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.

Spyderco Bob Lum Tanto Review

by Dan Jackson 8 Comments

Last Updated: August 26, 2019
I recently acquired a Spyderco Bob Lum Tanto. This is a sprint run (limited edition) knife limited to around 700 pieces. It’s a pretty unique offering designed by custom maker Bob Lum.

Buy the Spyderco Lum Tanto at BladeHQ

As you probably know, Bob recently passed away (RIP) and so this knife is very special for many reasons. In addition to being a limited edition run, the Lum has a tanto, which is a very uncommon blade shape for Spyderco. I absolutely love the simple lines and minimalistic look of this knife. I am very excited to share this unique Spyderco knife with you today.

Purpose

Being a limited edition knife, I get the feeling that most (myself included) will simply collect it. For many that will be the primary purpose. This is almost sad because what we have here is simply a wicked tactical folder. If you can bring yourself to use it, I see the Lum Tanto providing a ton of utility for it’s owner as a utility knife, or perhaps as an emergency defensive item. I’ll be reviewing the blade from a both a collectable and large EDC knife perspective.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Lum has a 3-7/8″ blade, an overall length of 8-3/4″ and a weight of 4.3 ounces. It’s a large and solid folding knife. This knife was made in Seki City Japan and has many of the details that I love from Spyerco’s Japanese knives.

The blade is on the Tanto is very impressive, made of an ultra thick piece of VG-10 steel. The blade is 1/8″ of an inch thick and due to the tanto blade shape, it holds this thickness for most of the blade’s length. Of course by now you know it has a tanto shaped blade, but what we have here is a more traditional, slightly curved tanto rather than the boxier American tanto. The blade is hollow ground about half way up and is given a combo grind. The knife starts out with a traditional V-grind that transitions into a convex grind once you get to the tip further enhancing strength and piercing power. Out of the box this knife was incredibly sharp. I love the grinds on this knife, it’s a beautiful polished blade that appears to glow under the light.

VG-10 is of course a Japanese steel. It is a hard steel that is among my favorites because it takes an awesome edge.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The gray G10 handle sets this knife apart. Spyderco previously released an all black version of the knife (in another Sprint run) which was very cool. The gray version is equally impressive (if not greater – I love the uncoated steel, this blade is too pretty to coat in my opinion). Unfortunately, the gray G10 gets dirty very easily. If I used this knife regularly, I would complain, but as a collectable I can set that gripe aside and appreciate that Spyderco wanted to make this knife unique. The handle has full stainless steel liners, and on the non-locking side they have been milled out to reduce weight.

The ergonomics on the Lum Tanto are good, mainly because we have such a large handle here. I have ample room for my 5 fat fingers and if I set my hand back on the blade I’ve got an extra inch of reach. Alternatively, you can choke up and make use of the large thumb ramp. There is no jimping, but the big thumb ramp makes it almost unnecessary (especially as a collector’s piece). Finally, the gray G10 is among the grippiest I have ever felt. The level of traction puts my Military to shame and almost feels like shark skin – my fingers just lock in place. It’s wonderful stuff.

The pocket clip is a pretty standard Spyderco clip. It’s mounted for right hand tip up carry only. It’s been placed near the center of the handle and isn’t designed for particularly deep carry. I feel like this knife wasn’t really designed with carry in mind. To be perfectly honest, I’m kind of glad Spyderco didn’t drill extra holes all over the knife, instead deciding to go with a cleaner look.

Deployment and Lockup

Being a Spyderco, naturally this knife has a thumb hole for deployment. The Lum Tanto uses a 12mm Spyderhole which is adequately sized and easily accessible on both sides of the knife. This knife uses white teflon washers rather than phosphor bronze washers. What this does is make for incredibly smooth deployment. It’s difficult to describe so let me say it’s “very very” smooth. As for speed of deployment, this is not a knife I flick open, the heavy blade makes that difficult.

The Lum Tanto makes use of a solid liner lock. There is no play at all when this thing is engaged and lockup is nice and early. This is a nice sturdy lock that rounds out a very nice knife.

Spyderco Bob Lum Tanto Review – Final Thoughts

Well, what is there to say? Really I’m sure anyone interested in this knife didn’t need to read my review to figure out that this thing is awesome (but I hope you enjoyed the pictures).

I fell in love with this knife at first sight. All in all, I am very happy with it. My blade is slightly off-center. Not a deal breaker, but for a knife with a $250 MSRP I have to mention that. In conclusion, this is just a sweet collectable and potentially a very effective tactical knife. I love the overall aesthetics, the ridiculously thick blade, the grippy G10 and solid construction. If you can get your hands on a Lum Tanto, I totally recommend it.

These are no longer being sold however I have noticed that BladeHQ sometimes gets one or two back in stock.

