Dan Jackson

Dan is the creator of BladeReviews.com. He founded the site in 2010, and for the first 5 years Dan wrote all of the reviews and recorded all of the video reviews. He grew up using pocket knives, and the decision to start the website stemmed from his fascination of all things sharp combined with a deep passion for writing. At this point he has personally reviewed almost 300 knives of all shapes, sizes, and price points. He is widely recognized as an authority on daily carry knives and has consulted with knife companies on product design and has been featured on national media outlets including the WireCutter. In 2016 Dan decided to branch out and experiment with the website by reviewing watches, flashlights, and multi-tools. Today BladeReviews.com features a number of expert authors reviewing a wide range of daily carry gear. He is proud to write detailed long format reviews with original photography. The website remains largely independent with the vast majority of the products reviewed being purchased by Dan personally. When he isn't writing knife reviews from his home in Southwest Florida, or talking about himself in third person, he enjoys practicing law, reading, fishing, cigars, and weight lifting.

At this point he has personally reviewed almost 300 knives of all shapes, sizes, and price points. He is widely recognized as an authority on daily carry knives. He has consulted with knife companies on product design and his opinions on pocket knives have been featured on national media outlets including the WireCutter. In 2016 Dan decided to branch out and experiment with the website by reviewing watches, flashlights, and multi-tools. Today BladeReviews.com features a number of expert authors reviewing a wide range of daily carry gear. He is proud to write detailed long format reviews with original photography. The website remains largely independent with the vast majority of the products reviewed being purchased by Dan personally.

When he isn't writing knife reviews from his home in Southwest Florida, or talking about himself in third person, he enjoys practicing law, reading, fishing, cigars, and weight lifting.

Southern Grind Spider Monkey Review

by Dan Jackson 16 Comments

Last Updated: July 30, 2019
Southern Grind is the pet project of country musician Zac Brown. Zac has a strong interest in pocket knives, and he apparently created Southern Grind in part to explore that interest. Southern Grind produces their knives in house, in the USA, and the knives feature a number of design decisions that stray from the beaten path. What I find especially interesting is that they make their custom own hardware.

Buy the Southern Grind Spider Monkey at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

Southern Grind’s first folder was the Bad Monkey, a quirky take on the large linerlock EDC knife. For whatever reason I never pulled the trigger on the Bad Monkey, but with the release of the smaller, lighter, and more refined Spider Monkey I finally moved forward.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Spider Monkey features an overall length of 7.50″, a 3.25” blade, and it weighs 3.2 ounces. The Spider Monkey compares favorably to Sage 1. The blade on the Spider Monkey is a 1/4″ longer than the blade of the Sage, but the handle is the same size. While the original Bad Monkey was a large utility folder with a 4″ blade, the Spider Monkey is much smaller and geared towards the EDC crowd.

The blade is a gently sloping drop point shape with a prominent thumb ramp and small swedge. This knife also features a high flat grind and has been finished with a polish and stonewash. This is a classic no-frills blade shape, that gives you a little of everything. The tip is fine and ideal for piercing cuts, there is some belly, but also plenty of edge for draw cuts. The grind is thin and the knife slices well, and the edge has been applied neatly. This is a capable blade, ideally suited for daily tasks. I used my knife to open boxes, cut fruit, and help out with chores around the house.

Southern Grind also offers the Spider Monkey with a tanto blade shape, a partially serrated version, and with an optional black coating.

Southern Grind used S35VN steel for the blade, a good choice given the price point and intended use. I’ve written a lot about S35VN. We seem to see it crop up in more and more premium knives these days. I like how this steel holds a good edge, but is still is easy to sharpen. I prefer it over harder steels that are more difficult to maintain. I like how I can run this knife over a ceramic rod and bring it back to hair shaving sharp without a ton of work.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Spider Monkey features carbon fiber handle scales over titanium liners. The carbon fiber is contoured, and it features a ribbed texture that starts at the pommel and fades into smooth carbon fiber about half way into the handle. The handle is held together with custom hardware and pillars. The fit of all the parts is excellent. The profile of the handle is unique with its swayed back and large pommel, but it all works. Even the laser etched logo on the custom pivot is perfectly aligned. It is little touches like this that show the thought and care that went into engineering this knife.

I am also not a fan of the proprietary body screws. While I can appreciate the fact that these are custom machined parts, you need a special tool to take the knife apart, and it doesn’t ship with the knife. I’d prefer torx hardware for ease of disassembly, or at least charge me a little extra and ship the knife with the necessary take down tool.

The handle of the Spider Monkey may look a little boxy, but it is comfortable. The finger choil does a good job indexing your finger, and the rounded back corner of the handle is fits neatly into your hand. While the carbon fiber scales don’t offer tons of grip, there is some texture here. Plus, there is some aggressive jimping on the thumb ramp. I would dial that back or do away with it, but I know some people will appreciate the extra traction here.

The pocket clip is perhaps the most novel feature of the knife. This is a shortened version of the clip you will find on a Benchmade or Emerson. This is something Zack Brown himself developed after being frustrated with longer pocket clips. This won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I think it’s cool. The clip works well. Retention is strong and there is no danger of the Spider Monkey slipping out of your pocket. If you don’t like it you could always swap it out with a Benchmade or Emerson clip.

Deployment and Lockup

The Spider Monkey uses dual thumb studs to get the blade open. Again, we have proprietary hardware here, which is cool to see in this application. I found the action on my knife to be a little stiff, and because of the custom body screws I was not able to take the knife apart for a cleaning. I could flick the blade open with some wrist action, but that was it. The action is smooth thanks in part to phosphor bronze washers, but the blade doesn’t want to fly open like on some of my other knives.

