Folding Knives

Kizer Sheepdog Review

Imagine you can pick out anything from Kizer‘s lineup. I was recently put in that position. Not a bad place to be. Thumbing through their catalog yields all sorts of stuff from the pedestrian to the outlandish. The Sheepdog is more in that second camp. It’s a big bold design. Not likely to dislodge something like the FRN Chaparral from your pocket, but definitely a conversation piece.

Buy the Kizer Sheepdog at BladeHQ

The Sheepdog is a design from Chris Conway of Sheepdog Knives, and is the production version of Conway’s C01C custom knife. The Sheepdog even has “C01C” laser engraved on the blade. It’s a big and chunky offering for fans of big and chunky knives. Clearly this one won’t be for everyone, but the unique design and loyal following piqued my interest.

This knife was provided to me free of charge from Kizer. All thoughts are my own.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Sheepdog has an overall length of 7.75″, a 3.125″ blade, and it weighs 6.17 ounces. Right now I have the open knife resting on my chest as I type this review out on my couch. The resulting sensation is what I would expect the early onset of a heart attack to feel like. It’s a heavy pressing weight, bearing down on my solar plexus. I better move this review along before my girlfriend has to call 911.

While the Sheepdog is categorized as an EDC knife, you will need to be a fan of BBKs (Big Beautiful Knives) to tote this one around.

For those seeking something smaller, Kizer wisely decided to introduce the Kizer Mini Sheepdog a while back. As part of the Vanguard series, the Mini Sheepdog comes with G10 scales and a liner lock, but it also clocks in at a mere 3.25 ounces. I received a Mini Sheepdog from Kizer as well, but stupidly forgot to take a size comparison photo before sending the Mini over to Grayson for review. I liked the size and weight of the Mini Sheepdog and could see that making for an interesting daily carry tool.

The Sheepdog’s blade is a massive slab of S35VN stainless steel. It’s a modified sheepsfoot, with a gently curving edge, high flat grind, and dual swedges. Sheepsfoot knives generally don’t have a penetrating tip, but the Sheepdog’s leading edge is canted out slightly, resulting in a strong tip that won’t pick out splinters, but could easily blow through a hollow core door.

The blade has been nicely made. The grind lines are crisp, the edge is clean and even, and the finish is a fine stonewash. No complaints.

Given this blade is a hair over 4mm thick, I was dubious of the Sheepdog’s cutting abilities. But much like an NFL linebacker, this big boy has some moves. I started with an apple, as apples are a great test of the slicing ability of a pocket knife. A slicey knife will cut the apple cleanly, while a chunky blade will plow through it, leaving a series of fault lines in your apple slices.

Much to my surprise the Sheepdog cut the apple cleanly. It’s like a small butchers cleaver.

I moved on to cardboard. No problems there either. The S35VN blade peeled through the cardboard boxes. It eventually slowed down as the edge dulled, but the edge geometry is good and the knife cuts well. After the boxes, I touched the Sheepdog up on the ceramic rods from my Sharpmaker and we were back in business. At that point I carried the knife with me. Mostly on the weekends when I could carry a big blade like this. It performed regular EDC tasks, including opening mail and packages containing other knives, without any issue.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

Handle construction is simple and elegant. At the front of the knife you have an oversized pivot with an anodized blue titanium pivot collar. Towards the butt of the handle are two stainless steel standoffs. A series of three slots have been milled into the show side, offering a little extra traction and a view inside. Not much to see except for an expanse of dully shining titanium when the knife is open, or the glinting stainless steel blade when the knife is closed.

There is something oddly cathartic to the handle of this knife. It’s a hefty piece of contoured and bead blasted titanium, and it reminds me of palming a well worn river rock.

While the Sheepdog doesn’t have much of a “traction plan” with respect to aggressive texturing or jimping, the knife has clearly been built for comfort. Your hand naturally wraps around the handle, fingers finding the grooves, and thumb sliding across the broad spine of the blade. The result is a secure and confident grip without hot spots or ergonomic issues. I had no problems using my knife during the testing period. Granted I didn’t try to break down a yak with it, but for normal utility tasks the knife worked fine. I suppose you could always slap some skateboard tape on it, dudes.

