Made in the USA

Gerber StrongArm Review

One thing I have always had is a healthy respect for is a good fixed blade knife. As a young infantryman I fell victim to some clever marketing from Gerber and purchased the Gerber LMF II Infantry. It had infantry in the name so I couldn’t go wrong right? While I may have been a victim of marketing, I didn’t feel victimized. The LMF II served me well, but everything can be improved. The Gerber StrongArm is in many ways the successor to the Infantry, and is better suited to the infantry role.

Buy the Gerber StrongArm at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

The LMF II Infantry has a fascinating story and was built for a very specific purpose you should check out here. That specific purpose resulted in the knife’s lack of a full tang. The Gerber StrongArm resolves this issue. The StrongArm is a little lighter, a little shorter, and is more refined than the Infantry LMF II. The StrongArm is a versatile capable, and affordable knife made in Portland, Oregon.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Gerber StrongArm has 4.8 inch fixed blade made from 420 HC steel, is 9.8 inches overall, weighs 7.2 ounces and is proudly made in the United States. This is a classic fixed blade knife that isn’t trying to revolutionize the standard military style survival knife. In terms of fixed blades it’s actually somewhat small. It’s a half inch shorter than the LMF II Infantry, but has an almost identical blade length.

Gerber StrongArm

The knife is easy to carry, and perfect for those looking to trim as much weight as possible from their loadouts. That’s generally the goal of dismounted infantry. Ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain.

The StrongArm comes with options for both a serrated or plain edge. I prefer the plain edge. The blade is coated with a cerakote black matte finish. The finish is tough, but will wear with time and effort like any finish would. The 420 HC steel does mean that once the finish is worn away rust may develop. Keep the knife cleaned, and oiled as the finish migrates and you won’t have any issues.

The older FDE StrongArm you see here has been used and abused hard for a year. It’s been hunting, camping and fishing. The knife has been used to hammer, pry, and dig and its taken a few hits to the finish as you can see.

Gerber StrongArm Brown vs. Black

420 HC steel is a cheaper steel, and this is a knife on the affordable side. The downsides to 420 HC is that it won’t hold an edge for long. It’s one of those steels you sharpen before any really heavy duty cutting is needed. For a survival knife you don’t necessarily need a razor sharp edge for day to day work. It stays sharp enough for cutting paracord, stripping wires, and slicing through clothing for some time.

When it comes time to cut through thick materials you may need to run the blade over or through a sharpener a time or two before you go wild. 420 HC steel can actually get impressively sharp if you know your way around a sharpening stone. I’ve never failed to be impressed at how sharp my Dad makes his old Buck knife before skinning a deer and its made from the same 420 HC steel.

Gerber StrongArm Blade

The StrongArm has a squared off spine that’s perfect for stripping bark, batoning wood, striking a ferro rod, and truncating wood. All tasks the Gerber StrongArm can commit to with real force. The StrongArm’s small handguard doesn’t really allow for a thumb on the blade grip so the less comfortable square spine isn’t an issue.

Handle and Ergonomics

The handle on the StrongArm is an interesting design. I do find it slightly smaller than necessary, but to be fair I have XL sized hands. Even with my large hands I still find the grip comfortable. The smaller grip isn’t much of an issue due to its design.

The Gerber StrongArm is glass filled nylon that’s covered with a rubber overmold. This makes the grip ‘soft’ in the hand. Squeezing it tight doesn’t result in much fatigue or pain. The little bit of give the rubber overmold offers results in a lot of comfort. The little bit of give also allows the blade to mold to your hand just a bit.

The rubber overmolded material is coated with a raised diamond textured pattern. This glues the knife to your hand and is perfect for cold, wet, or gloved hands. The pattern is rough, but doesn’t rub the hand raw, or even really create hotspots that I’ve noticed.

Gerber StrongArm in Sheath

The bottom of the handle is a small pommel. It’s a lot smaller than the LMF II, but still capable enough to smash windows and skulls. It’s also got a lanyard loop if your StrongArm needs a leash.

Sheath

We’ll finish this up talking about the brilliant sheath system Gerber included with the StrongArm. It’s designed to be adaptable to the user. Popular knives typically have plenty of sheath options, but with Gerber you are getting all of them with the knife.

Gerber StrongArm Molle Compatible

This includes a MOLLE mount, a drop leg system, and a belt loop option for horizontal carry. The knife is too big for any kind of horizontal concealed carry, but it’s really great for a snag free carry while wearing armor. When you draw from a standard belt carry sheath while wearing armor you are likely to get snagged on your gear in one way of the other. Drawing horizontally from the belt prevents this.

I also like the horizontal belt mount for mounting the knife vertically on my pack straps. This means my knife never leaves the pack I go camping with.

The Sheath employs both passive and active retention depending on the mount being used. The active retention is a simple snap button thong. The passive retention comes from an indent in the center of the handle. The sheath locks into this indent and holds the knife well.

In all my adventuring near and far it hasn’t fallen out when I’m using only passive retention. The sheath is also outfitted with plenty of lashing holes for those who aren’t satisfied with the included sheath options.

