Aaron Shapiro

Aaron Shapiro began writing for BladeReviews.com in 2017, but has been producing written and video reviews since 2012. Aaron is widely recognized as an authority on watches, knives, and other daily carry gear. By day he is a professional photographer, but you probably already know Aaron from his Instagram feed, YouTube channel, or from one of his past online projects. When Aaron isn't writing about some of his favorite things here at BladeReviews he also writes at A Blog to Watch.

Giant Mouse ACE Biblio Review

by Aaron Shapiro 6 Comments

Wandering the hallowed halls of BladeShow in Atlanta can be an overwhelming and even intimidating experience. Knives are (not literally) being thrown at you right and left and it’s difficult to remember what you’ve seen, what you wanted to see, and what you haven’t been able to find yet. Several things stuck out to me during my time in Atlanta and high amongst them was the Giant Mouse ACE Biblio.

Buy the Giant Mouse ACE Biblio at BladeHQ

For those of you who haven’t heard of the Giant Mouse brand before, it is a collaborative production brand between custom knife makers Jens Ansø and Jesper Voxnaes; with the mission to design the highest quality production knife possible at the most reasonable price point they can. Over the past couple of years, I have had the opportunity to handle several knives from GM, but this was the first model that they produced with an ambidextrous clip which I need as a lefty.

The ACE line from GM is an unlimited production run of knives whereas the pure Giant Mouse lines are limited in production to 400 pieces per model. Currently, GiantMouse is offering two different models under the ACE umbrella, the Biblio (reviewed here) and the newly released Nimbus.

But first, as always, some specs:

Blade: 2.75” (with a cutting edge around 2.5”)
OAL: 6.75”
Thickness: .585”
Blade Thickness: .119”
Steel: M390
Weight: 3.8oz
Lock: Liner Lock

(These are my personal measurements made with my calipers and my faithful ruler, manufacturer’s published numbers may vary.)

Blade

The Biblio’s blade can best be described as a nicely bellied Wharncliffe. The blade has an ascending angle from the handle and terminates at a nice fine point. A nice thing about this shape is that when the edge is flat on a surface, the handle is raised above, allowing you to utilize the full length of the cutting edge without your hand interfering.

GiantMouse opted for a full flat grind as well, making this a pretty great utility slicer equally at home in the kitchen or campsite (not that these two need be separate). It’s ground thin and sharpened well straight from the factory. One last detail, GiantMouse has chosen to crown the spine on the blade, as I’ve stated countless times before this is a GREAT way to class up a knife.

The steel choice of M390 comes as an expected choice—the GiantMouse Knives are made in Maniago Italy by, I assume, Lionsteel who uses M390 in a lot of their models (Editor: I think Viper makes it, but I could always be wrong). I personally love this steel, it’s elementally similar to 20CV but manifests a finer grain that becomes apparent once you start sharpening it. I’ve always big a huge fan of M390 and request it whenever possible in custom orders. It’s been a solid performer, is very stain/wear resistant, and holds an edge well.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

GiantMouse has opted to offer two handle material options for the ACE Biblio, either black G10 (which is accompanied by a satin blade finish) or green micarta (which comes with a stonewashed blade) both of which offer a nice grip and texture. The lines of the handle really lend themselves to locking into the hand, however, I do find that the grip itself is a little on the shorter side, with my pinky falling off the end—this is fixed if I choke up on the knife and utilize the large choil on the blade.

The clip is a simple wire clip that has the option for either “handed” carry. This is a simple method, but effective and has worked fine for me.

In the pocket, the GM is a squish on the thicker side, but being a liner lock you can’t expect much different. The ACE Biblio is far from the worst offender in this category.

Deployment and Lockup

I’ve always thought that having two different deployment methods on a knife generally meant that one took priority over the other. The Biblio, for example, has both an opening hole and a flipper tab but the detent is tuned for the flipper making it relatively difficult to open via the hole. That being said, using the flipper the action is smooth and snappy as expected with bearings.

The Biblio features your typical liner lock situation here, with a small bevel on each side of the lock to allow ambidextrous unlocking. My example engages fully, is solid in all directions, and hasn’t required any adjustment.

Giant Mouse ACE Biblio Review – Final Thoughts

Generally speaking, I think the GiantMouse project as a whole is a great exploration in what happens when two prestigious custom knife makers explore the production side of the knife-world without simply licensing a design or offering a mid-tech. Giant Mouse is a sole entity that operates within the design language of both Anso and Vox.

While I think that limiting the production runs of the of the GiantMouse offerings seems like a play for extrinsic value, it is nice to see that they have adopted an unlimited production run of affordable options.

