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Zero Tolerance 0470 Review

Reviewing the Zero Tolerance 0470 is about as safe as it gets. We have reviewed countless Sinkevich / Zero Tolerance designs. It is well within our comfort zone of review material.

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So why review the 0470? Well, it’s a beautiful knife, it appears to be built differently than the other ZT/Sinkevich collabs I’ve reviewed, and I bought the knife at a fantastic price. I hope no one minds.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The 0470 has an overall length of 7.8″, a 3.4″ blade, weighs 3.3 ounces, and is made in the USA. Like the recently reviewed 0609 this model is aimed towards the EDC enthusiast. This 0470 is thinner, lighter, and more discreet than the ZTs that got the ball rolling for the company.

I still remember the halcyon days of the 0560 and the 0300. Those models put Zero Tolerance on the map, but those were some big knives. Totally impractical for most people, but they paved the way for blades like this 0470. Personally, I’m glad ZT is continuing to head in this direction. I’m sure they will still release some big knives as well.

Lets talk about the blade. It shares the same low slung lines that make a Sinkevich a Sinkevich. It’s a beautiful triangle of steel with a high flat grind, partial swedge, and two-tone satin and stonewashed finish.

A detail I love on the blade of this knife is how the spine has been subtly chamferred up by the jimping. This is a feature on my Shirogorov F3 and on the Sebenza. To see this detail brought to a ~$250 knife is awesome. That chamferring has also been brought to the flipper tab. It eliminates any sharp edges on the flipper that can cut your finger. Another small touch is the generous sharpening choil. Frankly, a sharpening choil something I would expect to see, but it doesn’t always make it into every pocket knife.

A blade shape like this can do no wrong, unless perhaps you are wanting to skin a buck with it. In that case the tip is probably a little too prominent, but for everything else this is a versatile and functional blade shape.

As a quick aside, here is a size comparison with the ZT 0609. They compare favorably in size, but are built differently:

For blade steel ZT went with CPM-20CV. CPM-20CV is made by Crucible Industries in Solvay, New York. CPM-20CV is chemically similar to M390, a high end European steel I have long appreciated. Crucible has a long track record of making high end specialty knife steel. Their catalog includes 154CM, S30V, S35VN, and S90V. They are specialty steel makers and know what they are doing.

CPM-20CV and M390 have both earned a reputation for high hardness and excellent edge retention, while not being as stubborn to sharpen as something like S90V or ZDP-189. CPM-20CV is also stainless and tough. It’s arguably the best all-round blade steel money can buy as of early 2019.

In practice, the blade of my 0470 has been a excellent performer. The blade came razor sharp. The edge bevel was neat and even, and the stock blade easily popped hairs off my arm. After sanitizing the blade thoroughly (ie, wiping it on my shorts), I put the knife into my daily carry rotation. I used it at home and at work for opening mail, breaking down boxes, and food preparation. I used the 0470 in place of my paring knife for vegetables and fruit.

The blade has performed admirably. It tracks through cardboard and holds up well under harder use, but the geometry is nimble enough to slice apples cleanly, route the tops off of strawberries, and mince garlic. Edge retention has been excellent. When the edge begins to slow I show it to my near mythical Spyderco Golden Stone, and all becomes right in the world again. No issues with the edge chipping or rolling, and no signs of rust, staining, or corrosion either.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is where things get interesting. If you peruse our pretty decent catalog of ZT reviews, you will notice there is nothing quite like this 0470 with it’s 3-d machined titanium handles and marble carbon fiber inlay. It’s a level of complexity and workmanship I haven’t seen on any of their other production knives.

That’s what drew me to this knife. If the handle didn’t have this unique twist I probably would have passed on it. The end result is an simple and classy handle. It’s elegant, not ornate. And it has been done beautifully. There is not a stray mark on this knife. And I love the simplicity of the handle construction. There is only one body screw at the tail end.

Inside the titanium handle pieces have been deeply milled out to reduce the weight. Holding it all together is a black aluminum backspacer with an integrated lanyard hole. Again, this integrated lanyard hole is a feature found on my significantly more expensive Shirogorov. Since I’m not a big lanyard guy, I appreciate how they avoided drilling a big ugly hole into the handle of the knife. It’s a level of care you simply don’t see on most pocket knives.