Benchmade Bone Collector Mini Review

by Dan Jackson 2 Comments

Last Updated: May 22, 2019
I never grew up hunting. It was something my family never got into, and so I was deprived of that early introduction to the classic hunting knives that so many Americans get to enjoy. However, my family was big into fishing, so I’ve got some pretty mean filet knives – small consolation.

That said, I liked the Bone Collector series ever since Benchmade introduced the line, and picked up one of their the Bone Collector mini-folders (model 15030) for testing. I don’t use it for hunting, but the small size, great steel and solid construction make it a perfect EDC blade, and the Mini Bone Collector has been spending some serious time in my pocket this summer.

Purpose

Naturally, with the Bone Collector moniker and celebrity hunter Michael Waddell’s name etched on the knife, one would assume this is a small hunting blade. I’ve never used it for this purpose but the nice belly and gentle tip lead me to believe this would make a decent skinner. I’ve been using this knife as an EDC blade, and feel like it does the job just fine. This could also be a great (small) folding camp/utility knife. I’ll be examining the knife mainly from an EDC standpoint.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The mini Bone Collector (or “mini BC”) has a 2.95″ blade, an overall length of 7.08″ and a weight of 3.46 ounces. For an under 3″ blade, it may seem on the heavy side, but it’s a very sturdy design with a thick blade, full stainless steel liners and a full backspacer. It makes for a nice solid EDC knife.

The blade is a modified drop point design – modified to the point where it almost resembles a sheepsfoot blade. No doubt this was done in part to function as a skinning knife, but I found the good belly and relatively blunt tip to be both functional and friendly in appearance. The knife has a partial flat grind, that begins about 2/3 of the way up the blade, making for a strong design that slices well.

Benchmade used a thick piece of D2 tool steel for the blade. D2 is a high carbon tool steel that is very resistant to wear. Benchmade finished this steel to a rockwell hardness of 60-62, which is on the higher end for most EDC knife steels. Edge retention has been excellent and I haven’t noticed any chipping on the blade. One of the trade offs is that D2 is supposed to be more prone to corrosion than other steels. I’ve treated this knife like any other EDC knife (I keep it clean and dry) and have noticed zero corrosion down here in humid south Florida. In my opinion, if you are comparing this knife to a mini Griptilian or other axis lock knife in 154CM, D2 is a great upgrade.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The mini Bone Collector handle is made from G10 scales over stainless steel liners. The G10 on my handle scales came very cool black and green pattern, although you have the option of plain black as well. The scales have been sculpted in a “bone” pattern. It’s a little different and further distinguishes this knife in the Benchmade lineup. The liners have been given a black finish and are meticulously skeletonized. The knife has a black G10 backspacer that is finished in a pattern faintly reminiscent of a spinal column, completing the Bone Collector effect. Construction is all top notch and everything has been bolted together with black stainless steel hardware.

The ergonomics on the mini BC are good. There is nothing particularly outstanding about the ergos, but I managed to squeeze all 4 fingers onto the handle without any issues. The choil area has been carved out to better accept the fingers and there is some functional jimping on the back of the handle. It’s not super aggressive jimping, but it holds my thumb in dry conditions. The heavily textured scale provides both visual interest and some moderate amounts of grip. I am not sure how well this jimping will hold up if you are skinning a deer and have hands covered in blood.

The pocket clip is outstanding. The mini BC comes with a standard arrow style clip, the same clip found on the HK 14210. This clip has been given a durable black coating and can be swapped to either side of the knife – tip up only. The clip rides fairly deep (not ultra deep) and is very discrete. This is a proven pocket clip design and is among my favorites.

Deployment and Lockup

Benchmade decided to include a thumb hole for deployment on the mini Bone Collector. One gripe is that the thumb hole is small. I took a tape measure to it and it measured out at 11mm. By way of reference a standard thumb hole on a Spyderco Knife is 13mm. It may not sound like much, but those 2mm actually do make a difference here and I found the thumb hole to be relatively difficult to actuate. The fact that the hole is partially blocked by the handle only exacerbates the problem. That said, deployment was certainly not impossible – it just took some getting used to after carrying so many Spydies. I do think under stress or with gloves it could be a challenge. Deployment itself was smooth though, and the knife sailed on it’s phosphor bronze bushings.

The mini BC has an axis lock, which hardly needs an introduction here. I’ve written a lot on the axis lock, but suffice to say, it works very well with this knife. I detected absolutely zero blade play and I love the ambidextrous ease of the axis lock. In conclusion, lock up is awesome.

Benchmade Bone Collector Review – Final Thoughts

The Bone Collector is an interesting addition to the Benchmade lineup. I think the mini BC offers something a little different with the D2 steel, sculpted green and black scales and thumb hole. It’s a tough knife with its thick blade and full backspacer. If you are comparing this knife to other smaller Benchmade knives, I think part of the decision will be if you like the look of the knife. The aesthetics are unique and some will definitely be drawn to the distinct Bone Collector styling. And if you hunt, well, perhaps that will factor into the decision as well.

