Travis Pike

Knives of SHOT Show 2019

The name SHOT Show makes many think the show is just about firearms and firearms accessories. Sure, SHOT is an acronym for Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade, but I’ve never actually heard someone call it anything but SHOT. If you’ve never been, you may be surprised to see the number of knives at the show. SHOT is typically the place where guns make their big debuts, but a few new knives make an appearance at SHOT too.

As I scoured the show for the latest and greatest, as well as those free candy bars, I kept my eyes opened for knives that spoke to me. Some are new, some were announced recently, and one is already on the market. These aren’t reviews or endorsements, but a quick rundown on what caught my eye at SHOT Show 2019. Also excuse the photos, SHOT doesn’t exactly provide the best light in the world.

Magpul Rigger

The Magpul Rigger is Magpul’s first knife. The Knife’s official name is Magpul Limited Edition Frame Lock – Rigger. Let’s call it the Rigger for short. Magpul is a company known for making tons of different firearm’s accessories, including magazines, stocks, foregrips, bipods and more. It’s a big deal when they go well outside of the norm.

The Rigger is a cool knife, and it will be highly collectible. The initial run will be short, and the knives will be individually serialized. The blade is made from S35Vn, so it does use premium steel in its construction. The blade is a modified Wharncliffe with a tapered dual bevel grind and a stonewash finish. The blade is 3.4 inches long, and the entire knife will weigh 4 ounces.

The knife uses a manual flipper and as the name implies a frame lock is present in the design. The frame lock isn’t the only lock though. Right behind the frame lock is a secondary locking system that clicks into action. The secondary locking feature is put in play with the thumb and is very easy to use. It clicks into place like a 1911’s safety. It’s both tactile and audible in an enjoyable way. The idea is with the secondary lock in play there is no way the frame lock can fail.

The pocket clip is titanium and is reversible for ambidextrous use. The frame is also titanium. Some knives will have titanium scales, and others will use G10 grips. The Rigger will even come with a custom dedicated polymer case. The Rigger doesn’t have a set release date or price, but it likely won’t be cheap or easy to get.

The Spyderco Efficient

The main thing that caught my eye about the Spyderco Efficient was the price tag. Spyderco seems to keep finding ways to make outstanding knives at a killer price. The MSRP for the efficient is 68 bucks, with retail around $40. The knife blade is a short, and stubby 2.98 inches. The blade is made from 8Cr13MoV and uses a full flat grind.

Editor: Also pictured is the interesting and not-quite-yet released Spyderco Smock.

The blade is made for everyday carry, and the knife overall weighs only 4.1 ounces. The handles are made from G-10 material with a nice aggressive texture to it. The blade will come with either a straight blade or a serrated one. The clip position itself can be swapped to either side.

The Spyderco Efficient is a sweet little knife. It feels very comfortable, and the angle of both the blade and the grip makes it an ergonomic knife for slicing and dicing. The angle seems like it would allow you to push the blade through thicker materials with ease.

The Spyderco Efficient has a liner lock, lanyard hole, and an efficient little opening hole. The Spyderco Efficient lives up to its name in both design and price.

The Gerber Key Note

I could choose a million different knives from Gerber. They seemed to have hundreds at their booth, and plenty of them are new. The one that caught my eye the hardest was the little Key Note. This little guy is adorable. Unfortunately its hard to find any details on the knife regarding materials, and features. The blade hasn’t made it to the internet just yet, and it wasn’t in the catalog.

From what I could see and handle with the Key Note I can tell you it’s tiny, super lightweight knife that is keychain sized. The Key Note is a folding knife with a frame lock. It comes with a keychain ring and is available in both black and FDE. The grips are metal, and I’m assuming aluminum. The knife is deployed via a small thumbnail slot on the top of the blade.

The blade is shaped almost like a chisel. It’s a square edge with a small point that’s great for slicing. It’s an EDC knife for those who want an ultra lightweight option that can be carried and forgotten. It does have a pocket clip that does appear to be a right hand only carry. Also, the MSRP is a mere 23 bucks.

The SOG SEAL XR

If you have ever had the desire to take a SOG Seal Pup and convert it to a folding knife, then SOG has you covered. According to SOG, the SEAL XR was derived from speaking with operators and professional users who wanted the Seal Pup in a more compact package. The SEAL XR is utilizing the XR lock system. This is a solid lock that is proven on the Terminus XR series of knives.