There used to be a nice ZT 0470 disassembly video on YouTube that showed the tight tolerances and attention to detail of this knife. It has since been taken down unfortunately, but the inner workings of the 0470 were surprisingly complex. I would not be quick to disassemble this knife.

The ergonomics of the 0470 are excellent. It’s a simple open design that will accommodate most hand sizes, and the spine of the canted handle meets my palm easily. The balance point is just behind the pivot, making the knife feel light and natural in hand.

Texture has been used strategically on the 0470. A run of fine jimping on the spine of the blade is balanced by coarser jimping on the back of the handle. The handle pieces aren’t heavily textured, but they are deeply contoured to meet your fingers and given an attractive end mill finish. The net result is a positive grip and a knife that isn’t going anywhere. It’s comfortable to hold in forward and reverse grips.

The pocket clip is a simple metal spring clip. No 3-d machining on this model. I’m OK with that. The clip design is simple and effective. It was designed for this knife and follows the lines of the handle. It also lacks any overt branding. It offers good spring retention and is easy to insert and remove from your pocket. The handle is drilled and tapped for ambidextrous tip up carry. It’s not a deep carry clip, but most of the handle is buried.

Here is your in pocket shot:

In practice the 0470 carries well. With a near 3.5″ blade, the 0470 is still on the larger side of a true EDC knife for me. It is substantially bigger than the Dragonfly 2, the most pocketable folding knife of all time.

But I don’t think comparing the 0470 to a DF2 is fair. In defense of the 0470, it isn’t a huge knife, and it has a gentleman’s folder quality to it. It’s just a little over 3 ounces. For its size the knife carries well and the pocket clip does a good job keeping the knife in place.

Deployment and Lockup

The 0470 is a titanium framelock flipper running on caged bearings. The flipper keeps a low profile and heavily jimped. The action is smooth and easy. After disengaging the lock the blade will fall shut with a flick of the wrist.

Here is a size comparison with my Shirogorov F3:

However, the detent on this knife is surprisingly light. The blade doesn’t fall out of the handle, but it’s not the level of snappiness I’m used to. The best way to open this blade is using the light-switch technique. Push buttoning it gives me mixed results. The angle of the flipper tab seems to be designed for light switching.

I find the light detent highly unusual given ZT’s long track record of dialed in detents. I would often comment in my reviews how they are the industry standard in my book. But here the 0470’s detent was surprisingly light, and I don’t think I’m alone either. The knife works fine and with the right technique there are no issues opening the knife, but those expecting the typical action of a ZT flipper will be disappointed. At least initially. Now that I know to lightswitch it I’m able to get the blade open every time, but still this came as a surprise.

For lockup we have a titanium framelock with stainless steel lockbar insert. Thankfully there were no surprises with the lockup on this knife. Perfectly rock solid, with early engagement, and easy to disengage. No sticking, and absolutely no blade play. This is exactly what I would expect from a Zero Tolerance blade.

Blade centering is also perfect on my knife.

Zero Tolerance 0470 Review – Final Thoughts

If you are like me, and think there is no room for another ZT in your collection, then the 0470 might just change your mind. It’s a different knife from this company. Just when I was beginning to lose interest in their offerings they tempted me with this dressed up EDC knife.

I think this constant evolution of their products is what keeps the brand interesting and relevant. They continually step out of their comfort zone, and don’t mind pivoting in different directions. Another example of this is their 2019 0022. It’s the smallest knife they have made, and I just might have to grab one.

But lets get back to the 0470 in particular. I love the classic Sinkevich lines paired with the heavily machined and highly engineered titanium handles. The carbon fiber inlay adds a touch of class. The blade cuts well, the handle is comfortable, the fit and finish is top notch. It’s everything you would expect executed near perfectly.

The only surprise was the light detent. Frankly when I first got this knife I thought something was wrong with it. I was shocked. But now that I’ve had the chance to carry and use the knife for a few months, I have no issues getting the blade open. And my understanding is that this is typical on the 0470. If you own the knife please let me know how the flipper action is for you.

