Yes Another Recon1 "review"

S

SkrufKnifer

Joined
Oct 27, 2012
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203
Yes thats right ANOTHER Recon1 "review"
I got the 4" drop point plain edge model
Well I have been using mine 2 going on 3 weeks now.This is my edc, so its been a working knife since I took it out of the box. Every thing from kitchen duty,to procesing fish and small game. Havn't done any "bushcraft" with it, but it opens food cans, and takes the caps off my beers(VERY IMPORTANT).
Its alot of blade for the pocket, lots of edge to work with
Factory sharp was factory sharp. I dont think I have ever gotten a knife from a factory that I could perform surgery with, this one was no different.
Nice DEEP hallow grind, that the factory edge did not take full advantage of
The G-10 scales are like velcro to your hand, and the shape is very comfortable in the hand
Fit and finish isnt bad, but not perfect. The inside of the G-10 scales are not sanded smooth,but its a production knife.Only "complaint" I have about the fit/finish
The choiles were not finished, and were left square right in the middle of your digit
I think everyone know's about the pocket clip, mine was no different
The "TUFFEX"teflon coating. Well its a great thing to have in the kitchen. When slicing tomatoes, they didnt hang on to the blade. Other than that, the Teflon coating is a joke, and there is nothing "TUFFEX" about it.
You can realy choke up on the blade
So a few things I am go to change/customize.
1. This stupid teflon coating. There is alot of options here. Leave the stone washed finish, polish to mirror finish, or recoat/paint. I think I'm gona try bedliner.
2. The fit. gona sand the inside of the liner smooth, give a bit tighter fit. Just a personal thing
3. The factory edge. They realy didnt take advatage of that Deep hallow grind, but nothing a file and or stone cant fix
4. Tightest pocket clip ever. Get out the sand papper and knock the grip of the handle under the clip!
5. Finger choiles. I had to sand mine down just a bit, fits much more comfortable now.If your gona fix that clip anyways.
6. When I put a new finish on this blade, I want to add some gimping on the blade and tumb ramp. Get out the Dremel!

Over all a good knife. Would be a great knife after some slight modifications/customizations.Personaly every thing I own gets the same treatment. Don't think I have anything I havnt modified in some way. I think you would be hard pressed to find a knife of this quality and usefulness for under $100. Heck I paid $65, what else even comes close to that? I think I'm gona get atleast 2 years of hard abuse out of this guy, if not longer.
So I would definetly recomend this to anyone looking for a good,solid working city knife.
If you want some thing to chop down a tree and build a log cabin with, take on "Tactical" missions, or pry car doors open, then look else where.If you want a solid,practical, all arounder folder, this is a good way to go. BANG FOR THE BUCK
 
Nice review and some nice ideas for changing/customizing. Ive got the Recon1 with Tanto blade, might do some of those changes on mine.
 
They are nice knives especially for the price, got mine on ebay for around $40
 
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Great line of knives. I have the Clipped Point and Tanto Point, and plan on getting the newer Spear Point too.

I really like the ultra-grippy peel-ply G10 and the handle ergonomics are superb.
 
sbatten said:
They are nice knives especially for the price, got mine on ebay for around $40
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Oh man $40 SCORE!!. Well Its been about 2 months now, and believe it or not the teflon coating is still hangin on. I'd say I have lost 10% or less. I have used it to get into a few Beefaroni cans, cut tree roots out of the groud, made a bunch of fishin pole holding sticks. I have done a small amount of battoning wood to fit in the fire can. Oh yeah made a fire can with it to. Reshaped a few cue tips. Surprised how well the teflon has stuck around. I havnt done every thing I want to this blade yet, waiting for the teflon to go bye bye. Just took the shoulder of the factory edge down a bit, gets prety sharp quick. Just yesterday, after cutting threw a few tree roots and diggin up big rocks and other landscaping duties, the edge was a bit dull. No big deal, just ran the edge a few times on a half way down car window durring lunch. Edged up real quick, cut some salami, cheses and tamato's, spread some spicy mustard, then back to work. Cut up some fuel line for the work rig, and stuck a hole in my tumb. Damn hands dont work as well in the cold :grumpy:. It helps me make and eat dinner every night. This knife is doin a good job so far, alltho it dose need to be ran accross the sharpening stick every night before bed, but I suppose thats the same for most if not all daily drivers.
Well I'm gona keep beating this thing up. Knife really dosnt seem to mind. Its been a great all arounder blade so far. The spear point has been a great shape for me. Was in between on the clip point, would be a bit better for skinning game. Tanto edge? I guess if your a carpenter, having that chisle like tip would probably come in very handy. The lock up on this thing is just as strong and positive as it was out of the box.
I still feel this is great blade, and still recomend it to anyone. Let you guys know how its holding up in a couple more months
 
