Folding Knives

Giant Mouse ACE Biblio Review

Wandering the hallowed halls of BladeShow in Atlanta can be an overwhelming and even intimidating experience. Knives are (not literally) being thrown at you right and left and it’s difficult to remember what you’ve seen, what you wanted to see, and what you haven’t been able to find yet. Several things stuck out to me during my time in Atlanta and high amongst them was the Giant Mouse ACE Biblio.

Buy the Giant Mouse ACE Biblio at BladeHQ

For those of you who haven’t heard of the Giant Mouse brand before, it is a collaborative production brand between custom knife makers Jens Ansø and Jesper Voxnaes; with the mission to design the highest quality production knife possible at the most reasonable price point they can. Over the past couple of years, I have had the opportunity to handle several knives from GM, but this was the first model that they produced with an ambidextrous clip which I need as a lefty.

The ACE line from GM is an unlimited production run of knives whereas the pure Giant Mouse lines are limited in production to 400 pieces per model. Currently, GiantMouse is offering two different models under the ACE umbrella, the Biblio (reviewed here) and the newly released Nimbus.

But first, as always, some specs:

Blade: 2.75” (with a cutting edge around 2.5”)
OAL: 6.75”
Thickness: .585”
Blade Thickness: .119”
Steel: M390
Weight: 3.8oz
Lock: Liner Lock

(These are my personal measurements made with my calipers and my faithful ruler, manufacturer’s published numbers may vary.)

Blade

The Biblio’s blade can best be described as a nicely bellied Wharncliffe. The blade has an ascending angle from the handle and terminates at a nice fine point. A nice thing about this shape is that when the edge is flat on a surface, the handle is raised above, allowing you to utilize the full length of the cutting edge without your hand interfering.

GiantMouse opted for a full flat grind as well, making this a pretty great utility slicer equally at home in the kitchen or campsite (not that these two need be separate). It’s ground thin and sharpened well straight from the factory. One last detail, GiantMouse has chosen to crown the spine on the blade, as I’ve stated countless times before this is a GREAT way to class up a knife.

The steel choice of M390 comes as an expected choice—the GiantMouse Knives are made in Maniago Italy by, I assume, Lionsteel who uses M390 in a lot of their models (Editor: I think Viper makes it, but I could always be wrong). I personally love this steel, it’s elementally similar to 20CV but manifests a finer grain that becomes apparent once you start sharpening it. I’ve always big a huge fan of M390 and request it whenever possible in custom orders. It’s been a solid performer, is very stain/wear resistant, and holds an edge well.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

GiantMouse has opted to offer two handle material options for the ACE Biblio, either black G10 (which is accompanied by a satin blade finish) or green micarta (which comes with a stonewashed blade) both of which offer a nice grip and texture. The lines of the handle really lend themselves to locking into the hand, however, I do find that the grip itself is a little on the shorter side, with my pinky falling off the end—this is fixed if I choke up on the knife and utilize the large choil on the blade.

The clip is a simple wire clip that has the option for either “handed” carry. This is a simple method, but effective and has worked fine for me.

In the pocket, the GM is a squish on the thicker side, but being a liner lock you can’t expect much different. The ACE Biblio is far from the worst offender in this category.

Deployment and Lockup

I’ve always thought that having two different deployment methods on a knife generally meant that one took priority over the other. The Biblio, for example, has both an opening hole and a flipper tab but the detent is tuned for the flipper making it relatively difficult to open via the hole. That being said, using the flipper the action is smooth and snappy as expected with bearings.

The Biblio features your typical liner lock situation here, with a small bevel on each side of the lock to allow ambidextrous unlocking. My example engages fully, is solid in all directions, and hasn’t required any adjustment.

Giant Mouse ACE Biblio Review – Final Thoughts

Generally speaking, I think the GiantMouse project as a whole is a great exploration in what happens when two prestigious custom knife makers explore the production side of the knife-world without simply licensing a design or offering a mid-tech. Giant Mouse is a sole entity that operates within the design language of both Anso and Vox.

While I think that limiting the production runs of the of the GiantMouse offerings seems like a play for extrinsic value, it is nice to see that they have adopted an unlimited production run of affordable options.

The Biblio seems like a great choice for anyone that’s a fan of these two specific knife makers, wants a high-value option, or is looking for something that’s a little outside the “canon of normal knife brands.” The ACE Biblio is available (in Black G10) from BladeHQ for $175, and if you think about that… You’re getting an M390 flipper, designed by two well-respected makers, made to the exacting standards of (again what I assume to be) Lionsteel, for less than $200. Pretty hard to beat that these days, in my opinion.

Giant Mouse ACE Biblio – From $175.00
From: BladeHQ

I recommend purchasing the Giant Mouse ACE Biblio at BladeHQ. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website (including Amazon) helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Microtech Halo VI Review

by Dan Jackson 14 Comments

“I tried being reasonable. I didn’t like it.”

