Titanium Frame Lock Knives

Kizer Intrepid Ki4468A1 Review

Last Updated: August 12, 2019
The high end Chinese Renaissance has been blossoming for a couple years, and Kizer is arguably the Michelangelo of the movement. Yet there hasn’t been much coverage here of this rapidly expanding segment of the market. Ben has capably covered a couple knives from Kizer including the original Ki3404-A3 and the Vanguard version of the Gemini. I have been curious about Kizer myself, and recently acquired a Rogue and an Intrepid, the subject of this review.

Buy the Kizer Intrepid at BladeHQ

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Like the Gemini, the Intrepid is another collaboration with custom knifemaker Ray Laconico. But rather than this being a knife from the more affordable Vanguard series, we have the premium offering here replete with S35VN blade steel and sculpted titanium handles. What I find interesting about Kizer knives is their singular focus on quality. This fanaticism has gone so far that they import their materials from the United States and Japan. That doesn’t sound at all like the Chinese manufacturers of yesteryear. I think a review of a modern high end Kizer is long overdue here.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Intrepid has an overall length of 8.25″, a 3.625″ blade, weighs 5.64 ounces, and is made in China. This is the bigger brother to the Gemini, which has a 3.125″ blade a weight of 3.65 ounces, and a much simpler and more “socially acceptable” profile. Although the Gemini is a more practical Every Day Carry (EDC) option, I wanted to check out the Intrepid because we already have an excellent review of the Vanguard version by Ben. Tony does a great job as usual with his review of the dress version.

The Intrepid is bigger and badder than the Gemini, and it features a large modified clip point blade. I always enjoy a good clip point, and this one is no different. Actually, it’s a little different in that the blade has a harpoon, but it works much like a regular clip point. The draw to the harpoon is that it makes for a good thumb rest and funkier looking knife. I like the unique blade shape. The hollow ground blade gets thin behind the edge, and the edge itself has been evenly ground. The swedge and belly meet to form a needle sharp tip. Although they are more aggressive looking, clip point blades are well rounded performers, and this blade is great for a variety of tasks.

Kizer selected CPM-S35VN steel for the blade. S35VN is a popular choice, and I’m glad to see it here. This is an American steel made by Crucible with input by Chris Reeve, and the end result is a blade steel that is a little tougher and easier to sharpen than S30V. It also finishes nicely, and the blade of the Intrepid comes with a nice stonewashed finish.

I have carried and used my Intrepid extensively. I continue to be impressed by the ease of maintenance and edge retention on S35VN. My knife came sharp straight out of the pouch and I have used it for a variety of domestic chores including breaking down boxes, working around the house, and a little woodworking now that the weather here in Florida has finally cooled off.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

S35VN blade steel is all well and good, but what really impresses me with the Intrepid is the handle. Here we have full 3-D contoured titanium handles. These handles are milled, not cast, and if you look closely you can see the cutter path You just don’t see much of this. Probably the closest competitor I have reviewed with contoured titanium handles is the Spyderco Slysz Bowie. The Slysz Bowie is immaculate, but it’s also nearly $100 more than the Intrepid.

This 3-D contoured handle comes with all the fixings you would expect in a premium titanium framelock flipper: oversized pivot, steel lockbar insert and overtravel stop, and a blue anodized titanium backspacer. Fit and finish is perfect on my knife.

Being a larger knife, the Intrepid has plenty of room for your hand and should accommodate most people with ease. The finger groove and broad spine both naturally draw in your hand. This is a comfortable piece that works well. There isn’t much in the way of a “traction plan”, but somehow the knife has managed to stay in my hand. The bead blasted titanium offers a little traction, and in my opinion the lack of jimping is a pleasure, not a curse. If you want something a little higher traction then I’d probably suggest the G10 handled version.

The pocket clip is understated when compared to the rest of the knife. This is a simple folded titanium clip, and the only adornment is the fact that it has been anodized blue to match the hardware and backspacer. That’s OK with me because the clip works. It has excellent spring retention and the knife stays firmly in place – even when clipped to lighter fabrics. This is a big knife, but it carries like a smaller blade thanks to the strong clip and slim handles.

The only potential negative is that the handle is only drilled and tapped for right side tip up carry. Not a problem for me, and I’d hate to see them drill any more holes in this handle than absolutely necessary.

Deployment and Lockup

The Intrepid is a flipper on caged ball bearings. The bearings are smooth and the blade flips with authority. For people that like metrics, I’d say it’s a strong “8” on my 1-10 flipper action scale. It flips only crisply and reliably every time. The flipper tab is large, angled, and easy to get at. There is no jimping on the flipper tab, but once again we don’t need it. Clearly the guys at Kizer have spent some time studying the American flipper market and know what we want. This thing sings.

