Titanium Frame Lock Knives

DPx Gear HEST/F Urban Review

DPx Gear has been at it for a while now. They caught everyone’s attention with the original HEST fixed blade knife in 2008. Their first folder was the HEST/F, a knife I reviewed back in 2012. It was promising in a lot of ways, but ultimately a sticky lock and ponderous footprint kept it from being a truly covetable piece of urban EDC gear in my book.

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Since then we’ve reviewed a couple other DPx Gear folders, including the elegant Aculus and the cherry bomb proportioned HEAT/F. Both were beautifully made Italian knives. The HEST/F Urban is different from the other folders in that it is their first folder 100% made in the USA. Some may remember that DPx ran a Kickstarter campaign for this knife back in 2015. The Kickstarter campaign was a success, and the knife has since made it’s way into production.

Robert Young Pelton himself reached out to ask if I would review a HEST/F Urban, and this knife was provided to me by DPx Gear for review. All thoughts on this knife are my own.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Urban has an overall length of 6.75″, a 2.875″ blade, and weighs 4.27 ounces. The knife is made in the USA. As the name suggests, this is a smaller folder designed for urban or suburban Every Day Carry (EDC). DPx Gear has made some big and interesting stuff over the years, including their HEFT 12 Chopper, so to see them move towards a true urban daily carry knife is interesting.

Here is a size comparison with the Urban next to my Spyderco Sage 1:

The HEST/F Urban features the same signature blade profile of their entire HEST series. It’s a drop point with a big sweeping belly, that tapers upwards towards the tip. The shape reminds me of the profile of a boat. The integrated cap lifter / wave feature is another novel aspect of the blade and a signature RYP design element. I’ll discuss the functional aspects of that further in the “deployment” section of the review.

The blade is ground from over 4mm thick stock. It’s substantial for a small folder like this, but the high flat grind gives the knife decent slicing performance. I found the Urban to be very capable with cardboard working through several thick cardboard boxes that I encountered in my latest round of work with my rental property.

The blade was extremely keen out of the box, and edge retention was excellent. The thick stock and partial flat grind means it won’t slice an apple like a traditional folder, but the knife will get the job done, and there are plenty of practical touches. The stonewashed finish on the blade hides wear and matches the hardware. There is a sharpening choil. And the edge has been evenly applied, a detail I always consider, as it can be a good indicator of quality control.

In 2015 the Urban was originally offered in S30V blade steel. These days the Urban has been upgraded to S35VN. I’ve reviewed dozens of knives in S35VN at this point. Although it may not be the most exotic choice of blade steel, S35VN is excellent stuff and was a good choice for the Urban. This is a proven steel that holds a good edge, sharpens easily, exhibits high corrosion resistance, and is reasonably tough which means it will not chip out easily. S35VN is a great all round high performance blade steel.

I find that if you don’t completely dull the knife, then all you need to do to maintain a hair shaving edge is run the knife along the fine stones of the Spyderco Sharpmaker. Those fine stones are all you need to keep a razor edge on this knife.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle of the Urban is comprised of two thick titanium slabs and a black hard anodized partial aluminum backspacer. The handle has been beautifully executed. Fit and finish is top notch. The titanium handle slabs have been chamferred and left with a bead blasted finish. The silver hardware and all the pieces are perfectly flush. There is a decorative oversize pivot. Everything exudes a level of quality that you would expect from a knife at this price point.

The Urban is a small knife, but the spare design gives you plenty of room for a full 4 finger grip, and the thick build fills the hand. I found the Urban to be both a comfortable and capable work knife.

My only gripe with the ergonomics relates to the “wire stripping jimping”. Specifically, the biggest jimp farthest away from the tip of the blade. I find that to be too grabby for my tastes and would prefer either a smaller jimp, or more traditional toothed jimping. I levied this same criticism against the original HEST/F. While I understand that the Urban is designed to have a few multi-tool features integrated into the design, I’m still not sold on the wire stripping jimping.

The Urban features a reversible tip up deep carry pocket clip. The clip has excellent spring strength, and it buries the knife into your pocket. While the knife is relatively thick and over 4 ounces, I don’t notice it during carry thanks to the small footprint and the excellent clip. The knife stays in place and out of the way until you need it. That is exactly how I like my folding knives to carry.

Deployment and Lockup

The Urban is interesting because it is a bearing equipped folder with thumb studs or a wave opener. As a lefty I find the thumb studs to be a little tight as there is not as much room to access the stud on the locking side of the knife, but there is plenty of room on the right side and once you get placement on the thumb stud the blade almost explodes open thanks to the strong detent and bearings.

The bottle opener on the blade doubles as a wave opener. It’s an easy knife to wave off your pocket. Additionally you can use this as another spot to flick the blade open in addition to the thumb studs. The bearings are smooth to the point where you can easily shake the blade closed.

