EDC Knives

CRKT CEO Review

I knew I had to have the CRKT CEO as soon as I saw it. A miniature katana blade hiding inside of a package that resembles an elongated cigarette lighter? Sold!

Over the better part of a year and since that impulse buy, I’ve come to appreciate what CRKT’s knife represents, and I’ve additionally come to terms with what it is not. Despite the name and branding, I have my doubts as to whether this is the alpha and the omega of the “gentleman’s knife,” a point I’ll touch on later.

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Suffice it to say that the CRKT CEO offers some good functionality in a small package, and it has the cool factor down in spades. And it’s an office knife par excellence—provided you work in a certain type of office.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

In truth, one of the first things that drew me to the CEO was that you seem to get a lot of blade length for the size of the knife. Here, a 3” cutting edge nestles into a package that’s only about a half inch deep and less than a half inch wide.

The blade itself is a straight-back style that comes to an adequately pokey tip. At only a half inch at its widest point and 0.09” thick on the dot, the blade of the CEO is great for getting into tight spaces and makes for an excellent slicer. However, do resist the temptation to use this for any prying tasks where you’d have to bear down on anything! The blade length and shape makes this tempting, but it’s easy to see how you’d end up bending the steel or snapping a tip.

Blade steel is 8Cr13MoV, which probably won’t blow anyone’s socks off but is expected for the price point. From the factory, the CEO came adequately (though perhaps not exceptionally) sharp, which is generally par for what I expect from CRKT. Likely yours may benefit from a few extra passes on a fine-grit ceramic stone to give it a little extra bite.

Size-wise, the CEO is definitely going to feel smaller in the pocket than most EDC stalwarts, and it’s also lighter than most popular options at 2.1oz. The CEO is actually a little longer than most knives at just under 4 and a half inches, but the slenderness along the body makes it hard to notice when carried.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The “ooooooh” factor is all over this knife. The handle has a very subtle and very cool fishscale texture, and the black nylon inserts are mated to polished stainless hardware that just pops. The handles are nicely rounded, and while the edges of the pocket clip and the butt of the knife have a few edges that are a little square for my liking, they don’t generate any hot spots.

With 4” of handle, the CEO gives you a lot of control. Deployed and in the hand, it feels like a paring knife and could certainly be used for impromptu food prep. Additionally, given the 3” blade length, you’d be able to cut through quite a bit without worrying about getting grease and sauce into the action of the knife.

The clip is non-reversible and tip-up carry only. This is not a lefty-friendly knife given the design of the thumbstud and detent. As a righty, I tried to open the knife with only my left hand as an experiment, and I just couldn’t figure out a good way of doing it without bracing it against my leg. If ambi-friendliness is a desired parameter, the standard version of the CEO is not going to give it to you.

All that said, this would not be my choice for any self-defense related tasks or hard use, and the ergos have much to do with that. While the blade shape might imply decent penetrating power, the lack of any finger guard, texturing, or finger grooves means that it’d be relatively easy for your hand to squirt out in front of the blade if you’re applying force and the tip comes to an abrupt stop. For anything requiring more power to poke through hard material, I’d probably take a reverse grip and put my thumb over the butt of the handle. Or, more likely, employ another knife.

The knife’s limitations might be implied by the name—what business executive is going to be using a knife for hard use or in defense of life and limb?—but suffice it to say I wouldn’t necessarily put the CEO in the category of my own personal EDC given these limitations.

Deployment and Lockup

Be warned: right out of the box, the CEO is going to have a stiff detent. This will eventually work itself out over time to permit a trouble-free deployment, but it’s going to take some time for it to get there. And even once you’re satisfied with it, it’s going to stymie non-knife people. I’d rule out gifting it as a “first” knife for those reasons.

As you can see through the photos, the thumb stud is recessed into the handle and the entirety of the blade is flush or below the liners. These are cool details that I think aid the aesthetic of the knife, but they really only permit one deployment method. Unlike other knives that have some degree of exposed blade spine, you can’t pinch this guy out and into battery. Additionally, the recess means that you can only actuate the thumb stud from one specific direction that’s a little more perpendicular than I’m used to.

Pair those qualities with the detent and it means that deploying this “gentleman’s knife” in mixed company will produce an audible “k-chik!” and draw a quiet room’s attention to the gleaming 3” spike you now hold in your hand. The design of the CEO means that your co-workers are unlikely to identify it as a knife while it sits in your pocket, but they sure as hell will know you have a knife once you deploy it. This is not a grandpa-style Case knife.

Is this something I care about or something that affects my life, personally? No. But if you’re in a big office in a liberal city, I can imagine a situation where your HR department calls you into the office because of a squeamish co-worker and has you explain why you brought your “switchblade” to work. As such, I’d really only recommend the CEO for offices where you’ve got cool co-workers, and even then you might find out a few of them aren’t as cool as you thought.

As for lockup: no complaints. The liner firmly and fully engages the well-centered blade with only the barest amount of lateral play, and even then you’ll only notice the wiggle with firm pressure.

