aluminum

Microtech Stitch Review

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.

Spartan Blade Works Pallas Review

by Dan Jackson 8 Comments

Last Updated: August 8, 2019
Most of us who have been following Spartan Blades know the company started with high end fixed blade knives. A few years ago they launched the Akribis, a carbon fiber clad titanium framelock folder. I always appreciated the lines of the Akribis, but never got around to acquiring one. Although some of their old stock is still for sale on select retailers, Spartan Blades has since moved on from the Akribis and ventured into a number of different folder offerings.

Buy the Spartan Blade Works Pallas at BladeHQ

Perhaps their most notable new folder is the Pallas. This strikes me as their every man’s model: a sub 4″ blade, anodized aluminum handles, sturdy button lock, and your choice of flipper or thumb studs to get the blade open.

This is a less exotic folder designed for daily carry and use, and could be considered their version of a Griptilian or Para 2. I have always had a soft spot for utility knives in this size range, and have many in my permanent collection. How does the Pallas stack up against everything that has come before it? Lets find out.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Pallas has an overall length of 8.75″, a 3.75″ blade, weighs 4.9 ounces, and is made in the U.S.A. With an almost 4″ blade, my guess is that Spartan Blades wanted the Pallas to flex both into utility and folding combat knife roles. It is about as big a folder as I can realistically carry. Any bigger, and it would be more of a novelty for me, but a 8.75″ inches I can comfortably carry it and use it as a weekend warrior EDC here in Southwest Florida. I’ve used it extensively in that role. It has accompanied me on trips to fix up my rental house, and plenty of forays into the yard trimming back our “jungle”.

The blade of the Pallas is a modified drop point. This is a simple and functional design, but Spartan Blades has added their signature harpoon tip to give it a twist. At just under 4mm thick, the blade stock is substantial, but the knife is ground thinly behind the edge with a high hollow grind. When you add a fine tip and plenty of belly, you are left with a versatile and functional blade. Spartan Blades also took the extra steps of adding a long swedge across the harpoon tip, chamfering the spine of the blade, applying a nice stonewashed finish, and installing custom thumb studs.

Spartan selected S35VN blade steel for the Pallas. As I have mentioned in countless other reviews featuring S35VN, this is a great choice for a high end folder due to it’s ease of sharpening, corrosion resistance, toughness, and edge retention. It’s a great all round steel. It won’t hold an edge indefinitely, but it’s easier to sharpen then its older brother S30V. It’s no wonder companies like Chris Reeve Knives choose S35VN almost exclusively as their blade material.

The only downside I see to S35VN is that it forces knife reviewers to the very fringes of their creative writing capabilities as they tackle their XXth review featuring this now common blade material. As always you can find a deeper dive into blade steel in our blade steel section

In practice I found that the Pallas is a solid cutter. Thanks to a generous handle, you are able to make full use of the substantial blade. It came razor sharp out of the box, and I have spent a good amount of time breaking down boxes, carving, and even performing some mild food prep with this knife. This knife cuts for days, and the performance is impressive. While it’s not the most unique or beautiful blade I have worked with, you can’t argue with the results. The Pallas performs.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Pallas comes with a hard anodized aluminum handle, held together by 3 custom standoffs and the pivot. The handle is mostly flat. It has been chamfered around the edges, features 2 grooves for your index finger, and a series of diagonal cuts towards the butt for traction, but there is no 3-D milling. Overall, handle construction is neat and solid. Even the lanyard hole has been given extra attention.

That said, this handle loses style points in a few areas for me. First, I don’t care for how the logo and “U.S.A.” have been applied to the handle. I realize that this branding and source of manufacture information needed to be placed somewhere, and there is only a limited amount of real estate on the knife. I also know some have criticized companies like Zero Tolerance for putting too much text on their blades, distracting the eye and complicating the design. Still, I think the placement of the logo and “USA” on the handle looks a little random.

Also, I think a more generous decorative pivot would have looked nicer here then just a body screw. This choice was likely made so the end user doesn’t confuse the button lock with the pivot in the heat of the moment. Plus a decorative pivot does nothing for the performance. But many knives these days feature a decorative pivot. Finally, when you peer into the internals of the knife the pocket screws are a millimeter or proud of the handles. Screws poking out from inside the handle/liners are a pet peeve of mine, and I would love to see the screw length adjusted slightly so they don’t poke out like that.

Aesthetic quibbles aside, the simple handle designs provides ample room for your hand and fingers while the hard anodized aluminum provides you with that familiar fine texture. There is light jimping on the spine of the blade, and more aggressive jimping towards the butt of the handle. The end result is a knife that functions naturally in the hand. While hard anodized aluminum isn’t as grippy as peel ply G-10, I find there is plenty of traction here for all the tasks I put the Pallas up to.