Buy the Microtech Halo VI at BladeHQ

I always enjoyed that quote from Clint Eastwood, and couldn’t help but think about it as I wielded the Halo VI. There is absolutely nothing reasonable about this knife. Any justification that this would be my “new EDC” went completely out the window when I fired it for the first time and ~5″ of steel slammed out of the front with a terrific bang. Even more ridiculous is using the charging handle to recapture the blade. It’s something you would expect to see in a video game. This is a serious piece of hardware. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever owned before, and it revels in its unreasonableness.

But that’s part of what makes knife collecting fun. If everything was a Delica 4 there would be no point to it. Sure we would all have a practical knife clipped to our pocket, but the fun in collecting would be long gone. Thankfully we don’t need to worry about being confined to using a government knife to cut our government cheese any time soon. Unreasonable knives like the Halo VI are doing their part to keep the joy of collecting safely intact.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Halo VI has an overall length of 10.82″, a 4.5″ blade, weighs 6.5 ounces, and is made in the USA. It’s the closet thing I’ll come to owning a light saber. It’s big, it’s unwieldy. If comes from a long series of Halo knives. I won’t proclaim to be an expert on all things Microtech, but my understanding is that this is the first knife that the company produced. It’s a single action out the front automatic.

Here is a link to Microtech’s product page for the Halo VI. They give a detailed look at the knife in all its various configurations. Worth browsing if you are interested in the knife.

Here is a shot of the Halo VI next to my Microtech Stitch:

And as I mentioned before, the Halo VI is not a daily carry. In my book it’s mostly a collectible. Sure, it’s fully functional, and we will get into all of those details in the review, but it’s not a knife I see myself carrying. First of all, there is no pocket clip. Second, it has almost a 5″ blade. Third, it looks and sounds like a weapon of mass destruction.

My girlfriend, who is generally pretty cool with me having dozens of pocket knives scattered all over the house, is legitimately scared of this thing. I can only imagine how the old lady in line at the post office would react to me using this to trim packing tape. Probably by calling 911. Unless you are at a knife show there is no way you will be able to use this knife in public. It’s probably illegal for me to even take it out of the house without obtaining a concealed carry permit. On that note, you will definitely want to check your local laws carefully before carrying a Halo VI. This is not a knife that the general public will understand or appreciate.

But what the Halo VI lacks in practicality, it makes up in novelty. I think it may be the coolest knife I’ve ever owned. And I’ve owned some cool stuff over the years.

Lets check out the blade. At 4.5″ long, and over 4mm thick, it’s an imposing piece of steel. Microtech offers this in a modified drop point (or possibly a clip point) blade that they refer to as the “single-edge” or “S/E”, and they also offer this in an American tanto version with the “T/E” designation.

You also get your choice of serrations, and a number of finish options, including typical finishes like satin, bead blast, and stonewashed finishes. But they also have their “apocalyptic” finish, bronze, D.L.C., and then their painted finish shown here. Normally I’m not a big blade coating guy, but this is what was available with an unserrated edge, so that is what I got.

My blade is made from Bohler M390, a blade steel that needs no introduction at this point, seeing how we have reviewed dozens of knives running M390 by now. It’s a high end stainless steel and is widely considered to be one of the best steels for an EDC knife on the market today. It has that enviable combination of holding an edge for a long time while still being easy to sharpen. Usually a knife steel will either be extremely hard, so the edge holds a long time, but it’s very difficult to sharpen when the knife dulls. That’s not the case with M390, which is why it’s such a popular choice on high end pocket knives. It also finishes nicely, doesn’t chip easily, and is a stainless steel. It’s good stuff.

Given that this knife is a collectible, and not a practical EDC item, I haven’t done a ton of cutting with it. It came very sharp from the factory. It’s not a great slicer due to the thick blade and partial flat grind. It forms a wedge, kind of like a splitting maul, and will pop apart an apple rather than thinly slicing it like a Swiss Army Knife. But that’s OK. They didn’t design this thing to slice apples.

Handle and Ergonomics

A 6.125″ milled 6061-T6 aluminum handle encapsulates our big blade. If a black handle is too pedestrian for you, Microtech offers these in almost every color under the rainbow, including a couple camo variants. I’m fine with black, but then again, I’m boring.

The handle is held together with Microtech’s proprietary hardware. Normally this would be the part of the review where I bitch about proprietary hardware, but I have no intention of taking this knife apart. If there is ever a problem I’ll send it back to Microtech.

The fit and finish on this knife is absolutely top notch. It’s a precision machined piece of hardware. I can’t find a gap, unexpected sharp edge, or flaw anywhere. This may not be the most practical tool, but you have to admire how well it is built.

The Halo VI feels good in the hand. It’s kind of like a small light saber. There is no lack of real estate, and Microtech has created a funky pattern of jimped curves to it that adds some visual interest as well as spots for your fingers to rest.

I suppose the most practical application for the Halo VI would be in a martial arts capacity. I have no training in that regard, so can’t comment on the efficacy of the design in that role. As a layperson, I can tell you it feels fine in hand. There is plenty of room to grip this knife, and you can do so in a number of different configurations. The hard anodizing provides a tiny amount of traction. It’s not slippery, but it isn’t sand paper either.

