- Joined
- May 13, 1999
- Messages
- 1,926
At least 238 of them, actually!
And it is a thing of beauty!
When Bob told me that I'd probably carry it more for dress, I took it with a grain of salt, I mean, c'mon - it's a big tanto, right?
But I've never seen a factory folder that conveys such quiet dignity. Open, it's lines flow and sweep with fluidity. Closed, it conjures images of mist shrouded Japanese mountains.
The technical design is beautiful and precise. The blade tip falls into line perfectly with the handle butt, and the tang shoulder rests directly in the handle's guard line - nothing exposed, every millimeter used to advantage. The clip is a subdued grey to match the bead blasted titanium, which almost feels soft to the touch. The edges of the Ti handle are polished, so they almost look like a second liner.
The blade makes it obvious why this knife must be so difficult to produce in quantity. The hollow grinding on the main edge is segued into a convex grind at the tip, with a small, intermediate flat section. Both the hollow and convex edges are sharper than any I've ever received, including my recent Starmate.
There are a few question marks, though -
Phillips head screws?
Why the second shim piece at the pivot? Why not just thicken the handle slab? Or just a little thinner?
Why was the decision made for ATS-55 rather than 440V?
The lockup seems to be rather delicate. If the knife is snapped open, it travels too far, and almost jams on the far side of the blade tang. Although snapping is a little uncivilized for the C46...
The liner was apparently rough sanded or ground late in production, to smooth down a protrudung screw. This looks really shabby compared to the rest of the knife (To anal retentives who insist on looking inside the knife). Can the factory re-finish this?
I find myself agreeing whole heartedly with Bob, that this is a dress knife. I can't bring myself to put a mark on it. I've never seen a factory piece that could command such respect from me before. Spyderco and Bob Lum should be terribly proud of the C46.
And it is a thing of beauty!
When Bob told me that I'd probably carry it more for dress, I took it with a grain of salt, I mean, c'mon - it's a big tanto, right?
But I've never seen a factory folder that conveys such quiet dignity. Open, it's lines flow and sweep with fluidity. Closed, it conjures images of mist shrouded Japanese mountains.
The technical design is beautiful and precise. The blade tip falls into line perfectly with the handle butt, and the tang shoulder rests directly in the handle's guard line - nothing exposed, every millimeter used to advantage. The clip is a subdued grey to match the bead blasted titanium, which almost feels soft to the touch. The edges of the Ti handle are polished, so they almost look like a second liner.
The blade makes it obvious why this knife must be so difficult to produce in quantity. The hollow grinding on the main edge is segued into a convex grind at the tip, with a small, intermediate flat section. Both the hollow and convex edges are sharper than any I've ever received, including my recent Starmate.
There are a few question marks, though -
Phillips head screws?
Why the second shim piece at the pivot? Why not just thicken the handle slab? Or just a little thinner?
Why was the decision made for ATS-55 rather than 440V?
The lockup seems to be rather delicate. If the knife is snapped open, it travels too far, and almost jams on the far side of the blade tang. Although snapping is a little uncivilized for the C46...
The liner was apparently rough sanded or ground late in production, to smooth down a protrudung screw. This looks really shabby compared to the rest of the knife (To anal retentives who insist on looking inside the knife). Can the factory re-finish this?
I find myself agreeing whole heartedly with Bob, that this is a dress knife. I can't bring myself to put a mark on it. I've never seen a factory piece that could command such respect from me before. Spyderco and Bob Lum should be terribly proud of the C46.