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.

Benchmade Proxy Review

by Dan Jackson Leave a Comment

Warren Osborne is one of the most recognized names in knife making. While he was an extremely talented custom maker, a large part of his renown is due to a series of high profile collaborations with Benchmade. The 940 is one of the most notable collabs, but Warren Osborne is also known for designing the Rift and Barrage, among others.

Buy the Benchmade Proxy at BladeHQ

Warren Osborn passed away in 2016, after a long a long struggle with a cancer. The Benchmade Proxy was his final collaboration with Benchmade. I happen to think it was an interesting design. Benchmade has only recently gotten into flippers, and this Proxy is one of their takes on a titanium framelock flipper. As Warren’s last collaboration with Benchmade I knew it was something I needed to get my hands on.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Benchmade Proxy has an overall length of 8.85″, a 3.87″ blade, weighs 4.86 ounces, and is made in the USA. This is a substantial knife. A bit too much for me to carry on a daily basis, but I’m sure it will make a fine EDC for those that like larger knives. At under 5 ounces, it’s plenty light and pocketable for a near 4″ bladed folder.

The Proxy features a long sloping drop point blade. It kind of reminds me of the head of a shark. For whatever that is worth. It’s a strong blade cut from near 4mm thick stock. The knife has a high flat grind and has been left thin behind the edge. It’s fine for cutting boxes or fruit, and I suspect it would hold up under tougher chores as well. The tip is placed low on the knife. That shortens the belly but makes it good at stabbing things. Benchmade went with what appears to be a matte satin finish. It’s a utilitarian finish that hides wear well.

The most prominent feature on the blade is the oversized sharpening choil. That makes it easy to sharpen, but you lose some edge, and if you aren’t careful material you are wanting to cut can get caught up in the large choil.

Benchmade selected CPM-20CV for the Proxy’s blade steel. This is the same steel my G-10 Griptilian came in, and now that I’ve owned that knife for almost 2 years, I have a little experience with it. Manufactured by Crucible Industries, CPM-20CV is advertised as a steel with high corrosion resistance and wear resistance, and good toughness. Chemically it is similar to M390, which is an excellent steel. CPM-20CV has an extremely high chromium content, which results in its corrosion resistant qualities.

In practice I have found that CPM-20CV performs admirably. It exhibits a nice balance of edge retention and sharpenability, while exhibiting excellent rust and corrosion resistance. To be compared with M390 places it in excellent company, and I consider CPM-20CV to be top tier blade steel. A great choice for a high end folding knife.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Benchmade Proxy features a titanium frame lock mated to a one piece G-10 backspacer and handle scale. Everything is held together with torx fasteners. It’s kind of an odd combination between the light brown G-10, the sandblasted titanium, the satin hardware and the mirror polished clip. The varying textures and angular design almost make the Proxy feel like a small piece of modern art. The build quality is excellent. Tolerances are tight, the parts line up, and the 3-D machining on the handles is excellent.

I also like the omission of the lanyard hole. I’m not a big lanyard guy, but you see them on pretty much every knife. It’s refreshing to get something without a lanyard hole. While that is bound to piss some people off, personally I don’t miss it.

The Proxy is a large and comfortable knife. It’s got a big simple handle, so it will conform to most hand sizes. There is little in the way of texture on the knife, but still my fingers fall naturally in place. Warren did design a forward finger choil, and that feature allows you to choke up on the blade and get close to what you are cutting. You can also choke back on this handle, providing you a couple inches of additional reach. Potentially useful if you have to do some light chopping or use the Proxy in a “tactical” application.

The pocket clip is Benchmade’s split arrow clip, buffed up to a high shine. While I generally like the split arrow clip, I’m not a huge fan of the shiny version shown here. It’s kind of loud and it doesn’t match the rest of the knife. It feels out of place, although I’m not sure what I would have put instead of this clip. I probably would have reconsidered the entire hardware selection, finishes, and color choice.

The Proxy carries well considering it’s almost a 9″ folding knife. The sturdy split arrow clip, and bead blasted titanium handle work together to provide good traction without tearing up your pocket. At .5″ thick the Proxy is not the thinnest knife, but it’s not the thickest either. Benchmade milled out some large grooves to make it a little slimmer and more pocketable. All said, I think the Proxy is not a bad knife to carry.

Deployment and Lockup

This is a bearing equipped titanium framelock flipper. I haven’t reviewed a Benchmade framelock flipper before, so this is new territory for me. In practice it flips great. I’d say it scores a solid “7” on my 0-10 scale. Maybe a little behind the action you would find on a Zero Tolerance flipper, but not by much. It’s snappy and responsive action and the bearings are smooth. So smooth you can shake the blade closed. Nice.

The titanium frame lock is reinforced with a stainless steel insert. The insert does not double as an over travel stop mechanism, a feature I’ve come to find standard on most flippers from ZT, Spyderco, and Kizer. That said, the lockup on this knife is early, and free of any sort of play. It’s rock solid.

Here is a shot of the Proxy next to my Strider SnG. I chose the SnG because the Proxy borrows the integral G-10 handle / backspacer.

