Folding Knives

Viper Rhino Review

The Rhino is a large folder from Tecnocut’s Viper brand. Honoring its namesake, it features an oversized frame, robust build and armored appearance. Created by long time collaborator and custom knife maker Fabrizio Silvestrelli, it has flowing considered lines and a distinct appearance.

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General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Rhino has an over-all length of 9.96”, a 4.25″ blade, weighs between 8.6 and 9.9 oz depending on the choice of scales, and is made in Italy. Don’t kid yourself, “Rhino” was not a misnomer. This is a big knife and is designed for those seeking something, well, built like a Rhinoceros.

The blade has an unusual shape that sits in between a sheep’s foot and a harpoon pattern. At 4.25” and with a maximum width of 1.375” it offers a long cutting surface along with resistance against lateral stresses. The nature of the sloping spine also provides excellent tip strength.

While a typical sheep’s foot blade is designed to avoid penetrating cuts, the combination of an elongated radius meeting a sloping belly results in an aggressive point. This is augmented by a swedge, improving the Rhino’s ability to perform thrust cuts. A dip after the nose-like tip adds visual interest as well as a practical place for your free hand for reinforced push cuts. The grind is a full flat with a secondary bevel. Because of the large width, the edge geometry is shallow, producing a fine edge despite the generous .157” stock.

The steel used depends on the finish. Satin blades are stainless Böhler N690 while the charcoal blades are D2 achieving their corrosion resistance through the applied PVD coating.

Both blade steels are good options and provide solid value for money. N690 in particular offers an excellent combination of stain resistance, ease of sharpening, and edge retention. D2 has a reputation for being more finicky, as it’s a tough semi-stainless steel that can be more challenging to sharpen, but it’s a good choice for harder use applications.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is substantial in both length and width. At 5.5” it will easily accommodate medium and large sized hands with or without gloves. The construction is closed with scaled, full stainless liners. You have your choice of carbon fiber or cocobolo handle scales.

Designed for maximum retention, there are three distinct finger grooves that lock your hand in place. A slight flare on both sides of the inside edge prevent slipping in either direction. The back side is convex and nests in the palm comfortably. The back spacer is rounded adding style and avoiding hot spots while an adequately jimped thumb ramp provides extra control and feedback. Another run of aggressive, file-like jimping can be found on the lock release leaver for easy disengagement.

Over-all the ergonomics are excellent. While several people don’t like finger groves I personally think they work well here. The grip is very secure. A full, natural feeling in hand is partly achieved by a palm swell equally .83” (21mm) at its apex. This could be somewhat of a downside when considering pocket carry as the knife tends to hog space. Even though the clip is deep riding, the ornate appearance along with the handles bulge might generate some unwanted attention. Is that a Rhino in your pocket….?

As an additional carry option there is a recessed lanyard slot in the pommel. I’m a fan of these as it keeps everything clean looking and orients your lanyard in a sensible direction. It would be nice if Viper also included a MOLLE compatible belt sheath. I could see a folder this size benefiting from the ability to carry it on a bag, vest or belt straight out of the box.

Deployment and Lockup

Deployment is achieved via ambidextrous thumb studs. Phosphor Bronze washers and a finely dialed in spring tension make opening very fluid and easy. The thumb studs are large and easy to access. One downside is that the pivot is not adjustable unless you remove the handle scales. That said, I have not needed to adjust the pivot on this knife.

Back locking knives aren’t often associated with smooth operation however Viper has, on a number of models, achieved a perfect balance between ease of use and a reliable, tough play free lock-up. The lock is easy to disengage when you are ready to close the knife. Blade centering is perfect on these knives.

Viper Rhino Review – Final Thoughts

Everything considered the Rhino is an unusual yet attractive knife. Unapologetically oversized, it will probably appeal to a very niche market of collectors and users. If massive appeals to you, it will surely impress in the over all fit, finish and value. With a maximum price of $200.00 for the the PVD D2 and Carbon fiber model, you are getting a ton of premium materials and craftsmanship for your money. I could easily see this knife in any collection, in the bag of an outdoorsman or on the vest of a serviceman.

7Regardless of its quirks it is undeniable that the Rhino is extremely well made and functional. It’s also great that Viper, as with many of their other models, offer the Rhino in a variety of handle and blade materials accommodating a variety of tastes. To further this, it might be good for the company to consider a scaled down version as an EDC for a wider audience.

Viper Rhino – From $175.00
From: BladeHQ

Viper Rhino PAU Wood

List Price: $263.51

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Editor: I recommend purchasing the Viper Rhino 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.

Spyderco Native 5 Lightweight Review

by Dan Jackson 27 Comments

Last updated: January 24, 2019
The Native has been a staple in Spyderco‘s catalog since 1997. Back when I first got into pocket knives it struck me as a potentially excellent knife. It has great specs on paper. Lightweight, high quality blade steel (at a time when that wasn’t a given), a good useful size to get things done, and a surprisingly affordable price point. This knife sold for close to $50. But the previous generation Native also had a saber grind, toothy jimping, and pinned construction. A number of flaws that kept me from giving the knife my full endorsement.