The titanium liner lock is substantial and executed wonderfully. Lockup is early and secure. There is absolutely no blade play in any direction, and the lock is easy enough to disengage when you are ready to close the blade. This liner lock works so well, I thought it was stainless steel. I bemoaned titanium liner locks in my Emerson Gentleman Jim review because the titanium liner lock on my knife (and in most Emersons I have handled) stick like crazy. Clearly, not all titanium liner locks are created equal, and this is a great liner lock. It is easily on par with my Sage 1.

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Southern Grind Spider Monkey – Final Thoughts

The Spider Monkey is a cool little knife. I have been intrigued by this company, ever since they arrived on the scene a few years ago, but I ended up liking the Spider Monkey more than I thought I would. It’s a great size and there are a number of details that set this apart from your typical slab construction liner lock folders. I like the stubby pocket clip, the custom pivot and thumb studs, and the contoured carbon fiber handles. In a way, this is how I would expect an Emerson knife to be made: beautiful construction, modern materials, and a ~~stainless steel~~ thick titanium liner lock that doesn’t stick with phosphor bronze washers. But like an Emerson, this Southern Grind knife has its quirks as well.

The biggest quirk, and my biggest beef with the Spider Monkey, is that I don’t like the proprietary body screws. I have found that being able to periodically disassemble and clean my EDC knives is essential to a piece being a true “user” knife for me. I don’t care if I never disassemble my 888, but I need to be able to take apart a simple liner lock EDC knife like this.

Still, the pros outweigh the cons with the Spider Monkey. Southern Grind is a young knife company, and they are coming out with some cool stuff. Plus, they clearly know how to make things. The tolerances are great, and the end result is a premium product. I enjoy this Spider Monkey and look forward to keeping it for long term testing and evaluation. In the meantime, buy it if you like the design. I can vouch that it is a quality tool.

Southern Grind Spider Monkey Drop Point Folding Knife with Carbon Fiber Handle

PREMIUM QUALITY: Made from S35VN steel for a strong and dependable knife. Your blade stays safe and secure with our 6AL4V Titanium lock and liner.
BUILT TO LAST: Our tough, durable USA-made tactical knives give you unmatched reliability - resistant to edge chipping and corrosion.
STRONG GRIP: Textured carbon fiber matte finish for a strong and solid, all-conditions grip. The short pocket clip ensures a secure pocket carry with minimal interference.
VERSATILITY: An all-around EDC knife perfect for every day use as well as tactical or military purposes. Foldable and compact to store in your backpack, survival gear kit, and more.
100% GUARANTEE, MADE IN USA: Your Southern Grind knife is guaranteed under our Limited Warranty for the lifetime of the original purchaser. A portion of each sale goes to benefit Camp Southern Ground.

I recommend purchasing the Southern Grind Spider Monkey at Amazon, BladeHQ, and KnifeArt. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Kizer Ki3480 Dirk Pinkerton Rogue Review

by Dan Jackson 10 Comments

The Kizer Ki3480 Rogue is a series of firsts for me. It’s the first Dirk Pinkerton design I have ever reviewed, it’s my first review of a mid-tier Kizer knife, and it’s the first wharncliffe I have reviewed in a while.

The designer, Dirk Pinkerton, is an interesting guy. He is a custom knifemaker from Huntersville, North Carolina, and his focus is on purpose built knives for self defense applications. He even did a collaboration with our very own Chad McBroom, the Active Response Kerambit.

Buy the Kizer Rogue at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

Using knives defensively is well outside my wheelhouse, but I have been curious about Dirk Pinkerton’s designs ever since reading RoadKill’s review of the Meyerco Wharning back in 2012.

The Rogue shares some obvious design similarities to the Wharning. Namely, the aggressive wharncliffe blade. It’s different from what I typically review, and different from Kizer’s other designs, which is exactly why I wanted to check it out.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Rogue has an overall length of 7.125″, a 3.00″ blade, and it weighs 3.92 ounces. Like all Kizer knives, the Rogue is made in China. I like that although the Rogue was likely designed with self-defense in mind, this is still a practical size for Every Day Carry (EDC). In fact, it almost resembles a folding box cutter. An obvious comparison would be with the Spyderco Yojimbo 2, a knife designed by Michael Janich. In addition to being a designer for Spyderco, Michael Janich is a martial artist and fellow enthusiast of the wharncliffe.

The dramatic wharncliffe blade is what makes this model stand out. You are going to either love it or hate it, and it is different from anything else in my collection. The 4mm thick blade has been given a partial flat grind. There is no swedge but the blade still comes to a needle-fine tip. The blade has been given a fine tumbled finish.

The benefit to a wharncliffe blade is that it excellent for slicing cuts. Power is applied uniformly to the edge whether you are at the tip, or by the ricasso. Combine that with an excellent tip for thrusting, and you have a very capable blade shape. For these reasons it is easy to see why guys like Michael Janich and Dirk Pinkerton prefer the wharncliffe.

The flip side is that there is no belly, which makes tasks like skinning near impossible. This is not my favorite knife to use in the kitchen.

Kizer chose S35VN for the blade steel. S35VN is excellent stuff. The more I use S30V, the more I like my S35VN blades. They are easier to sharpen and less brittle, but still hold a good edge like S30V. S35VN is an American steel, and Kizer had to import it in to China to make their knives. We often think of products being exported from China, so it’s an interesting point to consider, and speaks to Kizer’s dedication to making high end production knives.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Rogue has full titanium handles. Unlike the Intrepid, the handles of the Rogue are not 3-D contoured. Instead, they have been milled with a series of reliefs to provide texture and visual interest. The handle was then given a black coating and then the face of the handles were surface ground to provide a brushed titanium texture. The two-tone finish is unique, and so far it has held up well. Everything has been screwed together, and there are 2 barrel spacers and a decorative pivot.

