Knives By Purpose

Zero Tolerance 0350 Review

Last Updated: April 5, 2020

My Zero Tolerance 0300 got a lot of looks when I carried it around. At over 9″ long and with a weight of 8.6 ounces, it definitely raised some eyebrows. The excellent S30V blade was a force to be reckoned with, and I really enjoyed the loud “thwack” of the assisted opening. It was generally a really cool knife to carry, but lets be real, it’s not always practical to tote around such a beast of a blade every day. After a while a knife of that size (and weight!) might get pushed to the back of your EDC rotation, to eventually fall off into a dark corner of your knife collection.

Buy the Zero Tolerance 0350 at BladeHQ

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So the good folks over at Zero Tolerance decided to tone things down a little and offer a slightly tamer, yet no less cool version of the original 0300; the Zero Tolerance 0350. This little brother packs many of the great features that made me fall in love with the 0300, but comes in a size that is much more practical for many people to EDC (although it’s still a big knife – lets not kid ourselves). Lets take a closer look and see what the ZT 0350 is all about.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

WHile the 0350 is not as portly as it’s big brother, it still is not what I would call a “small knife.” The 0350 has an overall length of 7-5/8″ a 3-1/4″ blade and a weight of 6.2 ounces. So it’s still on the heavy side, and perhaps still too big for some to EDC, but if a sturdy good size folder is what you are after I don’t think it’s a huge issue.

The blade is a modified drop point design. There is a small recurve and tons of belly. This is the same blade shape found on the 0300, just shrunk down slightly. I like how the tip has been left very strong. The tip of the 0350 has good piercing strength, and the high flat grind makes the knife excellent for slicing. While recurves can be a pain to sharpen, they really help feed material into the edge and are great slicers. ZT rounded things off by applying a beautiful edge and laser engraved hallmarks. This is a great blade shape a wide variety of applications.

The steel on this knife is S30V, which is absolutely awesome stuff. I am a big fan of S30V because it holds a very nice edge for a long time, and is still reasonably easy to sharpen. S30V is also resistant to rust and corrosion. Zero Tolerance applied a very nice DLC (diamond like carbon) coating to the knife, which is about as durable as knife coatings get. In summary, this is a great blade shape made of great steel with a great coating applied to it.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The ZT 0350 features a classic handle formulation – black G10 over very thick stainless steel liners. The handle has been meticulously finished – I absolutely love how everything lines up perfectly, and there isn’t a machining mark to be seen. As far as construction goes, everything is held together with torx bolts, and you have a partial G10 backspacer. My only suggestion for Zero Tolerance would be to mill out the liners a little to perhaps shave off a few tenths of an ounce. Really though, this handle is built like a tank and finished like a Swiss watch.

The ergonomics on the 0350 are extremely satisfying. I wear a large glove and it feels like the knife was custom made for my hand. The width and thickness to the handle really fills the palm while the choil and thumb ramp prevent your fingers from slipping forward. The G10 has a medium level of traction, which is very pleasant feeling and offers good feedback. In reverse grip there is additional jimping for your thumb. All in all it’s a very comfortable and secure grip.

The pocket clip is right out of the Kershaw parts bin and is simple, but effective. First of all, it’s unobtrusive with it’s flat black coating. It has excellent retention, which I find extremely important for a heavier knife – this means that the knife won’t slide around your pocket (or worse, fall out entirely). The fact that this is a true 4 corners clip (ambidextrous tip up or tip down carry) almost brings a tear to my eye. This is truly a well done pocket clip.

Actual carry isn’t that bad. I found the knife is about as unobtrusive as 6+ ounces can get, although it’s certainly a change from say, my more typical 3-4 ounce EDC knives. For guys who regularly carry larger knives, I don’t anticipate any problems at all.

Deployment and Lockup

The ZT 0350 gives you the option of either a flipper or thumb studs for deployment. In practice, only the right hand thumb stud is available (the left side sits too close to the handles) but my preference is for the flipper anyways. Either way the knife springs to life with very little effort due to the stellar Speedsafe assisted opening mechanism and high quality phosphor bronze washers. This is a knife that fires hard and fires fast. And on a tactical knife, this kind of easy of deployment can be the difference between life and death. If assisted opening knives aren’t your thing, it’s easy enough to remove the spring – deployment will be smooth regardless.

Lockup on the 0350 is accomplished by a very beefy liner lock. This is a very well executed liner lock, and it bites in early with plenty of room for wear. One of the biggest differences between the 0350 and the 0300 is the absence of the titanium framelock, but I have just as much confidence in this very thick liner. It almost goes without saying, but I didn’t detect blade play in any direction.

Zero Tolerance 0300 or Zero Tolerance 0350?

A common question people have is whether they want the ZT 0350 or the larger ZT 0300. If you are one of those people, I made a video comparing the two knives.

