Gentleman's Folder

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

Buy on Amazon

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

$129.79
Buy on Amazon

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

Chris Reeve Knives Impinda Review

by Dan Jackson 2 Comments

Chris Reeve Knives doesn’t release many new models. And when they do it’s often a variation on a theme rather than a brand new design. That’s part of the reason why the last time I reviewed a CRK was a review of the Sebenza 25 back in 2014. Another interesting tidbit about CRK is that founder and namesake of the company retired in 2016. He passed the company on to his ex-wife, Anne, in 2016. As a divorce lawyer with an overactive imagination, I can only speculate about how that transition went down, but I won’t.

Buy the CRK Impinda at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

By my math the Impinda is the first new design since Chris’ retirement (I’m probably wrong so see the comments section for the truth). And this knife a significant departure from their usual fare. The Impinda a slip joint, and lacks their signature ~~titanium framelock~~ integral lock, that they are so well known for. But as usual for CRK, this isn’t a cheap knife. In this case the Impinda retails for a cool $450. That’s a lot of scratch for a non-locking folding knife. Some may view it as a cash grab on the revival in slip joint folders, but CRK enthusiasts may beg to differ.

I’ve reviewed a couple of these modern slip joints and tend to enjoy them. Most recently I reviewed the Hinderer XM-Slippy back in 2018, so I’ve had a couple glasses of the high end slip joint Kool-Aid. Let’s see whether this Impinda still makes me a believer.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Impinda has an overall length of 7.15″, a 3.125″ blade, weights 3.38 ounces, and is made in the U.S.A. This one is designed by Bill Harsey. Bill is one of the greats, and for some reason his designs strike me as quintessentially American. Maybe because he has designed some iconic USA made knives, like the Lone Wolf T2.

Obviously a slip joint like this is going to be geared towards the enthusiast EDC crowd. Bougie bros like myself with a penchant for man buns, 3/4 sleeve tattoos, and pocket frosting. Or maybe silver haired Corvette drivers. Either way there is an aspirational element to the brand.

Here’s a size comparison with a couple other slippies in my stable. The XM-18 Slippy, and Fantoni Dewller:

I think it’s a little large to be considered a true “Gentleman’s folder”, but you are welcome to disagree. At nearly 3.5 ounces this is a chunky little knife, so you may want to opt for both belt and suspenders if you decide to take this one out on the town. It’s a good size knife, but nothing crazy.

The blade is an elongated drop point, with a thin swedge and a slight, near continuously curving belly. The blade features a high hollow grind, which is something of a CRK signature, and zero markings. The blade is surprisingly thick: .12″ or a hair over 3mm. This was likely done to match the overall proportions of the knife. Plus, another CRK signature is that they tend to make a stout knife. Their fanbase is notoriously fickle, so I wouldn’t surprised if they erred on the side of over engineering.

The Impinda comes in S35VN blade steel. That should be no surprise, as this is the steel Reeve himself co-developed with steel producer Crucible Industries to be a successor to S30V. S35V is an excellent choice for a working knife, as it’s shows a good blend of edge retention, easy sharpening, toughness and corrosion resistance. CRK tends to give their knives a softer heat treat. That makes the knives easier to sharpen and less prone to chipping, but you sacrifice a little edge retention.

In practice, I’ve found the Impinda to be a good all rounder for daily carry chores. I’ve done the usual stuff with mine, and it’s held up great. I’ve opened envelopes, broken down boxes, sliced apples, and performed countless odd jobs as I’ve navigated through my personal and professional life the past month. The Impinda has met every task with cheerful readiness. Sharpening hasn’t involved anything more than occasional stropping and one time I ran the edge over my Spyderco Golden Stone to get a feel for things. This is an easy steel to sharpen and I’ve had zero issues with rust or corrosion.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Impinda features thick full titanium handle slabs with a full stainless steel back spacer. The pieces all screw together, and CRK provides an allen wrench to take the knife apart. The handles are not 3-d machined, only chamferred. Construction is rock solid, and fit and finish is perfect. Just what you would expect. The oversize pivot is a nice touch, while the lanyard hole seems like an afterthought, although I’m not sure what else they could have done.

The Impinda feels decent in hand for a small utility knife. My biggest gripe is that there is a lot of meat in the tail, and the balance point is an inch behind the pivot. As a result the Impinda feels heavy. Some associate weight with quality, so maybe that was the idea here, but to me it’s a heavy knife. Everything about it feels slow and deliberate. Granted, this is a utility knife, and not a combat dagger, but those are my impressions in wielding the Impinda.