The Pallas benefits from a simple pocket clip that has been thoughtfully executed. This is a humble spring clip, but it has been elevated with Spartan’s arrow motif cut into the clip. I vastly prefer this kind of branding over a “billboard” style pocket clip. The clip has been sunk into the handle and secured with 2 screws. It’s not likely to go anywhere. However, the handle is configured for right side tip up carry only. This happens to be my preferred placement for carry, but it may pose an issue for some.

In practice the Pallas carries nicely. It’s a bigger knife, but is relatively thin and light. I don’t notice it much in the pocket. It stays out of the way, but doesn’t carry super deep. When I’m ready for the knife the combination of handle and clip make for an easy retrieval. What else can you ask for?

Deployment and Lockup

The Pallas comes with a combination of flipper and thumb studs to get the blade open.

Lets start with the flipper. Because this is a button lock, there is no detent. Instead, the button lock is engineered to offer some resistance, and that friction in the lock allows you to pop the knife open. In practice the flipper works most of the time, especially if you are careful to pre-load it. Still, this knife will not flip open like a well tuned framelock or liner lock flipper. I would assign it a “4” on my arbitrary 1-10 scale of flipper performance, placing it slightly below my Spyderco Domino. It usually gets the job done, but nothing to write home about.

The thumb studs are ample, custom made, easy to access, and placed for ambidextrous access. These thumb studs are what you would want to rely on in a stressful situation. I’m glad Spartan Blades included them. They compliment the workman like nature of this knife.

Either way you choose to open the Pallas, the blade rides on caged bearings. The action is smooth and fluid.

Spartan Blades selected a button lock for the Pallas. The button looks similar to what you would find on a Hogue, and I can’t help but place the knife next to my EX-04 (shown above).

Button locks have the potential to be sticky, but the lock on the Palls is extremely smooth. I have yet to have the lock stick or bind up. I have owned this knife for several months now and it’s just as easy to operate as the day I got it. A nice benefit to a button lock is that it is a strong lock. Although every folding knife has its breaking point, I do not hesitate to use my Pallas for tough jobs. There is no blade play or wiggle in my knife. Also, I should note there is no secondary lock like you find on the Hogue series.

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Spartan Blades Pallas Review – Final Thoughts

The Pallas is a no-nonsense tool in the same vein of many of my favorite utility knives. This includes fan favorites like the Para 2 and Griptilian, but also some of the unsung heros in my collection like the American Lawman, Buck Marksman, and Hogue EX-04. I don’t hesitate to carry and use the Pallas just like those other knives. The practical design, excellent tolerances, and quality materials, mean that the knife works, and it works well. If I’m in a rush I can grab the Pallas knife knowing it will do everything I need it to do – no questions asked.

Where the Pallas falls a short for me is with some of the aesthetic details like the placement of the logo on the handle. The flipping action also leaves something to be desired. For a knife you are going to use hard I can look past these issues, but would not be so forgiving if I was buying a collectible.

Also, at nearly $300 the Pallas isn’t cheap. It’s a serviceable design, nicely made, and performs beautifully, but it doesn’t have any mind blowing properties to it, and the materials are not particularly exotic. I realize that Spartan Blades is a boutique company that is offering a USA made product, and they likely lack the economies of scale that the bigger manufacturers can tap. Still, the Pallas is an expensive knife, and the price will prevent it from obtaining the mass appeal of a Paramilitary 2 or Griptilian.

In closing, I like this knife, but think the Pallas is for a narrower market. I recommend it if you are a fan of Spartan Blades, a fan of the design, or are looking for a high end and high performance tactical knife that is made in the USA.

Spartan Blades Blacked Out Pallas Folding Flipper Knife Button Lock Black SF3

Overall Length: 8 3/4" Blade Length: 3 3/4" Blade Material: CPM S35VN Stainless Steel, 58-60 HRC
Blade Thickness: 5/32"; Blade Finish: Black PVD Tungsten Black DLC; Blade Type: Plain Edge Drop Point
Closed Length: 5 1/8" Handle Material: Black Mil Spec Anodized Frame
Safety System: Button Lock; Carry System: Pocket Clip
Weight: 4.736 Oz.; Made in the US

I recommend buying the Spartan Blades Pallas at Amazon, BladeHQ or KnifeArt. Thanks for checking out the review.

Leatherman Squirt PS4 Review

by Dan Jackson 15 Comments

My Leatherman Micra review sparked some pretty excellent responses in the comments section. Great points were made about how much utility is packed into some of Leatherman’s smallest offerings, and how it’s sometimes more acceptable to whip out a multi-tool than a pocket knife. Knives will always be my first love (and main focal point of the website), but you can’t deny the practicality of a multi-tool.

