Knives By Purpose

Kershaw Shuffle 2 Review

I’m on a mission. A mission to find the best, budget-priced EDC knives. Many people carry budget knives for a variety of reasons, one being they often lose them. I’ve been there and done that, so I see the logic. One budget knife brand that seems to garner some respect is Kershaw, and with that in mind, I grabbed a Kershaw Shuffle 2.

Buy the Kershaw Shuffle 2 at BladeHQ
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The Kershaw Shuffle 2 costs a mere 20 bucks, and that’s a reasonable price for a budget based knife. The Shuffle 2 is more significant than the original Shuffle but keeps its multifunction design. It also has several different features that distinguish it from the Shuffle and make it more than just a slightly modified variant.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Kershaw Shuffle 2 sports a 2.6-inch long blade that is 0.106 inches thick. The handle is a hair under 4 inches long and is .4 inches thick. When closed, the knife is 4 inches long, and when opened, the overall length is 6.3 inches. The knife weighs just a mere 3 ounces, and that’s super light. The blade does a decent job of being efficient in both size and weight.

The Shuffle 2’s blade is an American Tanto design, so it packs a little wallop for such a small knife. The cutting edge is rather short due to the lack of any real belly to the knife. The American Tanto tip gives you a nice corner edge, and that does allow for good cuts into thicker, less friendly materials. The Shuffle 2 cuts effortlessly through heavy cardboard, clamshell packaging, several layers of duct tape, and even thicker fabrics

The blade itself is made from 8Cr13MoV, a pain-to-type, but not a bad budget steel. It’s an affordable option for discerning customers. The blade can get quite sharp and seems to hold the edge well for cheap steel. It’s not as lovely as 154CM steel, but the edge seems to last for a couple weeks’ worth of EDC tasks. The Blackwash finish is one that I’ve always been a fan of. It looks very nice and protects your knife from visible scratches and stains.

For a twenty-dollar knife, I find the 8Cr13MoV to be more than adequate. For a pocket knife, the steel is well suited for daily tasks and cuts well while looking good.

The Shuffle 2 has a big choil that your finger fits into easily and prevents the blade from closing should the lock fail. The choil is quite comfortable and is a natural extension of the grip. Not using it to hold the knife would be silly. The knife blade lacks any jimping at the top of the blade for driving it with your thumb.

The Shuffle 2 has a nice swedge for cutting through thicker materials. It does glide through things like tomatoes and allows the wide and flat blade to do its job.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is an exciting design that has a gradual curve to it. The handle is designed built-in finger grooves that feel generous and conforms to your hand and does not force your hand to adjust to it.

The grip itself is made from glass-filled nylon and comes in various colors. Mine is a lovely olive green, and I honestly enjoy the look of it. The grip is also textured with an odd wave-like design that clings to the hand without being overly uncomfortable.

The grip design also fits all four of my massive fingers on it. I wear XL gloves, and my hand fits on the knife very well. The knife gives you a fantastic degree of control over the knife. The mix of a short blade and a long handle makes it very easy to handle. You can put a lot of pressure on this little blade, and it can take it.

On the bottom end of the handle is where the multifunction nature of the Shuffle 2 comes into play. The sizeable looking lanyard loop is a lanyard loop and a bottom opener, and the tip is even a flat head screwdriver. As a flat head screwdriver, you can also use it as a pry bar. These are neat, but to be honest, I’ll never use the rear of this knife for anything other than a bottle opener.

The pocket clip is skinny, but the knife is light, so it’s not a big deal. The pocket clip is reversible for either side, but you can only carry tip-up. I prefer tip down, but it’s not a deal-breaker.

Deployment and Lock-Up

Opening the knife is easy enough, and it has ambidextrous thumb studs. You can easily open the knife with one hand, and the blade does glide out of the handle very smoothly. Those thumb studs are rather small, so you can’t sling it open rapidly like most knives. I think a rear thumb flipper would be a better option. If you want to use two hands for whatever reason, you can comfortably grip the swedge and pull it open with little resistance.

The blade uses a simple nested liner lock that clicks loudly in place and delivers both an audible and tactile feedback. The Shuffle 2 does lock up very tightly and feels very solid overall. I have not noticed any movement, play, or feel like the blade is going to come loose on me. The choil also ensures the blade isn’t going to close on you as well.

The liner lock is rather small and tougher for me to reach with my fat thumb. It’s easier for me to use my index finger to hit the liner and close the lock. The Shuffle 2 is a compact knife, so I guess this is one sacrifice you have to make.

Kershaw Shuffle 2 Review – Final Thoughts

The Shuffle 2 is a rather impressive blade for the money. Color me impressed. I plan to keep seeking out budget knives, and I’m pleased the search has started so well. The Shuffle 2 is a worthwhile budget blade that is a great EDC tool. It’s not one you’d take as a survival blade, a self-defense weapon, or on deployment, but it’s a great choice for everyday carry. The Shuffle 2 offers a lot of knife for a low price.

Kershaw Shuffle II Folding Pocket Knife, Small, Lightweight Utility and Multi-Function Knife, Multiple Styles

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Kershaw Shuffle 2 at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.

Victorinox Hunter Pro Alox Review

by Dan Jackson 8 Comments

The term “Swiss Army Knife” conjures up a certain image. It’s arguably the most universally recognizable pocket knife, spanning the gulf between lay person and hardcore knife enthusiast. These knives are universally popular in part because they are universally useful. Sure, the models with 20+ tools begin to border on the absurd. Fun, but maybe not functional. But models like the Cadet and Pioneer can be appreciated by the collector and average person alike.

