Knives By Purpose

Emerson Super Commander Review

Last Updated: March 4, 2018
Fans of Emerson Knives are no stranger to the Commander. It’s one of Emerson’s original designs and is among their most popular models to this day. So it would seem like a no-brainer to take this classic knife and come out with a mini version, and the Super Commander shown here. Having owned this one for a while now I can say that this knife not only has all the things that made the original Commander so desirable, but a lot more.

Buy the Emerson Commander at BladeHQ

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General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Super Commander has an overall length of 9.5″, a 4″ blade, and it weighs 7 ounces. Yeah, this is not one that I’d like to EDC (although plenty of people do), but it actually felt surprisingly good in my pocket and feels light for its size. This of course would make a great tactical knife, large utility knife, or just a welcome addition to the collection.

The blade on this beast is just a thing of beauty. I tell you, Emerson does not mess around when it comes to grinding their steel, and Super Commander’s blade is nothing short of epic. Of course you have that classic Commander blade shape, the nice drop point with the swooping recurve and nasty belly. They started with a thick piece of steel and everything has been ground with laser like precision (including the swedge – a recent refinement to the Commander series). I am super impressed with the blade on this knife.

Note that this Super Commander is “V” ground – although the actual edge is a chisel grind. I know this polarizes people but the grind works alright for me and the knife gets extremely sharp.

What I especially love about my Super is the gorgeous stone wash on the flats. Now, stonewashes have recently experienced a resurgence in popularity. I have to say this is the finest, most beautifully stonewashed knife I have ever seen – nicer even than the Chris Reeve knives I have handled. The stonewashing is so well done it basically has given the knife a jeweled appearance. My recommendation is if you are picking up an Emerson don’t get the coated version, don’t get the satin finish – get the stonewash (you can thank me later).

Emerson uses 154CM for all of the blades on all of their knives. They found something that works and are sticking with it – I can totally appreciate that. 154CM is a long time favorite steel of mine, it gets sharp, holds the edge and is fairly resistant to corrosion. A good all-round steel.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle on the Super Commander is relatively plain next to the beautiful blade. Again, Emerson has a formula, and they tend to stick with what works. In this case it’s black G10 over steel and titanium liners with a G10 backspacer. The handles are held together with phillips screws, an interesting touch that was designed for easy maintenance in the field. All in all, handle construction is solid. The liners haven’t been milled out, but the titanium liner lock helps lighten the load. The steel liner could be milled to reduce weight, but I find that unnecessary here. Everything is sturdy and lines up well.

You would expect the ergonomics on such a large knife to be decent, and the Super Commander doesn’t disappoint. The spacious handle gives you plenty of room for any grip, and the Commander feels very comfortable in hand. There is a large choil that forms a nice guard, and the thumb ramp is substantial and nicely jimped. The edges of the handle have all been rounded and the G10 has a nice medium rough texture to it. No complaints with the ergonomics.

The pocket clip on the Super Commander is a nice sturdy blackened clip. It’s not a low rider clip, but it rides low enough for my tastes and has good retention. The one issue is that it is not ambidextrous. I could send this knife in to the factory and they will drill and tap some holes for like $25, but really – this should have already been done. Ambidextrous clips are important – not only for lefties like me, but for right-handers who like carrying knives on their weak side.

Deployment and Lockup

My Super Commander came with a black thumb disk. It works alright, not really my first choice (especially with such a big blade). I think you might be able to get this one with a thumb hole – that may be preferable although personally I’m not a huge fan of the Emerson style thumbholes. What I am a fan of is the wave deployment. In my mind this is the only real way to deploy this sucker. There is nothing like having 4 inches of gleaming steel at your fingertips, and the wave is the absolute fastest way to make that happen with a folding knife.

Lockup is done through a nice titanium liner lock. Mine engages very early, and it’s an extremely solid lockup. It’s a well executed lock that has held up so far. On the subject of deployment and lockup, my blade didn’t come perfectly centered and I wasn’t able to get it tuned with the pivot screw – it’s not that bad though. An interesting thing to note about the pivot screw is that it is it uses a flat head driver rather than more conventional torx bits.

Emerson Super Commander Review – Final Thoughts

The Super Commander is one hell of a knife, I don’t know any other way to really say it. The blade is the showpiece here – it is beautifully ground, and the stonewash finish on the flats provides awesome visual interest. I’d buy this knife just for the blade.

