Tactical Knives

Pohl Force Mike One Review

Last Updated: July 31, 2019
I have lusted after the Pohl Force Mike One for years. I wanted one for years. For the uninitiated, Pohl Force is a tactical knife company owned by Dietmar Pohl, a long time knife collector, knife designer, knife enthusiast, and author of books on knives. I have met with Dietmar, and the USA distributors for Pohl Force a couple times at Blade Show.

Buy Pohl Force Knives at BladeHQ

It was hard to walk away from the Pohl Force booth without a Mike One in hand, and I eventually broke down and bought one. I’m glad I did. Even 3 years later this knife is still awesome and unique. It’s like a European Strider with its integrated G10 handle scale/backspacer, not to mention the unique profile and finish work. But I’m getting ahead of myself. There is a lot to consider with the Mike One and I’m glad to present this review, even if I’m a little late to the Pohl Force party.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Mike One has an overall length of 8.66″, a 3.74″ blade, weighs 5.64 ounces. The Mike One is made by Lionsteel Knives in Maniago, Italy. This is advertised as the “EDC size” Pohl Force folder, and it certainly seems to be EDC (Every Day Carry) sized next to the Foxtrot One, which is a massive knife featuring a 4.5″ blade and overall length of 10.25″.

This Mike One is still a formidable knife, but could be a good size for EDC if you are a police officer, military member, or anyone else who can get away with a larger daily carry blade. Personally, this is not a daily carry as I tend to favor knives in the 3-3.5″ blade range for EDC.

The Mike One sports a slender drop point blade with a high flat grind and swedge. This is a 5mm thick blade, which is quite beefy for a folding knife. While Lionsteel has done a nice job grinding the blade to a thin edge, this is still a stout blade with hard use in mind. The tip is formidable and there is plenty of cutting edge. It strikes me as a great well-rounded blade shape that could be pressed into a wide range of tasks.

My particular version of the Mike One is the “Outdoor” version with the stonewashed finish. There is also a black PVD coated “Survival” version. I favor this stonewashed version. The blade is still quite reflective despite the tumbled finish, and you can almost use it like a mirror.

Niolox is the de facto steel for Lionsteel’s outdoor focused blades, and it’s a nice choice on this Mike One. I have some experience with Niolox after extensively testing the Blackwater Grizzly 6 and Ursa 6. Niolox has proven itself to be tough, yet reasonable to sharpen and resistant to corrosion. I think it’s a great choice and I’m excited to have the steel in a folder. I consider it to be a good upgrade over something like D2, with improved stain resistance.

Handle Design, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

As I alluded to earlier on, this knife comes with a beautifully sculpted black G10 handle slab and backspacer. Just like on the Strider SnG, this is a single piece of G10 that forms both the backspacer and non-locking side of the handle. Lionsteel kicked the production values up a notch by putting finishing the handle with a grooved pattern and also machining a geared backspacer. An equally impressive titanium framelock and black chain ring bolt hardware add further detail and visual interest to the handle. They did an awesome job and in my opinion, the build quality and finish work is higher than on that of the Strider.

The 50/50 forward finger choil and dual thumb ramps offer the end user a ton of grip options. You can choke up on the blade for detail work, or choke back for leverage per the below picture. Regardless of how you hold the knife it always feels comfortable and natural. The milled handle and backspacer compliment the handle design nicely by providing good traction without being irritating. There is little jimping, and the knife is comfortable to use, even after extended heavy cutting tasks like carving and push cutting rope.

The Mike One features an oversize wire clip. Frankly I wasn’t aware of how much some people loathe the Spyderco wire clip. One commenter said that the Spyderco wire clip was “feeble” and that I was “feeble” for liking it. You gotta love the internet – that’s a strong opinion on a pocket clip!

At any rate, the Mike One’s wire clip is nothing like the Spyderco version, so if you don’t like the Spyderco clip you may like the clip on this Mike One. For starters, it’s a much stronger clip. The knife has great retention in the pocket between the tough clip and corrugated handle. This clip has some pant shredding potential, but it will never fall out of your pocket. While not a true deep carry clip, the Mike One still buries deeply and carries discretely thanks to the matte finish and stealthy nature of wire clips in general.

Despite this being a near 6 ounce knife the Mike One carries well thanks in large part to the sturdy clip. I occasionally forget I am carrying this one. I wouldn’t carry this in slacks, but for shorts, jeans, or work pants you will find that the Mike One behaves well in the pocket.

Deployment and Lockup

The Mike One makes use of a serrated thumb disk. Thumb disks are not my favorite method of deployment, but it works here. The thumb disk is removable, which makes the knife a 2-hand opener, and more appropriate in some of European countries. The action is slow and purposeful thanks to teflon washers. Again, teflon washers are not my favorite choice. I really would like to see phosphor bronze washers here, as I think the knife would open a little easier with them. The end result is that you have a knife that takes a fair amount of effort to open – especially when compared with the flippers of today. This is probably my biggest gripe with the Mike One.

This is a titanium framelock, and here we have no steel insert. Lockup is extremely secure, opening with a heavy “click”. There is no blade play in any direction. Nor is there any blade stick. As far as titanium frame locks go, I think this one has been well executed. The end result is impressive and tank like. The Mike One is all business, and that shows in the deployment and lockup.