Buy the Victorinox Alox Hunter at BladeHQ
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And for many these will be the first knives they handle. Whether it was quietly taken from dad’s bureau on a long summer afternoon, or openly handed around the camp fire in Boy Scouts, the SAK conjures up all manner of nostalgia.

In many ways it’s that standard Swiss Army Knife formula that makes these endearing. They haven’t changed a whole lot since childhood. Little pill shaped handles housing tools we have come to know and love. The penknife, the bottle opener, the nail file, the tweezers and tooth pick. They follow us along through life and settle comfortably into a shelf on the closet, or in a desk drawer, for our own children to eventually discover. It’s a virtuous cycle, and not a terrible business model either.

Victorinox has made small innovations over the years, but the designs remain largely unchanged. The Hunter Pro Alox is a significant departure from the pill shaped slip joints. It’s a big knife with a single blade. It comes with an ergonomic handle, a back lock, and pocket clip. It may seem trivial to you and me, but this is something of a big deal to a company whose product has remained mostly unchanged for over 100 years.

The question is whether the Hunter Pro is truly something significant. Does it mark a change in how we think of Swiss Army Knives? Or is it merely a novelty? This knife was provided to me by Victorinox free of charge. All thoughts are my own.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Hunter Pro Alox has an overall length of 8.875″, a 3.875″ blade, weighs 6.25 ounces, and is made in Switzerland. This is a large folding knife. Not just for Victorinox, but for any company with the exception of Cold Steel. I was puzzled by the purpose of this knife. Puzzled to the point where I had to look to the company’s literature to understand what they were aiming for with this piece. According to Victorinox, this is a “cross-over” between an outdoors knife and an urban EDC. I don’t know.

Here’s a size comparison with the Spyderco Endura. Sorry for the blown out picture, and the dark pictures on this review. Was playing around with the camera settings and it was not a particularly good idea.

The knife is massive, which doesn’t necessarily bother me, but the weight of it is distracting. Admittedly I have the Alox version, which is the heaviest. Victorinox also offers the Hunter Pro with walnut handle covers or plastic handle covers. Either one of those shaves about 3/4 of an ounce off the weight. The Hunter Pro could be a fun choice for a camp or hunting knife, but this ain’t no EDC. Not in my book at least.

The blade is a near 4″ drop point. It curves gracefully like a whale, lending a utilitarian vibe to what may otherwise be considered a big freaking knife. This gentle giant has been designed for utility. There is a saber grind, and small swedge. The entire blade has been given a matte bead blasted finish. The Victorinox logo and “Swiss Made” have been engraved into the blade.

I am unsure on the blade steel for the Pro Hunter. Presumably it’s the same stuff used in their other knives. So far it has proven to be servicable. It takes a fine edge, holds it for a decent amount of time, and is easy to sharpen with a ceramic rod. Victorinox also offers the Pro Hunter with a Damasteel blade as part of a limited edition release they did for 2020. This limited edition is retailing for $400, so I’m not sure how many of those you will see in the wild.

In practice I’ve used my knife on cardboard and some light food prep. It’s starting to get hot in Florida, and most of my time outdoors has been spent on my bicycle, or mowing the lawn. Can’t say there have been many camp fires since the temps breached 90 degrees. And that may be where the Pro Hunter really belongs: at a camp site dicing root vegetables, and sharpening sticks.

The name “Pro Hunter” implies that this would be a choice for dressing game. Alas I’m not much of a hunter, and haven’t had the chance to butcher anything with it besides a bag of bacon. It creates lardons with the best of them.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Pro Hunter Alox has full steel liners, aluminum handle scales, and a solid steel backspacer. The closed length is almost 5.5 inches, so that’s a lot of material and a lot of weight. But everything has been nicely finished. All the parts line up neatly, and the Hunter Pro feels well made. The bright aluminum handle and jaunty bias to the Victorinox cross give it an almost ceremonial appearance. As if this knife could be used at a coronation… or perhaps a circumcision.

One nitpick is that the handle is riveted together. That’s fine for a $30 knife, but given the price tag of this model hovers around a hundo, I’d like a knife that can be disassembled and cleaned. Especially if it’s geared towards hunting.

The Pro Hunter feels cool and comfortable in hand. The edges of the alox handles are rounded, and even though there are a series of finger depressions, there are no hot spots to speak of. And there is no lack of room on this oversize handle either. For traction, you have the signature Alox pattern on the sides of the handle, and a short run of mild jimping on the spine of the blade. Aluminum has never been considered a high traction material, and this knife is not a paragon of traction, but for normal use I found it comfortable. Wood or plastic would be a good choice for outdoor use, but the nice thing about this bright red handle is that you won’t lose it on the forest floor.

This is the first Swiss Army Knife that I have seen with a factory pocket clip, and Victorinox appears to have put a lot of thought and energy into it. This is right side, tip up only deep carry clip. It’s large, and I think that was necessary given how hefty the knife is. The clip’s spring tension is good, and the knife is held in place, but this is a knife that you will notice in the pocket. I’ve never been a belt and suspenders guy, but the Pro Hunter has me thinking about it.

This is a somewhat discreet knife in the pocket. The knife buries completely, but the large pocket clip stands out next to denim. Here is you in the pocket shot:

Deployment and Lockup

You get 2 choices with the Pro Hunter: a thumb hole or nothing. I opted for “nothing”, and the result is a 2 hand opener. It’s an easy knife to open with two hands. There is an expanse of blade flat to grab onto and a mild back spring, so it doesn’t need a nail nick. The thumb hole version is more practical, but this version works too. The two hand opening might make it legal in certain countries. The action is fluid, and there appear to be some washers inside the knife.

