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.

2018 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Knife Deals

by Dan Jackson 1 Comment

Once again, it is that time of year. Time to round up the various Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on knives and gear. I’m by my computer this year, so I figured I’d round up some links for 2018. Feel free to leave a comment or email me if I miss anything and I’ll add the deal.

I’m starting this post a little early this year, but I’ll update the article as the deals roll in.

Amazon

As usual, Amazon has their deals going on for black Friday. You will likely find some decent deals on budget knives and flashlights. If you are looking to score big on a higher end knife this probably isn’t the place for that. They seem to do flash sales, and limited offerings. I am guessing there will be lots of time sensitive deals on more budget oriented knives, so here is a direct link to their outdoor gear deals.

The deals will keep changing / updating.

BladeHQ

For Cyber Monday BladeHQ keeps the hits rolling. Their deals include the following:

Boker Kalashnikov Auto with CTS-XHP Blade Steel – $54.99
Benchmade Jungle – $89.99
Kershaw Cryo in D2 – $34.99
Spyderco Polestart + Rescue 3 – $89.99
Boker Urban Trapper Petite in Cocobolo – $64.99
Hogue EX02 in G-Mascus – $139.99
Boker Strike – $36.99
CRKT Folding Razel – $21.99
Protech Rockeye – $139.99
Kershaw Launch Series – All on Sale
CRKT Squid – $19.99
Kizer – All on Sale
Kershaw – Special Sale on Kershaw
Microtech – Special Sale on Microtech
Kershaw Shuffle – $9.99
CRKT – big sale on all models
And much much more…

Check the deals out here.

BladeHQ has all sorts of stuff on sale for their Black Friday deals.

The usual suspects, including a deeply discounted Boker AK-74, are for sale, but they are also offering a free Blue Box Kit with each Benchmade knife (~$20.00 value), plenty of discounts on Protech Autos, Kershaw Autos, and Microtech autos. I also see sales for Kizer, Discontinued ZTs, Spydercos, and WE Knives.

Something for everyone and an all-around compelling sale. Check out the deals here.

GP Knives

GP Knives has a bunch of stuff on offer. I see everything from stuff by Buck, Lionsteel, CRKT, Kershaw, to ESEE knives, and leather goods. Once again, there is a little something for everyone. You can check out all their Black Friday deals here.

KnivesShipFree

KnivesShipFree is offering up some Cyber Monday deals this year. They can all be found on their 2018 Cyber Monday deals page. Here are the highlights:

Free KSF Bottle Opener with Any Order
20% off Northwoods Haiwatha
20% off BRK Dan Tope Series
Ken Onion Tsukiji for $99 – a KSF exclusive filet knife made by Ken Onion Knifeworks

KnivesShipFree is offering up some Black Friday deals this year. They can all be found on their 2018 Black Friday deals page. Here are the highlights:

Free Benchmade Blue Box Kit with any Benchmade Knife
$30 off all Bark River Bravo 1 Models with code “BRAVO18”
20% off entire Todd Begg Steelcraft Series
Ken Onion Skinner for $99

All in all, not bad. Especially if you are in the market for a new Bravo 1.

KnifeArt

KnifeArt is running a Cyber Monday promotion. Frankly it’s hard for me to tell what exactly it is. I received an email from them this morning and it just links to their Home Page. So check it out and see if anything catches your eye.

Southern Grind

Southern Grind is offering a cool promotion where if you spend $200 they will give yo ua Jackal Pup (utility fixed blade knife) for free. Use code “GRINDBF” to get this. Offer is valid through 11/26/2018 so it doubles as their Cyber Monday deal too.

DPx Gear

DPx Gear is offering 15% off their entire store with the code Black Friday 2018 at checkout. This is good through 11/26/2018 so it covers Cyber Monday.

Smoky Mountain Knife Works

SMKW has a Black Friday promotion on their home page, and they are also running some Flash Sales this year. Apparently these are daily deals, so keep checking back and see what they have.

Brous Blades

Brous Blades is having a strong Black Friday sale. Deep discounts on many knives (as much as 50%). Here is a link to their sale page.

CRKT

The CRKT Outlet has some deals for you on a handful of their close out knives. I’ll continue to monitor this to see if it changes.

KnifeWorks

KnifeWorks has a sale going on. The deals include a $12.95 Kershaw Shuffle, a $135 Manix 2 in 52100 Carbon Steel, a $200 Paramilitary 2 in Carbon Fiber, some bundle deals, and 5% off select brands. Like last year their site is janky and the deals page is poorly done, but here’s a link to it. Also, here is a link to their “Closeouts” section that has some stuff on sale.

Cabela’s

This large retailer has some stuff on offer for Black Friday. Nothing crazy so far, but here is a link to their sales page for now.

KnifeCenter

Here is a link to KnifeCenter’s Black Friday deal this year. They have a couple Zero Tolerance knives on deep discount this year. They have some Todd Begg Steelcraft stuff on a slight discount, some kitchen knives and razor blades. Looks like they will also have a Victorinox sale, along with Reate and WE Knives. Here is a link to their Holiday Sales Page where you can check out all the deals.

Russian Knives

RussianKnives.com is running a cool deal where you name your own price. You pick out the make and model you want, and fill out a form with your offer. They will accept it or counter it, and you could end up with a pretty sweet deal on a Russian blade. Very cool.

Manly Knives

Manly Knives is running a Black Friday Sale that you can check out on the homepage of their website. Knives are up to 20% off, which isn’t bad but it’s nothing crazy either. But that black and read WASP looks nice…

DLT Trading

DLT Trading appears to have some stuff on sale. Here is a link to their 2018 Black Friday Deal’s page. I see some Benchmade, Buck, Spyderco, Kershaw, Zero Tolerance and more.