As for overall fit and finish, this is at the usual Benchmade standard of quality. My knife came razor sharp, everything fit together perfectly and blade centering was near perfect.

The mini Bone Collector has left me with a very favorable impression. If you want a rugged axis lock folder with a small footprint and premium steel definitely consider the Mini Bone Collector . It’s a very well built and practical knife that could work just as well out in the field as it could at your home or work.

Although the Bone Collector is has been discontinued, and you likely won’t be able to buy one in stores, I recommend purchasing knives at Amazon and BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Interview with Custom Knifemaker Filip de Leeuw

by Dan Jackson 1 Comment

Filip de Leeuw is a Belgian knifemaker who makes some amazing folders. I came across his website, DeviantBlades.com and fell in love with his classically styled knives featuring modern materials and enhancements like pocket clips, thumb holes and titanium frame locks. His knives are clean, simple and meticulously finished. I find myself drawn to the elegant lines and find his knives a joy to behold.

Through emails I found Filip to be cordial, funny and extremely humble. I really enjoyed learning more about his work and I know you will too so lets get right to the interview.

Hey Filip, thanks so much for joining me. To start off, please tell us a little about yourself.

Well, I’m 33 years old and live in a small town near the city of Antwerp, Belgium. I live alone with my two dogs, both Spanish greyhounds. I spend my weekends and evenings working in my house (rebuilt almost everything about it) or in my workshop.

As for a day job, I’m responsible for evaluating the shooting permits. I’m one of those people who had the chance to turn his hobby into his job.

When did you decide to make knives? Why did you decide to make knives?

After graduating from university, I didn’t find a job right away. Wanted join the Police or Homeland security, but that didn’t work out. They weren’t recruiting people with my specific background at the time. So, I spent my days at home, looking for a job and doing some small jobs. At that time, I was living with my grandmother, because she couldn’t live alone anymore. One day, I was cleaning the shed in her garden and found my grandfathers old anvil and forge.

I was always interested in knives so when my dad suggested that I give it a try, I didn’t think twice. Of course, it didn’t work out like I had hoped. The metal just wouldn’t do what I wanted. A couple of days later, my dad found a book about knifemaking on the internet. We ordered it and I started making my first knife with a nice piece of precision ground RWL34. It worked out a lot better and I never really gave forging another try.

Do you have a “design philosophy”? If so, please tell us about it.

When I first started, I wanted to make ‘cool’ knives. The crazier they looked, the better I liked it. At that time, and with the help of the internet, I was in contact with some other knifemakers in Belgium. I noticed that most of the European makers had a very sober style; drop-point blade, standard wooden handle.

On the internet, I saw that the new makers used modern materials like G10 and Carbon fiber. I ordered some and used it to make freakishly looking knives that were totally unusable.

These days, my style really evolved, but it’s still pretty recognizable. My shapes look a lot more natural and I love it when the knife has flowing lines. I learned that the ‘basic’ blade shapes are still the most useful. No more extreme recurves for me!

Most of the time, I start a design with just some fluent lines on a piece of paper. With those few lines, I get in my shop and start cutting out a blade. More than often, I have no idea how it’s going to look like when finished. My ‘Freestyle’ model for example, is one of those knives that was never even sketched on paper. I found a piece of leftover steel in my shop with a shape that I really liked. I drilled a hole were I thought the pivot should be, and started working on it.

I know you license the “Spyderhole” from Spyderco (which is pretty cool in my opinion) and use it in some of your designs. How did Spyderco react to your designs? Were they supportive of your work?

I contacted Spyderco pretty early in my knifemaking career. On the net, I noticed that other folder-makers used the spyderhole with permission of the company. So I contacted them to ask what I should do. Peter H. Jhones, from Spyderco, let me know that I had to send some pics of my work to them and that they would decided if my work was up to their standards.

I replied that I was just starting out, and that my knives were still a ‘work in progress.’ They let me know that I could contact them whenever I felt it was the right time.

A couple of years later, I was ready. I sent Spyderco some pics and was given permission to use the opening hole. A milestone for me. You can call it a mental boost ! Off course my family and friends liked my knives, but well, you know, they kinda have to… When Spyderco said they liked them, I was really stoked !

Hah! Great story! Validation from one of the most respected knife companies has to be very satisfying.

I think it’s very interesting how you started out wanting to make folding knives – many knife makers start out with fixed blades and then “graduate” to folders as the moving parts and engineering involved is more complex.

How difficult was it to make your first folding knives? Do you have any background in metalworking, engineering etc?