For lockup we have a titanium frame lock. This lock has been outfitted with a stainless steel insert that doubles as a lockbar stabilizer, much like the Spyderco Domino and some of the Zero Tolerance flippers. Lockup is early without being too early, and secure without being sticky. Lockup is also rock solid. No blade play, no wiggle, and no tweaking required. I’d say the flipping action and lockup is on par with Zero Tolerance, a company known for making some of the best production flippers in the business.

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Kizer Intrepid Review – Final Thoughts

I was wrong to wait so long to check out these Kizer flippers. The Intrepid has everything I look for in a titanium framelock flipper and then some. Here we have a great design, premium materials, superb fit and finish, nice details, and a dialed in flipper. This is a bigger knife, but it carries like a smaller knife, and for a little over $200 you are getting a lot for your money. The 3-D machined handle is what sets the Intrepid apart. Offhand I can’t think of any production titanium framelock flippers with fully contoured titanium handles.

Here is a shot of the Intrepid next to the Hinderer MP-1:

The Intrepid is about the same size and thickness as the recently reviewed Hinderer MP-1, but it feels slimmer and more than .2 ounces lighter (the difference on paper). Granted the Hinderer is a tank and this is something of an apples to oranges comparison, but I still find it interesting to juxtapose these knives. The build quality on the Hinderer is superior, but the Intrepid is a special knife in its own right.

I recommend Intrepid if you are looking to scratch that higher end titanium frame lock flipper itch. There is a lot to like here, and again I can’t think of another flipper that has a handle like this.

I think the Vanguard version will also be a good buy if you want something at a more approachable price point. And check out the Gemini if you are wanting a more urban friendly EDC. Either way I don’t think you will be disappointed with these Kizer / Ray Laconico collabs.

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I recommend purchasing the Kizer Intrepid 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.

Hinderer MP-1 Review

by Dan Jackson 2 Comments

It seems like every time I write a review of a Hinderer knife I can’t help but open with a commentary on the state of the Hinderer market. Maybe it’s the finance degree talking. At any rate, a few years ago a Hinderer XM-18 would sell for well north of retail. Some were selling for close to $1,000.

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Those prices slowly began to drop from their peak, and when I wrote my review of the XM-18 3.5″ back in October 2014, I paid around $550 for the knife. Still about $150 above retail, but a far cry from the $800+ they were commanding when I was seriously getting into knife collecting in 2011-2012.

Fast forward to October 2015 when I reviewed the XM-18 3″. I paid $385 for that knife, which is right around retail.

And oddly enough I bought my MP-1 right around the fall of 2016, and I paid $450 for it on the secondary market. It retails for $695 on Knife Art. Things sure have changed. Who would have guessed that you can buy a Hinderer for below retail on the secondary market? Probably not the guys that paid $1,000 for their XM-18s.

Regardless of the reason I won’t complain. It allowed me to pick up the MP-1 at a nice price for this review. And the MP-1 is an interesting piece that I might not have checked out at full retail. It shares a lot of similarities to the XM-18, but it’s stockier in build. This knife also comes with a new feature. MP-1 stands for Modular Platform-1, and this knife’s selling feature is a removable backspacer that can be swapped out with various other backspacers. I am not sure if the replaceable backsapcer on its own it would be reason enough to buy the knife, but the rest of the MP-1 was intriguing.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The MP-1 has an overall length of 8″, a 3.5″ blade, and weighs 5.9 ounces. This knife was designed by Rick Hinderer and is made in the USA. The MP-1 a substantial knife and is about half an ounce lighter than a G-10 handled XM-18 3.5″. Personally, this is not the most practical Every Day Carry (EDC) knife, but it’s beautifully made with lots of detail. The workmanship is unmistakable and I have spent many evenings admiring this knife. While I have carried and used my MP-1, my ideal EDC knife is usually about the size of a Sage 1. I am sure some carry theirs religiously, but must confess this is more of a collectible for me.

The MP-1 has a modified sheepsfoot blade, not dissimilar to the Benchmade Triage rescue knife. This lends a friendlier profile to the MP-1 and gives it a workmanlike feel. Sort of like the orthotic sneakers old people wear. Its much less aggressive than the original XM-18 line. While there are some design flourishes to elevate the MP-1, at the end of the day this is a comfortable and practical knife if you can get over the weight and thickness of it. This blade cuts well with a high flat grind. The tip is a little lower on this knife but is still surprisingly fine. You can easily pierce materials with it without it being needle sharp. The edge has been ground perfectly.

The MP-1 comes with S35VN blade steel. S35VN isn’t super high end stuff, but it’s totally adequate here. I don’t necessarily need this thing to come in S110V, although I suppose that would be interesting. S35VN is a great higher end working steel. Easy to maintain, yet it holds a good edge, is reasonably tough and corrosion resistant. It has become one of my favorite steels for an EDC knife. Similar to CTS-XHP in that it’s just a good all round steel and you won’t need a diamond stone to bring an edge back on it.