Fit and finish is excellent. Everything has been completed to an eerie level of precision, much like a Taichung, Taiwan Spyderco.

The ergonomics of the Rogue benefit greatly from a simple handle design, and good use of jimping. The handle shape is about as simple as they come, which means that it will feel great for most people. There is flat top jimping on the spine of the blade. This offers good traction without being overly destructive. There is some additional light jimping / millwork on the spine of the handle, and also where your pinky and ring finger rest. These features, combined with the millwork on the handle slabs, offer a good deal of traction for the end user. The end result is a knife that feels secure in the hand without being obnoxious.

The blue titanium pocket clip offers a splash of color while being a good pocket clip. It’s a fold over deep carry clip, that has been placed so that about a quarter of an inch of the knife is left exposed. This was probably done to provide easy access in the event you needed the knife in an emergency situation. Personally, I’d prefer an even deeper carry, but the knife is still discrete.

The Rogue carries well. It’s not an overly thick or heavy knife, and the titanium clip offers plenty of retention. The knife stays in your pocket until you need it, and then it’s ready to go. No complaints with how this knife carries.

Deployment and Lockup

The Rogue is a dual thumbstud knife. I have always liked thumb studs, and the ones on the Rogue are nicely done. They are prominent and easy to access. The blade rides on phosphor bronze washers; my washer material of choice. Here the action is smooth and easy. There is a fairly strong detent, and the blade flicks open with a push of the thumb.

For lockup we have a titanium framelock with a stainless steel lockbar insert. The knife locks up early, and is secure. There is no blade play in any direction. There is also no lock stick. This is an excellent fame lock and rivals the Zero Tolerance framelocks I have owned over the years. Top shelf stuff.

Blade centering is good, but not perfect. That is about the only fit and finish nitpick I could find.

Kizer Rogue Review – Final Thoughts

The Rogue is solidly designed and perfectly executed. I have a hard time finding fault with this knife. Maybe I would move the pocket clip up a quarter of an inch, and the blade over a millimeter. Beyond that I don’t have much to say. Some may not care for the aggressive wharncliffe blade shape, or the 2 tone handle, but that is more personal preference than anything. If you are a fan of the design, then I would recommend it without reservation.

What you get for the money is also worth mentioning. As of the date of publication of this review, the Rogue can be had for just under $120. At that price you are getting a full titanium handle, a S35VN blade, a thoughtful design, and a near perfectly executed knife. The fit and finish is excellent, and the frame lock is among the best I have handled. I can’t think of much that touches it at this price point.

The Yojimbo 2 can be had at that price, but you won’t get S35VN or a titanium frame lock. That is an interesting comparison. I am sure some will prefer the thumb hole and compression lock, and find those to be worthy trade offs, but if Spyderco were to make the Yojimbo 2 as a titanium framelock, it would easily be a $200 knife.

The Rogue is another solid offering from Kizer. Between the high end Intrepid, and the value oriented Vanguard Gemini, the Rogue shows that Kizer can also play in the middle market. This is a company to continue watching. Their strategy of offering both high quality and high value is tough to ignore.

Kizer Cutlery 3480 Rogue Framelock

I recommend purchasing the Kizer Rogue at Amazon and BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Boker Plus Tech-Tool Review

by Dan Jackson 12 Comments

When I visited Smoky Mountain Knifeworks over the Thanksgiving holiday, one of my favorite parts of the store was the Boker booth. With a lot of production knife companies I already either handled most of their product line, or have a good feel for what their product line is like. Boker is a company I have less of a bead on.

Buy the Boker Tech-Tool at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

For starters, the breadth and depth of Boker’s catalog is a little intimidating. Boker is best known for making knives in Soligen, Germany, but they have their value-oriented Plus Line made in China and Taiwan, and are also making knives in Italy and the U.S.A. It’s just harder to know what you are getting into, especially when you compare this with all the other major knife manufacturers. For example, if I buy a Zero Tolerance knife, I basically know what level of quality I am going to get before the knife arrives. All of this is to say that I am less in tune with Boker’s offerings.

Also, Boker’s image was tarnished by a series of poorly executed titanium framelock knives. The Boker Anso 67 was a hot design a few years ago, made popular in part by guys like TuffThumbz. The Boker collab was a chance to get a faithful reproduction of the design for not a ton of money. The problem was that the knives were fraught with lock rock. That, and some spotty fit and finish issues on other knives, shook the confidence of the online knife community.

But Boker has been releasing all sorts of cool stuff over the past few years, and they have also been working on their quality control. The result includes fan favorites like the Kwaiken Flipper, home runs like the Urban Trapper, and a slew of other interesting collaborations and original designs. The Tech-Tool is another possible home run. This is Boker’s answer to the Swiss Army Knife.

According to Boker, this is actually a modern reinterpretation of their original Camp Knife. When the Tech Tool first came out I wasn’t sure what to make of it. After all, Swiss Army Knives have been around for decades. It seemed rather ambitious that a company like Boker was going to come in and change the game that the Swiss have dominated for so long. But then again, Boker has been making slip joint multi-tools for almost 150 years now.

Handling one of these Tech-Tools made me realize it was (once again) wrong of me to dismiss this knife. This is an interesting value proposition that deserves to be on more people’s radars.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

Being a multi-tool, Boker offers this knife in a wide range of configurations. Anything from a single blade slip joint, to a 4 layer, 10-tool load out.

I struck a compromise and selected the “2”, which has 2 layers, 8 tools, and is similar to my Victorinox Spartan (shown in some of the pictures for comparison). This is model number 01BO812. They call my version of the knife the “Outdoor” version thanks to the olive green handle scales. The knife is also offered as a the “City” version with black G-10 scales, and there is also a carbon fiber clad version. For ease of reading I refer to my Tech-Tool 2 as simply the “Tech-Tool” at some points the review.