CRKT CEO Review – Final Thoughts

I really like the CRKT CEO for what it is. Laying on a desk, people might confuse it for a cigarette lighter, a vape pen, or some kind of futuristic tool. Dimensionally, it’s extremely compact and gives you a nice, slender blade that makes for an excellent slicer. If you crest the learning curve of the thumbstud and work in the detent, deployment is great. I really like how lithe this knife is in the hand, and it’s absolutely the best of my collection for opening letters.

While we’ve looked at the thumbstud-driven version of the CEO today, I wouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater if some of the criticisms above seemed like dealbreakers. Those who would desire a quieter deployment method or a more lefty-friendly option might be interested in the tip-up and reversible clip, flipper-actuated version of the CEO.(https://www.bladehq.com/item–CRKT-CEO-Flipper-Liner-Lock-Knife–119358) This would shift a little more balance to functionality over form given the exposed tab, but would otherwise leave the inspired design of the knife mostly unchanged.

Since its introduction, the CEO has expanded into a number of neat colorways and steels, including D2 and S35VN, which indicates it’s been a robust seller and the design continues to turn heads. There’s a lot of value for the price, and it indeed can be an excellent gentleman’s knife in terms of functionality and one’s intended use. Just do keep in mind that the idea of who a gentleman is and what tools he carries may vary widely from one office to the next!

CRKT CEO EDC Folding Pocket Knife: Low Profile Gentleman's Knife, Everyday Carry, Satin Blade, IKBS Ball Bearing Pivot, Liner Lock, Glass Reinforced Fiber Handle, Deep Carry Pocket Clip 7096

Low Profile: Slim clip fits comfortably in pocket
Fast Opening: Thumbstud with IKBS ball bearing pivot deploys the blade fast
Strong And Lightweight: Glass-reinforced nylon handle is durable and lightweight
Designed by Richard Rogers in Magdalena, New Mexico
Limited Lifetime Warranty covers any defects in materials or workmanship, see company site for details

Editor: I recommend purchasing the CRKT CEO at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.

Lionsteel BestMan Slip Joint Review

by Josh Wussow 2 Comments

Stop me if you’ve heard this one, but 2020 was a year of changes for me. One of those was career related, turning my collar from blue to a gray-ish shade of white. With this transition comes a change in scene. Where before I’d been free to carry tools like the Spyderco PM2, I’ve reached a point where I’m seeking out more discreet options for daily use. Enter the LionSteel BestMan, my first traveling companion on this strange new road.

Buy the LionSteel BestMan at BladeHQ or GP Knives

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Lionsteel’s thesis here is simple: Produce a traditional style blade with modern, high-end materials. A capital idea, for sure. But, speaking of capitals, how exactly am I supposed to spell this? Bestman? BestMan? bestMAN? I’ve seen it each way. For the purposes of this review, I’ll be using the middle option. Read on to see how it faired after nearly two months of testing.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

Hailing from Maniago, Italy, the BestMan is a thoughtfully crafted knife. The handle and bolsters are spun from lightweight titanium, measuring 3.75-inches. Nestled between the scales is a 2.875-inch blade, wearing a satin finish over its clean, flat grind. I opted for the clip point model, but Lionsteel also offers a drop point version under the moniker of BestMan 2.

Whichever you choose, you’ll be treated to 0.10-inch thick blade wrought in Bohler M390. Its overall length of 6.625-inches place it squarely in the medium-sized range, with a narrow profile of just under a half inch. At 2.32 ounces, its weight is on par with beefier folders such as the Spyderco Native 5.

Now, I’ve heard complaints about the fit and finish, specifically with the handle scales. I can’t speak for others, but my model from DLT Trading arrived with perfectly finished slabs of Santos wood, and a flawlessly centered blade. It’s still mostly centered, despite my efforts to the contrary. But we’ll get to that fiasco in a bit.

So, it’s beautiful. But how does it cut? Well, that depends on who you ask. Some reviewers have lauded the BestMan as an excellent slicer, while others believe it’s too thick behind the edge. After a few weeks of cardboard, paper, and packages, I’m definitely in the later camp. Don’t get me wrong – The blade is functional. But both my finger-calipers and in-hand experience tell me that its bevel isn’t quite steep enough.

This isn’t the end of the world, however. A high-end sharpening system or set of stones would allow you to refinish the M390. It was a little difficult to do with my Spyderco Sharpmaker, but I was able to thin it out a bit.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

I can sum up the BestMan’s ergos in two words: Deceptively comfortable. At first glance, the handle appears to be an elongated rectangle with some screws and matching scales. In practice, Lionsteel has created a knife that’s surprisingly easy to hold and use.

Take another look at the overall shape. See that gentle arc toward the spring side? It helps nestle the knife against your palm, while providing a nice concavity for your fingers. The blade spine is beautifully chamfered, creating a natural landing spot for the thumb. Even the Santos wood scales are well thought out, providing a nice bit of warmth and personality.

As far as pocket clips go, well, it doesn’t have one. This is a classically patterned tool, after all. Other than the thickness of its edge, this was the biggest sticking point for me. The BestMan would occasionally slide to the very bottom of my pocket, laying flat against the side of my leg. This isn’t ideal, which is why leather slips are so popular among traditional enthusiasts. Still, I consider this a relatively minor complaint.