The Halo VI doesn’t come with a pocket clip. Probably for a reason, as the last thing you would want is for this knife to accidentally deploy in your pants. Even with the new safety, I’d rather not take that risk. And with a closed length of over 6″, it’s not a pocket friendly knife anyways. I’d probably go with an Scarab or Troodon instead for daily carry.

It seems like the best option for carrying your Halo VI is with a sheath. You could requisition a large enough magazine pouch, make a sheath, or have a leather or kydex sheath made for it. There are companies that specialize in making aftermarket sheathes for the Halo VI. Linos Sheathworks currently has a kydex sheath on offer for less than $50.

Deployment and Lockup

This is where we get to the good stuff. This is a single action out the front, which means the blade fires out with a press of the button, but need to manually retract the blade when you are done by pulling back on the charging handle. Contrast this with a double action out the front, where the button is used to both open and close the blade. With the case of a single action Out-The-Front (OTF) automatic, all the spring power has been assigned to ejecting the blade. It’s a lot of fire power. Ejecting the blade of this Halo VI is arguably the single most satisfying knife event in my history as a reviewer. It’s fucking awesome.

For this 6th generation of the Halo, Microtech added a small safety to the firing button. This prevents you from accidentally firing the knife. Not a bad idea, especially if you are crazy enough to carry this thing loose in your pocket. The safety is built into the firing button. You pull down on it ever so slightly, and that allows you to depress the firing button and let the blade loose. Generally I’m not a fan of safetys on folding knives. They tend to get in the way. But this safety has been beautifully executed. Purists may not be a fan of this new addition, but I think it has been done so that it doesn’t get in the way of using this knife.

For lockup, this is essentially a button lock knife. So inside there is a cam that holds the blade in place. One of the prior issues with an OTF knife, is that you tend to get blade play in them. That is especially true for the double action OTF’s I have handled. I haven’t handles a Halo V to see what kind of play, if any, is in that knife, but I can tell you this Halo VI has no play in it. It’s absolutely rock solid.

Retracting the blade is a two handed affair. First you need to depress the button. Once again that requires you to use the built in safety. With the button depressed you then pull on the charging rod to recapture the blade. It takes a good amount of force to overcome the spring tension and bring the blade back. The blade slides back in place with a sharp metallic twang. It’s a great sound. I’ve never armed a bear trap, but I would expect it to sound something like recapturing the blade on a Halo VI. It’s significant and satisfying.

The charging rod and the mechanism that holds it into the handle is worth examining. It’s all precision machined. The retaining mechanism is a couple spring loaded tabs. Everything reeks of quality and when the charging rod is in the handle all the parts line up perfectly. I’ve taken a couple detail shots of this, but it has all been beautifully done.

Here is a parting shot of the Halo VI next to my Paramilitary 2. It gives you a good sense of how huge the Halo VI is.

Microtech Halo V.I. Review – Final Thoughts

The Halo V.I. is a lot of fun. It’s also completely ridiculous, which is sure to turn off some people. I’ve been writing knife reviews since 2010, so it’s taken me almost a decade to get around to reviewing a single action OTF. This is a knife that retails for $650, so the expense is one of the reasons I delayed this purchase, but the fact that this is not a knife I can carry and use is the biggest reason why I waited so long to buy one. I like my tool knives, and this Halo V.I. is about as far away from a tool knife as I can get.

But that doesn’t make the Halo V.I. any less fascinating. Part of what makes this knife so satisfying is how well built it is. This is a design that has been refined for 25 years, and it shows. Each detail has been considered and Microtech does a fantastic job with their machining. The resulting knife is borderline obscene, but it has been so well done I can’t help but be impressed with it. Much like the Rockstead Higo I reviewed a while back, it tests the outer limits of what is possible with a production knife.

But as I have continued on my journey of exploring production knives, I’ve ventured further and further from the Benchmade Griptilians and Spyderco Delicas. They are still great, and I plan on continuing to review practical knives, but exploring the outer limits is fun too. This Halo V.I. is certainly out there, but it is so well done that I can’t help but appreciate it.

Accordingly, I can’t recommend this knife for everyone, but if the Halo VI intrigues you, I’m here to say Microtech didn’t cut any corners. Recommended for unreasonable people that that like the idea of a high end single action OTF automatic.

Microtech Halo VI – From $650.00
From: BladeHQ

I recommend purchasing the Microtech Halo V.I. at BladeHQ. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website (including Amazon) helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Fantoni HB-01 Review

by Andrew Gene Leave a Comment

The Fantoni HB-01 is a collaborative design with William Harsey Junior. Harsey is a well known American designer and custom knife maker. He’s notably popular for producing several knives for, and with the collaboration of divisions in the U.S. Special forces. This design has its production roots in a discontinued iteration put out by Beretta knives.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Fantoni HB-01 has an overall length of 9.37” (238 mm), a 4.13” (105 mm) blade, weighs 5.93oz (168 g), and is made in Italy by Fantoni Knives. This is a large folding knife. Fantoni also makes the HB-02, with a smaller more EDC friendly footprint.