That said, everything else is pretty solid on this one. The materials are all great. Fit and finish is good – not outstanding, but good. Lockup on mine is super early and deployment is very smooth. My blade isn’t perfectly centered, and I noticed just some small things that could have been finished a little better (like the thumb ramp, and the backspacer isn’t 100% flush with the handles). But these are very minor issues, and are par for the course with all the Emersons I’ve handled.

So if an Emerson Super Commander is on your radar I think it’s a great knife. These retail for around $250, which is on the spendy side – but this is a big knife made in America (and it’s an Emerson) so frankly price wasn’t a big factor for me… and I suspect that would be true for many Emerson enthusiasts. So for the final word on the Super Commander – I think it’s a great knife, and I recommend the stonewash finish.

Emerson Super Commander – $234.95
Retail Price: $312.00
You Save: $78.00
from: BladeHQ

Emerson Commander Plain Folding Knife,Standard Edge Blade, Black G10 Handle COM SF

Emerson Wave Feature
Plain Edge
Black G-10 Handles
Titanium Liner Lock
Made in the USA

I recommend buying the Emerson Super Commander at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thanks for checking out the review.

CRKT Shenanigan Review

by Dan Jackson 5 Comments

Last Updated: September 6, 2019
I find myself typing this review as I usually do, in the wee hours of the morning. Dregs from a once cold beer are drying on the side of the glass at my desk, and knives scattered across the room are glinting faintly under lamp light. I had trouble with the intro on this one so I decided to save it for the end. Now that I’m done I still haven’t come up with anything witty to say. Not that I would classify my typical intros as “witty,” but I mean, the knife is called the “Shenanigan.” This should be an easy lay up – even for a hack like myself. Unbelievably, I’m still drawing a blank here…

Buy the CRKT Shenanigan at BladeHQ

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That’s probably for the best though, because this knife is no laughing matter. Despite the goofy name the CRKT Shenanigan is a seriously well thought out knife at a price that you would be silly to ignore. Designed by Ken Onion, and manufactured by the good folks at CRKT, the Shenanigan brings great utility to anyone willing to cough up enough money to cover the very modest $35 price tag. While the knife is by no means perfect I think that the good here far outweighs the bad.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Shenanigan sports a 3-1/4″ blade and an overall length of 8-1/4″. CRKT claims that the PPS (plastic handled version) weighs 4.1 ounces, but in my hand it feels much lighter. I’ve seen listed weights fluctuate from 4.1 all the way down to 3.7 ounces, and I’d put it closer to 3.7. Anyhow, not like that really matters too much, but my point here is the knife feels light for its size. It is a bigger knife, straddling the gap between EDC and tactical. Depending on your preferences I think it could lean either way.

The blade is a long and elegant modified-drop point design with a slight recurve and a swedge. The blade shape is one of my favorite features of the knife. The recurve, high hollow grind and good belly are all excellent for slicing, and the reinforced tip enables good penetration. CRKT did a very nice job with the edge; it is both well ground and extremely sharp from the box with an almost mirror-polished appearance. The blade’s good looks have been rounded out with a bead blasted finish and laser etched hallmarks.

Blade steel on the Shenanigan is tried and true AUS 8. For a knife at this price point I am very pleased to find AUS 8 here. A good mid range steel from Japan, AUS 8 easily takes an edge and holds up well to EDC tasks.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The Shenanigan PPS gets its name from the PolyPhenylene Sulfide (PPS) polymer that has been used for the handle material. This is some sort of highly engineered plastic, and it didn’t take a chemistry degree to figure that out. The PPS material is both lightweight and durable and is part of what enables this knife to be had at such a great price. CRKT set out to make a high value work horse, and I think this material selection fits the bill. The PPS is dense enough to feel satisfying and is virtually indestructible. Inside the handle are some partial steel liners adding strength and rigidity to the design.

For those that would like an upgrade to the handle material, CRKT offers just that. An aluminum version is also available if you absolutely cannot stand the idea of carrying around a plastic-handled knife. I think for many people the PPS will be totally sufficient as the aluminum scales almost double the price, but I’m really tempted to check out this upgraded version as well.

Ergonomics are excellent with the Shenanigan. First of all, it is a larger knife, and there is a good amount of palm swell to fill the hand. Curvature to the handle design allows for a precision fit into the palm. Meaningful texturing adds grip and feedback. Additionally, there is a good deal of functional jimping on the thumb ramp and the choil is large and well placed. The net result is that the Shenanigan is extremely comfortable in hand.