For lock up DPx Gear went with a titanium framelock reinforced with a steel lock bar insert. The steel insert doubles as an over-travel stop, but it also fixes the sticky lock issue that plagued the original HEST/F. Lockup is early. Around 40% of the lock face engages with the blade. Lockup is also secure. There is not a shadow of blade play in this knife. It’s rock solid.

Here is another size comparison with the ZT 0454CF:

I think DPx Gear nailed the lockup and deployment section. The knife rivals any Zero Tolerance folder I’ve handled. I think ZT is a good benchmark as their knives are consistently good. I think at some point DPx will need to use this OEM to build them a flipper of some sort.

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

DPx Gear Urban Review – Final Thoughts

Hands down this is the best DPx Gear folder I’ve handled to date. I think they took all the lessons learned from their prior designs and built on those lessons to develop the Urban. I also think that the choice to work with a US based manufacturer is a good one. I like Lionsteel knives, but was never a big fan of the original HEST/F and the way it was built or the rotolock. This Urban is simply a better knife with its bearings and stainless steel lockbar insert. The rest of the knife has been beautifully built. The parts line up perfectly. The machining is crisp and clean. The finish work is superb.

For constructive criticism my biggest gripe is probably that one section of wire stripper jimping. It’s a little too sharp and toothy for me. But in practice I didn’t find that to be a deal breaker as I didn’t notice the jimping much when I actually cut things. Beyond that I don’t think I would change anything on this knife.

If you are a fan of sturdy little full titanium knives, knives like the Spyderco Techno, then I think you are going to enjoy this one. It’s nicely built, performs admirably, and is entirely unique. It’s not inexpensive, and the full titanium version here will set you back about as much as a Small Sebenza, but I think the quality is comparable. Additionally, DPx Gear offers a version of the Urban with a G10 scale that is around $200 and weighs about 3.6 ounces. At that price and with a near 1 ounce weight reduction, I think that is a highly competitive offering.

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

Benchmade Proxy Review

by Dan Jackson Leave a Comment

Last Updated: September 7, 2019
Warren Osborne is one of the most recognized names in knife making. While he was an extremely talented custom maker, a large part of his renown is due to a series of high profile collaborations with Benchmade. The 940 is one of the most notable collabs, but Warren Osborne is also known for designing the Rift and Barrage, among others.

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Warren Osborn passed away in 2016, after a long a long struggle with a cancer. The Benchmade Proxy was his final collaboration with Benchmade. I happen to think it was an interesting design. Benchmade has only recently gotten into flippers, and this Proxy is one of their takes on a titanium framelock flipper. As Warren’s last collaboration with Benchmade I knew it was something I needed to get my hands on.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Benchmade Proxy has an overall length of 8.85″, a 3.87″ blade, weighs 4.86 ounces, and is made in the USA. This is a substantial knife. A bit too much for me to carry on a daily basis, but I’m sure it will make a fine EDC for those that like larger knives. At under 5 ounces, it’s plenty light and pocketable for a near 4″ bladed folder.

The Proxy features a long sloping drop point blade. It kind of reminds me of the head of a shark. For whatever that is worth. It’s a strong blade cut from near 4mm thick stock. The knife has a high flat grind and has been left thin behind the edge. It’s fine for cutting boxes or fruit, and I suspect it would hold up under tougher chores as well. The tip is placed low on the knife. That shortens the belly but makes it good at stabbing things. Benchmade went with what appears to be a matte satin finish. It’s a utilitarian finish that hides wear well.

The most prominent feature on the blade is the oversized sharpening choil. That makes it easy to sharpen, but you lose some edge, and if you aren’t careful material you are wanting to cut can get caught up in the large choil.

Benchmade selected CPM-20CV for the Proxy’s blade steel. This is the same steel my G-10 Griptilian came in, and now that I’ve owned that knife for almost 2 years, I have a little experience with it. Manufactured by Crucible Industries, CPM-20CV is advertised as a steel with high corrosion resistance and wear resistance, and good toughness. Chemically it is similar to M390, which is an excellent steel. CPM-20CV has an extremely high chromium content, which results in its corrosion resistant qualities.

In practice I have found that CPM-20CV performs admirably. It exhibits a nice balance of edge retention and sharpenability, while exhibiting excellent rust and corrosion resistance. To be compared with M390 places it in excellent company, and I consider CPM-20CV to be top tier blade steel. A great choice for a high end folding knife.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Benchmade Proxy features a titanium frame lock mated to a one piece G-10 backspacer and handle scale. Everything is held together with torx fasteners. It’s kind of an odd combination between the light brown G-10, the sandblasted titanium, the satin hardware and the mirror polished clip. The varying textures and angular design almost make the Proxy feel like a small piece of modern art. The build quality is excellent. Tolerances are tight, the parts line up, and the 3-D machining on the handles is excellent.

I also like the omission of the lanyard hole. I’m not a big lanyard guy, but you see them on pretty much every knife. It’s refreshing to get something without a lanyard hole. While that is bound to piss some people off, personally I don’t miss it.