Buy on Amazon

While the Micra is a great tool, it is based around scissors. I think most people associate multi-tools with pliers-centric designs. Enter the Leatherman Squirt PS4. It’s roughly the same footprint as the Micra, but based around a small set of spring loaded pliers rather than scissors. It seemed like a natural succession to my review of the Micra so I decided to pick one up along with a Gerber Dime to test out this segment of the multi-tool market.

General Dimensions and Pliers

The Squirt has an overall length of 2.25″ (closed), weighs 2.1 ounces, and is made in the USA. This tool is similar in size to the Micra. The Squirt is a little thicker, but the Micra is a little longer. The PS4 is advertised as a “keychain multi-tool”, and while technically you could carry this on your keychain, I’m not sure if you would want to.

This is a small tool and can be easily stowed in a pocket, or strategically tucked away in a tool kit, vehicle, or tackle box. That is primarily how I like to use these small multi-tools. They may not be a true “EDC” piece for me, but for around $25 most can afford to have this be a dedicated tool for their car, as part of a little tool kit, survival kit etc. Of course there is nothing wrong if you want to make this a daily carry object as well.

And on the subject of price, I still can’t believe how nicely made these small Leatherman tools are for the money. The pieces all line up nicely. There are no unintentional sharp edges. The action of the springs are all high quality. The tools themselves are all nicely finished. There are no stray tooling marks and everything goes where it should. The handle scales are hard anodized aluminum. The pliers close neatly together. This is a quality tool that is satisfying to articulate. It’s not a disposable object, and it feels like you actually get something for your money.

At the center of the Squirt is a small set of stainless steel pliers. The pliers come to a nice tip and are almost fine enough to be used as tweezers. They can certainly pluck hair, and could probably pull a splinter in a pinch, but they are strong enough to be used to pull staples and manipulate small bolts. The jaws open to over an inch wide but are better for smaller tasks. In fact, these pliers are great for getting into places that are too tight for my fat fingers.

Additional Tools

The Squirt comes with an assortment of 7 additional tools to the pliers. The toolset includes:

Scissors
Penknife
Bottle Opener
File
Flathead Driver
Phillips Driver (small flathead driver)
Wirecutter

This is a nice list of commonly used tools. All but the wire cutter can be accessed from the outside without opening up the tool. That may seem like a small detail in theory, but in practice being able to access the tools without opening up the pliers is huge. I think that feature is right up there with spring loaded pliers.

The scissors are very small. They cut, and can work for delicate tasks, but I wouldn’t want to use them for a lot of cutting. That said they are sharp, spring loaded, and certainly cut. They can be great for when you need to trim something small or make a delicate cut, like trimming away heat shrink from a wire.

The knife blade is small but serviceable. It is flat ground with a chisel edge, and comes sharp out of the box. It’s made from 420HC steel. It won’t win and edge retention competitions but in a pinch it will open a piece of mail or shave down a piece of wood. It’s a slip joint, but if you are smart with it you will be fine.

The file is possibly my favorite tool on the Squirt. It’s over an inch long and is double sided. One side is a single cut file, the other is double cut. Both sides are abrasive and work great for small jobs.

The screw drivers are adequate. The “Phillips” driver is not a true 3-D driver, but it can work in a pinch. The flat head driver is about a quarter of an inch wide and works well.

The bottle opener is small and shallow. It will get a bottle opened, but takes some work and is a far cry from the bottle opener on the Alox Cadet.

Leatherman Squirt vs. Gerber Dime

As I mentioned in the intro, I bought this along with the Gerber Dime. I think the build quality of this Leatherman blows the Dime out of the water. The Dime isn’t a bad tool, and it’s anywhere from $5-15 cheaper than the PS4, but I prefer the PS4.

I mostly prefer the PS4 for it’s slightly better build quality, and the bottle opener jutting out of the back of the dime turns me off, even if it’s a more successful bottle opener than the one on the Squirt.

That said, others have had great luck with the Dime, so if you are torn you can buy them both for under $50 like I did. If I could only keep one I like the PS4 more.

Leatherman Squirt PS4 – Final Thoughts

They say the best tool is the one you have on you. The Squirt isn’t going to replace a tool box, or even a full size multi-tool, but it’s handy in a pinch for small jobs. Given the size constraints I think it’s a great little multi-tool, and you get a lot for your money. That said, I prefer a full size multi-tool for working on bigger projects. The problem with a full size multi-tool is that they are tough to carry unless you can get away with a belt sheath.

I continue to be impressed with the fit, and finish of these inexpensive Leatherman tools. The stellar build quality combined with how they are legitimately useful, make this one a win for me. The fact that the Squirt is made in the USA is icing on the cake.

This is a great back up or EDC item. Even if it doesn’t get tons of use, at around $25 you can’t go wrong with it.