Gerber StrongArm Review – Final Thoughts

The Gerber StrongArm is a great little knife, especially when you factor in a street price of around 50 bucks. Gerber’s reputation was hit hard by imports of poorly made foreign knives, but they seem to be working hard to fix that reputation. The StrongArm is proudly stamped made in Portland, Oregon. The StrongArm is one of many made in USA knives in their catalog and likely one that will be around for a long time It’s an excellent budget bushcraft knife.

The StrongArm may not be the LMF II Infantry, but it’s a great knife, and a worthy successor to the LMF II.

Gerber Gear StrongArm - Fixed-Blade Camping & Hunting Knife with Striking Pommel & Sheath - Premium Survival Gear - Black, Plain Edge

Iconic Strongarm Design: This Gerber Gear fixed blade knife features a full-tang, 420HC steel blade with a ceramic coating
Dependable Cutting Knife: Our camping knife boasts a rubberized diamond-texture grip for secure handling
Versatile Knife Sheath: The StrongArm knife includes a MOLLE-compatible sheath for adaptable carry options, ensuring the hunting knife is accessible
Tactical Edge: This fixed-blade knife also features a striking pommel, ideal for survival tasks in the toughest environments

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Gerber StrongArm 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.

Zero Tolerance 0450CF Review

by Dan Jackson 17 Comments

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I lust after knives for months, or even years, before pulling the trigger. That was the case with this Zero Tolerance 0450CF. The original 0450 was cool, but the carbon fiber version put me over the top. It’s a little lighter and sleeker, and the choice of green anodized accents isn’t something you see on a lot of knives. I decided I wanted one, but could never find a decent deal on it.

Buy the ZT 0450CF at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

Fast forward a couple years later, and I received a trade offer that included this 0450CF. Right on. I immediately responded back that I was interested, and a few days later the knife was at my doorstep.

By way of a more formal introduction, the 0450 series is a riff on the original Dimitry Sinkevich designed 0454CF that I reviewed back in 2014. Chad McBroom reviewed the mass marketed 0452CF and Ben reviewed the shrunken down full titanium 0450. I’ve got the ultra light 0450CF for your consideration today.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The 0450CF has an over all length of 7.375″, a 3.25″ blade, and weighs a mere 2.45 ounces. Like all Zero Tolerance knives, the 0450CF is made in the USA.

The 0450 and the 0450CF are reactions to the knife market. Zero Tolerance is know for large overbuilt knives, but they received feedback that everyone didn’t want to carry around a big honking pocket knife. So the 0450 hit the scene, and then this 0450CF took that even further by replacing the titanium show side handle with carbon fiber. This shaved over almost half an ounce off the already lightweight 0450. This, my friends, makes for an ideal EDC knife in my book.

The 0450CF shares the same low slung blade that made us all fall in love with the 0454CF when it hit the scene. It’s a long, sleek, modified drop point blade, featuring a little belly and plenty of tip. The knife has a high flat grind and a decorative swedge. The blade has been given a semi-glossy black DLC coating. The edge has been uniformly applied, and there is a sharpening choil so you can easily sharpen this blade from tip to heel.

ZT opted for S35VN for the blade steel. Regulars to the site or high end knives need no introduction to S35VN. It’s a high performance stainless steel from Crucible designed specificaly for pocket knives with the help of Chris Reeve. It’s an excellent all round blade steel and a good choice for small pocket knives like this as it offers a good balance of edge retention, toughness, and ease of sharpening. I like S35VN generally, and they did a great job with the heat treat on this 0450CF. As always if you want to dive deeper into blade steel check out our steel section for all sorts of additional info.

Practically speaking this little 0450CF is a capable cutter. The blade shape is perfect for getting under envelopes, breaking down boxes, cutting fruit, and performing all the little odd ball chores I require of my EDC knives. That said, I must agree with Ben that this knife is not the best slicer. The partial flat grind binds up in material. While it cuts, it’s no Alox Cadet. This is probably my biggest gripe with the knife.

The S35VN blade has held up great, and so has the Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating. DLC coatings are among the best money can buy, and unless you scrape this knife on concrete or metal it will hold up well.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle of the 0450CF is a solid piece of carbon fiber on the show side, and a black DLC coated titantium framelock on the reverse. The knife is held together with two green aluminum standoffs and an oversized pivot. Construction is simple yet elegant. All the hardware is black save for the green anodized standoffs. The fit and finish is exceptional. The screws are all the right length, the parts line up perfectly, and the finish work is excellent. The carbon fiber is lightly textured, and shimmers slightly in the light. This handle has been beautifully done.

The 0450CF is a small knife, but it doesn’t compromise in the ergonomics department. Dimitry’s design is simple and it should work well for most people. I take an “XL” size glove and have no problem getting a full four finger grip on this knife.

There is a short row of jimping on the spine that provides you with a little traction and something to index your thumb on. Beyond that there is not much in the way of texture. That’s fine by me as I don’t think this knife needs aggressive texturing. It works well as is.