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Of course Spyderco being Spyderco, they haven’t rested on their laurels. Their most classic designs get updated and tweaked over the years, and the Native was no exception. The Native 5 is their latest in the series. Introduced in 2012, this 5th generation in the series benefits from a number of upgrades. They have also rolled the Native pattern out in a number of variations, including the covetable carbon fiber version Aaron reviewed.

This plastic handled version, dubbed the “lightweight”, is their simplest Native. But I happen to think it may be their best version of the Native yet. Let’s dive in to see what this Native 5 Lightweight is all about.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Spyderco Native has an overall length of 6.875″, a 3″ blade, a weight of 2.45 ounces, and is made in the USA. I happen to think this is a great knife for suburban daily carry. It’s a full size knife, but at less than 2.5 ounces you hardly notice it in the pocket. While the Dragonfly II gets the job done, the Native 5 gives you more options.

Speaking of the Dragonfly II, here is a size comparison:

These days the Native comes in a fully flat ground leaf shaped blade. The old deep hollow grind and swedge has been updated with something a little more modern and clean looking. It’s the kind of simple and elegant blade shape that works well for everything from carving up a block of cheese to breaking down boxes to preparing wood shavings for a bonfire.

Spyderco has released this knife in many different blade steels over the years. Mine happens to come in S35VN, which I believe is a fairly common offering for the Native 5. They offer these in everything from S30V to exotic steels including S110V and even Maxamet.

I like the S35VN version of the knife, as S35VN is so easy to maintain. It takes a nice edge and is easy to sharpen, while also exhibiting decent toughness and corrosion resistance. No steel is perfect, but S35VN is pretty damn good by most metrics.

In practice my knife has done everything I’ve asked it to. It is an excellent slicer. It can thinly slice fruit, zip through cardboard, and handles heavier duty chores as well. I’ve been maintaining the edge on my Spyderco Goldenstone, and the knife stays razor sharp that way. This is a great “do everything” blade that will handle all the stuff you would expect a good EDC knife to handle. I have carried and used this knife extensively. It just works.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle of the native is comprised of two injection molded linerless Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon (FRN) handle pieces mated to a steel lock back and FRN backspacer. Everything is finished well and is secure. The old version of the Native had pinned construction, but this Native 5 comes with screw together construction. So you can take the knife apart if you would like to clean it. All said this handle is simple and utilitarian.

The handle of the Native 5 is big and boxy, providing you with a comfortable handle that fills the hand. There is a nice forward finger choil that is welcome on a good Spyderco. There is no lack of grip either. Between the bidirectional texturing, and the heavily jimped thumb ramp you are going to be hard pressed to find fault with the traction on this knife.

But personally I’ve never been that obsessive about traction. What I enjoy most about the ergonomics of the Native 5 is that none of the ergonomic features get in the way. Instead, everything has been applied with a deft hand. Subtly is the name of the game here, and the whole is the greater than the sum of its parts.

Once again, it’s kind of hard to explain what makes this handle so good, but at the end of the day it just works. This is a knife you will want to hold and use.

Lets turn to the pocket clip. This too has been worked over the years. What Spyderco has done is provided a secure spoon style clip with a unique 3 screw configuration. The base of the pocket clip straddles either the lanyard hole or the pivot, depending on whether you have the pocket clip placed for tip up or tip down carry. This is a “4 corners” clip, so you can configure the knife to carry tip up or down for left or right handed carry.

In practice this knife carries phenomenally. It’s a sub 2.5 ounce folder. You forget it’s there. While the pocket clip is not a deep carry clip, it’s still discreet, burying the majority of the handle. It also a secure clip with excellent spring retention. Not once has this knife fallen out of my pocket.

Lock and Deployment

For deployment we have the Spyderco thumb hole. No surprises there. What’s potentially surprising is this knife has no bearings or washers inside it. It’s all FRN. That would be a turn off for me, but honestly I didn’t know the knife didn’t have washers until I took it apart. It was smooth and I figured it had phosphor bronze washers or something in there. It doesn’t, but that’s OK because it doesn’t need them.

Here is a shot of the disassembled knife so you can see what I’m talking about:

The Native 5 comes with an adjustable pivot, a big upgrade over the old version of the knife that was pinned together. This is a bushing pivot. It works great, and the blade is perfectly centered.

Here is a size comparison with the Sage 1:

For lockup we have a lock back. It’s got a crisp snappy action that is satisfying to use. And there is no blade play in this knife. That is surprising when you consider it’s a plastic handle with no liners at all. Yet it’s a robust knife. Would I baton with it? No. Would I jab it into a tree and use it as a step ladder? No. But it has held up great after normal extended use.

Here is a parting shot with the Native 5 next to my Paramilitary 2:

Spyderco Native 5 Lightweight Review – Final Thoughts

The Native 5 is one of my favorite EDC knives. I even like it more than the Sage 1. Here’s why: it’s lighter than the Sage, has better pocket clip retention, I prefer the S35VN blade, and I think it’s a little more comfortable with the big plastic handles. The Native 5 has found it’s way into my permanent EDC rotation. It’s just an excellent knife and you don’t need to think very hard about carrying it. The blade is versatile and cuts well. The handle is comfortable. The pocket clip is great and the knife is so light you forget you are carrying it.