LEATHERMAN, Squirt PS4 Keychain Multitool with Spring-Action Scissors and Aluminum Handles, Built in the USA, Black

LITTLE LIFESAVER: A colorful, keychain-size multitool with durable aluminum handles, spring-action pliers and more
9 TOOLS IN 1: With a knife, pliers, screwdrivers, wire cutters, scissors & a bottle opener, this lightweight mini-tool handles everything from snipping fishing line to wrapping birthday gifts
OUR GUARANTEE: We’re proud to stand behind every product that leaves our factory in Portland, Oregon; That’s why we offer our 25-year warranty, so you can be confident your Leatherman lasts a lifetime
ONE-HAND ACCESS: For those moments when you only have one hand to spare, the Squirt PS4 only requires one hand to open and use all the tools
ALWAYS ON HAND: The Squirt PS4 weighs just 2 ounces and is equipped with a key ring so it's always within reach and ready to work

I recommend purchasing the Leatherman PS4 Squirt at Amazon. 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.

Kershaw Link 1776GRYBW Review

by Dan Jackson 19 Comments

It has been a while since I have visited Kershaw’s value offerings. The Injection 3.0, the Emerson Collabs, and the Strobe are nice knives for the money, but I think each model left the reviewer asking for a little more.

Buy the Kershaw Link at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

Admittedly, these knives are all in the $20-30 range. It’s hard to get too excited at that price point as there will almost always be significant compromises. Most of the time those compromises center around the materials selected, or the company trying to do “too much” with a budget knife. At best the end result is a good, but not great, product. Rarely do you get something truly excellent although there are notable exceptions like the ESEE Zancudo or the Victorinox Cadet.

The Link was a 2015 release and is a Kershaw in house design. As I noted in my review of the ZT 0888MAX, an in house design from KAI is not a bad thing. It may not grab eyeballs like the latest Hinderer collab, but Kershaw has talented in-house designers who have hit home runs in the past including the Skyline, 888, and Knockout.

The Link is a USA made knife, and Kershaw describes this as the missing “link” between USA manufactured quality and reasonable price (get it?). They assigned the Link model number “1776” to drive the point home even further. While the in house design team may have things down, I think the marketing team may benefit from a fresh pot of coffee.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Link has an overall length of 7.6″, a 3.25″ blade, weighs 4.8 ounces, and is made in the USA. Although the knife weighs nearly 5 ounces, it feels lighter in hand. This isn’t a bad choice for an EDC or utility knife. It is on the larger side and may be too big for some to seriously consider as a daily carry. The Link has an almost dystopian look to it with it’s blackwashed blade and matte grey handles. It’s a nice looking medium sized folding knife.

This knife comes with either a FRN (fiberglass reinforced nylon) handle or the aluminum handle shown here. The aluminum version currently retails for around $40 while the FRN version is more at the $30 price point. Personally, the extra $10 for aluminum was a no brainer. I don’t care for the pattern on the FRN version and think it looks cheap. The dark gray aluminum handles play nicely with the black hardware and “blackwash” finished blade.

The blade of the Link is long and non-traditional, with an upswept tip and decorative swedge. It also features a perfectly executed sharpening choil. I like how the blade is ground from thin stock, and that Kershaw went with a high flat grind. The end result is an excellent slicer. I used the Link to assist with some tree trimming that needed to get done after a tropical storm. The knife was fine for pruning as well as slicing rope and twine. I have also used the knife extensively on cardboard and has always done a good job.

As an aside, Kershaw also offers the Link with a tanto blade. I think it spoils the lines of the knife, and I am not a fan of tantos for a utility knife. But it’s an option if you want it.

I think the excellent blade geometry is especially important in light of the fact that the blade steel is 420HC. I have never been a huge fan of 420HC. I don’t care if the smiths of Valeria heat treat this stuff, I have always associated 420HC with bargain bin knives. That said, the 420HC on this knife isn’t that bad. I was expecting it to crumble under cardboard, but it has held its own. Again I think the excellent blade geometry has a lot to do with this.

One benefit to a mild steel like 420HC that it is easy to sharpen. A couple passes on my fine Spyderco Sharpmaker rod and we are back in business. I’d say the 420HC on this knife is almost as good as Aus8 or 8Cr13MoV. However, I would definitely prefer some 14C28N like on the Skyline.

As Grayson points out in the comments section, it is worth noting that Kershaw has also released the Link in S35VN as an exclusive for HouseofBlades with red or blue anodized aluminum handles. It clocks in at $80, and may be worth the premium in price of you like the design. Here’s to hoping Kershaw will continue to offer the Link in different steels. I think that if the S35VN version wasn’t a dealer exclusive then it would probably retail for closer to $60. That would be a great deal.

