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.

LionSteel TM1 Review

by Dan Jackson 12 Comments

Last Updated: August 3, 2019
I hope the regular readers are interested in high end knives, because the next few posts are all going to be doozies. The TM-1 is so mythical a knife, that it isn’t even out yet, although LionSteel tells me that they will be introducing it to market any day now. I was fortunate enough to snag one of the pre-release samples on display at the 2014 Blade Show.

Buy the LionSteel TM1 at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

As a lover of knives, I had an extremely tough time putting down the TM-1 LionSteel had on display at their booth. As a lover of deals, I couldn’t resist asking whether they would be willing to part ways with one for purposes of review. Gianni, co-owner and CEO of LionSteel, was kind enough to oblige me. That said, I do need to make clear that this knife was one of the 4 or 5 display pieces sitting at the Blade Show booth, and it has been handled by hundreds of people over that weekend. As such it has a few scuffs and carry marks, and I of course have been carrying and using it myself as well.

The TM1 is another knife in LionSteel’s SOLID® line, which means that the handle has been milled out of a single block of material. In the past titanium has been LionSteel’s handle material of choice, and I examined my titanium-handled SR-1 not too long ago. This time around LionSteel has decided to use either carbon fiber or micarta. Being the material girl that I am, I of course opted for carbon fiber. The carbon fiber is handsome and makes the knife much lighter than my SR-1 (which is about the same size).

Perhaps even more interesting than the material selection is the fact that this time around LionSteel wanted to make a monolithic handled knife with a back lock and IKBS bearings; two firsts for the company. I have been admiring the knife for almost a month now and I am still unsure as to how exactly they pulled that off. Regardless of what draws you to the TM1, there is something to admire. And I feel very fortunate to share some early thoughts on this brand new knife.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The TM1 has an overall length of 8.07″, has a 3.54″ blade, and weighs 4.48 ounces. Much like when handling the Zero Tolerance 0454, another carbon fiber handled knife, one of my first remarks when picking up the TM1 was how light it felt. The knife feels deceptively light for its size, and is way lighter than a titanium handled counterpart. This is a largish EDC knife in my book. Not only is it a pretty long knife, it is thick and wide as well. That said, the TM1 was definitely built with use in mind. Construction is stout, the handle and blade are capable, and the light weight means that it is actually something that can be carried.

The TM1 has a unique reverse tanto blade. Reverse tantos are uncommon. Arguably the best known production knife to feature the reverse tanto blade shape is the Benchmade 940, which happens to be one of my favorite Benchmades. So the blade profile of the TM1 is different from most of the knives in my collection, and is a welcome divergence from all of my drop points. The reverse tanto not only looks unique, but it is quite practical too. You get all of the belly of a drop point with the fine tip of a tanto. LionSteel further enhanced the usability of this knife but giving it a full flat grind, which gets nice and thin behind the edge. This isn’t just a show piece, this is a practical tool.

LionSteel elected to equip the TM1 with a Sleipner stainless steel blade. This is my first real experience with Sliepner, and it has been fun to put this knife through its paces. I am not particularly interested in the chemistry of the steel, but here is a link to the data sheet so you can check all of that information out.

In practice I found Sliepner to perform well for daily carry tasks. Like I mentioned in the intro, this was something of a scratch and dent model, so I had no problem with beating on this knife a little (the first scratch is always the hardest). I worked with cardboard, wood, paper, and plastic, and the knife never had a problem. When the edge did start to slow down it quickly came back after stropping. My final thoughts on Sliepner are still in the works, but so far this steel seems very promising. No issues with rust or corrosion either.

My knife did come with a black blade coating. I am pretty sure it is a black oxide blade coating, and it has held up really well under use. Granted I haven’t use this knife to open up a can of Chef Boyardee, but so far there is no scratching or visible signs of wear.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

Obviously handle construction the reason to buy this knife. Milled from a solid block of micarta or carbon fiber (shown here) handle construction is impressive, to say the least. Every corner has been masterfully chamfered (in some cases it has been so decoratively), and the handle is contoured for comfort and style. The end result is beautiful and displays the carbon fiber weave in a number of different facets. The workmanship is flawless; all the lines are crisp and clean. My satisfaction with the execution of the carbon fiber handle cannot be overstated.

The TM1 feels at home in my hand. It’s a stout knife, with plenty of handle and an abrupt finger choil. The body of the handle gently swells to fill the palm, and the absence of jimping is not a problem for me. Despite the apparent lack of a dedicated “traction plan” the knife magically manages to remain in my grasp. This is a comfortable and fully functional handle.

The TM1 features an ambidextrous deep carry pocket clip. This is the same clip found on the SR-1. Mine has been given the same black oxide coating as the blade (so far no wear), and is held in place with a carbide glass breaker. SR-1 owners will attest that this is a very nice pocket clip. It is discrete and holds the knife very securely in your pocket. The fact that it is mounted on the butt of the handle is very elegant. There are no extra holes in the handle of the knife and I love the simplicity and practicality of this clip design.

For a larger and bulkier knife the TM1 does carry well, in part because it has a well implemented and secure pocket clip, and in part because it is so lightweight for its size. This is definitely a knife that can be carried.

Deployment and Lockup

The TM1 makes use of a thumb disk to open the blade. This is probably my least favorite aspect of the knife. It works fine for slow and purposeful openings, but I have found it impossible to flick open. I guess at the end of the day that is perfectly acceptable, but this is a knife I would love to flick open given the IKBS bearing system and the massively satisfying “thwack” sound the knife makes upon deployment. It makes almost a chirping noise, kind of like the Sage 1, which also happens to feature carbon fiber. My guess is that they opted for the thumb disk so that they wouldn’t spoil the lines, and I suppose that is a worthy compromise.