Blade centering is pretty good on my knife. Not perfect. It favors the G-10 side by a mm or so, but is nowhere near rubbing.

Benchmade Proxy Review – Final Thoughts

The Proxy is a curious knife. Warren Osborne made a name for himself providing unique designs, and I think the Proxy continues that legacy. Individually, there are number of seemingly dissimilar components. Added up they all come together. Sorta. Part of me can’t help but feel that this blade was put together with leftovers from Benchmade’s parts bin, but other parts of me appreciate the simple design. The knife is nicely made and is both comfortable to use and a capable cutter. It’s a great work knife.

While it may not be to everyone’s taste, I think the Proxy is a good knife. I appreciate the Proxy and I appreciate Warren Osborne for his contributions to the knife world. I can safely recommend the Proxy for fans of Warren and fans of this design.

Benchmade - Proxy 928, Plain Drop-Point

List Price: $230.00

Price: $230.00

Price Disclaimer

I recommend purchasing the Benchmade Proxy at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that buying 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.

Cold Steel 4-Max Review

by Dan Jackson 5 Comments

This is a knife that requires little in the way of an introduction. The Cold Steel 4-Max is arguably the most overbuilt hard use folding knife of all time. Modeled after designer Andrew Demko’s custom 4-Max folder the 4-Max brings Andrew’s clean design and attention to detail to life.

Buy the 4-Max at BladeHQ

This isn’t your garden variety Cold Steel offering. Built in the USA and retailing for about $400, this high end production offering is for those that want to get as close to an Andrew Demko custom as they can without buying and actual AD custom. I’ve wanted to check one of these knives out ever since they announced the project in 2014. 4 years later and I finally have one in hand.

Will the knife survive the hype? Read on to find out.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The 4-Max has an overall length of 10.00″, a 4.00″ blade and weighs 10.2 ounces. This is a big honking knife. As you will be able to see in the size comparisons, if the Ultimate Hunter is a great white, then this 4Max is a megalodon. It dwarfs normal folding knives. It’s almost a caricature of a folding knife. It’s massive in every way. Some may view a knife this big as novelty item rather than an EDC. Personally, I like mine for trips to the supermaket and high stakes hostage negotiations.

My 4-Max is made in the USA, but Cold Steel has moved manufacturing over to Italy. They changed the G-10 from the tan shown here to a blue grey on the Italian version. Personally, part of the allure of the 4Max to me was that it was made in the USA. It’s a knife so ridiculous that it almost needs to be made in the USA. Otherwise it’s just an imposter. That said, my research shows the Italian 4Max is very nice, and possibly even a smidge better than this USA version in the fit and finish department.

The blade on this sucker is massive. It’s a simple drop point with a deep belly, high flat grind, and decorative swedge. The grinds are crisp and even. The edge has been evenly applied, although the sharpener did run up onto the choil a little. That seems to be consistent from knife to knife. I’m not a fan of how that looks, and is one of my gripes.

You would think a knife this overbuilt would be a poor slicer, but the 4-Max actually has great blade geometry. It slices beautifully thanks to the high flat grind that gets surprisingly thin behind the edge. I can slice apples like nobody’s business with the 4Max. The tip also displays a good balance between strength and practicality. It’s stout, but isn’t a pry bar either. The knife is fully functional and surprisingly good at performing day to day tasks.

For blade steel Cold Steel went with CPM-20CV. CPM-20CV is Crucible’s answer to Boeller M390. It’s excellent stuff providing a covetable blend of edge retention, ease of sharpness, corrosion resistance and toughness. It’s a high end steel. So far it has done everything I’ve asked it to. Admittedly that has mostly been EDC chores including breaking down boxes, cutting fruit, and opening mail. I’m keeping this knife for long term evaluation and will update this section periodically.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Handle of the 4-Max is G-10 over titanium liners with a titanium backspacer. Handle construction is solid. The G-10 scales have been nicely finished. All the parts line up, and the overall impression is solid.

So far the tan G-10 has held up well. I’m not a huge fan of light colored G-10 as it tends to pick up dirt and stain, but I haven’t had that issue with the 4-Max.

The ergonomics of the 4-Max are excellent. This is a huge knife, so there is plenty of real estate, and Andrew Demko is well known for his simple and ergonomic designs that accommodate a variety of grips and hand sizes. The ergonomic features include a generous forward finger choil, lightly textured G-10 handle scales, and a short run of toothy jimping. The jimping is nice because it captures the pad of your thumb without being overly aggressive.

All the edges of the G-10 have been chamferred. I haven’t noticed any hot spots. The balance point of the knife is an inch or so behind the pivot, so it has a forward heavy feel. It all but begs to be chopped with, an odd sensation from a folding knife. The pommel is large and angular and could be used as an “impact tool” if the need ever arised. The 4-Max is also comfortable in a reverse grip.

Time to talk about the pocket clip. This is a large titanium pocket clip. It allows for right or left side tip up carry only. It’s not a deep carry clip, but it’s oriented so that the knife buries fairly deep in the pocket. Spring retention is excellent.