These days I tend to gloss over the knife steel part of the review unless it’s a new steel or I really have something to say (beyond my practical observations and a few general words on the steel itself). If you want a deeper dive into blade steel, chemical composition, etc., then I suggest checking out the knife steel section of the website.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

This is a full titanium framelock flipper made by Hinderer. That is to say, it’s both beautifully built and totally overbuilt. They started with two thick pieces of titanium for the frame, and sandwiched it between oversize custom stand offs and a large custom pivot. Fit and finish is exceptional. The titanium has been finished to a buttery smooth texture. The edges have been chased with decorative chamfering while the diamond pattern found on the G-10 scales of the XM-18 have been machined in little reliefs on the handles. The blade, backspacer, pocket clip, and handle all have been stonewashed while in contrast the hardware is satin finished, leaving you with a dramatic monochromatic knife.

The handle may be overbuilt for most normal people, but you can’t deny the beauty of it. I especially like the extra details found on this model. The quality of the workmanship reminds me of my old Shirogorov 95-T. We are talking about the higher end of the production pocket knife section. No one “needs” a knife like this, but enthusiasts of high end knives appreciate these in the same way you would appreciate a nice watch, high end leather goods, or any other type of luxury product.

Since this knife was apparently named after a Hinderer’s new Hinderer Modular Backspacer System (H.M.B.S.), I better spend some time to talk about it. This is a backspacer that can be removed with a single torx screw rather than disassembling the entire knife. The backspacer wraps around the stand offs and the torx set screw holds it all in place. The stock backspacer is a geared affair that comes with an oversized lanyard loop, but RHK offers a variety of backspacers that include bottle openers, impact tools, various anodized options, etc. In practice it works as advertised. Its easy to take it out with the turn of my WiHa driver.

Here is a video by Rick Hinderer himself explaining the H.M.B.S. in more detail. I think looking at the below picture will save you the 10+ minutes. It’s pretty straight forward.

Whether it is something you want to play around with is an entirely different story. Some get a kick out of modding their Hinderers with anodized parts, after market filler tabs, new scales, etc. No doubt the MP-1 is designed to cater to that crowd. Personally, I like the stock backspacer, and the knife seems a little empty without it. I probably won’t be buying any additional backspacers, but I can see the appeal. All in all I think they did a good job with the execution.

As I mentioned earlier, the MP-1 is a comfortable knife. You would hope so given how thick it is. While the knife has some ornate flourishes, at the end of the day the handle is simply shaped. It’s comfortable and will accommodate a variety of hand sizes and grips. There is a small forward choil behind the edge that gives you extra options and control. There is flat top jimping on the spine of the blade and backspacer, and the milled handles also provide a little traction. The titanium has a great feel in hand, and overall the MP-1 is a pleasure to hold and use.

The MP-1 features the same spoon style pocket clip of the XM-18 series. That’s nice because it’s a good pocket clip design. Retention is excellent and the MP-1 stays in place when clipped to your pocket. This isn’t a deep carry clip, and the MP-1 isn’t the most discrete of carries, but the knife mostly buries into the pocket. Being a thick and heavy knife, it isn’t going to EDC like a Dragonfly, but it does stay in place and out of the way. This carries as well as any other 6 ounce knife I have owned.

Also, just like with the XM series, the MP-1 is ready for right side tip up or tip down carry. There is a “filler tab” screwed in place near the pivot.

Deployment and Lockup

The MP-1 has an odd combination of thumb studs and flipper. I say “odd” because the thumb studs do not work unless the blade is partially open. I suppose it’s used in the event the flipper does not completely deploy the blade. That’s a real potentiality on the XM-18, which has a notoriously weak detent, but here the detent on the MP-1 is pretty good. The blade opens reliably and I’d say this flipper is a solid “6” on a 1-10 scale (with a 10 being something like the ZT 0454). Action is crisp, but it is possible to occasionally “flub the flip” and get a partially deployed blade. The knife uses teflon washers. Action is smooth and the knife flips open, so I can’t complain.

With the XM series the thumb studs are technically blade stops, so it could be argued that they don’t “need” to work as thumb studs. Here, the MP-1 actually features a set of hidden blade stops that travel underneath pockets milled out in the handle, so the non-functional thumb studs are a little more puzzling. They do come in handy if the blade doesn’t fully open with the flipper. Beyond that I don’t see the point to them.

For lockup we of course have a titanium framelock. This is just bare titanium against the steel tang of the blade. No steel inserts, although you do have the Hinderer lock bar stabilizer peeking out from behind the pocket clip. My lock has been executed beautifully. The lock face is generous and lock up is around 30%. There is no stick, and absolutely no wiggle, lock rock, or blade play of any kind. The MP-1 is rock solid.