The SOG SEAL XR is a big knife and its made from a premium grade S35VN steel. The blade is huge, and overall the knife is also massive. The design is still pocketable and easy enough to carry. The SEAL XR has a heavily textured handle and a reverse pocket clip. Overall the knife is very beefy and feels like its quite strong.

The blade and lock design allow you to open the knife with a flipper that is ultra smooth and sends the blade flying out of the handle. The lock is easy to defeat, but will not come loose when the knife is being handled and used. The blade itself incorporates a small handguard to keep your hand from slipping into the blade. SOG hasn’t placed the knife on their website just yet, and the model at SHOT is a late model prototype that is the closest to representing the final product. The knife itself is coming to the market in July 2019. Keep a lookout if you need a big boy folding knife.

Knives of SHOT Show 2019 – Final Thoughts

SHOT show displayed tons of knives, and I could have filled this list with a dozen different models. I chose these four for a few reasons, but the biggest reason is these are all knives I want to own. Did you fine folks see any knives at SHOT Show 2019? Let us know below.

Editor: I hope you enjoyed this little bit of knife coverage from Travis. I have yet to attend SHOT so it’s nice to live vicariously through him a little. As always you can support the site by buying knives at BladeHQ and Amazon through our links at no additional cost to you. We greatly appreciate any support.

Hogue Knives OTF Automatic Review

by Travis Pike 5 Comments

There is an undeniable cool factor when it comes to automatic knives. As someone who owns several, I can’t seem to get enough of them. Generally, I’m a gun guy, but being a gun by default means being a knife guy. When a company that traditionally makes gun parts and guns accessories starts making knives my ears perk up. Needless to say now that Hogue has entered the knife market lots of us gun guys are paying attention.

Buy the Hogue OTF Automatic at BladeHQ

Hogue has jumped headfirst into the knife market with folders and autos, and now even producing knives for HK. Today I am looking at my favorite Hogue knife, their 3.5-inch OTF, or Out The Front, automatic knife.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Hogue OTF isn’t the most creative of names, but it’s descriptive enough. The Hogue OTF sports a 3.5-inch blade. The knife also has an overall length of 8.5 inches, a closed length of 5 inches, and weighs only 5.3 ounces. It’s a perfect size and weight for an EDC knife.

The Hogue OTF comes with either a clip point or tanto style blade. My model comes with a clip point blade which offers belly than a tanto blade, although the tanto would penetrate better. I find myself cutting more than stabbing, so a clip point made more sense. Plus I hate sharpening a tanto blade.

Hogue uses 154CM for the majority of their knives, and the OTF model is no different. 154CM is good steel, it’s pretty sturdy and offers above average corrosion resistance. I live in Florida, right on the Gulf, so it stays humid and salty but over the last year of use and carry it’s remained rust free. 154 CM is a decently strong steel, and it does seem to hold an edge very nicely and isn’t hard to sharpen. It’s not as easy as something like 1095, but it’s not frustrating.

The Hogue OTF has a thin blade without serration of any kind. It’s simple, smooth and functional. For extra protection, this particular model has a black finish, while other models come with a tumbled stainless finish.

The blade cuts well and chews through cardboard, rope, paracord, tape, and even more. I’ve used it as a lightweight EDC knife for over a year, and its never let me down. It’s cleaned fish, sharpened sticks to roast marshmallows and had a fair share of outdoors adventures on top of regular EDC work.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The OTF’s handle is quite large, as most OTF knives are. They have to house the mechanics of the knife as well as the blade. My gorilla sized hands love large handles like this. Hogue made their name initially making grips for guns, so they know a thing or two about ergonomics. They made the design with cuts and divots in all the right places.

The handle is designed to accommodate your grip with graceful rises and falls where your hands meet the handle. It allows for a firm and aggressive no-slip grip. The handle is machined aluminum and textured via machining as well. It gives the knife an overall effective grip and looks nice too.

The backside of the grip houses the push-pull release. Ergonomically its placed well and easy to reach. The button also acts as a thumb rest when using the knife and gives you a little extra leverage when needed.

The pocket clip is spoon-shaped and does its job. I do have one issue with it. The spoon sticks slightly up and has caught on chairs several times resulting in the pocket clip bending outward a bit. The design only accommodates a blade down carry.

The Hogue OTF is a big knife regarding pocket carry. This problem comes with all OTF knives, and they tend to have thick and somewhat bulbous handles. It’s something you can’t avoid with OTF knives. It jeans its fine, but in khakis or dress pants it leaves an imprint. My daily attire permits carrying it, so it’s not a personal issue.