Notable deals to me include the Spyderco Mantra for $150, $100 for the Spyderco Lil Lum G10, and $140 for the Bark River Bravo 1 in Canvas Micarta.

Chicago Knife Works

Chicago Knife Works has a black Friday sale going on. All sorts of deals, plus it looks like they are offering 10% off site wide. Cool!

Gear

This section is for miscellaneous gear (packs, multi-tools, anything else).

JomaShop

If you are into watches JomaShop has a Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale going on. All sorts of stuff, from $100 watches to $10,000 watches. They even have some Rolexes discounted by 3%. Check it out here.

HuckBerry

Botique online retailer Huckberry has some Black Friday offerings. I’ve never been able to get into into HuckBerry, but they have all sorts of gear on sale, everything including clothing, knives, camping gear, and watches. So check it out if you are in the market.

That’s All the 2018 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Knife Deals For Now…

I’ll keep trolling the internets to see if anything else noteworthy pops up on my radar. Again, feel free to reach out if I missed anything for Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Thanks and Happy Holidays.

ESEE Avispa Review

by Dan Jackson 4 Comments

I reviewed the ESEE Zancudo back in 2014. I gave it high marks, and since then it has gone on to be my pick for the best budget EDC knife. I stand by that recommendation, and still own and use the Zancudo to this day. It’s a great affordable every day carry knife and I’m hard pressed to name a better sub $35 folder.

Buy the ESEE Avispa at BladeHQ

So what about its big brother, the Avispa? It came out a couple years after the Zancudo, and while it has been something I wanted to review, I never got around to it. Until now. Will it live up to the legacy of the Zancudo? Let’s see.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Avispa has an overall length of 8.5″, a 3.5″ blade, weighs 4.51 ounces, and is made in Taiwan. It’s a big knife. Much bigger than the Zancudo. I think that’s pretty clear in the comparison photos. Personally, this is not a daily carry piece for me. It’s more of a weekend knife. I think it could make for a great folding camp knife. For opening mail and cutting apples I’ll stick with the Zancudo, but those wanting a bigger knife will get what they want with the Avispa.

The Avispa has a large drop point blade with a high full flat grind. While the blade design is unlikely to win any beauty contests, it’s extremely functional. The tip is dropped down towards the pivot, lending an almost spear point profile. There is a nice sharpening choil, and the edge has been evenly ground. Topping things off is an attractive stonewashed blade finish.

Here is a shot of the Avispa next to the Zancudo:

For blade steel we have tried and true AUS-8. AUS-8 is a Japanese stainless steel. It’s on the soft side, meaning it will dull faster than premium knife steels, but it’s tough, stain resistant, and easy to sharpen. Given the ~$40.00 price tag, I’d say it’s an appropriate blade steel. The Zancudo came in AUS-8 and frankly I never cared. It sharpens in minutes.

I have been using my Avispa around the house. We have tile floors, and recently had the grout professionally cleaned. This meant we had to move most of our worldly possessions into the garage. While I was moving all my crap out of the office I came across a cache of cardboard boxes. It was a great opportunity for my Avispa. The big blade and full flat grind make it a work horse of a knife. I had no problem breaking down the boxes. I also uncovered a little manilla rope from my YouTube days. The Avispa was able to make some crunching cuts, but it tested the ergonomic limits of this thin handle.

Where a knife like this shines is in basic food prep. I eat a lot of fruit and the Avispa’s thin blade is great for slicing apples. But that’s an EDC chore. I decided push the knife further and make a meal with it. We cook a good deal of chicken and vegetables at my house, so that’s the task I put it to. It works well for slicing and dicing, allowing me to make controlled even cuts. It’s not replacing my chef’s knife, but in a pinch I could see this thing cutting onions, carrots, and potatoes at a camp site. It certainly worked in my kitchen.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Avispa’s handle is a textured FRN scale over a nested stainless steel liner on the show side, and a stainless steel lock bar on the lock side. Holding things together is a series of 4 stand offs and a stop pin. This is an inexpensive knife, but it is well made and has some nice details, including a skeletonized liner and black hardware on the show side, with silver hardware on the lock side. Fit and finish is good with all the parts lining up. You can get this knife in a variety of handle colors. This time I chose a nice olive drab.

The Avispa benefits from a simple handle design. Neither the blade nor the handle look particularly impressive, but they function great. There is plenty of room for a full grip, and the knife offers plenty of traction. The handle scale is textured with a faux peel-ply G-10 look, and there is a good run of jimping on the thumb ramp. The jimping strikes that balance between providing traction and being too aggressive.

That said, this is a thin knife, so you do feel it in your hand. If you intend to use the Avispa for an extended period of time you will probably want to wear gloves. It’s fine for basic work, but if you are going to “hard use” this one, then have some leather gloves on stand by.

The pocket clip is where things get interesting. The Avispa is drilled and tapped for ambidextrous tip up / tip down carry. We call this a “4 corners” pocket clip. Out of the box the knife is configured for right side tip down. I’m more of a tip up guy, like most knife enthusiasts I know, so I swapped it to right side tip up. Doing that places the pocket clip directly onto the lock bar. I believe when this knife was originally released, that interfered with the lock bar.

My clip doesn’t interfere with the lock bar, but it also doesn’t touch the lock bar. There is a substantial gap. Take a look:

Obviously this isn’t ideal for a pocket clip. You aren’t going to get the kind of pocket retention most people seek out when using a pocket clip. For this reason I recommend right side tip down, or put the clip on the show side. This isn’t a deal breaker for me, but is worth pointing out.