Spyderco offers this knife in a G-10 version with liners. Why you would pick that knife over this lightweight FRN version is beyond me. The G-10 version weighs over an ounce more. I’m sure it’s a great knife, but I don’t need to look any further than the FRN version. Maybe you have some harder use in mind for your pocket knife. But for most people I think they will find the Lightweight version to be plenty stout and rugged. This is a workhorse of a knife, and it’s great choice if you primarily use your knife to cut things.

The Native 5 Lightweight has my highest endorsement. This is an exceptional EDC knife. Buy it and enjoy it.

Spyderco Native5 C41PBK5 Pocket Knife 3" Folding Blade Plain Edge Drop Point

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Steel Will Cutjack Mini Review

by Dan Jackson 4 Comments

When you look over the the stuff I reviewed last year, it’s a lot of high end pieces. With all that titanium and carbon fiber, you would think I’ve lost touch with the budget knives. In fact, when Travis wrote in his review of the Hogue OTF that the knife was expensive, a commenter said that it’s “Weird BladeReviews would call a $229 knife expensive!”

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In a way that comment warms my heart, because this is a true enthusiast’s site and we have dived deep into all sorts of high end knives here. I’ve personally purchased and reviewed so many expensive knives that a $229 knife amounts to a rounding error. I probably have $229 in knives lost in my couch cushions. One time I wiped my ass with a $229 knife. Not really, but you get the point. I have a problem. That’s part of the reason why I use a penknife name.

But in another way, it shows I may have been focusing a little too much on the higher end of the hobby. $229 is an expensive knife for a lot of people, including myself, and the hobby isn’t only about buying expensive knives. At the end of the day I use a lot of my knives, and the knives I tend to keep are users. The pocket frosting is what typically gets sold off.

I’m still interested in budget pieces, but I pick them carefully. Rather than review every single Chinese made Kershaw that comes out, I’d rather review stuff that interests me. Not all the budget stuff interests me.

But sometimes you can find cool knives for not a lot of money. The Steel Will Cutjack is one such candidate. When Steel Will came onto the scene a few years ago I wasn’t that interested. Most of their knives were plastic handled fixed blades, and I wasn’t that excited.

I believe their first folder was the Gekko. A sleek Italian made piece retailing for around $150. Nice knife, but I wasn’t ready to pay $150 for it.

I sort of lost sight of the brand at that point, but Steel Will continued to blaze forward with new designs and at different price points. Their stuff earned a following and the Cutjack kept popping up again and again. It slowly crystalized in my subconscious until it eventually found itself at my door step. Ok, maybe an Amazon shopping list and credit card were involved, but for $40 I didn’t think too hard about it. This is BladeReviews after all.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Cutjack has an overall length of 7″, a 3″ blade, and weighs 3.01 ounces. The knife is made in China, although it’s interesting to note I don’t see “China” anywhere on this knife or in the packaging. The Cutjack is firmly marketed as an EDC knife and is part of Steel Will’s “Urban” series. Originally when I wrote this review I though I had the regular Cutjack, but turns out this is the mini version. It’s a good size for EDC. Lightweight and easy to pocket. If you want something bigger, Steel Will offers a full size Cutjack with a 3.5″ blade and overall length of 8″.

The Cutjack’s blade is a riff on the modern drop point. The swooping belly compliments the curvy backside of the handle. There is a long lean swedge that runs the entire length of the blade. A high flat grind and satin finish lend a smart look to the knife. One thing to note is the edge on my knife is almost perfectly even. For a $40 folder I’m impressed, as it’s tough to find a perfectly even edge on any production knife.

Steel Will selected D2 steel for the blade. An interesting choice, as D2 has a reputation for being semi-stainless and a bit of a bear to maintain, unless you by a knife made by Bob Dozier. But this isn’t a Bob Dozier knife. When I think “D2” I think of the Benchmade 710. Great knife, but a bitch to sharpen. For this reason I wasn’t sure about a budget knife in D2 steel. At least it would give me something new to write about. Writing countless reviews of knives in Aus8 and 8Cr13MoV has worn a permanent groove in my brain. But D2 in a budget blade. That’s something different.

Here is a size comparison with the Benchmade Bugout. Buying lots of blue knives lately…

So I put the Cutjack through its paces. I’m writing this review after the holidays, so this knife has gone through an impressive quantity of cardboard. I’ve used it quite a bit in the kitchen as well. Cutting fruit and cheeses in place of a paring knife. I’ve had a chance to sharpen it on my Spyderco Goldenstone a few times to maintain the edge. The D2 blade has held up great. No staining at all, easy to sharpen, and it has held a good edge. Hard to believe it’s actually D2 with performance like that, but I’m not complaining.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The Cutjack’s handle is FRN scales over stainless steel liners with a high density plastic backspacer. This is similar to what you would find on a Delica. In practice the FRN plastic handle scale isn’t quite as heavy as what you find on a Japanese Spyderco, but it’s pretty nice. In fact the handle is surprisingly nice and well constructed. All the parts line up, the steel liners have been skeletonized, and there is custom hardware for the body screws and pivot. For $40 this is great.