Lock and Deployment

The Hogue OTF knife uses a push-pull device on the backside of the knife near the top of the blade. Push the device upwards, and the blade springs into action. Once the blade is deployed you pull it down, and the blade retracts. The button is positioned perfectly for the thumb to reach it in a standard hammer grip.

There is no extra lock or safety device on the knife, and the button is the only control. The switch offers enough resistance that it would near impossible for the blade to open or close without you wanting it to. If you keep your thumb on the button for extra leverage while using the knife the blade is not going to close accidentally.

The blade springs into action with some real force and makes a satisfying thunk as it opens. Every hundred or so opens I drip a little Zippo lighter fluid down the blade and allow it to dry. This fluid lubricates the knife and keeps it running for a good long time.

The Hogue OTF Automatic Review – Final Thoughts

The Hogue OTF is an excellent knife and a great OTF blade. It’s a good choice for EDC or self-defense. Its design is rock solid, and the ergonomics are on point. Admittedly its an expensive knife, but OTF’s are not simple knives, and the price reflects that. It serves two niches, guys like me who think their cool and people who need a one-handed solution with very little room to use a leverage-based knife. I’m betting most sell to guys like me, and that’s one of the joys of capitalism.

The Hogue OTF is a robust and well-made knife from a company that has quickly proved themselves as quality knifemakers.

Hogue OTF – From $229.00
From: BladeHQ

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Hogue OTF at BladeHQ or Amazon

Gerber StrongArm Review

by Travis Pike 6 Comments

One thing I have always had is a healthy respect for is a good fixed blade knife. As a young infantryman I fell victim to some clever marketing from Gerber and purchased the Gerber LMF II Infantry. It had infantry in the name so I couldn’t go wrong right? While I may have been a victim of marketing, I didn’t feel victimized. The LMF II served me well, but everything can be improved. The Gerber StrongArm is in many ways the successor to the Infantry, and is better suited to the infantry role.

Buy the Gerber StrongArm at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

The LMF II Infantry has a fascinating story and was built for a very specific purpose you should check out here. That specific purpose resulted in the knife’s lack of a full tang. The Gerber StrongArm resolves this issue. The StrongArm is a little lighter, a little shorter, and is more refined than the Infantry LMF II. The StrongArm is a versatile capable, and affordable knife made in Portland, Oregon.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Gerber StrongArm has 4.8 inch fixed blade made from 420 HC steel, is 9.8 inches overall, weighs 7.2 ounces and is proudly made in the United States. This is a classic fixed blade knife that isn’t trying to revolutionize the standard military style survival knife. In terms of fixed blades it’s actually somewhat small. It’s a half inch shorter than the LMF II Infantry, but has an almost identical blade length.

Gerber StrongArm

The knife is easy to carry, and perfect for those looking to trim as much weight as possible from their loadouts. That’s generally the goal of dismounted infantry. Ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain.

The StrongArm comes with options for both a serrated or plain edge. I prefer the plain edge. The blade is coated with a cerakote black matte finish. The finish is tough, but will wear with time and effort like any finish would. The 420 HC steel does mean that once the finish is worn away rust may develop. Keep the knife cleaned, and oiled as the finish migrates and you won’t have any issues.

The older FDE StrongArm you see here has been used and abused hard for a year. It’s been hunting, camping and fishing. The knife has been used to hammer, pry, and dig and its taken a few hits to the finish as you can see.

Gerber StrongArm Brown vs. Black

420 HC steel is a cheaper steel, and this is a knife on the affordable side. The downsides to 420 HC is that it won’t hold an edge for long. It’s one of those steels you sharpen before any really heavy duty cutting is needed. For a survival knife you don’t necessarily need a razor sharp edge for day to day work. It stays sharp enough for cutting paracord, stripping wires, and slicing through clothing for some time.

When it comes time to cut through thick materials you may need to run the blade over or through a sharpener a time or two before you go wild. 420 HC steel can actually get impressively sharp if you know your way around a sharpening stone. I’ve never failed to be impressed at how sharp my Dad makes his old Buck knife before skinning a deer and its made from the same 420 HC steel.

Gerber StrongArm Blade

The StrongArm has a squared off spine that’s perfect for stripping bark, batoning wood, striking a ferro rod, and truncating wood. All tasks the Gerber StrongArm can commit to with real force. The StrongArm’s small handguard doesn’t really allow for a thumb on the blade grip so the less comfortable square spine isn’t an issue.

