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.

Microtech Stitch Review

by Dan Jackson 7 Comments

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

Buy the Microtech Stitch at BladeHQ

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

A cinderella story if I ever heard one.

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

General Dimensions and Blade Details

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deployment and Lockup

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

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

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

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

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

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

Centering is dead nuts perfect on my knife.

Microtech Stitch Review – Final Thoughts

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

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

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

Microtech Stitch – From $364.00
From: BladeHQ

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

Boker Patriot Review

by Dan Jackson 5 Comments

Last Updated: August 30, 2019
The Boker Patriot started with a great premise. A lightweight, affordable utility knife made in the USA with a 154CM blade. Who can argue with that? I for one was excited about the Patriot.

Buy the Boker Patriot at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

But for whatever reason it hasn’t gotten a ton of traction. I say that because the Patriot only got a handful of reviews on Amazon. Hardly any. Contrast that with the Delica 4, which has about 1,500 reviews. Granted the Delica has been around for decades, but still. When a $70 knife released a couple years ago has a grand total of 5 reviews on Amazon, it makes you question its commercial success.

But that doesn’t dissuade me. If I bought my knives solely based on what the bright bulbs at Amazon suggested, we would be flooded with Gerber Gear (Bear Grylles edition – yeah!), M-Tech, and iridescent gas station knives. Thankfully I have too much self-respect for that. Just barely.

So when our very own Ben Schwartz told me he had a Boker Patriot for sale, I jumped at the opportunity. But it gets better. Ben is such a generous guy he gave me the knife. Thank you, Ben. I’ve wanted to check this one out for a while. I need to return the favor.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Boker Patriot has an overall length of 7.5″, a 3.375″ blade, and weighs 2.11 ounces. It’s a great size for EDC. Light, thin, but full size and uncompromising in utility. And the Patriot is nicely made. All the parts line up. Good fit and finish. A satisfying knife that gave me a good initial impression right out of the box.

The Patriot comes with a compressed drop point blade. Low slung and thin, it’s the perfect size for getting under the corner of an envelope, or slicing away at errant packing tape. Despite this you still get some belly and a fine tip. The knife also has a high flat grind and has been left with a satin finish.

One thing I noticed is that this blade came screaming sharp out of the box. Sharp enough where I still remember it, and I’ve had this knife at my office for several months now. I use it mostly for mail, but I’ve taken it to task on some other EDC chores. I brought it home a couple weeks ago and have been EDCing it on the weekends. Out of the box sharpness is only a minor facet of a knife review. After all, you are going to need to sharpen a knife anyways, but I noticed it here.

And the Patriot has held onto that sharpness for a long time. I’ve been using this knife casually for a few months now, and I have yet to sharpen it. It’s made of 154CM, which is a nice steel, especially at this sub $75 price point. Excellent stuff. It’s got a fine grain structure and takes a great edge. For regular duty EDC chores 154CM will hold strong for a good while.

So the blade and steel are both excellent. Perfect for daily carry tasks.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Patriot’s handle is comprised of glass filled nylon handle slabs, a plastic backspacer, and a stainless steel back lock. The handle is held together with high quality torx fasteners. This knife is linerless, so I wouldn’t use it for anything but cutting chores, but it feels remarkably solid. They offer the Patriot in a number of colors, including standard black. Orange is a good change of pace. There is no losing this knife if you drop it on the forest floor.

I know some will poo-poo the Patriot due to its plastic handles, but I don’t mind a plastic handled knife when it’s done right. And here it has been done right. The plastic pieces have been finished nicely. No gaps, no extra plastic left over from the molding process. It doesn’t feel cheap. And the satin hardware contrasts nicely with the matte handle. There is also an unobtrusive lanyard hole for those that like lanyards.