The Proxy is a large and comfortable knife. It’s got a big simple handle, so it will conform to most hand sizes. There is little in the way of texture on the knife, but still my fingers fall naturally in place. Warren did design a forward finger choil, and that feature allows you to choke up on the blade and get close to what you are cutting. You can also choke back on this handle, providing you a couple inches of additional reach. Potentially useful if you have to do some light chopping or use the Proxy in a “tactical” application.

The pocket clip is Benchmade’s split arrow clip, buffed up to a high shine. While I generally like the split arrow clip, I’m not a huge fan of the shiny version shown here. It’s kind of loud and it doesn’t match the rest of the knife. It feels out of place, although I’m not sure what I would have put instead of this clip. I probably would have reconsidered the entire hardware selection, finishes, and color choice.

The Proxy carries well considering it’s almost a 9″ folding knife. The sturdy split arrow clip, and bead blasted titanium handle work together to provide good traction without tearing up your pocket. At .5″ thick the Proxy is not the thinnest knife, but it’s not the thickest either. Benchmade milled out some large grooves to make it a little slimmer and more pocketable. All said, I think the Proxy is not a bad knife to carry.

Deployment and Lockup

This is a bearing equipped titanium framelock flipper. I haven’t reviewed a Benchmade framelock flipper before, so this is new territory for me. In practice it flips great. I’d say it scores a solid “7” on my 0-10 scale. Maybe a little behind the action you would find on a Zero Tolerance flipper, but not by much. It’s snappy and responsive action and the bearings are smooth. So smooth you can shake the blade closed. Nice.

The titanium frame lock is reinforced with a stainless steel insert. The insert does not double as an over travel stop mechanism, a feature I’ve come to find standard on most flippers from ZT, Spyderco, and Kizer. That said, the lockup on this knife is early, and free of any sort of play. It’s rock solid.

Here is a shot of the Proxy next to my Strider SnG. I chose the SnG because the Proxy borrows the integral G-10 handle / backspacer.

Blade centering is pretty good on my knife. Not perfect. It favors the G-10 side by a mm or so, but is nowhere near rubbing.

Benchmade Proxy Review – Final Thoughts

The Proxy is a curious knife. Warren Osborne made a name for himself providing unique designs, and I think the Proxy continues that legacy. Individually, there are number of seemingly dissimilar components. Added up they all come together. Sorta. Part of me can’t help but feel that this blade was put together with leftovers from Benchmade’s parts bin, but other parts of me appreciate the simple design. The knife is nicely made and is both comfortable to use and a capable cutter. It’s a great work knife.

While it may not be to everyone’s taste, I think the Proxy is a good knife. I appreciate the Proxy and I appreciate Warren Osborne for his contributions to the knife world. I can safely recommend the Proxy for fans of Warren and fans of this design.

Benchmade - Proxy 928, Plain Drop-Point

HIGH-QUALITY: The CPM-20CV stainless steel blade features excellent edge retention, corrosion resistance, and low maintenance. The G10 and titanium handle offers durability and great performance.
WELL-DESIGNED: The 928 features a highly strong and functional Monolock mechanism with the added convenience of a flipper. It's a manual knife that can be opened and closed with one hand.
ALWAYS READY: The 928 combines high performance and a highly modernized look. The reversible pocket clip offers ultimate accessibility.
VERSATILE: The Proxy 928's drop-point, utility blade style and all-around functionality make it ideal for everyday use, outdoor activities, and even tactical applications.

I recommend purchasing the Benchmade Proxy at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Rike Thor4s Review

by Grayson Parker Leave a Comment

Rike doesn’t enjoy the same name recognition that Reate, Kizer, or WE Knives does. While those companies are easily recognizable as the leading names in the renaissance of Chinese knife manufacturing, Rike is often left out of the conversation. On one hand, that’s perfectly understandable: unlike Kizer, WE, or Reate, Rike hasn’t cultivated much cachet with trendy designers, relying instead on in-house designs. At the same time, they have the same reputation for quality as the others, and an aesthetic all their own besides.

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To be perfectly honest, I never thought that Rike would produce a knife that’d suit my tastes. Most of their offerings have blades nearly four inches long, which is utterly out of bounds for my line of work. When I saw the specs for the Thor4s, I nearly spit out my coffee. A reasonably sized integral? From Rike, no less? I was intrigued, and luckily, my girlfriend noticed and passed that information along to my family.

It should be noted that this was a Christmas present from my folks, and if ever there was a cause for bias, it’s the knowledge that your family might read every criticism you level at an earnestly given gift. I don’t think this has affected my judgment, but all the same, it’s something you should know.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Rike Thor4s is among the smallest knives in my collection, with a blade length of 2.375”, a handle length of 3.125”, an overall length of 5.5”, and a weight of 2.08 oz. To be perfectly honest, I was caught off guard by just how small this knife is; to give you a sense a scale, the box is so small I mistook it for jewelry. The blade is short enough that it’s less than ideal on a picnic, but it’s more than long enough for standard office chores. It also bears mentioning that with a blade length less than 2.5”, it’s unlikely to spook any coworkers.