The Biblio seems like a great choice for anyone that’s a fan of these two specific knife makers, wants a high-value option, or is looking for something that’s a little outside the “canon of normal knife brands.” The ACE Biblio is available (in Black G10) from BladeHQ for $175, and if you think about that… You’re getting an M390 flipper, designed by two well-respected makers, made to the exacting standards of (again what I assume to be) Lionsteel, for less than $200. Pretty hard to beat that these days, in my opinion.

Giant Mouse ACE Biblio – From $175.00
From: BladeHQ

I recommend purchasing the Giant Mouse ACE Biblio 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.

Demko Knives AD-15 MG Review

by Aaron Shapiro 5 Comments

There are knives that elicit feelings of elegance and delicate class, and then there are knives that make you feel like you’re carrying a tool that can handle damn near any task that you throw at it. Demko Knives belong solidly in the latter camp.

Buy the Demko Knives AD-15 at BladeHQ

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For those of you that are hearing the name Demko and it’s sounding familiar Andrew Demko is the designer of Cold Steel’s famed Tri-ad Lock as well as some of their (in my opinion) coolest designs. Demko has also maintained his own custom knife shop, producing well built heavy-use folders that kept that distinct look that made his name famous among knife aficionados.

Based on my experience knives from Demko’s shop directly were a little difficult to come by when I first started getting into custom pieces. I’m not sure if that due to his work with Cold Steel, or maybe just the circles I ran in… but recently Andrew did two things that changed this. First he developed a new lock, the scorpion lock, that is not available from Cold Steel and secondly, he developed his Machine Ground (MG) series.

I would probably call his MG series mid-techs, although from what I have heard the only difference between Demko customs and the MG’s is the actual grinding of the blades themselves. Obviously his customs are hand ground, while the MGs are machine ground. More on that later.

First, the ever important specs of our Demko Knives AD-15 MG, the subject of this review:

Blade Length: 3.75”
Overall Length: 8.625”
Handle Thickness: .59”
Blade Thickness: .196”
Steel: S35VN
Weight: 6.4oz
Lock: Demko Scorpion Lock
Country of Origin: USA

(Please note these measurements are according to my ruler and calipers. The manufacturer’s listed measurements may vary.)

Blade Details

So, as I stated in the intro these knives are part of the “MG” series that the Demko shop is now putting out. I think the overall idea is to get some of their knives into customer’s hands without having to have the custom price-tag attached. In order to cut down on the cost, they have opted to put Machine Ground blades in these AD-15s. Apart from that I think there are minimal cosmetic differences between these and the customs.

So what does this mean for the end user? Well, nothing really. The knife is evenly ground, with crisp lines and a thin flat grind, and it is finished extremely well. For the run that was available at Blade Show, where I bought this knife, they had actually gone back and put a machine-satin or grind-line finish on the blade. This is generally my preference in a blade finish.

All that said, the knife came to me horrifyingly sharp, and I say this as someone that can sharpen a knife to a mirror–hair whittling edge. The Demkos did something to make this knife glide through paper like nothing I’ve seen. What makes this even more remarkable is the blade is made from 4.5mm thick stock. That is thick stock for a folding knife.

The steel choice is worth noting as well. S35VN is a weird pick for a knife that I’d consider a “heavy-use knife.” Don’t get me wrong as S35VN is generally a fine steel. I have it in my Chris Reeve knives and it’s performed great for me, but I would have expected 3V or M4 in this monster. Gimme something with some real brawn, Demko!

I suppose the choice of S35VN isn’t really a problem, as S35VN is still a premium steel with a well deserved reputation for all-round performance. It was just a surprising choice to me as this knife is otherwise entirely overbuilt. I think a tougher steel with a greater reputation for hard use would have been even better under these circumstances.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

To address the elephant in the room before we talk about anything else, the AD-15 MG is a big knife. I mean the thing is over eight and a half inches long. However, as a result Demko was able to figure out how to incorporate a very effective saber-style handle to the knife. This allows you to grab onto it and know that you’re not going to slip anywhere, and to add additional traction most of these knives are offered in textured G-10 or Micarta for even more grip.

As for the handle material itself, it’s okay. Don’t tell anyone I said this, but I kinda wish I had gotten a G-10 version. The natural micarta has a raw edge that has turned out to not really be my favorite. His G10 knives were very nicely squared away, I’d love to see one in CF.

The Demko’s are also now offering these knives in full Ti handles. This was debuted at Blade 2018. In my opinion full titanium is a lousy “upgrade” as it adds nearly $200 to the price tag and a lot of extra weight, but the full titanium version offers no additional operational strength.