My knife locks up without even a hint of bladeplay. Again, the sound this knife makes upon locking up is very unique, and very satisfying. Upon disengagement of the lock bar the blade falls about halfway closed, where it can then be shaken completely shut. I have never handled a lockback that smooth before. No doubt this is due in part to the use of an IKBS bearing system, and LionSteel definitely deserves some kudos for this. The large decorative pivot is very smooth, and the action is a lot of fun. I still have no idea how they got all of those bearings into this thing.

It is worth noting that my blade is perfectly centered.

LionSteel TM1 Review – Final Thoughts

The TM1 is the third addition to their integral line, and I think it is my favorite. I say that because in my opinion this knife is meant to be used; a vibe I don’t really get from my TiSpine or my SR1. LionSteel has managed to elevate the humble back lock to a drool worthy, collector status knife yet they have also kept it durable and functional. The lightweight handle makes this a knife that I actually want to pocket and use, while the TiSpine and SR-1 are knives that I want to enjoy while sitting on my couch. Plus, titanium scratches easily, and this carbon fiber really hides wear well. Same with the black oxide coated blade.

I think LionSteel is really doing some exciting things. While other manufacturers seem to be caught in something of a creative rut, LionSteel’s creativity and willingness to push the envelope further elevates themselves as serious contenders in the US production knife marketplace. And I don’t think I am the only one to notice this. LionSteel won the 2014 Blade Show manufacturer of the year award, and their HiJinx collaboration with CRKT and Ken Onion netted them a 2014 knife of the year award as well. As I look towards their next move, I can’t help but wonder if we will see some of this technology filter down into some budget minded products. I doubt we will see a 4-axis machined carbon fiber handled knife retail for under $200.00, but if there is one thing I have learned about LionSteel, it is to expect the unexpected.

Given the premium price tag, this knife won’t wind up in everyone’s collection, but I definitely recommend it if the TM1 is one that you want to buy. This is an amazing knife and I am very impressed by it.

Lionsteel TM1 – From $400.00
From: BladeHQ

Lionsteel TM1 Micarta, Knife TM1 MB

MADE IN ITALY by LionSteel, one of the world's premier knife manufacturers
KNIFE HANDLE is precision machined from a solid block of Micarta for extra sturdiness and strength
BLADE is made from Sleipner steel, a chromium/molybdenum/vanadium alloy which is a variant of D2 steel
INCLUDES tungsten carbide glass breaker and an ambidextrous pocket clip
DIMENSIONS: Blade Length 3.54", Blade Thickness: 0.18", Total Weight: 3.5 oz.

I recommend purchasing the SR-1 at BladeHQ or Amazon./i>

Zero Tolerance 0454 Review

by Dan Jackson 12 Comments

Last Updated: July 27, 2018
Every so often as a knife collector I have had my expectations taken up a notch. For purposes of this introduction I’ll call them “game changing blades.” Making the jump from a $25 knife to a $65 knife was one such moment – my move from a CRKT M16 to a Benchmade Griptilian opened my eyes to what nice knives were all about. Climbing up the ladder further I have experienced the incremental improvements that often come with expending increasingly more money on a knife.

The jump to a CRK Sebenza was one such revelation. And I have to consider the Zero Tolerance 0560 and the Lionsteel SR-1 as game changers in their own right as well. Maybe these weren’t leaps directly correlated to the price of the knife, but each blade brought it’s unique strengths in quality of construction, innovation, and design. I have appreciated the experience as a collector and that is a huge part of the reason why I continue to spend time working on this website.

Well the 0454 is another game changer – in so many ways that I hardly know where to begin. Designed by Belarusian knifemaker Dmitry Sinkevitch the Zero Tolerance 454 may be the sexiest blade to cross my path yet. This knife has not yet been released to the public and was named the Blade Show 2013 knife of the year. I was extremely fortunate to be one of the lucky 10 individuals selected at random at the 2014 Blade show for the opportunity to buy this knife.

I remember winning the 454 like it was yesterday, because it actually was only a few weeks ago. I had entered this lotto among many others on offer at the Blade show. In addition to the 0454 I was hoping for the chance to score a Brad Southard, Michael Burch, or perhaps even a Hinderer XM-18 at a reasonable price. Most of the time these lottos don’t pan out, but you have to be in it to win it. So I could barely believe my ears when my name and number were called by Kershaw Jen for the 0454 lotto.

My first thought after parting ways with $500 and tucking the 454 into my backpack was, “I hope I don’t get stabbed in the parking lot over this thing” because I knew that the fabled 888 has sold for as much as $3,000 at auction. Thankfully I made it out of the parking lot and all the way back home to Florida with only a scrape, and I feel incredibly fortunate to bring you this review.

Let me start by disclaiming that I have not carried this knife nor have I actually used it to cut anything. I will in all likelihood keep it as a collectible as it’s an incredible knife and very rare. I will be examining it as critically as I can, but take this “review” with a big grain of salt…

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The 454 has an overall length of 9.385″, sports a 4.1″ blade, and weighs a mere 4.1 ounces. This is the cutlery equivalent of a supermodel, with biologically improbable dimensions and curves that make the jaw drop and eyes glaze over. The knife feels like a feather in hand, and they have crammed a ton of blade into this slender profile.

The 454 has a modified drop point blade. There is something about Dmitry Sinkevich’s designs that really speak to me. Whether it’s his collaborations with Shirogorov, Fantoni, or this one with ZT, I am really enjoying the hard lines and athletic curves of his designs. The this is a long narrow blade, and it fits well with the long narrow handle. It has a high flat grind and a long swedge. The tip is very fine but it feels like there is still some meat behind it. If I actually cut anything with it I’ll let you know how it performs but I can say it came shaving sharp and I’ve already managed to cut myself twice with this long blade.