The pocket clip is a standard parkerized black spoon style pocket clip. It’s relatively discreet and unobtrusive. While it’s not a true deep carry clip, it buries the majority of the knife in your pocket and keeps the 0450CF tucked away. The clip is swappable for right or left side tip up carry. A deep carry clip would have been nice.

I have carried this knife quite a bit. The 0450CF is a knife that you forget you are carrying. At just under 2.5 ounces this is not going to pull your pants down. The clip has great retention and the knife stays where you want it to in your pocket.

Deployment and Lockup

This is a Dimitry Sinkevich designed flipper made by Zero Tolerance, so the flipping action is outstanding. The detent is perfectly tuned for crisp, snappy flipping action each and every time. I’ve never “flubbed the flip” with this knife and I’d say the action is a solid “8” on the 0-10 scale. It’s good. Inside you have a caged bearing system. It is exceptionally smooth and you can shake the knife closed easily.

Please note I’m a lefty, so I don’t have any issues with putting my fingers on the lock bar when flipping the knife. I tried flipping this 0450CF with my right hand. Beside it being incredibly awkward for me, it works fine. No issues flipping open this knife. I think ZT fixed the issue that plagued their earlier knives.

Here is a shot of the 0450CF next to another excellent EDC knife, the Spyderco Sage 1:

For lockup we have a titanium frame lock with a stainless steel insert. Zero Tolerance does such a good job with these, that I almost feel that writing this section is unnecessary. The lock bar engages early and securely. The lockup is rock solid with zero blade play in any direction. The lock is smooth and easy to manipulate with no lock stick. This is titanium frame lock perfection and continues to be something of a gold standard in my world.

Blade centering is dead nuts center on my knife.

Zero Tolerance 0450CF Review – Final Thoughts

Ben was a little lukewarm on his 0450. He didn’t like the way the knife cut, the ergonomics, and he had issues with the action. Aside from that Mrs. Lincoln tells me the play was OK.

I think Ben raises valid points. A little knife like this should zip through stuff, but the combination of narrow blade and partial flat grind impacts the 450CF’s slicing performance. It still cuts, but it could be better. Personally, the ergonomics were spot on for my hand, and I found that the 0450CF flipped great. Ergonomics will vary from person to person, and I think ZT addressed the flipping action.

All in all, I am glad I picked up this little 0450CF. It’s as cool in person as I always hoped. I like the look of it over the standard 0450 and how it’s even lighter with this carbon fiber handle.

The 0450CF is an excellent little EDC knife in my book. With a retail price at close to $200 it’s not cheap, but I’m glad I went for it. The 0450 is probably ZT’s most practical EDC offering for the average person. This carbon fiber version takes things up a notch.

Zero Tolerance 0450CF Folding Knife, 3.25" DLC S35VN Blade, Carbon Fiber & Titanium Handle, KVT Ball-Bearing Opening, Frame Lock, 2.45oz

3.25-inch S35VN steel blade shows amazing toughness and resistance to edge chipping, with improved edge retention. Blade Thickness: 0.121 inches
Handle features a carbon fiber front and sturdy titanium back for comfortable in-hand feel, increased strength and excellent size/weight proportion
DLC-coating on the blade gives sleek matte-black look and enhanced performance characteristics
Great companion for hunters, business professionals, wilderness guides, survival experts, first responders, military, law-enforcement and more
Ideal gift for any special occasion such as birthdays, holidays, graduations, anniversaries, promotions, weddings and more

I recommend purchasing the Zero Tolerance 0450CF 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 Proper 319 Review

by Aaron Shapiro 1 Comment

Two or three years ago if you told me that Benchmade was your favorite knife company I’d roll my eyes and mutter something like, “Okay Griptillian dude…” now, that’s no disrespect to the Grip, those are great knives at a great price point, but they’re kinda vanilla for my tastes. That was Benchmade a few years ago.

Buy the Benchmade Proper at BladeHQ

No products found.

I’m not sure what happened over at Benchmade HQ but man are they putting out some absolute HEATERS in the last year or so. Starting with the Benchmade Proper slip joint (reviewed here) to the Benchmade Bugout and the full titanium integral Anthem 781.

Now, the slip joint thing is kinda interesting. Over the 2-3 year period, slip joints have begun to increase in popularity with the “tactical knife” folks. With the growth in popularity, it only makes sense that companies like Benchmade and Spyderco with the Roadie would begin to investigate the slip joint market.

Slipjoints are a very traditional style of knife designed so that a steel spring runs down the spine of the knife, the tension of that spring on the tang of the blade holds the knife open or closed. This design has been around for hundreds and hundreds of years so they’re really nothing new but I do believe that they are seeing a more widespread adoption in the last few years.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

Let’s get some specs before the review:

Blade Length: 2.75” (by my reckoning, BM puts it at 2.86”)
Overall Length: 6.625” (again by my ruler, BM states 6.69”)
Weight: 2.4oz (BM states 2.32oz)
Steel: CPM-S30V
Country of Manufacture: USA

Like most traditional folders, the Proper is an EDC knife through and through.