Beyond the weight the knife feels good. No hot spots. No texture or jimping at all for that matter. But the generous handle and deep finger choil offers plenty of space for your fingers, and I never felt like I lost control of the knife in use.

The pocket clip is a piece of 3-D machined titanium. It looks like they gave the clip design a lot of thought. It is highly sculpted. Spring tension is excellent on it. The knife stays firmly in place.

CRK ships this knife with a calf-skin slip sheath. That’s how I like to carry my Impinda. I got a new used car recently. It sits low to the ground, and I have been anal retentive about scratching up the seats and door jamb to the point where I’ve actually switched my style of carry to avoid pocket clips while driving around. Plus I’ve never liked using pocket clips at work. I’m a lawyer and wear suit pants most days. The pants are expensive and I don’t want to tear them up. Accordingly, the Impinda has been a great option for me. It has gotten a ton of pocket time with the slip sheath.

Still, the pocket clip works well if you want to carry the knife that way. Here is your pocket clip shot:

Deployment and Lockup

Everything about the Impinda is deliberate. That’s most apparent when you go to open the knife. It takes considerable effort to get the blade out. CRK designed it that way, as it makes the knife much harder to close accidentally as well. This gives the knife serious “Walk and Talk”. By comparison, the action is much stronger than the XM-18 slippy. The action of the XM feels comically light compared to this.

Personally, I like the action on the Impinda. It’s heavy and deliberate, but it’s also smooth. The knife comes with a couple large perforated phosphor bronze washers. I think those that are skeptical of slip joints generally, will find a little more solace in the Impinda. It feels nothing like the action on a Swiss Army Knife, and theoretically it could stand up to harder chores.

Closing the blade is also deliberate. According to a roadside shaman I consulted whilst preparing this review, it takes 5 pounds of force to close the blade on this knife. That may not seem like much, but it’s considerably more force than most commercially available slip joints. Apparently there is patent pending spring technology inside this knife that makes the draw tension only one pound, and the closing tension 5 pounds, but it requires a good amount of force in both directions by my hand. Regardless, I like the beefier action on this knife. As I mentioned, it lends a deliberate feel to the Impinda, and inspires more confidence than the typical slippy.

Here is a parting size comparison with my CRK Mnandi:

Unsurprisingly, blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Chris Reeve Knives Impinda Review – Final Thoughts

The Impinda is a difficult knife to review. It definitely won’t appeal to everyone. Price alone is going to alienate a lot of folks. It’s a lot of money for an unassuming non-locking folder. I don’t know what CRK’s costs are (obviously) but find the price tag to be a bit much, even for CRK. Certainly they are entitled to price their products however they like, but I wonder what the economics would have looked like at $300 or $350. After all, the Small Sebenza costs $375 these days, and CRK fans might argue that you “get less” with this one, as it doesn’t lock. I’m not sure if that is a fair argument, but the internet can be a cruel place.

And to be honest, I haven’t checked out other reviews or the forums on this knife. I don’t know how well the Impinda is selling or what the consumer temperature is on this model. My guess is that it’s a mixed bag.

Personally, I have found the Impinda to be well made and highly composed. Keep in mind, the concept of “value” in the absolute sense goes out the window as you venture into luxury brands like CRK. Certainly the blade on a $20 Swiss Army Knife will do 95% of what this knife can (while opening bottles, driving screws, and helping you assemble an airplane on the way down). But that’s not the point, and is akin to comparing a Casio to a Rolex. While you get more for your money, the returns diminish considerably with each additional dollar spent. The person who buys an Impinda isn’t trying to optimize bang for buck. They want the experience and they don’t care if it costs $350 or $450.

And in that sense the Impinda delivers. It’s solidly made, carefully considered, and totally unique. It’s an experience. It’s the Chris Reeve quality many have come to know and love, in a sleek non-locking package. If the design appeals to you and you can afford it, then I think you will enjoy the Impinda. I’ve enjoyed mine. And like the Mnandi, I plan on keeping my knife for the long term.

Chris Reeve Knives Impinda – From $450.00
From: BladeHQ

I recommend purchasing the Impina at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thanks for reading!

Zero Tolerance 0470 Review

by Dan Jackson 4 Comments

Reviewing the Zero Tolerance 0470 is about as safe as it gets. We have reviewed countless Sinkevich / Zero Tolerance designs. It is well within our comfort zone of review material.