The Pro Hunter uses a lock back to lock the blade in place. The lock works well. The spring retention is strong enough to keep the knife from opening by gravity, but the blade opens with a satisfying clack. The lock up is rock solid. No blade play at all in any direction. Disengaging the lock is easy enough. Everything works as it should and feels good.

Here is a parting size comparison with a more traditional SAK. This is the new 93mm Alox Farmer X:

Blade centering is perfect. Rounding things out is a large slotted lanyard hole.

Victorinox Pro Hunter Alox Review – Final Thoughts

The Pro Hunter Alox doesn’t quite work for me. On one hand, it’s well made and functional. Victorinox has always made a nice knife, and this Pro Hunter is well made. The red aluminum handles are striking, the fit and finish is excellent, and everything works as advertised. The pocket clip and lock back are both well done.

The problem is the knife is way too heavy. Maybe if they ditched the liners, thinned the blade, and re-worked the steel backstrap you would have something that could cross-over between outdoor use and Urban EDC without pulling your pants off. As it stands the Pro Hunter strikes me as an oddity in my collection. Large and heavy, which makes it less practical. I hope it won’t stop Victorinox from attempting to innovate, but it doesn’t entirely feel like a step forward for the brand.

Victorinox Hunter Pro M Alox Folding Knife Red Aluminium Handle - Red

Compact and Sleek: The Hunter Pro Alox is the sleek and handy every day carry for the modern man
Versatile: Its iconic design and perfect form combined with the sturdy blade make it the ideal cross-over from the outdoors to the urban jungle
Durable: The standout feature is the hugely popular Alox scales, known and loved for their durability
Other Features: Add in the new smart clip, spring integrated lanyard hole and paracord pendant and you have hunting’s new generation go-to multi-tool
Finish: Aesthetically it’s a hit too; the subtle shimmering finish showcases the knife’s key parts with style

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Victorinox Pro Hunter Alox at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.

Zero Tolerance 0308 Review

by Travis Pike Leave a Comment

I got a little silly with my knife purchases in the last few years. If it wasn’t an automatic knife, my purse strings got tight. I’m not saying I’m a cheapskate, but I was ignoring some great knives in the premium market if they didn’t have a button to flip them into action. A friend told me I needed a Zero Tolerance because I had never owned one, and he sent me the Zero Tolerance 0308, and upon my reception of the knife, I saw how silly I was being.

Buy the ZT0308 at BladeHQ
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The ZT 0308 is a sweet knife that’s designed for heavy-duty work, and it doesn’t have that fancy button I love to press to deploy a blade. I’ve always known that Zero Tolerance makes great knives but never had one I could personally experience. I quickly figured out how much I’ve been missing out on when it comes to ZT knives.

The Zero Tolerance 0308 is a new knife in the ZT line up and is a good choice for those who prefer a bigger knife for everyday carry.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The 0308 has a 3.75-inch blade that is 1.375 inches wide, and .16 inches thick. The overall length of the knife is 8.875 inches long, with the blade open. The ZT 0308 weighs 7 ounces and is a big, beefy knife. This big knife is certainly not for everyone, and it may be a bit much for many looking for an EDC knife.

The 0308 is an excellent knife for those in the first responder field who need something a bit bigger than the standard pocket knife. This does offer those in that role a knife with a big, thick blade, a superbly secure lock-up system, and a grip that’s perfect for gloved use. I work in a field that takes me in and through the woods at times, so I do prefer a bigger knife for my daily carry.

The big, beefy blade does provide a very nice belly that gives you 4 inches of cutting edge and a drop point tip. The upswept drop point design does give you the ability to slice deeply and cleanly. The swedge on the top of the blade certainly helps when cutting straight through soft materials. It also reduces weight and does give the blade an eye-pleasing appearance.

Speaking of eye-pleasing, the stonewash finish is evenly applied and looks fantastic. It’s not overtly bright or eye-catching, but quite handsome. The top of the blade is jimped for texture, and the flipper is also jimped to ensure your finger latches on as you press the edge into service. At the bottom of the blade, we have a sharpening coil, which is a nice touch.

The 0308 steel is made from CPM-20CV steel, which is a Crucible Industries creation. This is very high-quality knife steel that is hard and extremely durable. It’s not difficult to sharpen and seems to stay sharp for absolutely forever. The CPM-20CV is an excellent all-around steel that stands up well to abuse. I batoned wood with it and have yet to see a cheap or bend, or anything else. Batonning wood is typically a function of hard, heavy-duty fixed blade knives, but the ZT 0308 is also up to the task.

During my quarantine blues, I’ve been setting up a bit of a home gym, and to hang a punching bag, I strung up some 10mm climbing rope. The ZT 0308 chewed through that thick rope without any difficulty. It just cut and sliced through that material exceptionally smoothly.

For more traditional cutting, the 3.75-inch blade chewed through cardboard, 550 cord, envelopes, heavy-duty clamshell packaging, and even fabrics including thick 5.11 Tactical pants.

I had a spare pair of work pants with blown-out knees, and I wanted to see how fast I could cut through them. This would replicate what a first responder may have to do to access a wood, cut through a seat, and more without stuttering the ZT 0308 cut right through them.