Despite Rike’s fascination with angles, they chose a simple drop point for the blade’s profile. Were it not for a few issues I’ll bring up momentarily, this would be the utilitarian ideal. Most of the spine’s thickness is brought to the tip, so there’s little concern of snapping the tip off, whether in a fall or a bit of prying. The belly is just wide enough to feed, say, the edge of an envelope into, but not so wide that it’ll slip out of a cardboard box you’re breaking down.

The grind on the Thor4s is immaculate. All the details are perfectly executed: the plunge lines are crisp, the swedge is even, and both the primary grind and cutting bevel are consistent and well finished. Unfortunately, the blade stock is thick enough that all that work at a grinder is functionally irrelevant. It cuts fine, don’t get me wrong, but it’s no slicer. That would normally be a deal breaker, but as mentioned above, it’s too short for most food prep anyway.

This is the first knife I’ve reviewed that has M390 steel, and truth be told I haven’t really put it through its paces. A knife this size is meant for intermittent office use, not breaking down a pallet of boxes. It’s held its edge without chipping or rolling, hasn’t rusted, and responds reasonably well to a loaded leather strop. The high satin polish has a remarkable rainbow sheen that undoubtedly helps with rust resistance.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Carry

Of course, the prime selling point of the Rike Thor4s is its integral handle. For the uninitiated, that means that the handle is milled from a single block of material, which in this case is titanium. It’s an expensive process with few (if any) practical upsides, and most of an integral’s appeal lies in its status as a feat of engineering. Rike’s design language carries this theme to its logical endpoint, as the over-machined aesthetic pushes the Thor4s into “pocketable sculpture” territory.

Overall, the ergonomics of the Thor4s are fine, with the exception of two distinct flaws. The first of those is the butt of the handle, which, as you can see, tapers down to a wide, flaired end that leaves a rather sharp point on either side of the handle. In turn, this generates a slight hotspot when the knife is opened, though not when it’s held normally during use. The second issue is the pocket clip. For what I can only guess are aesthetic reasons, the tip of the clip isn’t rounded, or even squared: instead, it ends in an angular point. Most of the time this isn’t a problem, but every so often it catches on the meat of my palm in an altogether unpleasant way.

Normally knives with questionable ergonomics are also unpleasant to carry, but such isn’t the case here. It’s lightweight, compact, and its ergonomic flaws are only noticeable in the hand. As much as I want to rail against milled pocket clips in general, the spring tension on the Thor4s is quite nice, neither fraying the lip of my pocket nor acting like a hook instead of a clip.

Deployment and Lock Up

The blade is deployed by a well-executed flipper. It’s definitely of the ‘pull’ variety: trying to push on the tab will only leave you with a bruised finger. Instead of washers, the pivot runs on caged bearings, which is to be expected at this price point. The detent is crisp, the action is smooth, and as far as deployment is concerned, there’s not a fault to be found.

Once deployed, the blade is held open by a titanium frame lock that features a stainless steel lock insert. There is no horizontal or vertical blade play, and the lock consistently engages around 30% of the blade tang. The decorative pivot collar also functions as an overtravel stop. This is exactly the list of features I want in an integral frame lock. By contrast, when I was working on the DPx Aculus review, I was always aware that if something happened to the lock, I’d be up a certain creek without a paddle.

Rike Thor 4 Review – Final Thoughts

Overall, the Thor4s is an intriguing – if imperfect – addition to the market. The blade stock is a bit chunky, and the ergonomics a bit pokey, but at heart the Thor4s is an office knife, and as such those two flaws are tolerable. Between the top notch manufacturing, high end materials, and the novelty of a sub-3” integral, there’s more than enough to redeem the design.

It’s difficult to find comparisons to the Thor4s. There are plenty of production integrals, but few at this price point, and none at this size. The Lionsteel SR-22 (when it debuts) will be the next smallest integral that I’m aware of, but even then it will be substantially larger than the Thor4s. If you’re in the market for reasonably sized integral, this is likely your only option.

Next up: the Steel Will Modus.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Rike Thor4s at BladeHQ or Amazon.com. Thanks for reading!

Zero Tolerance 0450CF Review

by Dan Jackson 17 Comments

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I lust after knives for months, or even years, before pulling the trigger. That was the case with this Zero Tolerance 0450CF. The original 0450 was cool, but the carbon fiber version put me over the top. It’s a little lighter and sleeker, and the choice of green anodized accents isn’t something you see on a lot of knives. I decided I wanted one, but could never find a decent deal on it.

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Fast forward a couple years later, and I received a trade offer that included this 0450CF. Right on. I immediately responded back that I was interested, and a few days later the knife was at my doorstep.

By way of a more formal introduction, the 0450 series is a riff on the original Dimitry Sinkevich designed 0454CF that I reviewed back in 2014. Chad McBroom reviewed the mass marketed 0452CF and Ben reviewed the shrunken down full titanium 0450. I’ve got the ultra light 0450CF for your consideration today.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The 0450CF has an over all length of 7.375″, a 3.25″ blade, and weighs a mere 2.45 ounces. Like all Zero Tolerance knives, the 0450CF is made in the USA.