Unfortunately, the many things that make the Shenanigan so great in hand work to make it not so great in pocket. Being a longer knife I found the Shenanigan to take up a good deal of room, and the thick handle made it a bulky carry as well. Certainly this won’t be a problem for folks who like to carry a bigger knife, but the size and thickness could be a turn-off for those who want to streamline their EDC.

I will say, the pocket clip position doesn’t do the knife any favors. It’s mounted for right side tip down carry only. I’d love to see CRKT make this a 4 corners clip, or at the very least allow for tip up carry. That said, I found retention on the Shenanigan’s clip to be nice and snug. It’s a discrete looking clip that rides low and looks pretty good.

Deployment and Lock-up

Some will be surprised to learn that the Shenanigan is not an assisted open knife. Ken Onion is famous for designing assisted open folders so it could be easy to assume that the Shenanigan would feature a spring assist as well. This one does not have a spring assist however, and you need to use a flipper to get it open. The blade still deploys fast and smooth, with a combination of nylon and bronze washers inside. I don’t miss a spring assist at all with the Shenanigan. The blade jumps open with very little effort.

The Shenanigan uses a liner lock to hold the blade open. First impressions were that the lock looks kind of thin. Upon closer inspection I think it should work for EDC and utility tasks, but for harder uses I’m not as confident. Then again, the handles are made of plastic, so I wouldn’t suggest hard using this one in the first place. I got to play with two Shenanigans and both had good engagements. One had no blade play at all, the other had a slight amount of play (or an off-center blade – could never get it to balance 100% perfectly). For a $35 knife the lock meets my expectations, but if you can visually inspect the knife before purchase I’d go ahead and do that.

CRKT Shenanigan PPS Review – Final Thoughts

Ken Onion really hit this one out of the park when he designed this incredibly comfortable and functional knife. If you need big utility out of a small budget blade, I think there is a lot to like with this one. Stuff that I really liked included the blade shape, the steel, and the ergonomics. I wasn’t quite as wild about the position of the pocket clip, and found the lock bar a little on the thin side given the size of the knife and its potential purposes.

However, for $35 I think you are getting a hell of a knife here. You could pick up a couple without breaking a sweat and have a nice dedicated folder for the car, work or anywhere in else. I wouldn’t hesitate to suggest the CRKT Shenanigan to anyone looking for an inexpensive large utility blade. And that my friends, is no joke. 😉

CRKT Shenanigan PPS Folding Pocket Knife, Serrated Edge K480KKS

Bead Blast Blade Finish
Glass-Reinforced Nylon Handles
Triple Point Serrations
Designed by Ken Onion in Kaneohe, Hawaii
Limited Lifetime Warranty covers any defects in materials or workmanship, see company site for details

I recommend buying the CRKT Shenanigan at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Benchmade 890 Torrent Review

by Dan Jackson 15 Comments

Last Updated: August 7, 2019
It has been decided – I am a total sucker for a cool “gentleman’s tactical folder.” I remember first drooling over the 890 Torrent when it came out in 2009. Flash forward a couple years, and today I am the proud owner of my very own Torrent, a sleek Steigerwalt design made by Benchmade.

Buy the Benchmade Torrent from BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

As I said before, I am calling this one a “gentleman’s tactical folder.” In many ways this one reminds me of the Mcusta Tactility. It’s an elegant knife, and while I’m sure it could work well in a defensive role, this knife is just too pretty to really use and abuse. Also the build quality, while solid, simply isn’t meant for hard use tasks. I have no doubt this would hold up as an EDC blade, but as you will learn in my review – I don’t recommend this one as an all out tactical knife or hard use folder. Lets take a closer look to see what I am talking about.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Torrent has an overall length of 8.2″ a 3.6″ blade and it weighs 3.5 ounces. At this size the Torrent is light enough to EDC but large enough to be wielded as a tactical (emergency defensive) tool.

Part of the reason why this knife is so light weight is because of the thin blade and liners. Benchmade says the blade is 1/10″ thick. Now I’m not complaining, the blade seems adequately thick for EDC, but I would be concerned about really testing the tip with repeated stabs and thrust cuts. Adding to the thin appearance is the swedge running the length of the drop point blade, and the thin flat grind. It’s a beautiful look but it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence when it comes to tip strength. The knife has been given Benchmade’s “satin finish” which appears to have a very light stonewash upon closer inspection. All in all it’s a really handsome blade with a good amount of functionality.