I will say that the inside edges of the handle are all a little sharp. Some ultra fine sandpaper would take care of that. Beyond those sharp edges, there is little to grouse about when it comes to the Cutjack’s handle construction.

How does it feel in hand? Well, some of the inside edges are a little sharp as I’ve mentioned, but on the all the handle is comfortable. Plenty of room for a 4 finger grip, whether you are choking up on the forward finger choil, or laying back in the cut. As far as traction is concerned, there is no lack of texture on this knife. The thumb ramp is finely jimped, the backspacer is a big toothy geared affair, and the handle scales themselves have a pleasant woven texture to them. Not as grippy as Spyderco’s bi-directional texturing, but it gets the job done.

In practice the Cutjack feels good in hand and I’ve had no issues breaking down boxes, slicing fruit, and doing some light carving to get a campfire going in my back yard.

The pocket clip is a silver spoon style clip. It buries the knife deeply, but isn’t a low rider clip. All in all I think it’s a good clip. It has good retention, keeps the knife tucked away, and the handle is drilled and tapped for ambidextrous tip up carry.

The Cutjack carries well. It’s neither ultra thin nor ultra light, but it is passably thin and passably light. It’s the kind of knife that I quickly forget I’m carrying until the anointed time arrives and I need to produce a pocket knife. The Cutjack earns strong marks for its practical carry clip and easy pocktability.

Deployment and Lockup

When I look at my list of best budget EDC knives, I notice only the Kershaw Skyline is a flipper. And the Skyline isn’t a great flipper when we think about modern flipping knives. It was designed before the renaissance in flipper folders.

The only knife that comes to mind as a great sub $40 flipper is the excellent CRKT Swindle. Could the Cutjack join the ranks? I think it’s possible. However, the flipping action of the Cutjack isn’t as good as the Swindle. The Cutjack uses phosphor bronze washers rather than bearings, and the detent isn’t as crisp on the Cutjack. But it’s still pretty good. I’d put the action around a “5” on the 0-10 scale. It’s not bad, but it’s not going to come close to the feel of a Zero Tolerance flipper or even the Swindle.

For lockup we have a stainless steel liner lock. Lockup is pretty good. I have a little side to side wiggle. Nothing crazy, but it’s there. I tried tightening the pivot, which removed the blade play but made the blade impossible to flip open. No up and down play at least. Lockup is fully engaged but is still early. The lockbar is jimped and easy to get at when it’s time to close the knife.

Blade centering is perfect on my knife. That is always nice to see. Here is a parting shot with the Cutjack next to the ESEE Zancudo:

Steel Will Cutjack Review – Final Thoughts

The Cutjack is pretty damn good for the money. It’s not perfect, but what do you expect for $40? I’d say its about 90% there. You get a lot of knife for the money. The overall design is excellent. The blade feels good in hand and cuts well. The knife carries nicely. The D2 steel is better than I expected. Little touches like the custom hardware show you that this knife was carefully considered.

It’s not a perfect piece. The inside edges of the handle are a little sharp. The deployment is on the sluggish side, and there is some side to side blade play. But this is a $40 knife, which means there will always be compromises in the execution of the knife. I think Steel Will has done a lot here, and that they allocated the money to the right places. I can’t think of much else that comes close to it if you want a flipper. What would you rather have for $40? The Skyline and Swindle are still excellent options, but they are lighter duty knives. The Cutjack is the kind of grab and go piece that finds itself making its way into my pocket over and over. It’s a great no-nonsense tool.

For these reasons I’m adding the Cutjack to my list of Best EDC Knives. I can easily recommend it if you are looking for a $40 EDC knife, and especially if you want a flipper. I still think the Zancudo represents an excellent value, and I think it’s slightly better made than the Cutjack, but the Cutjack is an excellent knife.

This knife will remain in my collection for the long term, and I’ll update the review as I continue to carry and use it.

Steel Will Cutjack C22M-1BL Linerlock

List Price: $38.99

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I recommend purchasing the Steel Will Cutjack 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.

Spyderco Hundred Pacer Review

by Seth Vietti 7 Comments

At first, nothing about the Spyderco Hundred Pacer appealed to me. For someone intent on wringing maximum utility from every inch, every ounce, and every dollar’s worth of blade, the Hundred Pacer seems absurd: too big, too heavy, and too expensive. It’s also… weird. Impressively weird, even for Spyderco, whose catalog is persistently peppered with odd and ugly ducklings.

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I guess it’s a good thing I had a chance to handle this odd and imposing design in person before buying one, otherwise I would have almost certainly missed out on one of the most useful and interesting knives I’ve carried this year.

General Dimensions & Blade Details

The Hundred Pacer is named after a venomous snake, a Taiwanese viper supposedly so deadly that – according to local folklore – whoever suffers its venomous bite will stagger just one hundred paces away before dropping dead. The name isn’t the only thing designer Jonny Liao borrowed from the snake; the knife’s blade shape is inspired by its characteristically upturned snout, and the two-toned texture in the G-10 handle is inspired by the rhomboid pattern of brown and tan scales running down its back.