The Proper is available in two different blade shapes a sheep’s foot/wharncliffe type deal, and a clip point. At the risk of over simplifying the matter, I think that the clip point probably looks the best whereas the sheep’s foot is the most functional. I haven’t handled the clip personally, so take that with a grain of salt.

The sheep’s foot is exceptionally useful though, and is ideal for draw cuts when breaking down boxes, or slicing food. The blade stock is .09 thick steel and tapers to a nice .026 behind the edge. If you want to make it REAL crazy you can see if you can get a reground Krein version that is a literal lightsaber.

So how about the steel? S30V is a tried and true workhorse. Developed by Crucible with the help of legendary knife maker Chris Reeve, intended to hold a fine sharp edge for a long time, as well as having a very healthy amount of chromium making it extremely rust resistant.

In my experience, I find S30V to be a little chippy (in fact my Proper has a little chip out of the edge). Sharpening it is easy enough, and the edge does last a long time, to some extent S30V has become a little ho-hum in the realm of super steels. It’s still a performer though, and I do recommend it.

Handle and Ergonomics

The Proper, at the time of this review, is available in two handle materials. The first being red G10, and the second being the (more popular) green micarta. In terms of material I think they are equal, both G10 and micarta will stand up to a lot of wear and tear. They both offer a decent amount of grip traction for your hand in normal EDC use (what you’d use a slip joint for, no skinning wild boars or Hollywood-style knife fights).

The shape of the handle provides a great grip as well, with two very slight depending angles or you might call them quasi-choils on either end of the handle lock my pointer, middle, and ring fingers in place. The knife also has a bit of a badonkadonk, with a larger handle that extends past the downward angle of the choil, giving you an even more secure grip on the knife itself. That some extension also houses the lanyard hole.

I think all-in-all the knife is well designed for its intended use. This is not going to be a knife that you’re going to put through serious/hard work. A folding, non-locking, knife like this you’re going to perform pretty lightweight tasks.

Walk and Talk

So, the knife does not technically lock. It’s held in its various positions by the tension of the backspring. That being said, the Proper has a softer action than I’ve felt on other slip joints. Customs that I have had, or even GEC’s have very positive “walk and talks,” or the feeling and sound of the knife moving into its different positions.

I would prefer a positive action on the knife throughout, but when opened it doesn’t feel insecure.

Benchmade Proper Review – Final Thoughts

All things said and done, I think that the Benchmade Proper offers a lot to be had in terms of a modern/non-traditional slip joint. More interesting than that, however, I think seeing knives like this, the Spyderco Roadie, and even the Hinderer XM18 slippy hitting the marketplace shows an interesting trend when it comes to how people are choosing to spend their money.

If you had told me two years ago that I’d see a Hinderer slip joint or that Benchmade was making their own version of a non-locking folder I would have thought you were nuts, but here we are. I think the value is there, you’re going to spend nearly the same for a new Great Eastern Cutlery slippy, but you’re getting a modern design with a modern blade steel, versus GEC’s tried and true 1095.

If you’re not a slip joint guy, I think the Benchmade Proper is a great place to start. And if you’re already “in the fold,” then maybe it’s a good way to diversify your collection.

Sale

COLD STEEL AD-10 3.5" S35VN Steel Ultra-Sharp Drop Point Blade 5.25" G-10 Handle Tactical Folding Knife with Tri-Ad Locking Mechanism

CONSTRUCTION - The AD-10 tactical folding knife features an ultra-wide, ground thin at the edge, honed to razor-sharpness blade that offers unprecedented cutting, shearing, and piercing power while resisting bending, breaking, or chipping
S35VN STEEL BLADE - Crafted from S35VN steel, the AD-10 folding knife's blade ensures super-fine cutting edges and exceptional edge retention; This premium steel is renowned for its durability and ability to maintain sharpness through rigorous use
STRONG HANDLE - The handle of the AD-10 knife boasts heat-treated, full-length aluminum liners and 3D machined G-10 scales, providing unparalleled strength and grip; Its precise contouring and integral finger guard ensure a snug and secure fit in the hand
TRI-AD LOCK - Complete with the Tri-Ad, the AD-10 offers unrivaled strength, shock resistance, and durability; This reliable locking mechanism provides peace of mind, safeguarding your fingers during use and ensuring the blade remains securely in place
SPECS - Weight: 7 oz (198.4 g); Blade Thickness: 3.8 mm; Blade Length: 3 1/2"; Blade Steel: S35VN; Handle Length/Material: 5 1/4" G-10; Overall Length: 8 3/4"; Knife Type: Folder; Blade Shape: Drop Point; Locking Mechanism: Tri-Ad Lock

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Benchmade Proper 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.

Microtech Stitch Review

by Dan Jackson 7 Comments

Hot on the heels of my review of the Microtech Sigil, I decided to pick up the Stitch. This knife was designed by Sebastijan Berenji of Borka Blades.

Buy the Microtech Stitch at BladeHQ

What I find interesting about Sebastian’s story is that he started out as an enthusiast. If I recall correctly, he was a friend and customer of Geoff Blauvelt of TuffKnives, learned the basics of grinding knives, and made some simple fixed blades. His designs and talents earned the interest of Anthony Marfione. Tony took him under his wing and now Sebastijan is a popular custom knifemaker selling knives for thousands of dollars. Some of his designs have been turned into production knives as well.