The clip is a ho-hum spoon style three screw clip that straddles the lanyard hole. This placement makes the knife ride a bit high in the pocket. I love and hate this high clip placement. On one hand, it allows you to have a really positive grip on this (expensive) knife in your pocket when you withdraw it, but the knife is also is going to dig into your side when you sit down. So this clip configuration has its pros and cons.

Deployment and Lockup

Dudes, this lock is super weird. Like, I get it, and I like it, but it took me a solid 2-3 days of playing with it where I stopped nearly cutting myself when I tried opening it. The knife is not that different from the famed Tri-ad lock that Demko licensed to Cold Steel. It’s essentially a titanium bar that runs across the top of the knife, that bar pivots around a pin towards the rear, when doing so it lifts the locking pin and allows you to close the knife. That same spring tension also serves as the “detent.” As a result, you sorta have to push away from the pivot when you open the knife otherwise it won’t budge.

As I said, it’s a different but ultimately intuitive way of opening a knife. Another result of this lock is that the action of the knife has a very hydraulic feel to it. It’s smooth, but slow. As if you were pushing the blade open through soft butter. This isn’t a knife that you’re gonna “pop” open with your thumb. The AD-15 MG’s run on poly washers, so that contributes to the slow hydraulic feel of the action.

Demko Knives AD-15 MG Review – Final Thoughts

How do you pin a bow on a knife this unusual? It’s a new style of mid-tech, with a new locking system, in a different size category than I normally buy. I never condone knife abuse, but the AD-15 seriously feels like a knife that could do pretty much anything and go pretty much anywhere. Need to stab through a car hood? No problem. This AD-15 MG is an absolute tank, and in that capacity this knife is phenomenal.

With a different steel I think the AD-15 MG’s would be perfect. S35VN is fine for a Sebenza, but for an overbuilt folder like this I’d love to see the jump to an even tougher steel like 3V. I believe that Demko has used different steels on the hand ground versions, so perhaps that will trickle down to the MGs eventually.

Also, these knives aren’t cheap. The base model (with G10 or Micarta) comes in around $675 and is readily available on BladeHQ or even Amazon. This AD-15 MG is a lot of money, but you’re essentially getting a custom Demko that has a blade that went through a double disk grinder. Practically speaking it’s very similar to what they’d call a “custom knife.” The hand ground version of this knife starts at $900, and if that’s if you can find one.

For these reasons, I recommend the Demko Knives AD-15 MG if you want a hard use folder from Andrew Demko without spending the cash on one of his full customs.

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Editor: I recommend purchasing the Demko Knives AD-15 MG 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.

Benchmade Anthem 781 Review

by Aaron Shapiro 3 Comments

Last Updated: July 18, 2019

There was a time when Benchmade was kinda the sleepy “Gunshop Knife Brand.” There would always be a few dusty Griptillians sitting in the case next to the preowned Glocks, and while the Grips might be fantastic value-props, they a bit vanilla-icecream-y if you get my meaning.

Buy the Benchmade Anthem at BladeHQ

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However, something has been changing in the last few years. I don’t know if someone put some sriracha on the break table over there in Oregon City, or what, but something has injected some pep into their design team. Introducing the Anthem 781, Benchmade’s first Integral Titanium folding knife. There are lots to say about this one, but before I get too deep let’s go over some specs:

(Please note these measurements are according to my ruler and calipers, manufacturer’s listed measurements may vary.)

Blade Length: 3.25” of cutting edge, 3.375
Overall Length: 8.125”
Thickness: .585” with clip, .421 handle only
Blade Thickness: .115”
Steel: 20CV
Weight: 3.7oz
Lock: The famed Axis Lock
Country of Origin: USA

Blade Details

With a knife like the Anthem, I believe that it’s intended to be a daily carry type piece. It’s not overly large, doesn’t have any sort of complicated aspect to it, and the functional bits are designed to be, well, functional.

The blade is a great example of this: drop pointed shaped with a rounded (or crowned) spine. Eyeballing it, I’d guess that it’s flat ground but I suppose it could be a shallow hollow grind as well; either way, it’s a great slicer. It came out of the box with a very nice, toothy, utility edge and I didn’t feel the need to change this on my wicked edge. In the couple of weeks that I’ve been carrying it I have had occasion to break down boxes, slice up food, and perform just daily “knife-stuff” tasks with it, nothing crazy, no batoning or zombie apocalypse type stuff, but in terms of daily EDC tasks, it excelled.