Let’s move onto something a little more serious. Now, I know many gear reviewers are advocates of disassembling your new knife. Normally, I’m in the same boat. But not this time. Do not, and I cannot stress this enough, DO NOT take your BestMan apart. I made that mistake of completely taking down this knife, and it took me more than two hours to get back together. The process involved multiple screwdrivers, a pair of pliers, and a potato masher. I do not, under any circumstances, recommend that you follow in my footsteps.

Why so difficult? It has to do with the configuration of the back spring and the front and rear pivots. While this model of BestMan has only one blade, the internals are set up for two. This means that the spring is always applying pressure somewhere, making it very hard to snap pieces back into place. It’s a wonder I didn’t cut myself getting everything back together. So, skip it. If the action feels a little stiff, loosen the pivot or shoot some oil along the brass washers. You’ll be much happier, and less likely to ruin your handsome new knife.

Deployment and Lockup

As much as I complained about the disassembly process, LionSteel has done a good job with the backspring. Traditionals aren’t really meant to be taken apart, after all. When left to do its thing, the BestMan’s backspring produces satisfying pulls and zero blade play.

The process starts with the nail notch. It’s well positioned, subtly chamfered, and adequately sized. Personally, I prefer to pinch the blade between my thumb and index finger and, with the backspring facing up, draw the blade from the underside.

While there’s technically no “lock up” on a slipjoint, the knife feels secure under light to medium use. I could place my thumb on the spine without fear of the blade closing on my fingers. The half-stop is equally commendable, halting the edge far above the knuckles. This is by no means a knife I’d recommend closing one handed, but it can be done.

Overall, I find the walk and talk on BestMan to be satisfying. It doesn’t have the same fidget factor you’d find on a Benchmade 940 or Spyderco PM2, but the solidity of its pinch opening and snap of its closure provide a different kind of tactile thrill.

LionSteel BestMan Review – Final Thoughts

I like so many things about this knife. Its construction impressed me early on, but it took a while for me to warm up to the idea of using a non-locking blade. A few days of real-world use quickly turned me into a fan. LionSteel has succeeded in their quest to produce a “modern traditional”, taking the user-friendly mechanism and stamping it in cutting edge materials.

But, speaking of the edge, this is where I feel the BestMan is a little too modern. Many new-release blades tend to be thicker than necessary, trading effortless cutting for a perception of durability. This is mildly annoying, because I bought this knife specifically to fill the role of a lightweight, high-class slicer. Its premium material and quality build have exceeded expectations. Now, if only the edge was a bit finer, it’d be the Best-est Man.

Lionsteel BestMan – From $129.00
From: BladeHQ

Lion Steel Bestman BM1 Slipjoint Santos LSTBM1ST

3.88" closed.

$116.95
Buy on Amazon

Editor: I recommend purchasing the LionSteel BestMan at BladeHQ, GP Knives or Amazon. Thanks for reading!

CJRB Talla Review

by Clayton Walker 7 Comments

A few months back, and I fully admit I’m late to this party, I stumbled across a Youtube interview with self-defense expert, knife designer, and all around “guy who knows his stuff” Michael Janich. I became familiar with Janich years ago because he’d produced quite a bit of content for some of the shooting sports / self-defense print publications I also write for, so as soon as the name crept into my “suggested for you” feed, my eyes widened a bit.

Janich helped provide an answer to a question that had lingering in the back of my mind for some time: what’s the deal with Wharncliffes, and what functional advantage do they offer over something like a tanto or drop point? (They look weird, I often thought to myself.)

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To summarize Janich’s thoughts: the blade style makes for an unexpectedly aggressive cutter. In a test of several different types of blades, Janich found that none penetrated as deep or as effortlessly with slashing motions as did the wharncliffe. Theoretically, a knife of this type would have a distinctive advantage in terms of being able to cleave deeply through the muscle groups of a violent aggressor and disable further attacks. As a collaborator-turned-employee of Spyderco, Janich’s insights ultimately culminated in the company’s Ronin and Yojimbo designs, which receive uniformly high praise and I have no doubt are well-equipped to handle the self-defense roles he imagined.

Now, rare is the Blade Reviews reader who isn’t also a Spyderco fan. For that reason, no one would be blamed for listening to Janich and promptly buying one of his designs, as many of his students tend to do after taking one of his self-defense classes. That said, and as good as Spyderco is, I doubted it held a monopoly on the concept of the wharncliffe as a tactical tool. Thus began the hunt for a similar breed of knife suited to a defensive role, but at a more affordable price point.

My search concluded quickly. Within a few days of watching Janich’s video, I discovered the CJRB Talla. While not an absolutely textbook example of a fighting wharncliffe, I think it hews close enough to what he had in mind and I’d also heartily recommend it to anyone just plain looking for “a good knife” large EDC.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The CJRB Talla is a large knife. Not gargantuan, “Cold Steel” levels of absolute ridiculousness, mind you: it’s just a regular kind of big. With a closed length of nearly 4 and 3/4”, a width of about a half inch (not including the clip), and a weight of 4.43 oz, you’ll feel it in the pocket. But, as some experts say of handguns carried for self defense, “It’s supposed to be comforting, not comfortable.”

Here is a size comparison with a Para 3 and a RAT II.

