Emerson Knives Horseman

01/03/2010 by osam

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for 1 year

Comments:

Good point: Great touch and shape handle. Bad point: Blade play exists when pivot screw is adjusted to move smoothly.

Spyderco Native

01/03/2010 by 3mptin3ss

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

slim, light, strong, reliable, s30v, low price, easy to carry.

Chris Reeve Mnandi

01/02/2010 by OJ

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

Because of the short time I have owned this knife, this can be considered more of an impressions write up rather than a detailed review. I can say that as one would expect from CRK the fit and finish on this knife are top notch. The high tolerences are noticeable in its smooth opening and the attention to detail is excellent. The 2.75 inch, S30V blade has a polished hollow grind that is very sharp out of the box. Since it is new I have not sharpened it yet. The inlays on my particular knife are madagascar rosewood and look very elegant. Other inlays are available to suit different tastes. It is very light weight weighing only an ounce and a half. The intergral lock is very solid and the titanium pocket clip is not only secure but nicely detailed as well. The clip allows for a deep pocket carry and can be removed or reversed for left of right handed carry. Opening it one-handed via the thumb nicks is easy enough although it might be more difficult with larger fingers and definitely more difficult left handed because of the lock. It's a gentelman's folder and as such its smaller size could be a problem for those with larger hands but for the simpler tasks for which it would likely be used, the size is quite approptiate. I can't say I have found any flaws or things to complain about. It has clean lines without some of the ornate and decorative touches of some other knives in the same catagory. Overall this is a very classy and functional smaller/gentlemen's folder and certainly worth considering if you are in the market for this kind of knife.

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Victorinox One Handed Trekker

01/02/2010 by Em

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

I've had this knife for more than a year now. I got it on special for less than $30 on amazon, because it was on special. When I first got it, I thought it was too big, because I was used to carrying smaller pocket knives. I got used to the size fairly quickly because it has come in handy. I have gone camping with it, taken it on a few road trips and the blade is still sharp after much use, as well as the saw. Nothing beats opening it with one hand, it comes in handy. I do wish the can opener would lock, because in some of the instances where i have used it, it will get stuck and as i try to pry it out it folds in. Overall it is a fantastic knife, and every day carry.

Kershaw Shallot

01/02/2010 by MRP

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

The Kershaw Shallot is just a nice solid knife. It is the bigger brother to the scallion and the leek. It is very sleek, has a nicely sized blade, and operates smoothely. The assisted opening is very quick and one handed opening is a breeze. The knife has a small "lever" on top in place of a thumb stud or thumb hole that you pull towards the back of the handle with your pointer finger. My knife is the S110V version. S110V is a great blade steel, takes a wicked edge, and retains that edge for a considerable amount of time. The build quality on the knife is very good, which is standard for a Kershaw I have found. The frame lock is great. My favorite type of locking mechanism. The lockup is tight, no blade play noticable, and the lock itself is prettty beefy. My one complaint with this knife would be that in the wet it can get a bit slippery. I would love to see this knife with a g10 scale on one side. Also, although not a problem for me, the recurved blade does make this blade a little tricky to sharpen. Overall I don't think you can go wrong with this knife. Kershaw has done a great job.

Kershaw Tyrade

12/29/2009 by Tony Edwards

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

I received my tan G-10 Tyrade yesterday and have been playing around with it ever since. I have not used it for any intensive cutting tasks, just the usual sharpness tests, like cutting paper. This thing is a beast! The hybrid blade (bead blasted in my case) is remarkably stout and rigid, and the liner lock is so thick and locks up so strongly that I can't see any meaningful difference between it and the frame locks used on the titanium Tyrade or its Zero Tolerance counterparts. I really like the Ken Onion Speed Safe design. The blade deploys fast given its size, and the flipper (which I was originally hesitant about) provides a nice hilt/choil to prevent your hand moving forward). In this case, because the blade and liner are so thick and stout, the deployment feels like closing the door on a Mercedes - reassuringly solid, with a resounding "THWACK" (OK, I guess the sound isn't exactly Benz-like)! Because the blade is so heavy, the spring tension carries it all the way open once it is pushed away from the handle at all. Realistically this knife is too large and heavy for everyday use, at least for me. For that I will continue to carry my Kershaw/Ken Onion Leek. This would be a great folder for outdoor excursions, as it is as solid as many a fixed blade, and I may use it for that. I may just continue to play with it and enjoy it as a piece of working art, however. I downgraded it a bit on ergonomics because I'd like to see some jimping where the blade meets the handle, and I find the bulge between my middle and ring fingers a little odd to grasp (I am splitting hairs a bit with that last point, because this thing feels great overall). Also, and this is not really Kershaw's fault, it's hard to close with one hand due to its size and the assisted-opening spring tension. I have an orange G10 model on the way, and might have to get a black one just to complete the collection. These G10 Tyrades are the best deal on the market IMO.