Here is a shot of it next to my LionSteel TM1:

LionSteel did include their RotoBlock mechanism on the Mike One. The RotoBlock is an over travel stop that prevents the user from hyper-extending the lock bar, and it can also be twisted to lock the knife open. It’s an interesting feature, but not one I ever find myself using. It’s probably handy if you ever decide to test the limits of the Mike One. For regular guys like myself it will probably get in the way more than it will help. Blade centering is good on my knife. Not perfect, but pretty close.

Pohl Force Mike One Review – Final Thoughts

This review has been several years in the making, and I am glad to finally have one in the collection next to my Fantoni CUT Flipper and LionSteel TM1. This is another a unique and practical design that has been executed beautifully.

I prefer this smaller format to the larger FoxTrot One. I handled the FoxTrot One, and it’s almost comically large. While the Mike One is a more practical EDC than the FoxTrot One, I wouldn’t mind seeing something even smaller. 3.5″ blade is about as big as I will go for EDC, but I realize that Pohl Force is catering to more of a military and LEO crowd. So while this is more of a collectible for me than a daily carry, it is a fully functional knife and designed for use.

I also like how Pohl Force goes so far as to include an oversized zippered pouch, a “Zertifikat” of authenticity, and even a Tuff Cloth and a kydex sheath. Everything about the Mike One is top shelf, and clearly a lot of thought and care went into all aspects of this knife.

Although Pohl Force has ceased working with dealers effective June 2016, you can still find Pohl Force Knives at BladeHQ or possibly Amazon. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Cold Steel Kudu Review

by Chad McBroom 6 Comments

Last Updated: August 3, 2019
There is a knife in South Africa known as the Okapi. Originally produced in Germany in the early 1900s for export to the German colonies in Africa, the trademark and tooling was purchased by All Round Tooling (aka Okapi South Africa) in 1988 and all production moved to South Africa. Made from high carbon or stainless steel, the Okapi is known as a workman’s knife due to its price and availability. For the same reasons, the Okapi is quite popular with the criminal element in South Africa.

Buy the Cold Steel Kudu at BladeHQ.

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The fighting systems of various peoples are always influenced by external factors. (I discuss this in detail in my book, Solving the Enigma: Insights into Fighting Models if you would really like to delve into this topic.) One of those influencing factors is weapon technology. The defects in the Okapi can be seen through the Cape Knife Fighting methods used by the criminal element of South Africa.

The Okapi has an unreliable ring-lock locking system and a dull blade that refuses to take or hold much of an edge. As a result, the knife is used in a reverse grip with the edge facing inward. Holding the knife edge inward ensures that in the event the lock fails, the blade will not collapse onto the user’s fingers. The blade is used to deliver ripping stabs since slashing and cutting strokes are rather ineffective.

Lynn Thompson of Cold Steel has a reputation for taking historical weapon and blade designs and reworking them with modern materials and Cold Steel technology to turn them into fully functional and virtually indestructible renditions of their ancestors. That is exactly what Cold Steel did with the Kudu, their reconstruction of the classic Okapi.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The flat ground Kudu blade is constructed out of German 4116 Stainless Steel. Unlike the Okapi, the 4 ¼” blade of the Kudu is razor sharp right out of the box. The blade is thin in the tradition of the original Okapi, measuring at only two millimeters thick, and has an image of a kudu (a species of South African antelope) printed on the blade. The blade is most likely stamped out and then ground in the fashion of many Swiss Army Knives, rather than CNC machined, which gives it a little bit of a third-world feel to it. The blade is perfectly centered, but there is a bit of side-to-side play which is most likely due to the type of spacers used.

The entire knife is a whopping 10 inches long—not a small knife by any means. Lynn Thompson likes big folding knives and it shows that he did not take any exception with the Kudu. This knife is surprisingly light, however. At only 2.4 ounces, this knife feels like a feather in the hand.

The clip point blade of the Kudu is extremely sharp out of the box. I did some quick paper cutting tests with it and it performed superbly. Not having a lot of experience with Krupp 4116, I had to do a little research on this particular steel’s properties. Although all of the Internet commandos have their own opinions, but as far as metallurgy is concerned, 4116 is a modified form of 420C and is said to be on par with 440C for edge retention characteristics, but has a better corrosion resistance than 440C. So far, I would have to say that the Kudu’s edge retention has been pretty close to most of my 440C blades.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Carry

The curved handle of the Kudu is made from what appears to be two pieces of black zytel (Zy-Ex) fused together to form one piece. With the exception of the pivot pin, all of the handle hardware is external. The handle has a decorative metal kudu horn inlaid into the left side and a wood grain texture.

The faux wood grain texture on the handle adds to both the appearance and grip of the handle. The lack of any type of finger grooves means you can extend or choke up on the grip without any discomfort; however, with the absence of any kind of guard or quillon, this is not a knife that you would want to use for stabbing.