I never learned anything about metalworking or engineering… sadly enough. I had to learn the hard way. When I was young, I always like making model cars, but that’s about it. I studied both Law and Criminology at the universities of Antwerp and Ghent.

Like everyone else, I started making fixed blades. But I never really liked fixed blades, because I can’t carry them in Belgium. So I wanted to build a folder. Problem was that I could find any parts in Belgium. It took me about 10 months to find some pivot pins. Titanium was impossible to get a hold of, so I couldn’t make a locking folder. (I read in a book that you needed titanium liners) So I started with a friction folder. (insane recurve and the ergonomics of a brick, but hey, it folded )

A German knife collector bought one of those early friction folders and talked me into trying a framelock version. At first, I was really hesitant, but he convinced me to give it a try.

So I ordered some titanium in the States, bought the Peter Atwood video about building framelocks and started.

At the different knife shows that I visited (SICAC Paris, Blade show Atlanta, Gembloux Belgium, Solingen Germany,…) I talked to my heroes about folder-making (Jens Anso, Matt Cucciarra, Alex Salsi…) and asked them how I could improve my folders. You have no idea how much I learned from those short talks.

I can only imagine what you gained from speaking with those modern masters – very cool.

I will say you also make some beautiful fixed blade knives as well. I see you have done it all from paring knives to swords. Do you have a preference between making fixed blades and folders?

I do all my work on a very small belt grinder at the moment. (2×20 inch belts, ½ HP) It’s really hard to make big blades on that machine. On top of that, there are not many folder makers in Belgium. Most guys specialize in neck knives and hunting knives.

I wanted to do something different. Nowadays, when you mention ‘the guy that makes framelocks’ in Belgium, most people know who you mean.

That’s why I prefer folders at the moment. The feeling that I get when I finish a framelock and everything ‘fits’ together, it’s just awesome.

I can only imagine, a well built frame lock is an amazing achievement.

That said, I love the simplicity of your friction folders and despite the undeniable popularity of your frame locks, the friction folders still seem to be very popular. Can you explain their background and appeal a little more?

At the Belgian knife shows, I used to be one of the few makers to use modern materials (g10, carbon fiber, titanium, gunkote, …) The younger visitors (18-25) really liked my style, but couldn’t afford to spend 200+ euro. A fixed blade is less expensive, but like I said before, it’s almost impossible to legally carry it in Belgium.

So I wanted to come up with a solution for them. I wanted to make a folding knife with good materials, modern looks, that was affordable. It also had to be legal to carry in most European countries. I thought about it for a while and came to the simple solution: a friction folder. I built a couple of them years earlier and even made a tutorial about it.

I cleaned up the old design, lost the horrible recurve, bought some cheap but good steel (A2) and some gunkote to prevent corrosion.

I made a couple of prototypes and they sold in a matter of minutes on British Blades Forum. The second batch didn’t last long either. I made a new tutorial about building friction folders that I posted on all the internet forum. This resulted in even more positive feedback.

I saw a video of one of your friction folders recently and it’s a fantastic design. I can definitely see why they are so popular!

What is in the future for Deviant Blades?

Well, there is a big project coming up that I can’t really talk about at this time. I’m sure you’re gonna love it.

There are also some slipjoints in the making. Got some new designs and I’m stoked to try them out.

Next to that, I really would like to try my hands at building a dual action folder, but I don’t have a clue yet how to start.

Some balisongs are also on the shortlist, but since they became illegal in Belgium, it’s not really that easy to build one. I have to visit a knifemaking friend in a more bali-friendly country and use his workshop.

The last two years, I haven’t really been able to have a constant production: I built a new workshop, got a new job with double the hours, and had some problems with my health. A lot of customers had to wait months (even more) to get some knives they ordered.

You have a lot on your plate! You will have to come back and tell me about that secret project, and hopefully you can reach a more stable point in your life so you can continue to make high your quality knives.

Alright, to wind things down, what is your current EDC knife?

Actually, it’s the same one for the last four years: A Dav Winch ‘Worker’ linerlock. I love that little blade. I carry it every day, clipped to my back pocket. On my belt, I carry a second knife in a leather sheath: my damasteel Tiny model.

I carried a Strider SNG for a while, but it was a little bit too big for my liking and it didn’t cut as well as the Worker and the Tiny.

Filip thanks so much for taking the time to do the interview. Is there anything else you would like to add?

I really want to thank you for this initiative and for giving me this opportunity!

Filip, the pleasure has been all mine. It’s been very interesting learning a little about you and your work.

If you want to see more about Filip’s beautiful knives, check out his website – DeviantBlades.com.