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Hinderer MP-1 – Final Thoughts

I like the MP-1 and can appreciate it for what it is. It’s high end pocket knife that is unapologetically overbuilt. This will only appeal to a certain type of knife enthusiast: one who appreciates overbuilt knives, and has a fair amount of disposable income. The thing is, the MP-1 has been beautifully executed. Some high end hard use knives are mere “me too” products that boil down to being janky rip offs. Here it’s obvious that quite a bit of thought and skill went into putting the MP-1 together. It may not be office friendly, but it’s beautifully made. It certainly isn’t a janky rip off.

Similar to the Eklipse, I don’t think the MP-1 will enjoy the success of the XM-18 series, but there was something oddly compelling about this knife. Sure it’s heavy and impractical for mere mortals like myself, but it will appeal to those seeking a full titanium Hinderer. And this is a more premium knife than the XM-18. There is extra work here. Extra detail. I obviously can’t speak for everyone, but it drew me in.

Perhaps the customizable nature of the knife will appeal to people as well. I never got into the knife customization thing, but there are guys that are really into that. Although Modifiedz hasn’t posted a video in years, people still seek out “knife pimpers”, and customized Hinderers regularly find their way onto the secondary market. Buying a Hinderer and then buying different hardware and handle scales to make it your own is a thing. The MP-1 could serve as a blank canvas of sorts and takes the concept of making the knife your own one step further.

If this was released a few years ago there would likely be a lot more fanfare. After all, this is a full titanium framelock flipper straight from the Hinderer factory. This is previously the stuff of legends. Even 3 years ago people would have crapped their pants for the chance to buy one at a knife show lottery. Today it’s another option if you are seeking out a high end folder. A lot more options have come onto the market recently, and while I think the MP-1 has been well done, I’ll be the first to admit that this knife is not for everyone.

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I recommend purchasing the MP-1 at Knife Art, BladeHQ, or [easyazon_link asin=”B0773W7LPG” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”brdfkdfk-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Amazon[/easyazon_link]. 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.

Pohl Force Mike One Review

by Dan Jackson 4 Comments

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.

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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.

Freeman Outdoor Gear 451 Flipper Review

by Benjamin Schwartz 6 Comments

Last Updated: August 5, 2019
Few of us have the money to shell out hundreds of dollars for every knife we think we might like. We have to cull the herd. Maybe we splash out for a promising ‘Maybe’ every once in a while, but 80% of the time we go for the sure thing. Most of the knives I skip I forget about, with nary a second thought given them. But every so often a Maybe knife won’t be forgotten. It lingers in the memory and asks me over and over again, “What if you’re missing out on something special?”

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Such was the case with the Freeman Outdoor Gear 451 Flipper. I heard good things, and admired the flipping action, unique aesthetic, and button lock mechanism from afar. My cursor would hover over the “Add to Cart” button on the Freeman website, but I never could quite commit. Thankfully, a friend and fellow gear geek offered to send his 451 my way to try out.

After wondering for years what this knife is like, I’ve had a chance to try it out, and the news is mostly very good. The Freeman 451 flipper manages to bring a unique set of features to a section of the market that is saturated with a lot of sameness. It goes deeper than a straightforward recommendation, but there’s a lot of interesting things to cover.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The 451 has a blade length of 3 5/8”, a handle length of 5 1/8”, an overall length of 8 13/16”, and is made in the USA. There are bigger blades than the 451, but this pushes up right against the limit of what I would consider reasonable proportions for something that folds and is meant to be carried the pocket. That is strictly a function of the 451’s overall shape, however: at 5.5 oz. it’s actually quite light for its size.

The market is so rife with drop points that you think I’d be sick of looking at them. However, the proportions and grind make the 451’s blade shape memorable and useful. This feels like a blade that can take a beating , with thick blade stock and a lot of material brought right up behind the edge, but the grind is masterful: a mirror-polished secondary bevel that is nice and wide without being thin or brittle. The result is a combination of toughness and slicing ability that is rare in big blades. This is probably as good a balance as you’re likely to see on a knife this size.

The striations on the blade are bound to polarizing. I actually think they’re look pretty good, and they make cutting through choky material like cardboard easier. The knife almost ‘revs up:’ the longer the pull through material, the easier it gets. They might cause issues with long-term sharpening, but other than that I can’t complain.

Steel here is D2. This is a venerable tool steel that I have had very little experience with before now. The edge was very clean and very sharp. I think the thick stock and wide-but-not-narrow edge bevel really accentuate D2’s edge holding ability while minimizing its reported tendency to chip. In another smart move Jeff Freeman chose to Cerakote the blade. As a semi-stainless tool steel, rust is a concern with D2. In an uncoated blade the grooves would give me pause; I can see moisture creeping into them and wreaking havoc. Thankfully, between the coating and the mirror polish on the bare edge, I’d say you’re pretty much protected set barring grossly neglectful behavior.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Carry

The handle on the 451 looks like your average one finger groove affair, but that isn’t quite how it feels when you’re holding it. That finger groove is huge. It can accommodate two fingers, actually, but it works best with one finger in it. Holding the knife naturally, the pointer finger rests at the very bottom of the groove. This gives your knuckle some clearance so it isn’t butting up against the flipper tab – something that so many flipper knives neglect to do.