Benchmade went with 154CM for blade steel, a very common choice for their knives. Personally, I’m a big fan of 154CM for it’s ability to sharpen easily, hold an edge, and to resist rust and corrosion. A good all-around steel, and hardened to between 58-61HRC, 154CM will accomplish most cutting tasks with ease.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handles on the 890 Torrent are smooth G10 and they cover full stainless steel liners. The G10 has a very attractive finish that resembles wood grain. It’s very similar to the finish on the scales of the Benchmade Onslaught and Deja Voo. The steel liners have not been skeletonized, but to me that isn’t a big deal since the knife only weighs 3.6 ounces. Everything has been bolted together and there is an aluminum backspacer doubling as a glass breaker (or “non lethal” option).

Ergonomics on the 890 are fairly unremarkable. Don’t get me wrong, this handle is plenty big and comfortable, but there isn’t much in the way of a finger choil and there is no thumb ramp or jimping to speak of. Considering the overall build of this knife I’m not disappointed. Again, I see this as more of a gentleman’s folder with a tactical flair rather than an all out purpose-built tool. The G10 is smooth, but it isn’t slippery. The handle works well enough in forward and reverse grips, although I feel that some jimping on the spine wouldn’t hurt.

The pocket clip is a sturdy piece of folded over stainless steel. It has been attractively finished and is set up for a nice deep carry. However, this is a right side tip down carry only. The absence of an ambidextrous clip is something of a deal breaker for for me since I am left handed. However, I actually like tip down carry with this knife because this is an assisted opening knife and it has a very light trigger. Carrying the Torrent tip up without an external safety would be an accident waiting to happen.

Deplyment and Lockup

The Torrent is an assisted opening knife and features Benchmade’s Nitrous Assist technology. This is my first real experience with a Benchmade assisted opener, and I was pleased with how fast and hard this knife fired. I was less pleased with the right side only thumb stud – again, it really limits my ability to carry this one. That said, the large thumb stud was easy to get at and I had no problem brushing this blade open with my fingers. The “trigger” is very light on this knife which makes it very easy to deploy. There is no external safety and I would not feel comfortable carrying this one tip up.

To be perfectly honest, while I generally like spring assist knives I don’t think the Torrent needs to be spring assisted. If it was built heavier as a real folding tactical knife then the Nitrous assist would be more appropriate, but for a gentleman’s knife I think it’s overkill.

The Torrent makes use of a liner lock and I found mine to engage nice and early with no blade play. That said, this looks to me like a thin lock and there isn’t much spring tension holding it in place. I found that the lock disengaged without much effort. I would seriously think twice before engaging in any kind of serious cutting tasks with this one. I don’t think it’s at the point where the knife is unsafe, but I don’t have as much confidence in it as with other liner locks. Of course, you want to be extremely careful with any folding knife – I just found lockup on the Torrent to be a little sketchier than I’m used to.

Benchmade Torrent Review – Final Thoughts

I found myself immediately attracted to the 890 Torrent. The blade is a classic shape, lean and beautifully finished. The handles are simple, and flow gracefully with the lines of the blade. The fit and finish is top notch and I love the details like the jimped backspacer and polished pocket clip.

Where the Torrent let me down was on the practicality of it. First of all, a right side only thumb stud and pocket clip is not going to work for me – that goes without saying. But more concerning was the overall light build of this knife. The blade steel is thin, as are the liners. The ergonomics are not aggressive and the lock seems very easy to disengage. While it’s a beautiful knife I really can’t recommend it for serious work. In my mind this one is ideally situated for the collector, or someone looking for an EDC knife with some tactical inspiration, a “gentleman’s tactical folder” if you will.

Despite my gripes I’m still walking away liking the Torrent a lot. I know I may have been fairly critical with this one, but there is still a lot to like. This is great blade for the collection and I did enjoy carrying it despite it’s shortcomings – I just want to make sure that if you are interested in the knife, you are interested for the right reasons.