Kershaw Needs Work Review

by Dan Jackson 12 Comments

Last Updated: August 21, 2019
In my opinion the wharncliffe is one of the most under-appreciated blade shapes out there. Many may write the shape off as a novelty, but in my experience a wharncliffe blade can be incredibly useful for a lot of every day tasks. That’s why I wanted to make sure I eventually got down to reviewing one of my favorite production knives with a wharncliffe blade, the Kershaw Needs Work.

Buy the Kershaw Needs Work at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

At first glance this knife appears to be more at home on the set of an “Aliens” sequel than in your pocket. This is another Ken Onion design, and one of his more radical blades. I’ll admit, the look of the Needs Work had to grow on me a little, but I quickly warmed up to it. Today I really like the looks of this knife and the performance as well. I think Ken and Kershaw did a great job representing the “wharnie” here.

Purpose

To provide a little context, I would mainly classify this as a utility knife. That is, a knife that is used to cut a lot of boxes, leather, carpet, etc etc – a dedicated work knife for your shop or tool box, or to be carried while working a physical job with a lot of cutting tasks. The wharncliffe shape essentially provides a 3 inch razor blade, and the fine tip allows for unmatched precision.

I am hesitant to classify (or recommend) this as a full blown EDC knife, mainly because it doesn’t carry particularly well. However, it all boils down to what you want to use the knife for.

General Dimensions and Blade Detail

The Needs Work has a 3″ blade, a 4 1/8″ handle and weighs 3.5 ounces. This is a stout little folder designed for light and medium duty use. As you are well aware by now, the NW has a wharncliffe shaped blade. The NW’s blade is .12″ (3mm) thick – this is a thick piece of metal for a small folding knife.

From a design standpoint, Ken Onion gave this blade some of his characteristic flair. The blade includes gentle sloping curves and a nice little swedge. It’s a simple design that I really like. A hollow grind begins about half way down the blade.

The tip on this knife is exquisite, and will let you make very precise cuts. If you go through a lot of boxes, or cut stuff like carpet I highly recommend this blade shape. The angled handle only accentuates this feature. On the flip side, the fine tip means it could break – if you do a lot of thrust cuts or want a “hard use” knife I’m not sure the tip will hold up.

My Needs Work came with that gray matte finish popular on a lot of Kershaw knives (like the Skyline). You may also be able to find this knife with a black titanium nitride coated blade as well.

Kershaw went with Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel for the blade here, a steel I am very familiar with. It holds a very nice edge and sharpens easily. My only advice would be to keep an eye out for rust, I’ve noticed a couple small spots form on my Skyline.

Handle Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The Needs Work has a beefy handle with glass-filled nylon scales over full stainless steel liners. The thick handle offers good grip, but makes the knife a little harder to carry. The scales have been given a really unique pattern. It’s got a kind of organic alien looking vibe to it. I am not crazy about the pattern, but it’s not really seen as a negative either. There is a full backspacer and the liners have not been milled out.

The ergonomics on the Needs Work are pretty good. I noticed a lot of people raving about the ergos, but I found the handle to be a little small for my relatively large hand. I can squeeze all 4 fingers on the grip, but realistically, this is a 3 finger knife for me. It’s still a comfortable knife but my pinky does feel a little lonely there. The thumb ramp and choil are well defined and there is adequate jimping on both. The thick handle does feel good and the textured pattern provides some response. For some reason I really like throwing the NW into a reverse grip; the handle is well suited for it.

Perhaps the biggest ergonomic feature is the angle of this handle. This allows you to take full advantage of the fine tip. The Needs Work could be a great knife to cut dry wall, carpet or similar flat materials. I found it to be very convenient when I had to trim some posterboard for the background on my little photography studio. More conventional blade shapes (and handle angles) would make you rotate your wrist further to use the tip of the blade for precision cuts. The Needs Work is a much better design for those kinds of tasks.

Sadly, the pocket clip is something of an abomination. Right off the bat, you are limited to right-side tip-down carry only. Furthermore, the large (ugly) clip rides high in the pocket, adding insult to injury. In practice, I actually found the tip down carry to be OK given the flipper and assisted open. I’d much rather see some mounting options and a little more conventional looking clip. The clip and thick handle are the two main reasons why I am hesitant to recommend this as an EDC blade.

Deployment and Lockup

Deployment on the Needs Work is awesome. This is a speedsafe assisted opening knife, and the spring on this the NW shoots the blade of this knife out like a gun. This is a wicked fast deployment that makes an awesome cracking sound as the blade locks open. This is one of my favorite assisted openers; the cool blade shape and rapid deployment are too much fun.

Opening is only accomplished through the flipper – not an issue here at all.

Lockup on the Needs Work is equally impressive. The NW uses a very interesting liner lock that requires no stop pins. The tang of the blade locks into the liner at two different places. It’s hard to describe but very solid in practice. There is zero blade play in this knife, which is awesome when you consider how much force this lock is put under by the assisted opening.