In hand the Patriot feels secure. It’s a thin handle, but thanks to some smart ergonomic decisions the Patriot fills the hand and is comfortable to use. First, the handle is relatively thick. Not Cold Steel Voyager thick, but thick enough to provide something to hold onto. Then they have included a couple finger grooves. This can be hit or miss, but here the grooves work perfectly for my hands. A short row of jimping provides ample traction for your thumb, and there is a forward finger choil on the blade if you want to choke up. It’s a small finger choil, but it works. Rounding things out is a high traction triangle pattern on the handle.

The end result is that the Patriot is comfortable to use. It feels natural in the hand in both forward and reverse grips. There is a lot of traction, so if you decide to use this for food prep, hunting, or some other messy chore you won’t be disappointed. But the knife is still comfortable thanks to the molded edges.

The pocket clip is a standard stainless steel deep-carry clip. It is simple but effective. Spring tension is about perfect. The knife is easy to insert and remove from the pocket, yet it remains securely in place. It’s also swappable for left or right handed tip up carry. It has good tension and is relatively discreet.

The Patriot carries easily. It’s a lightweight knife with a sturdy clip, so you quickly forget about it and there is little chance of it falling out of your pocket. I will say that the aggressive texture of the handle can make this a pants shredder. I won’t use this knife with suit pants or slacks, but it’s fine for my $15 K-mart shorts.

Deployment and Lockup

The Patriot is a thumb stud knife. If you have read my last few reviews you would have thought I forgot about these. Everything is a flipper these days.

But the Patriot comes with two thumb studs that appear to have been bolted onto the blade. The thumb studs are prominent and I can flick the knife open with my thumb most of the time. There is a decently strong backspring, so adequate force needs to be applied to pop open the knife. All things equal I prefer the more reliable thumb hole of a Delica over this, but it’s not bad.

The action is smooth and fluid. Peering into the handle I can’t see washers, but would be surprised if there were not phosphor bronze washers hugging the pivot of this knife.

For lockup we have an old school back lock. It’s actually more like a mid lock. It has a Boye Dent (the little dent on the lockbar release), which makes the knife more difficult to accidentally disengage. Lockup is secure. The blade falls into place with a satisfying snap.

Here is a shot of the Patriot next to a Medium Cold Steel Voyager:

There is no blade play in any direction, a remarkable feat given this is a liner-less plastic handled knife. Delicas and Enduras are notorious for up and down play. Cheap plastic lock backs like the Ka-Bar Dozier Folding Hunter often have some play in them. A little blade play isn’t the end of the world, but its absence here goes to show that the Patriot is firing on all 6 cylinders.

The blade centering on my knife isn’t perfect. It’s maybe off by a mm. Still “centered” and not rubbing, but not perfect.

Boker Patriot Review – Final Thoughts

The Patriot is an excellent mid-priced EDC knife. The market has become so top heavy expensive knives that it has become easy to lose track of more humble offerings like the Patriot. But ignoring this knife would be a shame. It’s a solid design that has been nicely executed with good blade steel.

In many ways I prefer the Patriot over the Delica: better blade steel, stronger lockup, and nicer ergonomics. But the Delica is an icon, and I prefer the blade shape and thumb hole on that knife.

Here is a shot of it next to a Spyderco Sage 1:

Still, I can’t help but wonder how the annals of knife history would look if this Patriot was released at the same time as the Delica. Would it be as widely recognized? Who is to say. I think it would have more than 5 reviews on Amazon – that’s for sure!

Will the Patriot blow your skirt up like a $400 titanium framelock flipper? Probably not, but this is a knife you can use guilt free on a daily basis. It is easy to carry and does a good job cutting stuff. You won’t cry if it gets scratched up by your keys and loose change.

It’s an excellent daily carry tool and I’ve enjoyed having mine at the ready for several months. I’ll probably bring it back to my office after I’m done with this review. It’s perfect for mail, packages, and anything else I need it to do. Recommended.

Boker Plus USA Folding Knife Steel Blade with Orange Handle, 3.38"

Fiberglass reinforced vibrant orange nylon handle
Premium 154CM steel blade
Includes reversible pocket clip and lanyard hole
Blade length: 3-3/8 in. Overall Length: 7-1/2 in. Weight: 2.1 oz.
Limited Lifetime Warranty

I recommend purchasing the Boker Patriot at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thanks for reading.