Benchmade 890 Torrent Steigerwalt Design Knife

HIGH-QUALITY: The 154CM stainless steel blade is tough, rust resistant, and holds an edge well. The G10 handle is durable, impervious to moisture, and stable under extreme temperatures.
WELL-DESIGNED: The Torrent 890 features a simple yet strong liner lock with added Nitrous Assist. The 890 can be opened and closed quickly and single-handedly.
COMFORTABLE: The 890's contoured handle and lightweight design make it comfortable to use and hold. The deep-carry pocket clip offers ultimate accessibility.
VERSATILE: The Torrent 890's drop-point, utility blade style and all-around functionality make it ideal for everyday carry and use.

I recommend purchasing the Benchmade Torrent from Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for checking out the review.

Chris Reeve Knives Small Sebenza 21 Review

by Dan Jackson 23 Comments

Last Updated: June 2, 2019
I don’t think many people get into the hobby of collecting knives with the idea that one day they will buy a pocket knife that costs hundreds of dollars.

Well, at least I didn’t start out my little edged adventure with the thought of purchasing a $300+ knife. However, as I wandered down the rabbit hole, and became further consumed by my blade obsession, justification for more expensive knives became easier to find. Any reservations I once had about owning a $350 knife soon went out the window.

Buy the CRK Sebenza at BladeHQ

So that takes us here. You and me, about to discuss the Small Sebenza 21 made by Chris Reeve Knives (CRK) which retails for right around $350. In many ways this review is a challenge because for such an expensive knife, a lot of people have already given their opinion on it. It’s a very well known blade with an extremely loyal following.

But hey, it’s just a knife so I’m just going to treat it like I would any other, and try to provide you with a fair and honest review…

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The small Sebenza 21 is the little brother to the large Sebenza 21 (no surprises there, right?). This knife has an overall length of 6.9″ a 2.94″ blade and a weight of exactly 3 ounces. This is a great size for EDC and that is exactly what this knife was designed for – to be a high end edc knife.

The blade is a classic drop point shape. The knife has been given a high hollow grind (a very shallow one) and the spine has been rounded, a very elegant touch. Blade stock is 1/8″ thick, which is nice and stout for a smaller blade like this. The blade manages to maintain this thickness well, eventually tapering down to a sturdy point. Being a classic drop point there is plenty of belly for your EDC tasks, and the entire blade has been given a nice durable stonewashed finish.

Blade steel on my Sebenza is the tried and true S30V. If you are already reading a Sebenza review I think an in-depth discussion of S30V is probably unnecessary, but suffice it to say that this is a very fine steel with excellent all-around properties including good edge retention and corrosion resistance. However, my Sebenza was made in 2009. As of mid-2011 Chris Reeve has started making Sebenzas in S35VN, a slightly upgraded version of S30V. This is certainly a welcomed addition, and it’s great to see how CRK continues to refine and upgrade their knives.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

One of the great draws to this knife is that the handle slabs have been made entirely from titanium. Indeed there are two thick pieces of 6Al4V titanium here and they have been given a nice sandblasted finish. This finish will show wear, and I see some very light scratches on mine, but if you wanted to you could have the handles sandblasted again for a factory fresh finish. As far as construction goes, this is a minimalistic free-flowing design, and everything has been bolted together for easy take down.

That said, if you want to get fancy, CRK can give you fancy, and this knife is available with a lot of interesting hardwood and micarta inlays. CRK also offers these knives with a huge variety of different graphics engraved into the handle. This adds an additional layer of collectability to the knives.

There is nothing too complicated with the ergonomics of this knife either. But again, the handle just works. There is a nice thumb ramp with good functional jimping and a very shallow choil is also present. For a smaller handle it fits me pretty well; I’m able to get a 4 finger grip without any trouble and I can easily control the blade.

The pocket clip is pretty special. First of all, it is made of titanium and secures with a single bolt. It’s a very secure fit so I’m not complaining. More importantly this clip works – and it works very well. It has a kind of double retention system, which in a way acts like two pocket clips at once (a “double-dip” clip? Just came up with that one…). It’s difficult to describe so take a look at the pictures (and video) to get a better idea of what I am talking about, but in short it makes for a very secure fit into your pocket and a nice comfortable carry.

Lockup and Deployment

The Sebenza uses either single or dual thumb studs for deployment. My particular model has a single thumb stud (or thumb “lug” as they like to call them in the Sebenza circles) set up for right hand deployment. CRK does in fact make versions with double thumb studs and they even make an entirely left handed version of the knife. My thumb stud came with blue anodizing, and while the blue anodizing provides a striking contrast, it does wear off with use. Kind of a bummer, but what can you do.