In terms of the steel, I will briefly comment on it: Benchmade chose 20CV for this blade, and I believe that to be an excellent choice for a knife like this. 20CV is a high toughness and corrosion resistance steel, that hardens to around 62HRC. I have no means testing to see if my knife is in that range, but I can tell you that it’s performed beautifully and has been easily maintained on a strop. 20CV is very similar to M390 (one of my favorite steels) and I have been really pleased with it in this application.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

Ah yes… The INTEGRAL handle. This is really what makes this knife stand out, isn’t it? This is the first Integral from Benchmade. For those of you not familiar with the term: Integral means that the handle of this knife is milled out of a single block of Titanium as opposed to two that are screwed together. There aren’t any screws holding the knife handle together. In the past, this level of knife making was reserved to custom makers that had a lot of time on their hands (it takes a while to mill a channel out of a block of Ti) but recently a few companies have started incorporating integrals into their lineup.

One of the interesting things about Benchmade’s execution of the integral handle is how they incorporated the axis lock into it. When you look at the spine of the knife (the money shot of any integral) you’ll see two screws hidden in the decorative milling, these hold the locking method in place.

In the hand the first thing that came to mind for me was how thin the knife is; It carries very well in the pocket and feels great in hand. The handle itself is trim in both dimensions thickness and height, but there is a sort of faux-choil towards the blade that locks the hand in securely when holding the knife open. Otherwise, the milled texture gives you a little bit of grip on what would otherwise be a pretty slick knife.

The pocket clip is an ambidextrous milled Ti clip that is more than a little phallic, but it is also very functional. There are several makers out there that are offering custom clips made from Moku-Ti so if you want something different there are options for you. The knife carries well with approx 1/2” sticking out of the pocket, offering a perfect grip to withdraw it.

Deployment and Lockup

The blade on the Anthem opens by way of ambidextrous thumb studs. The blade deploys easily thanks in part to bearings washers. The action is smooth and easy.

For lockup, the Anthem comes equipped with Benchmade’s Axis lock. I’m not sure there’s much to say about the Axis lock that hasn’t already been said. It’s an incredibly solid lock mechanism that isn’t prone to lock rock, doesn’t really suffer from failures in the way a liner or frame lock might, and it is completely ambidextrous to use. The execution of the Axis lock is worth noting on the Anthem, there’s a block screwed to the spine of the knife that acts as the anchor point for the axis lock mechanism.

Benchmade Anthem Review – Final Thoughts

So to wrap all this up…the Benchmade 781 Anthem is a great step forward for Benchmade knives. I think it shows a focus shift on Benchmade’s part too, hopefully, starting to produce some higher-end knives. I am also very pleased to see their adoption of some different steels. I love CPM154 and S30V, but it’s good to have some variety. Between the 20CV here and the S90 in the 940-1, it’s been refreshing.

Now, the caveat to this entire review: This is an expensive knife. MSRP is around $500, with retail landing closer to $425 on BladeHQ and Amazon. Competitively, this puts you in the ballpark of a Chris Reeve, or above the ballpark of some really nice Zero Tolerances, but what you’re paying for here is the time and difficulty in making the handle. It’s a remarkable feat, but you have to decide if it’s worth it to you, for me it was too cool to pass up. The nice thing, however, is that you won’t be getting a gimmicky integral for that price—you’re going to be putting a knife that will make a great daily carry in your pocket.

Sale

COLD STEEL AD-10 3.5" S35VN Steel Ultra-Sharp Drop Point Blade 5.25" G-10 Handle Tactical Folding Knife with Tri-Ad Locking Mechanism

CONSTRUCTION - The AD-10 tactical folding knife features an ultra-wide, ground thin at the edge, honed to razor-sharpness blade that offers unprecedented cutting, shearing, and piercing power while resisting bending, breaking, or chipping
S35VN STEEL BLADE - Crafted from S35VN steel, the AD-10 folding knife's blade ensures super-fine cutting edges and exceptional edge retention; This premium steel is renowned for its durability and ability to maintain sharpness through rigorous use
STRONG HANDLE - The handle of the AD-10 knife boasts heat-treated, full-length aluminum liners and 3D machined G-10 scales, providing unparalleled strength and grip; Its precise contouring and integral finger guard ensure a snug and secure fit in the hand
TRI-AD LOCK - Complete with the Tri-Ad, the AD-10 offers unrivaled strength, shock resistance, and durability; This reliable locking mechanism provides peace of mind, safeguarding your fingers during use and ensuring the blade remains securely in place
SPECS - Weight: 7 oz (198.4 g); Blade Thickness: 3.8 mm; Blade Length: 3 1/2"; Blade Steel: S35VN; Handle Length/Material: 5 1/4" G-10; Overall Length: 8 3/4"; Knife Type: Folder; Blade Shape: Drop Point; Locking Mechanism: Tri-Ad Lock

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

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Ceramic Review

by Aaron Shapiro 5 Comments

I’ll never forget my first time walking into an Omega boutique and looking at all the shiny watches. A friend of mine, the one that initially introduced me to watches, took me there to admire his grail and ultimately discover a few of my own. Since that time I’ve had the privilege of owning and wearing several Omega watches and my buddy has attained (and daily wears) his grail Planet Ocean. In fact, my first ever “nice,” watch was an Omega Seamaster GMT 2534.50 that I wore for a long time, but ultimately sold for reasons that escape me now.