One of the proudest features of the 454 is its composite steel blade. The dark sections are CPM D2 while the silver middle section is 12C28N. The pieces have been braised together with copper. It isn’t clear what they have managed to heat treat this knife to, although I know that ZT has struggled to properly manufacture and heat treat some of these fancy composite blades in the past. I have plenty of knives that I can cram into my pocket and cut with, so I don’t feel the need to do that with this very rare knife. Some people feel the need to carry and use every knife in their collection – even expensive custom pieces. I have my users and and I have my collector pieces, and the 454 is firmly in the collectible category. I won’t make any qualms about that.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

Every piece of the 0454’s handle has been 3-D machined. ZT started with two slabs of carbon fiber, sandwiched them between a titanium backspacer, and went to town with them. The finishing work is immaculate and the carbon fiber handle makes the knife feel exceptionally light for its size. Even the lanyard hole has been elegantly rendered. Everything is just super nice.

The 454 is a long knife, so it should come as no surprise that there is plenty of room for your hand. The curves of the handle fit my fingers naturally and the 3-D machined carbon fiber fills the hand. There is a row of mild jimping on the thumb ramp. It does a great job indexing and holding the thumb in place without being overly sharp or irritating. I haven’t used this knife hard, but I think this will be a comfortable knife to use.

The pocket clip is an elegant piece of 3-d machined titanium, and looks like something out of the Shirogorov catalog. Jim Skelton has told us that any knife over $700 should have a 3-d machined pocket clip. My only experience with these kinds of clips has been with my Mnandi (a knife I have really grown to enjoy), and I am very happy to see this clip on the 454. It elevates it and makes it even more unique. I’ve never used this pocket clip, but the spring is very strong and is positioned for deep right side tip up carry. I’m glad they didn’t go ahead and drill a bunch of holes in this piece. As Thomas W can attest to, pocket clips can be tough to get right, but I wouldn’t change a thing with this one.

Deployment and Lockup

I have publicly commented that I think that people that wax poetic for extended lengths about how well their knives flip are blowhards. I made sure to skip lunch before writing this review because I am about to eat my own words. Deploying the 454 is like deploying a surface to air missile. The detent is strong and the blade explodes open, without fail, every single time. By far it is the most robust flipper in my collection. Zero Tolerance installed their KVT bearing system and the blade rotates around a large decorative pivot. The action is smooth. Fall closed with the force of gravity smooth. I will say that the flipper tab can be tough to use some time. The combination of uber strong detent and total lack of jimping on the tab means that my finger has slipped off the trigger on more than one occasion when trying to flip open the knife.

ZT installed a sub frame lock on the 454. This is the same technology used in their higher production products, like the recently reviewed Kershaw Knockout, and I think it is cool to see that translate up and down their product line. This time around they upped the ante by 3-D machining the sub frame lock out of titanium, and then installing a stainless steel lock insert that doubles as a hidden over-travel stop mechanism. Lockup is early and secure, and blade centering is perfect. One thing I noticed on my 0454 is that the oversized pivot screws on my knife did not come with locktite. After only a couple flips they began backing out. I could cinch them back down with the meat of my thumb, but after a couple days I noticed a slight rattle with the handle. After torquing down the pivot with a driver I was able to fix the problem and remove the rattle entirely.

Zero Tolerance 0454 Review – Final Thoughts

I don’t think anyone will be surprised when I say that the 0454 is one hell of an awesome knife. As a collector and enthusiast of high end production pieces I am extremely impressed by the 454. The beautiful design, high end materials, advanced manufacturing, and impeccable fit and finish all make this well worth the $500 asking price to me. The 0454 is yet another showcase of Zero Tolerance’s talent and we can only hope that the sweet stuff found in these high end limited production knives continue to trickle down to ZT’s mass market products.

Buy one without regret if you have the funds and the opportunity, but don’t wait long – I see no reason why the 0454 won’t be as coveted and collected as the triple seven or 888.

Sale

Zero Tolerance (0450); With 3.25” DLC-Coated S35VN Stainless Steel Blade, All-Black Carbon Fiber and Titanium Handle Scales, KVT Ball-Bearing Opening, Frame Lock Reversible Pocketclip; 2.45 OZ., Silver, Small

Titanium frame lock houses hardened steel lockbar; frame lock secures blade in position so it does not close accidentally
Flipper works for left- and right-handed users; assists blade’s manual release with one-handed convenience
Finger guard, jimping and choil protect fingers during rigorous use while slicing, cutting, chopping, scaling, slashing, piercing or digging in any environment, in any conditions
Drop-point tip provides extra strength and chip resistance and eliminates pitch momentum
Overall length: 7.4 inches; closed length: 4.1 inches; blade thickness: 0.121 inches; weight: 2.9 ounces

$185.09
Buy on Amazon

These currently aren’t for sale, although I guess you could always lust over them at BladeHQ or pick up a ZT452 at Amazon to try and scratch that itch. As always, buying anything through the links on this site helps support BladeReviews.com, and I greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much for all of your support.

CRKT Chanceinhell Review

by Dan Jackson 2 Comments

Last Updated: September 7, 2019
Through his many collaborations with production knife companies Ken Onion has become one of the most recognized names in the cutlery industry. The Kershaw catalog is still chock full of Ken Onion classics like the Blur and Leek, Zero Tolerance landed him as their first big collaborator with the 0300 and 0350, and he has more recently released a number of excellent designs through CRKT, including the recently reviewed and highly acclaimed Swindle. I’ve waxed poetic about the man’s designs for the better part of a dozen knife reviews.