The 0450 and the 0450CF are reactions to the knife market. Zero Tolerance is know for large overbuilt knives, but they received feedback that everyone didn’t want to carry around a big honking pocket knife. So the 0450 hit the scene, and then this 0450CF took that even further by replacing the titanium show side handle with carbon fiber. This shaved over almost half an ounce off the already lightweight 0450. This, my friends, makes for an ideal EDC knife in my book.

The 0450CF shares the same low slung blade that made us all fall in love with the 0454CF when it hit the scene. It’s a long, sleek, modified drop point blade, featuring a little belly and plenty of tip. The knife has a high flat grind and a decorative swedge. The blade has been given a semi-glossy black DLC coating. The edge has been uniformly applied, and there is a sharpening choil so you can easily sharpen this blade from tip to heel.

ZT opted for S35VN for the blade steel. Regulars to the site or high end knives need no introduction to S35VN. It’s a high performance stainless steel from Crucible designed specificaly for pocket knives with the help of Chris Reeve. It’s an excellent all round blade steel and a good choice for small pocket knives like this as it offers a good balance of edge retention, toughness, and ease of sharpening. I like S35VN generally, and they did a great job with the heat treat on this 0450CF. As always if you want to dive deeper into blade steel check out our steel section for all sorts of additional info.

Practically speaking this little 0450CF is a capable cutter. The blade shape is perfect for getting under envelopes, breaking down boxes, cutting fruit, and performing all the little odd ball chores I require of my EDC knives. That said, I must agree with Ben that this knife is not the best slicer. The partial flat grind binds up in material. While it cuts, it’s no Alox Cadet. This is probably my biggest gripe with the knife.

The S35VN blade has held up great, and so has the Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating. DLC coatings are among the best money can buy, and unless you scrape this knife on concrete or metal it will hold up well.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle of the 0450CF is a solid piece of carbon fiber on the show side, and a black DLC coated titantium framelock on the reverse. The knife is held together with two green aluminum standoffs and an oversized pivot. Construction is simple yet elegant. All the hardware is black save for the green anodized standoffs. The fit and finish is exceptional. The screws are all the right length, the parts line up perfectly, and the finish work is excellent. The carbon fiber is lightly textured, and shimmers slightly in the light. This handle has been beautifully done.

The 0450CF is a small knife, but it doesn’t compromise in the ergonomics department. Dimitry’s design is simple and it should work well for most people. I take an “XL” size glove and have no problem getting a full four finger grip on this knife.

There is a short row of jimping on the spine that provides you with a little traction and something to index your thumb on. Beyond that there is not much in the way of texture. That’s fine by me as I don’t think this knife needs aggressive texturing. It works well as is.

The pocket clip is a standard parkerized black spoon style pocket clip. It’s relatively discreet and unobtrusive. While it’s not a true deep carry clip, it buries the majority of the knife in your pocket and keeps the 0450CF tucked away. The clip is swappable for right or left side tip up carry. A deep carry clip would have been nice.

I have carried this knife quite a bit. The 0450CF is a knife that you forget you are carrying. At just under 2.5 ounces this is not going to pull your pants down. The clip has great retention and the knife stays where you want it to in your pocket.

Deployment and Lockup

This is a Dimitry Sinkevich designed flipper made by Zero Tolerance, so the flipping action is outstanding. The detent is perfectly tuned for crisp, snappy flipping action each and every time. I’ve never “flubbed the flip” with this knife and I’d say the action is a solid “8” on the 0-10 scale. It’s good. Inside you have a caged bearing system. It is exceptionally smooth and you can shake the knife closed easily.

Please note I’m a lefty, so I don’t have any issues with putting my fingers on the lock bar when flipping the knife. I tried flipping this 0450CF with my right hand. Beside it being incredibly awkward for me, it works fine. No issues flipping open this knife. I think ZT fixed the issue that plagued their earlier knives.

Here is a shot of the 0450CF next to another excellent EDC knife, the Spyderco Sage 1:

For lockup we have a titanium frame lock with a stainless steel insert. Zero Tolerance does such a good job with these, that I almost feel that writing this section is unnecessary. The lock bar engages early and securely. The lockup is rock solid with zero blade play in any direction. The lock is smooth and easy to manipulate with no lock stick. This is titanium frame lock perfection and continues to be something of a gold standard in my world.

Blade centering is dead nuts center on my knife.

Zero Tolerance 0450CF Review – Final Thoughts

Ben was a little lukewarm on his 0450. He didn’t like the way the knife cut, the ergonomics, and he had issues with the action. Aside from that Mrs. Lincoln tells me the play was OK.

I think Ben raises valid points. A little knife like this should zip through stuff, but the combination of narrow blade and partial flat grind impacts the 450CF’s slicing performance. It still cuts, but it could be better. Personally, the ergonomics were spot on for my hand, and I found that the 0450CF flipped great. Ergonomics will vary from person to person, and I think ZT addressed the flipping action.