Pocket clip issues aside, the Avispa more or less carries the way you think it would. It’s a big somewhat heavy knife. It’s thin so it won’t take up your entire pocket, but it’s definitely noticeable.

Deployment and Lockup

The Avispa makes use of ambidextrous thumb studs to get the blade open. The thumb studs are easy to access from the right and left side. The blade itself rides on phosphor bronze washers. The action is smooth and fluid. The detent is nice and strong, keeping the blade securely in place until you need it.

The stainless steel frame lock is sturdy and secure. No blade play on this knife, even when wiggling the blade from the very tip. The lock bar isn’t sticky, and it’s easy to disengage when you are done cutting. No complaints in the lockup department.

Heres a shot of the Avispa next to my Strider SnG. A $40 knife next to a $400 knife. There is a probably a viral video in there somewhere…

Finally I have to mention that my blade is perfectly centered. A great detail on a budget blade. I’m sure there are some slightly off center Avispa blades out there, but generally speaking you will be pleased with the QC on this knife.

ESEE Avispa Review – Final Thoughts

I’m not sure why it has taken me so long to review the Avispa. Maybe it was the pocket clip issue originally reported when the knife was released. Or maybe because I was so happy with my Zancudo I saw no need for the Avispa. Who knows.

Regardless, I’m glad I eventually added an Avispa to my collection. Unsurprisingly, I like this knife for many of the reasons why I like the Zancudo. I prefer it over the Rat II because it’s thinner. I love the little details they managed to shoe horn into this budget blade. And you can’t argue with the utility.

In a perfect world the pocket clip would work better in right side tip up, but that’s a minor complaint. I’ll swap mine back to right side tip down after this review and call it a day.

At the end of the day I recommend the Avispa if you are looking for a large inexpensive daily carry knife, or want a good folding camp knife. I can’t think of anything I prefer in this size at this price point. Like the Zancudo, on a dollar for dollar basis it’s a tough knife to beat. Recommended.

ESEE Knives 1301OD Avispa Stonewash 5" Closed Framelock

List Price: $33.94

Price: $33.94

Price Disclaimer

I recommend purchasing the ESEE Avispa 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.

Zero Tolerance 0609 Review

by Dan Jackson 9 Comments

This is a reader request. Proof that if you twist my arm hard enough I’ll review the latest full titanium Zero Tolerance flipper. Only for you guys.

Buy the Zero Tolerance 0609 at BladeHQ

The Zero Tolerance 0609 is an R.J. Martin design, and is another step in ZT’s trend of releasing smaller, more EDC friendly knives. The last R.J. Martin / ZT collab I handled was the 0600, a massive, 9.5″ framelock flipper. It was big and beautiful piece, but few people are going to want to carry a folding knife with a 4.25″ blade on a regular basis. Plus it was a $400 limited edition knife.

The 0609 is much more reasonable in its footprint, price point, and availability. When you consider that I reviewed pieces like the 0300 and 0560 only a handful of years ago, it shows how the market has evolved. Big chunky knives are losing favor to more pocket friendly offerings. Lets take a deep dive into this recent release from Zero Tolerance.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The 0609 has an overall length of 7.4″, a 3.4″ blade, weighs 3.3 ounces, and is made in the USA. This is a good size knife, but you may be surprised to learn that the 0609 is both smaller and lighter than a Benchmade Griptilian. I think this is a great size for those wanting a full size knife, but still something thin, lightweight, and special.

The blade is a twist on R.J.’s classic drop point, found on models from his Q36 customs, to the Kershaw Volt. This particular blade has been given a harpoon and swedge, lending a more exotic, technical look to the knife.

Blade stock is thin, clocking in at .12″ (just over 3mm thick), and the high flat grind combined with a wide edge makes for a knife that slices well right out of the box. I had no problem slicing apples, and the knife absolutely decimates cardboard.

Blade steel is CPM-20CV, which is chemically similar to M390, but made in the USA by Crucible. Edge retention has been excellent and there are no signs of chipping or rolling. No issues with rust or corrosion either.

The knife has served well in its role as a high end EDC or “gentleman’s tactical” folding knife. It’s a knife that has been built for speed. I can’t help analogizing it to a sports car. It’s low-slung and has a premium feel.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The 0609’s handle is comprised of two heavily milled pieces of bronze anodized titanium. The anodization is interesting, as the bronze picks up hues of blue and purple from the oils on your skin. I think it’s a nice change of pace over standard raw titanium, but wonder how it will wear over time.

Handle construction is simple and clean. You have two simple handle pillars, and then you have the oversized See-Through Pivot (STP). The STP is an R.J. Martin creation that allows you to see through the pivot. It’s cool and different, but the draw back is you need to buy a special tool from KAI to adjust the pivot or take apart the knife. That’s a definite drawback to an otherwise practical offering from ZT. Still, the STP is one of the more interesting details of the knife.

The ergonomics of the 0609 are pretty good. The handle is long enough to accommodate a full 4 finger grip, while the textured titanium, jimped thumb ramp and spine, and finger grooves all serve to lock your hand in place. The only rub is that this knife is 1.125″ at its widest. Its very thin, making it great for carry, but less comfortable for extended use. Personally, I’m fine with sacrificing a little ergonomic comfort for a lighter and more streamlined knife, but if you are expecting this to fill the hand like an 0808, well, it won’t.

For carry the 0609 comes with a simple inoffensive pocket clip. Even the Zero Tolerance logo has been dialed back on the clip of this knife. Gone are the days of the big “ZT” billboard. Now we have “Zero Tolerance” lettered in a small and spare font. The clip offers good retention and the knife rides relatively deep in the pocket. The handle has been drilled and tapped for ambidextrous tip up carry.