Zero Tolerance 0350 Review – Final Thoughts

The Zero Tolerance 0350 is an absolutely outstanding knife. I love everything about it, from the choice of materials, to the incredible fit and finish, to the stellar design, to the great ergonomics, right on down to the excellent pocket clip. I am also very pleased to see that this knife is made in America and still comes in at a decent price.

Currently these can be had for right around $100. When you consider how well this knife is made, I think it represents an excellent value – especially when the 0300 costs over $200. It’s been a real pleasure having this knife in my collection and it really makes me excited to review more Zero Tolerance knives in the future. The company really seems to know how to put together a great blade and am truly excited to see what they have coming up next.

Zero Tolerance 0350 Folding Pocket Knife; 3.25” S30V Stainless Steel Blade with Black Tungsten DLC Finish; Textured G-10 Handle Scales, SpeedSafe Assisted Opening, Liner Lock, Quad-Mount Clip; 6.2 OZ.

High performance and premium quality S350V stainless steel makes the recurve blade extremely durable, corrosion resistant and wear resistant
Non-reflective black Tungsten DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) blade coating and black G-10 handle scales cleanly pair together for a sleek, smooth
Quad-mount pocket clip convenient for left or right handed, tip-up, or tip-down carry
Ideal EDC, easy folding pocket knife for everyday tasks—survival tool, precision cutting, self-defense, tactical use or the perfect gift
General all-purpose knife great for EDC or use while working, camping, fishing, hunting, utility or any outdoor activity

I recommend purchasing the Zero Tolerance 0350 at Amazon.com or BladeHQ. Purchasing anything through any of the links on this site helps earns BladeReviews a small commission at no cost to you, and keeps this review train running. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated.

Benchmade Mini Griptilian 556 Review

by Dan Jackson 26 Comments

Last Updated: November 30, 2019
As much as I enjoy discussing the latest and greatest knives, sometimes we need to stop and appreciate the modern classics. As someone who tries to stay on top of all the new stuff coming out, I can tell you that the knife world moves at a breakneck pace. Companies are constantly introducing new and exciting models vying for our attention and dollars.

Buy the Benchmade Mini Griptilian at BladeHQ

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As much as I can appreciate their desire to shower us with awesome new products, I try to occasionally pause and reflect on the real classics in the world of modern folding knives.

Without a doubt one of these classic knives is the Benchmade Mini Griptilian. The little brother to the full size Benchmade Griptilian, the Mini Griptilian takes a lot of what makes the full size so great and shrinks it down into a package that is perfect for urban EDC. For most people this knife is everything you need, and nothing you don’t.

Lets take a closer look at this “modern classic” knife, and see what the Mini Griptilian is all about.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Mini Griptilian has a 2.91″ blade, an overall length of 6.78″ and a weight of 2.5 ounces. These dimensions make the Mini Grip ideal for EDC. This is a knife that is small enough to comfortably carry, friendly enough to use in public without questions, and still big enough actually get some work done when you need it to.

However, if you need something that is capable of bigger tasks can also work as a defensive knife, I recommend checking out the full size Griptilian. Here’s a size comparison between the two:

The blade on the Mini Griptilian is a classic drop point shape. This is a timeless design that features a hollow grind and a swedge. This gives you a nice tip for piercing and detail work, along with plenty of belly for common utility tasks. You have a choice of a satin finish (shown here) or a black coated blade. Benchmade also makes a tanto version of the knife and a sheepsfoot, and you have your choice of plain edge or partial serrations. All in all, you have an excellent blade here, with tons of options to make it your own.

The steel on the Mini Griptilian is 154CM. This is a nice all-around steel. It’s not quite a super steel by today’s standards, but definitely a mid to high end steel. I like how it is easy to sharpen and how it holds a nice edge for a good amount of time. 154CM is a proven blade steel that still gets used. Benchmade also offers this knife in S30V. Benchmade’s S30V is excellent, but I find little reason to upgrade from 154CM.

In practice, the Mini Griptilian performs great. I’ve carried and used mine for years. It has performed countless daily tasks. Whether that’s breaking down a box, or helping out with a car or construction project, the Mini Griptilian can get it done. When the edge eventually dulls, it’s easy enough to bring back on my Spyderco Sharpmaker.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Mini Griptilian has a solid handle made of fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN) over full stainless steel liners. Just so everyone is on the same page, FRN is fiberglass reinforced plastic. I have no problem with this handle material, although many consider it to be inferior to G10. It’s a lightweight and strong material that I have had a lot of experience with and have never had any issues (at all).

If the FRN bothers you, then pick up a G-10 Mini Griptilian. It’s more expensive, but a great upgrade if you have the money.

Underneath the FRN we have nested stainless steel liners. This is a solid handle design, with no flex. All the parts line up flush and are of high quality. Everything is bolted together for easy take down. Like the full size Grip, this is a closed back design.