The Kudu does not have any type of pocket clip to facilitate carrying (Man, have we gotten spoiled or what?). The handle of the Kudu is so long that it actually carries fairly well in the back pocket of a pair of jeans, or in the front pocket along the seam. For an average size person, the ring will actually rest at the top of the pocket. Allowing the ring to sit just outside the pocket will put the knife within easy access.

I performed some testing on the locking mechanism to see just how reliable it is. I gave it five solid spine whacks and five radius hits just below the tang. The blade remained solidly locked with no signs of compromise. I have no doubt the ring-lock on this knife is solid and dependable.

Deployment and Lockup

Kudu deployment requires two-handed opening using the thumbnail groove on the blade. Like the Okapi, the Kudu has a ring-lock, but one that actually works. For those who may not be familiar with this type of locking mechanism, a ring-lock is similar to a back-lock in function, except instead of pressing down on the back of the locking bar (rocker bar) to release the lock, you pull up on a ring near the front of the locking bar. Also, with a lock-back, the locking bar is inside the frame and fits into a cutout in the tang and locks the blade, whereas with a ring-lock, the locking bar is external and has a cutout that a notch in the tang fits into to lock the blade. Of course, this type of ring-lock system is completely different from the ring-lock system used by Opinel Knives, which involves rotating the bolster.

The lockup on the Kudu is quite strong. It takes some effort to disengage the locking bar. Again, for those not familiar with a ring-lock, there is some technique involved in closing this knife. Failure to use the proper technique could wind you up in the emergency room having your fingers stitched back together. To close the Kudu, you place your index finger through the ring and brace your thumb against the spine of the blade, then pull the ring and push against the blade. The tang of the Kudu has several notches that act as safety stops to prevent the blade from closing too quickly, but it is still important to keep your fingers clear of the blade’s path.

There are some techniques for modifying the Kudu to open and close a little smoother, but I will not discuss them here since this is done at the cost of some of the knife’s locking integrity. An interesting side note on deployment is that South African gang members will carry the Okapi partially open in the back pocket so that when it is pulled out by the handle, the tip of the blade catches on the seam, in the fashion of an Emerson Wave, and opens the blade. This works because of the dull blade and weak spring of the Okapi. If you tried this with the Kudu, you would end up with a partially opened knife and half of a back pocket.

Cold Steel Kudu Review – Final Thoughts

The Cold Steel Kudu is not a high-end tactical knife by any stretch of the imagination. It is well designed and well built, but it does feel cheap—because it is cheap. The Kudu retails for $9.99, but can usually be picked up for about $6.00. For a utility knife that can be used in the kitchen or thrown in the bottom of a tackle box, the Kudu is hard to beat on price alone. It blows away any knife you might buy at your local retailer for even double its retail price.

I typically carry high-quality, hard-use tactical knives on a daily basis since my primary purpose for an EDC knife is self-protection. With that being said, the Kudu will definitely not become my new EDC knife as it is neither designed to be nor intended to be a tactical knife, but I will definitely be throwing one in my utility drawer and probably one for a spare blade in my bug-out bag.

Cold Steel 20K Ring Lock Folding Knife

Kudu features a highly rust resistant and beautifully mirror polished stainless steel blade
handle is made from durable glass-reinforced Zy-Ex and has an attractive wood grain texture
The Kudu is amazingly lightweight, versatile and functional
The blade is 4-1/4-inch Overall dimensions 10", 2MM thick. Weights 2.4 oz.
For safety, the Kudu¿ has been thoroughly. The locking mechanism will hold the blade rigidly

I recommend purchasing the Cold Steel Kudu at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Shirogorov F3 Review

by Dan Jackson 5 Comments

Last Updated: July 27, 2019
The Shirogorov 95t is arguably the nicest knife I have reviewed to date. It is a beautiful piece embodying all the characteristics one would seek out in a high end titanium framelock flipper: top shelf materials, amazing action, a beautiful design, plenty of details, and an otherwordly level of machining, fit, and finish.

Buy the Shirogorov F3 at BladeHQ

The 95t was undoubtedly a sweet piece of steel, but like many high end knives in my collection it was eventually sold off to fund other purchases. I paid over $700 for the 95t, and at that price point I didn’t feel comfortable keeping the knife in my collection, let alone actually using it on a regular basis.

The 95t was almost too nice to use.

I noted in my 95t review that prices on these knives had dropped to what I thought was a reasonable level. Over the past year the secondary market prices on Shirogorov knives have continued to drop. While trolling the buy/sell/trade section of Bladeforums one evening I stumbled across the Shirorogov F3 that you see in this review. The price tag was around $500. It’s still big bucks for a pocket knife, but I couldn’t resist after letting the 95t go.

The F3 is the liner lock version of the 95. This G10-clad linerlock flipper seemed a little less ornamental than the 95t, and a touch more practical. I was excited to bring a Shirogorov back into the collection.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The F3 has an overall length of 8.75″, a 3.875″ blade, weighs of 5.1 ounces, and is made in Russia. Some call the F3 the “Sebenza of Flippers”, and for good reason. I think the tolerances are on par with offerings from Chris Reeve Knives, and in some ways I think Shiro’s manufacturing prowess is superior.