In practice, this knife carries as you would expect. You need to wear a belt while EDCing the 4-Max, lest you wish to arrive at your destination in just your underwear. It’s big, it’s heavy, and it takes up a ton of space in your pocket. I wouldn’t turn up my nose at a belt sheath for this one.

Deployment and Lockup

The 4-Max makes use of large ambidextrous thumb studs. Quite a bit of travel is required to pop this blade open. Thankfully the going is smooth due to the massive phosphor bronze washers. When you finally maneuver the blade into the open position you are greeted with a hugely satisfying “click”. It’s kind of like closing the door of a German car.

Here is a size comparison with the Cold Steel Ultimate Hunter, a large knife in its own right.

For lockup we have an oversized Tri-Ad lock. It’s got a stop pin bigger than most pivots. Lockup is absolutely bank vault solid. Not a smidge of play here, and according to Cold Steel this lock can handle ungodly amounts of punishment. No complaints with respect to the lock.

Where I do have a complaint is when it’s time to unlock the knife. Tri-Ad locks can have a reputation for being tough to disengage, but this 4-Max takes it to a new level. Not only is a good amount of pressure required to release the blade (understandable), you have to position your thumb dead center on the lock release. If you travel too far forward or back, you won’t have sufficient travel for the lockbar to raise enough to disengage.

Once you get the lock disengaged extreme care needs to be taken with this blade. The spring tension turns the 4-Max into a guillotine of sorts. Care always needs to be exercised when closing a folding knife, but extreme care should be taken with the 4-Max. The combination of strong spring, heavy blade, and razor sharp blade make this one a little disconcerting to use. I’ve never felt nervous closing a pocket knife before, but after catching the edge of my ring finger in this blade I have a new level of respect for the 4-Max. Be careful.

Here is another size comparison with the hugely popular Spyderco Paramilitary 2:

Blade centering is good, but not great on my knife. It’s a mm or so off. No where near rubbing, but at this price point I would obviously prefer something dead centered.

Cold Steel 4-Max Review – Final Thoughts

The 4-Max is the closest most of us will come to ever owning an Andrew Demko custom knife. It was built without compromise, and in that respect the 4-Max is a roaring success. If you are looking for the biggest, baddest hard use folding knife on the planet then I think the 4-Max should be at the top of your short list. It’s beautifully made, and it cuts surprisingly well. And I challenge you to find a more solid folding knife.

My biggest gripe is it’s a tough lock to disengage. Not only is there a lot of spring tension, you have to place your thumb right in the center in order to successfully disengage the lock.

However, if you are looking for anything resembling a practical pocket knife for urban EDC then I think you should look elsewhere. This knife is huge and heavy. No way I would want to carry it around on a daily basis. But it’s a beautiful and unique piece and I appreciate it for what it is.

With the 4-Max, you are either going to love the idea of it or hate it. If you are somehow on the fence about the 4-Max I would suggest picking one up. It’s not cheap, but you get what you pay for.

Cold Steel CS62RM-BRK 4-Max Lockback

List Price: $285.71

Price: $263.99

You Save: $21.72

Price Disclaimer

I recommend purchasing the Cold Steel 4-Max at BladeHQ or Amazon. Please consider that buying 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.

Manly Peak Review

by Dan Jackson 2 Comments

I have a couple Manly knives for you today. That’s not a typo. Manly is a Bulgarian knife manufacturer. More recently they have started distributing knives in the USA through their aptly named Manly USA distributor.

A couple articles on Nemo Knives Review put their products on the map for me, and I quickly became attracted to their spare yet functional designs.

I reached out to their US Distributor, Lubo, and and was kind enough to provide these knives for review free of charge (full disclosure). What you are looking at is actually their Peak and Peak 2 models. The Peak features the thumb hole, while the Peak 2 is a two hand opening design. That’s the biggest difference so I’ve decided to put them both into one review. I also have their fixed blade, the Patriot, and will perform a write up on that later on.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Peak has an overall length of 8.66″, a 3.7″ blade, weighs 4.0 ounces, and is made in Bulgaria. This is a big work knife, but it’s slim and lightweight for its size. It reminds me of a beefed up Spyderco Endura, and strikes me as a hybrid between that knife and the Cold Steel Broken Skull.

The Peak came with a thin full flat grind, while The Peak 2 came with a partial flat grind. Both blades are cut from 3mm thick stock and share a similar elongated clip point profile. The long and thin blade profile provide plenty of cutting edge, some belly, and a fine tip. Manly included small sharpening choils on both models. The edges are evenly ground, and Manly states on their website that the edges are 15 degrees inclusive. It’s nice to see that information provided by the manufacturer. The blades are left with a light stonewashed finish.

Manly offers this knife in a variety of blade steels, including S90V and D2. My particular knives came in DIN 1.2379. DIN 1.2379 is a German steel and is equivalent to ANSI D2. Here is a link to the full data sheet for 1.2379 where you can review the chemical composition. Here is a link to DIN 1.2379 on the excellent ZKnives Steel Composition Chart. With a Chromium content of 12%, 1.2379 is more stainless than other variants of D2.