Buy the Omega Seamaster 300M Ceramic at Jomashop

Buy on Amazon

Since then I’ve owned several versions of the classic wave dial Seamaster, numerous variations of the Speedmaster, and even a Planet Ocean but all of this to say… For some reason, I am drawn back to Omega, like a moth to the flame… That brings me to my most recent acquisition, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300 Ceramic. The most modern iteration of the Seamaster Professional series (although soon to be ousted by the new—new wave dial coming from Basel this last March). Before we get too far, let’s go over some specs:

(All Measurements are my personal measurements and may differ from manufacturers specs)

Case Width: 41.5mm
Case Thickness: 13.1mm
Lug to Lug: 47.3mm
Depth Rating: 30Bar (300m)
Weight: 5.9oz on the bracelet
Movement: Omega 2500D Co-Axial Movement
Lug Width: 20mm

Fit

There are some watches that really feel like the manufacture nailed some sort of “golden-mean-symmetry” balance and created a watch that just works on the wrist. Other’s work fine, but have some minor comfort issues that you have to overlook like, the crown digging into your hand, or the lugs being overly long and overhanging your wrist… but the SMPc hits those special measurements.

This watch is a dream to wear, with lugs that gently drape over your wrist and a thickness that keeps the watch from getting in the way of your day to day life. I think this is what keeps pulling me back to the SMP series—they really are a joy on the wrist.

Movement

The Omega 2500 Co-Axial movement has been around since 1999 and was Omega’s first wide-scale implementation of using Co-Axial movements in their watches. The 2500 is also not without its flaws and issues. There are five generations of the 2500 starting with the 2500 itself and then progressing to the 2500A, B, C, and finally D.

Some of these earlier movements suffered from some rather serious performance issues. Instead of chronicling all the reporting that has been done on the generations of the 2500 movement, and opinions that have been spread around about whether the C generation is reliable, or if the D is the only one to buy, I’ll say this: I’ve owned a couple watches with movements that were derived from the same 2-level coaxial technology. One of them was an early on Co-Axial Speedmaster that DID have issues and needed to be serviced. All of the rest have been perfectly fine.

In addition to this, the SMPc’s were released after the 2500D movements were released, and they all feature the new, reliable design of this Co-Axial movement. So strictly speaking if you buy the newest ceramic bezeled version of the Co-Axial Seamaster, you’re getting the latest version of the movement, and there’s nothing to worry about. In addition to that, I can say that my watch is keeping phenomenal time, gaining roughly 1.5s/day. Hard to beat that.

Case and Crown

The SMPc’s case is pretty straightforward with nice brushing along the sides, and polished twisted bevels on the lugs. The thinness of this case is pretty remarkable, and as I said in the fit section above, really makes this watch a joy to wear. The case-back is also pretty good lookin’ featuring Omega’s trademark Hippocampus and the laser etched Omega logo along the side.

As for the crown, the Seamaster has two, one primary crown at 3 o’clock that you’d expect, and the one for the Helium Escape Valve at 10 o’clock. The crown is signed with an Omega logo and nicely textured to good grip when loosening it screwing down. The crown guards on these Omegas have always struck me as pretty interesting. They almost appear to rise off the side of the watch and gently hug the crown. There’s not much to say about the HEV crown at 10, except that you’ll never use it unless you want to fidget with something, and some people get some real heartburn over it being there at all. I’ll let you decide for yourself.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

As always, top-down: The domed sapphire crystal is very well executed on this watch. Omega does a great job with the AR coatings, and in the right light, it can look almost as if the crystal isn’t there. Also, while it is domed, it doesn’t stick up so much that it will be a “snag-hazard,” there’s nothing that’s gonna protrude on this watch.

The bezel is where the modernity of the new SMPc’s starts to show itself. As the “c” would suggest in the name, these bezels are ceramic with a sort of matte grey numeral all the way around. There is also a lume pip at the 60-min mark that generally sits at noon. This bezel looks gooooood. The ceramic matches the deep blue (or black if that’s your style) of the dial perfectly and shows a ton of complexity as the light plays across it. It’s also a 120-click rotating bezel that’s a joy to actuate, snapping into each half-minute position with positive authority. While I would have loved to see some additional lume on the bezel like the Pelagos has, it would largely be vestigial and I am pleased as-is.