In practice the 0609 carries great. It’s slim, and lightweight. You will quickly forget that you are even carrying it. The sturdy pocket clip keeps the knife firmly in place. Perhaps a deep carry clip would have been nice, but this clip is small and stays out of the way.

Deployment and Lockup

Like most ZTs, this is a titanium framelock flipper. And once again, Zero Tolerance demonstrates that they know how to put a titanium framelock flipper together. The flipper tab is prominent and lightly jimped. The blade pops open easily with either a push button or lightswitch flick. The detent is strong, and the blade rides smoothly on Kershaw’s KVT caged bearing system.

For lockup we have a titanium framelock with stainless steel lockbar insert. Lockup is early and secure. There is no play in any direction and the lockbar disengages easily without any stick. I often consider Zero Tolerance to be the best in the business when it comes to production titanium framelock flippers. The 0609 is another example of why that’s the case.

Here is a shot next to my ZT O450CF. It’s actually not much bigger than the 0450CF. Mostly it’s a wider knife than the 0450CF.

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Zero Tolerance 0609 Review – Final Thoughts

I think this is the most refined non-limited production ZT I have handled to date. Clearly they have listened to customer feedback, and this strikes me as an evolution of the Zero Tolerance lineup. Some people may want big chunky folding knives, but there are plenty of us who want something thin and light.

While the brand has been obviously trending towards more practical knives over the years, this 0609 strikes me as the total package. A slick R.J. Martin design, a thinly ground blade married to a lightweight and strong titanium handle, with great flipping action and solid lockup. What’s not to like? The answer is “not much”. It’s a great knife.

Even the price is reasonable. These retail for a little over $200. Not cheap by any stretch, but not unreasonable for a USA made premium pocket knife either. This is easily my favorite regular production Zero Tolerance folder to date. Highly recommended.

Zero Tolerance 0609 Pocketknife; 3.4-inch CPM 20CV Drop Point Blade with Two-Toned Finish; 3D Textured Titanium Handle, Anodized Bronze; KVT Ball Bearing Manual Open; Reversible Pocketclip; 3.3 oz

List Price: $220.00

Price: $220.00

Price Disclaimer

I recommend purchasing the Zero Tolerance 0609 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.

Kizer Sheepdog Review

by Dan Jackson 6 Comments

Imagine you can pick out anything from Kizer‘s lineup. I was recently put in that position. Not a bad place to be. Thumbing through their catalog yields all sorts of stuff from the pedestrian to the outlandish. The Sheepdog is more in that second camp. It’s a big bold design. Not likely to dislodge something like the FRN Chaparral from your pocket, but definitely a conversation piece.

Buy the Kizer Sheepdog at BladeHQ

The Sheepdog is a design from Chris Conway of Sheepdog Knives, and is the production version of Conway’s C01C custom knife. The Sheepdog even has “C01C” laser engraved on the blade. It’s a big and chunky offering for fans of big and chunky knives. Clearly this one won’t be for everyone, but the unique design and loyal following piqued my interest.

This knife was provided to me free of charge from Kizer. All thoughts are my own.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Sheepdog has an overall length of 7.75″, a 3.125″ blade, and it weighs 6.17 ounces. Right now I have the open knife resting on my chest as I type this review out on my couch. The resulting sensation is what I would expect the early onset of a heart attack to feel like. It’s a heavy pressing weight, bearing down on my solar plexus. I better move this review along before my girlfriend has to call 911.

While the Sheepdog is categorized as an EDC knife, you will need to be a fan of BBKs (Big Beautiful Knives) to tote this one around.

For those seeking something smaller, Kizer wisely decided to introduce the Kizer Mini Sheepdog a while back. As part of the Vanguard series, the Mini Sheepdog comes with G10 scales and a liner lock, but it also clocks in at a mere 3.25 ounces. I received a Mini Sheepdog from Kizer as well, but stupidly forgot to take a size comparison photo before sending the Mini over to Grayson for review. I liked the size and weight of the Mini Sheepdog and could see that making for an interesting daily carry tool.

The Sheepdog’s blade is a massive slab of S35VN stainless steel. It’s a modified sheepsfoot, with a gently curving edge, high flat grind, and dual swedges. Sheepsfoot knives generally don’t have a penetrating tip, but the Sheepdog’s leading edge is canted out slightly, resulting in a strong tip that won’t pick out splinters, but could easily blow through a hollow core door.

The blade has been nicely made. The grind lines are crisp, the edge is clean and even, and the finish is a fine stonewash. No complaints.

Given this blade is a hair over 4mm thick, I was dubious of the Sheepdog’s cutting abilities. But much like an NFL linebacker, this big boy has some moves. I started with an apple, as apples are a great test of the slicing ability of a pocket knife. A slicey knife will cut the apple cleanly, while a chunky blade will plow through it, leaving a series of fault lines in your apple slices.

Much to my surprise the Sheepdog cut the apple cleanly. It’s like a small butchers cleaver.

I moved on to cardboard. No problems there either. The S35VN blade peeled through the cardboard boxes. It eventually slowed down as the edge dulled, but the edge geometry is good and the knife cuts well. After the boxes, I touched the Sheepdog up on the ceramic rods from my Sharpmaker and we were back in business. At that point I carried the knife with me. Mostly on the weekends when I could carry a big blade like this. It performed regular EDC tasks, including opening mail and packages containing other knives, without any issue.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

Handle construction is simple and elegant. At the front of the knife you have an oversized pivot with an anodized blue titanium pivot collar. Towards the butt of the handle are two stainless steel standoffs. A series of three slots have been milled into the show side, offering a little extra traction and a view inside. Not much to see except for an expanse of dully shining titanium when the knife is open, or the glinting stainless steel blade when the knife is closed.