BladeHQ also offers a damascus version of the Link. It’s not clear what kind of steel the damascus is made out of, but if you like damascus then this could be an option.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

As I have previously mentioned, this is an anodized aluminum handle over stainless steel liners. There is a black ribbed backspacer that runs 3/4 the length of the handle. The fit and finish on this knife is excellent. It is far superior to the Chinese Kershaws I have previously reviewed. While not 3-D contoured, the handle has been chamferred twice for comfort and visual interest. The parts line up perfectly, the screws are all set the same depth in the handle, and there are no machining marks. Even the lanyard hole has been thoughtfully executed: it is oversized and inset into the pommel rather than simply drilled through the handle. Nicely done, Kershaw.

The Link is a comfortable knife to work with. It’s thick without being chunky, and there is a great natural thumb rest on the back of the handle. If you need to you can choke up further on the spine of the blade, but there is no jimping. The anodized aluminum isn’t what I would call “high traction”, but it’s not slippery either. There is plenty of room for a full grip, the flipper forms a nice forward guard, and there are no sharp corners to speak of. Kershaw managed to do a lot here with a modest budget. I think most people will be pleased with how the Link feels in hand.

The clip is a black parkerized steel clip. The handle is drilled for ambidextrous tip up carry. This isn’t a deep carry clip, but the Link is still discrete thanks to its dark handle and nondescript pocket clip. This is a heavier knife with a relatively smooth handle, so I was concerned about the knife moving around in my pocket. Thankfully, this clip provided plenty of retention and the Link remained in place. It’s hard to get too excited about a clip like this, but that is not a bad thing. Thankfully, Kershaw didn’t do anything weird here.

Deployment and Lockup

The Link makes use of Ken Onion’s SpeedSafe technology. I have the better part of a dozen SpeedSafe knives over the years and you can check all the SpeedSafe reviews out here. Suffice it to say, this is a long standing and proven assisted opening mechanism. My knife fires hard and fast thanks in part to a well placed and nicely jimped flipper tab and phosphor bronze washers. All things equal I almost always prefer a non-assisted manual action flipper, but given the price point I don’t mind this assisted opener. It works great.

Also, it is interesting to note that there is no rattle of the spring when the blade is open. Typically these SpeedSafe knives rattle a little, although you can always fix that by opening up the knife and applying a little lithium grease to the spring. My Link is dead quiet, so maybe Kershaw has found a way to address this issue at the factory.

The Link comes with a stainless steel liner lock. Lockup is solid and without play. I have always been a fan of liner locks, and the lock on this knife works well. The lock bar is easy enough to get at when you want to close the blade. Here is a shot of the Link next to my Skyline:

Blade centering is near perfect on my knife.

Kershaw Link Review – Final Thoughts

This is one of Kershaw’s better budget offerings in recent memory. It seems like historically their best stuff has been the USA made Kershaws, and the Link continues the path forged by knives like the Skyline, Blur, and Knockout. I’d say the Link is on par in terms of quality, but it remains to be seen if the knife will develop the following these other blades have. The Link is a little chunkier, but not bloated. It’s also kind of a funky design, but it works well in hand. For these reason I don’t think the Link will garner the same legacy these other knives have, but it’s still a very good knife.

Kershaw is also releasing limited editions of the Link, which demonstrate that it is popular with consumers, and adds an element of collectibility to the knife.

I think most people who are attracted to the Link on paper will like the knife. It’s a solid tool that you won’t mind dragging underneath a car, or up a ladder. The fit and finish is excellent. The materials are good, although I’d like to see an upgraded blade steel (addressed with the limited editions, but at double the price of the regular version). I understand that probably wasn’t possible given the price of the knife and the rest of the features.

On the subject of price, if you like the look of this knife but want something higher end, you may want consider the Zero Tolerance 0095BW. The 0095 shares the design language of the Link, but with a manual flipper, bearings, S35VN steel, and a titanium handle.

If you are interested in the Link then I think you will end up liking it. I recommend it to those seeking a solid work knife that is made in the USA and retailing for well under $50.

Kershaw Link Folding Pocket Knife, Gray Blackwash, SpeedSafe Opening, Made in the USA

Retractable steel blade has carbon and chromium for strength and corrosion resistance. BlackWash finish creates worn look that hides scratches and prints
As Kershaw’s patriotic model number 1776, the Link is made to be the best collectible utility knife of its kind
For accessibility and safety, Link has a reversible pocketclip, liner lock, SpeedSafe assisted opening and built-in flipper
With closed length of 4.4 inches, Link is the go-to tool when scouting, hunting, fishing or working around the home or office
Both sharp and sturdy, the Link is discrete with one-handed opening for personal defense or protection during lifesaving emergencies

I recommend purchasing the Kershaw Link 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.

CRKT Homefront K270GKP Review

by Dan Jackson 20 Comments

Last Updated: August 12, 2019
One of the hallmarks of a quality folding knife is to be able to take it apart and put it back together without any problems. That is one of the qualities I find most admirable in my Spyderco Sage 1, which remains one of my all time favorite EDC knives to this day. Certainly that is one of the draws to the CRK Sebenza; its unapologetic simplicity and ease of disassembly and re-assembly. I think it’s one thing to put something together properly at the factory and have it work well in the short term, but if it doesn’t go back together correctly after being taken apart then something is horribly wrong.