It’ll also cut right through chicken for my famous chicken fajitas.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

As a guy with big hands, I love a big grip. The ZT 0308 has a significant grip that is a must for such a big blade. One side of the handle is a G10 panel, and the other is titanium. Both sides are textured aggressively but comfortably as well. Hot spots are only an issue at the area where the pocket clip sits. Loosen that grip a bit near the rear, and the knife comfortably works and works hard without rubbing you raw.

The texture is also well suited for glove use, which many first responders will undoubtedly be wearing. With my thick and heavy fire rated gloves, the ZT is still easy to wield, and both deploy the blade and put it away. Once the flipper is locked into place, it also acts as a tiny finger guard.

The pocket clip is broad and clings tight to the knife. This prevents it from catching on an armrest when you sit down, and as someone who does that all the time, I appreciate it. The pocket clip is reversible, and according to the ZT website, the knife is compatible with aftermarket pocket clips as well. On top of that is a lanyard loop, which is another good option for military and first responders.

Deployment and Lock-up

I was surprised by how fast and how easily and smoothly the blade deployed. A big heavy blade would be seemingly slow and rough to deploy. It’s just physics, right?

ZT utilized KVT Ball bearings in the action, and the blade slides out incredibly smoothly. It locks into place with a loud and satisfying thwack. The jimping in the flipper is also a must-have for gloved use, and ZT was smart to include it.

The titanium frame lock is beveled for smooth engagement, and you get plenty of real estate for pressing it inwards and allowing the blade to close. The frame lock is outfitted with a hardened stainless steel lock bar insert to protect that always wonderful titanium.

The lock-up is remarkably strong, and the blade doesn’t budge in any single direction. I can’t force this thing to give.

Zero Tolerance 0308 Review – Final Thoughts

The ZT 0308 is a very well made knife. It’s designed to be a big, hard-working tool with a big belly and a lot of power. It can take some serious abuse and still keep kicking. It’s big, and some will feel like 7 ounces is a boat anchor, but it gives me a feeling of confidence. The ZT 0308 showed me that my obsession with expensive automatic knives made me ignore some very well made and designed flippers. The ZT 0308 is my work and field knife for here on out, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Zero Tolerance 0308 Folding Knife, Premium CPM 20CV Blade Steel, Manual KVT Opening, Coyote Tan G10 Handle, Made in the USA, 3.7 Inch

Large 3. 7 Inch razor sharp blade, premium CPM 20CV Steel provides exceptional hardness, wear resistance, and edge retention
Coyote Tan G10 Handle on the front scale with a titanium back - above average weight at 6. 9 ounces
Stonewashed blade finish helps hide use scratches while a titanium framelock holds the knife open while in use
KVT opening mechanism is manually opened with a flipper; the blade glides smoothly open on ball bearings. Pocket clip is reversible and compatible with many aftermarket pocketclips.
Made in the USA - All Zero Tolerance Knives are produced in our Oregon facility

Zero Tolerance 0308 – $300.00
From: BladeHQ

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Zero Tolerance 0408 at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.

WE Knife Co. Scoppio Review

by John Burridge 2 Comments

I’m writing this review at my work-at-home desk during the 2020 COVID lockdown, and ironically the first translation Google gives me for “scoppio” is “outbreak.” The second translation (from Italian) is explosion, which is more likely what WE Scoppio designer Toni N. Tietzel had in mind. The German designer’s logo is his initials on a little stick of dynamite. The star of this show is the blade’s unique (explosive?) compound grind. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I was going to buy this knife.

Buy the Scoppio at BladeHQ or GP Knives

Back in the olden times when I actually physically worked in a building that wasn’t my house, I showed the Scoppio to my two knife-lovin’ co-workers, and I noticed something interesting: several non-knife people wanted to touch it. It’s generally been my experience that most… how do I say this nicely? Most… indoor-oriented people act like if they pick up a folding knife it’s going to bite them like a rattlesnake.

But the Scoppio, which is not small or meek looking, elicited an unprecedented amount of interest. They were drawn to its unusual-looking handle design, its unexpectedly heavy weight in the hand, and definitely by its rich, sparkly blue stonewashed color. My appreciation of this knife goes significantly deeper than that, and it starts with the basic specs:

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Scoppio has a 3.6” (92 mm) long drop point blade that’s .16” (4 mm) thick, and has a deep stonewash finish. Mine has blue titanium handle scales and a gray blade, but there are black, bronze, and gray handled versions available, some with black stonewashed blades. The open length is 8.18” (208 mm) and my medium-large hands can get a comfortable four-finger grip on the Scoppio when open. All versions run around $259.00 online.

The blade is CPM-20CV stainless steel, which is the sort of premium knife steel that’s expected in this price range. According to smart people who understand steel, CPM-20CV is virtually identical to the more well-known Bohler M390 steel. The main difference is M390 is made in Austria, and CPM-20CV is made in America.

So the Scoppio was designed by a German, the name is Italian, the blade steel is American, and the whole thing is assembled in Yangjiang, China. If I may digress for a moment, the city of Yangjiang is home to a remarkable number of knife companies. Higher-end makers include Reate, Kizer, Bestech, Rike, and Artisan Cutlery, in addition to WE and it’s less fancy sister company, Civivi. It’s like a Chinese version of European knife-producing cities like Solingen, Germany or Maniago, Italy, but undoubtedly a thousand times larger. End of digression.