The pocket clip is not without its controversy. First of all, it’s a milled titanium clip, so by default it’s going to raise the ire of a percentage of our knife loving brethren. I’m talking about those who have sworn their swords against the recent rebel uprising of milled pocket clips. Those folks will forever condemn the Sheepdog with its milled clip as a glorified paperweight, unfit for daily carry.

I’m a little less dogmatic when it comes to this sort of thing. Yeah, I’ve handled some knives with milled clips that didn’t work, but the one on this Sheepdog isn’t bad. It has been designed in a way to produce a lot of spring tension. Spring tension is critical for the success of any pocket clip, as this is what keeps the knife in your pocket.

The pocket clip works fine. I mostly wear lightweight shorts with a triangular pocket, and like to keep my knives high in the pocket up near my belt. Nothing upsets me more than a loose clip that allows my EDC knife to constantly sink towards the bottom of my pocket. That is the worst. Thankfully we don’t need to worry about that here. The Sheepdog’s pocket clip defies gravity and keeps my knife where I want it. No small feat given how heavy this thing is. Job well done, Kizer.

Ultimately, the Sheepdog carries well for what it is, but this is still a 6 ounce+ pocket knife. It isn’t a Dragonfly. You are going to notice it. It may even pull your pants down if you forget to wear a belt.

Deployment and Lockup

The Sheepdog makes use of an oversized flipper tab to get the blade open. The flipper is a substantial piece of steel allowing the user to pop the blade open with a lightswitch stroke. The detent is dialed in, and the blade runs on caged washers. The end result is a knife with reliable and satisfying flipping action. I’d put it at a solid “7” on the 1-10 scale. It gets the job done, but this is still a big heavy blade, and you feel that in the action. There is no jimping on the flipper tab, and I don’t think it needs it. My index finger has never slipped on the flipper.

For lockup we have a standard titanium framelock with steel lockbar insert. This is much like the Kizer Intrepid I reviewed two years ago. Kizer has the lock tuned to perfection. It locks up early, there is no blade play, and the lock is easy to disengage. There is no lock stick, and thanks to some contoured edges I can easily jam my thumb in place to release the lock bar. Much like the framelocks you find on a Zero Tolerance knife, this one just works.

Here is a parting shot of my Sheepdog next to the Paramilitary 2:

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Kizer Sheepdog Review – Final Thoughts

The Sheepdog is not for everyone. In fact, the Sheepdog is not for most people. It’s simply too big and too heavy. Despite that this knife has been well received. After carrying one for a while I can see why. It’s well made and functional. For those who want something big and chunky, the Sheepdog could be the one.

While the Sheepdog a big chunky knife, it is surprisingly light on its feet. The blade cuts cleanly, the knife feels good in hand, and it actually carries alright thanks to an especially strong milled pocket clip. And you can’t argue with the material selection or the fit and finish. Top notch materials combined with excellent fit and finish all lend a premium feel to this knife. That’s important given its ~$200 price tag.

The end result is a big but surprisingly refined knife. It isn’t for everyone, but I suspect that those that find themselves drawn to the Sheepdog will be pleased with its performance and execution.

KIZER Cutlery Pocket Knives Flipper Knife Frame Lock Folding Knife Titanium Handles Tactical EDC Knife, Sheepdog C01C Ki4488

List Price: $173.00

Price: $173.00

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I recommend purchasing the Kizer Sheepdog at Amazon or 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.

Kershaw Concierge Knife Review

by Josh Wussow Leave a Comment

Dmitry Sinkevich and Kershaw are on a roll. Following the success of the critically-acclaimed Atmos, they’re leaping back into service with the Concierge – A slightly larger pocket knife boasting the same sci-fi elegance and everyday accessibility.

With an out-the-door cost of $38 at BladeHQ, the Kershaw Concierge is a compelling entry point into the mind of one of the world’s premier knife designers. Its dapper handle houses a deceptively simple blade, ready to trim the foil from your morning champagne or cut the rind from your brie at brunch. I spent a few weeks chauffeuring this knife between work and play, thanks to the generosity of the folks at Kershaw. Here’s what I’ve learned over my stay with the Concierge.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Concierge boasts a contoured, upswept blade some 3.25-inches in length. The stock is rather narrow across the shoulders (0.11-inches), with a hollow grind outfitted in a dapper gray titanium nitride coating. Beneath this lies Kershaw’s ever-present 8Cr13MoV steel.