Todd Begg Steelcraft Bodega Review

by Dan Jackson 3 Comments

Todd Begg is known for his heavily machined and highly ornamented knives. A few years ago it would have been inconceivable to think that his Bodega folder could be recreated as a mass market production piece.

Buy the Bodega at BladeHQ | Buy the Bodega at KnivesShipFree

But there it was, staring back and Andrew and I at the 2015 BLADE show. I believe it was actually his kwaiken model, but he had one of his original knives and the Steelcraft version sitting on the table next to each other. We couldn’t distinguish which was the real deal, and which was the mass produced version. The Steelcraft version was that good.

The Steelcraft series is a collaboration between Begg and Reate Knives. Reate is a high end Chinese knife manufacturer. Arguably they are the highest end, ousting WE Knives and Kizer with their build quality and finish. It’s another brand that I haven’t had the time to cover. In part because their regular lineup doesn’t inspire me that much. The knives look technically perfect, but the designs are largely forgettable.

However, this Steelcraft collaboration with Begg is the perfect vehicle to showcase Reate’s manufacturing chops. Todd Begg is an incredibly talented designer, and this collaboration with Reate is one for the ages.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Steelcraft Bodega has an overall length of 8.875″, a 3.75″ blade, weighs 6.35 ounces, and is made in China. There is a smaller version of the knife, the Steelcraft Mini Bodega. If I had thought this through a little better before making my purchase I would have gone with that. But who actually researches knives before they buy them?

This full size version is quite large. It’s a bit excessive for my style of daily carry, but it’s a joy to behold, and I’m sure some will love EDCing this larger knife. The mini Bodega will be better for urban EDC, if you can bring yourself to carry something this pretty. That said, there is no shame in simply wanting this as a collectible.

The blade is a wide gleaming drop point with a high hollow grind, toothy jimping, a prominent harpoon tip, and Todd’s signature milled fuller running most of the length of the blade. This ornate blade has been meticulously ground, and this knife is all about the details. The grinds are symmetrical, the milling is crisp, and the satin finish is lustrous. I like how they even broke the edges along the flipper and finger choil. This makes the knife more comfortable to use.

The Bodega comes with a S35VN blade. This is a steel that needs no explanation for enthusiasts of high end knives. It’s a staple in Chris Reeve’s lineup, and has made an appearance on countless reviews of high end folders. This is the next generation of S30V. While it’s not a super exotic steel, it performs admirably. It’s easy to sharpen, holds a fine edge, and machines nicely. It’s a steel that was specifically formulated for cutlery, and I’m never sorry to see it on a knife.

My Steelcraft Bodega came with an even and razor sharp edge. I haven’t used this knife hard, but it has no problem with cardboard, paper, and food prep. The hollow grind gets thin behind the edge, and the knife slices neatly. I’ve been able to keep the Bodega sharp with my strops, and have had zero issues with rust or corrosion. While I haven’t given this Bodega a beat down, S35VN is a known quantity.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

Where do I even begin with this handle? The handle is a thing of technical beauty. Like an aging escort, this Bodega has been drilled from every angle. The outer face of the titanium handle is curved and rounded. That in itself is nice, but then they added the fluted pattern and chased the outlines in silver.

Additionally, the backspacer has been checkered and jimped. The holes for the body screws have been counter sunk and polished. The lock bar has been given the same treatment as the fuller of the blade. Inside the handles have been pocketed out to lighten up the knife and improve the balance. Begg uses regular torx hardware for the body screws, but there is a nice oversized decorative pivot.

A cool thing about the Bodega is the variety of anodizations they offer. I’ve got the gray and silver monochromatic version, but if you prefer color the Bodega is offered in a variety of colors, including a striking Blue and Gold version that Tony reviewed. There is a black on black version that is also stunning. I like the austerity of my particular knife, but the anodized versions are striking.