CPM-20CV has a Rockwell Hardness (HRC) rating between 59 and 61, which is excellent in terms of edge retention, AKA hardness. The tradeoff of a high hardness rating is usually a lower “toughness” rating, meaning that if you whack the cutting edge of the blade with a hammer, the blade is more likely to chip than dent. That’s a tradeoff I’m happy to live with, since I would rather take the risk of a chipped blade over having to sharpen it more often, like I would have to with a less hard steel with a higher toughness rating. CPM-20CV’s 59-61 HRC is nothing compared to Sandrin Knives tungsten carbide blades which reach 71 HRC, but again, the tradeoff of that much hardness means a brittle blade.

The Scoppio’s blade has a lot going on design-wise, starting with it’s overall shape.

It’s a drop point with an unusually big belly that dips a little lower in the middle than at its base. The Scoppio’s belly is one of the many small, unconventional touches that make this knife so fascinating to me. The spine of the blade, for example, is neither a straight line nor a gentle, unbroken curve like on most knives. From tail to tip, it constantly changes angles and thicknesses. And the grind on the flat of the blade is bonkers. The multi-angled grind reminds me of the work of knife design genius Geoff Blauvelt of TuffKnives. He often does interesting 3-D grinds, and Strider Knives has what they call the “Nightmare Grind”, but both strike me as kind of aggressive-looking and seem designed to draw my eye towards the blade tip. The Scoppio’s grind just looks weird. Good weird for sure, but weird.

The unique grind doesn’t seem to impede cutting, but it is a thick blade. Slicing through a crisp apple, the thick top of the blade stock eventually ends up splitting the apple open like a wedge. The Scoppio was my only food prep tool at the 2020 SHOT Show, and I used it daily as a bread slicer, vegetable chopper, and Vegan-aise spreader. By the way, I can tell you from personal experience that it’s virtually impossible to find vegan food at the Shooting Hunting Outdoors Trade show. The Scoppio performed hotel room kitchen duties a little better than a typical flipper-opening knife due to the blade’s belly, but the flipper tab extends well below the blade, so dicing and chopping required a rocking motion, which is less than ideal. Next year I’m bringing a real kitchen knife and a cutting board.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The show side of the handle, like the blade, has a standout feature: no visible screws. The “WE” logo hides the knife’s pivot, and it’s flush with the handle scales so the knife has zero wobble when laid flat- a nice touch.

At first glance, it looks rather plain, but upon closer inspection it’s full of subtle curves and unexpected angles. My favorite example of this on the Scoppio are the side-by-side vertices (basically the corners) at the butt end of the handle.

The rearmost vertex (1) follows a logical, normal path by having its corner centered at the apex of the curve. It’s symmetrical and looks “correct” to the eye. The vertex right next to it, however, (2) goes off at a weird angle.

The eye expects vertex 2 to go in the direction the orange arrow is pointing, but instead of being normal looking, its corner angle veers off to the right. I think the design principle this violates is called isometric angle symmetry, but I don’t know anyone who can answer obscure geometry questions. The robust, milled pocket clip’s shape is a (hopefully) easier to grasp example of the strangeness of the Scoppio’s design.

The clip, starting near the tip, is a uniform width. It goes along a predictable curve, as illustrated by the orange lines. Then it gets to the screws, where it looks like it got bent and sliced off with a razor blade. The eye expected it to finish its nice curve, but designer Toni M. Tietzel said no! to that expectation. The entire knife has interesting curvy lines and strange angles, and I absolutely love how unique it is.

I mentioned at the top of the review that non-knife people showed a lot of interest in this knife, and I think one of the factors was that it feels much heavier than you’d expect for something this size. Everyone immediately tossed it up and down in their hand and remarked on the weight. The Scoppio’s bladestock and titanium handle scales are each 4 mm thick on the sides, and where the two pieces meet on the top to form a closed-back design, it’s a total of 13 mm across. The heft of this knife made me aware that titanium isn’t nearly as light as I thought it was. I have other knives that weigh more than the Scoppio’s 4.6 oz (131 gm) but this knife just feels heavier than it looks.

I think the Scoppio’s ergonomics are good- the clip is comfortable against my hand in any grip, the edges of its smooth handle scales are all nicely chamfered so there are no noticeable hot spots, and it’s long and wide enough for me be able to wrap my fingers around it, resulting in a solid grip. It gets slippery when my hands are wet, but I find most folding knives to be hard to hang onto with wet hands.

I’ve noticed that, when dry, smooth titanium feels grippier than smooth aluminum, and that textured G10 and micarta are grippy by nature. I assumed good wet knife retention to be a function of the handle material or how much traction is milled into the handles. I take the thoroughness of my reviews somewhat seriously, so I brought 10 of my folding knives over to the kitchen sink and opened, closed, and manipulated them all with wet hands. I had handles made of machined carbon fiber, machined G10, textured G10, aluminum, copper, smooth titanium, and heavily machined titanium. Surprisingly, the slippery-hands knife retention winner was my GiantMouse Knives GM1.

The GM1 (center of picture) is the smoothest, flattest titanium knife I own, but it also has the most pronounced index finger groove. It turns out that finger grooves work really well with wet hands. The finger groove kept my hand from sliding back and forth, and slipperiness barely affected my grip. The Scoppio’s flipper tab kept my index finger from sliding forward onto the blade, but there’s not much in the handle shape to keep the knife from slipping out of my hand in the other direction should I ever have to hack open an old-fashioned gallon can of olive oil.

Deployment and Lockup

The Scoppio didn’t win the wet knife handle contest, but it definitely wins the best lock engagement sound award. It’s a superbly satisfying steel-on-steel clack, and I’ve never heard its equal in the flipper knife world. I don’t know if it was by accident or design, but WE Knife Co. got the harmonics just right with the Scoppio. It may be connected to the fact that the designer ignored the modern trend of milling weight-reducing pockets into the inside of the thick titanium handles. But whatever the cause, the overall result is a meaty snap when the Scoppio is flipped open on its ceramic bearings.