Kershaw Needs Work Review – Final Thoughts

I really like this one. The unique blade, the chunky design, the lightening fast deployment and super solid lockup – these are all major plusses. Also, I found the wharncliffe blade to be uber useful. That tip allows you to do detail cuts like no other knife. I also love how the Needs Work was made in America, and can be found for right around $30. Also, the fit and finish on mine is great. Blade centering is perfect, the grinds are smooth and even – everything was well put together. This is a knife I am proud to add to my collection.

That said, I do ding the knife a little for it’s pocket clip – that’s my only real issue here, and to be honest it still carries pretty well considering. If you want a rugged utility knife, or are searching for something a little different I recommend the Needs Work.

Kershaw Work Knife with Black Injection-Molded Polyimide Handle and Sandvik 14C28N Stainless-Steel Blade

Just connect in the lightning flash drive, easily move photos, videos and other files off your iPhone or iPad and onto the flash drive, from the drive, you can also transfer these files into your Mac,PC or other devices.
Connect and play,enjoy movies or musics stored in the flash drive when you are on trip or travel, most video formats are supported: (VIDEOS: AVI, M4V, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPG, RM, RMVB, TS, WMV, FLV, 3GP; AUDIOS:FLAC, APE, AAC, AIF, M4A, MP3, WAV)
Every time you connect the flash drive in, use "Y drive" App camera to take photos/video ,which will be automatically stored into the flash drive.
Mfi Certified flash drive guarantees fast and stable data transfers,one HD movies ( approx. 1GB) only needs about 20s.
iPhone X 5 5s 6 6+ 6s 6s+ se 7 7+; iPad (iOS 8.0 or higher), Computer OS Support Mac OS X v10.6+, Windows 7/8/10

I recommend purchasing the Kershaw Needs Work at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for checking out my review.

SOG SEAL Pup Review

by Dan Jackson 19 Comments

SOG got their start with one fixed blade combat knife. It’s hard for me to imagine a knife company’s future balancing on the edge of one blade, but that’s how it went. Thankfully that knife was popular so we now have many SOG knives to enjoy today. One of those knives is the SOG SEAL Pup, a fixed blade military inspired knife that can trace its roots all the way back to that original SOG blade. It’s got a definite pedigree and some proud traditions behind it.

Buy the SOG SEAL Pup at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

Thankfully SOG doesn’t rest on their laurels, and their knives get continually updated. The SEAL Pup is one such example. I purchased this SEAL Pup in 2011 and the dimensions are the same as the SEAL Pup Elite, which is a slightly more expensive version of the knife. The only differences are that the Elite uses AUS8 blade steel, is made of slightly thicker stock, can come with a plain edge (vs partially serrated) and has some gentle jimping on the spine of the blade. These are nice improvements, but I think they are marginal. The major updates that the new SEAL Pup has are the bigger, ergonomically improved handle and longer edge. Those are the things that matter the most. I’ll try and get my hands on a SEAL Pup elite for a future review but for now, let me say, I was very impressed with this knife – especially with it’s sub-$50 price tag.

Purpose

First off, the SEAL Pup isn’t a large survival knife or a bushcrafting knife. All it takes is one look and you can see this knife is more oriented for tactical use and general utility. The partial hollow grind is not designed for batoning through wood. The steel is stainless, not a high carbon tool steel. Similar things can be said about the sharp tip and double clip blade shape – they aren’t dedicated survival knife features. While it could work in the woods, if you are in the market for a dedicated survival blade that you plan to use extensively in that role I would suggest looking elsewhere.

However, I understand we don’t always get to pick our survival situations, so many might view the Pup as a potential survival blade. If it’s all you have – rock on, I definitely think it will work. But in my mind the SEAL Pup is geared more as a smaller tactical/combat knife which means in addition to serving as a defensive tool, this knife will serve for basic functions like opening packages, cutting rope, preparing food and stuff like that. I think the SEAL Pup would make for a cool camp knife, and could be carried along on day hikes and similar excursions. I also think this could make a good BOB knife. It’s light enough to be an easy carry.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The SOG website claims the SEAL Pup has an overall length of 9″ a blade length of 4.75″ and a weight of 5.4 ounces. Mine was closer to the SEAL Pup Elite, with a 4.85″ blade and overall length of 9.5″. I don’t have a small scale so I couldn’t weigh the knife, but I know with the sheath this knife still weighs under 10 ounces. That is a great carry weight, and like I alluded to in the “purpose” section, carry-ability is important. That big and bad 30 ounce survival knife might be the best wood splitter in the world, but if you are stuck out on a day hike and didn’t feel like strapping that high carbon beast to your back that morning, I’ll tell you – the SEAL Pup could literally be a lifesaver. So in short, I love the practical dimensions of this knife.