This full size Bodega fills the hand nicely, and you have a couple options for finger placement thanks to the forward choil. Generally speaking this is a comfortable knife. However, I find the toothy jimping on the spine and lock bar to be a little much. Here it is almost a decorative element, providing a textural contrast, but at the end of the day this knife is designed for use and I find the super toothy jimping to be a bit irritating. Especially if I was to use this knife for aggressive carving, or crunching through a lot of manilla rope.

The pocket clip is an over the top Begg special. It’s a milled clip but uses a large ceramic ball bearing for the point of contact with your pocket. It is completely unique. More importantly, it’s fully functional. Titanium milled clips can be hit or miss, as it’s tough to get the tension right. This one works well, and visually it’s a unique detail. The Bodega carries as you would expect from a large full titanium folder. The relatively thin curved handle mostly stays out of the way, and at 6.35 ounces there is some heft, but not enough to pull your pants down.

Deployment and Lockup

The Steelcraft Bodega is an IKBS bearing equipped flipper. Flipping action is solid, and the bearings are buttery smooth. I’d give this an 8.5 out of 10 on my flipper scoring system. Action is crisp and snappy. The flipper tab is prominent. There isn’t any jimping on the tab, but I don’t think it needs it. There is plenty of steel here to get a finger on, and the blade deploys reliably with an excellent snap.

Here is a shot of the Bodega next to my Shirogorov F3:

For lockup we have a titanium framelock with a steel insert. Lockup is early on my knife. About 20% according to my eyeball. There isn’t a smidge of blade play in any direction. The lock is easy to disengage thanks to the toothy jimping, and a thoughtful design. There is no lock stick at all. The steel lock bar insert doubles as an overtravel preventer, so you don’t have to worry about hyperextending your lock bar.

Blade centering is dead nuts center on my knife. I would expect nothing less from a knife this meticulously machined.

Todd Begg Steelcraft Bodega Review – Final Thoughts

This Steelcraft Bodega is unlike any other knife. Todd Begg is a brilliant knife designer, and the folks at Reate knocked it out of the park. It’s a testament to how far Chinese manufacturing has come. I know some will still turn their noses up at this one because it’s made in China. Spend the money on NASCAR tickets, what do I care. I’m here to tell you this knife has been beautifully done.

This is everything you would expect from a high end folder. At close to $450, you will pay for the premium, but it’s damn hard to find a fault with this knife. The closest thing I could come to critical feedback, is that the jimping is a little rough for extended use. The knife is also too pretty for me to seriously use without feeling guilty. I don’t feel that way about my Strider SnG, which costs a similar amount of money. But the ornate nature of this knife makes it tough for me to beat up on. This is an immaculate knife.

Todd Begg’s in house version of the Bodega starts at $850 (for the “field grade” versions), and quickly go up from there. For $450 I think the Steelcraft version gives you an excellent feel for what his designs are all about. Well worth checking out if you have the money and are interested in exploring his designs.

Todd Begg Steelcraft Bodega – From $460.00
From: BladeHQ

I recommend purchasing the Steelcraft Bodega at BladeHQ, KnivesShipFree, or Amazon.

Microtech Sigil MK6 Review

by Dan Jackson 7 Comments

There is depth to the knife industry. So much depth that a reviewer can review knives for 5 years, hire on 3 other writers to review knives, amass a catalog of over 300 knife reviews, and still not review knives from all the major manufacturers. That’s case with this website and Microtech at least. It’s almost shameful that we haven’t reviewed anything by Microtech yet. Thankfully, that gets remedied today.

Buy the Microtech Sigil at BladeHQ

Microtech is a medium sized knife manufacturer located in Bradford, PA. The company was founded in Vero Beach, FL in 1994, by Anthony Marfione, but then moved to Pennsylvania a decade later. As a Florida boy I have no idea why they would pack up and move to PA after 10 years. Usually it’s the other way around. There must be a lot of steel up in PA.