I have a huge, stainless steel 44 Magnum revolver that weighs 3-1/2 pounds, and the sound of quickly thumb-cocking it is the closest parallel I can think of to snapping open the Scoppio.

The flipping action is smooth and very well-balanced, and the small flipper tab has a little jimping on the front to give my index finger some traction. Lockup on mine is at 30%, which I would usually think of as inadequate, but there’s no arguing with the clack- it’s locked open tight. One contributing factor to the tight lockup may be the blade-mounted stop pin pictured below.

A stop pin (as I understand it) is a typically cylindrical piece of steel inside a folding knife’s handle that the butt end of the blade rests on when it’s open. Its function is basically to keep the blade from opening too far, and to keep the blade in the exact right place when it’s open. On most of my knives, the stop pin is mounted inside the knife between the handles. On the Scoppio, the stop pin is attached to the blade, and it rides in little grooves machined into the handles. I read online that blade-mounted stop pins like this can help reduce side-to-side blade wiggle. I don’t know if that’s true, or if one kind of stop pin system is superior, but frankly it’s too boring for me to investigate further.

WE Knife Co. Scoppio Review – Final Thoughts

This has been a thoroughly positive review up to this point, but according to the sacred code of the reviewer, I have to find something negative to say…OK, I wish the pocket clip screwed into the handle from the inside so the screws wouldn’t be visible, giving the Scoppio an even cleaner look.

And speaking of clean looks, the Scoppio has quite a noticeable seam where the two sides meet. I’m not saying that the Scoppio isn’t well made, but look at where the two halves of the handle meet on the Reate Knives Starboy pictured above- now that’s a seamless seam.

That’s all the negativity I can muster. I love this knife. Its lines and angles are strange and unpredictable, yet it’s not some unusable art piece. The three knives pictured below are by three different designers, but what they all have in common is weird contours and shapes that I find fascinating.

The bottom knife is the Microtech Cypher, designed by Deryk “D.C.” Munroe. It’s like a piece of petrified wood with a huge knife blade that shoots out the front. Everything about it is a little wrong, and I find it endlessly fascinating. On top is the Bestech Marukka, designed by Grzegorz “Kombou” Grabarski. There are so many neat bio-mechanical twists and turns on this brand-new knife that I had to bump it to the top of my BladeReviews review queue. The WE Scoppio, along with the other knives in the picture, are functional art. At the risk of sounding sappy, these three have inspired me to take a stab at designing knives. It’s finally time to turn the sketches and notes I’ve been collecting for years into something in SolidWorks. The Scoppio is both inspired and inspiring, and I highly recommend it.

We Knives Scoppio – $259.25
From: BladeHQ

I recommend purchasing the We Knives 605J at BladeHQ and GP Knives. Purchasing anything through any of the links on this site helps support BladeReviews, and keep this review train running. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated.

Benchmade Mini Bugout Review

by Dan Jackson 10 Comments

Last Updated: July 17, 2021
If you have handled the original Benchmade Bugout, then it won’t take any explaining to understand why the Mini Bugout is such a big deal. The original Bugout was a home run for Benchmade. Slim, lightweight, capable, and attractive with its classic drop point hunter lines and vibrant blue handle.

Buy the Benchmade Mini Bugout at BladeHQ
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So the thought of shrinking down the full size Bugout to something approximating the dimensions of a Mini Griptilian is a no brainer. The question is whether it works. Most of the time you can’t simply shrink down a knife and expect it to feel and perform properly. Did Benchmade get it right with their Mini Bugout? That’s the eternal question.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Mini Bugout has an overall length of 6.49″, a 2.82″ blade, and weighs 1.5 ounces. Captain Obvious tells me this is a thin, light, and small knife. It’s perfect for EDC. It would be a great choice hiking, perhaps as a backup knife depending on what you are asking of your blade. The high visibility orange handle seems to suggest it was designed with outdoor use in mind. Personally, I use it for urban EDC, but in a situation where “ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain” this knife should save you some pain.

Here’s a size comparison with the full size Benchmade Bugout:

An obvious comparison would be with the Spyderco Dragonfly II. I’ve referred to the Dragonfly II as a “magic trick” in the past, and the Mini Bugout helps illustrate that point. While the Mini Bugout is very small, the Dragonfly II is still smaller thanks to it’s curved handle and finger choil. The DF2 is just a crazy small knife and it’s amazing that it still offers a full grip and all the utility of a larger folding knife.

Here’s the Mini Bugout next to the Dragonfly 2:

The blade is the same simple drop point on the full size Bugout. It has been shrunken down, but it’s still a lot of blade. That is one place where it outshines the DF2; you are getting a significantly longer blade, which could be more useful in some situations. That long blade is paired with a thin full flat grind and a simple swedge. The end result is excellent slicing blade geometry and a good tip.

My particular knife came with a blade made of S30V steel. S30V is now considered to be a classic stainless steel. Back in the day it was almost considered a super steel. It’s still a good upgrade over budget blade steels like 440c, AUS 8, 8Cr13MoV or even VG-10 and 154CM.

I have found that the heat treat plays a significant role in S30V. Obviously a good heat treat is significant for any knife, but I’ve found S30V blades on factory knives perform differently. For example, I’ve always considered the S30V on my Para 2 and Sage 1 to be reluctant to sharpen. In contrast, Benchmade heat treats their S30V in a way that is much easier to sharpen. That combined with their thin blade and edge geometry make their S30V blades a blast to use. For example, their old Volli model is a beast of a knife in S30V. All this to say, Benchmade seems to have mastered S30V and the Mini Bugout is no exception.