At the end of the day I think the pros far outweigh any cons cons. At ~$250 this is not a cheap knife, but you can see where the money went. I have enjoyed mine and can easily recommend it if the design intrigues you.

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I recommend purchasing the Zero Tolerance 0470 at Amazon, or BladeHQ. Please consider that by purchasing things through any of the links on this website you support BladeReviews.com, and help produce future reviews. Thank you very much.

Kershaw Launch 4 Review

by Dan Jackson 5 Comments

Regular readers may recall I’m attempting to step outside of my comfort zone and review more automatic knives. I started with a couple high end Microtechs, swung down to the Boker AK-74, and have now changed course towards something resembling the middle ground: The Kershaw Launch 4.

Buy the Kershaw Launch 4 at BladeHQ

The Launch 4 is one knife in a series of Kershaw Launch automatics. The Launch series was released a few years ago. These are simple, USA made knives with clean lines, and aluminum handles that come in a number of colored anodization choices in addition to a more standard matte black offering. The knives in the series appear to hover in that $75-$125 price point. So it’s a premium offering, but won’t break the bank.

I selected the Launch 4 due to it’s unique size and profile. It’s unlike anything else in my collection. Kershaw has plenty of Launch knives with 3-3.5″ blades, and I may check one of those out later on, but there was something about the diminutive Launch 4 that caught my eye.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Launch 4 has an overall length of 5.10″, a 1.9″ blade, weighs 1.98 ounces, and is made in the USA. The Launch 4 is a “Cali Legal” automatic with its sub 2″ blade. Cali Legals are an interesting class of automatic knives, that feature blades that are 2″ long or less. This is a category I wouldn’t mind exploring further.

At any rate, this small knife, suitable for daily carry, assuming it’s legal for you to do so. As always, please check your local laws before purchasing an automatic knife. In many places these sorts of knives can be either illegal to own or carry. Be careful.

Here is a size comparison with the Spyderco Dragonfly 2 so you can see how small this knife is:

The spear point blade is stout, and made from blade stock that is just over 3mm thick. Adding to the ruggedness is the partial hollow grind and partial swedge. The end result is a knife with a sharp yet meaty tip. Kershaw offers this knife with both a black DLC coated blade as well as uncoated versions.

Blade steel on this knife is CPM154, a tried and true American blade steel I have grown to both know and love over the years. CPM-154 is easy to sharpen and holds a nice edge. It’s the powder metallurgy version of the classic. The powder metallurgy process results in a finer grained steel, and is an upgrade over standard 154-CM. I have noticed some of my 154CM blades will rust on me if I’m not careful, so I’m kind of glad I got the coated version here. At this price point I’m glad to see CPM-154 stamped on the blade. That’s not a steel I recall seeing Kershaw or ZT work with before. It’s a nice surprise and a great choice for this price point.

In practice I have had the chance to use my Launch 4 as a daily carry utility knife. I bought this knife around Christmas, and like most households we received a lot of packages during that time period. The Launch 4 has gotten a lot of work with cardboard. It cuts cardboard capably. Not the absolute best slicer with its short stout blade, but it gets the job done. It’s not my choice of knife for cutting apples, or for food prep in general, as the blade is too short and the juices end up flowing into the pivot area, but then again this knife probably wasn’t designed for preparing apple slices.

I’m pleased to say the DLC coating has held up really well. DLC is my favorite blade coating because it is so durable. Cardboard is highly abrasive and can mar up the look of a coated blade easily. Here, there are a couple micro scratches on the finish but that’s it. Also, I found the knife easy to sharpen on my [easyazon_link identifier=”B001JL1I6Y” locale=”US” tag=”brdfkdfk-20″]Spyderco Golden Stone[/easyazon_link].

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Launch 4 features beautifully machined aluminum handles that have been given a brilliant royal blue hard anodization. This is a two piece handle with an integrated backspacer. I am impressed with the handle of this knife. The design is extremely clean and thoughtful, the engineering is top notch, and I love the contrast with the black hardware and blue handles. The handles have an almost iridescent quality to them, shimmering in the light. However, the ultimate beauty lies in the simplicity of this knife.