Ergonomics on the Mini Griptilian are good for a small EDC knife. With larger hands I was able to get a firm 4 finger grasp without an issue. It’s a tighter fit than the full size, but it’s definitely doable (and remember, this is the Mini). Of course, being a Griptilian, this thing is tricked out in the texture department. Benchmade included tons of jimping, a nice thumb ramp, a good choil, and a tight diamond pattern on the handle scales. This knife isn’t going anywhere – in forward or reverse grips.

The pocket clip is the exact same clip found on the full size Griptilian, which is great. I am a huge fan of this clip, it’s a good size, offers good retention and buries deep. Benchmade gives you the option of ambidextrous tip up carry. The attractive flat black coating will wear off with use, but if you ever send this knife into Benchmade for service (or just email em) they will hook you up with a brand new clip.

As far as actual carry goes, the Mini Grip is effortless. The knife is fairly slim and at 2.5 ounces you will hardly feel it. This is a knife that you will want in your pocket every day. Here is a photo of what the knife looks like in your pocket:

Deployment and Lockup

Like the full size Grip, the Mini comes with either thumb studs or a thumb hole. I like the look of the thumb studs (plus it matches my full size Grip) so I went with that. Both options provide near effortless ambidextrous deployment. There are large phosphor bronze washers in the knife that account for the incredibly smooth deployment. Both my full size and Mini Grip rank the fastest deploying blades in my collection. Also, blade centering is perfect.

Here’s a size comparison with a Spyderco Delica and Spyderco Endura:

As far as lockup is concerned, the Mini Grip makes use of the now legendary Axis lock. I’m a huge fan of this style of lock because it is incredibly easy to operate with either hand, is strong and is incredibly elegant. Hands down this is my favorite style of lock. The axis lock on the Mini Grip has been flawlessly executed.

If you live in the US or Canada I really cant think of enough nice things to say about the Axis lock. However, if you are an international reader, you may need to consider that if the spring on the axis lock breaks (which has never happened to me), you would have to send in the whole knife for repair. This would be a hassle, and rather expensive. That is the only downside I can see to the axis lock.

After owning dozens of axis lock knives for years and years, I’ve never had an issue with an Omega spring breaking. But I do occasionally get comments from international readers saying that this has happened to them. It would be great if Benchmade reconsidered their policy in these conditions, and just shipped out a new Omega spring.

Here is a size comparison of the Mini Grip with a Kershaw Skyline:

Full Size Benchmade Griptilian vs. Mini Griptilian

Now if you are anything like me, you might be interested in the Griptilian series, but are unsure whether you want the full size or the Mini. To help you out I recorded a little video comparing the two knives. I hope this helps.

Benchmade Mini Griptilian Review – Final Thoughts

I originally published this review in 2012. In 2019 I performed a major update to the review, complete with better pictures, and updated thoughts after owning the knife for the better part of a decade. The Mini Griptilian is an outstanding knife, and it has remained in my daily carry rotation over the years. This smaller version of the Griptilian makes for a great discreet EDC. I have had zero issues with my knife. It has stood the test of time.

The Mini Griptilian is an absolutely fantastic EDC option. It’s lightweight, sturdy, and very well made. It should be no surprise that this is one of Benchmade’s most popular and iconic designs. Perhaps the only issue is the price. This isn’t a cheap knife, but it is wonderfully made and I think you get what you pay for. Plus, it’s made in the USA.

The Mini Griptilian is a knife with a proven track record and has earned its place as one of the Best EDC knives. I can recommend it without hesitation.

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I recommend purchasing the Mini-Griptilian from Amazon and 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.

SOG Visionary II Review

by Dan Jackson 18 Comments

Last Updated: August 23, 2019
To many, SOG is known for their more inexpensive knives. As far as folders go, when you say “SOG Knives” people often have images of the Aegis, Trident and Flash in their head. Perhaps a SEAL Pup fixed blade might be on the back of their mind as well when they are thinking of the brand. This is fine, as SOG makes some excellent high value knives, but they do a lot more than make knives in the ~$50 and under range. The Visionary II just happens to be one of these knives.

Buy the SOG Visionary II at BladeHQ

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Made in SEKI City Japan and retailing for around $100, it only takes a moment upon handling the knife to realize that this is not your typical SOG. I think these are somewhat under-appreciated blades so I’m excited to take a closer look and share some thoughts on the knife.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Visionary II has a 3.75″ blade, an overall length of 8.37″ and a weight of 4.3 ounces. With these dimensions, and the inclusion of an arc lock (which is very similar to an axis lock) I can’t help but compare this knife to the Benchmade Griptilian. Indeed, the stats are similar (3.45″/8.07″/3.8oz for the Grip). They also share similarities in handle construction (reinforced plastic handles over steel liners) and they both feature mid/high end blade steel. However, the Visionary is a completely different knife so I’ll try to remain as detached as the hamster wheel in my head will allow.