In contrast to the 95t, this bead blasted and G-10 handled F3 feels more like a tool knife than a collectible. It lacks the ornamentation and detail of the 95t, but retains the elements of what makes a Shirogorov special. It is also executed with the same eerie precision of their more expensive knives.

One element of contention for me is that despite this feeling like more of a user, it’s still a ridiculously large knife with its near 4″ blade. Most people won’t be able to carry and use this in public. Those that can carry a F3 will probably opt for something less expensive (or perhaps even a fixed blade). These knives are immaculate, but I wish they would also offer a flipper with a sub 3.5″ blade. A version with a 3″-3.25″ blade would probably do well here in the States.

The blade pattern of the F3 is identical to the 95t. It features the exact same drop point profile and geometry. The major difference lies in the finishing. My 95t had some subtle and interesting jimping on the spine. It also had a nice bright stonewashed finish. In contrast, my F3 has no jimping and a simple bead blasted finish. The matte blade compliments the olive drab handles nicely, and I haven’t had any problems with this working finish (no rust). That said, some F3s include jimping, and you may be able to find the knife with a different blade finish.

My particular F3 comes with Elmax blade steel, but it’s important to note that Shirogorov has released the F3 in a number of different blade steels including S30V, S90V, Vanax 35, and even 440C.

Elmax is a high end steel with a good combination of edge retention, ease of sharpening, and corrosion resistance. The full flat grind of this knife gets thin behind the edge and the knife has no problem with breaking down packages, cleanly slicing through paper, etc. While most of these Shiros will sit on a shelf as a collectible due to their size and cost, these are fully functional knives. If you can carry a F3, then I think that it will make for a great user.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The F3 features 3-D machined G10 handle scales over full titanium liners with a geared G10 backspacer and custom hardware. Like my 95t the fit and finish is excellent and there are plenty of details to enjoy. Every edge has been chamferred. The titanium liners have been tumbled to compliment the matte finished blade. The lanyard hole is inset into the backspacer rather than simply drilled through the entire body of the handle. The hardware is all precision machined.

Speaking of hardware, if you decide to take the knife apart or adjust it use a coin wrapped in tape to avoid marring the slotted hardware. A regular flat-head screwdriver can wreak havoc on a Shirogorov.

The F3 is a comfortable knife thanks to its thick handle and simple shape. The 95t was a pretty comfy knife, but the addition of G10 scales takes the F3 to a different level as it helps fill the hand. The scales have been given a very light machined pattern and offer a little bit of traction. The simple handle shape will accommodate all sizes of hands. The pocket clip and backspacer are tucked out of the way to minimize hot spots. I won’t sit here and say I thrashed on this knife in the same way I have beat on some of my ~$100 knives, but I have used it for some extended cutting chores and it works well in hand.

The pocket clip is a 2-piece milled clip. It’s attractive, discrete, and functional. A cool feature is that they milled out a section under the pocket clip, so the clip has a low profile and it also easily slips in and out of the pocket without destroying your pants. The series of grooves milled onto the outer face of the clip is designed to grab your thumb and help remove the knife. That feature works well, and the knife is easy to retrieve. The clip has a strong spring that offers excellent retention. This is not a low-rider clip, but the F3 still buries discretely.

The F3 is a large knife, and the inclusion of G10 scales make it significantly fatter than the all titanium 95t. So you will feel this knife in the pocket a little more. Still, I found the F3 carried well considering. At 5.1 ounces the knife is still lightweight for its size, and the strong clip keeps the knife in place in your pocket.

Deployment and Lockup

Shirogorov is known for producing fast firing flippers, and my F3 is no exception. The detent is tuned perfectly on this knife, and the blade fires crisply every single time with the blade locking open with a satisfying “snap”. My particular F3 is equipped with a single row of bearings, and the blade is capable of falling into the closed position simply by releasing the lock bar. It’s smooth. Since this is a liner lock, you never need to worry about your fingers contacting the lockbar and interfering with the flipper action like with a frame lock.

The F3 comes with a robust titanium liner lock. Don’t let the term “liner lock” turn you off if you are a framelock fanboy: this liner is actually thicker than some of the framelocks in my collection. My lock engages early and without any kind of play. If you look closely at the face of the lock you can see they included a stainless steel lock bar insert. There is no stickiness in the lock, and this is after flicking the knife open hundreds of times. The liner is also easy to disengage. This is arguably a “perfect” liner lock flipper.

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Shirogorov F3 Review – Final Thoughts

Just like the 95t, the F3 is a beautiful knife. I am a fan of pretty much every aspect of this knife. From design, to material selection, to execution, Shirogorov gets it all right. Given the price tag, that is what I expect.

If I were to find something to complain about with the F3, it would be the size. I don’t mind this being a larger knife, but would like to see it also offered in a smaller version. These days the trend is towards smaller more functional knives for urban carry, and I’d love to see Shirogorov jump on that bandwagon.

While I can’t promise this F3 will remain in my collection forever I think I will have a harder time letting it go than the 95t. I like the warmth of the G10 handles, but I also appreciate the more low-key and user-oriented approach to this F3.