Buy the CRKT Chanceinhell at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

That said, this review is still a first, as it is my first review of a KO fixed blade. Ken has released several fixed blade designs over the years, including a couple interesting lines of kitchen knives, but he is mostly known for his folders. To my knowledge the CRKT Chanceinhell is his first production design machete, and the Chanceinhell is an interesting piece. The deep swooping blade and aggressive handle shape is a pretty serious departure from your typical machete design, yet it still pays homage to the classic machete. Will the Chanceinhell represent another step forward for the Kenster, or has he overreached with this bold take on a classic outdoor tool? I’ll to get to the bottom of it with this review.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Chance in Hell has an overall length of 17.88″, has a 12″ blade, and weighs 1 pound 4 ounces. This knife is similar in length to my ESEE Junglas, but isn’t a great comparison because the Junglas is made from much thicker stock and is way heavier. The Chanceinhell is slimmer and lighter in comparison, and is more of a true machete than the Junglas.

Blade thickness on the Chanceinhell is 2.5mm, and the Chanceinhell is a lot lighter than my Ontario Machete. Granted my Ontario is a 16″ blade and this is a 12″, but the knife definitely feels light and nimble in hand. For those seeking out a larger machete the Halfachance, with its 14″ blade and interesting Parang blade shape, may be a better option.

The Chanceinhell features a bold drop point blade shape. While it loosely follows the classic latin machete pattern common on more traditional machetes you definitely get a lot of Ken’s design influence showing through with the deep belly and curving blade. The first inch of blade actually forms the slightest recurve, but for all intents and purposes this knife does not have a recurve. Just like my Ontario Machete and a lot of other machetes, the chance in hell has a saber grind (low flat grind). The edge is v-ground although it blended into the saber grind and almost feels like a convex.

The steel on this knife is 65Mn carbon steel. This is a steel that I have previously had zero experience with. All I know is that it’s a carbon steel and will rust if you don’t take care of it, so I’ve been hosing mine down with WD-40 after every use. So far I have had zero issues with rust. Given the price point my guess is that it’s comparable to 1075 or 1085, but that is just pure conjecture.

In practice this seems like a hearty steel and a good choice for a machete. I have beat on this knife pretty hard, trying to baton it through 6″ diameter pieces of oak (I was largely unsuccessful, but the machete held up well), lots of limbing, chopping up some fairly stout branches, and plenty of brush clearing and more typical machete tasks. It has held up well, with no chipping, bending, or cracking.

The big belly of the blade actually gives the knife a nice forward heft and generous sweet spot. The black blade coating does not have much texture to it and the blade stock is relatively thin so the knife bit deeply into the various woods I cut with it. Speaking of the coating, the blade comes powdercoated and this coating as actually held up really well. I haven’t been able to wear it off, and like I said I’ve been working with this knife pretty seriously so I figured if it was going to start to come off, it would have by now. All in all I am pleased with the performance of this machete.

Handle and Ergonomics

The Chanceinhell’s handle is made of injection molded thermoplastic rubber (TPR). The rubber handle fully engulfs the tang (my understanding is that the tang pretty much runs the length of the handle) and is held in place with a series of tubular pins. This isn’t immediately apparent from the pictures, but this handle is over an inch thick. So far I can’t complain. I’ve used the knife on a dozen or so occasions and have yet to see any splitting or cracking. Granted I live in Florida so we don’t get much fluctuation in temperature down here but this handle has held up well.

The handle shape is probably the most characteristically Ken Onion aspect of this design, and features plenty of his swooping curving lines. Another interesting ergonomic aspect is the negative angle (pistol grip) to the handle. It all looks great on paper but a huge question for me was whether this thing would actually work in my hand. I’m not going to lie, it took only 10 chops with the Chanceinhell before a fairly substantial blister opened up on my palm below my pinky. That did not bode well for this machete, but I have to say that I haven’t had a blister or hot spot from this knife since.

I don’t mind the negative angle either, as it tends to accentuate the forward heavy chopping nature of the knife. This handle design works well for me, and I’m saying this after dozens of sessions with the knife. I am not sure if I would say it is “better” than a more classic simple handle shape; it’s just different and I am sure it will work everyone’s hand slightly differently.

I will say that I think the TPR is a great handle choice from an ergonomic perspective. This is like the orthopedic shoe equivalent of knife handle material. It will absorb some of the vibration from the blade, and the light faux pigskin texture holds the hand in place, even when you are tired and sweaty. I like that aspect of the handle a lot, and it has held up well. No cracking, splitting, etc.

Sheath

The Chanceinhell comes with a nylon sheath. It’s pretty basic, with a large belt loop that can be strapped down or used as a dangler. The belt loop is held together with velcro, and I like how you can use the belt loop without having to take your belt off. The edges have been stitched and riveted together, and the blade is held in place with three snaps.

These snaps do an OK job retaining the blade. If you play around with it, you can pull the knife out without releasing any of the straps, so this is not something I would recommend carrying upside down or jumping out of an airplane with.

It’s a far cry from the molded kydex sheath of my Junglas, but then again the price of this knife is a far cry from my Junglas, so it’s pretty much on par with any other Machete/sheath combo you will find at the $40 price point. It’s lightweight and basic, but gets the job done. You can’t expect to be blown away by the sheath at this price point, and in that respect the sheath met my expectations.

CRKT Chanceinhell Review – Final Thoughts

the Chanceinhell is an interesting take on the machete. Ken has less room to move when it comes to reinventing a classic tool like the machete, but I think he did a good job in distinguishing this from the pack, while still leaving you with a functional and robust design. This has been married to materials that are price appropriate and well executed, leaving you with a functional and affordable package.