A cinderella story if I ever heard one.

The Stitch is an example of Sebastijan’s unique aesthetic. His designs are aggressive and the resulting knives are just plain cool. After being pleasantly surprised by the Sigil, I decided to check out Microtech Stitch and see what his designs are like in the metal.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Stitch has an overall length of 8.00″, a 3.75″ blade, weighs 6.38 ounces, and is made in the USA. This is a large and quirky folding knife. The first thing I noticed is the heft. I didn’t bother checking out the specs before purchasing, so I was a little surprised at how stout the Stitch was.

The second thing to note is the blade to handle ratio. Although the blade is technically 3.75″ long, the cutting edge is only 3″. Those who prize high blade to handle ratios will be sorely disappointed. Personally, I enjoy the weirdness of this knife. That is what drew me to the Stitch in the first place.

The Stitch features a unique blade shape. Maybe we could call it a modified clip point or something. Who really knows. Or cares.

The blade features a prominent harpoon, a high flat grind, a large swedge, and a tip that verges on being a trailing point. There is also a large decorative thumb hole. The blade is unique, and ground from almost 5mm thick blade stock. My blade has been given a bronzed “apocalyptic” (tumbled) blade finish. It is beautifully ground and meticulously finished.

My particular knife came with a blade made of Bohler M390 super steel. I believe they also offer this knife in Elmax, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they release this one in a number of blade steels.

M390 needs no introduction to the enthusiast of high end pocket knives. My guess is that if you are reading this review you already know that M390 is a top tier blade steel, and is among the best money can buy. That is because M390 has the covetable qualities of excellent edge retention and relatively easy sharpening. Most knives will either have great edge retention, or be easy to sharpen. Here you get the best of both worlds, along with good stain resistance.

The Stitch has proven itself to be a capable cutter in the last few weeks of my testing. It easily handles cardboard boxes and other EDC tasks. I’ll say the negative angle of the blade relative to the handle along with high point on this knife makes it a little different in some applications. Case in point, I was at an event and they gave me one of those plastic/paper wrist bands. I tried to cut it off with my Stitch and it took some finagling to get the tip low enough to cut the band off my wrist.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is a beautifully machined aluminum handle with a long geared backspacer and bronzed stainless steel hardware. Aluminum is 3-D contoured with details like a faux pivot collar, countersunk screws, and a fine triangle pattern for traction.

One thing to note, is that this hardware is not proprietary Microtech hardware, but standard torx stuff. That said, all the screws are oversized and look to be custom made. There are two blade stops inside the handle, and they also appear to be custom made.

The handle is immaculate and it’s hard to do it justice with a paragraph or two of text.

The Stitch is a supremely comfortable knife. This is in part because the cutting edge only takes up 37% of the overall length of the knife. So there is plenty of real estate. But it’s also due to some smart ergonomic features of the design. The handle is simple and comfortable. It has good texturing on the sides, and plenty of jimping on the backspacer. Sebastijan also included a large finger choil and a wide spine. That combined with the negative angle of the blade relative to the handle makes for a supremely comfortable knife, whether you are choked up or pulled back on the blade.

The pocket clip is a bent stainless steel clip, given the same bronze treatment as the blade and other hardware, and is a take on the Chris Reeve Knives “double dip clip”. Frankly, I’m not sure of the intellectual property history of this clip design: who came up with it, whether it was patented, licensed, etc. Since a version of this clip appears on their popular Ultratech series my guess is Microtech is well within their right to use it.

I am a big fan of the double dip clip on the Sebenza, and am a fan of it here on the Stitch. This is a wide clip. It has good spring action, and is easy to use. The double dip provides extra retention in your pocket. I’m a fan. The Stitch is a heavy knife, but the good pocket clip keeps it in place. It caries well for an almost 6.5 ounce folding knife. The handle is drilled and tapped for right side tip up carry only.

One interesting thing to comment on is how this knife looks with the closed blade. As you can see, quite a bit of the blade tang (by the thumb hole) is exposed. In the closed position it’s not nearly as resolved as something like my Spyderco Sage 1. Some might find this a little unconventional. I don’t mind it.

Deployment and Lockup

The Stitch is a push button automatic folder. I don’t review many autos, so I’m a little out of my element, but the push button is a generous pad of steel with intricate mill work. The Stitch uses a coil spring, and it does a good job kicking out this heavy blade. The knife shudders with kinetic energy when you press the button. It is snappy.

To close the blade you press the same button you use to open the knife. The force required to return the blade to its closed position is significant, and the blade slides into place with a satisfying snap – not unlike arming a rat trap.

The thumb hole is purely decorative, which is a small point of contention for me. Maybe it saves a little weight, maybe it adds a little visual flair, I’m not really sure what the rationale was. But it seems slightly out of place since you can’t use it for anything.

On that subject, I’d enjoy either a dual action or non-automatic version of this knife. The auto feature is fun, but it’s not necessary and limits where you can carry. Consult your local laws carefully before you decide to EDC this knife.