Lubo told me these knives were designed for use and asked me to put them through their paces. Right on. I so happened to have a couple large cardboard boxes at the house, and that is where I started. The Peak 1 was especially good at cutting through cardboard with its full flat grind, but both performed admirably. I also used the knives outside and whittled extensively with them. They aggressively removed large chunks of wood, and were handy for a morning of yard work. Finally I tested the knives on some apples. I try to have some fruit after dinner each night, and find cutting up an apple to be a good test of edge geometry and stain resistance. Both knives cut cleanly, although again the original Peak was a slightly better slicer due to that full flat grind.

Edge retention was good on both of my knives. Cardboard is an extremely abrasive material, and by the end of my box break down session both knives needed a tune up. Neither could shave hair. I used the coarse and fine rods on my Spyderco Sharpmaker and was able to freehand these back to shaving sharp in under a minute. This was surprising as D2 can be a notoriously tough steel to sharpen. I had no issues.

I also haven’t had any issues with staining, rust, or corrosion. I never cleaned this knife after cutting up fruit and I took the pictures after weeks of testing. The extra Chromium in this blend has to be why. Frankly, I would have never guessed the blade steel in this knife was an analog to D2. It behaves nothing like the steel on the Benchmade 710. In my opinion that is a good thing as I found the 710 tough to sharpen.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Peak features full G10 handles with nested stainless steel liners, and a steel black lock. Everything is held together by a series of allen head fasteners. Fit and finish are good. The G10 has been crisply chamferred, all the hardware has been given the same bright stonewash of the blade, and all the parts line up neatly. This is like a reinforced version of the Endura.

Manly offers the Peak in 2 grades of G-10. A coarse peel-ply G10 shown with the black Peak 2, and a finer, less abrasive G-10 as featured on the orange Peak. Both offer good traction without being overly abrasive. In addition to the orange and black colorways, Manly offers these knives with desert camo G10 scales as well.

The Peak is a simple design. What it lacks in finger choils and curves, it makes up for with a simple handle design that is sure to accommodate most hands. It doesn’t get much more basic than this, with the gentle curve of the handle meeting easily with the palm of your hand. The corrugated G10 provides plenty of traction, and the inclusion of a short run of jimping on the bottom of the handle works perfectly for capturing your index finger. You don’t see jimping placed here on most folding knives, but I like it. It doesn’t wear out your thumb, but it also prevents your fingers from slipping forward on the blade. Smart.

The pocket clip is yet another example of simple, practical design. The pocket clip is a fold over deep carry clip, mounted on the very edge of the handle to ensure the knife buries as deeply and discreetly as possible. It’s swappable for tip up right or left hand carry, and a “filler tab” a-la Hinderer Knives is included to fill the space for the side you aren’t using.

In practice the Peak and Peak 2 both carry well. They are relatively thin and light knives, and the strong pocket clip anchors them securely in your pocket. The only possible issue is the prominent inclusion of the word “manly” on the clip. More self conscious readers may find that to be a message they would rather not broadcast from their hip, but like every other aspect of the knife, I think the branding has been done tastefully and I don’t mind it.

Deployment and Lockup

For deployment you have your choice of the thumb hole clad Peak, or the two hand opening Peak 2. Your choice will of course depend on your preference, but also perhaps where you live. As a Bulgarian company I am sure Manly has many European customers, and some of these countries don’t allow one hand opening knives. As an American who has grown quite fond of the one-hand-opening feature of modern folding knives, I tend to prefer the Peak, but the Peak 2 is kind of fun in its own way.

For the Peak, the thumb hole is actually a slight oval. In speaking with Lubo, my understanding is that this is done in part to avoid any issues with Spyderco and their Round Hole trademark. It works well, and you can easily snap the blade open with your thumb. However, the strong back lock will prevent you from flicking the blade open.

And on the subject of Spyderco, here is a shot of the Peak vs. my Paramilitary 2:

The Peak 2 is easy enough to unfold with two hands. There is plenty of room to grab the blade, and both knives are equipped with phosphor bronze washers. They operate smoothly.

For lockup we have the tried and true back lock. This is one of man kind’s oldest locks, and it remains relevant for good reason. It’s simply, sturdy, and secure. Here the lock back has been executed crisply. The spring is strong and the blade locks in place with a satisfying “snap”. There is no blade play on either of my knives. When it’s time to close the knife back up, the lock is easy enough to disengage with your thumb. All in all there is little to complain about when it comes to the lock on these Peak knives.

Blade centering is a mm or so off on my Peak, and perfectly centered on my Peak 2. No complaints given the price point.

Manly Peak Review – Final Thoughts

The Peak and Peak 2 are charming every man folders from Manly. I like the simple design. The knives are left with everything you need and nothing you don’t. They are built nicely from quality materials. All of this adds up to no-nonsense work knives. These may not win the “Most Innovative Knife of the Year” award any time soon, but they are comfortable in hand and cut really well.

Long time readers know I’m a fan of no-nonsense work knives like the Cold Steel American Lawman, and ESEE Zancudo. Humble work knives that get the job done. This Manly Peak is cut from the same cloth. But it’s also a very thoughtful design. Elegant, really.