The blade shape on the Visionary II is a modified drop point. It’s a sleek and sexy design with a swedge and belly forming a nice sturdy tip. There is a slight recurve for draw cutting and the entire knife has been given an attractive black powdercoat. This blade shape strikes me as particularly well suited for tactical applications. You have some good penetration power and recurves can be devastating when used on soft materials. I also think there are a lot of good utility applications for this blade, so we could have a larger EDC knife on our hands too. All in all this is a very nice blade, it’s well thought out and beautifully executed with a keen edg and high hollow grind.

The steel on the Visionary II is VG10. This is a very nice mid to high end Japanese stainless steel. VG10 is capable of getting extremely sharp, and will do a good job holding onto that edge. It’s a high quality steel and I find it to be a substantial upgrade over the AUS8 found in SOG’s more affordable offerings.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handles on the Visionary II are glass reinforced nylon (GRN), which is very similar to FRN (in fact I think it’s actually the same as FRN). Underneath the GRN we have full stainless steel liners. These liners are not milled out, but instead have been given an almost mirror polish. They are very well put together and line up flush. The rest of the handle is a simple, open back design with a couple pillars and a small lanyard hole.

Ergonomics on the Visionary II are good. The handle is plain but it features a nice finger choil and the corners have all been nicely rounded. On the spine of the blade there is a nice thumb ramp with some functional jimping. This style of handle emphasizes maximum reach rather than choking for ultimate control. It’s a design well suited for tactical tasks, but could do detailed work in a pinch.

The pocket clip is odd looking but well done. It’s been given a black coating, and like many SOG folders this is a deep ride clip that allows for ambidextrous tip up carry. Clip retention is good and despite the admittedly funky design, I think it works well and is a good clip overall.

Deployment and Lockup

The Visionary II has ambidextrous thumb studs for deployment. They are fairly easy to get at and with some force the knife springs to life. Honestly, compared with something like the Griptilian I found deployment to be a little difficult. Maybe it’s the shape of the thumb studs, maybe it’s the positioning, maybe it’s the washers. This is me being extremely picky, but something about it just didn’t 100% click. I suspect that swapping out the teflon washers for phosphor bronze washers would offer a substantial improvement in speed. I will say the deployment was very smooth overall.

Lockup on the Visionary II is solid. The nice thing about the arc-lock on these higher end SOGs is that it is fully ambidextrous and you can disengage it with one hand. If you are unfamiliar with this kind of lock, it is similar to the axis lock. If we are to do an apples to apples comparison here, my preference leans slightly towards the axis lock. But I know some people favor the arc lock. Really they are both pretty similar and function very well.

SOG Visionary II Review – Final Thoughts

All in all the Visionary II is a nice offering from SOG. What you get here is a well made Japanese knife, with good steel, excellent fit and finish and solid construction. I like the powdercoated blade, the comfortable handle, and how everything is assembled to very tight tolerances. To me deployment was just slightly awkward, but perhaps I needed to spend more time playing with the pivot (blade centering was perfect by the way).

All in all, this is a very solid offering, and a nice upgrade over SOG’s more basic offerings. If the Visionary II is a knife you like on paper, then I think that you will be pleased with it. Recommended to those that like the design.

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I recommend purchasing the SOG Visionary II at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Cold Steel Voyager Review

by Dan Jackson 34 Comments

Last Updated: February 25, 2018

New in 2011, the updated Cold Steel Voyagers took the knife world by storm. There was a lot to like about the original CS Voyagers, but as technologies advance old classics need updating. And I gotta say, the new version really packs some nice improvements. Lighter, faster, with better locks and beautiful details – there is a lot to love about these knives. With 3 sizes, 3 blade shapes and the option of fully or partially serrated edges there is something for everyone.

Buy the Cold Steel Voyager at BladeHQ

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I have one of each size for your consideration here (the Medium Voyager, Large Voyager, and the XL Voyager). After testing them all I can safely recommend any one of these knives. Take the “voyage” with me and learn why I like them so much.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

Since I’m reviewing 3 knives here I figured it would be easiest to throw the dimensions into a table instead of listing them out.

Model:	Blade Length	Overall Length	Weight
Extra Large	5-1/2″	12-1/4″	7.2 oz
Large	4″	9-1/4″	4.6 oz
Medium	3″	7-1/4″	3.1 oz

All the knives feel light for their size. Especially the Large and XL.

The 2011 Voyagers come in 3 major blade shapes. You have the classic clip point shown here, you also have a nice tanto version, and a version known as the “Vaquero.” The Vaquero is a modified clip point with a serious recurve. The knife you decide on comes down to your personal preferences. I think they are all pretty good, but the Vaquero will the hardest to sharpen due to the extreme recurve. I probably should have bought one of each blade style, but what can I say, I’m a sucker for a nice clip point.

