different theaters of War and Peace I have seen knives come and go and grown a fondness for not only usability but quality and durability. This is where Red Blade Knives or RBK comes into the pictureThe birth of RBK came from Dan Rotblatt, Sean “Griz” Coulter, and Robi Mukherjee. Dan being a knife and sword maker of 35 years brings to the team the art. Griz is well known within the knife industry. Rubbing elbows with some of the legends of the knife world has brought him vision in not only the processes needed but also the caliber of work he wants to achieve with RBK and the tools that RBK will produce. Robi is the Master Machinist of the trio. Bringing 33 years of CNC programming and CAD design along with a Veteran background in the 11 Armored Cavalry Regiment. This team will have all the art, vision, and solid design foundation a true tool should deserve.RBK has allowed me the ability to carry and T&E (Test and Evaluate) the PIG. One of the premiere models I learned of in 2012 at G4, their “Grunt” Capable tool for me to look at and test against real world situations.Specs:
Blade: CPM S30V
Lock; Line .080 thick
Scales: Textured G-10 (Black, Tan, OD green)
Clip: Titanium
Overall Length: 8 1/8
Blade Length 3 5/16’’
Blade Thickness: 1/4’’
I will break this knife down from top to bottom. You’re working with 1/4 inch thick Cpm S30v that is stonewashed on my model (other finishes will possibly be available soon) that is a robust yet compact 3 5/16 inch in length blade. The knife edge is beyond sharp (my thumb was almost lopped off in an accident at work and I didn’t feel a thing). With an octagonal thumb stud that is on both sides of the knife to allow for ambidextrous deployment, this knife opens with no issues. The wide yet sleek swedge will allow of great penetration. The knife when deployed has a secure grip and the choil lines up perfectly to allow for the knife to have a deep finger guard that is jimped for traction. Along with a wide lock face to allow of solid lockup.Jimping draws me to the body of the knife the part that will be one of the most handled pieces. Dressed in a course G10 it allows for great use in wet and dry environments. Gloved or ungloved this tool will hold securely with a jimping pattern that is grippy yet not so aggressive to deter from hard use. With a Pivot that glides like oil on glass with PB (Phosphor Bronze) washers and white lithium for lubricant. The base of the structure of this tools lock is a robust 0.080 thick Titanium liners that have a solid lock up with years of use left in them. The G10 has been drilled for a Tip Up carry that is ambidextrous in carry allowing for the Titanium pocket clip to be worn left or right. Follow on to the bottom of the knife is a 1/4 inch thick Titanium back strap that is jimped on top and the bottom of the tool to allow for ice pick grip and still have traction. One oddity is the way the lanyard attachment is utilized. Rather than bore a hole all the way through the G10, liners, and back strap the bottom is shelled out in a fashion to allow for a pin to be emplaced for lanyards to be attached to the knife without struggling with your choice of thickness or type of media the user would your i.e. 550 cord, beads, and the like. This allows for the attachment to be as slim or as robust as the user prefers.Handling is a one aspect of the knife I usually have gripes on, personally I have smaller hands than most men so this poses a problem with most knives in the tactical community. But this is not so with the PIG it’s big enough for a man with big hands and medium enough for the man with smaller hands. Its titanium liners means a lot of the weight is from the blade but the balance is the way the handle is contoured to have the back strap to counter weight to have the weight sit in the hand not in the blade, making it a very secure cutter in my opinion.The construction along with the geometry of the blade gives me a great amount of pride and respect to the maker, designer, and machinist.Total usage is paramount due to the fact that beyond all the specs, technical data, and thought process that went into this the function of the tool is to cut and be able to close up. And put in the pocket and this tool does just that and EXCELS to the top of that ladder. I have owned many knives and used them on a daily basis. This knife may not be as flashy as some of the more well known knives in the industry ……but that’s where this tool is a work horse and a sleeper. It has opened cans of soup along with whittled down wood. It’s definitely the Clark Kent until you open it and faster than a speeding bullet it is your Superman. The simplicity in the design and the solid foundation that it was built on is a testament to the 100+year’s cumulative experience that this team puts together.All the pieces are 100% true American made and most if not all the manufacturing is done in house except for heat treat of the blades. This allows for total overview of the process by these true artists. The hand rubbed feel and the fact that this a true USA made product shows the close tolerances that they expect to produce and that come out of that shop. RBK team looks for a hole in the industry and they didn’t find it they carved their own place. They stamped their own niche in the industry with what they are trying to offer and time will tell if there name stands up as well as the product. RBK has shown me in their product that they are a place for the hard men and women in any profession that expect the same out of their tools as they do out of themselves. Hard tools for a hard use this should be the mantra of the company. They expect the same out of themselves as they do out of the tools they produce. Knowing well and well what kind of situations that these tools will be hurled into. Lives depend on these tools as well as the operators be they MIL, LEO, EMS and the regular man that is a hard worker who needs such a tool to push them further. There is no room for error for tools that are needed in such a capacity.In my opinion as a man who expects the same usage of my tools as I do out of myself, I give Red Blade Knives the respect and the stamp of approval that they deserve. This is a tool I would gladly carry to have as a light to medium use folder…As my ONLY folder in any situation. But with so many choices out there it makes for quite a problem.
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