It IS a great blade. I love mine. I have even batoned with mine. Thought i broke it as it was VERY lose afterwards. I just tightened up all the screws & it was good to go again. Tighter than when i got it. Lots-o-blade for the money. But that is kinda their trademark.
 
It's nice getting a follow up, thanks! I don't have the Recon 1, but do have a 4" Voyager, which has a flat ground stone washed finish. I like the Tri-ad lock and the ergonomics. It cuts well, doesn't break any records for edge holding, but as you've noted, it's good enough, and really easy to put an edge back on.

My only real complaint is the thumb stud. I've grown very fond of holes in the blade rather than a stud, it really rips up my jeans. Thinking of a mod. Hmmm....
 
Now that you mention it. The thumbstud placement is kinda weird on the recon1. It kinda gets in the way of being able to sharpen it. Atleast enuff to be annoying.
The Voyager 50/50 Tanto was my first modern folder some 15 years ago or so. I remember liking the lock, becuse it reminded me of my Buck 110, and realy 20 years ago the Buck was the only locking folder more or less. It was a prety tuff knife, I dont realy know what I was thinking when I went to liner locks. They do whip open prety quick flipers. I admit them CRKT m16 series are some deadly lookin SOB's. But I dont think I could beat on them like I do this CS
 
Sodak, replace the stud with zip tie. It's enough for slow opening (no thumb flick though) and if speed required, wave it when pulling out.

I have XL tanto and it's so blade havey, flicking it out with wrist is easy. Not sure how the clip point 4" is, must be tougher to do.
 
Chris "Anagarika";11645375 said:
Sodak, replace the stud with zip tie. It's enough for slow opening (no thumb flick though) and if speed required, wave it when pulling out.

I have XL tanto and it's so blade havey, flicking it out with wrist is easy. Not sure how the clip point 4" is, must be tougher to do.
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The clip point will fly right open with a flick of the wrist. Having a little oil in the joint helps. I use veg or olive, since it get used in the kitchen.

I say leave the thumb stud. If your manual dexterity is compermised, that stud can be a life saver. Just this morning I was fishing with my buddy. We got to the lake just before sun up. It was just above freezing around 34-6 and wind with gust up tp 10-15mph. He casted out and a seagull swooped down, and was intagled in the line. We had to reall in the poor guy. On the way in the hook side of the line hit a snag, and when the bird freeked out trying to get away he would get pulled under. I was wearing neoprene gloves, relativly thick, but my dexterty was compermised. I reached for the knife, pulled outa pocket and opend with one hand. I cut the snag free, stuck knife in the ground, grabed the bird. Held his wings together, my buddy cut the tangle, and off went our featherd friend. So I guess that is a real world "emergency". Sure it was a bird this time, but next time it could be my buddy fallin off the boat, and getting tangled in a snag. In situations like that seconds count, and with out the thumbstud, and loss of dexterity who knows.
 
Good point.

One question, when dexterity is compromised this time, do you mean also it was unsafe to use wrist flick? I recalled years ago, someone mentioned using gross motor move to open the blade is preferable in the event dexterity is compromised. A wrist flick IMO is one, and by design, it has strength to be wrist flicked.

I usually take out the studs during sharpening, and rarely attach them back.
 