Buy the ZT 0470 at BladeHQ

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So why review the 0470? Well, it’s a beautiful knife, it appears to be built differently than the other ZT/Sinkevich collabs I’ve reviewed, and I bought the knife at a fantastic price. I hope no one minds.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The 0470 has an overall length of 7.8″, a 3.4″ blade, weighs 3.3 ounces, and is made in the USA. Like the recently reviewed 0609 this model is aimed towards the EDC enthusiast. This 0470 is thinner, lighter, and more discreet than the ZTs that got the ball rolling for the company.

I still remember the halcyon days of the 0560 and the 0300. Those models put Zero Tolerance on the map, but those were some big knives. Totally impractical for most people, but they paved the way for blades like this 0470. Personally, I’m glad ZT is continuing to head in this direction. I’m sure they will still release some big knives as well.

Lets talk about the blade. It shares the same low slung lines that make a Sinkevich a Sinkevich. It’s a beautiful triangle of steel with a high flat grind, partial swedge, and two-tone satin and stonewashed finish.

A detail I love on the blade of this knife is how the spine has been subtly chamferred up by the jimping. This is a feature on my Shirogorov F3 and on the Sebenza. To see this detail brought to a ~$250 knife is awesome. That chamferring has also been brought to the flipper tab. It eliminates any sharp edges on the flipper that can cut your finger. Another small touch is the generous sharpening choil. Frankly, a sharpening choil something I would expect to see, but it doesn’t always make it into every pocket knife.

A blade shape like this can do no wrong, unless perhaps you are wanting to skin a buck with it. In that case the tip is probably a little too prominent, but for everything else this is a versatile and functional blade shape.

As a quick aside, here is a size comparison with the ZT 0609. They compare favorably in size, but are built differently:

For blade steel ZT went with CPM-20CV. CPM-20CV is made by Crucible Industries in Solvay, New York. CPM-20CV is chemically similar to M390, a high end European steel I have long appreciated. Crucible has a long track record of making high end specialty knife steel. Their catalog includes 154CM, S30V, S35VN, and S90V. They are specialty steel makers and know what they are doing.

CPM-20CV and M390 have both earned a reputation for high hardness and excellent edge retention, while not being as stubborn to sharpen as something like S90V or ZDP-189. CPM-20CV is also stainless and tough. It’s arguably the best all-round blade steel money can buy as of early 2019.

In practice, the blade of my 0470 has been a excellent performer. The blade came razor sharp. The edge bevel was neat and even, and the stock blade easily popped hairs off my arm. After sanitizing the blade thoroughly (ie, wiping it on my shorts), I put the knife into my daily carry rotation. I used it at home and at work for opening mail, breaking down boxes, and food preparation. I used the 0470 in place of my paring knife for vegetables and fruit.

The blade has performed admirably. It tracks through cardboard and holds up well under harder use, but the geometry is nimble enough to slice apples cleanly, route the tops off of strawberries, and mince garlic. Edge retention has been excellent. When the edge begins to slow I show it to my near mythical Spyderco Golden Stone, and all becomes right in the world again. No issues with the edge chipping or rolling, and no signs of rust, staining, or corrosion either.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is where things get interesting. If you peruse our pretty decent catalog of ZT reviews, you will notice there is nothing quite like this 0470 with it’s 3-d machined titanium handles and marble carbon fiber inlay. It’s a level of complexity and workmanship I haven’t seen on any of their other production knives.

That’s what drew me to this knife. If the handle didn’t have this unique twist I probably would have passed on it. The end result is an simple and classy handle. It’s elegant, not ornate. And it has been done beautifully. There is not a stray mark on this knife. And I love the simplicity of the handle construction. There is only one body screw at the tail end.

Inside the titanium handle pieces have been deeply milled out to reduce the weight. Holding it all together is a black aluminum backspacer with an integrated lanyard hole. Again, this integrated lanyard hole is a feature found on my significantly more expensive Shirogorov. Since I’m not a big lanyard guy, I appreciate how they avoided drilling a big ugly hole into the handle of the knife. It’s a level of care you simply don’t see on most pocket knives.

There used to be a nice ZT 0470 disassembly video on YouTube that showed the tight tolerances and attention to detail of this knife. It has since been taken down unfortunately, but the inner workings of the 0470 were surprisingly complex. I would not be quick to disassemble this knife.

The ergonomics of the 0470 are excellent. It’s a simple open design that will accommodate most hand sizes, and the spine of the canted handle meets my palm easily. The balance point is just behind the pivot, making the knife feel light and natural in hand.

Texture has been used strategically on the 0470. A run of fine jimping on the spine of the blade is balanced by coarser jimping on the back of the handle. The handle pieces aren’t heavily textured, but they are deeply contoured to meet your fingers and given an attractive end mill finish. The net result is a positive grip and a knife that isn’t going anywhere. It’s comfortable to hold in forward and reverse grips.