The limited edition model’s blade is made from CPM S125V, a very exotic, extremely wear and corrosion resistant stainless steel from Crucible. Notoriously difficult to machine on a production level; only a run of 100 of these limited edition knives were produced. Fantoni also offers a standard HB-01 and smaller HB-02 in CPM S30V with black, forest green or tan scales.

The blade steel has been made possible through Crucible’s Powder Metallurgy (C.P.M) process. It currently has the highest Carbon and Vanadium available in a stainless steel. To make a comparison against another popular Crucible “super steel” S30V, S125V has over twice the amount of Carbon and nearly four times the Vanadium.

Here is a comparison between the popular CPM S30V, 440C and CPM S125V

Steel	Carbon	Chromium	Vanadium	Molybdenum	HRc	Wear Resistance	Corrosion Resistance
CPM S125V	3.30	14.00	12.00	2.50	61-62	39.00	Very high
CPM S30V	1.45	14.00	4.00	2.00	61-62	9.50	High
440C	1.20	16-18	–	.75	57-58	4.0	Low

To yield the maximum performance from the alloy Fantoni utilizes an exacting heat treating process. First the steel is brought up to 2050ºF (1121ºC) (Austenite) with a 15 minute hold to homogenize the material. An inert gas quench is executed to avoid surface oxidation. It is then processed through a freezing treatment of -176ºF (-80ºC) for three hours to maximize the transformation from an Austentic to Martensitic phase. Finally two complete tempering procedures bringing the blades up to 356ºF (180ºC) for three hours and back down to room temperature results in the final hardness of 61-62 Rockwell.

Conservatively speaking, users can easily expect over twice the performance than that of S30V. When considering the specs this would likely be more like 3-4 times however there isn’t enough empirical evidence to fully claim that (yet).

The blade pattern is a very lean drop point that produces a fine tip optimized with a long swedge. The grind is a high flat that is finished with a secondary, edge bevel. As to be expected, with the steel’s specifications, the blade is very sharp and holds its keen edge for a long time. This is helped along by the high hardness. In fact, with all the cutting that I’ve been doing, I haven’t had to touch it up yet. When it does come time to sharpen It would be nice if there was a choil since I prefer an even edge right up to the plunge.

Cut from 4mm stock and with a length of 4.13” the blade strikes an exceptional balance between strength and function. It also has plenty of reach if needed. A fine stone-wash gives a clean, finished appearance. Fantoni’s logo and word-mark appear on one side of the blade while the designer name, steel type and unique number are on the other. This knife is 37 of 100.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The knife has great ergonomics. At 5.25” there is plenty of handle real estate to have a full grip with or without gloves. Slight grooves for your first two fingers followed by some coarse, deep jimping for the rest lock things in place. The inner jimping wraps around the pommel working as a grippy thumb rest in a reverse grip. The blade’s spine forms a ramp with finer, square slotted jimping followed by some corresponding texture on the handle for your thumb. For good measure, the G10 Scales have a fine, high-traction peep ply texture.

The handle is an open back, pillar construction. This will allow for easy cleaning and helps cut weight. At an over-all length of 9.37” the knife sits at a modest 5.93 oz. For its size it has enough heft to give a satisfying, quality feel and confidence in use without adding dead weight.

For carry there is a tip up, ambidextrous pocket clip. It works well and, with the G10’s texture has a great retention. The clip’s fairly low and wide profile doesn’t feel obtrusive in use which is a huge plus. The surface is blasted and laser etched with the Fantoni Logo and word-mark adding a tasteful detail.

Deployment and Lockup

For deployment there are dual, ambidextrous thumb studs. These also serve as the stop-pin when the blade is both open and closed. Because of their function, the studs contact the edge of the scales in the closed position. Regardless, their size coupled with a tiered cap makes deployment easy.

While there is a flipper like protrusion, the knife isn’t a true flipper and requires a healthy wrist flick if you want to open it this way. On opening the tang meets a solid, play free titanium liner lock. A deep texture on the lock leaf allows for easy, one handed closing. The pivot is smooth and the components travel against phosphor bronze washers.

Fantoni HB-01 Review – Final Thoughts

The HB-01 is the third Fantoni knife I have reviewed and solidifies the company as one of my favorites. A strong focus on the fit, finish and foremost function, strips away superfluous details. High end materials, an exceptional heat treat along with William Harsey’s experienced time proven design has produced a true modern classic. The only downside to this folder is its extremely limited run of 100. If you are lucky enough to own and use one I’m sure it will satisfy.