My Tech Tool has an overall length of 6.5″, a 2.75″ blade, and it weighs 3 ounces. The Tech Tool is made in China. The Tech Tool 2 is aimed at the thicker celo-handled Swiss Army Knives (SAKs), and it compares favorably to those. It is the same length as my Spartan, and is just a hair thicker unless you include the pocket clip; in that case it’s a lot thicker. The Tech Tool also weighs a good .85 ounces more than the Spartan, thanks in part to G-10 handles, stockier tools, and a pocket clip. The Tech Tool has less tools than the Spartan, but the tools it has are thicker and more substantial. The whole knife feels heavier duty than your average SAK.

The blade of the Tech Tool is also more impressive than the blade found on your standard SAK. It is thicker and wider, and shaped like a more traditional drop point hunting knife. Aesthetically it balances with the handle a little better, although it’s the same length of your standard 91mm SAK. The blade has been given a thin hollow grind and something of a mirror polish. There is very little ricasso, so you need to be careful in closing the blade. This is a slip joint, so there is no lock. There is no half stop either, and the heel of the edge can come in contact with your finger as you close the blade if you aren’t paying attention.

This is a simple and functional blade shape. It’s perfect for packages and mail, for cutting up food, and for harder tasks like whittling, cutting rope, and breaking down heavy cardboard. A knife like this is great to have at a camp site, and reminds me somewhat of a Scout’s knife on steroids. The blade is wider than your standard SAK, but it’s still thin and great for tasks like cutting apples. The tip is fine and is ideal for tasks like clipping coupons and piercing through fabric and leather.

Boker selected Sandvik 12C27 as the blade steel for their Tech-Tools. I have always been a fan of 12C27. It’s one of my favorite budget steels. It’s hearty, easy to sharpen, and holds a nice edge. It’s also fairly rust resistant. I am sure the mirror polish on the blade will further help with corrosion resistance. I consider 12C27 to be an improvement over the already capable steel Victorinox uses in their knives, and am glad to see it here on the Tech-Tool. My knife came sharp out of the box with a good edge.

The Other Tools

In addition to the main blade, the Tech-Tool 2 also features 2 flat head drivers, a bottle opener/cap lifter, a wire stripper, a serrated blade, a cork screw, and a carbide-tipped glass breaker.

At this point I want to say that the fit and finish and general construction of all the tools is on par with what you would find on a Swiss Army Knife. Boker did an excellent job here. Victorinox has really dialed in their production after making their knives for years (and making millions of them), so I wasn’t sure what to expect with this new Tech Tool. My expectations were exceeded. The only strange thing was a little red schmutz in the screw hole for the pocket clip. This turned out to be leftover red Loctite.

The cap lifter is basically a mirror image of the standard Victorinox cap lifter, only it has been made out of thicker stock. It has been mated to a nice back spring, and the tool makes a great snapping sound when you open it. It doesn’t have a true half-stop, but it comes close.

The serrated blade / screw driver tool is unique to the Tech-Tool, and it’s interesting for a number of reasons. First of all it’s obviously not shaped like a standard serrated knife. Instead, the profile of the edge features has a slight concave arch. That is coupled with the blade opening to a 135 degree angle rather than 180 degrees. The end result is a unique tool ideally suited to cutting rope and fabric. It could also be used as rescue cutter of sorts, or perhaps even to open up clamshell packaging without damaging the contents with the sharp tip of the main blade.

This serrated blade replaces the can opener found on most Victorinox models. I think it is an interesting choice, and is arguably more useful then a can opener. Thankfully the material in tin cans is soft, so you could still use the cap lifter and possibly this serrated edge to get a can open, although it will take a little more time.

The corkscrew is something I could live without. I’m not a big wine drinker, especially on the go, so a tool like this just won’t get much use. But if you find yourself at a picnic or party with no other corkscrew you will save the day. Another gripe is that the corkscrew is also quite bulky, and sticks out a couple millimeters past the handle scale. I’d much prefer a Phillips driver here or the awl found on some SAKs.

Boker includes a carbide glass breaker on every Tech-Tool. It’s an interesting addition, and combined with the serrated blade it provides the Tech-Tool with a rescue knife flair. Can’t say I have used mine on any glass yet, but “dry firing” it on some wood it appears to do a good job as a force multiplier. Although mine won’t get much use, its a nice addition and it doesn’t hurt to have it.

Finally, Boker included a fold away lanyard loop. I am not a big lanyard guy so I think this is a great feature. It is there if you want to use the knife with a lanyard, but if you don’t you can fold it away so it doesn’t interfere with the ergonomics of the knife. What a nice idea. Bravo, Boker.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The standard Tech-Tool comes with contoured G-10 handle scales that fit over steel liners. The handle is screwed together, and you can take this tool apart with a torx driver. As I mentioned earlier, fit and finish is excellent on this knife. The pieces all line up perfectly, there are no stray tooling marks. I think the finish is actually better than my Victorinox knives.

I did start to take my Tech Tool apart out of curiosity. It comes apart with a standard T5 driver. Inside everything is put together nicely. All the parts are precision machined and fit, there are even little phosphor bronze washers on the tools. It took some fiddling to get the liner off so I decided not to completely disassemble the knife. If I decide to do this again I’ll snap some pictures.

Rather than being a pill-shaped handle, the handle of the Tech-Tool has been given a more traditional shape. This offers the end user a slightly more ergonomic feel over your standard Swiss Army knife. The handle molds to your hand nicely. The smooth G-10 offers a little traction, and it’s definitely a step up over the plastic handled Victorinox models. There is no jimping, but you don’t need jimping on a slip joint like this.