Microtech is known for their automatic knives, and their aggressive designs. Maybe that’s why it took me so long to buy one. I’m not a huge fan of autos, believing that a good manual folder can be almost as easy to operate, and less likely to draw the ire of law enforcement. Plus, their styling is the equivalent of Affliction shirts for the cutlery industry. Shockingly, a Microtech was the 3rd knife Jim Skelton ever reviewed. And it was from the “Zombie Tech” series at that. There is a lid for every pot.

Aesthetic preferences aside, the blades are also pricey. Not that price has stopped me from reviewing a knife in the past. I just gotta get a good deal on it, or really want to check out the knife. Plus the recent ugliness with the Tony S. lawsuit didn’t rev me up about the company either. I have wanted to check their knives out, but something else always took priority.

That all changed when I picked up this Sigil MK6. What a cool knife. This Sigil is beautifully built and richly detailed. Whoever designed it clearly had a lot of fun. My version is the “Apocalyptic” flavor, with a full stonewash and copper accent piece. Lets dive in.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Sigil has an overall length of 8.75″, a 3.75″ blade, weighs 5.2 ounces, and is made in the USA. This is a sizable knife. It’s a bit more than I typically like to EDC, but it provides plenty of canvas. Microtech took advantage of this and covered every inch in ornamentation.

The floor to ceiling stonewash lends the knife an aged appearance, although my blade is date stamped “02/2017”.

The blade is a long, sloping, modified drop point. The tip is dropped low, and you only get a slight amount of belly. The tip is also fine and delicate. The blade shape and thumb cutout resembles a prehistoric bird.

A lot of attention went into this blade, and the machining is top notch. The thumb hole has a series of steps milled around it. The finger choil is delicately chamferred. The flipper area has been pocketed. The grinds are beautiful and even. The edge has been uniformly applied. No detail has been overlooked on this blade.

And the blade is made of M390 stainless steel. M390 is about as good as it gets in blade steel, exhibiting the enviable combination of high edge retention paired with easy sharpening. Most super steels are a bear to sharpen, but M390 isn’t bad. It’s one of my favorite blade steels and Microtech gives you almost 4 inches of it here with their Sigil.

Cutting performance is pretty good. The stock on this knife is relatively thick, and the partial flat grind has its geometric limits. Still I had no problem breaking down boxes, opening mail, and cutting fruit. The M390 held up like a champ.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is a celebration of milling, and a thing of technical beauty. Microtech is a highly skilled manufacturer, and that comes out clearly in the handle of the Sigil. The titanium handle slabs have been meticulously tooled from all angles, to the point where this knife could pass for an extra on the Dark Crystal.

You can become lost in the complexity of the Sigil. The insides have been pocketed out to lighten the knife. There is also extra fine milling for the frame lock release, the hardware for the pocket clip is hidden, a full titanium floating backspacer, and a copper pivot shroud doubles as a lock bar stabilizer. Microtech’s trademark proprietary hardware holds it all together.

Speaking of the proprietary hardware, although a lot of people aren’t a fan of non-standard hardware, I think it adds something to the overall effect of the knife. It’s totally different and helps make the Sigil feel special. That said, it would have been great if they included a tool. Actually came loose a couple times. Keep in mind I got this knife gently used, so this isn’t a comment on how it came from the factory. I was able to tighten everything down with my finger nail, but this is far from ideal. Thankfully the pivot feels snug and I haven’t had to mess with it yet.

The simple handle shape and heavy chamferring of the titanium handle makes the Sigil a comfortable knife in hand. That should come as no surprise give how large this knife is. There is a small forward finger choil giving you extra options, but I find it to be a little tight relative to other knives with finger choils that I own. I’ve used it, but would advise against getting too aggressive with this finger choil. Good jimping is found on the thumb ramp, flipper tab, and backspacer. Although it lacks corrugated G-10, this isn’t a slippery knife by any means.