There is something oddly cathartic to the handle of this knife. It’s a hefty piece of contoured and bead blasted titanium, and it reminds me of palming a well worn river rock.

While the Sheepdog doesn’t have much of a “traction plan” with respect to aggressive texturing or jimping, the knife has clearly been built for comfort. Your hand naturally wraps around the handle, fingers finding the grooves, and thumb sliding across the broad spine of the blade. The result is a secure and confident grip without hot spots or ergonomic issues. I had no problems using my knife during the testing period. Granted I didn’t try to break down a yak with it, but for normal utility tasks the knife worked fine. I suppose you could always slap some skateboard tape on it, dudes.

The pocket clip is not without its controversy. First of all, it’s a milled titanium clip, so by default it’s going to raise the ire of a percentage of our knife loving brethren. I’m talking about those who have sworn their swords against the recent rebel uprising of milled pocket clips. Those folks will forever condemn the Sheepdog with its milled clip as a glorified paperweight, unfit for daily carry.

I’m a little less dogmatic when it comes to this sort of thing. Yeah, I’ve handled some knives with milled clips that didn’t work, but the one on this Sheepdog isn’t bad. It has been designed in a way to produce a lot of spring tension. Spring tension is critical for the success of any pocket clip, as this is what keeps the knife in your pocket.

The pocket clip works fine. I mostly wear lightweight shorts with a triangular pocket, and like to keep my knives high in the pocket up near my belt. Nothing upsets me more than a loose clip that allows my EDC knife to constantly sink towards the bottom of my pocket. That is the worst. Thankfully we don’t need to worry about that here. The Sheepdog’s pocket clip defies gravity and keeps my knife where I want it. No small feat given how heavy this thing is. Job well done, Kizer.

Ultimately, the Sheepdog carries well for what it is, but this is still a 6 ounce+ pocket knife. It isn’t a Dragonfly. You are going to notice it. It may even pull your pants down if you forget to wear a belt.

Deployment and Lockup

The Sheepdog makes use of an oversized flipper tab to get the blade open. The flipper is a substantial piece of steel allowing the user to pop the blade open with a lightswitch stroke. The detent is dialed in, and the blade runs on caged washers. The end result is a knife with reliable and satisfying flipping action. I’d put it at a solid “7” on the 1-10 scale. It gets the job done, but this is still a big heavy blade, and you feel that in the action. There is no jimping on the flipper tab, and I don’t think it needs it. My index finger has never slipped on the flipper.

For lockup we have a standard titanium framelock with steel lockbar insert. This is much like the Kizer Intrepid I reviewed two years ago. Kizer has the lock tuned to perfection. It locks up early, there is no blade play, and the lock is easy to disengage. There is no lock stick, and thanks to some contoured edges I can easily jam my thumb in place to release the lock bar. Much like the framelocks you find on a Zero Tolerance knife, this one just works.

Here is a parting shot of my Sheepdog next to the Paramilitary 2:

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Kizer Sheepdog Review – Final Thoughts

The Sheepdog is not for everyone. In fact, the Sheepdog is not for most people. It’s simply too big and too heavy. Despite that this knife has been well received. After carrying one for a while I can see why. It’s well made and functional. For those who want something big and chunky, the Sheepdog could be the one.

While the Sheepdog a big chunky knife, it is surprisingly light on its feet. The blade cuts cleanly, the knife feels good in hand, and it actually carries alright thanks to an especially strong milled pocket clip. And you can’t argue with the material selection or the fit and finish. Top notch materials combined with excellent fit and finish all lend a premium feel to this knife. That’s important given its ~$200 price tag.

The end result is a big but surprisingly refined knife. It isn’t for everyone, but I suspect that those that find themselves drawn to the Sheepdog will be pleased with its performance and execution.

I recommend purchasing the Kizer Sheepdog 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.

Sinn U1 Review

by Dan Jackson 6 Comments

It has been a good while since I last updated my personal watch journey. Some may remember that it all began with the humble Seiko SKX173. That continues to be a great dive watch that can be had for under $250. I also bought a Casio G-Shock, another excellent watch that I still own and use to this day.

Those are inexpensive watches. Nothing wrong with that, but after graduating from school and finally entering the working world, a little money began to build up. The money began to smoulder and eventually burn a huge hole in my pocket. Around that time I got the itch for a high end dive watch. After a little research, and the decision not to spend $5k+ on a Rolex, I ended up with an Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean in the older 2500 caliber movement. This was a great watch, but inexplicably after 6 months of ownership my eye began to wander.

On an impulse I picked up the Sinn U1. I bought this watch used on the forums. Frankly I should have held out for a better deal as the watch I bought was pretty beat up. But that was ultimately alright, because it turned into a daily wear for me and I have used my U1 mercilessly over the past 3 years. The first scratches are always the hardest anyways. The Planet Ocean was traded to a good friend, and the U1 hasn’t left my wrist since.

Specifications

Case Diameter: 44m
Lug to Lug: 22mm
Case Thickness: 14.3mm
Weight: 113 grams (head only)
Movement: Sellita SW 200-1

Fit

The U1 is substantial. You will notice it on the wrist. While it’s great that this is an overbuilt watch with 1000M of water resistance, I would much prefer to see less water resistance and a thinner case. I haven’t taken the watch 1000 centimeters underwater, let 1000 alone meters, and while I’m sure some folks dive with these watches, just as many don’t.