All in all, I am glad I picked up this little 0450CF. It’s as cool in person as I always hoped. I like the look of it over the standard 0450 and how it’s even lighter with this carbon fiber handle.

The 0450CF is an excellent little EDC knife in my book. With a retail price at close to $200 it’s not cheap, but I’m glad I went for it. The 0450 is probably ZT’s most practical EDC offering for the average person. This carbon fiber version takes things up a notch.

Zero Tolerance 0450CF Folding Knife, 3.25" DLC S35VN Blade, Carbon Fiber & Titanium Handle, KVT Ball-Bearing Opening, Frame Lock, 2.45oz

3.25-inch S35VN steel blade shows amazing toughness and resistance to edge chipping, with improved edge retention. Blade Thickness: 0.121 inches
Handle features a carbon fiber front and sturdy titanium back for comfortable in-hand feel, increased strength and excellent size/weight proportion
DLC-coating on the blade gives sleek matte-black look and enhanced performance characteristics
Great companion for hunters, business professionals, wilderness guides, survival experts, first responders, military, law-enforcement and more
Ideal gift for any special occasion such as birthdays, holidays, graduations, anniversaries, promotions, weddings and more

I recommend purchasing the Zero Tolerance 0450CF at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Kizer Gemini Lefty Review

by Aaron Shapiro 1 Comment

Ray Laconico has been a favorite knife maker of mine for a long time. Over the years that I have been buying and selling custom knives I’ve had the opportunity to own two different customs from Ray. His style is simplistic, but with a very unique aesthetic that sticks out on a table full of titanium knives.

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The Kizer Gemini, a production version of the famous Jasmine, came out a few years ago to much fanfare and excitement, it was a chance for everyone that wanted a piece of Ray’s designs to be able to get it, at a price that would encourage them to put the knife to use.

Kizer also has been making ripples in the EDC cutlery world, largely because of the fact that they seem to have mastered the ability to partner with custom knife makers and create extremely high quality versions of their knives. They’ve successfully done this with a number of notable makers including Matthew Christensen, Sheepdog Knives, Mikkel Willumsen, and a handful of others. Let’s get into some specifics.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Gemini has an overall length of 7.25″, a 3.125″ blade, weighs 3.6 ounces, and is made in China. Kizer makes a more affordable Vanguard series version of the Gemini. Ben Schwartz reviewed that one in 2016. And although this review is of the lefty version, it just as easily applies to the regular Gemini. The only difference is that the knife has been “mirrored” and the lock is now on the other side.

The Gemini has a traditional “leaf” style drop point blade. Very similar in a lot of ways to some of the popular offerings from Spyderco. This blade shape excels, in my experience, for general EDC use. The full flat grind peels layers away when you’re slicing through food or other materials, it’s easily sharpened without any tricky recurves, and the 3” mark is right in my sweet spot for daily carry.

S35VN steel seems to attract a little bit of controversy, my experience with it has been pretty good however. It takes a good edge on my Wicked Edge, and will hold it through a lot of work (in particular a lot of cardboard boxes). As an aside, I think that sharpening your own knives can be a good exercise in understanding how steel preforms under wear. Lots of people talk about wear resistance, toughness, and edge retention but I have found that these characteristics present themselves best during sharpening.

Kizer stonewashed the blade on the Gemini. Stonewashing comes in many flavors, this one is very similar to the stonewash CRK uses on their knives. It repels wear, and looks really sharp (ha) over time.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is contoured Titanium, that have been blasted to a satiny matte finish. The handles are rounded (kinda like a river stone) to be comfortable in hand. There’s something to be said about the knife being a little slippery but its a tradeoff in my opinion.

The handle’s design is simplistic, flaring out towards the pivot to contain the mechanics, and tapering as it moves backward. The spine of the knife rises up a bit to create a very effective palm swell when you grip it. There is a negative angle on the handle that descends down into your grip, between that and the choil formed by the flipper tab when opened the grip is pretty firm and stable when the knife is opened. With the knife closed the pocket clip acts as a nice guide to rest your fingers on when you flip it open, doing this helps keep your hand off the lockbar.

The clip that debuted on the Gemini was a (frankly) cheap bolt on bent Ti spring clip. It was a real speed bump visually for me on the knife. In the newer iteration Kizer has created a milled Ti clip that compliments the design very well. It’s mounted with two screws to the lock side and leaves roughly half an inch visible when it’s in the pocket.

I want make an important point when it comes to a knife’s pocket clip. You likely use the clip more than you use the blade. It’s what holds your knife in your pocket and keeps it from falling out. While doing this, the clips also have to be trim enough to not catch on anything, rounded enough to not cause a hot spot when you use it, and attractive enough to not completely mess up the lines and aesthetics of a reasonably expensive knife.

I’ve seen and handled the first generation of Kizer Gemini, the original clip was really awful at several of these points, but the updated clip solves those problems.