The pocket clip is made of milled titanium. Milled clips have done a bit of an 180 over the past few years. When they originally came out they were the bee’s knees. Then they sort of fell out of favor when people found them to be less effective than traditional stamped steel clips. I still like a milled clip if it’s done right.

I’d say the clip on this Sigil is pretty good. It is snug up against the handle and has some spring tension. It’s not crazy spring tension, and I wouldn’t recommend jumping out of an airplane with the Sigil clipped to your pocket, but there is spring tension and the knife is held in place in your pocket. The hidden hardware aspect of it is awesome, and the machining is top notch.

The Sigil carries about how I would expect. It’s a large full titanium folder. Not a total boat anchor, but you feel its presence in your pocket.

Deployment and Lockup

The Sigil is a flipper on bearings. Flipping action is excellent. The generously jimped flipper, strong detent, and smooth bearing system scores the action of this knife a solid “8” on my somewhat arbitrary 1-10 scale for flippers. Better than average, but not a rocket launcher. In addition to the flipper there is an elongated thumb hole. It’s fully functional and you can open up the blade with the thumb hole if you want to be more subtle.

For lockup we have a titanium framelock with stainless steel lockbar insert. The engineering wizards at Miroctech did a fine job designing this frame lock. It is totally secure, with no blade play to speak of, yet the lock is easy to disengage. This is thanks to good lock geometry, and excellent milling on the portion of the lockbar where your thumb goes to release the lock.

As I mentioned previously, there is a copper pivot collar that doubles as a lock bar stabilizer. A nice touch and the only splash of color on an otherwise grey knife.

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

It’s a little longer than the Para 2, but you get a lot more blade. Speaking of which, blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Microtech Sigil MK6 Review – Final Thoughts

The Sigil is an impressive knife. Microtech’s styling may not be to everyone’s taste, and this is a bigger knife, but you can’t argue that the Sigil has been beautifully executed with top shelf materials.

Almost every bell and whistle you could ask for is included. A milled clip, milled out handles, floating back spacer, hidden hardware, top shelf blade steel, and tons of machining. Fit and finish is outstanding. And this knife is made in the USA.

My only gripe is that the body screws come loose and they don’t supply the tool to tighten them.

This isn’t an inexpensive knife, but for just under $400 I think you get what you pay for. It’s almost on par with my old Shirogorov 95t, and that knife clocks in at 200%+ of the cost. Any interesting comparison is with a Sebenza.

While this is far from being an everyman’s EDC, I think those whose interests are piqued by the concept of the Sigil will be happy with this knife. It exceeded my expectations, and it makes me want to review more Microtechs in the future. Speaking of which, I really like the Sebastian Benja designed Stitch. I think that will be my next acquisition.

I know the Sigil is not a knife for everyone, so I won’t give it a blanket endorsement. But I give it 2 thumbs up if you are already in the market for this knife.

Microtech Sigil – From $390.00
From: BladeHQ

I recommend purchasing the Microtech Sigil 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.

DMT Double Sided Diafold Sharpener Review

by Dan Jackson 2 Comments

Ever since I reviewed the Smith’s Pocket Pal PP1 I’ve been wanting a portable sharpener. Some people refer to these as “field sharpeners,” but since I don’t spend much time in the field, I’ll just say I want something simple, small, and portable. Something that works when space is at a premium. And something durable.

Buy the DMT Diafold at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

DMT is the gold standard in diamond sharpeners, and I’d yet to review one, so this little Diafold sharpener seemed like an obvious choice. It’s inexpensive, unobtrusive, yet it folds out into something large enough to use regularly. I picked one up without thinking too hard about it, and used it for several months.

What You Get

The Diafold comes in an annoying thick plastic clam shell pack. Thankfully my Wingman has a cutter designed just for this occasion, so I was able to get at the Diafold without too much trouble. Inside is the sharpener. The instructions are outside. Pretty basic stuff.

Closed the Diafold is 5″ long by about an inch wide and half an inch thick. The stone itself is 4.33″ x .875″ x .25″ and is encased in two clear rotating plastic arms. It’s like a balisong, although the chance of stabbing yourself is lower and the flipping action leaves something to be desired.