And the dial; as you look at the watch you’ll begin to see some subtle changes from the older non-ceramic Seamasters, and really, you should as there are nearly 20-years that separate the designs. The hour indices are applied with beautifully polished (I assume) steel surrounds, filled to the brim with lume. The Omega logo just under the noon-double-indices is applied and polished, as is the “Omega” beneath that. The depth of the dial’s color is also quite something to behold as well. I’ve always liked the wave dials, but the deep glossy blue dial is superb.

The lume itself is worth remarking on, Omega always does a good job on lume. On the SMPc they’ve mixed lume colors, with the primary color being blue on the hour hand, and indices, but the minute hand and diving bezel pip’s lume is green. A cool touch if you ask me.

I wanted to specifically address the hands on this watch. The skeleton hands have been a hang-up for me, and probably been the biggest reason I’ve avoided buying this watch for years. I still do not like the skeleton hands from the older wave dialed versions of the SMP, but the newly updated handset on the SMPc are excellent. Polished, with amply applied lume they catch the light in the same way as the applied indices and Omega script/logo. All this to say, the SMPc has converted me to the skele-hands, at least somewhat.

Strap/Bracelet

Omega’s bracelets have always been excellent. They articulate nicely and drape well over the wrist. This bracelet is no different. It’s slightly dressier than the “Speedy Bracelet” the Speedmaster or 2254.50 comes on, but the varying brushed and polished surfaces are nice. Omega has also moved away from pin/collar construction for screw links. That’s always good. This watch will also be amazing with a NATO strap if you want to trend a bit more on the casual. side.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Ceramic Review – Final Thoughts

So, all of this to say, I am extremely impressed by the Omega Seamster 300M in Ceramic. Omega always does a good job, but it’s easy to see here why this model has remained a classic and has also remained largely unchanged in design for years. Omega has made some small improvements with each iteration, but no drastic changes. That being said, it’s worth looking into the newer version coming out later this year (2018) to see if perhaps you want to wait for that instead of grabbing one of these right now. Either way, you’re going to wind up with a watch that will serve you for years to come.

Omega Men's O21230412003001 Seamaster Analog Display Automatic Self-Wind silver-Tone Watch

Round watch in stainless steel featuring blue dial with contrasting stick and dot markers
41 mm case with synthetic-sapphire dial window
Automatic self-wind movement with analog display
Stainless steel link bracelet with fold-over clasp
Water resistant to 300 m (984 ft)

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Ceramic at Amazon or Jomashop. 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.

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

Casio GW-M5610BC Review

by Aaron Shapiro 4 Comments

If you don’t have a Casio G-Shock, you don’t have a complete watch collection. I sincerely believe that. Some people would tell you that you need an Omega Speedmaster or a Rolex Submariner, but let’s realistic about this – those are great watches, but I think one of the foundational cornerstones to any watch collection is a solar, atomic, G-Shock.

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In 1981 Kikuo Ibe set out to design a resilient watch after experiencing an unfortunate incident with a mechanical timepiece. Ibe wanted his watch to be thin, able to withstand impacts, and water resistant to a respectable depth. The first model of Casio G-Shock to come out was the DW-5000, and the watch we’re looking at today is roughly based on that watch. The GW-M5610BC-1JF is one of the classic “square G’s” with a couple special tweaks that we’ll get into later… First some specs:

(All Measurements are my personal measurements and may differ from manufacturers specs)

Case Width: 43.2mm
Case Thickness: 12.7mm
Lug to Lug: 47.7mm
Depth Rating: 20Bar (200m)
Weight: 4.2oz on the Combi-Bracelet
Movement: Casio 3159 Module
Lug Width: N/A — I know some folks swap out the straps/bracelets on their G’s, I don’t and it looks hard to do.

Fit

I have previously reviewed one of Casio’s Master’s of G, which while very cool in terms of functionality and robustness, can often times require a compromise when it comes to comfort. That is not the case with the 5600 Series watches. They are very trim at 12.7mm thick, and all of the band options that Casio offers are quite comfortable.

These watches likely are some of the most worn timepieces in existence with their entry-level brethren being available from places like Target and Walmart for sub-$50 (See the DW-5600E-1V). I feel like a good amount of this success has to be due to their unobtrusiveness on the wrist. They really are the put-on-and-forget type watches.

Movement

The GW-5610BC has Casio’s module 3159 inside of it. As with all of the Casio modules, there is an enormous amount of functionality packed into this watch including but not limited to a world time view, 4-alarms, chronograph (stopwatch), and a countdown timer. All of these functions are powered by G-Shock’s solar technology meaning that the watch’s face acts like a solar cell and can charge the battery when exposed to light.