Handle and Ergonomics

The handle on the StrongArm is an interesting design. I do find it slightly smaller than necessary, but to be fair I have XL sized hands. Even with my large hands I still find the grip comfortable. The smaller grip isn’t much of an issue due to its design.

The Gerber StrongArm is glass filled nylon that’s covered with a rubber overmold. This makes the grip ‘soft’ in the hand. Squeezing it tight doesn’t result in much fatigue or pain. The little bit of give the rubber overmold offers results in a lot of comfort. The little bit of give also allows the blade to mold to your hand just a bit.

The rubber overmolded material is coated with a raised diamond textured pattern. This glues the knife to your hand and is perfect for cold, wet, or gloved hands. The pattern is rough, but doesn’t rub the hand raw, or even really create hotspots that I’ve noticed.

Gerber StrongArm in Sheath

The bottom of the handle is a small pommel. It’s a lot smaller than the LMF II, but still capable enough to smash windows and skulls. It’s also got a lanyard loop if your StrongArm needs a leash.

Sheath

We’ll finish this up talking about the brilliant sheath system Gerber included with the StrongArm. It’s designed to be adaptable to the user. Popular knives typically have plenty of sheath options, but with Gerber you are getting all of them with the knife.

Gerber StrongArm Molle Compatible

This includes a MOLLE mount, a drop leg system, and a belt loop option for horizontal carry. The knife is too big for any kind of horizontal concealed carry, but it’s really great for a snag free carry while wearing armor. When you draw from a standard belt carry sheath while wearing armor you are likely to get snagged on your gear in one way of the other. Drawing horizontally from the belt prevents this.

I also like the horizontal belt mount for mounting the knife vertically on my pack straps. This means my knife never leaves the pack I go camping with.

The Sheath employs both passive and active retention depending on the mount being used. The active retention is a simple snap button thong. The passive retention comes from an indent in the center of the handle. The sheath locks into this indent and holds the knife well.

In all my adventuring near and far it hasn’t fallen out when I’m using only passive retention. The sheath is also outfitted with plenty of lashing holes for those who aren’t satisfied with the included sheath options.

Gerber StrongArm Review – Final Thoughts

The Gerber StrongArm is a great little knife, especially when you factor in a street price of around 50 bucks. Gerber’s reputation was hit hard by imports of poorly made foreign knives, but they seem to be working hard to fix that reputation. The StrongArm is proudly stamped made in Portland, Oregon. The StrongArm is one of many made in USA knives in their catalog and likely one that will be around for a long time It’s an excellent budget bushcraft knife.

The StrongArm may not be the LMF II Infantry, but it’s a great knife, and a worthy successor to the LMF II.

Gerber Gear StrongArm - Fixed Blade, Full Tang Knife - Camping Knife with Multiple Carry Options - Black, Plain Edge

Gerber Gear StrongArm: This full tang knife features a 420HC steel blade with a plain edge, perfect for whatever the outdoors has in store
Reliable Camping Knife: A rubberized diamond-texture grip offers a better hold, making it a staple in your camping gear
Versatile Molle Knife: The multi-mount sheath system offers secure storage, adaptable for horizontal carry or vertical attachment
Premium Outdoor Knife: The Cerakote coating betters this fixed blade's resistance to wear and corrosion, ensuring longevity in harsh conditions
About Gerber Gear: Since we made our start 85 years ago, we've been making blades and tools that have been companions on countless adventures

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Gerber StrongArm 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.

Emerson PUK Review

by Travis Pike 1 Comment

Last Updated: August 5, 2019
Emerson is well known for producing a wide variety of knives, but they are most famous for producing a tactical folding knife known as the CQC 7. The CQC 7 is popular among spec ops troops around the world. The CQC 7 is what caused Ernest Emerson to turn the company from a garage operation to one of the most well-known knife companies in the world.

Buy the Emerson PUK at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

By trade I’m a gun guy, and as a gun guy I find it easy to identify guns in movies. I’ve slowly become more and more of a knife guy and now I’ve started to notice knives in movies. Does this influence my interests? Sometimes… So, was Bruce Willis and Tears of the Sun on my mind when I snatched up an Emerson PUK? Sadly no, but once Tears of the Sun hit Netflix I got a little confirmation bias.