Still, I won’t fault the Stitch for being an auto. I knew that going into the review. Here’s a shot of the knife next to my Strider SnG:

The lock is a button lock, sturdy and secure. I detect the slightest amount of side to side play in my knife, but no up and down. The lock is easy to manipulate. There is no blade stick at all. It’s a well implemented button lock.

Centering is dead nuts perfect on my knife.

Microtech Stitch Review – Final Thoughts

It seems I have fallen down the slippery slope of Microtech. After resisting their knives for years, I have purchased 2 in a matter of weeks. The quality of these knives is apparent, and I’m now a believer. I’m also thinking I need one of their OTF automatics. Oy vey.

But the Stitch in particular is a cool knife. The design is one of a kind, and the execution is brilliant. All the parts are custom made. Each detail is refined to the point of perfection. I bought a Boker Kalashnikov a couple weeks ago to compare with this Stitch (and accidentally posted a draft of the review the other week – whoops). There is no comparison. This Stitch has been built with such fanatical attention to detail it’s not funny. Granted it costs 10x the Kalashnikov, but you get what you pay for.

I think if you like the concept of the Stitch you will like the reality of this knife. Quirky, but beautifully executed. I’m enjoying mine.

Microtech Stitch – From $364.00
From: BladeHQ

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

Boker Patriot Review

by Dan Jackson 5 Comments

Last Updated: August 30, 2019
The Boker Patriot started with a great premise. A lightweight, affordable utility knife made in the USA with a 154CM blade. Who can argue with that? I for one was excited about the Patriot.

Buy the Boker Patriot at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

But for whatever reason it hasn’t gotten a ton of traction. I say that because the Patriot only got a handful of reviews on Amazon. Hardly any. Contrast that with the Delica 4, which has about 1,500 reviews. Granted the Delica has been around for decades, but still. When a $70 knife released a couple years ago has a grand total of 5 reviews on Amazon, it makes you question its commercial success.

But that doesn’t dissuade me. If I bought my knives solely based on what the bright bulbs at Amazon suggested, we would be flooded with Gerber Gear (Bear Grylles edition – yeah!), M-Tech, and iridescent gas station knives. Thankfully I have too much self-respect for that. Just barely.

So when our very own Ben Schwartz told me he had a Boker Patriot for sale, I jumped at the opportunity. But it gets better. Ben is such a generous guy he gave me the knife. Thank you, Ben. I’ve wanted to check this one out for a while. I need to return the favor.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Boker Patriot has an overall length of 7.5″, a 3.375″ blade, and weighs 2.11 ounces. It’s a great size for EDC. Light, thin, but full size and uncompromising in utility. And the Patriot is nicely made. All the parts line up. Good fit and finish. A satisfying knife that gave me a good initial impression right out of the box.

The Patriot comes with a compressed drop point blade. Low slung and thin, it’s the perfect size for getting under the corner of an envelope, or slicing away at errant packing tape. Despite this you still get some belly and a fine tip. The knife also has a high flat grind and has been left with a satin finish.

One thing I noticed is that this blade came screaming sharp out of the box. Sharp enough where I still remember it, and I’ve had this knife at my office for several months now. I use it mostly for mail, but I’ve taken it to task on some other EDC chores. I brought it home a couple weeks ago and have been EDCing it on the weekends. Out of the box sharpness is only a minor facet of a knife review. After all, you are going to need to sharpen a knife anyways, but I noticed it here.

And the Patriot has held onto that sharpness for a long time. I’ve been using this knife casually for a few months now, and I have yet to sharpen it. It’s made of 154CM, which is a nice steel, especially at this sub $75 price point. Excellent stuff. It’s got a fine grain structure and takes a great edge. For regular duty EDC chores 154CM will hold strong for a good while.

So the blade and steel are both excellent. Perfect for daily carry tasks.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Patriot’s handle is comprised of glass filled nylon handle slabs, a plastic backspacer, and a stainless steel back lock. The handle is held together with high quality torx fasteners. This knife is linerless, so I wouldn’t use it for anything but cutting chores, but it feels remarkably solid. They offer the Patriot in a number of colors, including standard black. Orange is a good change of pace. There is no losing this knife if you drop it on the forest floor.

I know some will poo-poo the Patriot due to its plastic handles, but I don’t mind a plastic handled knife when it’s done right. And here it has been done right. The plastic pieces have been finished nicely. No gaps, no extra plastic left over from the molding process. It doesn’t feel cheap. And the satin hardware contrasts nicely with the matte handle. There is also an unobtrusive lanyard hole for those that like lanyards.

In hand the Patriot feels secure. It’s a thin handle, but thanks to some smart ergonomic decisions the Patriot fills the hand and is comfortable to use. First, the handle is relatively thick. Not Cold Steel Voyager thick, but thick enough to provide something to hold onto. Then they have included a couple finger grooves. This can be hit or miss, but here the grooves work perfectly for my hands. A short row of jimping provides ample traction for your thumb, and there is a forward finger choil on the blade if you want to choke up. It’s a small finger choil, but it works. Rounding things out is a high traction triangle pattern on the handle.