I’ve used mine mostly for opening packages. Lately I have been doing a lot of bulk buying and re-selling (of all sorts of things), so I’ve been working with a lot of cardboard. Whether that’s opening packages, resizing packages, or breaking down boxes, I have gone through an inordinate amount of cardboard in addition to my usual every day carry tasks. The Mini Bugout has been a laser. It is excellent at slicing, is easy to control, it holds a great edge, and is simple to sharpen. If you want a lightweight user this little Bugout will get the job done with style.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is a shock of bright orange Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon (FRN). You will have a harder time misplacing this knife, and it’s a great choice if you are going to take this knife camping. Benchmade also offers the knife with a white handle. That could be a cool. I’ve never owned a white knife before, and wonder how it will hold up with use. Hopefully they will offer some more colors in the future.

Inside the handle you have tiny steel liners. Contrast that with the heavier Mini Griptilian, which has steel liners stretching almost the entire handle. Despite the short liners, the Mini Bugout is still extremely rigid. That is likely due to the way they placed the standoff, and the engineering of the handle.

And much like the full size Bugout, Benchmade color matched the standoffs and thumb stud. That gives the knife almost a jewelry like quality. It’s a little thing, but I think it’s nice touch that you don’t see on many knives at this price point.

I had concerns regarding the ergonomics of the Mini Bugout. You can’t always shrink down a knife handle and expect it to work. In this case, it works. The Bugout had a simple handle design to begin with, which allowed the good ergos to shrink with the rest of the design. There is room for a full 4 finger grip (just barely), and Benchmade has used an appropriate amount of texturing. Mild jimping, diamond plate, and a soft texture to the rest of the handle all come together to offer grip without gripe.

Let’s turn to the pocket clip. It’s the exact same clip found on the full size Bugout. It’s a black oxidized deep carry clip. This is a shorter clip compared with Benchmade’s standard offering found on models like the Griptilian, but it still gets the job. And if you like deep carry clips, then you might say it gets the job done better then Benchmade’s standard clip.

Here’s your in the pocket shot:

As you can see the knife disappears into the pocket. It is uber discreet. And the clip has excellent spring retention as well. The knife is held firmly in place and doesn’t float around. As for how the knife carries, well, I hardly notice the knife. Much like the Dragonfly II I quickly forget it’s there until the time comes to use my knife. The original Bugout carried well, but it was a longer knife so it took up some real estate. This Mini Bugout is even less noticeable.

Deployment and Lockup

Like many Benchmade knives, the Mini Bugout comes with dual thumb studs and an axis lock. The thumb studs are easy to get to, and the blade pops out with the flick of a thumb. This knife comes with phospher bronze washers and the action is smooth and reliable. Really there isn’t much novel about the thumb studs or washers here. It’s exactly what you would expect if you have owned a Benchmade like this before.

And the Axis Lock is just like all the other axis lock knives I have owned. It works great, and continues to be one of my favorite locks. In fact, I think Benchmade may have made tiny improvements over the years as this knife has absolutely no blade play, up or down. In the past a common critism is that Axis lock knives would have a little side to side blade play in them. I wouldn’t be shocked if that developed over time, but I’ve actually used this knife pretty hard.

We have had a lot of rain here in Florida, and our stand of bamboo in the back corner of the yard has started sending out runners all over the place. Within a few days you can have a 6 foot tall bamboo shoot sprout up. A few dozen of them came up in our yard and I used the Mini Bugout to slice through them. Probably a bit much for a little knife like this but the Mini Bugout was up to the task.

Here’s a parting size comparison with the Benchmade Mini Griptilian:

I like both knives, but the Mini Bugout is even thinner and lighter. Personally, the Mini Bugout gets the nod over the Mini Griptilian.

Blade centering is off by a hair, but still acceptable in my book.

Benchmade Mini Bugout Review – Final Thoughts

The Mini Bugout is a smaller version of the already great Bugout. And the nice thing is that you don’t give up much with this smaller knife. I have done everything with the Mini Bugout that I would have done with the original Bugout, and I suspect that’s going to be the same story for a lot of people. Sure, there is the occasional use case where it’s better to have a bigger folding knife, but for most tasks you will be fine with the Mini.

The knife is well made from premium materials. Fit and finish is great, and there are enough details to make it feel special. Unless you have Andre the Giant sized hands, I suspect you will find this Mini Bugout to be fully functional. It’s everything you need and nothing you don’t. It’s a great ultra light EDC piece and I can easily recommend it.

Benchmade Mini Bugout – From $250.00
From: BladeHQ

Sale

Benchmade - Mini Bugout 533 Folding Knife with Orange Grivory Handle (533)

LIGHT AS A FEATHER: And incredibly tough; Ideal for hiking, camping, and backpacking, and made for everyday use; A lightweight, go-anywhere tool
AMERICAN MADE CPM-S30V STEEL: For first-rate edge retention and corrosion resistance; Precision drop-point construction for strength and versatility.
FULLY AMBIDEXTROUS GRIVORY HANDLE: Has an ergonomic textured grip and is molded from glass-filled nylon for superior durability.
AXIS LOCKING MECHANISM: Ensures safety and a smooth open and easy close; Reversible clip; Lanyard hole for versatile carry options.
YOURS, FOR LIFE: Benchmade will re-sharpen your knife to a factory edge for free, for the life of the knife. Benchmade LifeSharp services includes cleaning, oiling, adjustments, and re-sharpening.