The blade itself is an imposing, flat-ground wharncliffe with an overall length of three and a half inches. The spine of the knife narrows into the tip through a series of angles and swedges that are likely more for visual interest than functionality. While not a 100% true Wharncliffe due to just a slight amount of belly, the subtle curve of the knife puts the tip only about ten or fifteen degrees away from where it’d be located if the edge was perfectly linear.

Delivering good value right out of the gate, the CJRB Talla’s blade is D2 steel. While D2 is known to be a little bit of a bear to sharpen in comparison to the other budget steels (to wit: 440, 8Cr13MoV, or AUS-8), the relatively straight blade of the Talla should make restoring a good edge an easier proposition if you’re using the blade enough to dull it.

The drawback of the Wharncliffe is that it has a fairly delicate tip in comparison to other blade types. This is not an ideal blade for chopping wood or penetrating through 55 gallon drums, and it is especially not for prying. Supposing, however, that you snapped off the last half inch of tip, it’s not like the rest of this knife would suddenly burst into flames— you’d still have a good 3” of usable blade left.

That tip, however, allows for remarkably precise work on softer material. Put the tip at whatever you’d like cut, flick your wrist, and thy will be done. The knife is a little on the big side for ultra delicate operations, but in general it’s pretty darn good at getting into tight, small work spaces and that last eighth of an inch of blade can do some impressive things.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

If there’s a grippier knife, I don’t know of it. The Talla features G10 handles that are scored with a series of parallel striations. These grooves aren’t necessarily sharp, per se, but they really do lock into the skin. With a secure grip, this knife isn’t going anywhere. Additionally, the handles are subtly contoured into an oval-like grip shape, so it sits a little less flat in the hand than most EDC knives.

Additionally, in the deployed position, the flipper forms a very prominent and reassuring finger guard to make sure that there’s no way your hand is ever going to get out in front of the blade. I’ve read that some users initially thought the tab was sharp around the edges, but mine seems adequately rounded. This might be something CJRB addressed in successive iterations and small design fixes.

The Talla comes with a deep-carry pocket clip that only exposes about a sixteenth of an inch of handle. It’s not absolutely flush with the end of the bottom of the knife, but it’s very close. The clip is ambidextrous and only oriented for tip up carry, so those who prefer a tip down style might want to look elsewhere.

Personally, I quite like this clip: it doesn’t provide too much tension (the G10 will provide additional purchase anyway), and doesn’t result in any significant hot spots during use or hard gripping. I tend to instantly excise most pocket clips that provide any ergonomic headache, so the fact that I’ve left mine on is as high of praise as I can provide.

Deployment and Lockup

The CJRB Talla is a non-assisted mechanical flipper that runs on ceramic ball bearings. To me, this passes all of the hallmarks of the “good flipper” test. With a perfectly straight wrist, a normal amount of pressure on the generous flipper tab will cause the blade to kick out and into lockup every time. Additionally, the Talla doesn’t rely on a monstrously, stupid-heavy detent. This may be because the larger blade has a better ability to build up momentum as the flipper is depressed.

The Talla uses a full-profile stainless steel liner for lockup. On a knife of this size, those non-skeletonized liners are probably a contributor to the relatively hefty weight of 4.43 ounces. They are decently beefy, and the entire front edge of the liner nestles into the middle of the blade for a good sixteenth of an inch of contact surface. I couldn’t detect any issues with either blade centering or lateral play.

On the whole, the knife is extremely solid on lockup and idiot-proof to deploy from any position. There are no thumb studs or nail nicks, but admittedly the blade has so much exposed real estate that you can always pinch it and pull it out into deployment if you didn’t want to use the flipper for whatever reason.

CJRB Talla Review – Final thoughts

I’ll admit that I have absolutely no idea if CJRB envisioned the Talla as having a primary application of personal defense. Maybe they did, or maybe they would wince at the suggestion; I really don’t know. What I do know is that considering the qualities I’d want in a carry knife, the Talla has a lot going for it. I’d absolutely trust it if I needed to cut my way out of a problem. In fact, it seems too well-suited to this purpose for me to consider it to have arisen purely by accident.

Note that I don’t mean to be too sanguine or nonchalant about this self-defense business. To paraphrase Masaad Ayoob, expert witness and author of numerous books about lethal force, “Every bullet fired has a lawyer behind it.” The decision to wield any weapon in defense of one’s life or the lives of others is not one to be taken lightly. If rushed or ill-considered, your actions could put you squarely in a jail cell—or worse. All of us who carry a knife should hope to god we never have to draw it in desperation.

With that disclaimer, those specifically looking for a defensive tool should give this a look. The knife offers an imposing blade that is more than up to aggressive slicing, and the D2 steel is hardy and takes a great edge. Naturally, the Talla is just as much capable of opening letters, breaking down boxes, and scoring surfaces. However, if you flick this thing out in the middle of the office, that large, aggressive blade might raise a few eyebrows.

At the end of the day, this is remarkable value for a street price of forty bucks, regardless of whatever you plan to use it for. CJRB (as well as its parent company, Artisan Cutlery) hadn’t been on my radar before, but suffice it to say that they certainly are now.