The Hundred Pacer is such an oddly proportioned design that it’s hard to get a sense of this knife’s scale from pictures alone. Comparisons can help – here it is against the Spyderco Military family:

While it may be shorter overall than the full-sized Military, the Hundred Pacer manages to fit in a bit more edge thanks to an efficient use of handle space. The knife feels substantial, weighing in at just over five ounces, but given its sheer bulk it doesn’t feel disproportionate.

It’s hard to overstate just how broad the blade of the Hundred Pacer actually is. For a folding knife, it’s downright gratuitous: at its widest point, the blade of the Hundred Pacer is just a few millimeters shy of my classic Victorinox 8 inch chef’s knife. In use, however, it feels purposeful; intuitive, even. The edge begins below the handle, affording it near full-length contact against a cutting board. It slopes steadily from heel to point in a single uninterrupted arc, slicing aggressively but predictably, without abrupt changes in geometry that can cause cuts to push or pull away. The tip sits just above the centerline of the knife and feels precise and easy to control. And the extra-wide flat ground blade, coupled with an acute distal taper, makes for startlingly good cutting performance.

I have observed that a knife with good blade geometry will continue to cut comfortably through all but the most delicate materials even after the edge has dulled. Long after the Hundred Pacer had lost its hair-shaving sharpness from cutting in the kitchen, at the fireplace, and in front of the recycling bin, it continued to perform well.

No doubt Spyderco’s choice of blade steel, CTS-XHP, played a significant role here, too. It is said to be an advanced, stainless version of D2. I can’t speak to the science behind the alloy, but after more than a year of use I can say it has become a personal favorite for its well-balanced combination of good corrosion resistance, excellent edge retention, and ease of sharpening. It plays nicely with my cheap sharpening stones, polishes well, and seems to take a fine edge easier and hold it noticeably longer than comparable industry favorites S30V and S35VN.

Handle, Ergonomics, & Pocket Clip

In hand, the Hundred Pacer feels practically paleolithic, a fistful of G10 fit for a neanderthal’s fist. There’s plenty of room on the handle to accommodate different grips, but the hump above the pivot tends to push the hand away, either back on the handle for a natural grip:

or forward, with the thumb nestling down onto the sloped spine of the blade to apply pressure directly into a cut:

Both grips are useful and comfortable, but more often than not (and especially when working on a cutting board) I find myself using the knife in a pinch grip.

The snakeskin pattern milled into the G10 is attractive and substantially grippy, even when wet. Compared to the typical peel-ply stuff, it has a variegated, organic feel. And mercifully, Spyderco have opted to leave a patch of the handle smooth under the clip so the texture doesn’t gnaw away at your pockets.

When you need to apply some force, it’s nice to have a handle that your hand can stretch out on. However, there are some ergonomic drawbacks to such a broad, flat handle. Tasks that require deft rotation of the knife in the hand (e.g. peeling small fruit) are a little awkward, and the bulbous rear end of the knife can feel oversized in some grips.

Perhaps the biggest drawback of all is how the knife carries. Despite being equipped with Spyderco’s deep carry wire clip – a minimal, functional design that on any other knife I might call discreet – the Hundred Pacer carries… conspicuously. It dominates pocket space like a limo dominates curbside parking. The knife starts wide at the clip and gets even wider around the pivot, so the experience of reaching past it for something else in your pocket ranges from awkward to impossible. Thankfully, the clip is always cooperative. Once you cede control of your pocket over to the Hundred Pacer, getting the knife into and out of it is thoughtless; a real testament to the utility of Spyderco’s wire clip design.

Deployment & Lockup

Because most of the mass in the Hundred Pacer’s blade is centered around the pivot, flicking it open doesn’t have the weighty, wrist-snapping feel you might expect from such a big blade. Its unusual kinetics take a little getting used to, but thanks to generous access to the thumb hole and a firm – but not hard – detent, one-handed deployment is reliable whether you want to open it slow and sure, flick it out with your thumb, or “spydieflick” it with your middle finger. The pivot turns fluidly on robustly thick phosphor bronze washers.

The nested liner lock has been drama-free since day one, providing secure engagement with the blade at exactly the same spot today as it did when I first opened the knife. Unlocking it is simple, and more importantly, safe: unless you deliberately move your thumb away from the lockbar release cutout, there’s no way for the blade to cut your finger while closing.

Spyderco Hundred Pacer Review – Final Thoughts

It almost goes without saying, but the Hundred Pacer won’t be for everyone. Even for those it does appeal to, I suspect that its price ($234 on BladeHQ as of December 2018) makes it easy to choose something else. If this knife was under $200, I think it would be a much more compelling buy.

That said, if I lost my Hundred Pacer tomorrow I would not hesitate to replace it. There are knives that carry more discreetly (most of them), but in use, the Hundred Pacer might be the best all-rounder I’ve ever owned. It’s a superlative slicer, but it still has enough rigidity at the tip and strength behind the edge to handle forceful stabs and torquey cuts. The ergonomics on a cutting board are a huge practical advantage – when I expect to be cooking in an unfamiliar kitchen, I bring the Hundred Pacer.