I recommend purchasing the Benchmade Mini Bugout at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.

Spyderco Moran Drop Point Review

by Travis Pike 3 Comments

I’m always amazed by what I don’t know. For example, before I got my hands on this Bill Moran and Spyderco collaboration, I never knew who Bill Moran was. That sounds like sacrilege on a knife website, but I’m being honest. This isn’t an article on the greatness of Bill Moran, but he makes some beautiful knives that go for a small fortune. He helped found the American Bladesmith Society, and has been making knives for decades. The Bill Moran and Spyderco collaboration seems to blend the simple but effective Moran designs with an affordable price tag.

Buy the ESEE-6 at BladeHQ
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The Moran Drop Point knife is mass-produced, unlike Mr. Moran’s knives, and are made for heavy-duty use and not so much for collecting. This isn’t a wall hanger but a reliable and well-made working knife. I’ve had it most of hunting season, but sadly I’ve been an unsuccessful hunter. In the many months, I’ve been carrying it, and I’ve gotten a good bit of use out of it.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

Bill Moran’s designs are mostly known for their simple and elegant designs, and the Spyderco collaboration is no different. The blade is 3.875 inches long with an edge length of 3.375 inches. The blade is a standard .125 inches thick. The knife has a ¾ tang and the handle is molded directly to it. If you can’t tell by the knife’s name, it is a drop point design.

The stainless blade is quite shiny, but also very rust-resistant. The handle is made from FRN, and the overall length of the knife is 8.063 inches. It’s also one of the lightest fixed blade knives I’ve ever picked up. It weighs 3 ounces. 3 freaking ounces, holy crap is this thing light. I loved strapping it to my belt and never worrying about causing my pants slowly slide downwards on one side. I didn’t have to tighten my belt to an uncomfortable level to easily carry this knife.

From Spyderco, this knife was razor sharp. I always love it when companies send their knives out with a sweet edge, but get sad because I can’t replicate it. The Moran Drop Point is made from VG 10 steel, which is a very common kitchen knife steel. The main reason why is that it’s super resistant to corrosion. It’s stainless steel, but a solid and tough one. It’s perfectly suitable as a woods knife or a lightweight EDC blade for those working in more outdoor professions.

VG-10 proved to be a little challenging to sharpen for me, but to be fair, I suck at sharpening knives. Once you get it sharp, it stays sharp for quite some time. I only sharpened it, so I would have some perspective on sharpening it for this review. It’s also an ultra-sharp knife, and with a fine stone, you can get it very sharp.

I’ve used this knife for filleting trout, cutting chicken up for my famous chicken tacos, and doing typical knife work cutting tape, cordage, wire, boxes, and more. When it came to cutting up fish and chicken, I found the knife to be a delight. For the precise cuts required for cleaning trout, the knife was perfect. FOr cutting 4 pounds of chicken breasts into small chunks, it was a comfortable tool that made the task easy.

The same goes for your routine tasks. Admittedly when Christmas came and went, this knife got a lot of work. Why are toys so well secured in boxes? Holy crap, the number of cords, zip ties, and cardboard I had to cut before the day was over. The Moran powered through it with ease, though.

Handle and Ergonomics

What’s impressive is that the handle and the knife as a whole weigh about the same. This creates a super balanced knife that’s easy to control. The handle is made from fiberglass-reinforced nylon or FRN. This is a robust and lightweight material that provides a bit of grip to it. Spyderco is a master with FRN and uses it in some of their folding knives.

The FRN grips have non-removable Kraton panels. These are ultra-sticky panels that allow for a sure grip when working. Unlike most knives these days, there is no aggressive texturing. The combination of FRN and Kraton is enough to give you a no-slip grip under most conditions. I can testify that the grip is still strong even when your hands are wet and covered in fish slime.

Besides giving a sure grip, it’s also very comfortable. Aggressive texturing is excellent, but it tends to create hotspots. You’ll find no of those here. The grip is rounded off and ultra-comfortable in hand. The handle gives you excellent control of the blade and allows you to make fine cuts with little difficulty.

Sheath

The sheath is a lightweight boltaron model that comes with a multi-purpose G-Clip fastening system. The sheath’s G-Clip system is a polymer belt attachment with a sharp hook that connects under the belt to keep the knife in place. The system is reversible for lefties, and you can move the clip around quite a bit.

The angle of wear can be moved around for your comfort, and this includes wearing the knife horizontally if you so choose. The sheath comes up right over the blade and the knife locks in positively. It’s a good solid hold, and the knife stays put without the need for an active retention device.

The handle is also left with enough room for a good grip and an easy draw. The belt clip does its job well and hangs onto the belt without a hair of movement as the knife is drawn. The sheath is quite robust but keeps the theme of being lightweight, which keeps the entire knife system lightweight.

Spyderco Moran Drop Point Review – Final Thoughts

While the name Moran might not have meant anything to me before owning this knife, I can certainly see why Mr. Moran was such a popular bladesmith. This simple knife is far from tactical or high speed, but entirely practical. The ultra-lightweight and well-balanced design makes it an excellent tool. It’s one you can strap on and forget about, but when you need it, it’s there and razor-sharp. Plus, this is the only Moran knife I’ll ever be able to afford.

ESEE Knives 6P Fixed Blade Knife w/Molded Polymer Sheath

Editor: I recommend buying the Spyderco Moran Drop Point at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.