I thought I would enjoy the Peak, otherwise I wouldn’t have requested a review sample, but I was surprised at exactly how much I enjoyed it. It’s hard to believe a simple knife like this didn’t already exist in a market crowded by thousands of models. I’m glad I checked it out.

These knives start at $80, and top out around $120 if you want S90V blade steel. I think Manly is offering good value for money here. $80 isn’t much more than what an Endura will run you these days, and in this case you get a superior steel, a deep carry pocket clip, and a full G-10 handle.

I like and recommend both these knives.

My understanding is that Manly Knives are mostly sold through their distributors at this point. So I recommend purchasing the Manly Peak and Peak 2 at ManlyUSA if you live in the States or Manly Canada if you are in Canada.

That said, please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website, including Amazon and BladeHQ, helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. Any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Zero Tolerance 0450CF Review

by Dan Jackson 16 Comments

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I lust after knives for months, or even years, before pulling the trigger. That was the case with this Zero Tolerance 0450CF. The original 0450 was cool, but the carbon fiber version put me over the top. It’s a little lighter and sleeker, and the choice of green anodized accents isn’t something you see on a lot of knives. I decided I wanted one, but could never find a decent deal on it.

Buy the ZT 0450CF at BladeHQ

Fast forward a couple years later, and I received a trade offer that included this 0450CF. Right on. I immediately responded back that I was interested, and a few days later the knife was at my doorstep.

By way of a more formal introduction, the 0450 series is a riff on the original Dimitry Sinkevich designed 0454CF that I reviewed back in 2014. Chad McBroom reviewed the mass marketed 0452CF and Ben reviewed the shrunken down full titanium 0450. I’ve got the ultra light 0450CF for your consideration today.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The 0450CF has an over all length of 7.375″, a 3.25″ blade, and weighs a mere 2.45 ounces. Like all Zero Tolerance knives, the 0450CF is made in the USA.

The 0450 and the 0450CF are reactions to the knife market. Zero Tolerance is know for large overbuilt knives, but they received feedback that everyone didn’t want to carry around a big honking pocket knife. So the 0450 hit the scene, and then this 0450CF took that even further by replacing the titanium show side handle with carbon fiber. This shaved over almost half an ounce off the already lightweight 0450. This, my friends, makes for an ideal EDC knife in my book.

The 0450CF shares the same low slung blade that made us all fall in love with the 0454CF when it hit the scene. It’s a long, sleek, modified drop point blade, featuring a little belly and plenty of tip. The knife has a high flat grind and a decorative swedge. The blade has been given a semi-glossy black DLC coating. The edge has been uniformly applied, and there is a sharpening choil so you can easily sharpen this blade from tip to heel.

ZT opted for S35VN for the blade steel. Regulars to the site or high end knives need no introduction to S35VN. It’s a high performance stainless steel from Crucible designed specificaly for pocket knives with the help of Chris Reeve. It’s an excellent all round blade steel and a good choice for small pocket knives like this as it offers a good balance of edge retention, toughness, and ease of sharpening. I like S35VN generally, and they did a great job with the heat treat on this 0450CF. As always if you want to dive deeper into blade steel check out our steel section for all sorts of additional info.

Practically speaking this little 0450CF is a capable cutter. The blade shape is perfect for getting under envelopes, breaking down boxes, cutting fruit, and performing all the little odd ball chores I require of my EDC knives. That said, I must agree with Ben that this knife is not the best slicer. The partial flat grind binds up in material. While it cuts, it’s no Alox Cadet. This is probably my biggest gripe with the knife.

The S35VN blade has held up great, and so has the Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating. DLC coatings are among the best money can buy, and unless you scrape this knife on concrete or metal it will hold up well.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle of the 0450CF is a solid piece of carbon fiber on the show side, and a black DLC coated titantium framelock on the reverse. The knife is held together with two green aluminum standoffs and an oversized pivot. Construction is simple yet elegant. All the hardware is black save for the green anodized standoffs. The fit and finish is exceptional. The screws are all the right length, the parts line up perfectly, and the finish work is excellent. The carbon fiber is lightly textured, and shimmers slightly in the light. This handle has been beautifully done.

The 0450CF is a small knife, but it doesn’t compromise in the ergonomics department. Dimitry’s design is simple and it should work well for most people. I take an “XL” size glove and have no problem getting a full four finger grip on this knife.

There is a short row of jimping on the spine that provides you with a little traction and something to index your thumb on. Beyond that there is not much in the way of texture. That’s fine by me as I don’t think this knife needs aggressive texturing. It works well as is.

The pocket clip is a standard parkerized black spoon style pocket clip. It’s relatively discreet and unobtrusive. While it’s not a true deep carry clip, it buries the majority of the knife in your pocket and keeps the 0450CF tucked away. The clip is swappable for right or left side tip up carry. A deep carry clip would have been nice.

I have carried this knife quite a bit. The 0450CF is a knife that you forget you are carrying. At just under 2.5 ounces this is not going to pull your pants down. The clip has great retention and the knife stays where you want it to in your pocket.