In terms of control, it’s good. Your hand is situated pretty far back. You undoubtedly lose fine control, but fine cutting tasks aren’t the 451’s calling. I used to think that all big knives that couldn’t also do fine cutting were needlessly sacrificing something, but that’s not true. Just because the PM2 can function as an EDC doesn’t mean that all larger knives have to, and really the PM2 is just barely a big a knife anyway. The 451 is much more clearly meant for specific kinds of tasks, and in those tasks the ergonomics are great. There’s a sort of finger choil on the blade itself as well, but I found it a little too close to the edge for my comfort.

The 451 carries quite well for a big knife. You could EDC it if you wanted and not be totally displeased with the in-pocket feel. But where I think the 451 excels is in its lightness and narrow frame relative to other hard-use big blades. You aren’t going to feel like you have a paperback strapped to your thigh carrying the 451 on a hike. The aluminum frame is gentle on your pockets and the titanium clip is adequately-tensioned and beefy as hell.

Deployment and Lockup

I don’t think flippers are, in any way, an improvement over thumb studs or opening holes. I tend to think that they are in fact actively worse. They often muck up the ergonomics of a knife, and they always make it a worse carry. The 451 makes its flipper as agreeable as possible.

It deploys surely and swiftly every time. The weight of the blade and the strength of the detent make the 451 a snappy and sure flipper. You have to try to mess up the flipping in order to get the 451 to not lock up. It’s hard to do.

The button lock is still something of a novelty in the knife world, isn’t it? Hogue has been using it with success, but other than that the only non-automatic production maker using button locks regularly is Gerber. Maybe this is a vestige of Freeman’s influence on the company (he was head designer there for many years), who knows.

Either way, the Freeman clearly believes in the button lock, and it’s easy to see why. On the 451 it is strong, secure, and easy to engage/disengage. Your fingers don’t have to be in the blade channel to disengage it – a major positive given the free-swinging blade. There is variability in the amount of play I get when I lock the 451 up, but it’s never enough play that I care. The button lock also sticks to greater or lesser degrees depending on how hard you flick it. I think these are characteristics of the lock design, and not indicative of poor fit and finish or tolerancing.

In many ways this button lock reminds me of the Axis Lock. It’s probably slightly worse than the Axis, if only because it isn’t ambidextrous, but I never doubted its strength or security, and I am happy to see something in this price range without a frame lock.

Freeman 451 Flipper Review – Final Thoughts

I’m glad I got to try out the 451 flipper. It answers a question I’ve been asking for a long time: Is it a good knife? The answer is a definite yes. Would I buy one for myself? That’s a tougher call. When the 451 first came out, it was a little cheaper ($200 instead of $225), and the market was way less competitive. If you’re looking for a big high-end knife there are a lot of choices out there at or under the same cost, some with better features like S35VN steel – which you can get on the 451, but for a significant premium that puts the knife well outside of reasonable.

If I had bought and reviewed the 451 when I first learned about it, it would have my unreserved recommendation. What a difference a couple years and $25 can make! The 451 is still a competitive knife in a lot of respects. The materials are simple but very well-executed. It’s nice and light for its size without sacrificing any sort of durability. And personally, I think it’s a really cool-looking knife. I can’t say that the 451 is a must-buy, but definitely don’t ignore this knife when you’re looking for something big and bold.

I recommend purchasing the Freeman Outdoor Gear 451 Flipper at Amazon, KnifeArt, BladeHQ, or you can buy it direct from Freeman Outdoor Gear. Thanks for checking out the review.

Spyderco Mantra 1 Review

by Benjamin Schwartz 23 Comments

Last Updated: August 30, 2019
Admittedly, the Mantra 1 had a hill of biases to climb from the start with me. It is a titanium frame lock flipper, a style of knife that I’ve never warmed up to. I find the flipper to be an inferior deployment method for knives, and while I’ve had positive experiences recently with the frame lock, unless it is done exceptionally well it’s temperamental nature make it a sub-optimal lock for daily use.

Buy the Spyderco Mantra 1 at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

There was also the Mantra’s heritage to consider: it is more or less a retooled Delica 4. I like the Delica as it exists in knife community mythology: an affordable, ideal EDC blade, a true classic that anyone can afford. I enjoy the reality of the Delica much less: strange ergonomics, underwhelming VG-10 steel, and a just-slightly-too-high price point have made it hard for me to connect with this venerable blade.