Lastly, my favorite feature of this particular watch, the atomic-syncing functionality. The 3159 receives time calibration radio signals syncing the time with the atomic clock once a day. Effectively making the timekeeping accuracy of the movement a moot point when you factor that any deviation would be corrected every 24-hours.

Case and Crown

If you’ve ever handled a G-shock you are probably familiar with their rubber/resin coated bodies, buttons on either side to use the features, and recessed flat dial. The 5610BC is no different, and has a result it retains of the biggest flaws present on the smaller G-Shocks; there are four buttons on either side of the watch that activate the features, cycle through modes, and turn on the backlight. On the 5610BC the buttons are fairly small and recessed, this keeps them safe from damage or accidental actuation, but it also makes them difficult to use. I generally have to press them with my fingernail, not a deal breaker but worth pointing out.

The case itself is very nice. Thin, not super big, wears much smaller than the numbers would suggest. The size, as I discussed in the fit section, is probably what makes this model so popular. The dial is nicely recessed and protected by a resin bezel. As with other G’s Casio has used a steel case-back as well. I would imagine this helps to ensure the water resistance (20Bar).

Dial, Bezel, & Crystal

Unlike most other watches this portion of a 5600 series G-Shock is pretty straightforward. The bezel is integrated into the case and really only serves to protect the crystal/display. On the display you have two primary pieces of information being communicated: In the top right you’ll see the day, month, and date. Then filling the lower half of the display is the time, or if you’re in another mode whatever salient piece of information you would expect at that point. At the very bottom you have a couple small indicators for the charge level of the solar battery, and then a notification of the alarm status (so you can see if an alarm is activated before heading into a movie or something).

The crystal is called “inorganic-glass,” which leads me to believe that it is likely a mineral glass crystal. This is fairly unremarkable, and I feel pretty confidently that if the crystal encountered anything with any real force it would mark or break. That being said, the G-Shock’s design excels at diverting damage away from the face of the watch, I’ve never had a problem with it.

Strap/Bracelet

Most G-Shock’s come on a perfectly acceptable rubber style bracelet that’s built more-or-less integrally into the case. The particular variant we are discussing today comes on Casio’s rather brilliantly designed Combi-Bracelet. As the name suggests, the bracelet is a combination of polymer and steel, the outer links being for former and the center links being the latter. Each link is held together by a set of small spring bars.

I haven’t seen a bracelet constructed in this manner before. I’m not positive on the strength of this construction, but the bracelet is comfortable to wear and easy to adjust. The biggest difference in my experience with this bracelet is, it really makes the G-Shock feel like a “real” watch. I’m not really sure how else to describe this sort of intangible, but there’s a different feeling with the bracelet compared to one without.

Casio GW-M5610BC Review – Final Thoughts

So, what’s the deal with the 5610BC? I think when it’s all said and done you’re getting one of Casio’s most capable G-Shock models, that includes their solar and atomic technology while also including a bracelet. This is my favorite iteration of the classic G-Shocks, and while they may be difficult to find, they are generally available on amazon.com or eBay. Everyone needs a G in their collection. I suggest this one.

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Editor: I recommend purchasing the Casio GW-M5610BC at Amazon or Jomashop. 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.

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

Great Eastern Cutlery Tidioute 43 Oregon Trapper Review

by Aaron Shapiro 1 Comment

I’ll never forget when my family was cleaning out my late Grandfather’s house after he passed. I found an old band-aid tin that was full of a variety (in both style and age) of small multi-bladed slip joints. They were all he carried and on most of them one blade was worn down to a nub, whereas the rest were shiny and like-new. He was a true EDCer, he didn’t think about the concept of carrying things like I do, he just made sure he had what he needed. A traditional knife was always included.

Buy the GEC Oregon Trapper at KnivesShipFree or GPKnives

Slipjoints, or traditional knives, have seen a bit of a resurgence in the last couple years with the knife community at large. So much so that you see dedicated slip joint knives being made by brands like Spyderco, Benchmade, and Lionsteel.

Great Eastern Cutlery while being relatively new on the slip joint scene when compared with the likes of Queen, or Imperial, have been generating new levels of interest and collectibility with traditional knife collectors since their founding in 2009. They’ve reborn some classic brands such as Northfields and Tidioute and honor a lot of the classic production patterns that have been in pockets for decades. All that to say, today we are going to be looking at the Great Eastern Cutlery Tidioute 43 – Oregon Trapper. Now, before we get too far into this review, I want to be upfront and say that I am not a history expert on traditional knives, so please forgive some discrepancies in that regard. This review will take into consideration actually putting the knife in your pocket and carrying it in your day-to-day life. So, without further ado, some specs:

Blade Length: 3.25”
Closed Length: 4.25”
OAL: 7.5”
Steel: 1095 Carbon Steel
Weight: 3.8oz
Handle Materials: “Frontier Bone” handle scales, I think this is just a form of cow bone, but I’m not sure.