One of the greatest draws to the Tech-Tool is the inclusion of a pocket clip. Lets face it, enthusiasts of modern pocket knives love pocket clips. They are great for a number of reasons. The clip on the Tech-Tool is a deep-carry clip, and it has excellent spring retention. The knife buries away discretely in your pocket and is there when you need it. If you decide to use the Tech-Tool as a secondary knife, or don’t want to use the clip for whatever reason, it’s fully removable. It’s also swappable for tip up or tip down carry. Finally, a SAK with a pocket clip. It only took us until 2015.

Boker Tech-Tool 2 – Final Thoughts

I think there is a lot to like about the Tech-Tool. First of all, it has been done really well. The build quality is easily on par with Victorinox. In some cases I think this knife is built better than a SAK. I think build quality is a big part of the charm of these little folding multi-tools, so if the quality wasn’t there that would hurt the success of this knife “bigly”.

There are also some thoughtful refinements to the Tech Tool. The use of contoured G10 for the handles, a bigger blade, screw together construction vs. pins, the inclusion of a pocket clip, the glass breaker, the fold away lanyard hole, and the serrated blade. All of these refinements add up to make the Tech-Tool unique and special. A lot of this stuff adds extra weight to the knife, but I think you get something for that additional weight. I certainly don’t mind it. Many of these features are things Victorinox should have offered years ago. It’s a heartier Swiss Army knife. I like it.

As far as cons to the Tech-Tool 2, I do miss the tweezers and tooth pick found on the celo-handled SAKs. Also, your Spartan does offer a couple extra tools, like the awl, and can-opener. You lose the can opener for the serrated blade, and you lose the small secondary blade on the Spartan for a bigger and thicker primary blade. I don’t think those are bad trade offs. I’m not a fan of the cork-screw and would like to see that go the way of the Dodo in favor of a Phillips driver, awl, or both.

There is also the price to consider. This Tech-Tool 2 is a good $15 more expensive than a Victorinox Spartan (~$35 vs. ~$20). I think the higher price tag is easily justified by the better primary blade, the G-10 handles, pocket clip, and screw together construction, plus I doubt Boker is employing the economies of scale Victorinox does, but I realize value is subjective.

If you were on the fence about the Tech-Tool, I think it’s a quality tool and it exceeded my expectations. I will always have a place for the ultra-thin, ultra-light Alox Cadet, but this gives the plastic handled SAKs a serious run for their money. I also think it’s better executed than the Spyderco ClipIt Tool.

Check out the Tech Tool if you want an upgraded Swiss Army style knife. I am glad I picked one up.

Boker Plus 01BO812 Tech-Tool Outdoor 2 Multi-Tool Knife with 2 4/5 in. Blade, Green

Multi-tool knife
Tools: glass-breaker, screwdriver with bottle opener and wire stripper, small serrated blade with screwdriver tip, corkscrew, foldable lanyard hole, pocket clip
Green handle scales
Weight: 3.1 oz.
Limited Lifetime Warranty

I recommend purchasing the Boker Tech Tool at Amazon and BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Smith’s Pocket Pal PP1 Review

by Dan Jackson 16 Comments

I suspect that the Smith’s Pocket Pal has fallen into the shopping basket of many an unassuming knife collector. For starters, at under $10 the barrier to entry is low. And knife sharpening can be intimidating to some, so the promise of easy, trouble free knife sharpening probably also has its draw. And then there is the size. It’s smaller than most closed folding knives, and lives up to its namesake. At least somewhat. It’s pocketable for sure, but is it worth pocketing?

Buy on Amazon

I have had strong apprehension to pull sharpening systems for a long time now. The idea of dragging a knife through a channel of carbide bits never appealed to me. Fundamentally I didn’t think these kinds of sharpeners worked. Traditionally, when you sharpen a knife you push the edge across your sharpening material, as if you were cutting into it. That makes sense, because in effect you are wearing steel away, refining and polishing the edge. You don’t drag your blade through the sharpening medium like some sort of bizarre prison gang indoctrination.

Yet as I have tried to flesh out the sharpening section of the website I realized that I couldn’t just ignore the humble sub $10 pull sharpener. These are too popular to ignore. I had to buy one, and try one, and face all of my fears and skepticism about this style of sharpener.

If anything I needed to do this in order to tell you that the Pocket Pal is total crap. That these kinds of sharpeners don’t work. That I was right. But maybe I was wrong.

What You Get

This kind of sharpener is sold by many different manufacturers. Lansky offers their similar BladeMedic, and they make even smaller keychain versions, but this Smith’s model is arguably the most popular.

The PP1 features 2 sets of pull through sharpeners, the coarse carbide sharpener, and the “fine” ceramic sharpener. There is also a tapered diamond impregnated rod sharpener. This is for sharpening serrations or possibly freehand sharpening.

Testing

To test out the PP1 I pulled out some of my least expensive knives. There is no way I was going to put one of my $50+ folders on this thing. I reached for a well worn Alox Cadet and my Ka-Bar Dozier Hunter. These are both pretty beat up, feature soft steel, and retail for around $20. I was OK with potentially sacrificing them to the sharpening gods.

I dulled these knives by dragging them along one of the stones on my SharpMaker. It took a few passes, but I was able to dull the blades to the point where they would not cut paper.

I then attempted to breathe new life into the edge of my Alox Cadet. I started on the coarse side, lightly passing the blade though the sharpener a few times. The first passes offered some resistance, but after a couple rounds I felt the blade pull through a little easier.

I then turned to the fine ceramic stones. Again, I made gentle passes through the fine channel, slowly drawing the blade over the ceramic stones and using less pressure as I went along. I gave it a good 10 passes. At this point I was ready to test my results.