I was most pleased by the way this machete cut. I have been wielding my Junglas around for quite some time now, and although I love the weight to that knife, the thick grind and chunky powdercoat means that it is not the leanest chopper. The Chanceinhell actually cuts better than my Junglas, but has still held up well under my use. The sheath, like on many inexpensive machetes, is merely adequate. I think the knife itself is significantly better than the sheath.

I take pride in actually testing everything that I review, and I spent a few months with this machete prior to putting pen to paper. It’s a stout tool and I have come to respect it, but I am hesitant to give it a blanket recommendation because I am not sure whether the handle design will work for everyone.

If the idea of a Ken Onion designed machete intrigues you, try it out and see what you think. I have enjoyed mine and will continue to reach for it when I need a lightweight machete for camping or yard work.

CRKT Chanceinhell Fixed Blade Machete: 12 Inch Black Powder Coated Carbon Steel Drop Point Blade with Nylon Sheath for Survival, Hunting, and Camping K910KKP

Enhanced Protection: Black coating improves corrosion resistance
Exceptional Grip: Football textured handle for grip
Built Tough: Reinforced nylon sheath provides carry options
Designed by Ken Onion in Kaneohe, Hawaii
Limited Lifetime Warranty covers any defects in materials or workmanship, see company site for details

$57.99
Buy on Amazon

I recommend buying the Chanceinhell at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thanks for reading.

Kershaw 1870 Knockout Review

by Dan Jackson 13 Comments

I have always been a huge fan of user knives. Blades like the Benchmade 710, Spyderco Gayle Bradley, and Cold Steel American Lawman have always resonated with me as great knives because they are great tools. As a collector I am still enthused by the latest and greatest in materials and technology, but I will always have a soft spot for unpretentious tool knives that work really well. These users are what spend the most time in my pocket, while the fancier blades spend the most time on the shelf.

Buy the Kershaw Knockout at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

Enter the Kershaw Knockout. Here we have a bold drop-point blade married to a simple handle. The knife has visual presence, but it still appears utilitarian, has an interesting sub-frame lock mechanism that combines the strength of a frame lock with the weight of a liner lock, is made in the USA, and retails for around $55-65 depending on where you buy it.

I am especially drawn to this price because the $50-100 price point is notoriously tough for the retail knife industry. It seems that there are a lot of new releases where the knife retails for less than $40 or more than $100, but relatively few knives are coming out in the $40-100 range these days. Looking at pictures, specifications, and the bottom line, Kershaw potentially has a really nice user knife here, and for that reason I am excited to finally acquire one for my personal collection and share some thoughts on it with you.

General Dimensions, Blade Details

The Knockout has an overall length of 7.875″, has a 3.5″ blade, and weighs 3.8 ounces. This is a good size knife, but it’s surprisingly thin and lightweight. It’s not totally unreasonable to consider this as a daily carry, and it certainly makes for a great utility knife for weekend projects, or for folks who can get away with carrying a bigger knife on a daily basis.

The blade shape is a classic drop point that has been punched up with some well placed lines. I really like how broad this blade is relative to the handle. It has great presence and is innately appealing. It is also very practical. The belly is deep and the high flat grind peters out to a thin yet serviceable edge. The knife cuts really well. The thin grind coupled with the broad profile makes for an excellent slicer.

This knife is ideal for breaking down boxes and other slicing tasks. I cut through rope, and performed some food prep with no issues. This isn’t my ideal choice for a carving knife, and the thin blade doesn’t lend itself to hard use, but this is a great practical blade that cuts very well. There is a swedge but the tip is reinforced and comes to a fine point; excellent for piercing. The end result is the Knockout cuts well in a variety of scenarios. It’s not going to be the toughest blade, but if you respect it, the Knockout will get a lot of work done.

Blade steel is Sandvik 14C28N, a Scandinavian stainless steel that has made a number of appearances in USA made Kershaw knives. I’m a fan of 14C28N, especially when given a lightly tumbled finish like on the Knockout. This is a proven steel for me. It holds a decent edge and is easy to maintain, and the blade geometry of the Knockout makes great use of this fine-grained steel. I have found that 14C28N will stain if you aren’t careful with it (and was difficult to clean up for the photographs), but that will hold true for a lot stainless steels. I think 14C28N is a great choice for a value oriented EDC knife.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Knockout has a black hardcoated aluminum handle with partial plastic backspacer. The black anodization on the handle slabs is reasonably durable, but will show signs of wear with use. Handle construction is simple and sturdy with two body screws threading all the way through the backspacer and handle. Everything lines up very nicely and has been well finished. The show side of the handle features a few arcs carved into the face of the aluminum for a little visual interest and traction. This is a sturdy handle and I find little to complaint about it.

The ergonomics of the Knockout are adequate. Being a thinner handle, this doesn’t jump out at me as outstandingly comfortable, but it certainly works and it doesn’t have any glaring hot spots. The anodized aluminum provides a little traction and isn’t slippery. There is no jimping anywhere on the knife. I don’t mind this but I recognize that this is a personal preference. People looking for a more hard use knife might want to go with something a little thicker and with more traction. The Knockout was fine for my pedestrian purposes, but the thinness of the handle, while great from a weight and carry perspective, could turn off those who are looking to run this knife hard on a regular basis.

The pocket clip on the Knockout is the same one found on the Cryo. It’s a blackened deep carry fold-over clip that has been mounted high on the handle and drilled and tapped for 4 corner carry. I like this pocket clip design and have zero complaints regarding the clip, carry options, or way this knife holds in the pocket. My favorite aspect of the Knockout’s handle is how thin it is. I have really come to appreciate this, especially in a larger knife. It carries very well.