The end result is that the Patriot is comfortable to use. It feels natural in the hand in both forward and reverse grips. There is a lot of traction, so if you decide to use this for food prep, hunting, or some other messy chore you won’t be disappointed. But the knife is still comfortable thanks to the molded edges.

The pocket clip is a standard stainless steel deep-carry clip. It is simple but effective. Spring tension is about perfect. The knife is easy to insert and remove from the pocket, yet it remains securely in place. It’s also swappable for left or right handed tip up carry. It has good tension and is relatively discreet.

The Patriot carries easily. It’s a lightweight knife with a sturdy clip, so you quickly forget about it and there is little chance of it falling out of your pocket. I will say that the aggressive texture of the handle can make this a pants shredder. I won’t use this knife with suit pants or slacks, but it’s fine for my $15 K-mart shorts.

Deployment and Lockup

The Patriot is a thumb stud knife. If you have read my last few reviews you would have thought I forgot about these. Everything is a flipper these days.

But the Patriot comes with two thumb studs that appear to have been bolted onto the blade. The thumb studs are prominent and I can flick the knife open with my thumb most of the time. There is a decently strong backspring, so adequate force needs to be applied to pop open the knife. All things equal I prefer the more reliable thumb hole of a Delica over this, but it’s not bad.

The action is smooth and fluid. Peering into the handle I can’t see washers, but would be surprised if there were not phosphor bronze washers hugging the pivot of this knife.

For lockup we have an old school back lock. It’s actually more like a mid lock. It has a Boye Dent (the little dent on the lockbar release), which makes the knife more difficult to accidentally disengage. Lockup is secure. The blade falls into place with a satisfying snap.

Here is a shot of the Patriot next to a Medium Cold Steel Voyager:

There is no blade play in any direction, a remarkable feat given this is a liner-less plastic handled knife. Delicas and Enduras are notorious for up and down play. Cheap plastic lock backs like the Ka-Bar Dozier Folding Hunter often have some play in them. A little blade play isn’t the end of the world, but its absence here goes to show that the Patriot is firing on all 6 cylinders.

The blade centering on my knife isn’t perfect. It’s maybe off by a mm. Still “centered” and not rubbing, but not perfect.

Boker Patriot Review – Final Thoughts

The Patriot is an excellent mid-priced EDC knife. The market has become so top heavy expensive knives that it has become easy to lose track of more humble offerings like the Patriot. But ignoring this knife would be a shame. It’s a solid design that has been nicely executed with good blade steel.

In many ways I prefer the Patriot over the Delica: better blade steel, stronger lockup, and nicer ergonomics. But the Delica is an icon, and I prefer the blade shape and thumb hole on that knife.

Here is a shot of it next to a Spyderco Sage 1:

Still, I can’t help but wonder how the annals of knife history would look if this Patriot was released at the same time as the Delica. Would it be as widely recognized? Who is to say. I think it would have more than 5 reviews on Amazon – that’s for sure!

Will the Patriot blow your skirt up like a $400 titanium framelock flipper? Probably not, but this is a knife you can use guilt free on a daily basis. It is easy to carry and does a good job cutting stuff. You won’t cry if it gets scratched up by your keys and loose change.

It’s an excellent daily carry tool and I’ve enjoyed having mine at the ready for several months. I’ll probably bring it back to my office after I’m done with this review. It’s perfect for mail, packages, and anything else I need it to do. Recommended.

Boker Plus USA Folding Knife Steel Blade with Orange Handle, 3.38"

Fiberglass reinforced vibrant orange nylon handle
Premium 154CM steel blade
Includes reversible pocket clip and lanyard hole
Blade length: 3-3/8 in. Overall Length: 7-1/2 in. Weight: 2.1 oz.
Limited Lifetime Warranty

I recommend purchasing the Boker Patriot at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thanks for reading.

ESEE Expat Cleaver CL1 Review

by Travis Pike 2 Comments

Gripping the Esee Expat Cleaver leaves you feeling a little overwhelmed. You’re filled with the sudden urge to cleave things. There is something about its weight, its grip, and the fact you just know it can slice through most anything. It’s hard to put into words.

The Esee Expat Cleaver is the first in the Expat line of knives and tools. The knives are inspired by Esee forum member and world traveler ‘Expat.’

Buy the ESEE CL1 at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

Expat travels the world doing what I assume are fun and interesting jobs in dirty places. He has served as an instructor with Randall’s Adventure Training, Esee’s parent company. He’s an experienced outdoorsman, and his series looks to be an exciting development. The Expat CL-1 Cleaver is a beast of a tool and its design details are subtle. It’s more versatile than it looks.

Don’t call it tactical. It’s not designed to be a weapon, and it’s not for mall ninjas. It’s primarily designed for food prep in the wild. In a pinch it can be used to do some moderate chopping and campground clearing. However, at the end of the day this is a tool for food prep. Calling this tactical is like calling a mess kit tactical.

The Esee Cleaver is designed to take your meal from barely dead to ready to cook. It’s there to clean and dress animals as much as it is to prepare them for the skillet.