And this clip point is really well done. Cold Steel started things off with a full flat grind. You also have a small swedge that forms a nice tip. There is plenty of belly and the edge is beautifully ground. Topping things off is an excellent stone wash. This blade finish really sets this knife apart. I greatly prefer the stonewash over Cold Steel’s teflon coating or blasted finish blades. All said and done the blade is really nice, especially when you consider the modest price tag.

Steel on the 2011 Voyagers is AUS 8. This changed to BD1 in 2015-2016. Both are softer steels. Cold Steel got a lot of feedback from customers wanting something with better edge retention than AUS-8, so they upgraded their premium line of knives to CTS-XHP (and then S35Vn in 2018), and their more budget oriented knives they upgraded to BD1. I don’t have a lot of experience with BD1, but it’s a softer steel. Easy to sharpen, and presumably holds a better edge than AUS-8. I think it was a good option for the Voyager series as the price is still reasonable.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle on the Voyager is a combination of grivory (Cold Steel’s proprietary high density plastic) over aluminum liners. Aluminum strikes me as a great choice for liner material here. It’s been hardened so we have good strength, and it’s nice and light. Grivory on its own is pretty tough stuff too, so we are left with a very robust handle design.

In addition to the materials, I’m a big fan of the way these handles have been put together. Everything is screwed together for easy take down. The aluminum liners are neatly nested into the grivory. Everything lines up well and has been well finished. This is a high quality handle and it really shows.

The ergonomics on the entire Voyager line are also very nice. Naturally you would expect the XL to work in your hand (and it does, in a variety of positions). The Large also functions quite well. The Medium had me most concerned as it was the smallest and was a knife I wanted to EDC. Poor ergos would have kept me from doing that. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised with how well the Medium fit in my hand. I wear a large glove and the Medium rested comfortably, with my pinky taking residence on the shelf making up the back part of the handle. I was even able to choke up a little (which I only recommend for light tasks). All the knives have deep finger choils and light jimping on the spine which give you a nice grip.

Speaking of grip, all of the knives feature a kind of “iron cross” pattern on the grivory. This pattern is nice and grippy, but is not so abrasive that it tears up my pockets (although some people have had some issues with this – which sanding lightly under the clip would fix). All the corners have been rounded and all the knives fill the hand really well. All in all I am very satisfied with the ergonomics on these knives.

The pocket clip on the Voyager generally great, but comes kind of stiff. It worked well with the thin shorts I wear down here in Florida, but I found the stiff clip a bit of a pain with thicker materials. However, it will naturally bend out with use, and if you want to you could always bend the clip out slightly yourself. You can only carry this knife in the tip up position, but I like how Cold Steel included 2 clips (for left or right side carry). I also like how CS gave these clips a black coating. The coating held up well in my 2 months of carry, although it finally started to wear off when I scraped it on some concrete.

As far as actual carry goes, the Voyagers are pretty good considering their size. They are thicker knives, and the Large and XL are quite big, but they are very light so they are more manageable than they appear. I know several people who regularly carry an XL around and I gotta admit the knife slips into my jeans really well. Between the three sizes the Medium Voyager was my personal favorite for every day carry. The stiff clip kept the knife in place in my pocket. All in all these knives carry well.

Deployment and Lockup

The Voyagers all use ambidextrous thumbstuds for deployment. They are good size thumbstuds, and it doesn’t take much effort to get any of the knives open (even the XL). I had my concerns that the backspring on the tri-ad lock would be too strong for easy deployment, but it really isn’t the case. I can even shake these knives open (with a good amount of force). CS put some high quality phosphor bronze washers in these knives and they feel very smooth. All in all I’m quite pleased with deployment.

All of the Voyagers feature the now legendary Tri-Ad lock. I’ve spoken at length about these locks. They are basically an improved backlock. They actually feature a stop pin, so any force applied to the blade goes to the stop pin instead of the rest of the lock. This feature, combined with a very beefy lockback, make the strongest lock on the market. Performance is excellent – to the point where these knives will almost act like a fixed blade.

But perhaps the biggest positive to these particular Tri-Ad locks is how Cold Steel adjusted the back spring. The Tri-Ad locks on both my Spartan and Hold Out II were very stiff. It took a lot of effort to disengage these locks, even after breaking them in. I was really concerned this would be the case for the Voyager. Again, I was absolutely wrong (man, sometimes it’s great to be wrong). The locks were very easy to disengage with one hand. Of course, they are still safe and stay locked when you want it locked, but when the time comes to put the knife back in your pocket, it won’t take a ton of pressure to disengage the lock bar. This is a huge win for the Voyagers.

Cold Steel Voyager Review – Final Thoughts

Cold Steel has really raised the bar here. The entire Voyager line is extremely well done. These are Taiwanese knives and I’ll tell you the fit and finish is fantastic. The various Voyagers sell in the $40-65 range depending on the size. At that price I think it’s a great value. Especially the Large Voyager. It’s hard to find a full size utility knife built this well at this ~$50 price point.