It’s perfect for long trips away from home – or just long days – when it can flex fluently from pocket knife, to work knife, to kitchen knife. Just don’t forget to clean it in-between.

Spyderco C225GP Hunderd Pacer G-10 CTS-XHP Plain Edge

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Editor: I recommend purchasing the Spyderco Spydiechef 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.

Benchmade 535 Bugout Review

by Dan Jackson 6 Comments

The Benchmade Bugout is a knife I was interested in reviewing when it first came out. But my original role as the sole author of this website has transitioned to more of a “contributing author and editor” role, and the Bugout was on someone else’s list to review. These days I need to work with the other authors and not step on their toes if they want to review a particular knife. That’s OK. There are plenty of other knives to review.

Buy the Benchmade Bugout at BladeHQ

So I forgot about the Bugout and moved on to other knives.

Fast forward a year or two later. I’m at a friend’s house party. He knows I have this “weird website dedicated to knives” and wanted to introduce me to his friend. As an aside, a handful of my friends know I operate this website, and the majority of them think it’s hilarious that someone could dedicate an entire website to pocket knives. Anyhow, at this party my buddy was excited to introduce me to a friend of his that carried a pocket knife. I showed him the Native 5 in FRN I happened to have in my pocket, and he produced his Benchmade Bugout.

Handling the knife for about 30 seconds was all it took. It has a beautiful thin profile, wonderful tactile handles, is light as a feather, and the bright blue anodized hardware gave the knife an almost jewelry like quality. I could immediately tell it was a knife I wanted to add to my collection. I followed up with one of my writers, who confirmed the Bugout had fallen off his radar, and that I was clear for takeoff to acquire my own Bugout for purposes of today’s review.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Bugout has an overall length of 7.46″, a 3.24″ blade, and weighs 1.85 ounces. In some ways it can be considered a largish EDC knife with its over 3″ blade, but on the other hand, it’s so damn slim and light how could you not recommend this for daily carry? It’s only half an ounce heavier than the revered Dragonfly 2, but it packs an extra inch in blade and almost 2 inches of overall length. Incredible really.

As usual, your local laws and preferences in terms of size and blade length will come into play here, but personally the Bugout has been a great choice for daily carry. And I don’t think anyone will kick it out of their pocket for being too heavy.

The Bugout features a long drop point blade. In many ways it reminds me of my Volli, but I suppose the profile is a little closer to the discontinued 707 Sequel. Regardless, it’s a classic looking drop point with a high flat grind and a swedge running half the length of the blade. The knife has been given a combination satin / stonewashed finish that you find on pretty much all of Benchmade’s uncoated knives. The blade shape is classically appealing and the execution is excellent.

Here is a size comparison with the Spyderco Native 5. Another excellent FRN clad USA made EDC knife:

My favorite thing about this blade is how well it cuts. I realize that sounds a little odd as most will agree the purpose of a knife is to cut stuff, but not every pocket knife cuts that well. Sometimes it’s a conscious design decision (ie, a thick “hard use” blade), and sometimes it’s a form over function thing. I’m pleased to report the Bugout cuts well.

Benchmade went with S30V for the blade steel. S30V may turn some folks off as it has a reputation for being an older steel that can be difficult to sharpen, but here it’s a great choice. Benchmade does a tremendous job with their S30V. It’s easy to sharpen and holds a great edge. I have some Spydercos in S30V and the steel is stubborn to sharpen. The Bugout is a lot like the Volli, knife that is a proven slicer and an underrated Benchmade. Like the Volli, the Bugout features thin blade stock that has been thinly ground. The end result is an exceptional slicing knife.

I have used my Bugout extensively and have been polishing the edge up on my newly acquired Spyderco Golden Stone. As I mentioned in my recent Wayfarer 247 review, I have been having a ton of fun with this new sharpening stone. I’m able to take my edges to the next level, and have gotten some truly exceptional results out of the stone on this Bugout.

I will eventually review the Goldenstone, but for now I want to comment that I’ve been getting some scary sharp edges on my knives, and the Bugout has taken to the Goldenstone like a duck to water. I have a mean working edge on this knife. It pops hair, push cuts paper, and zips through cardboard like no one’s business.

The S30V blade takes a wonderful edge and holds it for a long time. I prefer Benchmade’s S30V over their classic 154CM because I find it to be just as easy to sharpen, but has the advantages of more corrosion resistance and better edge retention.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Bugout has a textured high density plastic handle with partial stainless steel liners. The steel liners mainly serve to house the omega springs for the Axis Lock, and the handle construction is similar to a Benchmade Griptilian. Here Benchmade has developed a handle that is super thin, but features a minimal amount of flex.

If this was a 2 sentence review on Amazon, this may be the part where the reviewer bitches about the plastic handle scales. Frankly, I haven’t read any of those reviews, but it’s almost a requirement that if you are going to review the Griptilian you will at some point gripe about the FRN handles. I assume that’s a complaint some may register with the Bugout as well. Personally, this is a lightweight light to medium duty EDC knife, and I have no problem treating it as such. The handles feel high quality to me. The knife lacks the heft of a full liner and G10 scaled knife, but that’s a good thing in my book. Plenty of heavier duty knives out there if that is what you need.