Deployment and Lockup

The Knockout is an assisted opening knife with the option of a flipper or ambidextrous thumb studs. I am not always crazy about assisted opening flippers, but on the Knockout it works and I actually like it. The blade responds quickly to a push of the flipper or brush of the thumb studs. These are true thumb studs, not blade stops on some other flipper folders (like the 0560 for example) so they are easy to get at and work flawlessly. The knife kicks open easily and locks in place with an authoritative “thwack”.

The Knockout makes use of a sub-frame lock to lock the blade open, and is the namesake for this knife. You probably already know this from doing other research on the knife, but the aluminum handle has been “knocked out” to accept a stainless steel lock bar, hence the name “Kershaw Knockout”. This is actually the first sub-framelock knife to grace the pages of BladeReviews, and is a really nice design. The hardened steel lock bar engages at around 50%, there is no blade play or lock stick, and the knife is still very lightweight for it’s size because the rest of the handle is aluminum and plastic. It’s a great practical design that has been well implemented. No complaints here.

I will mention that my blade is fairly off center. It doesn’t rub, but is worth noting.

Kershaw Knockout Review – Final Thoughts

The Knockout is a very solid offering from Kershaw. I have had my eye on this one since its release, and I am glad that I finally managed to get my hands on one. $55 gets you a well made American flipper folder with quality materials, a practical footprint, and an attractive design. For those wanting a larger knife capable of getting some real work done without breaking the bank, the Knockout strikes me as a good choice. There are definitely higher end and more exotic offerings, but the Knockout is a great no-nonsense tool and doesn’t have a whole lot of worthy competition at its price point.

I will also say that I have tended to favor the USA made Kershaw’s over their Chinese made counter parts. The USA Kershaws are always really well done. The materials are a little nicer, the finishes seem better, and I have just had better luck with them for whatever reason. This isn’t intended to start some sort of flame war, but I’m just calling it as I see it. I’d rather spend $55 on a USA made Kershaw than $20 or $30 on a Chinese one. To me the Knockout is an example of Kershaw at its best.

Kershaw Knockout Assisted Opening Knife (3.25" Stonewash) 1870

Lightweight anodized aluminum handle features Kershaw’s patented Sub-Frame Lock, ensuring secure blade lockup
3.25” modified drop-point blade made of Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel for good edge retention, strength and resistance to corrosion
Stonewash blade finish provides a handsome, rugged appearance and helps hide scrapes and fingerprints
A great companion for hikers, gardeners, hunters, construction workers, hobbyists and anyone in need of a strong, lightweight everyday carry
Strong tool for various tasks like opening packages, making fire kindling, animal defense, cutting zip-ties, peeling fruit, cutting cord and stripping wire

Buy on Amazon

I recommend buying the Knockout at BladeHQ or 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.

Boker Plus 01BO188 Titan Drop Review

by Dan Jackson 6 Comments

Last Updated: August 11, 2019
Have you ever bought a knife while drinking? I’m not sure if this is a common thing or not, but I was putting back a few beers one night while recording yet another morally suspect episode of GearGeeksLive when I decided to pick up this Boker Titan.

Buy the Boker Plus Titan Drop Point at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

It’s a pretty basic knife, but the price is right and I have been wanting to check it out for a while. Apparently I needed a couple IPAs to get properly motivated. I guess there are worse things you can do after having a few beers…

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Titan has an overall length of 8.25″, a 3.75″ blade, weighs 4.10 ounces, and is made in China. The first thing I noticed when I pulled this out of it’s box was how big it was. I guess I would have realized that if I considered the specifications in between swigs of beer and trying to top Andrew’s non sequiturs, but sometimes these details get lost in the ether. It is definitely too large to be a daily carry for me, but it’s nice and slim and could make a good EDC for some people or perhaps even a “tactical knife”. I’d say it compares favorably to a Spyderco Endura, and it’s a bit smaller than my large Sebenza. I’d love to see Boker make a version with a 3″ blade for EDC, but I don’t want every knife in my collection to be a 3″ EDC knife.

The blade shape is a classic drop point with a full flat grind and satin finish. The blade has been well ground and the 440-C blade steel came sharp enough to brush the hairs off my arm without much thought. In practice this is a really nice cutter. The edge has been neatly and uniformly ground, and in practice I have found that the Titan is excellent for your typical tasks like breaking down boxes, working in the yard, home projects, etc. The full flat grind is nice and lean and it’s almost surprising how much extra leverage you can generate with the longer handle and blade.

Although it’s not a substitute for a real kitchen knife I did do a little food prep with it and was pleased with the results there as well. The tip is also very fine, and is great for stabbing through stuff. I managed to jab myself in the pinky while pruning some tomato plants, and the fruit was not the only thing that ran red that day.

The 440C blade has been easy to maintain and edge retention is pretty good. 440C is a softer steel, and I’d place it around AUS8 or slightly better in the edge retention department. Like AUS 8 it sharpens easily, and all I need is a strop to keep this knife very sharp. The satin finished blade attracts finger prints, but so far it hasn’t attracted any rust. All said I am pleased with the performance, especially given the price.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is comprised of two slabs of titanium, a steel lock back, and a titanium backspacer. Everything is screwed together with matte stainless steel hardware. The dull gray titanium contrasts nicely with the satin finished blade and clip. Everything lines up neatly and is well finished. Boker’s Plus line often gets a bad rap for poor fit and finish, but the build quality here is very high. There is a simple elegance to the knife that draws me in. The full metal construction means that the knife is solid and sturdy, yet it is still slim pocketable. You still get some interest on the enthusiast level with the use of titanium, and it also helps keep the weight down quite a bit. It’s a great blend of form and function.

Being that this is a larger knife, it goes without saying that the handle is quite generous. I’m able to get my meat hooks onto it with plenty of room to spare, and this is a knife that is built to get work done.