I continue to be impressed with how perfectly everything lines up, how wonderfully everything has been finished, and how smooth the deployment, lockup and disengagement is. From a design standpoint there is a lot to like. The great choice of blade shapes, the comfortable lightweight handles, the excellent lock, the awesome pocket clip, the great materials – I could go on and on.

So in conclusion, I like the Voyager series lot. It was one of the best releases in 2011, and when the upgraded the steel in 2016 they made the knives even better. In 2018 I still have my Medium Voyager. I find it a little thick for EDC, but it’s a hell of a work knife. If you are looking for a large utility knife then pick up a Large Voyager. Tough to beat. And if you are looking for a folding sword then snag the XL. The XL is a fun knife, but it’s not a gimmick.

Cold Steel 29TMCH Voyager Med

Blade Length: 3-Inch
Blade Thickness: 3 mm
Overall Length: 7 1/4-Inch
Weight: 3.5 oz (approx.)

Cold Steel Voyager Large 4" AUS10A Clip Point Razor-Sharp Blade 5.25" Griv-Ex Handle Everyday Carry Tactical Folding Knife, Boxed

CLIP POINT BLADE - Lightweight, comfortable, and super sharp, the Cold Steel Voyager Large Clip Point folding knife is rugged, dependable and perfect for hunting and camping as well as general utility and daily cutting chores
AUS10A STEEL BLADE - The Cold Steel Voyager Large folding knife's blade is crafted from premium Japanese AUS10A steel, renowned for its outstanding corrosion resistance and remarkable ability to maintain a sharp and durable edge over time
ERGONOMIC HANDLE - The ergonomic Griv-Ex handle is reinforced with heat-treated 6061 aluminum liners to ensure ultimate durability; This handle provides great comfort and a secure grip even under extended use in tough conditions
TRI-AD LOCK - Equipped with Cold Steel's renowned Tri-Ad locking mechanism, the Voyager Large folding knife offers unparalleled strength and shock resistance; This locking mechanism enhances the knife's reliability and safety during heavy-duty tasks
SPECS - Weight: 5 oz (141.7 g); Blade Thickness: 3.5 mm; Blade Length: 4"; Blade Steel: AUS10A; Handle Length/Material: 5.25" Griv-Ex; Overall Length: 9.25"; Knife Type: Folder; Blade Shape: Clip Point; Locking Mechanism: Tri-Ad Lock

Sale

Cold Steel Voyager Clip 5.5 inch Plain Edge Knife

Blade thickness: 4 mm, Blade Length :- 5.5 Inches
Handle: 6.75 Inches long. Griv-ex
Blade style: Clip point
Steel: carpenters cts Bd1 alloy with stone wash finish
Pocket Clip: ambidextrous pocket/belt Clip

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

Chris Reeve Knives Umnumzaan Review

by Dan Jackson 6 Comments

Last Updated: July 28, 2019
The ink had barely dried on my Small Sebenza review. I was sitting peaceably at my desk and distinctly remember saying how it would be a good while before I got my hands on another Chris Reeve knife. Shockingly enough it was only a couple weeks before the sweet Siren that is Chris Reeve Knives beckoned me back. Well, lets be real. The only thing that was really shocked by this purchase was my back account.

Buy the CRK Umumzaan at BladeHQ

This time around I picked up a CRK Umnumzaan (or “Umnum” for short). Right off the bat I could tell this was something special. Much like the small Sebenza the Umnumzaan was so attractive because of its simplicity. And in many ways the Umnum is even more simple than the Sebenza. But each piece is so carefully considered that the simple shapes belie an incredibly detailed design. It’s a really interesting knife, so lets dive on in and take a closer look.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Umnumzaan sports a 3.675″ blade, has an overall length of 8.445″ and weighs 5 ounces. This is a larger knife, suited for utility work or perhaps as an emergency defensive tool. I think most people will use the knife as an EDC item. On paper 5 ounces may seem kind of heavy, but in my hand the knife feels light for its size.

This Umnumzaan comes with a tanto blade shape. This was actually a special limited run of the knife that is completely sold out. The Umnumzaan traditionally has a drop point blade. Truth be told, I’m a bigger fan of the drop point version, but I couldn’t resist this unique tanto shape. The tanto shape is very powerful looking and quite aggressive with the hollow grind, swedge, and wonderful flat ground tip.

Speaking of grinds, everything has been ground with laser-like precision. I can spend hours staring at the blade alone, it’s really very satisfying. The blade stock is 3.56mm thick and the edge of the tanto version has a slight amount of belly. The blade on my Umnum has been given a nice stonewash. This is a beautiful finish that doesn’t show wear as easily as other finishes and will resist rust.