Fit and finish is great on this knife. I have yet to find an issue in the fit & finish department, and the handle is a great place to search for flaws. All the parts line up, everything is nicely finished, the screws are flush, and the blue anodized hardware give the knife just a touch of zazz.

While this is a sub 2 ounce folder, the Bugout has the ergonomics of a full size knife. That’s because it is a full size knife. The handle is simple and there is plenty of it to grab onto. I take an “XL” size glove and have plenty of room for a full 4 finger grip. I think most people will have no problem using the Bugout in a forward or reverse grip.

The simple handle design benefits from a couple small traction features. First you have a short row of mild jimping on the spine of the handle. That works well without tearing up your thumb. In addition to the jimping you have a nice textured FRN handle. Benchmade included a good deal of diamond patterned texturing, but even the naked parts of the handle have a good gritty feel to it. Good traction on this knife.

The pocket clip is another interesting aspect of the Bugout. Benchmade went with a stubby low rider clip. It’s a discreet deep carry pocket clip. This sounds good in theory, but I’m kind of on the fence about it. While on one hand I think it looks super cool, the knife has popped out of my pocket a couple times. The Bugout has always fallen into my pocket, rather than onto the floor, but still this is concerning. Granted, I wear shorts a lot of the time, and I have big fat legs, so I don’t know if you will have the same issues. Regardless, the combination of a long knife and short clip haven’t 100% jived with my style of carry.

This knife will accept a standard Benchmade clip, which Benchmade will probably send for free if you ask nicely or use their Lifesharp service. So if you have issues like me you can always swap out the clip. I will be curious to hear if anyone else has experienced this issue. If so please leave a comment about it below.

Deployment and Lockup

The Bugout makes use of two blue anodized thumb studs to get the blade open. One of my few criticisms of this knife is is that the thumb studs are placed close to the handle in the closed position. It makes it a little hard to get the blade out. Contrast this with a knife like the Griptilian where there is more room, and the blade flies open. However, the thumb studs do work, and if you played around with the design too much you would spoil the lines of the Bugout.

Benchmade went with phosphor bronze washers. This is standard fare for their axis lock knives and should come as no surprise. The action is smooth and fluid. It isn’t as glassy as the G-10 Griptilian, but it’s definitely workable for my purposes.

With a sub 2 ounce plastic handled axis lock knife, you would think there would be some blade play. After all, I’ve experienced that in a lot of earlier Benchmades. It’s just part of the gambit when you buy a FRN clad axis lock knife. Or so I thought. Oddly enough my little Bugout has no blade play at all. It’s as tight as a drum. Really nice to see.

Here is a shot with the significantly more expensive, yet still excellent, 940-1:

The Axis lock itself remains as easy and fun to use as ever. This is a fully ambidextrous knife. There is not much new I can add to this section. The lack of blade play is surprising, as traditionally that is the only compromise I can note in a FRN handled Axis lock knife.

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Benchmade 535 Bugout Review – Final Thoughts

I know I’m a little late to my party with the review of the Bugout. The knife has been out for over a year. Old news for those who track the knife industry. But this is a great knife adding to a string of impressive releases for the Benchmade. I can recall just a few years ago when folks thought Benchmade had nothing left to offer. Then they release the G10 Griptilian, 940-1, Anthem, Crooked River, and Proper. All top shelf pieces.

The Bugout is a worthy addition to that long list of excellence. But the Bugout is unique from these other knives (save the Proper) in that it’s priced a little over $100. While that’s still a good amount of money for the average person to plunk down for a pocket knife, I think it’s a fair price for the Bugout and is relatively inexpensive for a Benchmade. You get an attractively built USA made knife that is completely dialed in, and packs all of the function of a full size folder into a sub 2 ounce package. Pretty amazing when you stop to think about it.

My only nits are that the small pocket clip, while attractive, doesn’t work as well for me as a full size clip, and the thumb studs are close to the handle. As a result you need to pay a little more attention when trying to flick open the knife. That’s all I got.

So it should be no surprise that my review echos the near universal acclaim for the Bugout. It is a great piece. While it took me a while to resist the knife when I initially saw it on the internet, the first time I saw one in person it had me in it’s thrall in under 30 seconds.

Benchmade - Bugout 535 EDC Manual Open Folding Knife Made in USA, Drop-Point Blade, Plain Edge, Satin Finish, Blue Handle

List Price: $140.00

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Spyderco Spydiechef Review

by Josh Wussow 2 Comments

I didn’t get it. After tearing open the box and turning the knife over in my hand, I simply didn’t get it. Flat colors. Slow deployment. Boring construction. This is the legendary Spydiechef? It’s a weird-shaped blade sandwiched between two pieces of gray titanium, with a retail price of $215. What manner of magic has bewitched my fellow knife lovers?