Deployment is slow, smooth and extremely purposeful. This is not a knife that you can flick out easily, nor would you want to for fear of compromising the titanium framelock. The smoothness of the deployment is near legendary, and it’s not uncommon for people to compare the deployment of everything else to the Sebenza.

The Sebenza features a Chris Reeve Integral lock – or a “frame lock” if you prefer. This was the frame lock that started them all, as Chris Reeve designed the lock for this knife. An exercise in absolute minimalism, the lock is part of the handle and it engages with a very satisfying and forceful “click.” To me this kind of lock oozes strength and security and lockup is very strong.

Now, I need to say there have been a report or two that this lock has occasionally failed under spine whacks, but to be honest (and as respectful as I possibly can), I don’t really care. (I was never into “spine whacking” and certainly wouldn’t subject that to a little EDC knife. I think for cutting tasks this lock is going to be plenty strong for pretty much everything you would put it up to.

Chris Reeve Knives Small Sebenza 21: Final Thoughts

The small Sebenza is an excellent all-around edc knife. Hand made in the USA, this is the ultimate combination of an intelligent design, premium materials, and American craftsmanship. The Sebenza oozes quality and is an incredibly simple design done right. It is no wonder that most consider the CRK Sebenza the pinnacle of production pocket knives.

Perhaps the 900 lb gorilla in the room is the question, “is it worth the money?” Well, I think so, but then again I run a website entirely dedicated to cutlery, so perhaps I’m the wrong guy to ask. But really though, I hate answering this question.

Sure, you could just as easily carry a knife for a fraction of the cost. Lets face it, you don’t need a Sebenza to cut up a card board box, just like people don’t need a Ferrari to go from point A to point B, or a Rolex to tell the time – they buy these items because they want the best. In my mind this is a much cheaper thrill than a Rolex or a Ferrari so if you are someone who only wants the best, or someone who appreciates fine craftsmanship, or someone who has simply reached that point in your knife obsession where you have no where else to turn, then I think you will enjoy a small Sebenza.

Chris Reeve Knives Small Sebenza 21 – $350
from: BladeHQ

I recommend buying the Sebenza at BladeHQ or KnifeArt. If you purchase anything through any of the links on this website, I earn a small commission (at absolutely no additional cost to you) that helps keep the site running. Any support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Kershaw Volt II Review

by Dan Jackson 4 Comments

Last Updated: August 8, 2019
It has been too long since I’ve examined a nice budget EDC blade. This time around I picked up a Kershaw Volt II, and could immediately tell that I grabbed a real winner. First off, the original Volt is a true collectors piece. It’s not a particularly old design, but it’s a limited edition titanium framelock with a composite steel blade. It will to run you a few hundred dollars at least. And that’s if you can find one.

Buy the Kershaw Volt at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

Kershaw went in the opposite direction with the Volt II. Here they opted for everyday affordability with nice, but inexpensive materials. The two blades do share a lot of similarities, as they are both creations from designer R.J. Martin and have generally the same shape. The major differences are that the original Volt is much larger (1.75″ longer) and costs about 15 times as much as the Volt II. For right around $20 pretty much anyone can afford the Volt II, and to be honest I think you would be foolish not to. Lets take a closer look to see what I’m talking about.

General Dimensions

The Volt II has an overall length of 7″, a 3.125″ blade and weighs 3.4 ounces. This is a nice size for EDC and should be a fairly friendly looking carry regardless of where you live.

The blade is a drop point shape, with a small swedge and nice sweeping belly. The entire blade has been bead blasted, which is familiar territory for a lot of Kershaw’s small EDC blades (like the legendary Kershaw Skyline). The tip on this knife is very good, holding a good amount of steel all the way to the very end. Kershaw finished this one off with a high hollow grind and a nice smooth edge.

Blade steel is the very high value 8Cr13MoV stainless from China. My experiences with 8Cr13MoV have been very good. For the money, I really don’t think you can beat it. It is capable of taking a very nice edge and has good rust resistance.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Volt II features full stainless steel liners with injection molded plastic scales. The plastic is actually pretty dense (Kershaw calls it Polyimide) and I am quite pleased with it. An attractive triangle pattern has been emblazoned over the scales and the liners have been lightly milled out. I’m sure some would prefer G10, but for price I am not complaining. I really like how the liners have been given the same blasted finish as the blade – looks real sharp. Rounding things out is an almost full backspacer made of the same Polyimide material as the scales.