Maybe Sinn could offer a stripped down version, in the same way Rolex has the chunky Sea Dweller Deep Sea, and then the more practical Submariner. Give it 200M of water resistance and shave a couple millimeters off the height and I’d be even happier with the U1 as a daily wearer.

As an aside, some might say I’m a poser for wearing an over built dive watch in the first place. Do you need you fly an airplane to wear a pilot’s watch? Join the infantry to wear a field watch? Straddle multiple zones to justify a GMT? Summit mount Everest to wear a Rolex Explorer? Wear a dress to wear a dress watch? Give me a break, and feel free to wear whatever watch you like.

As it stands I don’t think the watch is comically thick. It actually seems pretty balanced on my 7.25″ wrist, and it hides beneath a standard shirt cuff easily. But still, it’s a thick watch and I’d like to see a couple millimeters shaved off here. The extra bulk was never a feature for me, but I like the rest of the watch so much that I’m OK with it.

Movement

The Sinn U1 features a Sellita SW 200-1 movement. This is a competitor of the ETA 2824-2 movement. It’s a 26 jewel movement, with hours, minutes, seconds, and date, hacking, and a 38 hour power reserve.

Personally, I’ve never gotten anything close to 38 hours of power reserve out of this watch, but it keeps decent time. I end up updating the time every month or so when I notice it has gone a couple minutes fast. I haven’t bothered with testing how many seconds a day it is off. Just not something I’m interested in doing.

This is a robust movement that is shock resistant per DIN ISO 1414, and anti-magnetic per DIN 8309. Good to know.

Practically speaking I’ve put this watch through a good deal of use. Plenty of weight lifting, swimming, yard work, and whatever else for a few years now (desk riding? cheese pizza eating?). I’ll take the watch off if I’m going to dig a hole or use a hammer, but beyond that the U1 watch has been my daily watch for years. It’s taken a few hard knocks, and has plenty of dings to show for it. But it keeps on ticking.

Case and Crown

The case is a chunk of bead blasted German submarine steel. It’s simple, but crisply machined with long tapered lugs protruding out from beneath the oversized bezel. The case itself is designed to look a little thinner than it actually is, giving it a more balanced look on the wrist, but there is a lot of case here and a domed steel case back adds to the bulk.

Sinn placed the crown at 4 o’clock. This makes the watch comfortable to wear on the left hand and decreases the footprint of the watch. There are no crown guards and the signed 7mm crown is large and easy to grasp. The threading on the crown is excellent. It’s easy to unscrew the crown, wind the watch or make whatever adjustments you need to the date or time, and screw it back in place. I’m paranoid about cross threading my watch crowns, so I’m glad to report this isn’t an issue.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

The dial and hands of the U1 are probably the most polarizing features of the watch. You will either love or hate the “lego” hour markers and hands. I happen to love this unique look. It’s one of the reasons why I bought the watch. I must admit it was something of an acquired taste, much like Spyderco knives with their distinct thumb holes. If you absolutely can’t get over the lego hands, but otherwise like the look of this watch, then the Sinn U2 may be the way to go.

Regardless of your personal feelings towards the aesthetics of the U1’s dial, I don’t think anyone can argue how legible this layout is. The crisp red and white hands and white hour markers jump out from the jet black dial. It is a relatively simple painted dial, but in that simplicity lies an elegance all unto its own.

And of course the markers and hands have been applied with luminescent green paint. The lume is good stuff. It’s not quite Seiko caliber, but it’s pretty good and the time is easily visible at night.

Of interest is the 60 click uni-directonal bezel. It is oversized and easy to grasp. Rotating the bezel is somewhat satisfying. The clicks aren’t the crispest, but it gets the job done.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the bezel is that it is made from tegimented stainless steel. TEGIMENT is a special surface hardening technology Sinn employs to make the steel more scratch resistant. That’s a good thing as I’ve whacked this protruding bezel into all sorts of things. Everything from door frames to kitchen faucets. I’ve managed to introduce some small scratches to the bezel, but by and large it has held up well over the years.

Strap and Bracelet

The U1 comes with a rubber strap or stainless steel bracelet. I like the bracelet and have not worn my U1 on a strap. Part of that is because the strap I got was already cut too small for my wrist. The lugs are drilled, so if you want to swap out the bracelet for a strap, theoretically it wouldn’t be too hard to do.

The bracelet is offered in regular steel or Sinn’s tegimented steel and features the same bead blasted finish of the case. My bracelet is the regular steel, and it shows plenty of wear, but has also developed a cool worn patina at this point. It’s very difficult to see in the pictures, but up close and in person the bracelet is covered in a fine pattern of scratches and rub marks.

The edge of the clasp is worn so much it appears polished at this point. You can kind of see it in this picture (on the left side of the clasp):

Doesn’t bother me a bit.

This is a chunky H-link style bracelet with solid end links. It is easy to adjust the bracelet as the extra links are held in place with small allen bolts. While these allen bolts make it easy to add and remove links, one of the bolts wiggled loose over time and fell out. So you will want to watch the bracelet closely and periodically tighten any loose bolts or perhaps apply a little thread locker. Replacement hardware can apparently be purchased from WatchBuys.

The deployment clasp is also solid and robust. You have 3 micro adjust points on the clasp that is held in place with a pin as well as a dive suit extension. All pretty standard stuff.

I have found that the clasp itself has a tenancy to pop loose. That is probably because I wear the watch tight on my wrist. If I do something like push myself up off the floor or out of a swimming pool, the force from the contracting muscles in my forearms will be enough to pop this clasp loose. This is my biggest gripe with the watch besides the thickness of it. I’d like to see the clasp lock more securely.

Personally, I’m a big fan of the bracelet. It looks great, and I find this watch wears comfortably.