The pocket clip is a simple metal spring clip. No 3-d machining on this model. I’m OK with that. The clip design is simple and effective. It was designed for this knife and follows the lines of the handle. It also lacks any overt branding. It offers good spring retention and is easy to insert and remove from your pocket. The handle is drilled and tapped for ambidextrous tip up carry. It’s not a deep carry clip, but most of the handle is buried.

Here is your in pocket shot:

In practice the 0470 carries well. With a near 3.5″ blade, the 0470 is still on the larger side of a true EDC knife for me. It is substantially bigger than the Dragonfly 2, the most pocketable folding knife of all time.

But I don’t think comparing the 0470 to a DF2 is fair. In defense of the 0470, it isn’t a huge knife, and it has a gentleman’s folder quality to it. It’s just a little over 3 ounces. For its size the knife carries well and the pocket clip does a good job keeping the knife in place.

Deployment and Lockup

The 0470 is a titanium framelock flipper running on caged bearings. The flipper keeps a low profile and heavily jimped. The action is smooth and easy. After disengaging the lock the blade will fall shut with a flick of the wrist.

Here is a size comparison with my Shirogorov F3:

However, the detent on this knife is surprisingly light. The blade doesn’t fall out of the handle, but it’s not the level of snappiness I’m used to. The best way to open this blade is using the light-switch technique. Push buttoning it gives me mixed results. The angle of the flipper tab seems to be designed for light switching.

I find the light detent highly unusual given ZT’s long track record of dialed in detents. I would often comment in my reviews how they are the industry standard in my book. But here the 0470’s detent was surprisingly light, and I don’t think I’m alone either. The knife works fine and with the right technique there are no issues opening the knife, but those expecting the typical action of a ZT flipper will be disappointed. At least initially. Now that I know to lightswitch it I’m able to get the blade open every time, but still this came as a surprise.

For lockup we have a titanium framelock with stainless steel lockbar insert. Thankfully there were no surprises with the lockup on this knife. Perfectly rock solid, with early engagement, and easy to disengage. No sticking, and absolutely no blade play. This is exactly what I would expect from a Zero Tolerance blade.

Blade centering is also perfect on my knife.

Zero Tolerance 0470 Review – Final Thoughts

If you are like me, and think there is no room for another ZT in your collection, then the 0470 might just change your mind. It’s a different knife from this company. Just when I was beginning to lose interest in their offerings they tempted me with this dressed up EDC knife.

I think this constant evolution of their products is what keeps the brand interesting and relevant. They continually step out of their comfort zone, and don’t mind pivoting in different directions. Another example of this is their 2019 0022. It’s the smallest knife they have made, and I just might have to grab one.

But lets get back to the 0470 in particular. I love the classic Sinkevich lines paired with the heavily machined and highly engineered titanium handles. The carbon fiber inlay adds a touch of class. The blade cuts well, the handle is comfortable, the fit and finish is top notch. It’s everything you would expect executed near perfectly.

The only surprise was the light detent. Frankly when I first got this knife I thought something was wrong with it. I was shocked. But now that I’ve had the chance to carry and use the knife for a few months, I have no issues getting the blade open. And my understanding is that this is typical on the 0470. If you own the knife please let me know how the flipper action is for you.

At the end of the day I think the pros far outweigh any cons cons. At ~$250 this is not a cheap knife, but you can see where the money went. I have enjoyed mine and can easily recommend it if the design intrigues you.

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Spyderco Kapara Review

by Seth Vietti 1 Comment

On paper, the Spyderco Kapara offers an attractive proposition: utilitarian design, high-end looks, and some of Spyderco’s most popular features fused together in a slim, pocket friendly package. Since it released in late 2018, the Kapara has been my near-daily companion. It took me longer than I expected to form my opinion of this beguiling new Spyderco knife. One question kept nagging me: do the elements of the Kapara that were so appealing to me on paper, hold up under scrutiny in hand?

General Dimensions & Blade Details

At eight-and-a-quarter inches overall with just over three-and-a-half inches of blade, the Kapara is by no means a small knife. Dimensions aren’t the whole story, though – while somewhat long, it feels exceptionally lithe. The blade is thin (3mm stock thickness) and slim, barely widening around the spyderhole before winding down to the slender tip. It’s a fresh, elegant take on a classic Spyderco blade shape, reminiscent of Sal Glesser silhouettes like the Stretch or UKPK Drop Point.