Deployment and Lockup

This is a Dimitry Sinkevich designed flipper made by Zero Tolerance, so the flipping action is outstanding. The detent is perfectly tuned for crisp, snappy flipping action each and every time. I’ve never “flubbed the flip” with this knife and I’d say the action is a solid “8” on the 0-10 scale. It’s good. Inside you have a caged bearing system. It is exceptionally smooth and you can shake the knife closed easily.

Please note I’m a lefty, so I don’t have any issues with putting my fingers on the lock bar when flipping the knife. I tried flipping this 0450CF with my right hand. Beside it being incredibly awkward for me, it works fine. No issues flipping open this knife. I think ZT fixed the issue that plagued their earlier knives.

Here is a shot of the 0450CF next to another excellent EDC knife, the Spyderco Sage 1:

For lockup we have a titanium frame lock with a stainless steel insert. Zero Tolerance does such a good job with these, that I almost feel that writing this section is unnecessary. The lock bar engages early and securely. The lockup is rock solid with zero blade play in any direction. The lock is smooth and easy to manipulate with no lock stick. This is titanium frame lock perfection and continues to be something of a gold standard in my world.

Blade centering is dead nuts center on my knife.

Zero Tolerance 0450CF Review – Final Thoughts

Ben was a little lukewarm on his 0450. He didn’t like the way the knife cut, the ergonomics, and he had issues with the action. Aside from that Mrs. Lincoln tells me the play was OK.

I think Ben raises valid points. A little knife like this should zip through stuff, but the combination of narrow blade and partial flat grind impacts the 450CF’s slicing performance. It still cuts, but it could be better. Personally, the ergonomics were spot on for my hand, and I found that the 0450CF flipped great. Ergonomics will vary from person to person, and I think ZT addressed the flipping action.

All in all, I am glad I picked up this little 0450CF. It’s as cool in person as I always hoped. I like the look of it over the standard 0450 and how it’s even lighter with this carbon fiber handle.

The 0450CF is an excellent little EDC knife in my book. With a retail price at close to $200 it’s not cheap, but I’m glad I went for it. The 0450 is probably ZT’s most practical EDC offering for the average person. This carbon fiber version takes things up a notch.

Zero Tolerance 0450CF; Folding Knife with 3.25” DLC-Coated S35VN Stainless Steel Blade, All-Black Carbon Fiber and Titanium Handle Scales, KVT Ball-Bearing Opening, Frame Lock, Pocketclip; 2.45 OZ.

List Price: $179.99

Price: $179.99

Price Disclaimer

I recommend purchasing the Zero Tolerance 0450CF at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that buying 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 Kalashnikov AK-74 Automatic Knife Review

by Dan Jackson 2 Comments

My recent review of the Microtech Stitch ignited my interest in automatic knives. I think it’s easy to see why. The Stitch is a beautiful and unique knife. It is also a $400 knife. That’s a significant chunk of change. I wanted to check out a more affordable segment of the market.

Buy the Boker Kalashnikov at BladeHQ

The Boker Kalashnikov is an easy knife to consider in the budget auto category. It has been a best seller for BladeHQ for years. But for whatever reason I’ve been ignoring it. Maybe it’s the Kalashnikov schtick. Not really my thing. That combined with it being an auto dropped it far down on the list of knives to review.

But lets check it out. For $40, its about 10% the cost of the Microtech Stitch, so it will be interesting to compare the two. Lets see how it holds up.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Kalashnikov, which is sometimes referred to as the 74 or “AK-74″, has an overall length of 7.625″, a 3.25” blade, and it weighs 3.70 ounces. It’s a good size for EDC, provided that it’s legal for you to carry an automatic knife where you live. In many parts of the world it’s not legal to carry an automatic knife, so check your laws carefully before pocketing the Kalashnikov in public.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that this knife was designed by Dietmar Pohl of Pohl Force fame. I didn’t realize this until I sat down to write the review. Good to know.

Boker offers this knife in a variety of blade shapes and colors. I happened to get the spearpoint bladed version with the BladeHQ exclusive “Smokewash” finish. My knife has been evenly ground. The blade stock is right at 3mm thick. It gets reasonably thin behind the edge, and has a fine tip. The edge has been applied evenly, and the smokewash finish has an attractive distressed look. All in all, the blade has been well done.

If a spearpoint isn’t your thing Boker offers the knife with a drop point, tanto, or clip point blade. There are probably other versions. This has been a successful model for Boker and like the Kwaiken it has been released in a myriad of configurations over the years.

The Ak-74 comes in AUS-8 blade steel. This seems to be their standard offering for this model, although you may be able to find different steels in various limited releases. Those who have been around the budget knife market for a minute know that AUS-8 is a softer steel. Edge retention isn’t great, but it does take a nice edge and is easy to sharpen. For $40 I’m not complaining. I think AUS-8 is appropriate given the price point.