The steel on this particular Umnumzaan is CPM S30V which has been hardened to 58-59 RC. In 2011 CRK started to make these knives in S35VN. This is supposed to be an improvement over the original S30V, but I have no experience with it and there has been some controversy as to whether S35VN truly is superior. Apparently CRK worked closely with Crucible (the manufacturer of both S30V and S35VN) to develop this steel. I would expect S35VN to perform as well as S30V, if not better. Knowing CRK, they didn’t take the switch from S30V to S35VN lightly. Once I’ve had more experience with the steel I can provide my thoughts. I will say that S30V is excellent stuff, so if you snag an older version of the knife expect it to perform very well.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle of the Umnumzaan is simple, but it is wonderfully refined and beautifully finished. CRK started with two slabs of 3.8mm thick 6AL4V titanium. There is a single stand off (pillar) near the pommel, so the knife is held together only at 2 places (at the standoff and at the pivot screw). The edges of the handle have been wonderfully rounded and contoured. A lanyard hole has been sunk into the back of the handle and on my knife a leather lanyard has been threaded through. All the stainless steel hardware has been polished to a bright sheen and the titanium scales have been sandblasted, which is attractive but will quickly pick up small scratches (unavoidable given the material).

Ergonomics on the Umnum are also very nice. The handle easily accommodates my larger hands. An attractive pattern has been milled into both sides of the handle. This provides both visual interest and extra grip. However, the bare titanium itself is also fairly grippy. It’s obviously not rough like G10, but definitely resists slipping. Additionally, there is nice, totally functional jimping on the spine of the blade and there is even something of a choil. I have no problem at all with the ergonomics on this knife.

The pocket clip is the legendary CRK “double dip clip” which is so good it’s almost beyond description. When you insert the knife into your pocket, the first dip is quite sturdy. However, once it reaches the second dip, the knife is totally locked in place. The best part is, the knife is still very easy to insert and withdraw from the pocket. Simply put, this is a big improvement over a standard clip. I happen to think that this is the best pocket clip currently on the market.

Deployment and Lockup

The Umnumzaan has dual thumb studs. These studs also double as the stop pin in both open and closed positions. The thumb stud is only useful for deployment from the right hand, but the left hand stud is too close to the lock bar to work as an opening mechanism. As a southpaw I was a little disappointed by this, but I understand that this was necessary if the thumb studs are to double as an integral stop pin.

However, I did notice that the nub that CRK refers to as glassbreaker can be used to open the knife left handed. If you push on this glassbreaker, it opens the knife enough so you can access the thumb stud and full engage the knife. It’s a less than perfect solution, but in a less than perfect world I’m totally willing to accept it – especially since CRK also makes a dedicated left hand version of the Umnumzaan.

As for the deployment itself, the Umnum moves with a feeling of purpose. The action is exceptionally smooth and the blade locks into place with a soft yet satisfying “click.” I like the deployment a lot. The knife features phosphor bronze washers that have been perforated and loaded with fluorinated grease to reduce friction.

I also want to discuss the pivot on this knife, which is quite unique. This is a very thick pivot screw, and it has a special 4 hole bolt pattern that requires a special tool to unscrew it. Thankfully CRK sends you all the tools needed to take this knife apart along with detailed full color instructions. This is great because most companies really don’t want you to take apart your knife. In some cases it will void your warranty. I like how CRK acknowledges and encourages the responsible disassembly of your knife. In my mind this shows how much CRK stands behind their products.

As far as lockup goes, the Umnumzaan makes use of a modified framelock. I say “modified” because the frame of the knife doesn’t actually come in contact with the tang. Instead, a ceramic ball has been inset into the face of the lock bar. This ball is what comes in contact with the tang, not the titanium frame itself. This ball also doubles as your blade detent. This is great because now you don’t need to worry about the titanium on your lack bar wearing out. Lockup on my knife is excellent with no blade play at all.

Disengaging the lock is also worth talking about. The handle is shaped in a way so that there is a slight lip on the lock bar, so you can easily catch the bar with your thumb and disengage the knife. This lip doubles as the choil. The blade slides into the closed position with another soft “click.”

Chris Reeve Knives Umnumzaan Review – Final Thoughts

The CRK Umnumzaan is just an absolutely fantastic knife. There is no way around it. The materials are all top notch, the fit and finish is incredible, the design is absurdly well thought out, and the overall style of the knife is just super super cool. At $425 new it definitely isn’t cheap, but I do feel like you are getting something for the price premium.

I tried to touch on some of the extra details that make this knife special, but there is only so much I can do in a ~1,500 word review or a 10 minute video. Let me just restate how precise this knife has been engineered. Every day of Chris’s 20+ year knifemaking career shows with this knife – absolutely no stone has gone unturned here. I am impressed with the Umnumzaan and recommend it if you like the knife and can get around the price tag.

