Alright everyone, I'm not very good at writing reviews but I'll do my best as this will only be a "first impression writeup" of the knife. I usually like to use a knife for at least a few months before I give a thorough review, but here goes nothing!
I will say that so far its a pretty cool blade! The carbon fiber handles are grippy, and almost have a twill pattern/feel to it. Its also VERY comfortable in hand and the choil gives you confidence that you're hand will not slip forward from any task that comes before you and this blade. The back end of the handle reminds me of the Strider SNG and how its sort of squared off at an angle which adds great comfort. I personally think the SNG is the most comfortable blade I own, with this knife being at a close second.
The blade is a beaut at a length of 4 inches. It has a stone wash finish at the top portion where the logo sits. It has very functional gimping at the top area for you're thumb, its not too sharp that it bugs you, nor is it so smooth that its useless. I'd call it "just right". I love the deployment on this big boy, give it a light push with you're thumb, and with a
swoosh and a
clack the blade is deployed with authority! The wave works/looks great, and with it being identical to Emerson's wave, It should be.
The liner lock is nice and thick. It has not issues of stickiness and can be engaged with ease. It seems like its pretty damn sturdy and I would not feel under equipped at all if this was all I had. I would imagine that it is almost, or just as strong as most of the Ti frame locks I own. The only thing I dislike about this knife is the clip. It's very short and has a lot of space between it and the handle, leaving the knife with no grip onto my pants/shorts. It's a quick fix though, just unscrew, bend it back down and its good to go! Another thing to add is that it didn't come very sharp. I wasn't able to shave any arm or leg hair with it. One thing I will say is that it has a killer polish to it making it feel buttery smooth. Knives not coming sharp doesn't bother me as much as it may to others because I usually put every knife I get ( and know I'll keep) on the wicked edge, and give it a 19 degree angle. I haven't done it to the Southern Grind Bad Monkey yet, but sure will soon. All I have done is touched it up on the Sharp-marker and bought it up to hair-shaving sharp.
My favorite thing about this big guy is it's weight, only 5oz! Gotta love that when you totin' around a 4 incher.
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Overall it was worth the 170$. Of coarse I was hesitant at first because of the steel choice, but decided "oh what the hell, it looks awesome" so I ordered it, and I'm sure glad I did! It reminds me of an Emerson very much because of how it feels and deploys. Only thing different from an Emerson is that It's fit and finish is a lot more "cleaned up", whereas Emerson's are more unrefined and rugged.
Ill update you guys on how the steel holds up and if the knife still is comfortable after hard use. I'll add that I have used it at work to cut cardboard, wiring and several other small things and it passed with ease. I'm sure this knife will only continue to impress as time continues. Thanks for reading!
Best Regards,
Zack