Sinn U1 Review – Final Thoughts

I love this watch. The fact that it has been my daily wear for almost 3 years and that it kicked a watch twice as expensive off my wrist should speak volumes about it. I wouldn’t call myself a true watch aficionado by any means, but I appreciate watches and could justify buying a more expensive one if I wanted to. Yet every time I stare down at my U1 it makes me wonder why I would want anything else.

My favorite part of the U1 is how it is different from everything else on the market. It seems like in the world of dive watches all roads lead back to the Rolex Submariner. That is for good reason as the Submariner is the quintessential dive watch, but what I enjoy about the U1 is that it is not trying to be a Submariner. The unique design and solid execution allow me to appreciate it for what it is. Some might want something a little sleeker and more refined, but I like it. I would like to see the case be couple millimeters thinner, and the clasp be a little more secure, but beyond that I have no complaints.

I recommend the U1 it without hesitation. In a moment of weakness, I recently purchased another dive watch (the Seiko SBDC0053). The SBDC053 is an amazing watch, and I will review it, but I have to tell you I keep coming back to this U1.

I have had a lot of fun wearing this Sinn U1, and appreciate its unique take on the otherwise ubiquitous dive watch.

Sinn has only one dealer in the states, and that’s WatchBuys. So if you want to buy one new, that’s your only option here in the USA. I don’t have an affiliate relationship with WatchBuys. I do have affiliate relationships with Amazon and Jomashop, and really appreciate the people who have used my links to buy watches and gear through those sites. When you do that BladeReviews earns a small commission that keeps the website independent, mostly ad free, and pays for our excellent writers. Thank you very much.

Also, if you like the watch reviews, here is a link to all our watch reviews.

Microtech Halo VI Review

by Dan Jackson 12 Comments

“I tried being reasonable. I didn’t like it.”

Buy the Microtech Halo VI at BladeHQ

I always enjoyed that quote from Clint Eastwood, and couldn’t help but think about it as I wielded the Halo VI. There is absolutely nothing reasonable about this knife. Any justification that this would be my “new EDC” went completely out the window when I fired it for the first time and ~5″ of steel slammed out of the front with a terrific bang. Even more ridiculous is using the charging handle to recapture the blade. It’s something you would expect to see in a video game. This is a serious piece of hardware. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever owned before, and it revels in its unreasonableness.

But that’s part of what makes knife collecting fun. If everything was a Delica 4 there would be no point to it. Sure we would all have a practical knife clipped to our pocket, but the fun in collecting would be long gone. Thankfully we don’t need to worry about being confined to using a government knife to cut our government cheese any time soon. Unreasonable knives like the Halo VI are doing their part to keep the joy of collecting safely intact.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Halo VI has an overall length of 10.82″, a 4.5″ blade, weighs 6.5 ounces, and is made in the USA. It’s the closet thing I’ll come to owning a light saber. It’s big, it’s unwieldy. If comes from a long series of Halo knives. I won’t proclaim to be an expert on all things Microtech, but my understanding is that this is the first knife that the company produced. It’s a single action out the front automatic.

Here is a link to Microtech’s product page for the Halo VI. They give a detailed look at the knife in all its various configurations. Worth browsing if you are interested in the knife.

Here is a shot of the Halo VI next to my Microtech Stitch:

And as I mentioned before, the Halo VI is not a daily carry. In my book it’s mostly a collectible. Sure, it’s fully functional, and we will get into all of those details in the review, but it’s not a knife I see myself carrying. First of all, there is no pocket clip. Second, it has almost a 5″ blade. Third, it looks and sounds like a weapon of mass destruction.

My girlfriend, who is generally pretty cool with me having dozens of pocket knives scattered all over the house, is legitimately scared of this thing. I can only imagine how the old lady in line at the post office would react to me using this to trim packing tape. Probably by calling 911. Unless you are at a knife show there is no way you will be able to use this knife in public. It’s probably illegal for me to even take it out of the house without obtaining a concealed carry permit. On that note, you will definitely want to check your local laws carefully before carrying a Halo VI. This is not a knife that the general public will understand or appreciate.

But what the Halo VI lacks in practicality, it makes up in novelty. I think it may be the coolest knife I’ve ever owned. And I’ve owned some cool stuff over the years.

Lets check out the blade. At 4.5″ long, and over 4mm thick, it’s an imposing piece of steel. Microtech offers this in a modified drop point (or possibly a clip point) blade that they refer to as the “single-edge” or “S/E”, and they also offer this in an American tanto version with the “T/E” designation.

You also get your choice of serrations, and a number of finish options, including typical finishes like satin, bead blast, and stonewashed finishes. But they also have their “apocalyptic” finish, bronze, D.L.C., and then their painted finish shown here. Normally I’m not a big blade coating guy, but this is what was available with an unserrated edge, so that is what I got.

My blade is made from Bohler M390, a blade steel that needs no introduction at this point, seeing how we have reviewed dozens of knives running M390 by now. It’s a high end stainless steel and is widely considered to be one of the best steels for an EDC knife on the market today. It has that enviable combination of holding an edge for a long time while still being easy to sharpen. Usually a knife steel will either be extremely hard, so the edge holds a long time, but it’s very difficult to sharpen when the knife dulls. That’s not the case with M390, which is why it’s such a popular choice on high end pocket knives. It also finishes nicely, doesn’t chip easily, and is a stainless steel. It’s good stuff.

Given that this knife is a collectible, and not a practical EDC item, I haven’t done a ton of cutting with it. It came very sharp from the factory. It’s not a great slicer due to the thick blade and partial flat grind. It forms a wedge, kind of like a splitting maul, and will pop apart an apple rather than thinly slicing it like a Swiss Army Knife. But that’s OK. They didn’t design this thing to slice apples.