Fantoni HB-01
From: KnifeArt

Editor: I recommend buying the Fantoni HB-01 at KnifeArt. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website, including links to Amazon and BladeHQ, helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. Any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Additional Specifications

Total Length: 9.37” (238 mm)
Weight: 5.93oz (168 g)

Blade:

Length: 4.13” (105 mm)
Thickness: .157 (4 mm)
Steel: CPM-S125V
Hardness: 61-62 HRc
Finish: stone wash

Handle:

Length: 5.24” (133 mm)
Thickness: .55” (14 mm)
Liners: 6AI4V Ti liners
Scales: black G10
Clip: Ambidextrous 6AI4V Titanium Tip Up
Lock: Liner

Made In Maniago, Italy

Photo Credits: Andrew Gene

Kershaw Emerson Collaboration Review

by Andrew Gene 3 Comments

For 2014 KAI USA and Emerson Knives have teamed up to deliver the first high volume, overseas produced Emerson designed ‘CQC’ knives. The release targets a thirsty market of consumers looking for the designer’s distinct ‘tactical’ aesthetic coupled with the wave opening feature at an affordable price point.

Buy the Kershaw Emerson Collaboration at Amazon

The CQC in the name stands for Close Quarter Combat suggesting a professional application amongst LEOs, Military Personnel, First Responders etc. They are also commonly sold as a self defence products. Regardless of the implied market I think that these will be popular with the EDC crowd and collectors who are fans of the category.

A total of eight 2014 models fall under the Kershaw brand. There will also be two knives positioned in the higher end market, the 0620 and 0620CF. These premium versions have their own designs and will be released with Zero Tolerance which is also a KAI property. The topic of this review will be the Kershaw models : CQC 1K through to the CQC 8K. They are roughly designated their model number (1-8) by overall dimensions (length, width, weight) and cost. They can also be visually differentiated by lock type, handle construction, blade style and finishes.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The 1K, 2K and 3K models are quite small and range from 6.35” in overall length to 7.45”. The 4K and 5K’s are slightly larger in over-all dimensions and weight, but not quite as large as the designer’s standard line. The 6K, 7K and 8K will probably be the models that people will find the most like Emerson’s typical offerings. These are near to the size of the Mini-Commander or CQC 7’s, ranging from 7.75” to 8.1”. The Roadhouse that is being used as a comparison is an inch bigger than the largest Kershaw coming in at 9.1” in Overall Length.

All of the blades are made from the steel 8Cr13Mov. This is a stainless that has both reasonable edge retention and corrosion resistance for the price point. If you are looking for added corrosion resistance the black oxide models would be a better choice than the stone-washed editions. That said, I much prefer the aesthetics and well wearing surface of a stone-washed blade. The stone-wash covers the entire surface (not just the flats) and is a little less defined than a US made Emerson but it still looks good.

Patterns range from three tantos (CQC-3K,CQC-7K, and CQC-8K to four modified clip points (CQC-1K, CQC-2K, CQC-5K and CQC-6K) to one drop point (CQC-4K).

A flat grind produces a durable yet keen edge. Each has a standard V grind and edge bevel with the exception of the 8K where a chisel grind has been utilized. While all eight knives come sharp, the thicker stock favors strength over delicate slicing, typical of this genre. To make another comparison, Emerson uses a .125” (3.14mm) blade stock. The Kershaws are slightly thinner at 0.113” (2.9 mm). A model number and the manufacturer logo is etched on one side of the blade and a modified Emerson logo and skull appear on the other. Skulls aren’t for everyone but it’s pretty small. If you’re into skulls, you’ll be happy to know there’s one on the clip too.

Handle and Ergonomics

The handles are a partially closed back construction that uses an injection molded back-spacer. Since some models are liner locks and others frame-locks, finishes vary. All models have a grip thickness of .4 to .5” making them feel stout in hand and present in pocket. The CQC 4K and 5K are the only two with colored scales, all the rest have black G10 with black-coated frame or liner locks. The stone washed editions have bead blasted 410 stainless frame locks. The CQC 8 scales have some milled in surface detailing.

The G10 texture is less aggressive than the standard Emerson peel-ply stock. Some people may criticize this and others will appreciate the lack of pocket wear. I fall into the latter. The stainless frame-lock editions don’t have any texture so there will be little to no pocket wear. Addressing the pocket clips, it’s important to note that they are all tip up and unlike stock Emerson’s, reversible for ambidextrous carry. Retention is great and works well with the wave.

The ergonomics are varied throughout the line. The smaller editions feel a bit small in my hands with their 3 finger grip. The 1K and 3K’s straighter handles feels more comfortable since there’s less of a curve on the inner edge toward the pommel. All of the models above the 3K feel great to me with the exception of the 8K which has some pretty specific lines. That’s not to say it won’t fit like a glove for some, but I would suggest holding it in person first if possible.

Once again I feel that the 6K and 7K’s hit a sweet spot. The deep finger groove adds excellent retention and the rest of the handle’s contouring nests comfortably in hand. The jimping on all models is fairly smooth yet still provides some feedback and traction in use. On all the models, the wave also doubles as a thumb ramp for finer control.

Deployment and Lockup

For deployment all models have both a knurled thumb-disc and the patented “Wave”. The Waves are, as far as I can tell, all the same size. Being familiar with the technique, I haven’t had a problem repeatedly and reliably opening the knives this way.

While most people who read this site know what the wave is, I’ll dial it back and briefly explain. The wave opening feature consists of a protrusion on the blade’s spine. When drawing the knife from a closed and clipped-on position, it catches on the rear seam of your pocket. With a quick up and backward movement the blade opens without additional manipulation. Because it all happens at the same time you produce the knife, it’s the fastest way to open a folder. This has made the wave a popular option on back-up or self defense knives as it combines easy carry with very fast deployment.