Buy the CRKT Homefront at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

So when I saw CRKT roll out the Homefront, a knife that was designed to be taken apart, I took notice. At first glance this may seem gimmicky in the same way Lionsteel made a handle that changes color when you hold it. The knife industry is a tough one to innovate in, and some of features touted as “innovations” can be questionable at best. But the Homefront was designed by Ken Onion, and CRKT has a history of executing custom designs well. So I approached the Homefront with both interest and a healthy dose of skepticism.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Homefront has an overall length of 8.3″, a 3.5″ blade, weighs 4.8 ounces, and is made in Taiwan. I have a soft spot for utilitarian folders with a 3.5″ blade. Some of my favorite user pieces fall into this category, including the Cold Steel American Lawman, Kershaw Blur, and Buck Marksman. In an age of high dollar titanium framelock flippers these are the unsung heroes of my knife collection. While I am as guilty as the next guy for wanting to check out high end offerings, these humble pieces keep showing up in my pocket to get the job done.

The Homefront has that same “no bullshit” appeal that these other knives have. It’s simply constructed and geared towards functionality. But that is not to say that the Homefront is devoid of detail and visual interest. The knife has a military inspired aesthetic that has grown on me since acquisition. I am still not a fan of the oversize star on the pivot, but the rest of the design agrees with me, and the knife is nicely made and beautifully finished. In my mind this is a dedicated utility knife, and is one that could be pressed into a variety of roles as your situation requires.

The blade is a handsome drop-point design, with a prominent fuller, big belly, and a simple swedge terminating in a capable tip. You almost forget this is a Ken Onion design, except for that suggestion of a recurve. The blade features a hollow grind and a lustrous satin finish. The knife is ground reasonably thin and it slices well. This is a classic and useful blade shape.

One critique is that the edge is not sharpened all the way to the plunge line. Instead, you have about a quarter inch of unsharpened steel. The advantage is that you can use this as a poor man’s forward finger choil, but the disadvantage is that you lose that cutting surface and the knife can be a little harder to sharpen on some systems.

CRKT chose AUS-8 for the blade steel. I’m not a steel snob, but this is my biggest criticism of the knife. Given the near $100 retail price point (I paid $90 for mine, but now see the knife retail for a little over $80 on Amazon), this should be S30V, 154CM, or some other higher end stainless steel. Every other aspect of the Homefront is on par with a $100 knife, so it’s a shame to see the steel suffer here. Still, AUS-8 is serviceable stuff, and it will certainly work for a knife that is meant to be used. It is tough, doesn’t rust easily, and is easy to sharpen.

If you add up all my reviews I have probably written the equivalent of a full length novel on AUS-8, so I won’t belabor this further. At the end of the day I don’t mind the steel in a lower end knife, but would be remiss not to ding the Homefront for the choice of AUS-8 blade steel.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is constructed of 2 slabs of 6061 aluminum that have been type-3 anodized a rich olive green. There is a partial geared aluminum backspacer, and a nested steel liner lock. The handle is modified to accommodate the Field-Strip take down system (more on that below) with the inclusion of a release lever near the pivot and a geared wheel at the pommel.

Fit and finish on this knife is immaculate. The lines are crisp, there is an absence of tooling marks, and everything comes together perfectly. The anodization is tough to capture with photography – it has a subtle depth to it that doesn’t show up well in the pictures. The anodization has held up nicely, but I don’t doubt if I drop it on my driveway it will show signs of wear like my Marksman.

The Homefront benefits from a simple approach to ergonomics, and is a comfortable knife in hand. The handle itself is lightly textured and the aluminum is a far cry from abrasive G-10 or rough patterning. There is a shallow finger choil, and a row of toothy jimping – aggressive enough to bite in sharply if you really bear down on the knife, but easy to avoid if you place your thumb on the spine of the blade. The geared backspacer and release wheel provide additional traction if you need to use the knife in a reverse grip, but largely stay out of the way when you are using the knife with a normal forward grip.

Ken knows how to design a comfortable knife, and this Homefront benefits from his decades of experience.

The pocket clip is an unassuming piece of folded-over stainless steel. It’s black, rectangular, and does a decent job of keeping the knife held in place in your pocket. The aluminum handles don’t offer much traction, so retention isn’t outstanding. It is a deep carry clip, and the Homefront all but disappears into your pocket. Beyond that, there isn’t much to report, beyond the handle being milled, drilled, and tapped for right side tip up carry only – not a big deal for me, but a potential source of contention for some.

The Homefront carries nicely in the pocket. It’s not overly thick, heavy or large, and it carries like you would expect it to. No complaints.