Esee is well known for their brand of survival knives and tools. Dan has reviewed the Esee 3 and Chad has reviewed the Esee 4. I personally own an Esee 4, and the Esee Advanced Survival Kit.

Esee designs the knives, but most are built by Rowen Manufacturing in Idaho. This explains the cutout of Idaho at the top of the Cleaver.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The CL1 is made in the USA. It has an overall length of 11.5″, weighs 25.5 ounces, and has a 5.5″ blade. Speaking of blades, this one is massive. The cutting edge is 6 inches long, while the blade is 3.125 inches wide and .19” thick. It weighs a mighty, Mjolnir-like, 25.5 ounces. You can really feel the heft in this blade and it’s a good feeling. The cleaver sports a full tang construction with a black stonewash blade.

The finish looks amazing and serves a critical purpose. The blade is made from 1095 carbon steel. It’s easy to sharpen and holds a nice edge, but it also tends to rust. Esee is up front with this. They clearly state that it’s your responsibility to bust rust and keep the blade clean.

The only portion that will rust is the actual unfinished cutting edge. A light oil coating, and ensuring the cleaver is cleaned is important.

Side note – Since this is a tool designed for making food you really don’t want to slap petroleum based oil like CLP on it. I like Citadel Black’s food safe knife oil for this one.

If you look closely you’ll notice the blade isn’t fully square. The edge rounds towards the “tip”, and that provides some belly. This gives the cleaver a little more versatility and makes it more than a chopper. The rounded edge makes it useful for skinning game and detail work. You can also make fine and accurate slashes through meat with the CL1 like a kitchen knife.

That rounded edge also allows you to ‘rock’ the cleaver to cut through veggies with ease like a kitchen knife. Without a doubt a kitchen knife would be better, but kitchen knives are made for the kitchen. The Expat Cleaver is made for the adventure.

The pommel has a slightly extended tang designed for small crushing tasks, and it’s outfitted with a lanyard loop. A cleaver is meant to chop, and when chopping it’s important to be able to keep the cleaver in your hand. The lanyard hole makes it easy to tie the cleaver to your wrist when chopping. This way you walk away with all your toes.

Handle and Ergonomics

The Expat Cleaver features the same handle as the Junglas. However, unlike the Junglas the handles on the Expat Cleaver are made from G-10 rather than micarta. G-10 is a proven handle material that’s resistant to the harsh nature of the great outdoors. Environments with moisture, heat, and questionable cleanliness aren’t an issue for it. This peel-ply G-10 is also grippy, so the cleaver stays put in the hand. This is important for a tool that’s doing chopping work.

The G-10 grips are mated perfectly to the tang and are completely flush. Three massive Allen head screws hold the grips in place. Even after months of use they haven’t loosened.

The grip features an excellent wave that gives you a nice and comfortable grip. The bottom and top of the grip are curved to keep your hand centered and provide a comfortable pivot point. The handle on the Junglas is a known quantity, and it was a no-brainer to bring the design over to the CL1 Cleaver.

The handle is also a fat bottom girl and fills my XL paws nicely. The wide grip really helps disperse the shock of hitting something hard over and over. The shock travels throughout the entire handle instead being focused in one area. This reduces fatigue and prevents pain.

Sheath

“Sheath” is a bit of a generous term here. The Esee Cleaver comes with a leather blade cover, but I wouldn’t call it a sheath. It simply goes over the blade and protects it from you and you from it. Personally, this isn’t a big deal to me. This isn’t a tool you carry on your belt for immediate use. The cleaver is kept in the pack until it’s needed.

The blade cover is made from a tough leather that secures via a simple button. For what it’s worth, it looks nice. I would have liked to see some type of tie down point. This would be handy to make sure the leather cover isn’t lost when the tool is used in the wild. If I could tie it to the pack I keep the cleaver in, I’d be good to go.

ESEE CL1 Cleaver Review – Final Thoughts

Even after owning the Esee Expat Cleaver for months I still get excited when I pick it up. I’ve used it lop the heads off fish, cut branches down, and chop up meat, veggies and more. Something about its size and weight makes it a blast to use. I find myself finding excuses to use it when cooking. Do I really need a cleaver to cut up chicken breast? No, I don’t, but I like using it.

ESEE Knives Expat Knives Black G10 Handle Cleaver CL1

ESEE Expat Knives Brand, MADE IN THE USA
Overall Length: 11.5", Maximum Width: 3.25", Thickness: 3/16"
1095 Carbon Steel Blade, Weight: 25.5 ounces
Finish: Tumbled Black Oxide, Handle: Black G10
Leather Sheath Included

I recommend purchasing the ESEE CL1 Cleaver at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Editor’s Note: Please join me in welcoming Travis Pike as a new contributor to the site. Travis has written in the guns, gear, survival, and self-defense realm for years, and is looking to expand his writing to include his interest in knives. In addition to writing for years he is also a United States Marine infantry veteran, so he has plenty of real world experience. I think he’s going to bring a very practical approach to his knife reviews. Plus, you know he has excellent taste when his first review is of a cleaver. Welcome Travis!