I actually got this knife to cleanly cut through post-it note paper using the Pocket Pal. It wasn’t quite push cutting, but it wasn’t tearing either. It wouldn’t shave hair off my arm, but it would cut open an envelope. I was surprised. I didn’t expect this thing to do much of anything, so it certainly exceeded my low expectations. I’d be curious to see what this edge looked under a microscope. Actually, I’d rather not know.

After the Cadet I turned to my Ka-Bar Dozier Folding Hunter. This is a thicker blade, and it’s AUS-8 steel which is presumably a little harder than what comes on your standard SAK. Again I ran the knife through the PP1, and again I ended up with something that cut paper. The end result wasn’t incredibly sharp, but it was an improvement over the initial edge. It was completely dull before, and after a minute or so with the PP1 I could cut some things.

Finally, I sacked up and pulled out my Spyderco Sage 1. Originally, I was not going to do this. But after seeing how the Pocket Pal kinda works with soft steel, I wanted to test it out on something harder.

The Sage 1 comes in S30V. S30V isn’t the hardest steel ever, but it’s a significant step above AUS-8 and whatever Victorinox uses. It can be challenging to sharpen at times, so I thought it would be a good test. I blunted the edge of my Sage and then worked it through the coarse and fine settings on the Smith’s. The end result wasn’t as good as I was able to achieve with the Cadet or Folding Hunter. It kinda cut paper. After a few passes on my Sharpmaker fine rods I was able to get the Sage back to cleanly cutting paper. Based on my experience the Pocket Pal won’t work on harder steels.

I also tried freehand sharpening a little with the diamond rod. It didn’t do much. I didn’t have any serrations to sharpen, but I’m guessing this would do something. Personally, I prefer fully serrated knives over partially serrated ones. If I have a fully serrated knife I’ll sharpen it on the Sharpmaker. That system is great for fully serrated knives.

Smith’s Pocket Pal PP1 Review – Final Thoughts

Although I am still not much of a fan of this style of knife sharpener, I have to admit that it has its place. I think if you find yourself in an emergency situation with no other sharpener, and have an inexpensive knife with relatively soft steel, then the PP1 is better than nothing. That said, I’d reach for the bottom of a coffee mug before subjecting any of my high end knives to a pull sharpener.

So I still am not a huge fan, but I acknowledge that for under $10 it may not hurt to have one of these tucked away in a tackle box, glove compartment, or back pack. And if you have gas station knives then who cares. Use this thing if you want to.

If you are new to knives and are looking for a quality sharpener, I would suggest the Sharpmaker. If the Sharpmaker is too expensive, then I’d choose a set of Crock Sticks (review coming soon) over the PP1. I would not recommend this as a primary sharpener or for higher end knives.

Still, the PP1 has some merit as an inexpensive field sharpener for inexpensive knives. Beyond that I would probably pass.

Sale

Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Knife Sharpener Preset Carbide & Ceramic Stone Sharpeners Fold-Out Diamond Coated Rod Outdoor Hunting Knife & Hook Sharpener, Handheld, Compact, Lightweight, Multiuse

HANDHELD KNIFE SHARPENER – Smith’s “Pocket Pal” Knife Sharpener features a fold-out diamond-coated rod and preset crossed blades for easy pull-through sharpening. The preset sharpening angles provide guaranteed results on every use!
2 STAGE – The pull-through coarse carbide slot provides a quick edge on dull or damaged knives & should only be used on straight edges. Fine ceramic stones provide a smooth, polished edge & can be used on serrated or standard blades.
DIAMOND ROD – This sharpener includes a fold-out, tapered round diamond-coated rod that is designed for sharpening serrations, standard edges, small gut hooks, & fish hooks. It is great for fishing, camping, hiking, & other outdoor survival needs.
PORTABLE – Smith’s portable multi-tool knife sharpener measures 3.5” long, and 1” wide, and weighs only 1 ounce. It also features a lanyard hole so it can easily be attached to a backpack or keychain ideal for any on-the-go adventure.
VERSATILE – The carbide and ceramic stones are reversible & replaceable for extended sharpening. Smith’s compact Pocket Pal sharpener is perfect for fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, and other outdoor survival needs.

I recommend purchasing the PP1 at Amazon. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Emerson Gentleman Jim Review

by Dan Jackson 7 Comments

Last Updated: September 9, 2019
When I think of Emerson Knives, I think of purpose built tactical knives. Models like the CQC-7, the Commander, and the CQC-15. These stout utility/”tactical” knives epitomize the company. But Emerson has released a few designs over the years that have strayed off the beaten path and caught my eye. The Gypsy Jack always intrigued me, but it may have been too far out there. This could explain why it is now discontinued.

Buy the Emerson Gentleman Jim at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

The Gentleman Jim is another model that diverges from the hard nosed Emerson lineup. To try and argue that it is a gentleman’s folder is a stretch considering the near 4″ blade, but this knife has always struck me as a strong departure from the rest of the line. And perhaps the Gentleman Jim is that elusive daily carry Emerson that I have always wanted to have, but have yet to find.

Also, before I get started I need to acknowledge that this knife was provided free of charge by the guys at the now defunct BladeFlick.com. In no way did that impact my review. I don’t care if you end up buying a particular knife. My goal is always to try and help you find the best knife for you. That is why I have reviewed hundreds of knives. If I wanted to sell you a knife I would have gotten a job at Cutco. But I do appreciate BladeFlick providing this Gentleman Jim for review. Thank you.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Gentleman Jim has an overall length of 8.55″, a 3.75″ blade, and a weight of 4.6 ounces. This knife is made in the USA. The Gentleman Jim feels a little smaller than its dimensions suggest thanks to the slim profile. Whether it will serve as an every day carry piece for you will depend greatly on your preferences.

Personally, the Gentleman Jim is more of a weekend carry for when I can dress more casually and pocket a bigger knife. Despite it being a smaller Emerson, it’s still quite large. Some might consider this a purpose built self defense tool, for me it rides the line between a utility knife and a collectible. The unique design is what drew me to the knife, not so much any thoughts of it being the ultimate utility blade.