Plus there are tons of full titanium framelock flippers on the market. Whether it’s the mid-techs coming out of the USA, high end Chinese framelock flippers, or higher end offerings from production companies like Spyderco and Zero Tolerance, the market is getting inundated with framelock flippers. There are relatively few high end liner lock flippers.

In closing, the Shirogorov F3 is a beautiful knife. If you have the cash and desire to check out a F3, then I can definitely recommend it.

Shirogorov F3
From: BladeHQ

Occasionally Shirogorov knives find their way to BladeHQ, and I recommend purchasing them there. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Gerber Applegate Fairbairn Covert Review

by Mike Teeples 5 Comments

The first knife I ever owned, even before my Swiss Army knife, was a Gerber that my Dad gave me. It awed me then and awes me now, and is being passed down within my family; hopefully for generations to come. When a couple of military buddies mentioned the Gerber Applegate Fairbair Covert to me as a “must have” for my collection, the were sure to mention the rich history of knife’s designers.

Buy the Gerber Covert at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

I’m not crazy about tricking out a knife with logos and what not, but if you’re going that route they may as well be the signatures of some pretty accomplished dudes. Mission accomplished with the Covert. Both Colonel Rex Applegate and William E. Fairbairn were pioneers in close quarters armed and unarmed combat. Colonel Applegate was even inducted into the Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame at the 1994 Blade Show. Look them up some time and you are sure to be impressed by their accomplishments.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Covert has an overall length of 8.75″, a 3.75″ blade, weighs 4 ounces, and is made in the USA. A significant challenge in the tactical folder market seems to be balancing weight and size with concealability, and to do this without losing the knife’s function. The Covert walks that tightrope nicely. With a full 5” handle, it accommodates even large hands. One would think that would lead to a noticeable weight in your pocket, but the 4 ounces feels extremely light in hand and becomes an afterthought in the pocket in no time.

And if you are really size sensitive, Gerber also offers a Mini Covert with a 2.92 inch blade and weighing in at a mere 2.2 ounces.

The blade itself is .125” thick, and include signatures of its creators and “USA” proudly stamped under the Gerber logo. The spear point blade features a double bevel and serrations running halfway down the sharp side. The opposite edge could be sharpened to suit the owner. I’ve never been motivated to do so, but could see that being an option since this is a folding knife designed for hand-to-hand combat.

The Covert comes with a titanium nitride coated 154CM stainless steel blade, a nice departure from Gerber’s usual lineup of 420HC blades. 154CM is a great working steel that is reasonable to sharpen yet still good in the edge retention department. Seeing how this nice retails for close to $100, 154CM was an appropriate choice given the price.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The words “Glass Filled Nylon” (GFN) do not give justice to how the Covert feels in the hand. The material is dense and of high quality – it does not feel like “cheap plastic”. Many manufacturers use GFN and when you pick it up its clear why the choice is popular. GFN holds up well to abuse and can be molded into a near-infinite variety of shapes and textures. This one is ribbed for my pleasure, and bears a surface that’s easy to grip without catching on your favorite pair of jeans when removing it from the pocket.

The GFN itself is semi-smooth with the texture of a medium grit river rock and almost seems temperature neutral regardless of conditions. I know this knife isn’t going to slip out of my hand and don’t have to worry about blisters with extended use (as unlikely as extended tactical use is). About three quarters up the length of the handle you will find ambidextrous finger choils with mild jimping.

This knife was designed with combat use in mind, and the simple handle allows for the user to work with the covert in forward and reverse grips.

The finger notches provide an anchor point that give that extra bit off assurance and make for an overall high quality fit in the hand.

The clip falls short. It’s a decent size and sits in your pocket at about the right height, but allows for ambidextrous tip down carry only. Happy days for those of us that are tip down users. The rest of us will have to get over it or find another blade. One other point regarding the clip, and I’ll let it rest: I’m sure this is just an offshoot of the fact that nearly all of my clips are situated near the pommel, but the clip is bothersome when holding the knife for general use. The clip is my least favorite feature of the Covert by a long shot.

Deployment and Lockup

The Covert uses ambidextrous thumb studs for deployment. Personally, I love having thumb studs. The Covert’s thumb studs are accessible without being in the way, and they also serves as an external stop pin. This folder flicks open easily with a little wrist action. It glides open to a secure liner lock that is perfectly centered on my model. One thing I want to mention here is how well balanced the blade feels both while being snapped open and afterwards. Balance was obviously something the Colonel Rex Applegate and William Fairbairn wanted to be perfect. They achieved that goal.

The Covert features a liner lock with an external safety, called the “roto-lock”. The roto-lock is similar to CRKT’s Auto-LAWKS system, and requires the manipulation of a small lever on the spine of the handle prior to closing the blade. The locking mechanism naturally falls into place as your fingers find the deep finger choils and jimping. You pull the lever back (away from the blade) to disengage the liner lock. Although the liner lock and roto-lock are both made of relatively thin steel, everything is solid and exudes confidence. While I am not a huge fan of external safeties, I can see how this would make sense for a combat knife.