On the down side ‘waving’ a knife will undoubtedly be seen as an aggressive act if you’re doing it at the office. You’ll probably want to use the thumb-disc which allows you to deploy your CQC without the attention in those situations.

When open both liner and frame locks are solid and without play. Lock-up contacts close to, or at 100% of the lock face. I think that this is a good move. When opening with the wave is important to have a full and audible engagement for safety.

The fasteners used for construction are standard flat heads for the pivot and Phillips heads for the rest. This is great for easy adjustment when necessary. Any standard multi-tool or typical at hand screwdrivers will do.

Over-all the fit and finish of the knives is quite good. Some may be surprised that there are some areas where the Kershaw models are more resolved than their higher end counterparts. On the originals there is often rough tooling around the perimeter of the handles, liners and blade edges. The Kershaw models are quite clean. Blade centering on all eight of the knives received for review was spot on. Below are a couple of details that show differences in the fit and finish.

Kershaw Emerson Collaboration Review – Final Thoughts

All in, Kershaw did an excellent job bringing these designs to market. With all of the differences in sizes, shapes and finishes there should be something here for everyone. Releasing eight new models from one designer is a pretty bold statement but one that will likely be backed by excellent sales.

Personally I like the 4K through to the 7K, their ergonomics felt the most comfortable. The 6K and 7K stone-wash looks the slickest in my opinion. Personal taste aside, these are 30 to 40 dollar knives. About a quarter to a fifth of the price of a US made Emerson.

Kershaw Emerson Collaboration
From: BladeHQ

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

Photo Credits: Andrew Gene

Hinderer Knives XM-18 Slippy Review

by Dan Jackson 10 Comments

Hinderer Knives is a company best known for their overbuilt XM Series. Burly titanium framelock flippers that helped popularize the titanium framelock flipper. So to see them release the XM-18 Slippy, a slip joint using their XM pattern, is a bit of an oddity. But then again, it’s not that surprising given the recent resurgence of interest in slip joint knives.

Buy the Hinderer XM-18 Slippy at BladeHQ

And oddly enough this may be their most practical daily carry folder yet. Reasonably small, slim, lightweight, and retailing for under $300, this may be the Hinderer that you didn’t realize you needed.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The XM Slippy has an overall length of 7″, a 3″ blade, weighs 3.71 ounces, and is made in the USA. It’s a great size for urban or suburban daily carry. It has similar dimension to the XM-18 3″, but is a hair thinner, .4 ounces heavier, and $150 cheaper.

I think if they had to borrow from one of the XM framelocks, the 3″ version was smart. This is all I need for an EDC knife. The 3.5″ version would have been way too much.

Hinderer has rolled this knife out in a couple of blade shapes, but shown here we have their classic drop point. It’s hard to go wrong with the clean look and practical features of a drop point. A good functional tip, plenty of belly, and Hinderer’s high flat “slicer” grind all work together to provide all-round performance.

Most of these early XM-18 Slippys appear to be coming with CPM-20CV blade steel. We are starting to see more high end knives in CPM-20CV. I’ve reviewed a couple Benchmade knives in this steel, including the G-10 Griptilian. Another notable knife in CPM-20CV is the Cold Steel 4MAX.

So at this point I have a few knives in my long term collection in CPM-20CV and I’ve put some miles on them. CPM-20CV is Crucible’s answer to Boeller M390. It’s the same chemical composition as M390, but it’s made by Crucible in the USA. I think it’s a great steel, and it provides a good blend of edge retention, ease of sharpness, corrosion resistance and toughness. Here is a link to ZKnives’ page on 20CV where you can get some more details.

In practice this is a slicey knife that has performed admirably in all the typical EDC chores. I have used my Slippy for your basic EDC knife stuff including opening mail, breaking down boxes, light food prep, and the random jobs that you invariably encounter when carrying a pocket knife. For each task the Slippy worked fine. It slices well and the stonewashed finish hasn’t shown much in the way of wear. Edge retention has been great, and when it’s time to touch it up, all I’ve needed to do is run the edge along the fine stones that came with my Spyderco Sharpmaker. I can’t ask for much more out of a daily carry blade.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocekt Clip

The handle is textured G10 scales over titanium liners secured with Hinderer’s custom hardware. One complaint is they have a lot of extra bolts on this thing. The show side has the pivot, 2 bolts by the lanyard hole, and then 3 button head bolts running across the handle. These may be necessary for their slip joint mechanism, but it’s not pretty. It would look much cleaner if they could ditch the button heads.

Beyond that, everything has been executed with Hinderer’s typical care and attention to detail. All the pieces have been beautifully finished, the parts line up, and any sharp edges have been broken. Anyone who has handled a regular XM will know what I’m talking about. The fit and finish is top notch.