Handle and Ergonomics

A 6.125″ milled 6061-T6 aluminum handle encapsulates our big blade. If a black handle is too pedestrian for you, Microtech offers these in almost every color under the rainbow, including a couple camo variants. I’m fine with black, but then again, I’m boring.

The handle is held together with Microtech’s proprietary hardware. Normally this would be the part of the review where I bitch about proprietary hardware, but I have no intention of taking this knife apart. If there is ever a problem I’ll send it back to Microtech.

The fit and finish on this knife is absolutely top notch. It’s a precision machined piece of hardware. I can’t find a gap, unexpected sharp edge, or flaw anywhere. This may not be the most practical tool, but you have to admire how well it is built.

The Halo VI feels good in the hand. It’s kind of like a small light saber. There is no lack of real estate, and Microtech has created a funky pattern of jimped curves to it that adds some visual interest as well as spots for your fingers to rest.

I suppose the most practical application for the Halo VI would be in a martial arts capacity. I have no training in that regard, so can’t comment on the efficacy of the design in that role. As a layperson, I can tell you it feels fine in hand. There is plenty of room to grip this knife, and you can do so in a number of different configurations. The hard anodizing provides a tiny amount of traction. It’s not slippery, but it isn’t sand paper either.

The Halo VI doesn’t come with a pocket clip. Probably for a reason, as the last thing you would want is for this knife to accidentally deploy in your pants. Even with the new safety, I’d rather not take that risk. And with a closed length of over 6″, it’s not a pocket friendly knife anyways. I’d probably go with an Scarab or Troodon instead for daily carry.

It seems like the best option for carrying your Halo VI is with a sheath. You could requisition a large enough magazine pouch, make a sheath, or have a leather or kydex sheath made for it. There are companies that specialize in making aftermarket sheathes for the Halo VI. Linos Sheathworks currently has a kydex sheath on offer for less than $50.

Deployment and Lockup

This is where we get to the good stuff. This is a single action out the front, which means the blade fires out with a press of the button, but need to manually retract the blade when you are done by pulling back on the charging handle. Contrast this with a double action out the front, where the button is used to both open and close the blade. With the case of a single action Out-The-Front (OTF) automatic, all the spring power has been assigned to ejecting the blade. It’s a lot of fire power. Ejecting the blade of this Halo VI is arguably the single most satisfying knife event in my history as a reviewer. It’s fucking awesome.

For this 6th generation of the Halo, Microtech added a small safety to the firing button. This prevents you from accidentally firing the knife. Not a bad idea, especially if you are crazy enough to carry this thing loose in your pocket. The safety is built into the firing button. You pull down on it ever so slightly, and that allows you to depress the firing button and let the blade loose. Generally I’m not a fan of safetys on folding knives. They tend to get in the way. But this safety has been beautifully executed. Purists may not be a fan of this new addition, but I think it has been done so that it doesn’t get in the way of using this knife.

For lockup, this is essentially a button lock knife. So inside there is a cam that holds the blade in place. One of the prior issues with an OTF knife, is that you tend to get blade play in them. That is especially true for the double action OTF’s I have handled. I haven’t handles a Halo V to see what kind of play, if any, is in that knife, but I can tell you this Halo VI has no play in it. It’s absolutely rock solid.

Retracting the blade is a two handed affair. First you need to depress the button. Once again that requires you to use the built in safety. With the button depressed you then pull on the charging rod to recapture the blade. It takes a good amount of force to overcome the spring tension and bring the blade back. The blade slides back in place with a sharp metallic twang. It’s a great sound. I’ve never armed a bear trap, but I would expect it to sound something like recapturing the blade on a Halo VI. It’s significant and satisfying.

The charging rod and the mechanism that holds it into the handle is worth examining. It’s all precision machined. The retaining mechanism is a couple spring loaded tabs. Everything reeks of quality and when the charging rod is in the handle all the parts line up perfectly. I’ve taken a couple detail shots of this, but it has all been beautifully done.

Here is a parting shot of the Halo VI next to my Paramilitary 2. It gives you a good sense of how huge the Halo VI is.

Microtech Halo V.I. Review – Final Thoughts

The Halo V.I. is a lot of fun. It’s also completely ridiculous, which is sure to turn off some people. I’ve been writing knife reviews since 2010, so it’s taken me almost a decade to get around to reviewing a single action OTF. This is a knife that retails for $650, so the expense is one of the reasons I delayed this purchase, but the fact that this is not a knife I can carry and use is the biggest reason why I waited so long to buy one. I like my tool knives, and this Halo V.I. is about as far away from a tool knife as I can get.

But that doesn’t make the Halo V.I. any less fascinating. Part of what makes this knife so satisfying is how well built it is. This is a design that has been refined for 25 years, and it shows. Each detail has been considered and Microtech does a fantastic job with their machining. The resulting knife is borderline obscene, but it has been so well done I can’t help but be impressed with it. Much like the Rockstead Higo I reviewed a while back, it tests the outer limits of what is possible with a production knife.

But as I have continued on my journey of exploring production knives, I’ve ventured further and further from the Benchmade Griptilians and Spyderco Delicas. They are still great, and I plan on continuing to review practical knives, but exploring the outer limits is fun too. This Halo V.I. is certainly out there, but it is so well done that I can’t help but appreciate it.

Accordingly, I can’t recommend this knife for everyone, but if the Halo VI intrigues you, I’m here to say Microtech didn’t cut any corners. Recommended for unreasonable people that that like the idea of a high end single action OTF automatic.

Microtech Halo VI – From $650.00
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.