Field-Strip Technology

The Homefront is the first production knife to feature Ken Onion’s Field-strip Technology. It’s a system that allows the knife to be taken apart without tools in seconds by way of a lever near the pivot and a release wheel at the butt of the handle. Flip the lever, turn the wheel, and in seconds you have a fully disassembled knife.

I have had my Homefront for about 6 weeks at this point, and in that space of time I have disassembled and re-assembled the Homefront probably 100 times. Not out of necessity, but out of that neurotic fidgety compulsion that drives most knife collectors to obsessively and absentmindedly flick the blades of their folders. This is the same neurosis that is responsible for grown men spinning $100+ tops and the TorqBar. Plus I wanted to test the system out thoroughly.

I am here to say that after taking the knife apart obsessively the Field-Strip system still works great. I can take the knife apart and put it back together in under 30 seconds at this point. There was a small learning curve, but with a little practice the Field Strip system becomes easy to manipulate.

The bigger question is, “How handy is this?” I don’t work a particularly dirty job. I’m not in the military, or law enforcement, or anything remotely physical. So I don’t really “need” a knife that I can strip in the field, because, let’s face it, I’m never in the field.

But I can tell you this is a nice well implemented feature. I do occasionally take my knives apart, and when I do it’s at best an ordeal necessitating the use of torx drivers, a quiet space, a clean surface, and 10-15 minutes of my time. At worst you can mess up the knife. I have stripped screws, lost pieces under my desk, and have taken a knife apart only to find out it doesn’t want to come back together quite right.

There is value to this system whether you are trying to take your knife apart inside a tent or at your kitchen table. I wouldn’t want to take my Benchmade apart on a camping trip. But taking apart the Homefront outside is something I am completely comfortable with.

Deployment and Lockup

The Homefront is a sub-liner lock flipper. The flipper looks like a bayonet lug, paying further homage to the Homefront’s throwback military-inspired design. The blade runs on nested teflon washers. I am typically not a fan of teflon washers, but they work here. The washers are nested in such a way that they don’t fall out when you disassemble the knife, and my guess is that was the primary consideration when selecting teflon. Regardless, the blade flips open easily and the action doesn’t have that “floaty” feeling that is typical of teflon washers. It actually flips well, especially after a break in. The oversize flipper provides plenty of leverage, and the blade pops opens with a satisfying snap.

You can get a good look at the nested steel liner lock in the picture of the dissassembled knife. It’s unassuming, but it works well. The lock bar is easy to get at and doesn’t stick. There is a little side to side play, an acceptable trade off for a toolless design, but nothing more than you would find on an axis lock. Also, the blade centering is dead center every single time, without any tweaking on my end. This is super impressive to me, as so many knives get this wrong. It’s a testament to how well the Homefront is engineered and manufactured.

CRKT Homefront Review – Final Thoughts

It would be easy to dismiss the Homefront and its Field-Strip system as a gimmick. But I think doing so would be a mistake. At its core this is a well made and functional piece, and the Field-Strip aspect of the knife works surprisingly well. The knife comes apart and goes back together easily and consistently. This is a legitimate improvement over a regular screw-together folder, and CRKT did a good job with this. I’d like to see them carry this out with other designs and dial the system in even further.

I’d also like to see CRKT beef up the blade steel. I realize that this knife was manufactured in Taiwan, which means there are logistical challenges to getting quality steel to the factory, plus this was probably an expensive knife both to develop and manufacture, but at this price point you really need to be above the AUS8/8Cr13MoV tier of steel. Both Spyderco and Cold Steel have figured out how to get good steel to their Taiwanese factories, so it can be done. The choice of AUS-8 is not a deal killer for me, but I know it will be a turn off for many.

At the end of the day I think the pros to the Homefront outweigh the cons. This is an excellently executed knife, and it’s the most interesting edged tool to cross my desk in 2016. I think this knife is a good choice for both collectors of interesting and unusual knives, and I also recommend it for those who are considering the Homefront as an EDC piece. I purchased this knife with my own money for long term testing and evaluation. I’ll continue to carry and use the Homefront and will update this review if my opinion about the knife or Field-Strip system changes over time.

As I close this review out I can’t help but compare my Homefront to my Marksman. Both feature aluminum handles, classic lines, and solid construction. Both are unique and innovative in their own ways. And both are rock solid workhorse knives. It’s my pleasure to highlight unique offerings like these.

COLUMBIA RIVER KNIFE & TOOL CRKT Homefront Aluminum Folding Pocket Knife: Take Apart Field Strip, Satin Blade, Flipper Open, Liner Lock, Aluminum Handle, Deep Carry Pocket Clip K270GKP

Easy Maintenance: Field Strip take apart your knife for cleaning without tools
Easy To Sharpen: High carbon stainless steel blade takes an edge well
Lightweight And Strong: Aluminum handle combines strength with minimal weight
Designed by Ken Onion in Kaneohe, Hawaii
Versatile Use: Suitable for every day carry around the home or office

If you are considering buying a CRKT Homefront, I recommend purchasing it at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Olight S1 Baton Review

by Benjamin Schwartz 13 Comments

Last Updated: September 16, 2019
With some pieces of gear appreciation takes a while. Advantages and charms are subtle, and only appear over a long period of use. With others, their positive qualities are immediate and obvious. Almost from the second you start using it, you understand and appreciate it.