When opened the Diafold stretches out to 9 1/2″. This give you plenty to grip onto as you sharpen your knife.

Use

DMT offers the Diafold in their entire range of sharpening grits: everything from extra-coarse to extra-extra-fine. I selected a coarse and fine grit. I figured the coarse side would be enough to work chips out of blades, while the fine side would leave me with a good working edge. I thought it complimented my Sharpmaker nicely, since I never opted for the diamond stones for that system.

Turns out I made a good choice, as I can use this to bring pretty much anything back to life. While I’m not a professional freehand sharpener, I’ve had a few years of practice now. I can use this tool to get a hair shaving edge on most of my folding knives. It will be impossible for recurves, and I can’t say I’ve tried it on anything like ZDP-189, but it’s great for my EDC rotation, which features a lot of 154-CM, S35VN, S30V, and VG-10. No issues with any of those steels.

Typically I use this DMT stone without any lubricant, but if you wanted to you could put some water on it. I find a light touch is the way to go with diamond stones. Too much pressure and you risk scraping off all the diamonds. Light even pressure and flipping the blade over every few strokes is the way to go. It won’t take much work with diamond stones to get the desired effect. Let the stones do the work and you are good to go.

I like how the Diafold folds up into a compact package. I haven’t gone on a hunting trip, or even an extended hike with this sharpener, but it’s lightweight, relatively small, and folds up flat. It easily tucks into a pocket or bag. I suppose you could buy something even smaller, but personally I like having a sharpener big enough to use comfortably.

That said, my Diafold spends most of it’s time on my desk. It’s convenient, self contained, and doesn’t take up much space. Most of the time I don’t need anything bigger than this to sharpen my knives.

DMT Diafold Review – Final Thoughts

This is one of my shorter reviews, but that’s not a bad thing. The Diafold is super simple, and equally effective. I paid about $25 for mine on Amazon, which seems kind of spendy for a small simple sharpener, but it’s worth the money to me. DMT makes the best diamond stones in the business and this Diafold is nicely put together. And it’s made in the USA. You get what you pay for. Let’s put it this way, I’d definitely take this Diafold over 5 of those Smith’s Pocket Pals.

I am considering picking up the extra-fine / extra-extra-fine version too just to see what kind of edge I can get, but I don’t regret the coarse/fine combo. That will be the way to go for most people, but if you buy a couple of them you are looking at a little over $50. About the price of a Sharpmaker. It won’t sharpen serrations or recurves like a Sharpmaker, but it also won’t shatter like a Sharpmaker rod will if you drop it on the kitchen floor. Don’t ask me how I know. If you take care of these DMT stones they should provide many years of service.

I recommend this sharpener to pretty much anyone. I think I found my “field” sharpener, but this type of sharpener intrigues me. I never got in to the big table top sharpeners like the Wicked Edge or Edge Pro. I’d be curious to hear if anyone has a field sharpener they prefer over the Diafold. It might become the subject of my next sharpener review.

Sale

DMT FWFC DuoSharp Double-Sided Diamond Sharpening Stone for Knives and More, 8-Inch, Fine/Coarse, White

Diamond Knife Sharpener: Offering 2-stage sharpening and a compact design, this lightweight DMT diamond sharpening stone is great for the home, camper, tool box, gardening shed, and more
Dual-Diamond Stone Surface: Specialized fine diamond (25 micron / 600 mesh) hones any blade or chisel to a razor-sharp edge; Specialized coarse diamond (45 micron / 325 mesh) quickly restores neglected edges
Portable Knife Sharpeners: Compact, lightweight pocket knife sharpener features convenient fold-and-go handles, which enclose and protect the diamond plate when not in use; Measures 9.5 inches open and 5 inches closed
Fast & Easy: A micronized monocrystalline diamond surface sharpens edges faster and easier than conventional sharpening stones; No messy oils are needed either — sharpen lapping plate dry or with water
Made In The USA: Preferred by professionals for their superior quality and versatility, our durable diamond sharpening stones are built to provide years of consistent performance and reliable service

I recommend purchasing the DMT Diafold at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

2017 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Knife Deals

by Dan Jackson 6 Comments

Looking for 2018’s Black Friday Knife deals? I have them posted here.