I can find it hard to hold on to screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers and knives when my hands are cramped from the cold. I think I would be more prone to fling the knife outa my hand. Or drop it from the inertia of being opened. Depending on where I am standing, over water, deep snow, on the edge of some roof or cliff, that could be it for the knife. I think maybe having a smooth handle could also increse the chances of loosing your grip. You might shiver mid wrist flick and loose your grip that way.Its just hard to hold on to any thing while your shivering. Who knows if its cold enuf and you get some water in the moving parts and the knife freezes shut, you might just end up flinging the knife outa your hand.Maybe you attempt to wrist flick multipul times out of habbit and waste time. Or say you where in a roll over and having a hard time staying conciuos, on the verge of a black out. Being able to feel and fixate on the thumb stud might actualy keep you concious. Maybe your coming home from the bar, and been drinking all night and some one attempts to mug you. I have seen many of my drunk friends just fling the blade right outa there hand, and fly accross the room while showing off the old wrist flick.
After all I think knives with thumb studs were ultimatly designed to be opened with one continous motion of the thumb with out the use of the wrist
 
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Maybe a liner lock with a spring asist and a flipper is the way to go, or a switch blade. Let the knife do all the work for you. Might make a good arguement for legalizing the switch blade in some place's
 
So another month has gone by. Carring the Recon1 every day. Still prying, cutting and stabbing away. Used it to fillet a few lake trout me a my buddy cought for diner the other night. Worked well, to be honest my Buck110 is much better suited for the job. Having that clip point realy makes a difference. Also that old Buck takes a sharper edge it seems. I have to tell ya, you realy gota keep sharpening that Recon. Probably not the best knife for the bug out bag, I mean you gota sharpen it almost every time you use it. Some of the other knives I have used in the past will do more work in between sharpening.
I was bored at the Frisbe golf park the other day, hiding under a thick canopy, waiting for the rain to buzz off. If you've ever been Frolfing, you know it envolves drinking some beer's. Anyways Had a few brews, and we decided to see wich one of us could throw are knife into the tree oh 15 ft away. Gota keep that frisbee arm warm! well after several attempts no one could get a "Sticker", but I can say that under that stress the Recon1 did very well. One buddy's $5 ace hardware at the counter special didnt make it. My other buddy was throwing some S&W from I assume Big5, some big ol chucnk of aluminum and Aus8. Realy rattled up the knife. Its now prety wobble in the hand. That Recon1 made some swacks and bounced all over the place, even landed in a mud pit. That G10 is some tuff stuff, even took some of the bark with it. have a few green smidges in the waffle. Still locks up 100%, and is no worse for the wear. My good buddy did huck his trysty SOG Trident a few time with simular results. Althogh the mud did seem to effect the locking mechanisim a little, but a quick swish in a water puddle, and a blow out, prety much fixed the prob for him.
I dont recomend throwing your knife, Its not ment to do that, atleast not what we were throwing. I feel If I had been more used to the knife, I probably could have gotten a "sticker". I am pretty good at stickin my Ontario SP-1 into anything, at just about any distance, with in reason ofcourse, but I have had that on my hip for a good 10 years, have even taken a Javolina with it.(Not by throwing it) I will say out of the the 4 knives we were inpropperly handleing, I belive the 2 of us who spent the money on pocket knife, the Recon1 and the SOG Trident are by know meens inexpensive, retailing in the 100-150 dollar range at a shop. Depending on were you shop. Ofcourse you can find on ebay or amazon for half that or less. Anyways, its a tough knife, and that tri-ad lock system is worth the money. My teflon is still hangin on there, but it being all scraped up dosnt bother me. Its like a hot chick with a gnarly scar. Well lets see if it makes it another month, see ya guys then
 
Oh yeah thought I might add. I havnt had to tighten up any of the screws holding thins thing together. About once aweek it goes threw the dish washer, then gets a quick squirt of EVOO (ExtraVirganOliveoil). Who dosnt love Rachel Ray?
 
The edge might be getting soft due to factory grinding. Try it out after several sharpening sessions perhaps?
 
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LOL I sharpen it every night.I got it middle of last October, so its had some time. I did take the shoulder off a bit. It gets a heck of alot sharper than originaly out of the box. I have done this with just about every knife I have owned over the years. I havta say, it seems that CRKT AUS8 takes and holds an edge much better.Atleast in my experience.Maybe its the sharpener I am using. I have been using a 4 sided diamond stone and a ultra fine diamond stick, but they have been keeping every thing else as sharp as cheddar cheese
 
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Yeah maybe the heat treatment went wrong with mine. Mass production problems? I dont know I think I might try a sand stone see if that makes a difference. I can get it sharp enuf to shave with, it just wont stay sharp. It seems ass soon as I cut something, I have to sharpen it again, gets a bit frustrating. I have never had such a hard time keeping a knife sharp before in my life. I will say its probably the sturdiest folder I have ever used, but just killing me on the sharpness or lack there of.
 
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