Although this doesn’t speak directly to ergonomics in use, I will say that there are some sharper edges on this knife (namely the spine and lock bar) and if you are going to obsessively open and close the knife, you may develop some lingering discomfort on your thumb. This isn’t uncommon for a lock back knife, but I did want to mention this a potential negative as this review is largely very positive.

The pocket clip is very similar to what you might find on a standard Emerson or Benchmade clip. This is a proven pocket clip design. Much like its Benchmade or Emerson counterpart, it’s very secure and is easy to use. This one from Boker has been given a very bright satin finish. It isn’t particularly discrete, but it matches the satin blade nicely. The handle is tapped for ambidextrous tip up carry and it’s a relatively deep carrying knife. This is a very thin knife and despite being over 8″ long it carries very well. Again, I can’t help but compare this to an Endura, and in this case I think that is a good thing.

Deployment and Lockup

It is impossible to see what kind of washers Boker used without taking the knife apart, but I can say that the action is very smooth. My guess is they have phosphor bronze washers in there. The teraced thumb studs are easy to get at, and the backspring can be overcome with the push of a thumb.

For lockup you have a sturdy backlock. There isn’t much to write about here beyond saying that the lock works well. It engages crisply and there is no play. The fact that the knife is completely made of metal would lead me to believe you could run this knife pretty hard if you wanted to. I haven’t tested it beyond normal daily tasks, but it could definitely be beaten on like the Cold Steel American Lawman, another favored lockback knife of mine. Blade centering on my model is excellent.

Boker Titan Review – Final Thoughts

I think I need to shop for knives while drinking more frequently because I stumbled across a winner here. The Titan is very basic and is an extremely conservative design, but it has been done right and the inclusion of titanium handle scales lends it a touch of class.

In practice I have found this to be a great beater / user knife. It cuts and carries well, and is very functional. Boker’s fit and finish can sometimes be a mixed bag, but it’s hard to screw up a simple lock back, and the fit and finish is actually very good here. The pieces line up perfectly, there is no blade play, the action is smooth and the lock engages crisply. This is actually a really nice knife and think it gives the Endura a good run for it’s money – especially when you consider how damn expensive the Endura has gotten, and the Endura’s proclivity for up and down blade play. Here the Titan is rock solid, and retails anywhere from $20 to $40+ less depending on what kind of Endura you are looking for. Granted this knife is made in China rather than Japan, doesn’t make use of nested liners, lacks a Spyderhole, etc, but you are still getting a ton of knife for your money and it is well made. The only real downside I could find is that the edges of the lock and spine are pretty sharp. While by no means uncomfortable to work with, it was something I noticed when obsessively opening and closing the Titan.

At less than $40 the Titan is a no brainer and it makes my list of recommended high value knives. It may also make my list for recommended tactical knives, but the longer I run this site the less I really understand what tactical knife even means.

Boker Plus 01BO188 Titan Drop Knife with 3-3/4 in. Straight Edge Blade, Steel

Durable and sharp 440C stainless steel blade
Bead blasted titanium handle
Reversible, polished pocket clip
Blade length: 3 3/4 inches. Overall length: 8 3/8 inches. Weight: 4.5 ounces.
Limited lifetime warranty

Buy on Amazon

I recommend buying the Titan at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Lionsteel SR-1 Review

by Dan Jackson 14 Comments

Last Updated: July 28, 2019
A topic knife nuts love to ponder is the age old question of “is it worth it?” This question is probably as old as knife ownership is itself. I imagine that first cave man who showed off his fancy new blade hewn from obsidian rather than the typical rock was met with his fair share of detractors (I am not sure if they used the term “haters” back in 6000 BCE). Whether an expensive knife is “worth it” in comparison to its cheaper counterparts continues to amuse us to this day, and a great example of a knife that gets the brunt of that question is the Chris Reeve Sebenza.

Buy the Lionsteel SR-1 at BladeHQ

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It doesn’t take long into seeking out info on the Sebenza before you stumble across a forum post, YouTube video, or even the comments section of your favorite knife review website to see folks passionately argue the merits of Sebenza and its $400.00 price tag. Opinions run the gamut from the Sebenza not being worth $100, let alone $400, to being the holy grail of blades and easily justified at any cost. I don’t agree with either of those extremes, but I think there is plenty of room in the middle to make valid arguments for and against the “value” of the knife, so I try my best to stay out of it. (If you absolutely must know, personally, I own and enjoy several CRKs and have concluded that they are worth it to me to have in my collection. Part of how I justify the cost is that if some day I woke up and didn’t like the knife, I could sell it and recover 90% of my money. Anyhow, I digress…). My point with all of this is that a lot of people seem obsessed with value and getting more for their money. Especially when it comes to high end production knives.

Enter the Lionsteel SR-1. I’ve drooled over this knife ever since it made it’s debut in 2010 with its dramatic blade shape, imposing sculpted handle, and top shelf materials. I felt like this was a knife truly befitting of a king and the fact that a company called Lionsteel was making it made perfect sense. But what really did it for me was the fact that this is an “integral”. By that I mean the handle has been carved from a single chunk of glorious 6A14V titanium. Here we have a knife that has truly done something different from a construction perspective. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that certainly we are getting *something* more for our money with the SR-1. So with that out of the way I intend to explore the merits of this blade…

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The SR-1 has an overall length of 8.3″, has a 3.7″ blade, and weighs 6.8 ounces. This is a sizable knife. Definitely larger than my average EDC, and is not something I am really prepared to carry on any kind of a regular basis. I consider it a collectable more than anything, but it certainly has been made for carry and use, and I am sure plenty of people do carry theirs regularly. Lionsteel has recently offered a mini version of the SR-1, the SR-2, and that may be a better bet for my style of EDC. That said, there is nothing wrong with buying this knife purely for collectable purposes – especially if you opt for the sweet version with a damascus steel blade like I have. What you are looking at is the SR-1 in Chad Nichols raindrop damascus. I’m not a huge damascus guy, but I thought this one was pretty cool.