So I picked up the Mantra 1 to see if it could prove itself worthy, both as a titanium framelock flipper, and as a reimagining of the Delica chassis.

And there are many ways in which the Mantra is a fine tool. But it has completely bounced off me. The Mantra is a safe design. Too safe. Not every knife needs to be a history-making masterpiece, but nothing about the Mantra’s design excites me. It is purely perfunctory, a competent knife, but a complacent design. Worse, there are things about it that drove me crazy from day one. The longer I carried the Mantra, the more I noticed major problems with its form, its function, and its purpose. Carrying it was never a chore, but it never distinguished itself in use, and now that it’s out of my pocket I can’t imagine why I’d ever carry it again.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Mantra has a handle length of 4”, a blade length of 3 1/8”, and an overall length of 7 ¼” and is made in Taiwan. It weighs 3 oz. As a modified Delica 4, it is a little bigger, and a little heavier.

The leaf shape blade is a workhorse. The additional cutting edge length and blade width over a Delica makes a difference when it comes to slicing. The Mantra’s blade is precise and efficient without being overlarge or cumbersome. The ergonomics mess with the cutting control somewhat, but the blade shape itself is pure gold.

The steel is my first big issue with the Mantra. I will never disparage CPM-M4’s sheer cutting ability. This is a knife that takes a sharp edge, holds it forever, and is tough, tough, tough. I liked its performance on my Air and I like it here on the Mantra – but when I’m not cutting with M4, I hate it.

M4 is not a stainless steel. It discolors, tarnishes, and stains with little provocation, and quite quickly. The minute I got my Mantra I wiped it down with oil, and even so every time I touched the blade my fingers left a mark. I left the Mantra out overnight on my desk in an air-conditioned apartment, and there was discoloration all over the next morning. If the Mantra was designed to be a true everyday user, M4 was a bad choice. I don’t want to have to baby and fret over my EDC knife; it should work well and virtually maintain itself.

I feel like Spyderco knows that M4 has a corrosion problem, because the Mantra’s flipper tab, ostensibly the place that will be receiving the most contact from your finger, is differently finished, almost polished, as if to counteract that additional contact – and it still discolors. If Spyderco wanted to go with M4 here, they should have coated or clad it. The sprint run HAP40 Delicas have a laminated blade to fight corrosion, and HAP40 actually has more chromium than M4, so I don’t know why they didn’t work to combat M4’s weaknesses on this more expensive knife.

M4 is a great steel for specialized applications, but its quirks preclude it from being an all-purpose folding knife steel. If it was the only steel in the world with great edge retention and toughness, that would be one thing, but we are literally spoiled for choice when it comes to super steels available on $150-200 knives. S35VN is not a ridiculous thing to ask for at $160, and it would have been perfect here. My suspicion is that we are seeing M4 on the Mantra for the same reason that we are still seeing a lot of Spyderco knives with S30V: they have a lot of the stuff lying around and need to get rid of it. But whether it was a matter of convenience or Spyderco really believes in this stuff, it just doesn’t work here.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Carry

I may not love the Delica 4, but I readily acknowledge that the design has been gone over so much that nothing feels like an accident. Even the handle, which I find too prescriptive, is more refined and considered than most knives’. If there was one thing the Mantra seemed to carry over unmodified from the Delica 4, it was its handle design.

But here’s where the flipper starts to make life difficult. The Delica 4 handle may not be my favorite, but it does work. However, it needs every last centimeter of its handle length to do so. The Mantra retains the Delica 4 handle’s overall length, but doesn’t change the size to accommodate the flipper tab, which of course works as a forward guard, perpendicular to the handle, when the knife is open. What this means is that you actually lose usable handle length over the Delica.

Thus, in hand, I found the Mantra a Delica-but-less, and thus uncomfortable. The scalloping makes your pointer finger run right up against the flipper tab. You also have to stretch your thumb a bit to actually make use of the jimped thumb ramp. Holding the knife like you’re supposed to, your hand is canted at a weird angle, and strangely distant from the start of the cutting edge. You lose a lot of control.

The titanium handle scales themselves are quite nice, well-machined and chamfered, with an attractive large grain stone wash. They’re mildly textured, but positive enough grip-wise, aided by the jimping on the thumb ramp and the lockbar insert. All details that Spyderco and its Taichung facility generally get right, but the flawed fundamentals make the execution more or less moot.

The Mantra works well in the pocket. The deep carry wire clip keeps it buried and out of the way until you need it, and the scales won’t shred your pants. I have been a longtime disparager of the Spyderco wire clip, finding it a little fragile. If there’s a positive takeaway from my time with the Mantra, it’s that I was wrong about this clip. It survived weeks of carry with no problem, and actually looks handsome in its way, so I’m a semi-convert on the wire clip.