Deployment and Lockup

The Gemini is a titanium frame lock flipper, the tried and tested configuration. One of the things that stands out about Laconico’s custom pieces is their flippability. The knives I’ve owned from Ray have been smooth, with perfect detents, and excellent lockup. The Gemini is no different.

Kizer incorporated a steel lock insert on the Gemini to ensure lasting lock strength and to guarantee that there won’t be any lock stick. The steel lock bar insert trend in production knives is an interesting one to me, in theory it’s the best way to give a frame lock the longest life possible. Late lock up typically occurs as the harder steel tang on a blade rubs against the softer titanium lock face, the blade side of the frame lock over time grinds away the surface of the lock bar’s lock face. Replacing the Ti side of the lock with steel prevents this, it also prevents galling (lock stick). Additionally the steel insert acts as an over-travel stop preventing you from hyper extending the lock bar when you unlock it.

One of the things that always stood out about Laconico’s custom knives is their flipperability (That’s a technical term we use in the industry to describe how well a knife flips. -Ed.). Kizer employed a similar caged bearing system in the Gemini to ensure smoothness and ease of opening. It’s a tried and true method, and Kizer executed it well.

Kizer Gemini Lefty Review – Final Thoughts

So, to wrap up the Lefty Gemini in a nutshell, I think it’s a great value. You’re getting a full titanium, S35VN, steel lock-bared, knife. The fit and finish is excellent, and it’s a great way to get introduced to Laconico’s work without spending custom knife prices.

It’s also worth commenting on the left handedness that Kizer has embraced. Being lefty was what pushed me into buying custom knives, I didn’t like having to adapt myself to use production knives. Whenever I see a company that offers a specifically left-handed option, I try to at least buy one to support that gesture. If you’re left handed, I encourage you to do the same, and if you’re right handed… Well, the Gemini is still a great choice.

Kizer Gemini Framelock

I recommend purchasing the Kizer Gemini at BladeHQ or 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.

Kizer Feist Review

by Grayson Parker 1 Comment

Last Updated: July 13, 2019
The Kizer Feist is a knife that I’ve wanted to check out since seeing it in the 2017 catalog. At first, I almost missed it: it’s seemingly such a plain design that my eyes slid right over its page, and it was only during a follow-up perusal that I noticed it was a front flipper. Internally, that changed the design from “plain” to “minimalist.” Maybe a silly distinction on my part, but that was the train of thought.

Buy the Kizer Feist at BladeHQ

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Unfortunately, the first run of Feists had issues. Some customers complained of gritty actions and stiff lockbars, so Kizer put a hold on production until they could fix those issues in the now-released second run (with the help of the designer, Justin Lundquist). Between the risks of buying a first generation model and the speed with which the second run sold out, I never had a chance to pick one up.

Luckily, someone offered to trade me their Feist a few months back, and I’ve been carrying it frequently ever since. Incidentally, that person is Tony Sculimbrene of Everyday Commentary. His review of the Feist was published back in September 2017, and I recommend checking it out. This is a rare occasion where two people review not only the same design, but the exact same knife. [This happens to be a high quality unit from the first production run, for the record]. On the whole we’ve come to similar conclusions, though I think I’m a bit more taken with the Feist than he is.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Kizer Feist is a relatively small knife. It features a 2.875” blade housed in a 3.625” handle, and measures in at 6.55” overall. At 2.68 ounces it’s also pretty light. Numbers never tell the whole story, but I’m impressed by the size of the blade they manage to fit into the handle. The attention to detail is similarly impressive: the blade is perfectly centered, has a rounded spine, a curved plunge line, and a very attractive stonewashed finish. It also bears mentioning that the sub-3” blade of the Feist is legal to carry in a wide array of jurisdictions.

In addition to falling into my favorite size range, the Feist also features one of my favorite blade shapes. The modified drop point (especially this iteration of it) is far and away the most useful profile I’ve encountered for everyday tasks. It is comparable to the blade of the Viper Dan 2, or (if that’s too esoteric a reference) an ordinary paring knife. There’s enough belly to handle a picnic lunch, but not so much that the blade will slide out of prolonged cuts in, say, cardboard.

I have to admit that after reviewing the Alter Ego I was more than a little concerned about how the Feist would be ground. I needn’t have worried. Not only does the Feist have thinner stock (.12” thick as opposed to .14”), but the dished grind nearly reaches the spine of the blade, making for a much keener knife overall. As the picture below suggests, it didn’t cut the apples as cleanly as a paring knife, but it didn’t split them, either. It’s not perfectly ground – there’s a hair of wobble along the plunge grind – but that’s a fairly minor detail, and it doesn’t impact the cutting performance.