Chris Reeve Knives Umnumzaan – $425
from: BladeHQ

I recommend purchasing the Umnumzaan at BladeHQ or KnifeArt. 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.

Kershaw Nerve Review

by Dan Jackson 12 Comments

I could probably spend all of my time writing about Kershaw budget EDC blades. Their roster is deep, and for many it can be a challenge to pick out just one. Thankfully they are all pretty good so the odds are great that you will find a winner. I am pleased to report that was exactly what happened with Kershaw Nerve. Labeled as one of their larger EDC knives, the Nerve packs a good deal of features into a relatively small price tag. I already said it’s a good knife, but lets take a closer look to see if this is something you want in your pocket as part of your every day carry.

General Dimensions and Blade Steel

The Nerve has an overall length of 7-1/2″ a 3-1/8″ blade and it weighs 3.8 ounces. It’s a good size knife for EDC but it has a little extra heft. I don’t mind heavier knives, and found the Nerve to be a good choice for my larger hands. Of course this kind of thing comes down to personal taste.

The blade is a modified drop point design. It’s an unconventional shape that may not excite everyone, but I found it likeable enough. Fans of blades with big belly will probably pass on this one as the blade shape is almost a wharncliffe. There is just a slight amount of sweep as you get towards the tip. Speaking of the tip, the one on the Nerve is fairly fine. This makes the Nerve a great choice for detail work, but somewhat delicate as well.

Kershaw went with their usual sandblasted finish for the Nerve’s blade. I like the look of it, but have found that this kind of finish is more likely to rust than other finishes. You will want to be careful when using and storing this knife – especially in humid climates. However, a little rust on a $20 knife isn’t going to be a deal breaker, just an observation having owned a number of these sandblasted blades.

Being a relatively inexpensive Chinese made knife, it should come as no surprise that 8Cr13MoV was used for the blade steel. As I have mentioned in past reviews, I like 8Cr13MoV a lot. For the money I don’t think they could have put a better steel in here. It’s an easy to sharpen steel that can take a very keen edge. It’s a little softer than other steels, so you will need to sharpen it regularly, but it will hold up alright and I generally think its a great choice for a value priced EDC knife.

Handle Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle of the Nerve features G10 scales which is a nice feature for a knife at this price. Kershaw has been using Polyimide on a lot of their Chinese made knives, which is a kind of dense plastic. Personally, I like Polyimide, but I definitely see G10 as an upgrade here. Under the G10 we have full stainless steel liners that have been milled out to help reduce the weight. A black backspacer runs 2/3 of the length of the knife and everything is neatly bolted together for easy take down.

Ergonomics on the Nerve are really nice. First off, I like the size of the handle. To me, this is how big the handle of the Volt II should have been. There is plenty of room on this handle for my fat fingers in forward or reverse grips. Functional jimping on the thumb ramp and a nicely pronounced choil give me a good deal of confidence when wielding the Nerve. While it’s not really a tactical knife, I think you could get a good enough grip on it if you really needed to.

The pocket clip is surprisingly normal looking for a Kershaw. This is actually the best clip I have seen on a smaller Kershaw knife in a while. It’s not perfect, but I found it buries deep and has good retention. My major gripe has to be that once again Kershaw has opted not to make this knife fully ambidextrous. Drilling and tapping out 4 more holes on the other side would go a long way with their left handed customers and I really doubt it would take much away from the bottom line.

Deployment and Lockup

The Nerve utilizes a thumb disk for deployment. Really it isn’t a disk, it’s more of a rectangle, but it does work pretty well. Deployment is pretty smooth, with a combination of nylon and mystery metal washers. I kind of glossed over that in my video review but upon closer inspection I would have preferred phosphor bronze washers here – after all, the Tenacious has them and it’s a direct competitor to the Nerve. The advantage to phosphor bronze is that they will hold up better, and over the long term will probably be smoother.

The Nerve uses a thick liner lock and it offers solid and dependable lock up. Kerhsaw designed the lock bar so it would be very easy to get at. I find the knife easy to disengage when I want it to disengage it, but I also noticed that it stays firmly locked in place while in use. Lockup on my knife was nice and early and I could detect zero blade play in any direction.

Kershaw Nerve Review – Final Thoughts

Well there you have it, another solid EDC offering from Kershaw. This is a nice medium sized knife and packs a good deal of utility for its price and dimensions. G10 is a welcome upgrade and the fit and finish is excellent. My biggest gripes would include the non-ambidextrous pocket clip and the nylon/ metal washer combo. That said, I think many people will be able to easily forgive these minor faults, as the knife really does have a lot going for it.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, in my mind knives like the Nerve are part of what Kershaw does best. This is a knife that packs a lot of value into a small price tag. I noticed that Amazon is actually selling the Nerve for only $20 shipped. At that price I think it’s a steal. Usually these go for around $30, and I think even at that price this is a safe buy for anyone wanting a nice EDC knife with without breaking the bank.

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