Ergonomics on the Volt II are nice. First off, it is a smaller handle (~3.8″) so I found it slightly cramped with my larger hands. That said, I managed a full grip and liked how the thick and rounded scales felt in hand. There are two shallow choils and an integral guard to keep your fingers from slipping. A nicely jimped thumb ramp provide addition support on top. My only suggestion would be to make the handle a little longer to provide some extra room but I think for most people the ergonomics are going to work really well.

The pocket clip is a kind of funky looking Kershaw clip. Having handled a number of Kershaw knives I’m no stranger to their somewhat unconventional clips. As you can see this one is quite interesting. In practice, the clip works just fine and is not nearly as funky as some of the others I have run into. I would have liked to have seen it be a little bigger, but it’s discreet and offers a low carry. On the subject of carry, this is a chunkier folder with a thickness of about half an inch. For some, this may be a little difficult to carry. I don’t mind it but everyone is different. One last thing to note is that this tip allows for tip up or tip down carry but it is right side only.

Deployment and Lockup

The Volt II takes advantage of a nice flipper for deployment. This knife uses Kershaw’s Speedsafe assisted opening technology. This knife fires open hard with a really satisfying click. The flipper also doubles as a guard – a feature I have really come to appreciate with a lot of Kershaw designs. I’m also a big fan of the Speedsafe – Kershaw has done an excellent job with all of the assisted opening knives that I have handled. I predict that if you pick this one up you will spend way too much time playing with this one (at least I did).

Lockup is accomplished through a liner lock. This is actually a pretty thick lock bar and it locks up nice and early on my example. I noticed zero blade play and I love how the knife has come perfectly centered. A small amount of jimping on the lock bar makes this an easy one to disengage when you want to, but it still feels very secure in hand. For EDC tasks this lock will be able to handle it all.

Kershaw Volt II Review – Final Thoughts

Sometimes I get a knife in and the review just writes itself. I was impressed with the Volt II the moment it came out of the box, and I still haven’t put it down. If you want an EDC knife in the $20-25 this is a very strong option in my book. What really makes this one for me is the way it’s been put together. The fit and finish are phenomenal. The knife locks up nice and early, the blade is perfectly centered, deployment is smooth, the grinds are nice, the handle feels great – I could go on and on.

To me this is a great example of what Kershaw does best – putting together a rock solid EDC folder that everyone can afford. My only issue would be that I’d like to see an ambidextrous clip and perhaps a slightly larger handle. Aside from that the knife has exceeded my expectations in every way. I want to note that the Volt II is made in China, but the quality control is excellent. I would put the level of fit and finish above my Spyderco Tenacious and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to anyone interested in the knife, or in need of an inexpensive folder that can take some real use.

Kershaw Volt II Pocketknife, 3.25" 8Cr13MoV Steel Drop Point Plain Edge Blade, assisted opening Folding EDC, Liner Lock System

KERSHAW VOLT II POCKETKNIFE: An updated version of the original, the Volt II is a workhorse of a pocketknife. With the same versatile blade and handle style, now with upgraded blade steel and textured handle to make it even more capable on the job.
DROP POINT PLAIN EDGE BLADE: Made from quality 8Cr13MoV stainless-steel that offers excellent edge retention, strength, and hardness. The bead-blasted blade finish provides a non-reflective, matte surface.
GLASS-FILLED NYLON HANDLE: The lightweight, black glass-filled nylon handle has textured scales and finger contours for a comfortable, secure grip during use. Includes a reversible pocketclip for right, tip-up, left, tip-down carry.
DESIGNED WITH SAFETY IN MIND: Equipped with Kershaw’s assisted one-handed opening with the built-in flipper for fast blade release. Liner lock secures blade in place to ensure safety while handling.
SIZE SPECIFICATIONS: Blade Length: 3.25in. Closed Length: 3.9in. Overall Length: 7.1in. Weighing in at 3.3oz. Backed by Kershaw’s Limited Lifetime Warranty. Suitable for EDC, hunting, camping, and more.

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I recommend purchasing the Kershaw Volt II at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for checking out the review.

SOG Ops Review

by Dan Jackson 10 Comments

Last Updated: September 6, 2019
For those in need of a sleek fixed blade tactical knife with a proven pedigree, the SOG Ops may be just the ticket.