Crucible’s S35VN is a common choice for Kizer, so I wasn’t surprised to see them implement it on the Feist. That’s not to say it’s a bad choice, mind: S35VN is well regarded for its edge retention, rust resistance, and general toughness, especially compared to its predecessor S30V. I’ve sharpened the Feist once in two months, and truth be told it didn’t need it, I just wanted to polish it up a little. As always, regular stropping is recommended.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

Simplicity is a wonderful thing. There is nothing extraneous to the Feist’s handle: no scallops, no inexplicable bumps or angles, just plain, contoured titanium. The only concession to vanity is a decorative pivot screw, but even that can be turned with an ordinary torx driver. Flaws would stand out on a design as simple as this, yet the handles are symmetrical, clean, and blemish free. The matte finish Kizer put on the Feist adds a bit of grip and contributes to the spare design language.

The themes that make the Feist’s handle visually appealing also make it incredibly practical. There is not a single line that forces the user to hold it in a particular fashion. Combine that, the excellent contouring, and a balance point just shy of the overtravel stop and you get a remarkably deft and responsive knife. There is no flipper tab, finger choil, or jimping that will stop your fingers from sliding onto the blade though, so be careful.

The Feist features a milled titanium pocket clip that’s mounted for tip-up, right-side carry. Unfortunately, that’s the only position to attach a pocket clip unless you want to modify the Feist or find someone who can. It’s fine as far as milled clips are concerned. The edges on it are buffed enough that it doesn’t generate a hot spot, and it has some (though not much) spring tension. Stowing and retrieving the Feist wasn’t an issue in jeans, work pants, or gym shorts, but for some reason I needed to use both hands to clip it to the pocket of my slacks. I honestly couldn’t tell you why.

Once stowed, the Feist is an excellent pocket companion. It’s lightweight, slim, fairly short, and has contoured scales to boot. There’s enough tension in the clip that it doesn’t shift in the pocket, regardless of what pants I wear. The clip leaves just under half of an inch of the handle exposed. An over the top style clip wouldn’t be unwelcome, but I’ve found the Feist discreet enough for my needs.

Deployment and Lock-Up

One of the reasons I really wanted to check out the Feist was because of its deployment method: the front flipper. Unlike traditional flipper knives (part of my brain is screaming as I type that), front flippers don’t have a tab that’s pulled to deploy the blade. Instead, the rear tang of the blade is elongated and machined to add a bit of grip, which in turn gives the user’s thumb enough purchase to pop the blade open. It’s a very elegant choice, and eliminates problems like accumulating gunk and snagging threads that other deployment methods are subject to.

Unfortunately, this new flipping has a learning curve to it, and Kizer’s execution of the front flipper was less than perfect. Many customers complained of gritty actions, which made opening and closing the knife more difficult. Apparently (and this is secondhand knowledge, so take care) the internal stop pin wasn’t press fit but left free floating, and that was responsible for the grit. If you own a first generation Feist, don’t worry: Kizer is running a redemption program where you can exchange it for an updated model. My review sample hasn’t exhibited this problem: the pivot is reasonably smooth, the detent is crisp, and deployment is easy, though there is a trick to it. Instead of trying (and failing) to describe how to use a front flipper, here’s a video that may help:

Once deployed, the Feist’s blade is held in place by a titanium frame lock. This particular lock features a stainless steel lock face, an inclusion that should be the industry standard by now. Not only do they reduce the need for maintenance, they also make it easier to service the knife, and thus prolong the life of the tool. Furthermore, it’s easy to incorporate a hidden overtravel stop into these inserts, which is exactly what Kizer did.

The lock’s performance has been excellent in the two months and change that it’s been in my possession. There is no blade play, no lock rock, and it consistently engages around 40% of the blade tang. Thanks to some careful machine work from Kizer, there’s enough room for my thumb to access the lock, and the internal edges are chamfered for comfort. Some users have reported overly stiff locks, but this seems to be limited to models from the first run. As before, mine has no problems.

Kizer Feist Review – Final Thoughts

Overall, I’m very impressed by the Feist. It’s a practical, elegant design that matches my needs perfectly, whether I’m in the field, the office, or enjoying a day off. That its debut was marred by reports of shoddy manufacturing is a shame, but by all accounts the second run has none of the problems of the first. The only cross-generational complaint is that the milled clip is a bit stiff, but that’s far from a dealbreaker, at least for me.

Unless you find a sale, the Feist costs around $170. That price bracket has some pretty stiff competition, including the Benchmade G-10 Griptilians, the Spyderco S110V Paramilitary 2, and the Zero Tolerance 0450. I wouldn’t turn my nose up at any of those, but for my money I’d rather have the Feist. Its unique, refreshing, and hopefully a sign of more to come from designer Justin Lundquist.

There are a few people that may want to steer clear of the Feist. Firefighters, EMS workers, law enforcement, and military personnel might find that the design is ill-suited to their needs. The design cues that make the Feist a fantastic everyday carry knife also make it a less than ideal rescue or ‘tactical’ knife. However, if – like me – your needs are fairly simple, and you’re just looking for a pocketable, elegant cutting tool, I think you’ll be more than happy with the Kizer Feist.

Next up: the Prometheus Lights Beta QR V2 in brass.

Kizer Feist – From $168.00
From: BladeHQ

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