This is a comfy little knife. The 3″ XM pattern is tried and true, and it’s just the same for this slip joint version. You have a good size handle with plenty of room for a full 4 finger grip. If you want to choke up on the blade you can with the forward choil. There is a run of mild jimping on the spine of the handle right above the pivot, and the textured G-10 scales offer grip without shredding your pocket like a fresh emery board.

The pocket clip is your standard XM-18 spoon style clip positionable for right side tip up or tip down carry. This is a proven clip that does a good job of keeping the knife mostly buried in the pocket. Hinderer includes a filler plate so you fill the void in the G-10 when you reposition the clip.

There isn’t much to complain about when it comes to this pocket clip. Some may favor a deep carry clip, but very little of the handle peeks up out of your pocket anyway. In practice the Slippy carried like a dream. Thin, lightweight, and discreet.

Walk and Talk

For the most part, all the stuff above is essentially a review of the 3″ XM-18 in CPM-20CV steel. Nothing earth shattering in my findings. This section is where it gets interesting. Our titanium framelock has been replaced with a slip joint, and our flipper and thumb studs have been replaced with an adjustable thumb disk.

The thumb disk is removable with an allen wrench, so this knife can be made into a 2 hand opener. Good for certain legal jurisdictions. Personally, I left the thumb disk on, but I did adjust it by loosening it with an allen bit from my WiHa bit set, and then sliding the thumb disk down the channel cut into the blade.

I positioned it to a good “sweet spot” where my thumb naturally brushes it when gripping the knife. In practice I think this is a cool feature. The groove in the blade may look a little weird at first, but I quickly got over it, and I like how the thumb disk can be adjusted to fit your hand.

Here is a size comparison with the Slippy next to my Spyderco Native 5:

Lets talk about the walk and talk, since this is a slip joint after all. The backspring on this knife is pretty good. I’d give it a “6” on a 1-10 scale, with 1 being floppy, and a 10 requiring significant force. I’d put most Swiss Army Knives around a 3 or 4. The Slippy has a good amount of resistance, but it won’t rip your fingernails off as you try to open the blade.

The blade opens up with a satisfying snap, and that same strong spring holds the blade open. There isn’t a hard half stop, but there is a “no man’s land” at the 90 degree point. From there you can push the blade closed and the spring takes up the slack to bring the blade home.

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Hinderer Knives XM-18 Slippy Review – Final Thoughts

I liked this XM-18 Slippy more than I expected to. What I appreciate is the simplicity. The Slippy has everything you need, and nothing you don’t. I know everyone’s needs are different, but for me 99% of the time I don’t need a locking folder for my daily carry chores. So this slip joint version strikes me as streamlined and practical given what I require out of an EDC knife. For those wanting a more robust locking folder, there is always their regular XM-18 series.

In addition to the practicality of the XM-18 Slippy, I’m also drawn to the price. A sub $300 Hinderer is an accomplishment in my book. The Slippy is a full $150 cheaper than their framelock version. It’s still expensive, but this is a relatively small batch precision product made in the USA. It oozes the kind of quality you would expect from Hinderer. My example is flawless, and at this price I’m a little more inclined to roll the Slippy in my daily rotation carry than keep it as a collectible.

As for potential downsides, I’m not a fan of the extra screws featured on the show side. I haven’t taken this knife apart to see why the bolts are necessary, but probably should. If I do I’ll snap a picture and update the review. Also, some may not be able to get around the thumb disk and channel in the blade. It’s unusual and strikes me as an acquired taste, but I don’t mind it. Like the rest of the knife, it’s practical and it works.

In closing I think Hinderer did a nice job with their take on the slip joint. The slip joint bandwagon has been gaining a lot of steam lately, but Rick and his team have found away to offer a unique take on the slip joint that compliments their existing lineup. Recommended if you are looking for a premium non-locking EDC, are curious about the design, or are a fan of Hinderer knives in general.

Hinderer Knives XM-18 Slippy
From: BladeHQ

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I recommend purchasing the Hinderer Knives XM-18 Slippy at BladeHQ, Amazon, or Knife Art. 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.

Custom Knife Factory Decepticon 2 Review

by Andrew Gene Leave a Comment

Last Updated: August 3, 2019
Ever since the explosion of the Shirogorov brother’s knives, there has been an increased interest in what is being produced in Russia. This has been pushed further along by a growing amount of breakout designers, most notably Dmitry Sinkevich.

Buy the CFK Decepticon 2 at BladeHQ

Sinkevich, a long time Shirogorov collaborator, has also worked extensively with KAI USA. The outcome was a high end knife in the Limited Edition 0454, mid range knives in the 0452CF and 0450 as well as budget conscious models like the Kershaw Nura.

The KAI collaboration has resulted in wider exposure and greater accessibility to Russian designs outside of Shirogorov, who were previously the go to brand. The issue with enjoying a Shirogorov has always been the initial price point and/or inflated after market cost, partly due to available knives and a near monopoly on their distribution in North America. While somewhat inaccessible, the popularity of Shirogorov has opened up a wider market for other Russian designers and manufacturers. At the same time, the KAI collaboration put similar designs into more peoples hands.