CJRB Talla Linerlock Green J1901GNC

Equipped with a flipper opening mechanism to allow you to open the knife with either hand
The straight edge drop point blade is crafted with durable D2 steel; blade measures 3.5 inches long
Overall knife length is 8.27 inches; liner lock keeps the blade firmly in place while in use
Handle material consists of lightly textured G10 to improve grip and prevent slipping
A steel clip is attached to the handle so you can carry the knife conveniently in your pocket

$36.87
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Editor: I recommend purchasing the CJRB Talla at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.

Shirogorov Ne0n Review

by Aaron Shapiro 1 Comment

I spend a lot of time imagining what it must be like to create a masterpiece. Putting the final brushstroke on Monet’s Water Lilies or for John Frusciante to idly strum the opening chords to Can’t Stop for the very first time. What must be to be involved in the creation of something truly great. That must be something like how Sergey and Igor Shirogorov felt when the Ne0n was designed. It’s rare for me to be such a fan of a knife, this came together in a perfect storm of materials and lines to make something that I truly enjoy putting in my pocket. Although to spoil the ending, it does have one major flaw and that is cost. This is an expensive knife, but in my eyes, I find it well worth the ask.

Buy the Shirogorov Ne0n at BladeHQ

The Shirogorov lineup is a confusing one. They make many different models that seem almost identical to someone that isn’t familiar with their collection. The Neon is one of Shiro’s smaller pieces, the “Zero” or Ne0n has some additional features that earn it this moniker. We’ll get into the specifics here shortly, but suffice to say that I think this is one of the pocket friendliest high-end EDC knives available that isn’t made in Boise.

All Measurements are my measurements and may differ from manufacturers specifications.

Blade: 3.25”

Overall Length: 7.75”

Thickness: .53” with the clip

Blade Thickness: .13”

Steel: M390

Weight: 3oz

Lock: Titanium Framelock with Steel Lockbar Insert

Blade Details

I’ve had two different folks refer to the blade on the Neon as different shapes. It’s a coin toss between a traditional drop point or a subtle reverse tanto. I’m on team drop point, as the spine of the blade DROPS to the point but I’m not going to fight about it. The finish that Shirogorov has used is a really fine, matte stonewash on the blade. This finish is perfect, in my opinion. It catches the light nicely, doesn’t show tape stickies when you’re opening packages or breaking down boxes, and hides any machining marks from manufacturing.

In practice, this knife is a pure laser beam. It moves through paper like it’s not there. It’ll cleanly quarter up an apple to go with your turkey sammy. Cardboard holds no power against the mighty Zero. This is largely due to the thin blade stock and perfectly executed flat grind. Speaking of the grind, it’s pretty remarkable. The plunge lines on either side are perfectly executed and matched. I’m certain that Shirogorov is grinding these, at least mostly, with some sort of CNC machine, but the angle and precision are unusual (and good to see). Just like the plunge, there is a thin swedge that runs the length of the blade until you reach the negative angle near the tip. It’s a very sharp swedge that’s perfectly symmetrical the whole length of the blade.

So, steel… Shirogorov generally makes good steel decisions, in my opinion. They continued that trend with the Ne0n here when they picked M390. M390 is the same (or at least similar enough) to 20CV or CTS-204P. It’s stainless steel that is known for its good edge retention. I’m not one for cut tests or any other of exhibitive “sharpness testing,” let’s just say that I’ve pretty much carried this knife exclusively for a month or so, using it for everything I’d use a knife on, and it’s still SCARY sharp.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

Let’s go over the handle finish first. It’s a dark tumbled finish. I’m not going to pretend that I know how they achieved the finish that they did, but it appears to be a “smoother” tumbled finish than I’ve seen – it will, however, repel wear well. I want to point one element of criticism that I’ve heard: I’ve heard people comment on the coarseness of the handle finish. By this I mean you can see some of the tumble marks from the media. This isn’t a problem or even unattractive in my eyes; tumbling after all is just a collection of repetitive scratching. I just wanted to comment on it.

Ergonomically, the Ne0n is just so great. I wear a large glove and this knife sits perfectly in my hand. The handle tapers right behind the pivot then flares back out as it moves into your hand. The edges are all either radiused or chamfered, there are no sharp edges on this handle. It’s super comfy.

The Ne0n’s pocket clip is really interesting. It’s milled from titanium and built using a hidden screw construction. It works great, if you turn and look at the bit that contacts the knife scale you’ll notice that it doesn’t touch the lock bar at all. So provided that you keep your fingers on the clip when deploying you won’t run into any “failures to launch,” due to lock bar pressure.

To round this section out I wanted to touch on a couple of key features that Shirogorov incorporated into this knife. If you look inside of the handle you can see that there is a channel milled out of the backspacer to accommodate the blade. The blade is slightly longer than the handle scales themselves, so the tip and edge sit inside the backspacer. Next, I wanted to point out the milled relief near the flipper tab, this allows you to get a solid press when you’re opening the knife. I think this particular detail adds to this knife’s excellent action.

The lanyard attachment point is equally cool to see. There’s a milled relief towards the rear of the handle that opens up the area around the backspacer to allow for a paracord lanyard to pass through the loop on the backspacer itself. This shows an extra level of detail simply due to the fact that what Shirogorov could have done is allow the backspacer to extend past the scales, but instead of increasing the overall profile of the knife, Shirogorov came up with this clever solution. I can only guess that this along with some of the other elements they’ve folded into this knife increased the cost of production, but it shows the quality of their design. At least that’s my opinion.