Buy the SOG Ops at BladeHQ

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SOG describes the Ops as an evolution of their very popular SEAL Pup line of fixed blade knives. I wrote a SEAL Pup review a while back and was very impressed with this classic outdoors knife. Now that I have an Ops in hand I can say that there are some nice refinements that help this blade stand out from behind the shadow of it’s mighty predecessors. Lets take a closer look and see what the the Ops is all about.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Ops has a similar footprint to the SEAL Pup (and SEAL Pup Elite) with an overall length of 9.5″ a 4.85″ blade and a weight of 5.4 ounces. This is a great size for tactical and utility use. While we are on the subject of what this knife might be used knife for, it doesn’t strike me so much as a survival blade. I’m mainly drawing this from the blade shape, it seems much more purpose built for military and police use. Of course, your mileage may vary.

The curving blade is made from .185″ stock. This is a modified drop point design, and this unique blade shape features a nice recurve and long slender swedge forming a very capable tip. In my opinion this is a blade that was designed for penetration and slicing, and will not make a particularly good chopper. The recurve helps push material through the blade and aids in slicing tasks. The swedge enhances penetration while preserving the tip. SOG finished off the blade with a nice hollow grind and a beautifully ground edge.

You have your choice of either a plain satin finish or the Titanium Nitride (TiNi) coated version shown here. This coating will show wear with use but is a substantial improvement over a cheap teflon coating.

SOG used cryotreated AUS 8 stainless steel for the blade, a Japanese mid range steel that I’ve talked about at length. It’s a softer steel, so it won’t hold its edge forever, but for a smaller fixed blade I think AUS 8 was a good choice here.

Handle and Ergonomics

The handle on the Ops is exactly like the handle on a SEAL Pup (or Elite). The handle is made from glass-reinforced nylon (GRN). This is a very solid handle material giving the knife a pleasant amount of heft and a nice sturdy feeling. This is a handle designed to take a beating.

The ergonomics on the Ops are excellent. The handle is covered in medium texturing that provides good grip and response. The handle is formed with a series of finger grooves that accommodate my larger hands very well. One substantial difference between the SEAL Pup series and the Ops is the thumb ramp and aggressive jimping on the spine of the blade. This feature really locks your thumb in place, and in my mind, it completes the ergonomics on this knife. With your thumb locked up you can really control this knife for detailed tasks and it allows you to really dig into some of your harder cuts.

Sheath

The sheath on the Ops is just as nice as the knife itself. SOG started off with two thick pieces of kydex that have been riveted together with eyelets. The knife fits into the sheath with a snap and feels secure without being too difficult to remove. I didn’t notice any rattle but you can adjust retention to your level of preference. Topping things off, a small drainage hole has been drilled into the bottom sheath to help avoid corrosion.

Bolted onto the sheath is a belt loop and retention strap made of cordura and kydex. The retention strap secures the handle with both velcro and a large button strap. This portion of the sheath is removable and allows you to reverse the entire sheath for left side carry. If you aren’t a fan of belt loops, the eyelets allow you to mount a variety of attachments (such as MOLLE clips) or simply lash the sheath down. All in all this is a very high quality sheath that is designed to provide great blade retention and multiple carry options.

SOG Ops Review – Final Thoughts

All in all, the Ops is a solid piece of gear. This knife was made in Taiwan and the fit and finish is excellent. Honestly, I’m really struggling to find any kind of fault with the knife. Perhaps my only parting advice is that in my opinion this is a specialized knife designed mainly for tactical use. Some other ideas for the knife include home defense, something for the bug out bag or perhaps even hunting. Really though I think most people probably won’t find a ton of regular uses for a SOG Ops.

That said, if you are in the market for a fixed blade tactical I think it’s a very well built knife with a great sheath and a highly functional design.

SOG Specialty Knives & Tools M40K-CP SOG Ops Knife with Straight Edge Fixed 4.85-Inch AUS-8 Steel Drop Point Blade and GRN Handle, Satin Finish

Compact fixed blade tactical knife
4.85 inch blade made from aus 8 steel
Drop point tip
Recurved edge and large thumb scallops deliver unparallel control and a longer cutting length
Straight edge, fixed 4.85-inch AUS-8 steel blade has a drop point shape with a satin finish

Buy on Amazon

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