In practice the Kalashnikov held up to all the little EDC chores I put it through. This includes the usual stuff like opening mail, breaking down boxes, and cutting fruit. This sort of stuff is no problem for the Kalashnikov. When the edge eventually dulls a couple swipes on my Sharpmaker or DMT stones bring the edge back without issue. This is an easy steel to sharpen.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The AK-74 features an anodized cast aluminum handle. The handle is contoured and heavily textured. It has 3 bands running down it, designed to mimic the magazine of an AK-74 rifle. The handle pieces are held together by torx hardware and 3 stand offs, providing a decent view into the guts of the knife. There’s not much to see. Just more black aluminum. The hardware is black, save for the pivot which has a little extra decoration on it.

All the parts line up. There are no sharp edges. When I shake the knife it doesn’t rattle. The handle appears to be dialed in.

The Kalashnikov has decent ergonomics. The first thing I noticed are the 3 finger grooves. Typically these can cause hot spots, but I had no issues with my size “XL” hands. There is a row of jimping on the spine of the blade and back of the handle. It works well. It’s on the aggressive side, but for basic EDC tasks it didn’t bother me.

The handle itself is loaded with texture. It has a faux stippled look to it. Kind of like a Pebble Tec swimming pool but even milder. All said the ergonomics on this knife aren’t bad. It’s not the world’s most comfortable knife, but it’s not offensive either.

The pocket clip is a large black deep carry pocket clip. It carries the same motif as the handle with 3 ridges. I’m not a huge fan of the styling, but beyond that this is a functional and discreet pocket clip. It buries the knife in your pocket, and the good spring retention keeps the knife tucked away.

In practice the Kalashnikov carried as I would expect it. At a little under 4 ounces the knife is relatively small and light. For the most part I didn’t notice it.

Deployment and Lockup

The Kalashnikov is a coil spring automatic. To release the blade you depress the button. Very simple and effective. The spring action is excellent and the blade slams open with a loud smack. No complaints in the deployment department.

For lockup we have a button lock. This setup is just like the Microtech Stich, although everything done has been on a much smaller scale. Lockup is tight, but I detect a slight amount of side to side play when I pull on the blade. Nothing crazy, but it’s there. The lock disengages easily, with no lock stick or binding.

Blade centering is close to perfect on my knife.

Boker Kalashnikov Review – Final Thoughts

I still find the entire premise of the knife to be slightly goofy, but I’m glad I picked up the Boker Kalashnikov. I think if you are looking for a sturdy automatic folder for $40 or so, then the Kalashnikov is well worth considering. It’s well made and fully functional. I don’t think there is anything else out there that touches it.

I see Smith and Wesson makes a series of “Extreme Ops” autos for $20-30, but I’d bet my bottom set of dentures that they won’t be as good as this AK-74. Kershaw makes a nice series of USA made automatic knives, but these are going to cost you at least twice as much money. Anything by Gerber or Benchmade is going to set you back at least $150. So for $40 I’d say this is a nice sweet spot if you are wanting to add an automatic folder to your collection but want to keep the cost below $50.

And the knife works well. It benefits from a simple design, decent materials, and sturdy construction. It cuts well, is reasonably comfortable to use, carries nicely, and has a snappy push button automatic action. There is really nothing wrong with it. I think it represents good value for money given its price. It is easy to see why this knife has sold well over the years and continues to stay in production with a wide variety of different configurations.

Does it impress me like the $400 Stitch? Not really. But it’s still a good knife for the money. Recommended for a sub $50 auto.

Boker Kalashnikov – From $39.95
From: BladeHQ

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

Microtech Stitch Review

by Dan Jackson 6 Comments

Hot on the heels of my review of the Microtech Sigil, I decided to pick up the Stitch. This knife was designed by Sebastijan Berenji of Borka Blades.

Buy the Microtech Stitch at BladeHQ

What I find interesting about Sebastian’s story is that he started out as an enthusiast. If I recall correctly, he was a friend and customer of Geoff Blauvelt of TuffKnives, learned the basics of grinding knives, and made some simple fixed blades. His designs and talents earned the interest of Anthony Marfione. Tony took him under his wing and now Sebastijan is a popular custom knifemaker selling knives for thousands of dollars. Some of his designs have been turned into production knives as well.

A cinderella story if I ever heard one.

The Stitch is an example of Sebastijan’s unique aesthetic. His designs are aggressive and the resulting knives are just plain cool. After being pleasantly surprised by the Sigil, I decided to check out Microtech Stitch and see what his designs are like in the metal.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Stitch has an overall length of 8.00″, a 3.75″ blade, weighs 6.38 ounces, and is made in the USA. This is a large and quirky folding knife. The first thing I noticed is the heft. I didn’t bother checking out the specs before purchasing, so I was a little surprised at how stout the Stitch was.

The second thing to note is the blade to handle ratio. Although the blade is technically 3.75″ long, the cutting edge is only 3″. Those who prize high blade to handle ratios will be sorely disappointed. Personally, I enjoy the weirdness of this knife. That is what drew me to the Stitch in the first place.

The Stitch features a unique blade shape. Maybe we could call it a modified clip point or something. Who really knows. Or cares.

The blade features a prominent harpoon, a high flat grind, a large swedge, and a tip that verges on being a trailing point. There is also a large decorative thumb hole. The blade is unique, and ground from almost 5mm thick blade stock. My blade has been given a bronzed “apocalyptic” (tumbled) blade finish. It is beautifully ground and meticulously finished.