Gerber Applegate Fairbairn Covert Review – Final Thoughts

I honestly didn’t want to like this knife. Any time somebody puts a giant signature on the face of a blade it just rubs me the wrong way. I am also not a huge fan of the clip. My preferred blade carry position is tip up and I have to retrain myself when I decide to carry the Covert. This may not be a problem for some of you, and certainly not for folks that commit to one blade for universal everyday carry. I’m not that guy. For that reason, this knife doesn’t find its way into heavy normal rotation.

All that said, it didn’t take long for me to overcome those pet peeves when handling and using this knife. It just flat out does what it is designed to do and performance trumps aesthetics. I am glad I own the knife and many friends and colleagues seem to be drawn to it. I have every confidence in the workmanship of the blade and moving parts and really appreciate how it feels in your hand. I see it being a love-hate kind of knife depending on what features matter most to the buyer. Cost is always a factor and while the MSRP is $182, it’s readily available for under $100.

Gerber makes a ton of inexpensive, low quality blades in the lines they offer from overseas. The big retailers demand this (and so do consumers) and you can’t argue with demand for throwaway knives. The “Made in the USA” line appears to follow tradition of craftsmanship and attention to detail of old. If you’re a right handed, tip down carrier or if that isn’t a stumbling block, you should buy this knife. It may actually be a go-to tactical recommendation for those of you in that camp.

Regardless, you won’t be disappointed with the functionality of this balanced and functional folder designed by two of the biggest names in hand-to-hand combat training.

Gerber Applegate Covert Knife, Serrated Edge, Black, 154CM [05786]

Applegate-Fairbairn Covert double bevel titanium spear-style knife
154CM blade with titanium nitride coating
Features uncommon strength and balance
Includes patented Roto-Lock
An overall opened length of 8.7-inches and closed length 4.9-inches, with 3.78-inches of blade length; weighs 4.2-ounces

I recommend purchasing the Gerber Covert at Amazon or BladeHQ.

Editor’s Note: Please join me in welcoming Mike Teeples as a contributing author. Mike is from Colorado and brings his experience in hiking the Rockies and enthusiasm for all manner of edged tools to BladeReviews.com

Spyderco C149G Vallotton Sub-Hilt Folder Review

by Chad McBroom 5 Comments

I purchased my very first tactical folder during my Freshman year of college in 1992. That knife was a Spyderco Edura. Since that time, I have always been a fan of Spyderco knives. They were pioneers in that they were the first to incorporate a pocket clip into a knife design, deeply influencing the concept of the modern tactical folder as we know it today.

Buy the Spyderco Vallotton at BladeHQ

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Butch Vallotton is a custom knifemaker and tinkerer who is probably best known for his innovative method of converting a manual knife into an automatic. Butch and Spyderco teamed up a few years ago to offer a collaboration known as the Spyderco Vallotton Sub-Hilt Folder model C149G. This was an excellent move on Spyderco’s part, because the result was amazing.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The C149G is a heavy-stock folder (6.2 ounces) with a thick 0.156” (4mm) modified tanto-style blade. The blade has a hollow grind on the cutting edge and a convex grind at the tip. This clamshell-shaped grind, known as a Hamaguri or Appleseed Grind, was very popular in designs by the late Bob Lum (the knifemaker who first introduced the modern tanto-style knife) and brings a distinct Japanese flare to the blade design.

The blade length of the C149G is 3.75 inches, and the length of the handle is 5 inches, resulting in a knife that is just under 9 inches in total length—8.687 inches to be exact. Based on those numbers, it may appear as though some length was lost somewhere—exactly .063 inches—but this is due to the angle of the handle near the ricasso.

The blade is made from Crucible Steel Company’s CPM S30V stainless, a proprietary powdered steel formulated specifically for cutlery. S30V is considered to be one of the best knife steels on the market. It is a very hard steel, so make sure you have a good diamond sharpener if you plan on touching up the edge. Of course, it will be a while before you need to re-sharpen it.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The C149G has a lightly contoured handle with black G10 handle scales. The highly-polished G10 scales have a beautiful, almost carbon-fiber look to them. The fitted stainless steel bolsters add a bold contrast to the black scales, resulting in a handle that has the aesthetic appeal of a custom folder.

There are four mounting options for the pocket clip. The knife can be configured to be carried in either a tip up or tip down configuration with the clip on either the right or left side. While this option makes the knife extremely versatile and customizable to the user, the mounting holes on the bolster do detract a bit from an otherwise flawless handle. The clip itself is stainless steel with a nicely polished black finish and the Spyderco logo laser engraved into the metal.

This Vallotton design pays homage to the Big Bear sub-hilt fighting knife designed by knife maker Bob Loveless. A comparison reveals that even the handle shape was heavily influence by the Big Bear. Since most of us here are knife nuts and like to concern ourselves with the minute details, I will go ahead and point out that, in the traditional sense of word, a folding knife does not actually have a hilt. A hilt actually refers to the entire handle of a sword or dagger. English is a derivative language, however, and knifemakers have historically modified the use of terms for lack of better descriptions, so I can see how calling this knife a “sub-hilt folder” is quite appropriate under the circumstances.