That same simplicity carries over to the ergonomics. The coffin shaped handle clocks in at 3.2″. There isn’t much to grab, but the knife still manages to fill the hand and disappears into your palm. You can comfortably hold the knife in both forward and reverse grips. The knife probably does best in a reverse ice-pick grip. In that way it feels very shank like. But you can also hold the knife normally and it will certainly open a letter.

There is no jimping on this knife, or any aggressive texturing. However, the hard anodization has a light texture that provides some nice tactile feedback, and the Launch 4 doesn’t feel slippery. Still, those actively seeking out knives with “traction plans” may want to stock up on skateboard tape, or pick something else to shower with.

The pocket clip dominates the back handle of this knife. It’s a standard Kershaw clip given a black parkerized finish. The handle is drilled and tapped for right side tip up carry only, but you can hardly fault Kershaw for that given the diminutive size of this knife. Really, that’s the only place where you can place a clip and not interfere with the deployment button.

In practice this is a discreet knife. Kershaw has pushed the clip as far back to the pommel as they could without opting for a full on deep carry clip. I think the knife is small enough as it is, and I’m not sure having it completely buried in the pocket is a good idea. That said, if you get the all black version of this knife my guess is that it would be pretty stealthy. Especially if paired with some black leather pants for a black on black on black effect. Just sayin’.

The Launch 4 is easy to carry. Sub 2 ounces and tiny, it’s a little thicker than a Dragonfly 2, but in practice I didn’t notice it much.

Deployment and Lockup

This is a push button auto with a coil spring. It’s just like the Microtech Stitch and Boker AK-74 I have reviewed in the past. A tried and true design that should offer years of trouble free use. The action is stiff and snappy. Not quite Microtech levels, but pretty damn good. You need to pay attention or the knife could fly out of your hand whilst deploying the blade. I haven’t taken this one apart yet, but it appears to be a washerless design where the aluminum frames act as integral washers. That is similar to some of Hogue’s designs.

There is no safety of any kind, but the button requires a good deal of travel to open the blade. Opening the knife accidentally is unlikely, but like any knife you need to treat this tool carefully and with respect.

Lockup is secure and play free thanks to the stout button lock. The one nice thing about reviewing autos is that you do see a lot of button locks with this category. I’ve warmed up to good button lock knives over the years. They aren’t as in vogue as frame locks, but done right they are strong and practical. This Launch 4 is no exception.

For our parting shot, I have selected a size comparison with the Benchmade Bugout. My streak of buying blue knives has continued…

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Kershaw Launch 4 Review – Final Thoughts

The Launch 4 is dialed in. The clean design, tight tolerances, and excellent choice of materials give the knife a premium feel.

In an age where you can spend a lot of money on exotic materials and design flourishes, there is something refreshing about buying a knife that strikes that perfect balance of form and function. Kershaw didn’t go super cheap, and they didn’t gild the lily either. They managed to find that sweet spot and allocated their budget to good blade steel, tight tolerances, and durable finishes. The end result is a rock solid small format auto for well under $100.

If you are looking for a premium Cali legal auto, then I think the Launch 4 is an excellent option. It’s reliable and durable. I can see why this is a popular choice.

Kershaw Launch 4 – From $79.95
From: BladeHQ

I recommend purchasing the Kershaw Launch 4 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 Sharpmaker, 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 Native 5 Lightweight Signature Knife with 2.95" CPM S30V Steel Blade and Black FRN Handle - PlainEdge - C41PBK5

An Improved Classic: The Native model has been a mainstay of Spyderco's product line for years as a result of it's Superior Quality and affordability. The state of the art Native 5 is available in an array of handle choices and colors.
USA Made: Spyderco takes tremendous pride in every knife we make, but the ones crafted in our Golden, Colorado factory are special because we invest a piece of ourselves in every USA-Made knife we create.
Light and Durable: This Native 5 handle is fabricated with Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon. FRN is a polymer mixed with glass fiber that is injection molded and formed into a sleek textured handle, creating a lightweight yet high-strength knife handle.
Dependable: If you are looking for control and precision, look no more. This knife features our PlainEdge grind which is known for creating a smooth and exact cut.
High-Strength Lock: The Back Lock mechanism is known for it's high-strength and ease of use. The locking system is positioned on the back of the handle.