Now, I won’t go too far down the steel rabbit hole, since the similarly equipped Atmos has proven to be a capable worker. I’d still like to see something like 154CM or 14C28N on Kershaw’s budget models, but at least their 8Cr runs better than most.

The rest of the Concierge’s 7.25-inches is comprised of nicely crowned G-10, within which lies a stainless steel linerlock and KVT ball bearing system. Think about that for a second – Up until a few years ago, this would almost certainly have been running on Teflon or (if we were lucky) phosphor bronze washers. As it is, this newly affordable mechanism is sandwiched in a 0.55-inch thick handle, bringing the knife’s total weight to 4.3-ounces.

Now that we’ve covered the stats, let’s take a minute to talk about the knife’s real-world usage. The long, gentle curve of the blade is well suited for daily tasks. Its hollow grind had no trouble dealing with my typical mediums – apples, onions, cardboard, envelopes, and plastic wrap. The knife came sharp from the factory, and I’ve stropped it back to life with no issues. We’ll cover the details of the ergonomics in a moment, but I’m generally impressed with the everyday ability of the Concierge.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

This is a knife that’s smooth all over – Like a tactical otter, or a slippery maitre d’. The subtle swells and arcs of the Concierge’s handle are really something to appreciate, especially when examined up close. Dmitry Sinkevich is known for his sleek, futuristic designs, and his style is in full force here.

The texturing of the G-10 handles is subtle and smooth. The large, dimpled pivot screws provide an interesting focal point for eye and thumb alike, and the chamfered steel liners are easy on the palm. I appreciate the jimping on the long backspacer, as well. Beyond its ergonomic appeal, it’s another point of visual grace in the knife’s overall design.

One of the more unique aspects of the Concierge lies in its recessed pocket clip. This single tongue of steel dips below level of the rest of the handle, thanks to a pair of unique cutouts. The tip peeks just above the horizon of the surrounding G-10, allowing users to slip the knife in and out of the pocket with ease. It takes a bit of practice, but I’m a big fan of the concept here. A recessed clip translates into a reduction of hot-spots in the hand, and Mr. Sinkevich has nailed its implementation. True, this means you’re left with a non-reversible clip. But for the majority of the knife-buying audience, this should be a hit.

Deployment and Lockup

The Concierge employs some of the best fit and finishing I’ve seen on a sub-$100 blade. But once we transition into the functional realm, several budgetary bugaboos rear their ugly heads.

Let’s start with the positives. The opening action is strong, thanks to a solidly designed detent. The blade’s long flipper tab is well-ground and smooth, preferring a button-style press to the old light-switch flick. As mentioned earlier, it’s great to see a KVT bearing system at a price point formerly reserved for Teflon or phosphor bronze washers.

So, deployment is a breeze. Stowage, however, is an entirely different story. My particular test model came with some pretty significant lock stick. Even after a thorough breakdown, cleaning, and repeated application of graphite and Sharpie, it’s still not a terribly smooth process. Combine this with the rather thin (though well-chamfered) lock bar, and you’ve got a recipe for tenderized thumb meat.

This removes much of the fidget-factor that made the Atmos so appealing. I’ve spent a decent amount of time messing around with the Concierge, and the lockbar hang-up isn’t as bad as it used to be. But, at least on my test model, the stickiness took some of the fun out of the experience. It’s a shame, especially given the KVT bearings and the perfect position of the flipper tab.

There’s also an odd note of metallic chatter upon closure, most noticeable between the disengagement of the lock and the blade tang hopping up over the detent. This is a minor issue, and I’m not concerned about the mechanical soundness of the lock system. But, it’s a small annoyance not present on the cheaper Atmos.

Kershaw Concierge Review – Final Thoughts

By this point, my preference should be clear – I ditched the $150 ZT0450 in favor of the Atmos, and the Concierge (while certainly a nice knife) isn’t going to kick its smaller cousin out of the collection. This is largely due to personal aesthetic (I prefer the uncoated blade), but the lock stick comes into play as well.