Buy the Spyderco Spydiechef at BladeHQ

And yet, I seem to land smack in the middle of the Spydiechef’s target market: Knife guys (check) who care deeply about edge retention and rust resistance (double check) and encounter a variety of daily cutting tasks (indeed) while also cooking on the go with some degree of regularity (bingo).

Designed by the legendary Marcin Slysz and manufactured by Spyderco’s wizards in Taiwan, this knife should be right up my alley. And, while it may not have been love at first sight, the Spydiechef spent the last few weeks working its way to the head of the table.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

Dimensionally, there’s nothing too special here. You’re looking at a 3.32-inch blade, with a thickness of just under 0.12-inches. The handle/closed length is a middling-sized 4.46-inches, stretching the overall number to 7.78. Weight is low (3.8-ounces), thanks to the Chef’s flow-through titanium chassis. You’ve got the standard Spyderco wire clip, which can be mounted on either of the side slabs. Boring bronze washers, a snooze-inducing frame lock, and *yawn* a lanyard hole.

Here is a size comparison with the Spyderco Shaman:

But, it’s not the specs that make the Spydiechef such an excellent knife. It’s those delicious details that will bring one into my permanent collection.

Let’s start with the blade. Its LC200N steel has been formed with some sort of metallurgical witchcraft. While we’ve seen “rust-proof” steels before, such as H1 on Spyderco’s Salt line, this stuff is a whole new animal.

Here’s what the maker has to say about LC200N: “This state-of-the-art nitrogen-based alloy is extremely corrosion resistant and is actually used by NASA for the ball bearings used in aerospace applications.” Sounds great, but ball bearings aren’t known for holding an edge.

This is where Youtubers like Pete from Cedric & Ada come into play. His barrage of edge-retention and corrosion tests has established LC200N as one of the premier steels for EDC tools. While I didn’t subject the Chef to these sorts of extreme conditions, I can confirm that it showed no sign of rust after multiple cooking sessions. I’ve used this knife almost every day since it arrived, and the edge has yet to dull or dim.

The Chef’s blade shares two traits with many of my favorite cooks – It’s friendly to strangers, and it’s all belly. Despite its 3-plus inches of shiny steel, the graceful curve of Slysz’s design is easy for even the more paranoid to stomach. And, thanks to its flat grind and Nick Shabazz sharpening job, it’s been a slicer since day one.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Spydiechef’s handle is gray, like the color of boiled meat or the hair of an overworked cook. This titanium blandness was at least partially responsible for the knife’s poor first impression. But, once I got it in the hand, the subtlety of Slysz’s design became immediately apparent.

Take a look at my hand position:

Beyond its ergonomic excellence, the curve of the Chef’s titanium handle offers a significant advantage in the kitchen. It keeps the edge (mostly) below my knuckles, greatly easing the slicing and chopping process. Not as much as a dedicated kitchen knife, sure, but more so than any other folder I’ve handled.

The pocket clip offers another bit of subdued excellence. On the surface, it appears to be just another iteration of the classic wire clip. But take a look at that angle. It allows the knife to curve down and into the back of the pocket, keeping it out of the way of whatever else you may be carrying.

There are a few caveats here. While the reversible clip makes this technically an “ambidextrous” knife, the placement of the lock bar in relation to the Spydie-hole will make one-hand opening a challenge for lefties. And, though it’s technically stainless, the titanium handles do pick up smudges and snail trails. Neither of these is terribly troubling to me, though. I’m more than pleased with the Chef’s ergonomics, both in the hand and in the pocket.

Deployment and Lockup

As evolutionary as the rest of the Chef may be, the knife’s deployment and lockup are as basic as bacon and eggs. Not to say that chicken ovum and cured pork aren’t delicious (they are), but there’s a skill to handling even the most humble of ingredients. The combination of Spydie-hole and bronze washers is classic – Never flashy, but accessible and delicious. It’s a no-fuss, low maintenance setup for those who use their knives rather than playing with them.

If there’s one complaint I have with the Chef, it’s the closing action. Have you ever worked in a restaurant? The closing shift almost invariably sucks. Same goes for the Spydiechef. You have to nudge the blade up and over its detent, which requires applying force to the blade while your thumb is still in the slicing path. Exert too much pressure, and it could theoretically pop down and filet your knuckle. Now, I haven’t had this happen. The detent is soft enough that a gentle push will pop it over the ceramic ball. But, it’s definitely something that requires some fine motor skills.

Spyderco Spydiechef Review – Final Thoughts

This is a knife that’s put my collection in crisis. Between the Spydiechef, the FRN Chaparral, and the Kershaw Atmos, the other folders in my case aren’t getting much pocket time. The Native 5 has subbed in for a day or two, but the Kizer Begleiter, Steel Will Cutjack, and even my ZT0562 have been unable to crack the rotation.

This knife is so damned good that it’s dampened my enthusiasm for other knives. And honestly, I think I’m okay with that. This is a tool I feel good carrying, using and, in the near future, owning. It’s the Chaparral all over again – Nick Shabazz loans me a knife, and I wind up buying one. Thanks again, Nick, and a hearty “Well done” to Marcin Slysz and Spyderco.

Spyderco, Inc. 9000704 Spydiechef Titanium Folding Knife

List Price: $329.95

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