The blade shape on this knife is a typical drop point. What I always liked about this knife was the ridiculously wide blade and the deep belly. Not for any practical reasons, mostly because it looks impressive and is unlike anything else in my collection. Blade stock is generous at .18″/ 4.5mm thick. The spine is capped (rounded over) while the high flat grind terminates in a durable, but plenty capable, edge. This isn’t a particularly awesome slicer, but it will hold up under harder use and can certainly cut stuff.

Like I mentioned before, this particular knife comes in Chad Nichols damascus, but if you were to buy a regular one off the shelf it will likely come in either D2 (for the aluminum handled version) or Sleipner steel (for the titanium handled version). Sleipner is manufactured by Bohler Uddeholm and from the limited research I did it is supposed to share some similarities to D2, in that it is a tough tool steel, semi-stainless, and capable of being heat treated to a high hardness, but it is supposed to be more resistant to chipping. Bohler put together a handy data sheet for those looking for more technical information on the steel. Because I haven’t personally used it, I have no real comments on it at this time.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle of the SR-1 is what really steals the show. 3-D machined from a single block of titanium or aluminum (the SR-1A), this handle is as beautiful as it is technically impressive. A monolithic handle like this is commonly referred to as an “integral” these days, but there is nothing common about this handle. I’ve examined my fair share of high end knives, including custom pieces, but holy shit is this thing is cool. And the fit and finish on this handle is really nice too. The exterior has been given an attractive grooved pattern, while inside the handle has been cleanly excavated to accommodate the blade. Adding to the interest, Lionsteel offers the SR-1 anodized in a rainbow of different colors. Simply put, this handle is spectacular.

Adding to my love of the SR-1’s handle is how nice and comfy it is. Lionsteel did an excellent job softening all of the edges and the SR-1 just melts in place. Next to the actual handle construction, I was most impressed by how good this handle felt. It’s a large knife so there is plenty of room, and the chamfering they have done is just superb.

The pocket clips is another well-implemented and elegant feature of the knife. I have to hand it to the Italian’s, they really now how to design beautiful stuff (and I’m not just saying that because my last name ends in a vowel). The clip is a deep carry design mounted on the pommel. It is reversible with a single screw. In practice the SR-1 carries discretely and decently for its size. I like the look of the deep carry clip, and the fact that this design does not put a lot of unnecessary holes in the beautiful titanium frame.

Deployment and Lockup

The SR-1 takes advantage of a pair of ambidextrous thumb studs for deployment. They are mounted for easy access with the thumb, and the blade rides on teflon washers. I’m not a huge fan of teflon washers because they don’t deploy particularly fast, but they are still found in some high end knives and I guess I’ll just have to learn to deal with that. Deployment isn’t particularly fast and I was unable to ever flick the blade open with my thumb, but it’s smooth and purposeful, which is pretty much what I’ve grown to expect with teflon washers.

On the other hand, lockup on the SR-1 is nothing short of glorious. You have a thick titanium lock bar with a steel insert, and when the blade opens up the lock bar falls into place with a really satisfying snap. Engagement is early and extremely secure. The fact that the handle is cut from a single piece of titanium makes for a very rigid frame, and I didn’t even notice a suggestion of blade play. I will say that my blade is ever so slightly off center, and I was not able to tune that out with the supplied pivot tool. This is a slight let down, but I guess there are some limitations with the integral design.

I also need to briefly note the rotoblock (which is the big round thing in the middle of the lock bar cut out). Much like the DPx Hest 2.0 I reviewed a couple years ago, the SR-1 comes with Lionsteel’s rotoblock, which doubles as lockbar stabilizer (preventing you from over-extending the lock bar when disengaging it) and as a secondary locking mechanism. The way it works is that you torque it down to lock the knife open or closed. A common criticism with the rotoblock is that it can come loose and put you in a position where the knife accidentally gets locked open or closed. The rotoblock on my SR-1 is very stiff, so maybe Lionsteel has completely addressed that issue. Personally, I see the secondary locking mechanism as a novelty at best, and a nuisance at worst, but I do like having some sort of lock bar stabilizer.

One final aspect of the knife worth mentioning is the packaging. Each SR-1 comes nestled in its own wood display case. It’s a cool feature and I have yet to see a knife come packaged like this. I know the box is the least important thing about a knife, but when you are already paying $400.00, it’s cool to see that Lionsteel went the extra mile to do something besides your typical cardboard crate.

Lionsteel SR-1 Review – Final Thoughts

The SR-1 is a hell of a knife. I know it’s expensive, and that is part of the reason why it took me so long to acquire one, but it’s different, and generally very well done. And I guess if you really cared about the price you could go for the less expensive aluminum handled version, the SR-1A, which sells for less than $200.00. I ran into a couple minor issues (slow action with the teflon washers, a slightly off center blade), but by and large this is a masterpiece and a tremendous accomplishment for a production knife. In this day in age it’s easy to argue that a lot of high end production knives aren’t worth the premium in price because they aren’t much different from their cheaper counterparts, but here the SR-1 really does deliver something different. The mono-block handle is just super duper cool and everything else has been really well done.

It isn’t the most practical knife in my collection, but if you have the dough and the desire, I definitely recommend checking it out. Because I favor smaller sleeker knives for daily use I definitely see myself acquiring a TiSpine in the not so distant future. Hopefully it doesn’t take 4 years for me to pull the trigger on that one.

Lionsteel SR-1 – From $379.00
From: BladeHQ

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I recommend purchasing the SR-1 at BladeHQ or 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.