Minor production hang-ups aside, I still think this is an excellent knife. The recessed pocket clip and upscale aesthetic alone are enough to warrant the price of entry. I’d advise potential purchasers to adopt the try-before-you-buy attitude, in order to avoid picking up a model with the same lock stick issue I encountered. But, this is another strong collaboration between Kershaw and Dmitry Sinkevich. It’s a solid option at a respectable price, especially if the Atmos is too small for your palm.

Kershaw Concierge Pocketknife (4020); 8Cr13MoV Modified Drop Point Blade; Gray Titanium Carbo-Nitride Coating; Black G10 Handle; KVT Ball-Bearing Manual Open; Liner Lock; Recessed Pocketclip; 4.3 oz

List Price: $45.09

Price: $28.99

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Editor: I recommend purchasing the Kershaw Concierge at Amazon or 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.

Giant Mouse ACE Biblio Review

by Aaron Shapiro Leave a Comment

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 10 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 Stitch 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

Manly Patriot Review

by Dan Jackson Leave a Comment

Oddly enough, I find myself writing the first draft of this review of the Manly Patriot on the morning of the 4th of July. Fitting to write a about a knife called the Patriot on a day set aside for patriots. But then again, I’m not sure how patriotic it is for me to write about a knife made in Bulgeria on Independence Day. I should probably be reviewing this Patriotic Eagle Head and USA Flag Folding Knife instead.

Back to the Patriot. I reviewed it’s folding cousin, the Manly Peak, a few months ago, and enjoyed its clean, utilitarian design.

The Patriot is even simpler. Not surprising given it was designed to be the fixed blade version of the Peak. I’ve had my heads in the clouds recently reviewing high end folders, so it’s almost odd to hold something this simple and spare. But let’s face it, these kinds of designs are the most practical, and most likely to see some use. Accordingly, my Patriot has seen a good deal of action. It’s one of those blissfully simple knives you can’t help but use. I’m ready to write about it.

This knife was provided by the manufacturer for review and long term testing. All thoughts are my own.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Manly Patriot has an overall length of 8.66″ (220mm), a 3.70″ (94mm) blade, and weighs 4.4oz (126g) ounces. Manly is a Bulgarian knife company, and that’s where the Patriot was both designed and manufactured.

I think the knife is a great size for general utility purposes. It wouldn’t be out of place if you lived on a rural property, and could accompany you on a hunting or fishing trip. Certainly it would work well on a camp site, and it’s perfectly fine for tooling around in the back yard. It has a good heft to it, so it’s not ideal for ultra lightweight backpacking, but it’s fine for day hikes. It’s too large to be an urban EDC fixed blade. It was designed to be an all-purpose utility knife and I think it’s dimensions are appropriate with that in mind.

The blade is an ultra simple drop point with a full flat grind. There is no swedge. The tip is fine without being delicate. The edge has been evenly applied and there is a small sharpening choil. The entire knife has been given a something of a satin finish. All of this is simple but nicely executed.

Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the blade is how it has been ground from 4mm thick stock. It’s relatively thick stock for a small knife like this. Still, the Patriot is ground thin behind the edge and is a capable slicer. I’ve used this knife quite a bit for cutting apples. It cuts beautifully in that capacity, and the simple fixed blade design makes the knife much easier to clean than a folder.

Just like the Peak series of folders, Manly offers the Patriot in a variety of blade steels, including S90V, 154CM and DIN 1.2379. My particular knives came in DIN 1.2379. DIN 1.2379 is a German steel and is equivalent to ANSI D2. Here is a link to the full data sheet for 1.2379 where you can review the chemical composition. Here is a link to DIN 1.2379 on the excellent ZKnives Steel Composition Chart. With a Chromium content of 12%, 1.2379 is more stainless than other variants of D2.

My experience with the Patriot in DIN 1.2379 has proven it to be a capable cutter multiple times. The toothy steel and full flat grind means the knife cuts aggressively. It’s a wonderful knife for breaking down large cardboard boxes, and tackling other large utility oriented chores. I’ve found the knife to be a capable carver, easily peeling off large strips of wood from some ficus logs I have in my back yard. It isn’t great for batoning, as it’s a relatively short blade, and a full flat grind, but you can baton little sticks and stuff with it.