My particular knife came with a blade made of Bohler M390 super steel. I believe they also offer this knife in Elmax, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they release this one in a number of blade steels.

M390 needs no introduction to the enthusiast of high end pocket knives. My guess is that if you are reading this review you already know that M390 is a top tier blade steel, and is among the best money can buy. That is because M390 has the covetable qualities of excellent edge retention and relatively easy sharpening. Most knives will either have great edge retention, or be easy to sharpen. Here you get the best of both worlds, along with good stain resistance.

The Stitch has proven itself to be a capable cutter in the last few weeks of my testing. It easily handles cardboard boxes and other EDC tasks. I’ll say the negative angle of the blade relative to the handle along with high point on this knife makes it a little different in some applications. Case in point, I was at an event and they gave me one of those plastic/paper wrist bands. I tried to cut it off with my Stitch and it took some finagling to get the tip low enough to cut the band off my wrist.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is a beautifully machined aluminum handle with a long geared backspacer and bronzed stainless steel hardware. Aluminum is 3-D contoured with details like a faux pivot collar, countersunk screws, and a fine triangle pattern for traction.

One thing to note, is that this hardware is not proprietary Microtech hardware, but standard torx stuff. That said, all the screws are oversized and look to be custom made. There are two blade stops inside the handle, and they also appear to be custom made.

The handle is immaculate and it’s hard to do it justice with a paragraph or two of text.

The Stitch is a supremely comfortable knife. This is in part because the cutting edge only takes up 37% of the overall length of the knife. So there is plenty of real estate. But it’s also due to some smart ergonomic features of the design. The handle is simple and comfortable. It has good texturing on the sides, and plenty of jimping on the backspacer. Sebastijan also included a large finger choil and a wide spine. That combined with the negative angle of the blade relative to the handle makes for a supremely comfortable knife, whether you are choked up or pulled back on the blade.

The pocket clip is a bent stainless steel clip, given the same bronze treatment as the blade and other hardware, and is a take on the Chris Reeve Knives “double dip clip”. Frankly, I’m not sure of the intellectual property history of this clip design: who came up with it, whether it was patented, licensed, etc. Since a version of this clip appears on their popular Ultratech series my guess is Microtech is well within their right to use it.

I am a big fan of the double dip clip on the Sebenza, and am a fan of it here on the Stitch. This is a wide clip. It has good spring action, and is easy to use. The double dip provides extra retention in your pocket. I’m a fan. The Stitch is a heavy knife, but the good pocket clip keeps it in place. It caries well for an almost 6.5 ounce folding knife. The handle is drilled and tapped for right side tip up carry only.

One interesting thing to comment on is how this knife looks with the closed blade. As you can see, quite a bit of the blade tang (by the thumb hole) is exposed. In the closed position it’s not nearly as resolved as something like my Spyderco Sage 1. Some might find this a little unconventional. I don’t mind it.

Deployment and Lockup

The Stitch is a push button automatic folder. I don’t review many autos, so I’m a little out of my element, but the push button is a generous pad of steel with intricate mill work. The Stitch uses a coil spring, and it does a good job kicking out this heavy blade. The knife shudders with kinetic energy when you press the button. It is snappy.

To close the blade you press the same button you use to open the knife. The force required to return the blade to its closed position is significant, and the blade slides into place with a satisfying snap – not unlike arming a rat trap.

The thumb hole is purely decorative, which is a small point of contention for me. Maybe it saves a little weight, maybe it adds a little visual flair, I’m not really sure what the rationale was. But it seems slightly out of place since you can’t use it for anything.

On that subject, I’d enjoy either a dual action or non-automatic version of this knife. The auto feature is fun, but it’s not necessary and limits where you can carry. Consult your local laws carefully before you decide to EDC this knife.

Still, I won’t fault the Stitch for being an auto. I knew that going into the review. Here’s a shot of the knife next to my Strider SnG:

The lock is a button lock, sturdy and secure. I detect the slightest amount of side to side play in my knife, but no up and down. The lock is easy to manipulate. There is no blade stick at all. It’s a well implemented button lock.

Centering is dead nuts perfect on my knife.

Microtech Stitch Review – Final Thoughts

It seems I have fallen down the slippery slope of Microtech. After resisting their knives for years, I have purchased 2 in a matter of weeks. The quality of these knives is apparent, and I’m now a believer. I’m also thinking I need one of their OTF automatics. Oy vey.

But the Stitch in particular is a cool knife. The design is one of a kind, and the execution is brilliant. All the parts are custom made. Each detail is refined to the point of perfection. I bought a Boker Kalashnikov a couple weeks ago to compare with this Stitch (and accidentally posted a draft of the review the other week – whoops). There is no comparison. This Stitch has been built with such fanatical attention to detail it’s not funny. Granted it costs 10x the Kalashnikov, but you get what you pay for.

I think if you like the concept of the Stitch you will like the reality of this knife. Quirky, but beautifully executed. I’m enjoying mine.

Microtech Stitch – From $364.00
From: BladeHQ

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