Deployment and Lock

The lock on the Shirogorov Neon is a pretty straightforward frame lock with a steel insert. It’s nice to see a steel insert included on this knife, it should prevent any undo lock wear and extend the lifetime of that framelock.

The real special sauce on this knife, however, is the MRBS employed. MRBS stands for Multi-Row Bearing System, the name pretty much describes what this is but I also think a picture on Bladeforums is worth a thousand words. There’s a lot of debate out there as to whether the MRBS is really better than a Single-Row Bearing System (SRBS). I’m not sure how you could actually “prove” that this system is better. In my mind having more bearings would mean that there is a larger bearing surface for the blade to move on, that seems positive. Based on my experience, the knife is incredibly smooth and fires like a rocket, for these reasons MRBS gets a solid thumbs up from me.

Shirogorov Ne0n Review – Final Thoughts

To conclude I don’t think I have hidden my opinion on the Shirogorov Neon Zero at all. I love this knife. It’s well made, capable, and looks extremely cool. If there was any critical flaw it’s simply that this is an expensive knife. They weigh in at $715, this puts them into the realm of a decent custom build or other high-end production brands like Rockstead. Is it worth it? Well, that’s going to be an individual determination. I feel like it is. Between the quality of manufacture and attention to detail, I can see the money in it. As with all things, your mileage may vary.

Shirogorov F3
From: BladeHQ

Occasionally Shirogorov knives find their way to BladeHQ, and I recommend purchasing them there. They aren’t available on Amazon.

Civivi Mckenna Review

by Clayton Walker 2 Comments

Ever been accused of going about something bass-ackwards? Behold the Civivi Mckenna: one of the new breed of “front flippers” that has quietly been developing a following of… well, I wouldn’t say devotees, but definitely a contingent of pleasantly bemused knife flippers who will always give a quirky design a day in court.

Buy the Civivi Mckenna at BladeHQ
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If you’re not familiar with Civivi, it’s a brand extension of the We Knife Company, a Chinese firm founded back in 2000 with a mission of competing on the same quality level with American knife stalwarts like Spyderco and Benchmade (instead of, say, the kind of knives you’d find at a gas station). Civivi specializes in striking a balance of fit, finish, and respectable materials with the intent of higher-volume production.

Note that most people describe Civivi as the “budget” wing of We Knife. I think that’s stretching it a bit, as a shipped price of about seventy bucks here isn’t really “budget” in my book. It’s also questionable to use that term given that this wouldn’t really be anyone’s choice for a rough-and-tumble, tackle the weekend chore list, bet your life on it if you had to kind of knife. The Mckenna is an indulgence through and through, but that’s hardly a bad thing.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Mckenna is an Elijah Isham design. If you’re not familiar with his work, it exists in a continuum ranging from angular to extremely angular. Isham’s Arrakis design for We Knife looks essentially like the kind of knife you’d find in the medical wing of a UFO. His Eschaton (also for We Knife) looks like a bunch of scalpel blades fused together to make a larger knife. I think they’re neat, but they’re not for everyone.

You can find that design lineage here on the Mckenna if you go looking for it, but thankfully Isham has dialed it back. The Mckenna has an intriguing combination of curves and geometric lines, and when deployed the knife has an subtle, angular “S” shape that’s somewhat reminiscent of a lightning bolt.

First and foremost: the Mckenna is not a large knife by any stretch of the imagination. At just under 3 and 7/8” closed and about four tenths of an inch wide, the knife edges pretty close to “pack of gum” sizing. This will absolutely disappear in a pocket and you’ll be hard-pressed to notice the length, but size-wise it may feel more toy than tool.

The near 3” knife blade can best be described somewhere between a wharncliffe, sheepsfoot, and a reverse tanto. Functionally, I think it’s more wharncliffe than anything, with the spine of the blade breaking at a sharper arc in the last inch or so to meet the tip of a mostly straight blade. There is just a very, very small amount of upswell from the sharpening choil to the end of the blade. Put all of these qualities together, and you get a little more tip strength than you might with a typical wharncliffe, but tends to be a better poker than a traditional sheepsfoot.

Like a lot of Civivi knives over the $50 price point, the blade steel is D2. This is a nice upgrade over the typical 8Cr13MoV / AUS 8 normally used within this quality tier thanks to better edge retention, but it does come with the drawbacks of being harder to sharpen and having a little more tendency to rust. Those in wetter and more humid climates might want to keep a bottle of gun or knife oil handy and reapply it every now and again.

As it came from the factory, the blade sharpness was only middling. However, about ten minutes on a Work Sharp Angle Set sharpener and the knife had a razor edge that was surprisingly resilient. The spine of the blade is only about a tenth of an inch wide, which means that the Mckenna is a great slicer. With a pinch grip allowing the index finger to sit halfway up the spine of the blade, the knife allows for extremely precise cuts and excels at scoring. Anyone looking for a classier replacement for an X-acto knife would be well served with this knife.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Mckenna features G10 construction with stainless steel liners. This surprised me; from handling alone I would have sworn it was nylon. This is all to say that the G10 on the Mckenna is not going to be as grippy as you’re probably used to, but it’s well-textured and not slippery by any means. There’s about a quarter inch of jimping on the top and rear of the flipper that allows for a good purchase, and the liner lock is nicely scalloped and only slightly proud of the scales. No complaints here. This isn’t a knife you’re going to need to bear down on.