If you are thinking of buying Spyderco Native, please consider purchasing it at Amazon or BladeHQ. By purchasing things through any of the links on this website you support BladeReviews.com, keep the website free of annoying banner ads, and help produce future reviews. 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

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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 Golden Stone, 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 Golden Stone 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 Knife with Blue Grivory Handle (535)

LIGHT AS A FEATHER: And incredibly tough; Ideal for hiking, camping, and backpacking, and made for everyday use; A lightweight, go-anywhere tool.
AMERICAN MADE CPM-S30V STEEL: For first-rate edge retention and corrosion resistance; Precision drop-point construction for strength and versatility.
FULLY AMBIDEXTROUS GRIVORY HANDLE: Has an ergonomic textured grip and is molded from glass-filled nylon for superior durability.
AXIS LOCKING MECHANISM: Ensures safety and a smooth open and easy close; Reversible clip; Lanyard hole for versatile carry options.

I recommend purchasing the Benchmade Bugout 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.

Olamic Wayfarer 247 Review

by Dan Jackson 5 Comments

Years ago, when I was in law school and just starting this web site, Olamic came onto the scene with their damascus fixed blade knives. They actually reached out to me, to see if I would write an article on their knives for the site. I agreed, as I thought it was pretty cool that a knife manufacturer actually cared about what I was doing, and they ended up sending 3 knives over for examination.

Buy the Wayfarer 247 at BladeHQ

Due to some intellectual property complications on their end I was asked not to proceed with the article, but I still had the chance to check out the knives. They were cool, but never something I would have bought for myself. In fact, not even Olamic knows who buys those things. Ultimately I boxed them up and sent them back at their request.

Since then Olamic has continued to make damascus fixed blades in Russia, but they are best known are their high end folders. Olamic means “everlasting” and their motto is “Never the Same”. That’s because they offer the knives in a near infinite number of configurations. Even their logo is the infinity symbol. Pretty cool.

Originally their folders were true custom pieces, and they still make custom knives, but the Wayfarer 247 is more of a mid tech knife. What I mean by that is the basic parts are pre-machined in Italy, and then the folders are completed by hand in California.

This is a high end folder with the basic model starting at $375, but most of them are priced at $500+ with various hand worked finishes. At that price, it’s no wonder it has taken me this long to buy one of these knives. But plenty of people buy them. In fact they appear to fly off the shelves. The high praise intrigued me, so I ponied up and acquired a 247 for review.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Wayfarer 247 has an overall length of 8.125″, a 3.5″ blade, and it weighs 5 ounces. The knives are made in America. This is a larger EDC knife. Olamic recently came out with the Busker, which is more of an urban EDC knife with its 2.5″ blade. I’m sure the Busker is more practical as a daily carry, but the Wayfarer caught my eye with its sleek lines.

The 247 comes in your choice of blade shapes. I went with what Olamic refers to as their “original drop point”. It has a high flat grind, a long swedge, and a fine clipped point. My blade has been given an excellent satin finish, but you can also get the blade stonewashed, coated, or two tone. The grinds are pretty crisp, and the edge is neat and even. There is a sharpening choil so you can easily sharpen the knife all the way to the heel. It’s a nice functional blade shape.

For blade steel we have M390. I think that’s all they are offering the knife in currently, as I don’t see an option for blade steel on their website. That’s fine by me as M390 is good stuff. Relatively easy to maintain, excellent edge retention, good toughness, stainless, it has a proven track record as a high end knife steel.

I bought this knife used off the forums, and it came with what appears to be the used factory edge. The prior owner had nicked it in a couple spots and it was quite dull. So to bring the edge back I started out with my DMT Diafold to work out the nicks. I then switched to the ceramic rods from my Sharpmaker.

At that point it was pretty sharp, certainly a workable edge for my basic purposes, but I decided to hone it on my new Spyderco Golden Stone. This is an ultra fine ceramic stone with an interesting ducks foot shape. I thought it would be good for my kitchen knife given the stone’s size and unique configuration, but at this point I’m using it on all my blades. I was able to get an extremely fine hair popping edge with this stone. It is truly an excellent stone and I look forward to reviewing it in the future.