The Emerson PUK, or Police Utility Knife, is one of the few fixed blades Emerson produces. The PUK is not a big knife. It’s short and thin, but easy to carry. If Rambo has set the baseline for your commando knife, you’ll be disappointed at the subtle and small nature of the PUK. The PUK was made for police use, but according to Emerson has found its way into the hands of elite units like the British SAS.

I’m sure it’s a great knife for Bruce Willis’ Navy SEAL, but I wanted to find out what the PUK offered the everyday Joe.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Emerson PUK has an overall length of 8.5 inches with a 3.6-inch blade and weighs only 5.5 ounces. The PUK is one of the many Emerson knives made in the USA.

The Emerson PUK blade is only .125 inches thick. This thin blade helps keep the knife both balanced and lightweight. The blade is designed for heavy duty cutting and is made from a single piece of 154CM steel. 154CM is better suited for heavier cutting than standard stainless steel and has excellent edge retention. The biggest downside to this steel is its corrosion resistance. It’s far from perfect, but Emerson took steps and coated the blade to protect it against corrosion.

With the words Police and Utility in the name it’s safe to say this knife was designed to be more tool than weapon. However, I wouldn’t want to find myself on the wrong end of the PUK. The intent of the blade is for tactical use and the situations most police will find themselves in.

The cutting work of police is likely going to be heavy duty. Officers may be tasked with cutting through seat belts, through clothing, into the seats of cars and trucks, and much more. This kind of cutting requires a strong and capable knife. This is one of the advantages of using a fixed blade over a folding knife. With this in mind the blade’s V grind makes a lot of sense. V grinds tend to be better suited for heavy duty cutting. The PUK certainly has no qualms about slicing through materials both thick and thin.

I’ve taken the PUK to task by cutting through cardboard, an old pair of jeans, a ratchet strap, and some half inch thick rope. It glided through the cardboard and jeans, and only took a little effort to rip through the rope and ratchet strap. I’d like to try it against a seat belt but the Highway Patrol likely wouldn’t accept that as an excuse for why I’m not buckled up.

The blade’s short length makes it nice and handy. A 3.6-inch blade is something more common on folding knives, but it makes the PUK compact enough for easy carry. For plain clothes officers or civilians this thin and relatively short knife is easy to conceal.

Handle and Ergonomics

The handle is made of two pieces of G10 glass laminate material. G10 is a tough and easy to texture material. Oh boy, are the PUK’s grips textured. The grips are heavily scalloped and between the scalloping is a rough stippling. Near the inside of the grips is a step style texturing all the way to the center of the handle. The combination of these three-different grip texturizations gives you a one helluva grip on the knife. This grip isn’t shy about being rough.

In the hand this is nice because the knife isn’t going anywhere. You can chop, slash, and stab and the knife is staying put. The downside is that heavy work sans gloves really starts to rub into the hand. I developed a few hot spots during testing. This is one knife where tactical gloves are a must have for long term use.

Another downside occurs when carrying the knife concealed. It really rubs against the body to the point where it’s just plain painful. I would suggest an undershirt between the knife and body.

The handles form and shape is nice and comforting. It gives you a sure grip and the handle naturally forms a bit of a cliff to protect the index finger. On the opposite side a slight ridge rises and provides you a good point to rest the thumb for extra leverage.

Sheath

The old PUK’s came with nylon sheaths and this is what you see in Tears of the Sun. The new PUKs come with I’ve found to be one of the most robust and versatile sheaths options out there. It’s a kydex sheath that comes complete with a Tek Lok belt attachment.

The Tek Lok, from Blade Tech, is an incredibly versatile sheath mounting system. With the appropriate sheath you can easily change the orientation of the knife. You can do anything from add a little forward cant to mounting and carrying the knife horizontally.

The Sheath uses a passive retention system that ensures the knife stays put. It doesn’t take much to remove the knife, but it feels secure. I’m comfortable running the knife horizontally, and even upside down on tactical gear. The sheath is even compatible with MOLLE Lok components if you want to attach it to a vest or battle belt.

Emerson PUK Review – Final Thoughts

The Emerson PUK is a nice working mans fixed blade knife. It does nothing but excel at its role as a compact fixed blade utility knife. This short, but strong knife is an excellent companion for police and soldiers who want something more compact than your average fighting knife. I could see it being an excellent knife for first responders as well. The PUK could be a camping knife, but a heavier, more robust knife like the ESEE 4 would likely be a better outdoors option.