The pocket clip is fine, if underwhelming. The Mckenna has a provision for left or right tip-up carry, but no holes are drilled near the pivot of the knife. That makes tip-down carry is a no-go if that’s your preference. The clip is not deep carry, but there’s only about a half-inch triangle of handle that protrudes from the pocket.

Frankly, I ditched my clip. The detent is strong enough to give me confidence that the blade will stay closed in a pocket, and the small dimensions ensure that I’m not going to be constantly preoccupied about how this sits loose. Additionally, the action of the knife seems to work best pressed flat between the meat of the thumb and tips of the fingers. For that reason, nixing the pocket clip gives me a substantial real estate upgrade when it comes to getting a comfortable purchase.

Onward to what I’d say is the clearest flaw of the knife (or at least in my hands and given the usage I subject it to): the hot spots. The top rear corners of the Mckenna meet at a near 90-degree angle and aren’t particularly rounded. Given the small dimensions of the knife, almost invariably those corners are going to rub against the tenderest part of the palm along the center-line of the hand during use. Note that this isn’t a dealbreaker by any means, but given the knife’s positioning as being a fidget-friendly knife par excellence, these corners become all the more conspicuous.

Deployment and Lockup

If the ergos and size were a bit of a downside, we’re getting to the “good news” part of the review. As expected, the Mckenna is a whole lot of goofy, stupid fun to play with.

If you’ve never used a front flipper, you basically want to cradle the thing in your hand like a bic lighter, only imagine that you’re flicking the exposed nub backwards as opposed to downwards. With a quick snap of the thumb, you should be able to get your digit out of the path of the blade’s spine, and momentum will carry the blade into full lockup. It is weird, but gratifying.

Hard-nosed, serious business types will ask, “Is there any benefit to this over a tried-and-true flipper tab, or a good thumb stud?” The answer to this is an unqualified “no.” Front flippers, in my opinion, are attempting to reinvent the wheel. In direct comparison to deployment methods that are now the industry standard, I don’t envision any serious context where they become a superior choice.

But is it fun? Oh, you betcha. There’s certainly a learning curve to the front flipping function, and even though I think I’ve gotten the hang of it there’s still a 5% chance I screw something up. However, the knife is just as easily deployed using what I’d call a “three point turn” approach, where you use the thumb to present the blade 90 degrees to the handle, then push down on the jimping on the flipper with the index finger to reach full lock-up. This is also a good deployment method if you’re not looking to spook your co-workers.

The pivot is running on stainless bearings and everything clicks open and shut with quiet authority. Build quality is excellent here: the blade is nicely centered, there’s no squeaking or rattling, and the liner finds the center of the blade with the measliest amount of pressure. There are no hitches in the action, and the blade moves smoothly and evenly. It is extremely, extremely satisfying to work.

Civivi Mckenna Review – Final Thoughts

As a knife, the Civivi Mckenna is a lot like a good bottle of scotch: hardly essential, pricey enough that it’s outside the realm of an impulse purchase, but a great way to treat yourself if you’re feeling a little indulgent.

Again, I don’t think front flippers are going to become a new paradigm in the world of knives anytime soon. Pair that action with the small size, and the Mckenna feels even more like a novelty. But in the same breath: let’s be honest with ourselves: 95% of people could buy a Benchmade Griptilian or Spyderco Paramilitary 2 and not need to own another knife for the rest of their lives. Considering you’re spending your free time reading a review on a knife website, that probably doesn’t describe you.

Civivi Knives McKenna Folding Knife - Small Pocket Knife with Satin Blade -One Hand Open Knife for Everyday Outdoor Carry - C905C(Black)

✅【Designed by Elijah Isham and Precision Engineered by We Knife】Folding knife with unique shape features a razor sharp well-built centered D2 2.92” blade,smooth action and nice edge retention pocket knife
✅【Slim Build and Solid G-10Handle】Knife with G10 scales make this folding hunting knife comfortable enough that brings you a nice camping and outdoor knife used experience
✅【Lightweight Carry Knife】Weight 1.76oz with ease carry in your pocket,ideal knife for men and women,a pocket clip for easy and safe carry
✅【Always Ready Utility Knife】Ball bearing pivot offers quick blade deployment, knife art to your collection or as a gift to husband,dad or friends
✅【Civivi Care】Civivi is a subset brand of We Knife Co.,Ltd,limited lifetime warranty covers any defects in materials or workmanship, see official site for details

$68.00
Buy on Amazon

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Civivi Mckenna at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.

Also, please join me in welcoming Clayton Walker to the website. Clayton some good stuff in the pipeline so stay tuned for more from him.

Protech Newport Review

by Aaron Shapiro Leave a Comment

Pro-Tech isn’t always the first brand that comes to mind when knife collectors start talking about automatic knives. We often default to Microtech or perhaps Kershaw. This makes sense, both of these brands have a large market share in the industry. They also possess a large social media presence and are very conspicuous at the tradeshows.