This knife is pretty comfortable in the hand, though it does not offer anywhere near the level of retention or ergonomics as its namesake. The thumb hole has some fine jimping on the back portion and doubles as a thumb ramp when the blade is open, but the “sub-hilt” offers little more than a finger grove, most of which is obscured by the liner lock. All in all, the handle is very aesthetically pleasing, but nothing to get overly excited about in terms of handling.

Deployment and Lockup

The C149G features Spyderco’s round thumb hole in addition to an ambidextrous thumb stud. The thumb stud doubles as a stop pin, in place of a locking bar, to prevent the blade from rotating beyond its lockup position. The combination of the two blade deployment options makes for a very positive single-handed deployment. I have found that the thumb stud serves well as a roadblock for the thumb to prevent it from slipping out of the thumb hole.

The stainless steel Michael Walker LinerLock™ is very robust. The beefy liners on this knife are about as thick as the blades of some of the folders in my collection. This beefy lock combined with the thick blade offers one substantial lockup. I do not expect this knife to close without permission under anything but the most extreme adverse conditions coupled with sheer bad luck.

Spyderco Vallotton Review – Final Thoughts

This knife is not for the weak or faint of heart. It is a hefty 6.2 ounces, so if you are not a strong swimmer, then I do not recommend that you jump into the water with this knife in your pocket, even though it is stainless steel. I have been packing my Sub-Hilt Folder around for a little over three years, and I have affectionately referred to it as my “folding fixed-blade” because it is such a stout folder. It remains to be the smoothest opening knife in my collection, as well as the easiest one to open under stress. The Spyderco Thumb Hole is in my opinion one of the best one-handed opening systems on the market, and the addition of the ambidextrous thumb stud only increases its reliability.

Although it is made in Taiwan, you would never believe it if it was not stamped on the blade. This knife has all the qualities of a handmade custom folder. This Italian-style, thick stock folder with its Japanese inspired blade design, à la Bob Lum, and its Loveless Big Bear flare, is not only an amalgamation of international blade culture, but a tribute to a couple of the greatest knife makers in American history. I do not know if that was what Vallotton and Spyderco intended when they began this project, but that is definitely what they accomplished.

Spyderco Vallotton Sub-Hilt Specialty Knife with 3.70" CPM S30V Premium Stainless Steel Blade and Black Textured G-10 Handle - PlainEdge - C149GP

Folding Knives: Locking folding knives are safe, compact, and easy to carry. They also happen to be where the Spyderco revolution began.
G-10 Handle: An epoxy filled woven glass fiber that is rigid, non-slip, and impervious to temperature changes and chemicals.
Hollow Grind: It comes with bevels that are ground with a concave radius. The bevels may extend the full width of the blade (full Hollow Grind) or only a portion of its width.
PlainEdge Blade: This knife has a sharpened blade with no serrations or teeth sometimes referred to as a smooth blade.
Specifications: Closed Length (Inches): 5, Overall Length (Inches): 8.7, Blade Length (Inches):3.7, Blade Steel: CPM S30V, Grind: Hollow

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

Cold Steel Code 4 Review

by Dan Jackson 5 Comments

I have slowly worked my way through most of Cold Steel’s standard folders. I have reviewed the Voyager series, the Recon 1s, the American Lawman (probably my favorite), and even some of their more colorful offerings like the Spartan and Rajah III.

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For some reason it has taken me a while to get to the Code 4 line of knives. The Code 4 series is different because they come with slim aluminum handles rather than G10 or plastic. Cold Steel advertises this as a police officer’s duty knife. Apparently a “Code 4” is police radio code for “No further assistance necessary”. Heady stuff.

At any rate, the knife is supposed to be light, slim, and tough. Functional yet easy to carry. That all sounds good to me. And once Cold Steel announced that they would upgrade the Code 4 to CTS-XHP I knew that I needed to make this model a priority. Soon enough I had one at my doorstep for review.

General Dimensions and Blade Steel

The Code 4 has an overall length of 8.5″, a 3.5″ blade, weighs 4.3 ounces, and is made in Taiwan. While it’s no Large Espada, this is still a big knife. Too big for me to EDC at the office, but certainly a good choice for the weekends or working in settings where a larger knife is appropriate. I can see where the Code 4 might make sense for a first responder or military member.

It is also worth mentioning that this is another clean and functional Andrew Demko design for Cold Steel. I have become a big Demko fan over the years, and think he has contributed a lot of great designs to the company.

Cold Steel offers the Code 4 in 3 different blade shapes: clip point, spear point (shown here), and tanto. I settled on the spear point because I think it is the most utilitarian looking of the 3, and I used my Code 4 as an EDC and work knife.

Cold Steel also offers the Code-4 with either a plain edge or partially serrated edge. I prefer plain edges, especially if the knife is coming in a high end steel like CTS-XHP. Plain edges are easier for me to maintain and a quality steel like CTS-XHP will hold a good edge for a long time. No need for serrations for what I need to do, but that comes down to personal preference.

My knife came with a high hollow grind and a swedge (top false edge). The blade has been given an attractive 2 tone satin finish. It has held up well under normal use.

The big draw to this new version of the Code-4 is that it comes with CTS-XHP blade steel. CTS-XHP is a high end steel from Carpenter. I have a good amount of experience with CTS-XHP at this point, and I think it’s a good steel. Offhand, I would compare it with something like CPM-154.