It’s not exactly a cheap knife, retailing at over 200 dollars. I will say I think the knife is worth the money, but it may not be a knife needed by your everyday Joe. If you are looking for a compact, lightweight and dare I say easy to carry fixed blade utility knife the PUK fills that role. It’s a high quality blade that lives up to its namesake.

Emerson Police Utility Fixed Blade Knife, Stonewashed Finish, 3.60 in Blade, PUK-SF

If you are thinking of buying an Emerson PUK, please consider purchasing it at Amazon or BladeHQ. By purchasing things through any of the links on this website you support BladeReviews.com, keep the website free of annoying banner ads, and help produce future reviews. Thank you very much.

Spyderco Bradley Folder 2 Review

by Travis Pike 5 Comments

I’ve set some odd goals throughout my life. Goals that are a personal measure of my own success. One of those goals was to carry a Spyderco as an EDC knife. I always associated Spyderco with expensive and high quality. Why? I’m not exactly sure. Realizing that knives from companies like Microtech can cost 5 times as much as a Spyderco didn’t change my mind. To me a Spyderco was a measure of a certain kind of success.

Buy the Spyderco Bradley Folder 2 at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

I had a bit of a rush when I finally purchased my first Spyderco. This is my third Spyderco and I get that same rush. The Spyderco we are talking about today is the Gayle Bradley Folder 2. The Spyderco Bradley Folder 2 has been my EDC for most of the fall and winter so I’ve had the time to get to know it.

We all know who Spyderco is and we know they produce high quality knives designed for hard work. Gayle Bradley may be familiar to some readers, but let’s talk about him a bit for those who aren’t familiar with his work (we previously reviewed Bradley’s original collaboration with Spyderco, and the Spyderco Air as well). Gayle Bradley has been designing knives for over 30 years. His knives have set Blade Sports world records twice and stay in high demand. The calling card of his knives is the combination of form and function.

Gayle Bradley’s knives work and look good doing it. The Spyderco Bradley Folder 2 is no different. The collaboration between Gayle Bradley and Spyderco has produced my favorite Spyderco yet.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Bradley Folder 2 has an overall length of 8.48 inches, has a 3.66-inch blade, weighs 4.5 ounces and is built in Taiwan. Since it has a 2 in the name you can assume this is the second Bradley and Spyderco collaboration. The Bradley Folder 2 is longer in both blade and handle than the original, but remains the lighter knife. The Bradley 2 is a half an ounce lighter than the original.

This knife is too pretty for me. It’s so good-looking I almost hate to carry and abuse it. As you can see from the pictures I seemed to have gotten over that. I’ve used and abused it quite a bit. The handle features carbon fiber and G10 laminate grips. This gives the knife it’s eye catching outward appearance. It’s not until you spend some real time with this knife you appreciate it’s refinement. Once you get to third date you can take a peek under the skirt.

The blade is hollow ground and the symmetry is painfully perfect. The way the grinds on the top of the blade catch the light is something you can only experience with one in your hand.

The blade is made from CPM M4 steel. The benefits of this steel are numerous. It’s strong, it holds an edge forever, and it can be razor sharp with little effort. The knife gods can’t give without taking though. M4 is a tool steel and not a stainless steel so it will rust if you don’t take care of it.

My blade isn’t rusted, that’s tar. I’ve been re roofing my home and the Bradley Folder 2 has been along for the ride. Once I have the time I’ll sit down with some blade oil and a stiff AP brush and try to clean it. For now, it just adds character.

From the factory the blade is a razor. It sliced through any and everything with ease. Paper, roof shingles, cardboard, rope, and more. Dragging it over certain materials was enough to make cuts. I remain impressed by how sharp I can get this blade. Equally impressive is how long it remains sharp.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The extended handle on the Bradley Folder 2 will be appreciated by anyone with XL hands. The design includes a subtle finger guard to help resist hand slippage when working hard. The rear of the handle has an inward curve that accommodates a thumb on top grip. The screws that hold the grip panels to the knife are countersunk and blackened to blend in with the grips. There is a total of 8 Torx screws in the grips, 4 on each side.

That carbon fiber pattern offers you a grippy texture. It helps keep the knife in your hand, but isn’t abrasive or uncomfortable. The pattern itself is not just nice to look at, but functional.

The back of the blade has a small textured session to rest your thumb on. It’s nice but it could be bigger. There is plenty of room to extend the texturing if they chose to do so. The blade is easy to control for fine cuts and the handle is comfortable during long stretches of work.