Buy the Microtech Dirac at BladeHQ

However, I think any true knife enthusiast would be sorely remiss to not spend some time looking at Pro-Tech. I’ve owned several knives from Protech over the years, they are one of the few swing-blade automatic manufacturers that make lefty dedicated versions of their knives. (Note to knife brands: I’ll literally throw money at you if you make lefty dedicated versions of your knives. I always support lefty manufacturers.)

Pro-Tech is a US-based knife company based out of Southern California. Their knives are all made in small runs in order to give the company the time to put human hands on each knife going out of their doors. They have done some great collaborations with Strider, Emerson, and Les George to name a few. They primarily focus on automatics but do have several “normal opening” knives in their catalog. Protech is also known for its (with a grain of sand) custom knives. These generally take the form of an existing production model made with premium materials. Check out this custom they made for Nick Shabazz a couple of years back.

The ProTech Newport is what’s up for discussion today, let’s touch on some specs:

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

Blade: 2.75”

Overall Length: 7”

Thickness: .62” with the clip

Blade Thickness: .1”

Steel: S35VN

Weight: 2.2oz

Lock: Button Lock Automatic

Blade Steel

First things first, the business end of any knife is the blade. The Protech Newport has a very aggressive drop point blade made out of thin S35VN. When considering this particular knife I think it’s important to keep in mind the intended use-case here. This is a gentleman’s folder, not a hard use EDC blade. You want this knife to be ground thin and constantly sharp so that it’ll sing through the envelopes on your desk; that is what Protech has achieved here. With my calipers I’m seeing a blade stock that’s just under a tenth of an inch thick. Once ground down to the edge this knife becomes a lightsaber. My secret plan is to see if I can get this blade reground even thinner, to a zero-edge after the review. I like my knives to scare me by simply existing.

The steel Protech chose for the Newport is Crucible legendary S35VN. There has been plenty written about S35VN over the years. Suffice to say that this is a good choice for a knife like this. It retains an edge well, resists rust and corrosion, and is easy to sharpen when needed.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle of the Newport is where it makes its intended purpose known. The slabs are made of anodized aluminum. The anodization has a “satin-y” texture to it providing the only grip surfaces on the knife. This just confirms in my mind that this is a more, “desk knife” than something you’d put into a hard use or tactical application. You’re going to open letters and packages with this knife.

Ergonomically the Newport sits well in hand. Protech has added a small palm swell in the handle that sits between my ring and pinky finger. This gives you a little bit more purchase on the knife when you’re working with it. The one thing to take into consideration is the size of the knife in general, I wear an L size glove and my hand occupies the entire handle. This combined with the lack of gimping would make me think twice about using this knife for any type of aggressive piercing tasks. I’d hate to run my hand onto that blade. As I said above, however; I think you’ll most likely be grabbing this knife for some pretty small jobs, so I wouldn’t sweat that too much.

The clip is excellent. It’s a deep carry clip with the fold terminating at the very end of the handle. What that means for you is the entire body the knife will sit inside your pocket. The Newport, being slim in profile already, is a good candidate for this. Plus, with it being an auto you may not want to draw attention to the knife in your pocket.

Speaking of which, here’s a shot of the Newport in the pocket:

Deployment and Lockup

The Newport is a traditional swing blade automatic. Protech describes it as having a “smooth and fast coil spring action.” To translate this, the knife fires hard and fast. You’ll want to brace your fingers against the clip and nestle the end of the handle into your palm when you activate it otherwise you may send this sucker flying. It kicks like a tiny little mule. This is a good thing, and it’s a ton of fun to play with, but when you hand the knife to your bud just make sure he knows what’s coming too.

Using the lock is simple: Press the button and close the blade. You’ll be pushing against the spring that fires the knife, so I always use two hands to close this one. The knife is solid in the open and closed position though, no play to be hand in the mechanism.

Competitive Options

There are a couple of other options that come to mind if maybe the Newport doesn’t tickle your fancy:

The first one that I can think of is the Boker Kalashnikov. More of a heavy-duty knife with the Boker’s spear point blade. MUCH cheaper, but with that costs savings will come quality differences.

Next, you might consider Kershaw Launch 1. It’s a little larger, a tiny bit cheaper, and totally different styling. Kershaw doesn’t make a dedicated lefty version but it does have a reversible clip. You’ll still have black aluminum handles and a push-button lock. This could be a good option for you.

The last option that pops into my head is the Hogue Knives EX-AO1. These knives are a little bigger overall but roughly the same price as the Newport. You may just want something that fills your hand better and Hogue makes an excellent auto.

Protech Newport Review – Final Thoughts

So to wrap up… I love Protech’s offerings, they are a US company that does all their small-batch manufacturing in southern California. Their knives are quality and have their own style to them that’s undeniably Protech. The Newport specifically fits the bill for a “gentleman’s auto,” or a “light duty desk knife” for me. It’s also an EXCELLENT fidget toy when I’m working at my desk. If you keep the intended use of a knife like this in mind I don’t think you’ll be displeased with the Newport.

The Protech Newport is available in several different handle configurations, coated and uncoated blades, and a couple of really premium options that involve inlays. You should be able to find something that suits your taste in their catalog.

Pro-Tech Newport – From $164.95
From: BladeHQ

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Protech Newport at BladeHQ. Thank you for reading.