The moral of the story is despite it’s high hardness, M390 is an easy steel to maintain. If I can get it sharp most people will be able to. The knife has held a good edge and has worked just fine for my usual EDC tasks, which these days is mostly opening up cardboard boxes containing cigars and more knives. It makes great carrot sticks as well.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is where things start getting interesting. This is a full titanium framelock. Just like all their other knives. You have a wide choice of finishes. My particular knife features holes in the show side slab, a bronze anodization, and their “kinetic earth” finish. The hardware has been anodized as well. The end result is a unique knife.

Everything has been beautifully put together. The titanium slabs are thick, and everything has been nicely finished. Perhaps the most interesting feature is the floating backspacer. It’s a cool detail, and has been given the same finish of the rest of the handle. Another detail is the custom pivot. I’m happy to say Olamic includes a pivot tool with each knife. The pivot looks good, but it’s a little more fiddly to adjust than a regular torx or allen pivot, as the tool has a tendency to slip out of the pivot. At least when I’m using it.

Another cool detail is that you can order replacement sets of hardware for your knife. My guess is that this is mostly for those that want to change up the look of their knife, not so much replacing missing hardware, but either way you are covered.

Let’s turn to ergonomics. This is a comfortable knife. First off, it’s quite thick, clocking in at .46″. The thickness combined with the sweeping full size handle gives you plenty to grab onto. The knife fills your hand, and Olamic has done a great job knocking down any sharp edges. The Wayfarer almost feels like a cold stick of butter in your hand. It’s not slippery, but it is extremely smooth and comfortable. It feels unique when compared with everything else in my collection.

The simple handle design provides one groove for your index finger to nestle into place. Plenty of room even for larger hands. I suppose if you run out of real estate you can always graduate to the full size custom Wayfarer, but that may require a second mortgage. Rounding things out is a short run of jimping on the spine of the blade. The jimping captures your thumb nicely, and strikes a balance between providing traction without blistering your thumb.

The pocket clip is another interesting detail. The clip borrows heavily from the designs found on the Todd Begg Steelcraft Bodega. Olamic licensed it, so no worries there. The clip is a slab of titanium secured by 3 stand offs and then for retention you have an oversize ceramic ball bearing pressed into the titanium.

The end result is a highly robust pocket clip. Spring tension is excellent, so strong I sometimes have trouble getting this knife into my pocket. No worries about it falling out accidentally I suppose. It’s a good stiff pocket clip, and another high end detail.

In practice the 247 carries well for it it is. This is a big chunky titanium frame lock folder. The chunkiness makes it feel great in hand, but the Wayfarer 247 will never carry like my Spyderco Dragonfly, or even my Native for that matter. But the strong clip keeps the knife securely in place. It’s not a deep carry clip, but must of the knife buries discreetly in the pocket. That’s about all I can ask for.

Deployment and Lockup

This is a titanium framelock flipper. There is a lot of competition in this space, but Olamic spent the time to distinguish their knife from the rest. They utilize caged bearings, a ceramic ball detent, an internal stop pin, and a detent ramp. A detent ramp is a small groove or chamfer milled into the tang of blade. What it does is make the action a little smoother when you close the knife. Rather than the ball detent hitting the tang jarringly, this groove makes rentry smoother and easier. Its details like this that help set the knife apart.

And the knife does have a different action than anything else I own. The detent ramp and other details give the action of the 247 an almost hydraulic feel. The blade practically “whooshes” open as if there were a pneumatic piston inside. The blade fires hard no matter what, and the action is smooth and glassy. The detent is strong, but the detent ramp and thick handle smooth it out whether you are opening or closing the knife. Opening and closing the blade of the 247 is a uniquely satisfying experience.

Here is a shot of the detent ramp:

Moving towards lockup, we have a titanium framelock with a stainless steel lock bar insert and an internal stop pin. The internal stop pin is another interesting feature. It makes for a simpler design (no visible stop pin), and it works well. There is zero blade play in this knife. No lock rock, no lock stick, no side to side, no nothing. It’s a perfectly executed framelock. You would expect that at this price point, and Olamic delivers.