Orvis Dress Folder

12/27/2009 by M

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Other
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

This is a pretty typical gentlemans folder. The knife is beautiful in person. It is very sleek, particularly the blade profile. The first thing you should know about this knife is that it has no clip whatsoever. Also, the thumb stud is set up only for right handed people, although it is held on by a small torx bit so it looks like it is reversible. The bone looks very nice and has a little bit of texture to it. There is a lanyard hole as well. The fit and finish is pretty good, however I would not describe it as amazing. My blade is alittle bit off center, and there is no way to adjust the pivot or scales, which are pinned. The lock snaps open nice and tight, no blade play in the vertical direction. There is an acceptable amount of blade play in the horizontal direction when open. The lock itself seems stout, and the knife is not particularly heavy. The blade will take a pretty nice edge as well, and corrosion doesn't seem to be a big problem. All that being said, this is a knife I'd carry at a wedding or somewhere more formal. It really looks the part, and is nicely sized to be useful but not draw attention. I would not however, choose this knife for camping etc. As it's name implies, it really is a dress folder and does that job very well.

Byrd by Spyderco Wings

12/23/2009 by Bob P

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

Right off the bat, Byrd Wings is a tremendous value ! Two approximately 3 1/2 inch blades of reasonably good stainless steel. The 1/2 inch finger choils are jimped, as is the spine. The thin liner lock seems to be the weakest link. One side is much harder to unlock than the other. The thin liner should be adequate though,(just be aware during heavy use) Bottom line , Byrd Wings is a Super Duper Value. Thanks Spyderco

Cold Steel Bushman

12/22/2009 by ian mcgregor

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

get one soon, -sharp, durable, efficient and can be simply attached to hardwood shaft to make spear. Made from steel considerably more flexible but just as hard as industrial hacksaws ! Edge won't rust if treated with a little oil or wd 40. Readily resharpened. Buy two as these are so good they'll probably stop making them !

RAT Cutlery Izula

12/22/2009 by Fascion

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

Great, great knife. My only real complaints come in regards to the sheath, which falls well short of the sheath provided with the Ka-Bar/Becker BK-11. The texture on the Izula's sheath is easy to mar up and has no visual appeal, unlike the BK-11. Also, because it only has one hole with which to dangle it from, I find that it sways far more. The knife... perfect.

Benchmade 440 Opportunist

12/22/2009 by Fascion

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

First impressions review! I purchased this knife as an around-the-house EDC and dress folder. Weighing in at a mere 2/3 the weight of a BM 556 Mini-Grip (my current gold standard for sub-3" production folders) it is very easy to forget you have on you, despite being the exact same size. The build quality seems to be pretty solid, but the lanyard pin (at least on mine) has been left loose and cut short, resulting in a minor rattling in the handle. Value wise, you can certainly find better out there by going with cheaper to manufacture handles and "recycled" (read: generic, used on multiple designs) parts.

Benchmade 720 Pardue

12/22/2009 by Sean

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

I have owned my 720 for at least six years and have used it for daily carry almost every day since purchase. It is my workhorse knife and has served incredibly well. Mine is a 154CM blade, Black anodized aluminum handle with the Benchmade logo in white. Tip up carry only, but reversible clip. I agree almost completely with Scott's review, but I will highlight my own key points. I bought this knife for it's size and form. It fits my reasonably large hands almost perfectly both for delicate tasks and for aggressive ones. The blade shape is very usable with the tip and the curved portion getting the brunt of my use. The body is very durable. I have used it on many occasions as a hammer or other blunt instrument. It is a little marred after years of abuse, but the finish has held up far better than many of my flashlights which claim to be type III. The only place it is very visibly worn is the clip where the paint has clearly been buffed off by pocket carry. It sits very comfortably in my pocket,despite it's size and weight. It is reasonably thin and well contoured. The aluminum also warms to body temperature pretty quickly (something I notice). It is, as Scott said, too heavy for lighter dress pants. The blade has been very durable. I have not been afraid to use this knife so the blade has seen it's share of abuse (hacking, prying, screwing, etc...). (just last night I used it to trim a wooden window frame. It hit shards of imbedded glass or the metal retainers and is unharmed) I have only once managed to chip the blade and that was a very small chip towards the tip (the 720 is not meant as a screw driver for very small and stuck computer case screws). I sharpen with a Spyderco Sharp Maker and the knife holds it's edge well. I too have shaved with it in a pinch. The axis lock is still butter smooth despite my rather infrequent applications of white lightning. It is, however a little tricky to clean (one of very few complaints). The blade has almost no side to side movement even after thousands of times flipping it open for fun, putting a lot of lateral force on the blade. I have never had to disassemble or tighten the screws and yet it still maintains good movement and rigidity. I could nit pick tiny differences in design I might make, but they are nearly insignificant in the scheme of things. I love this knife and wish it was still in production. It would be perfect if there were a 3/4 size clone to use for dress carry. I wouldn't have need of any other knives.