The Gentleman Jim features a slim clip point blade that comes to a fine and pronounced tip. The tip is needle like, and you will need to be careful with it, much like a Kershaw Leek. The partial flat grind meets a shallow swedge about half an inch from the tip.

The grinds have all been perfectly executed. I opted for an uncoated blade and mine has come with belt finished satin grinds and stonewashed flats. I have always loved how Emerson grinds and finishes their blades, and this Gentleman Jim is no different. It’s crisp and perfectly rendered.

Like many modern Emerson knives, the blade is V ground, but the edge bevel is “chisel ground”. This means the edge bevel is only applied to the show side of the knife. All things equal I prefer a V edge because that is consistent with all my other knives and is what I am used to working with, but the Gentleman Jim cuts cleanly and is capable of getting razor sharp.

The Gentleman Jim comes in 154CM stainless steel. This is the exact same steel found on every other knife in the Emerson lineup. I have always enjoyed 154CM, but it makes for a predictable review.

If you are new to the site and this is the first Emerson review of mine that you have read, then let me assure you that 154CM is a good steel. It takes a nice edge and is easy to maintain. It has decent rust resistance, and good edge holding characteristics, although edge retention will be outshined by newer high end steels like S35VN, M390, Elmax, or CTS-XHP to name a few. I invite you to check out the steel section for a deeper dive into blade steel. I like the choice of 154CM here even if it’s predictable.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is your standard black peel-ply G10 scales over a titanium locking liner, and a stainless steel non-locking liner. One little update is the use of black steel standoffs instead of a partial G-10 backspacer like the older Emersons.

The fit of this handle is excellent, and the finish is pretty darn good. The liners and blade have the tell-tale machining marks on the back of them like many of the other Emersons I have handled, but beyond that this knife is dialed in. The G-10 has been neatly chamferred, the holes for the hardware are perfectly countersunk, the screws are the correct length so they don’t poke out from the inside of the liners, and the jimping on the thumb ramp of the blade and the back of the handle match up perfectly. This is simple slab construction, but it has been done purposefully. The whole knife seems to be built a little tighter than the earlier Emersons I have owned, and suggests a refinement of their manufacturing process.

While this design might be a slight departure from the typical Emerson lineup, the ergonomics feel exactly like an Emerson knife. That is to say, they feel great. It’s clear to me that the size of the blade was based on the handle. If you tried to shrink this down to a 3.5″ or 3.25″ blade, the knife may not feel as good in the hand. As it stands the shape feels perfect. On top of that you have good jimping on the thumb ramp and where your pinky rests. You also have the signature aggressive G10. This stuff is almost like an emery board, and out of the box the knife almost sticks to your hand. It will soften slightly with use, but this is pant shredding high traction G10. Perfect for those who value a “traction plan” when picking out a pocket knife.

While the ergonomics are great, it comes at the expense of ease of carry. The Gentleman Jim is not overwieght, but at .54″ thick it does not exactly disappear into the pocket. That’s the trade off you have to make for a knife like this. I am fine with this compromise, but caveat emptor if you are a fan of thin knives.

The pocket clip is the same black parkerized clip found on every other Emerson, and it is similar to Benchmade‘s standard clip. I have always liked this simple clip design, and here the clip has been situated high on the handle, so only a small part of the pommel is exposed. That said, this isn’t a deep carry clip and it’s only drilled and tapped for right side tip up carry.

It won’t be for everyone, but this simple and practical clip does a good job keeping the knife in your pocket.

Deployment and Lockup

The Gentleman Jim utilizes a thumb disk or the wave feature to open up the knife. I reach for the thumb disk most times, and I can flick the blade open with my thumb if I use a lot of force, but I find the pivot to be gritty thanks to the Nylatron washers. Try as I might I still haven’t come around to Nylatron washers, and think that phosphor bronze are much better for their increased durability and smoothness. The wave works great. Just like any other Emerson.

For lockup we have a titanium liner lock. My lock engages fully and securely and there is no side to side or up and down blade play. The lock sticks quite a bit though, and makes an audible “pop” upon disengagement whether I uses the thumb disk or the wave. The lock is sticky because the titanium liner lock is softer than the hardened steel it interfaces with.

I’m sure Emerson has their reason for using a titanium linerlock and Nylatron washers, but these are 2 eccentricities that I still haven’t been able to accept.

Some might argue my points on the washers and liner lock, and my response lies in my trusty Sage 1. This is a perfectly executed stainless steel liner lock with phosphor bronze washers. I’ve owned, carried, and used this Sage 1 for the better part of 5 years. The action is still smooth as glass and the lockup is excellent with zero blade stick. It’s a superior liner lock and it has superior action, and I think 90% of that simply has to do with the choice of materials.

I have handled other titanium liner locks, and I have experienced the same problems with lock stick. I have handled other nylon washer knives and have never cared for them as much as phosphor bronze. So for these reasons I feel justified in my criticism of the titanium liner lock and Nylatron washers.

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Emerson Gentleman Jim Review – Final Thoughts

Emersons are something of an acquired taste. They are peculiar and polarizing, but I always enjoy the designs. In fact, the designs are what compel me to review what is essentially the exact knife every year or so. The build quality has improved over the years, but at the end of the day my very first review of the CQC-7, will read similarly to the review of this Gentleman Jim. I hope the writing is at least a little better.

In some ways the quirky consistency of an Emerson is a good thing. I like variety, and I like character. Emerson knives offer plenty of both. But there are some aspects of the knife that are just a turn off. Specifically the washers and lock. The titanium liner lock takes the cake for me. I have a hard time looking past that when a steel liner lock is so much better. A sticky lock is one thing that tends to sour a knife for me, and I’m having a hard time looking past it on this Gentleman Jim.