Here is a size comparison with the ZT 0609:

A final point is the blade centering. My blade is perfectly centered. I noticed that the pivot came loose during testing causing the blade to wander. and I was able to tighten it back up to true without a problem.

After publishing the review I decided to disassemble the knife. The 247 was straight forward to disassemble. You can see that in addition to caged bearings, there are stainless steel washers to prevent the bearings from wearing into the titanium handles. Reassembly was easy and the knife came back together perfectly.

Olamic Wayfarer 247 Review – Final Thoughts

Olamic’s goal for the 247 was to build a top shelf titanium framelock flipper that can be customized to the end user, yet still sold at a reasonable price. By and large I think they have accomplished that. I detect very little in the way of compromise here, and that is reflected in the build quality and price tag. Every aspect of the knife has been lavished with attention, from materials selection to engineering to finish work, it has all be carefully considered and expertly executed.

Where the 247 really stands apart is in its ability to be factory customized. A handful of years ago “modding” knives was all the rage. You see less of that these days, but the success of knives like the 247 show that people still care enough to want to have a customized knife. The standard 247 is really a blank canvas, and Olamic will do whatever you want with it. Of course it quickly gets expensive, but that doesn’t seem to deter people.

So that begs the question, a knife like the one shown here retails for approximately $500. For that amount of money, would you rather have the 247 or 2 high end Spyderco’s or ZTs? When I plunked my 0609 down next to the Olamic, I could see where the extra money went. Olamic has succeeded in creating a unique feel for their factory custom framelock flipper. The ergonomics and action are unlike anything else I own. The ZT is an excellent knife for the money, but there is no comparison. Especially if you get a base model 247 for around $350. At that price you get the exceptional flipper action and ergonomics without the additional cost of the extra finish work.

And Olamic doesn’t seem to be competing with these major brands anyways. They are essentially building the Chris Reeve Knives of flippers. Actually, I’m not sure if that is still a fair comparison. While CRK may have shown us what was possible with a high end production folder in the early 2000s, Olamic shows us what’s possible today.

Some will scoff at the robust price tag, but this is a high end knife. It simply isn’t aimed at the price conscious. If you want a titanium flipper framelock with uncompromising quality and the ability to “make it your own”, then the 247 is an excellent choice.

Olamic Wayfarer 247 – From $375.00
From: BladeHQ

I recommend purchasing the Olamic Wayfarer 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.

GEC #15 Tidioute Boy’s Knife

by Aaron Shapiro Leave a Comment

I was just reading some statistics about Great Eastern Cutlery: in 2007 GEC produced approximately 7300 knives whereas in 2017 it’s nearly 30,000 pieces. This is remarkable in today’s hyper competitive EDC pocket knife market. That’s a 310% increase over ten years for a traditional knife company. Admittedly, these numbers are based on hearsay, but a glance at the production totals on GEC’s site show there’s some basis for them.

Buy the Boy’s knife at BladeHQ | KnivesShipFree | GP Knives

I’d like to think that the focus on traditional knives is born out of a perspective shift within the EDC community, perhaps away from the overbuilt tactical to the purpose-based smaller utility folders? It’s hard to say at this point, but just from observing the ripe secondary market it’s clear that slipjoint fever is on fire these days.

Today, we’re looking at the GEC #15 Tidioute Boy’s Knife, a well rounded and sized EDC slip-joint at a very accessible price point. Based around the traditional “Sleeveboard” pattern, these are sometimes also made into barlows with full steel bolsters. A “Boy’s Knife,” is generally characterized by their diminutive size (generally between 2.75″ and 3.25″ closed), the idea being these could be a child’s first pocket knife. These were most often spearpoint bladed pieces, but we’re seeing a lot of variety now in the modern iterations. But, before we get too far into that, let’s hit some specs:

Blade: 2.5”
OAL: 6.187”
Thickness: .43”
Blade Thickness: .09”
Steel: 1095 Carbon Steel
Weight: 1.8oz
Lock: Non-Locking Slipjoint

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

Blade

The #15 pattern by Great Eastern Cutlery is an amalgamation of several different knives they offer in the same size. I’m aware of a Wharncliffe version (Navy Knife), Wharncliffe with a cap-lifter/prybar type tool (Crown Lifter), Special Run Barlows (TC’s), and then the Spearpoint (Boy’s Knife) featured here. There are very likely other versions that I am not aware of out there, the world of GEC’s is deep and wide.