I’ve owned a handful of GEC’s knives over the last few years, even been able to get my paws on some of their much sought after Tom’s Choice (or TC by the cool kids) special factory runs. So, when I got the Oregon Trapper in hand I was struck by one thing right off the bat, this knife is large for a slip joint. I was, obviously, aware of the size when I ordered it. The specs were clearly listed on knivesshipfree.com but it wasn’t until I got the knife that I realized exactly how big it is. Now, depending on where you fall in the slip joint community that could be a good thing, or that could be a bad thing. As a tactical knife carrier in recovery, I dig the larger size. I think it’s easy to feel, “under-gunned,” for some reason when you’re carrying a small slip joint knife by itself, but this Oregon Trapper dispels that feeling.

GEC’s chosen steel is the venerable 1095 high-carbon steel. 1095 is like a bowl of vanilla ice cream when it comes to knife steels. It’s really all ya need, but there’s nothing really special here. It’s high-carbon, so it will take and hold a fine edge very well, but it will also stain and rust if you let it. To add onto that, there is also a whole “sub-culture,” that forces patinas on their blades, and I have to admit, a well-done patina (or a naturally formed one over a long period of honest use) looks really, really nice. The steel thickness on the GEC starts at 0.113” and is ground to a blistering 0.018 before the final edge. There are sharp knives, and then there are “sticky” sharp knives where when you lightly touch the edge your skin sticks to it. This knife is the latter.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Carry

As I stated earlier the handles of the GEC 43 Oregon Trapper are made from a material GEC calls it’s “Frontier Bone,” which is a vaguely frightening term that makes you think of bleached buffalo bones in a sandy Arizona desert landscape, however, the truth is less menacing. Frontier Bone is a portion of light cow bone that’s burnt or toasted, and then polished. I think it looks pretty cool and is generally cheaper and easier to find compared to something like stag or jigged bone handles.

The one catch with GEC’s (and really all traditionals) is that these type of bone handles can vary greatly in thickness. Looking straight down at my example shows that the right-hand scale is slightly concave, whereas the left is convex. So that will always be a gamble with this particular handle material, something like micarta will not have this issue. The handle shape itself is simple, straight back with a slight swell and negative angle at the tail. This allows a solid purchase in hand but doesn’t have any choils or jimps to provide texture.

It terms of carrying the GEC 43, I use a leather pocket sheath. knivesshipfree.com include their own branded buffalo leather pocket slip, that I used for a while. I have a custom pocket slip made by a friend of mine that carries a slipjoint and a Muyshondt Maus. Due to the fact that the knife is a bit larger than your normal slipjoint it may not work with all your carry methods, but it seems to work well with these. I generally suggest some sort of pocket organizer to keep the knife vertical in your pocket, there’s nothing worse than knife sitting sideways in your pocket.

Walk and Talk

Lastly, the action. Slipjoints are measured on a scale of 1-10. 1 being the blade having zero resistance on it from the spring, and 10 being it needs the screaming He-Man strength to open it. Most GEC’s are a 6-7, they have a stronger pull than I like, but are usable and manageable. The Oregon Trapper clocks in at a solid 5, nice and smooth action with a pinch-able blade. I found the walk and talk to be a little spongey, but there is still a good positive half-stop and audible snap when closing/opening. Once opened the knife is solid and doesn’t have any movement side to side. For a production, this is perfectly acceptable.

Great Eastern Cutlery Tidioute 43 Oregon Trapper Review – Final Thoughts

So, would I suggest this to someone else? Sure, if what you want is a larger slip joint that could serve as your only EDC knife. I think the decision to transition from a locking folder to a slip joint as part of your EDC is one that takes some consideration. I would personally say that non-locking folder of any sort is more of a lighter-duty knife. So if you’re in law enforcement, construction, fire fighting, etc – I think that you’d need to think long and hard about what the lack of a lock would mean on your knife.

If you’re like me and you work in an office, and primarily open mail, packages, and cut food with your EDC knife, this is an obvious choice; and a great way to introduce some variety into your EDC rotation. As always our preferred source of everything sharp is either from knivesshipfree.com or bladehq.com both of which have this particular Great Eastern Cutlery 43 Oregon Trapper in stock.

GEC #73 Oregon Trapper
From: KnivesShipFree

Editor: I recommend purchasing the GEC 43 Oregon Trapper at KniveShipFree or GPKnives. 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.