Still I think the Gentleman Jim is worth exploring. It’s a nice little design. While I can’t call this a true EDC, this is about the closest I have come to a legitimate EDC from Emerson. Much like the Roadhouse, the Gentleman Jim has a lot of character and it feels great in the hand. I am guessing that the knife makes sense from the martial arts / tactical knife intended use, but I confess that I have no experience with the Gentleman Jim in that regard.

The Gentleman Jim will not be for everyone, but if you know what you are getting into then I think that this model has its perks. The combination of the distinct blade and comfortable handle hit the spot. I’m glad the company has made some refinements over the years. I hope they continue to evolve their knives and one day offer something without nylatron washers and a titanium liner lock.

Gentleman Jim SF

I recommend purchasing the Emerson Gentleman Jim at Amazon, or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

A Trip to Smoky Mountain Knife Works

by Dan Jackson 12 Comments

I had the opportunity to visit Knoxville, TN for Thanksgiving this year. And I just so happened to be staying in a cabin at an RV park a stones throw away from Smoky Mountain Knife Works, the world’s largest knife retail store. I usually spend part of Black Friday writing about the various knife deals found around the internet. This year I got to live it.

I arrived to the store on Thanksgiving day. It was closed, but I decided to ride my bicycle over there anyways to get a lay of the land. It’s a massive 3 story building. Actually, it appears to be a couple buildings stuck together. As usual, I didn’t do any research before my trip, so I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect, but this certainly exceeded any expectations. I snapped a cell phone picture for posterity and proceeded back to my cabin for the evening.

Also, let me apologize in advance for all the crappy pictures I took. Looking back they are poorly composed. Sorry.

Usually Black Friday is not something I want to participate in. I generally believe that if there is a crowd forming to see something, it’s a good sign to go somewhere else. But in order to get the full Black Friday SMKW experience to share with you I selflessly decided get there before the store opened at 7AM. We arrived around 6:45. There was a good crowd forming at both entrances and a line of a couple hundred people or so. We waited in the car for a while and stepped out onto the tarmac once the doors opened and the line started to move.

As we entered the building we were greeted by a gal who handed us a goody bag of stuff, including an inexpensive kitchen knife and some other schwag. Free stuff is always cool, but I was here to experience the largest cutlery retail store in the world, so I didn’t spend much time on this and proceeded into the store.

The store was impressive. This is a multi-level building with a number of different rooms. The main floor is almost 100% dedicated to knives. The store was set up with display cases. Each case had one or a couple brands, and then there was plenty of shelf space and stuff for accessories and blister packs. Pretty much every brand you can imagine is there. Certainly all the big brands are there: Benchmade, Spyderco, Kershaw, SOG, Cold Steel, Case, Boker, etc. There were also a lot of cheap knives there including Rough Ryder, Frost, and Colt.

All the employees I interacted with at the store were friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to show you stuff. I asked the guy at the Cold Steel section if he had the 4-Max, and he proceeded to pull one out from behind the counter without missing a beat. We ogled this $400 folding knife for a few minutes along with the Colossus. I chatted with the lady at the Boker counter and she was nice and helpful as well.

I got to handle some other knives I have been meaning to check out, like the Boker FR (excellent – expect a review of it at some point), and some of the WE Knives (very impressive).

The store itself is also cool, with lots of things on the walls to look at. The store is also a museum of sorts with a couple areas dedicated to discussing knife collecting history. It was crowded and chaotic, but it was fun and I took my time slowly trawling the aisles.

The only thing the store was missing was much in the way of modern custom knives. I know this is probably a tough thing for a big retailer to put their finger on, but it would have been interesting to see.

Downstairs was more of a gift shop type area. They had a knifemaking section, a sharpening section, and a big area dedicated to kitchen knives, but they also had stuffed animals, camping gear, kitchen gadgets and areas with odds and ends like sharks teeth, primitive tools, semi-precious stones, confederate war memorabilia, fossils, foreign currency, and basically any kind of odd ball thing you could imagine.

Here is a shot of their kitchen knife counter:

And some sweet Cold Steel kitchen knives:

I visited SMKW one other time during my trip. It’s a lot of store to absorb and I couldn’t fully appreciate it within one trip. I came back and checked out some of the novelty knives, swords, and the gun section. That was later on Friday and the store was even more crowded. I rode my bicycle this time, and the security guard commented that I was the only “smart person” who rode their bike to SMKW that day.

It’s worth noting that a Bass Pro-Shops, Gun Store (and indoor shooting range), Lodge Cast Iron factory store, Harley Davidson dealership, and budget tool store are all within a mile radius of Smoky Mountain Knife Works. This is redneck heaven, and an impressive display of retail might.

I was also impressed with the amount of billboards and things SMKW has used to advertise. It seems like the bulk of their business comes from the retail store and their mail order catalog. That is interesting as most of my experience in this industry is on the online retail side. It shows a different side to the industry.

I can’t imagine that everyone that comes into the store is a die hard knife fan who can rattle off specs and discuss the merits of steel in a casual conversation. I think a big part of the draw is just the novelty of the store. Apparently it is always packed. And that’s not a bad thing. I hope business is great and continues to be great. The knife industry can’t be supported by the fickle connoisseur alone. For every 4-Max that they sell, I’m sure they sell hundreds of Swiss Army Knives and $14.99 Schrade specials.

I enjoyed my time and Smoky Mountain Knife Works. It has almost every production piece imaginable under one roof, and you can check out any knife you want. That’s a knife guy’s dream right there. I am glad I made the pilgrimage, and will be back if I ever find myself in Eastern Tennessee again. It is well worth the trip if you are in the area.