I haven’t had any issues with rust or corrosion. I wouldn’t have guessed this steel came in a D2 analog. It’s nothing like the D2 on my old Benchmade 710. This DIN 1.2379 is easier to maintain and seems to be more stainless.

Handle and Ergonomics

The Patriot features contoured G10 handle scales permanently fastened to the handle with epoxy and eyelet rivets. Fit and finish is excellent. The parts all line up and are flush. The edges of the handle scales have been sanded down for comfort and rounded to provide some palm swell. The eyelet rivets are simple yet effective. The eye holes themselves are large and you can easily thread a couple strands of paracord through them. Perfect if you want to attach a lanyard or lash the knife to a stick for some reason. Rounding things out is a small amount of exposed tang at the pommel. This could be used as an impact tool.

The ergonomics of the Patriot are excellent. As I mentioned earlier, there are no sharp edges on the handle and the handle design itself is simple. The combination of contoured handle scales and thick blade stock fill your hand nicely. There is sharp jimping on the thumb ramp, and the secondary finger ramp right before the sharpening choil. This provides excellent grip, even in slippery situations. The G10 itself has a very light texture to it. Most of the grip comes from the jimping.

In practice I found this to be a comfortable handle. The knife has a natural feel in both forward and reverse grips. The balance point is about an inch behind the forward eyelet rivet, giving the knife a neutral feel if you choke back. Snugged up on the handle it has a slightly forward feel to it. The jimping strikes that nice balance of being present but not obnoxious. You can cut for an extended period of time without your thumb wanting to fall off.

All said this is a comfortable knife that will be easy to use in a wide variety of circumstances.

Sheath

The Patriot comes with a molded kydex sheath. The sheath has been finished in the same simple yet thoughtful manner that the knife has, and it serves as a good counterpoint to the knife. There is a large eyelet rivet so you can tie a lanyard to the sheath, or you can attach the included belt loop to any one of the 7 small eyelet rivets and thread a belt or strap through the loop and carry it that way.

The fit and finish on the sheath is excellent. It has been crisply cut, and it’s sturdy. There is a drainage hole near the tip. Retention is great. The knife slides in with a solid “snap” and the knife is held firmly in place. There is no rattle or shake of any kind.

This is the kind of sheath I would like to see with pretty much every production fixed blade knife. It’s a simple kydex sheath with good knife retention and plenty of mounting options. What else could you ask for?

I’m not as impressed with the belt loop. It’s the kind where you need to take your belt off to pass your belt through the loop, vs. a quick release system. It’s basic and it works, and I suppose if you wanted something fancier you could always mount a tek-lock to the sheath. But it’s not something I see myself using. I prefer to instead pass a length of paracord through the large eyelet rivet and tie that to my belt and then carry the knife in my waistband or pocket.

Here is a parting shot of the Patriot next to my Benchmade Nimravus:

I recently repurchased the Nimravus and have an updated review coming soon. It’s a bigger knife, and seems far more complicated than the Patriot.

Many Patriot Review – Final Thoughts

I’m a fan of the Patriot. It’s everything you need from a small fixed blade knife and nothing you don’t. At around $75.00 I think it is priced appropriately. You get a thoughtful design that has been nicely executed with high quality materials. The blade cuts well, the handle is comfortable, and the sheath is excellent. DIN 1.2379 is something of an unknown quantity here in the States, but I have found it holds a good edge, is easy to maintain, and I haven’t had any issues with rust or corrosion.

I have found myself reaching for the Patriot again and again. It’s great for dirty jobs whether they are big or small. While a simple knife like this won’t attract the attention of a high end production folder, it’s perfect for people that want a simple no-nonsense fixed blade for general use. Recommended.

My understanding is that Manly Knives are mostly sold through their distributors at this point. So I recommend purchasing the Manly Peak and Peak 2 at ManlyUSA if you live in the States or Manly Canada if you are in Canada.

That said, please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website, including Amazon and BladeHQ, helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. Any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!