Once again, it is that time of year. Time to round up the various Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on knives and gear. Last year I was traveling, and missed posting the deals. Instead I was at Smoky Mountain Knife Works living out the Black Friday Dream.

This year I’m by my computer, so I figured I’d round up some links for 2017. Feel free to leave a comment or email me if I miss anything and I’ll add the deal.

Amazon

As usual, Amazon has their deals going on for black Friday.

Frankly it’s hard for me to tell exactly what knives will be on sale this year. 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.

BladeHQ

BladeHQ has all sorts of stuff on sale for their Black Friday deals. The usual suspects like a deeply discounted Boker AK-47 is for sale, but they also have some new exclusives including a larger version of the classic Kershaw Skyline, and a G-10 handled Microtech Ultra-Tech. Here is a direct link to their sales page.

GP Knives

GP Knives has a bunch of stuff on offer. I see everything from stuff by CRKT and Kershaw, to ESEE knives, to some midtech offerings from Serge Pachenko. A little something for everyone. You can check out all their Black Friday deals here.

Smoky Mountain Knife Works

SMKW is 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 offering 50% off everything in their entire store with the coupon “BLACKFRIDAY50” – insane deal. Here is a link.

CRKT

The CRKT Outlet has some deals for you on a handful of their close out knives.

KnifeWorks

KnifeWorks has a sale going on. They don’t have it well organized however, as there is a big picture on the front of their website proclaiming that there is a sale, but you can’t click on it, and they don’t seem to have a particular page for their BF Sale. 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

KnifeCenter is once again doing their 15% off 15 brands deal this year. It includes a bunch of DMT and Lansky sharpening stuff. Check out their deals to see what may be of interest.

DLT Trading

DLT Trading appears to have some stuff on sale, although it’s not entirely clear to me what is for Black Friday, and what is just on there regular sale page. Check it out here.

Chicago Knife Works

CFW is as a black Friday sale going. All sorts of deals, plus it looks like they are offering 10% off site wide. Cool!

KnivesShipFree

Site sponsor KniveShipFree is offering up some Black Friday Deals but you have to subscribe to their email list to get them.

Flashlights

FourSevens

Flashlight make FourSevens has some deals on offer as a pre-black Friday deal. I’ve bought a few lights from them in the past and find their stuff hard to resist. They have some deeply discounted flashlights on offer.

Malkoff

Flashlight manufacturer Malkoff Devices is offering 10% off site wide with the coupon “BLACK10”. However, they offer 15% off your first purchase if you join their email list. My dad has a Malkoff flashlight and it’s a beast, but this isn’t a huge sale.

Gear

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

GoRuck

GoRuck, maker of fine packs and stuff, has a black Friday sales page this year. I’m all set in the luggage department, but you may find something interesting.

Prometheus Design Werx

Prometheus Design Werx is offering a 20% site wide discount if you use the coupon “GIFT20” at Checkout. This deal is good from 11/23-11/27.

Tactical Tailor

Tactical Tailor is offering 30% off anything site wide except for Rogue products. That’s a pretty sweet offer if you are in the market for a new pack.

ITS Tactical

Friend of the site ITS Tactical is offering 20% off the entire ITS Store, with some extra free swag if you spend over $50 or $100.

HuckBerry

Botique online retailer Huckberry has some balck friday offerings. Tony swears by Huckberry. I’ve never been able to get into it, 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.

Recycled Firefighter

I’ve never heard of this company before, but Recycled Firefighter handmakes wallets, backpacks, and other fabric products out of firehose. Worth checking out I think, and everything is 20% off if you use the coupon “BLACKFRIDAY2017” at check out.

That’s All the 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.