Included is a simple, but long pocket clip. It’s 2.5 inches long and adorned with a cute little Spider. The pocket clip can be moved to 4 different positions. You can carry the knife tip up or tip down and it can be orientated for left or right handed carry. The Bradley Folder 2 is a completely ambidextrous knife.

Deployment and Lockup

The Bradley Folder 2 has a larger ½ inch deployment hole. When it comes to Spyderco’s deployment hole design you either love it or hate it. For me it’s easy to reach and puts the blade into action fast enough. It’s far from the fastest deployment system, but its smooth and reliable. There isn’t a little piece of metal screwed to the side of the blade that’s waiting to fall off.

Once the blade is locked in place it’s staying there. The blade has zero play in any direction. You can feel the slight hiccup right before the liner lock engages. This the only point where deployment isn’t 100% smooth. The liner locked is textured which is a nice touch. This makes it easier to unlock the knife, especially when your hands are cold and numb.

Spyderco Gayle Bradley Folder 2 Review – Final Thoughts

The Gayle Bradley Folder 2 is a great little knife. It mixes both form and function flawlessly. It gives users something they can admire with the hand and the eye. The Bradley Folder 2 is a workhorse. Just because it’s pretty doesn’t mean it can’t get dirty. This isn’t the cheapest Spyderco, and you are probably paying a little extra for the looks. Are looks worth it?

Well, that’s subjective. To me, it’s worth every dime. I think it’s a fantastic knife and it will likely stay in the carry rotation for some time.

Spyderco Bradley Folder 2 Specialty Knife with 3.66" CPM M4 Premium Steel Blade and Black Carbon Fiber Laminate Handle - PlainEdge - C134CFP2

Folding Knives: Locking folding knives are safe, compact, and easy to carry. They also happen to be where the Spyderco revolution began.
Carbon Fiber: Graphic fibers (the size of a human hair) woven together then fused with epoxy resin. Lightweight with a high level of tensile strength it is three dimensional in appearance.
Hollow Grind: It comes with bevels that are ground with a concave radius. The bevels may extend the full width of the blade (full Hollow Grind) or only a portion of its width.
PlainEdge Blade: This knife has a sharpened blade with no serrations or teeth sometimes referred to as a smooth blade.
Specifications: Closed Length (Inches): 4.82, Overall Length (Inches): 8.42, Blade Length (Inches):3.6, Blade Steel: CPM M4, Grind: Hollow

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Spyderco Bradley Folder 2 at Amazon.com and 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.

ESEE Expat Cleaver CL1 Review

by Travis Pike 2 Comments

Gripping the Esee Expat Cleaver leaves you feeling a little overwhelmed. You’re filled with the sudden urge to cleave things. There is something about its weight, its grip, and the fact you just know it can slice through most anything. It’s hard to put into words.

The Esee Expat Cleaver is the first in the Expat line of knives and tools. The knives are inspired by Esee forum member and world traveler ‘Expat.’

Buy the ESEE CL1 at BladeHQ

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Expat travels the world doing what I assume are fun and interesting jobs in dirty places. He has served as an instructor with Randall’s Adventure Training, Esee’s parent company. He’s an experienced outdoorsman, and his series looks to be an exciting development. The Expat CL-1 Cleaver is a beast of a tool and its design details are subtle. It’s more versatile than it looks.

Don’t call it tactical. It’s not designed to be a weapon, and it’s not for mall ninjas. It’s primarily designed for food prep in the wild. In a pinch it can be used to do some moderate chopping and campground clearing. However, at the end of the day this is a tool for food prep. Calling this tactical is like calling a mess kit tactical.

The Esee Cleaver is designed to take your meal from barely dead to ready to cook. It’s there to clean and dress animals as much as it is to prepare them for the skillet.

Esee is well known for their brand of survival knives and tools. Dan has reviewed the Esee 3 and Chad has reviewed the Esee 4. I personally own an Esee 4, and the Esee Advanced Survival Kit.

Esee designs the knives, but most are built by Rowen Manufacturing in Idaho. This explains the cutout of Idaho at the top of the Cleaver.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The CL1 is made in the USA. It has an overall length of 11.5″, weighs 25.5 ounces, and has a 5.5″ blade. Speaking of blades, this one is massive. The cutting edge is 6 inches long, while the blade is 3.125 inches wide and .19” thick. It weighs a mighty, Mjolnir-like, 25.5 ounces. You can really feel the heft in this blade and it’s a good feeling. The cleaver sports a full tang construction with a black stonewash blade.