In my opinion the Boy’s Knife in spear point offers one of the more versatile blade shapes out of the GEC offerings. The blade has a straight back for nearly three-quarters of the length before descending into a fine point. GEC has also opted for a small swedge running nearly the entire length of the blade. I think that this offers a little dimensionality to what would otherwise be a very simple blade shape. In practice what I have found is that most of the knives that Great Eastern makes have very nice, thinly ground blades. Case in point, the #15’s blade I have has been taken down to .012 behind the edge… this thing screams through paper.

In practical use, I’ve found the #15’s blade to be a generally good fit for most of what I do. I think the spear point works well for piercing tasks and the thinness of the edge really excels for slicing. I wind up breaking down a lot of boxes at work and it only takes the lightest touch to break the tape.

As for steel, 1095 is a tried and true performer, high carbon, generally taken to 58-60HRC, I’ve had great experiences with it both in cutting and sharpening. It will stain or rust, so I’d suggest oiling the blade and spring with mineral oil or something similar (but not too much, some good use patina is cool.)

Handle and Ergonomics

The Boy’s Knife handle is a simple teardrop shape with micarta scales and a short steel bolster over steel liners. Construction is pinned. There are many options for scale material, but I opted for a micarta handle.

The handle offers a full grip for me, which is surprising to me since the knife appears to be so small on paper. The small teardrop shape doesn’t offer what I’d call a “secure grip,” but in the use case scenario for a small slip-joint, I tend to think this is more than adequate. When the #15 gets put to work cutting up cardboard boxes I’m careful with it as this is a smaller handle and the grip is not as secure as a full size knife.

I’d recommend a full size GEC if you intend to use the knife routinely for harder tasks like breaking down lots of boxes, but this knife is fine for light EDC use and the occasional package.

There is no pocket clip on this knife, so no need to comment on that. Often these knives are carried in leather slip sheathes. Either way this will be a small and slim carry.

Another option with this knife is to pick one up with a bail and chain. This is kind of like a wallet on a chain. It won’t walk off on you. Traditionally these bail knives were for sailors, and they continue to practical for marine applications and other times when you want to keep your knife on you.

Walk and Talk

Talking about the “lockup” on a traditional folder like this always presents a challenge, but I think it might be more applicable to talk about it’s fit and finish since those will directly relate.

The areas that are often talked about with traditionals generally are flushness of the spring and centering. I would expect a handmade custom Slipjoint to be flush in all three positions and perfectly centered, whereas I give a little grace to production knives.

The #15 is flush in the open and closed, but the spring does stick up a little at the half-stop. This would only become apparent if you stopped mid opening or closing to look at it. Centering, however, is right on the money.

Since this is a non-locking slip joint, we don’t talk about deployment and lockup. Instead we talk about “walk” and “talk”. The walk is the feel and tension of the blade moving against the spring, while the talk is the sound of the knife snapping open/closed.

The walk and talk on most GEC’s I’ve handled is pretty decent. My only gripe is that I don’t think that nail nicks are a viable method to open knives. My only interest in a nail nick is if it allows some portion of my finger to “stick” to the blade so I can pinch the knife open, and it barely functions as such on the #15. I’d love a more pinch-able blade.

GEC #15 Tidioute Boy’s Knife Review – Final Thoughts

All in all, my experiences with the GEC #15 have been very good. It’s a solid knife that performs well in the context that I think it was designed for. I think that most traditional knives perform pretty light duty tasks for everyone. Slice an apple here, open some mail there, maybe break down a few boxes as the need arises, but most of us won’t be carrying a GEC for a survival knife except perhaps as a tertiary backup to other gear. GEC’s have also maintained a good collector base, so if you’re the “Gotta Catch’em All,” type you will do well in this world.

If you are looking for a small and simple GEC slip joint, the #15 Boy’s Knife is well worth considering.

GEC #15 Boys Knife
From: BladeHQ

Editor: I recommend purchasing the GEC #15 Boys Knife at BladeHQ, KnivesShipFree, or GP Knives. 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.