Deployment and Lockup

Judging by any standard, the Mantra’s flipper is mediocre. Despite utilizing a ball bearing pivot, it’s laggardly. It isn’t thoughtless: you have to be deliberate with your deployment motion. It misfires every once and a while. It even fails at the more frivolous things: it isn’t particularly smooth, particularly effortless, or particularly satisfying to fidget with. Ironically, the Spyder Hole works really well here, and this is a satisfying knife to flick open in the ‘traditional’ way: fast and sure.

The frame lock is good. No play, and disengagement is easy. A very scrawny-looking lock bar, but it manages to inspire confidence with its fuss-free performance.

Spyderco Mantra Review – Final Thoughts

I don’t like the Mantra. The steel choice isn’t right, the ergonomics are actually bad, and the main selling point, the flipper, is undercooked. It’s hard to make an unusable knife at the $160 price point, and Mantra does work, but its profound lack of spark, along with its flawed fundamental execution, scuttles what could be good here.

Spyderco is famous for thinking their knives through, but the Mantra feels like it’s one or two design revisions away from where it should be. There are better blades at pretty much every price point.

Spyderco Mantra Titanium Plain Edge Knife

material type: Synthetic
Mantra Framelock

If you are thinking of buying a Spyderco Mantra, please consider purchasing it at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Kizer Vanguard Gemini Review

by Benjamin Schwartz 23 Comments

Last Updated: August 2, 2019
It’s a question I (and others) have been asking a lot lately: Where is the middle?

The Budget Knife has had its day: the Tenacious, the Cryo, the Skyline, the RAT-1, the Drifter; value was the byword of the industry, and knife makers were showing some serious creativity and finesse working under the restrictive parameters of budget knife design.

Buy the Kizer Gemini at BladeHQ

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Similarly, 2015 saw the high end of the market really take off, with a stream of great $150 announced and released. The materials were different – S35VN and titanium instead of 8Cr13MoV and black polymers – but the feverish pace of invention and the way in which our expectations for quality were reset were the same.

But the middle was more or less ignored. Companies’ attention was clearly elsewhere, and this is a shame. Designs in the middle of the market (let’s say the $60-$100 range) are some of the historical best: things like the Delica and the Mini Gripitilian have good materials and great designs at an affordable price. If I were feeling polemical, I’d say that the middle of the market is the only segment in which you can shake the feeling of having to have compromised: with a budget knife, even a good one, you can’t help but think it could be improved with better steel or execution; with a high end knife, you feel like you’re paying a lot for only a little more performance.

In the middle you can get, if not the best, the more-than-adequate of both worlds. Great design, great fit and finish, great materials and steel. Less compromise, more performance. But, there just aren’t a lot of designs coming out that cater to this segment; this is why Kizer’s Vanguard series, and in particular the Vanguard Gemini, excited me so much: this is a quality design, by a famous custom maker, at a very affordable price point. As soon as I was able to, I picked one up.

But there are a lot of questions here: is it a good knife? Is it a good knife for the money? Is a good knife compared to the classics of the middle genre? Is it a better value than the premium version? The answers are complicated, and intertwine; so let’s get into it.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Gemini has a blade length of 3.125″, an overall length of 7/25″, weighs 3.58 ounces and is made in China. In terms of proportions, it is adequate if not distinctive. Where it really distinguishes itself from other knives like the Delica or the Mini Grip, and even from some Kizer stablemates like the 3404, is in its custom pedigree.

The Gemini is a production version of Ray Laconico’s Jasmine. Really, the Jasmine is less a specific knife than a kind of overarching design or aesthetic, a series of lines and design nuances that are translated from one Laconico knife to another. Sometimes it’s a titanium flipper, sometimes it has a liner lock and a thumbstud, but always there’s a certain aesthetic in play, and I think this aesthetic comes through most clearly, on the various custom iterations and this production riff, in the blade shape.

It’s a drop point, almost a Platonically ideal Loveless drop point except for its somewhat more elongate tip. Although this is a larger knife than the SRM 710, it too embodies an excellent, near perfect combination of edge types: you have your straight edge, your curving belly, your acute tip. You can slice, pierce, chop gracefully. The single caveat I have is that it isn’t the most robust blade, but in all reasonable use you’ll be delighted. For all around utility, this is up there with some of the best of the best.

The Gemini’s blade is made from VG-10. Certainly VG-10 has fallen from grace in recent years. It’s a really weird steel. It holds an edge better than 8Cr13MoV or AUS-8, but worse than most other mid-tier steels like 154CM or N690Co – and it’s harder to sharpen well. You can get a functional edge back on VG-10 quickly, but to get it really fine you need to work on it for a bit. In short, it has an odd work-to-performance ratio, with no real standout characteristic other than its rust resistance – which, let it be said, is incredible.