The CTS-XHP blade steel on my knife came with an aggressive edge. The knife attacked cardboard, rope, and wood. The blade is a little over 3mm thick, but has no problem cleanly slicing apples and paper. Edge retention has been excellent. CTS-XHP is a significant upgrade over the old AUS-8 blade, but also comes at a significant bump up in cost (it seems to be anywhere from 50%-75% over the old Aus 8 version, depending on where you shop). CTS-XHP is also easy to sharpen. I think that it is an all around smart choice for a working knife.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Code 4’s handle is aluminum handle slabs with stainless steel hardware, a stainless steel lock bar, and an aluminum backspacer. While the handle slabs are a raw bead blasted gray, it is interesting to note that the backspacer is actually anodized golden brown. The end result is a handle that is simple, thin, and elegant.

The handle is also beautifully finished. The edges are all gently chamfered, the hardware is all perfectly inset. This is an immaculate knife. This is also a strong knife. With full metal construction I would wager that the Code 4 is one of Cold Steel’s stronger folding knives.

The ergonomics of the Code 4 is perhaps the knife’s biggest caveat. The design is fine, with a generous handle, 2 finger grooves and a slight thumb ramp, but because the knife is so thin I found the Code-4 uncomfortable to use for more than a minute or so without gloves. It is fine if you are going to open up a box or do some light foodprep, but if you plan on breaking down a bunch of cardboard or working on some serious carving you are going to want some gloves. The thin handle is great in the pocket, but bites into your hand.

Depending on how you intend to use the knife, this may or may not be a problem. For those that are wanting a self defense blade, this may not be an issue. But if you work at a warehouse and break down boxes for a living, I would go for a knife with a thicker handle, like a Large Voyager or Recon 1.

Although the Code 4 may not be the most comfortable knife in hand, it feels great in your pocket. It’s slim and discrete, and is likely ideal for someone like a police officer who carries a lot of gear and doesn’t have room for a massive pocket knife. At 4.3 ounces the knife is lightweight relative to its size and strength.

Cold Steel drilled and tapped the handle for tip up ambidextrous carry, and included 2 pocket clips for the knife. The pocket clips are simple steel clips, have good spring retention, and they work well. One nice thing about the lightly textured aluminum handle is that it does not tear up your pants like peel-ply G10.

Deployment and Lockup

The Code 4 comes with ambidextrous thumb studs. This is more like one and a half thumb studs, just like on the the American Lawman. The thumb stud is reversible with a flat head driver. There are phosphor bronze washers inside the handle, and the blade opens smoothly, and without too much effort. With that said, there is still a hefty backspring to overcome. This is not an easy knife to flick open. It can be done with practice, but won’t be a knife that you mindlessly flick open all day long.

The Code-4 comes equipped with Cold Steel’s infamous Tri-Ad lock. For the uninitiated, this is a lockback reinforced with a stop pin. Cold Steel has come under scrutiny lately over a gauche series of videos “comparing” the Tri-Ad lock to other locks on the market (where the Tri-Ad lock comes ahead by a wide margin). I am not sure what the value of these tests are when you consider the real world applications of a pocket knife, but it certainly has people talking.

Like all of the other Tri-Ad lock knives I have reviewed, this is a strong locking folder. There is not a suggestion of play in any direction on my knife. The lock is also reasonably to disengage, and doing so won’t kill your thumb. I am a fan of the Tri-Ad lock, and it is well executed here.

Blade centering is perfect on my example.

Cold Steel Code-4 – Final Thoughts

I am not sure why it took me so long to examine the Code-4, but I am glad I waited for the CTS-XHP version to come out. While the Code-4 is similar to knives like the Recon-1, the choice of aluminum for the handles over G-10 results in several important functional differences. The knife is super slim and easy to carry. I like that aspect of the Code-4 a lot.

What I am less enthused about is how the thin handle quickly becomes uncomfortable if you try to use the Code-4 for an extended cutting session. Gloves mitigate this somewhat, but this is an important point to mention. So often you hear reviewers (myself included) done on about how important it is for a pocket knife to be slim and light for easy carry. I still largely agree with that, but it’s important to understand that sometimes slimness has a price. In this case that price is comfort in hand. For that reason the American Lawman and Ultimate Hunter (both shown above) with their G10 handles won’t be leaving my collection any time soon.

I still think the Code-4 is an excellent tool and I intend to keep it in my collection. It’s like an upgraded Boker Titan Drop. If you primarily carry it for light utility and perhaps self defense (eg, as a police officer might carry it), then I think there is a lot going for the Code-4. It’s strong, intelligently designed, and nicely made. This is a no-nonsense tool, and I have no doubt that it will hold up for a long long time.

I recommend the Code 4 if you are seeking a long, slim, and strong daily carry folder, and don’t mind donning gloves for longer cutting chores.

Cold Steel Code 4 Spear Point Folding Knife

Made of highest quality material
Manufacturer: Cold Steel
Cold Steel Code 4 spear point plain edge 3.5in folding knife

I recommend purchasing the Cold Steel Code-4 at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.