Enter Custom Knife Factory. Custom Knife Factory is a relatively young manufacturer headed by Mikhail “Mike” Kulygin. The aim of the brand is to work with some of the “newer” talent on the Russian Knife scene. I quote ‘newer’ as some of these designer/makers have been around for quite some time. It’s just that they are only coming into our popular North American knife culture as of late.

One such designer is Alexey Konygin the creative mind and craftsman behind the knife in this review. I personally have been very interested in Alexey’s designs after seeing a video of a custom Decepticon “1” on YouTube in 2012. Impressively 2011 is when the designer came onto the scene, hitting the ground running with his original offerings. Three years and a new iteration later, I’m very happy to present a review of the Konygin/CKF Decepticon 2.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Decepticon 2 is a large folder, produced in a limited run of 300 natural-finish titanium handle versions. The over all dimensions are 9.69” with a substantial 4.33” blade and weight of 6.06 oz. It’s difficult to perceive the size of the knife based on the numbers alone, it’s best to hold one to get the idea. The designer has stated a liking for big knives and this certainly fits the bill. Despite its size, it actually feels quite light in hand due to the handle’s structure.

The blade is made from Crucible’s S35VN, a widely used powder metal “super steel”. It is considered an upgrade to S30V through the addition of Niobium and has pretty much taken its predecessors place in mid to high end folders. Overall, this stainless has great edge retention and toughness, yet is still fairly easy to maintain.

The profile is a stylish modified drop point. A high flat grind adequately reduces the .156” stock at which point it receives a secondary edge bevel. The spine has a slight concave curve for thumb placement which changes direction mid-spine, arcing downward to meet the belly at a fine tip. The upper portion of the blade is detailed with a stylized thumb hole that is accented by a deep swedge grind and line milled into the upper corner of the opening. Visually, the line here continues up to a small thumb ramp that has a row of fine jimping. The blade has a light stone wash finish and is kept clean of markings except for text indicating the steel type. To help with sharpening, there is a good sized choil allowing you to work the edge right to the heel.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is constructed of sculpted slabs that stack together integrating to define the Decepticon’s distinct aesthetic. The two inner parts of the frame include all of the key mechanical components, like the lock and a channel for the stop pin. The outer scales add more width for a full feeling grip while their cutouts create counterpoints with the inner, latticed frame. At each end, the layers shear off at contrasting angles adding another interesting aspect to the multi-faceted design.

Although the shapes appear to have several hard angles, the overall profile, coupled with some nice chamfering makes for a surprisingly comfortable grip. The only exception to this for me, is the end of the clip which can feel sharp if you hit it the wrong way.

While on the topic of the clip, it works well with a good amount of tension. It blends into the rest of the design and has been nicely machined. As another feature, the partial back-spacer raises away from the frame creating a spot for a lanyard. The back-spacer is marked with the knife’s unique serial number, this one being #67 of 300. The CKF logo also appears etched on one of the exposed surfaces of the liner.

Deployment and Lockup

While there is the thumb hole, the Decepticon 2’s main deployment method is its flipper. As with most details of the knife it is also embellished with a cutout. Functionally it works well, snapping the substantial blade into place with a push or pull, equally well.

The lock up is very solid with good tension allowing it to seat and disengage easily. The end of the lock arm has a steel insert with a similar configuration to Zero Tolerance’s knives in that the part also includes the detent. To help comfortably unlock the knife and to provide easier access to the lock arm, the inside of the scales are chamfered. The mechanism travels on thrust bearings for smoothness and lateral stability. Everything is held in place by an over-sized custom pivot.

Custom Knife Factory Decepticon 2 Review – Final Thoughts

Although individual taste will vary, it is undeniable that the Decepticon designs are unique. If looking at it objectively, all of the key functional components are there. The blade is useful, handle comfortable, lock strong and materials premium. More impressively the design does this while visually setting itself apart from anything else currently out there.

I think that the name might be a little confusing when approaching this design because of it’s association to the movie franchise. Michael Bay might narrow the market appeal. As a note, Konygin named the knife after designing it and has stated that it was not inspired by the movies…

Personally I really enjoy this iteration and production of the Decepticon. It has achieved a delicate balance of generous embellishment without looking gaudy or ostentatious. I would equate this to the approach of creating shapes and lines by removing stock, instead of piling on extra details, like moku-ti or engraving. It clearly shows off a creative, innovative liner lock assembly with an intelligent utilization of modern methods and materials.

I especially appreciate how well thought out the lines and shapes are on this design. Alexey Konygin has paid great attention to the interaction of all the elements when the knife is both open and closed. From a manufacturing perspective the knife is very well made with a top end fit and finish. I’m looking forward to seeing more CKF collaborations and Konygin designs in the future. I’m sure that these collaborations will help quench the healthy thirst for more Russian designs.

CKF Decepticon 2
From: BladeHQ

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Custom Knife Factory Decepticon 2 at BladeHQ or Amazon.com. The knife is no longer in production, but BladeHQ offers plenty of CKF knives, including the Decepticon 4. Thanks for checking out the review.

Photo Credits: Andrew Gene