Typically, blades in the 3.5 inch range don’t really work for me. I find they suffer from something like “middle child syndrome:” too small to shoulder the responsibility of impromptu kitchen knife duty, too big to get away with sneaking into a pocket unnoticed. The Kapara, however, splits the difference perfectly. It’s got enough blade length to flex into some “big knife” work, but feels light for its size at just 3.4 ounces.

The Kapara was designed by Australian knife maker Alistair Phillips with a mind towards everyday food prep tasks. While it definitely isn’t the king of the cutting board (a title still held uncontested by my Spyderco Hundred Pacer), the Kapara’s flat-ground blade and long, low, and thin edge geometry make it a great paring knife. I especially appreciated the articulate tip, which – thanks to the thoughtful blade shape and well-executed distal taper – was pointy enough to pierce effortlessly, yet wide enough to deftly pluck seeds from citrus or spread peanut butter.

I do wish Spyderco had included the small sharpening choil present on Phillip’s original design. Resharpening was easy enough, but the untidy edge at the heel of the blade feels out of place on such an elegant knife. Luckily for me, Mr. Phillips has published a video tutorial on how to add a sharpening choil to the Kapara should I ever feel bothered enough to modify it myself.

For blade steel, Spyderco have opted for CPM-S30V, an American powder-metallurgy alloy developed specifically for cutlery. I’ll touch on my personal quibble with this choice later, but speaking objectively it makes sense here. S30V’s combination of great corrosion resistance, good edge holding, and relative ease of sharpening make it a safe choice for a pocket knife users are encouraged to use on food.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

When I first slid the Kapara from its red, black, and gold foil Spyderco box, the handle immediately caught my attention. The tastefully embellished pivot and burgundy backspacer are nice, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen carbon fiber scales executed so excellently on a production knife: lustrous, gently radiused, symmetrical, perfectly flush with the liners, and neatly softened around the edges.

The handle is quite smooth, and I expected the knife to feel slippery and difficult to control. As it turns out, the ergonomics more than make up for the lack of texture. The arched back of the handle lends most grips ample leverage, and is plenty long enough to hold without feeling crowded into the finger choil. The thumb ramp, while subtle, reassures against sliding forward in a thrusting cut.

The finger choil is shallow but not at all undersized.

And the dip in the spine of the blade makes for an easy place to rest the forefinger when guiding the tip.

In pocket, the Kapara’s impeccable smoothness pays dividends. The wire clip hangs the knife deep with plenty of tension to hold it securely in place, yet it slides in and out of pocket effortlessly. No yanking, no forcing it down over a thick seam, no shredding your pocket lining day by day… honestly, the Kapara carries so well it may have spoiled textured handles for me. I know I’m not the only one with a drawer full of otherwise presentable pants all disintegrating at the right front pocket.

Deployment & Lockup

Spyderco’s compression lock is known for its simplicity, safety, and strength. Here on the Kapara it delivers unimpeachable lockup and a firm detent for snappy, satisfying deployment. Closing it, however, took a little getting used to. The knife is slender enough that there’s not much room to hold the knife and pinch the lock open at the same time. Instead, I found it easier to operate more like a back lock, by using my thumb to disengage the lock…

…then safely catch the ricasso of the smoothly dropping blade with my forefinger.

The experience isn’t quite as fidget-friendly as Spyderco’s USA-made compression lock knives (e.g. the Paramilitary 2), but it certainly didn’t stop me from compulsively flicking the Kapara open and closed in my idle moments.

Spyderco Kapara Review – Final Thoughts

In the end, the Kapara exceeded even my initially high expectations for the knife. It’s thoughtfully designed, expertly made, and a pleasure to use. More than that, it’s a knife with a distinct and charming personality, a knife that doesn’t feel quite like anything else on the market and is better for it. The closest comparison I can come up with is the venerable Benchmade 940: another 3.5 inch, easy to carry, dressed-up yet hard-working knife with its own quirky character. (Is it coincidence that both Alistair Phillips and 940 designer Warren Osborne are Australian? [Probably.])

The Kapara is such an outstanding knife, in fact, that I only wish it had a blade steel to match. S30V is better than average, but a high-performance stainless steel like 20CV or M390 would truly elevate the design. That said, it’s nothing to whine over. I find it hard to imagine anyone being disappointed with the Kapara, even at the full retail price I paid ($188 as of this review). If you’re looking for a pocket knife that cuts as well as it carries and feels as good as it looks, I unreservedly recommend the Spyderco Kapara.

Spyderco Kapara – From $188.50
From: BladeHQ

I recommend purchasing the Spyderco Kapara at Amazon, BladeHQ, or GP Knives. Thanks for reading.