The choice of steel is one of a few budget conscious decisions Kizer made when producing the Vanguard Gemini, and probably the least successful of the three. The middle segment of the market doesn’t have a representative steel like 8Cr13MoV or S35VN are for budget and high end knives. There are candidates, like 154CM or N690Co, but nothing established – and, while I don’t hate it, I don’t think that VG-10 should be in the running.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Carry

The Vanguard Gemini handle is G-10, as opposed to titanium on the premium version. And, to be frank, I prefer G-10 over titanium. Besides aesthetics, I don’t know what the argument is for titanium, now that I think about it. It isn’t warm to the touch, it isn’t lighter, it isn’t more durable in any practical sense. If the big advantage of titanium is that it allows for a framelock, that doesn’t sell it, as I find framelocks more or less strictly inferior at this point.

The G-10 on the Gemini is real good. It is grippy, without being outrageously aggressive. It accentuates the simple utility of the straightforward handle, giving you purchase no matter how you’re holding the blade. Compared to the Delica, which has a refined although somewhat dictatorial handle, you have a lot more freedom in terms of how you hold the Gemini.

Reviewing the 3404, the biggest issue I took with the knife besides its overall blandness was the horrible pocket clip. Kizer seems to have learned a lot about pocket clips in the time between the design of that knife and this one, because the clip on the Gemini, in terms of its lines, is very good – smaller than it looks like in pictures, but not in any way that affects carry.

What does affect carry is the clip’s tightness. It’s not terrible, but it can be a pain to pull out of your pocket. I kind of had to pull it out diagonally, in order for my jeans to not get bunched up. It’s not ideal, but I’ll take this minor inconvenience over the atrocious clip on the 3404, every day.

Deployment and Lockup

With the Vanguard Gemini’s flipper, instead of building to a price point Kizer went all out. The flipper on the Vanguard Gemini is as good a flipper as I’ve ever used. The combination of ball-bearing pivot and silky, perfectly-tensioned detent (complete with ceramic detent ball) makes for nearly effortless deployment. Seriously, I had to go out of my way to deploy this thing incorrectly, it’s that responsive.

I don’t think there’s any practical advantage to a flipper design, but like any knife collector, I am susceptible to fidget factor, and the Gemini is absolutely hypnotic and addicting to play with. It makes knives that I thought pretty fast, knives like the 3404, feel sluggish. I carried the Delica 4 again around the time I was testing the Gemini, and the laggardly lockback felt like the relic of a distant age.

Because the Vanguard Gemini has G-10 scales instead of titanium, it uses a liner lock instead of a framelock – to my mind a straight upgrade. I’ve gone on at length before about my distaste for framelocks. I suppose I’ll find one I like at some point, but until then I’ll continue to espouse the liner lock as strictly better – and here on the Vanguard Gemini we have an excellent rendition of the form.

In my experience, every knife I’ve owned has some bladeplay, or develops some over my review/testing period – even if it’s very, very little. So far on the Gemini, I’ve got nothing, and I didn’t baby this knife: a cardboard cut-off with the Delica 4 induced nothing at all. Things may change in the future but, as of now, this thing is solid.

Kizer Vanguard Gemini Review – Final Thoughts

There are three different ways to look at the Gemini. First as the realization of the Kizer Promise. They were making good knives before the Gemini, but nothing that struck me as really top-tier, nothing that really stood out amidst the competition. But the clean, ineffable lines of the Laconico custom have been given a characterful production life by Kizer. If you had any lingering doubts about their legitimacy as a manufacturer, the Gemini will put them to rest.

Second, we can compare the Vanguard Gemini to its higher-end iteration. I don’t think that it’s a question of one being strictly better than the other. I prefer G-10 to titanium and liner locks to framelocks, but S35VN is a better steel. The way I see it, there are a lot of other titanium framelock flippers with S35VN steel in the world, but there’s nothing that looks or flips like the $80 Vanguard Gemini.

Third, we can look at the Vanguard Gemini as a knife in the depopulated middle price bracket. What is its competition? The old standbys, mostly: the Delica 4, the standard Mini Grip. And against these knives I’d say the Gemini falls in the middle: I think all three are excellent designs and great users. It’s largely a matter of personal preference, but the Gemini, with its luxe flipping action and top-tier finish, feels a little nicer than either.

Regardless of where it falls in the overall middle price bracket hierarchy, the Vanguard Gemini is exciting precisely because it brings something new to this much-neglected segment of the market. It routinely sold out online. Maybe it will lead the charge of a new mid-priced knife renaissance? Be a vanguard, of sorts, if you will?

Kizer Cutlery Gemini Linerlock Green Folding Knife,3in,OD Green,G10 Handle, V3471A2

3" stonewash finish Bohler N690 stainless blade
Green textured G10 handle
4.13" closed
Extended tang
Lanyard hole

I recommend purchasing the Kizer Vanguard Gemini from 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.