The blade shape on the SEAL Pup is a very cool modified bowie shape that calls back to the “One Zero” knife used by the original SOG special forces team in the Vietnam War. Visually, it’s a very cool design. The SEAL Pup is given a hollow grind and there is a big swedge along the top. Mine came with a combo edge although you can find a plain edge version if you buy the SEAL Pup Elite. Also, the SEAL Pup comes with an attractive metallic gray powdercoated finish. This is a durable finish; it’s not some cheap painted finish that will rub off in the sheath.

The SEAL Pup comes in AUS6 steel. AUS6 is obviously similar to AUS8 – it’s a softer steel that is easy to sharpen. I know it may turn some people off, but I actually find AUS6 to be very tough. For a utility blade and potential survival knife, I think AUS6 is decent because the steel resists chipping and cracking very well. However, it a softer steel and will lose its edge faster than AUS8 because it has a lower carbon content. I would recommend spending the extra money and upgrading to AUS8, which is found in the SEAL Pup Elite. All in all, AUS6 is ok here, not outstanding.

Handle and Ergonomics

The handle is one aspect of the SOG Seal Pup that has been recently updated. The handle is made of black glass reinforced nylon (GRN). GRN a tough handle material that has a nice solid feel in the hand. The handle does not feel light or cheap. This is a full tang knife (or near full tang) so it’s a very strong design. Everything feels very well made.

The Ergonomics on the SEAL Pup are great. The handle has been given 4 finger grooves and has a ramp for your thumb. All the edges have been rounded and almost every inch of the handle has been textured. I find the handle to be both comfortable and grippy. Also, the size of this handle is great too. The previous version had a smaller handle that was less comfortable. I take a large glove, and the upgraded handle fits me well in both forward and reverse grips. This is a very practical design that I am extremely satisfied with.

There is also a large lanyard hole in the pommel that could be a great option depending on how you plan on using this knife.

Sheath

I was extremely impressed with the sheath on the SEAL Pup. Keep in mind, at retail this is a ~$50 knife. I’ve said it before, but for many knives the sheaths can be a major drag on an otherwise great knife. The SEAL Pup comes with a nylon sheath. You have the option of buying a kydex sheath from SOG for around 20 bucks, which is not a bad. That said, I actually really like the nylon sheath.

First of all, the nylon is of high quality. Next, everything is well built. All the seems are double stitched and riveted. The backing is reinforced with plastic (in between the nylon layers) which provides form and rigidity. The sheath itself has a plastic insert that fits the blade of the SEAL Pup snugly. Even if you don’t use the retention strap, the knife will not fall or shake out. The retention strap is a snap AND velcro. This is an awesome touch. The outside of the sheath has a little pouch with the SOG logo stitched onto a velcro flap. That could be a good spot for a small sharpening stone. My only concern with the sheath is that the retention strap could get cut while quickly drawing the knife.

As you can see, there are multiple attachment points on the back of the sheath. You can thread it through all kind of belts, webbing, etc in addition to the 4 eyelets that can be used to lash the knife down. However, the sheath is not molle compatible. This strikes me as an unfortunate oversight as many people would assume that this style of sheath would work with molle webbing.

All in all I was happy with the nylon sheath on the SEAL Pup.

SOG SEAL Pup Review – Final Thoughts

What is there left to say? I am pleased with the SOG SEAL Pup. I have spent a lot of time talking about the design, but I didn’t mention that the fit and finish were also very good. Keep in mind this knife was made in Taiwan, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Everything is well put together. The finish on the blade looks awesome, everything fits together tightly.Combine that with the refined design of this updated version and I don’t think you will be able to find anything like the SEAL Pup at this price.

If you need fixed blade capabilities in your tactical, utility or light duty survival knife then I highly recommend the SOG SEAL Pup.

SOG Fixed Blade Knives - Seal Pup Tactical Knife Survival Knife and Hunting Knife w/ 4.75 Inch Blade and MOLLE Knife Sheath & GRN Grip (M37N-CP) , black

4. 75 INCH AUS-8 STEEL PARTIALLY SERRATED BLADE: The SEAL Pup outdoor knife is a perfectly balanced combat knife, boot knife and hunting knife with sheath; measures 9 inches overall length
5. 4 OUNCE WT. W/ BLACK GRN HANDLE: This stainless fixed blade military knife includes a nearly indestructible field knife handle; glass-reinforced nylon offers great grip w/ zero maintenance
MOLLE-COMPATIBLE SHEATH ATTACHMENT: Easily carry this versatile back pack knife, camping knife and compact belt knife with sheath with the nylon MOLLE knife sheath
FULL TANG, POWDER COATED AND HARDENED: Far stronger than your average belt buckle knife; SOG’s cryogenic heat treatment hardens the blade steel at the atomic level
SOG KNIFE FOR LIFE: Take care of your tactical knife and we’ll take care of you; SOG fixed blade knives with sheath are built to last, and we consider all repair and replacement requests

I recommend purchasing the SOG SEAL Pup 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.