The finish looks amazing and serves a critical purpose. The blade is made from 1095 carbon steel. It’s easy to sharpen and holds a nice edge, but it also tends to rust. Esee is up front with this. They clearly state that it’s your responsibility to bust rust and keep the blade clean.

The only portion that will rust is the actual unfinished cutting edge. A light oil coating, and ensuring the cleaver is cleaned is important.

Side note – Since this is a tool designed for making food you really don’t want to slap petroleum based oil like CLP on it. I like Citadel Black’s food safe knife oil for this one.

If you look closely you’ll notice the blade isn’t fully square. The edge rounds towards the “tip”, and that provides some belly. This gives the cleaver a little more versatility and makes it more than a chopper. The rounded edge makes it useful for skinning game and detail work. You can also make fine and accurate slashes through meat with the CL1 like a kitchen knife.

That rounded edge also allows you to ‘rock’ the cleaver to cut through veggies with ease like a kitchen knife. Without a doubt a kitchen knife would be better, but kitchen knives are made for the kitchen. The Expat Cleaver is made for the adventure.

The pommel has a slightly extended tang designed for small crushing tasks, and it’s outfitted with a lanyard loop. A cleaver is meant to chop, and when chopping it’s important to be able to keep the cleaver in your hand. The lanyard hole makes it easy to tie the cleaver to your wrist when chopping. This way you walk away with all your toes.

Handle and Ergonomics

The Expat Cleaver features the same handle as the Junglas. However, unlike the Junglas the handles on the Expat Cleaver are made from G-10 rather than micarta. G-10 is a proven handle material that’s resistant to the harsh nature of the great outdoors. Environments with moisture, heat, and questionable cleanliness aren’t an issue for it. This peel-ply G-10 is also grippy, so the cleaver stays put in the hand. This is important for a tool that’s doing chopping work.

The G-10 grips are mated perfectly to the tang and are completely flush. Three massive Allen head screws hold the grips in place. Even after months of use they haven’t loosened.

The grip features an excellent wave that gives you a nice and comfortable grip. The bottom and top of the grip are curved to keep your hand centered and provide a comfortable pivot point. The handle on the Junglas is a known quantity, and it was a no-brainer to bring the design over to the CL1 Cleaver.

The handle is also a fat bottom girl and fills my XL paws nicely. The wide grip really helps disperse the shock of hitting something hard over and over. The shock travels throughout the entire handle instead being focused in one area. This reduces fatigue and prevents pain.

Sheath

“Sheath” is a bit of a generous term here. The Esee Cleaver comes with a leather blade cover, but I wouldn’t call it a sheath. It simply goes over the blade and protects it from you and you from it. Personally, this isn’t a big deal to me. This isn’t a tool you carry on your belt for immediate use. The cleaver is kept in the pack until it’s needed.

The blade cover is made from a tough leather that secures via a simple button. For what it’s worth, it looks nice. I would have liked to see some type of tie down point. This would be handy to make sure the leather cover isn’t lost when the tool is used in the wild. If I could tie it to the pack I keep the cleaver in, I’d be good to go.

ESEE CL1 Cleaver Review – Final Thoughts

Even after owning the Esee Expat Cleaver for months I still get excited when I pick it up. I’ve used it lop the heads off fish, cut branches down, and chop up meat, veggies and more. Something about its size and weight makes it a blast to use. I find myself finding excuses to use it when cooking. Do I really need a cleaver to cut up chicken breast? No, I don’t, but I like using it.

ESEE Knives Expat Knives Black G10 Handle Cleaver CL1

ESEE Expat Knives Brand, MADE IN THE USA
Overall Length: 11.5", Maximum Width: 3.25", Thickness: 3/16"
1095 Carbon Steel Blade, Weight: 25.5 ounces
Finish: Tumbled Black Oxide, Handle: Black G10
Leather Sheath Included

I recommend purchasing the ESEE CL1 Cleaver at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Editor’s Note: Please join me in welcoming Travis Pike as a new contributor to the site. Travis has written in the guns, gear, survival, and self-defense realm for years, and is looking to expand his writing to include his interest in knives. In addition to writing for years he is also a United States Marine infantry veteran, so he has plenty of real world experience. I think he’s going to bring a very practical approach to his knife reviews. Plus, you know he has excellent taste when his first review is of a cleaver. Welcome Travis!