CRKT Nathan’s Knife Kit

by Dan Jackson 1 Comment

As a guy who runs a website that revolves around knives, I feel responsible to set a decent example for the knife community. While I try not to make a huge deal out of it, it’s something I do take seriously.

[easyazon_cta add_to_cart=”default” align=”center” asin=”B0054QCDXC” cloaking=”default” height=”42″ key=”tall-orange” localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” tag=”brdfkdfk-20″ width=”120″]

So nothing pains me more than to hear people spouting misinformation about knives – you know, stuff like “knives are evil weapons and must be outlawed.” Usually these people are so close-minded it’s not worth getting into an argument (like the lady who insisted a “neck knife” meant a knife “designed for slitting throats” …I can’t make this stuff up). That said, I’ll certainly put my best foot forward and continue to advocate responsible use. And if I get a chance to educate someone well, hey, I’ll try my best.

That’s why when Glenn and Nathan Klecker of KleckerKnives.com approached me with [easyazon_link asin=”B0054QCDXC” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”brdfkdfk-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Nathan’s Knife Kit[/easyazon_link] I jumped at the opportunity to share something that is not only fun and educational, but also sends a very positive message about responsible knife use. For those unfamiliar with this product, it is a wood modeling kit of a lock-back folding knife. The kit is designed to be a craft project and toy for children 7 years and older.

So this will be a little departure from my typical reviews. I won’t pretend to compare this with a production folder, but lets cover some of the high points and then talk about the more intangible qualities of a kit like this.

The Kit

First of all, the kit is manufactured by CRKT and is designed to be a craft project for a child assisted by a parent/grandparent/mentor. The kit comes with everything you need to assemble one working knife. Naturally, when mine arrived the first thing I did was put it together. It took me about 5 minutes, but then again I’m 27 years old, so I guess I don’t win any prizes. Hopefully (for my sake) this takes a child a little while longer to fit together.

That said, putting it together is just the start. I think the real fun comes with sanding and painting everything, maybe even doing some wood burning or carving and then gluing it all together – you know, to make it your own. If you were to do this the kit could make for a nice afternoon project or be stretched out over over a couple days.

Unfortunately, I don’t have access to a lot of time or tools this summer so I just left mine stock (although I might throw some thumb studs and a pocket clip on there… ). After assembling everything I spent the next 15 minutes flicking the knife open and closed. Maybe I’m easily amused, but I was surprised how smooth and crisp the locking action was. The knife opens and shuts with a really cool snapping sound that I found strangely satisfying.

Good Clean Fun

I’ll confess that when I grew up we played plenty of video games, listened to our cd players and spent more time than we should have in front of the TV. However, my fondest childhood memories include playing outside with kids in my neighborhood, riding my bike, fishing, swimming… you know, generally running around and getting into trouble. By anyone’s standards this was a privileged all-American childhood (and it was), and these activities turned into life long passions that I still enjoy today.

Kids Today

Ok, I don’t want to come off like an old codger, but kids today seem to have a lot more distractions – it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. If my parents thought my generation engaged in too much sitting and not enough doing, well, one look around shows this has only gotten worse.

That is why I love stuff like this knife kit. It takes me back to my days tooling around in my parents garage, building a skateboard ramp or carving little “boats” to float down the creek by my house. This little blade embodies so many of the great things from my youth – it’s just good clean fun. If there was ever an excuse to power down the iphone and hide the remote well, in my opinion this knife would be it.

And lets not forget the potential for education here. I’m not saying this is Timmy’s ticket to the Dean’s list, but kids will learn the mechanics of a back-lock, use fine motor skills for assembly and can be as creative as they would like with the finishing work. Furthermore, parents could use this knife as a tool to teach their child about responsible knife use. And if we educate our children about the value of knives today, we can help ensure that Americans will continue to enjoy all kinds of knives tomorrow.

CRKT Nathan’s Knife Kit Review – Final Thoughts

Nathan’s Knife Kit is fun project that I would definitely recommend. Whether there is a child in your life you want to inspire and educate, or you are simply looking for a trip down memory lane, Nathan has you covered. Based on my experience your kids will learn some new skills, and get hours of entertainment out of this kit. For those reasons Nathan’s Knife gets my full endorsement.

You can check out the kit at Glenn and Nathan Klecker’s Website.

[easyazon-block asin=”B0054QCDXC” align=”center”]

I recommend buying Nathan’s Knife Kit at [easyazon_link asin=”B0054QCDXC” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”brdfkdfk-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Amazon[/easyazon_link]. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.