Buy on Amazon

So it was, for me, with the Olight S1 Baton. As soon as I had it out of the packaging and put in a battery, I knew I loved it. This is a phenomenal light. It’s less a case of perfection than one of consistent excellence in nearly every category. The things that are bad are minor, and the things that are good are so good that, in some ways, I feel like they couldn’t be improved.

Foolish thoughts, of course, but any time a product inspires such thoughts I think it’s worth it to sit up and pay attention. The Olight S1 Baton is a top-tier piece of kit.

General Dimensions and Construction

The Olight S1 Baton is 2 3/8” long, and ¾” across as its widest point. With the battery in, it weighs 1.6 oz. Very light, but the weight distribution is such that there’s a pleasant heft to the S1 with the battery in. The S1 Baton is available in raw or rose gold copper, polished or bead blasted titanium, or, like mine, in standard black anodized aluminum. It uses a 1xCR123a battery.

The fit and finish of the S1 is thoroughly competent. The Type III anodization is clean, and seems to be more durable than the job on my Microstream. The threads all work smoothly without any drama or a break-in period. The blue accents give this otherwise extremely utilitarian-looking design a little character without being obtrusive or corny.

The S1 Baton is so-called because it features a magnet in the tail cap that allows you to stick it to something for hands free use (like a…baton? I don’t really get the naming convention). The magnet is removable, and before I got it I thought it was something I was going to get rid of, but I ended up really liking it. I keep it stuck to my nightstand lamp so it’s always in the same place if I go looking for it in the middle of the night. A surprisingly handy feature.

The S1’s clip is a friction fit clip. The clip is oriented for ‘tip up’ carry, if you will. Situated the way it is, you can clip it to a hat brim for hands-free operation without the need of an S-style clip. It runs almost the length of the light and is made of surprisingly thick steel.

Instead of a standard reflector, the S1 utilizes a TIR optic. TIR stands for Total Internal Reflection. As a journeyman flashoholic I don’t understand all the attendant TIR arcana, but I do know that it is supposed to produce clean, even beams. I’ll discuss the performance below, but note here that you might be surprised at how the S1’s optic looks – I know I was. It’s concave, made from some sort of polycarbonate, with a raised piece in the center. Not bad, just unusual.

Output, Runtime, and UI

The S1’s specs feel very current, even months after its release. The high of 500 lumens is shocking to see, flaring out of a light this small. I don’t know how practical it is. I haven’t used it all that much for anything other than showing off, but it’s nice to know that it’s there if I ever need it.

Much more useful is are medium and low at 80 and 8 lumens, respectively. The medium setting, for me, is ideal for illuminating the path during night walks. The 8 lumen low is deceptively bright, more than enough for checking under couches or searching for dropped keys in a parking lot. I was a little hesitant at the disparity between each of the modes, but Olight clearly knew what it was doing: these are thoughtful demarcations, each with their own uses.

The .5 lumen moonlight low is great. It’s bright enough to read by, but dim enough to be easy on your eyes and not bother a sleeping partner or freak out the cats. Moonlight lows seem like they are becoming more or less standard features on flashlights, and I can see why. Once you try it, it’s hard to go back.

The only other light I’ve used with a TIR was an Armytek Partner C1, and its beam pattern was oddly textured and spotty. Thankfully, the S1’s pattern is nice and clean, even and white. Much more flood than throw, obviously, but that’s what you want in an EDC light most of the time.

Runtimes are pretty great. You get 1.5 hours on high, 6 hours on medium, 40 hours on low, and 25 days on moonlight low. I’m surprised that the medium runtime isn’t a little higher, but it isn’t dismal and I don’t use the medium often enough to care.

I think clickies are the best UI. They facilitate one-handed operation better than twisties and, when executed well, are equally as intuitive. The S1’s side button clicky is executed very well. One click turns the light on in the last mode used. Holding it down cycles through the levels. Clicking the button three times while on turns on strobe. You access moonlight by holding the button down while the light is off. Similarly, you can jump right to high by double pressing the button while the light is off. Simple.

There are two hidden timer modes, one for three minutes and one for nine minutes, that can be accessed. I’ve never used them, and never will. I find these hidden modes to be more or less useless on any light, but if they’re sufficiently hidden I have no problem with them being around.

Ergonomics and Carry

The S1 isn’t so much small as it is short. This is a short, short light. It is almost hard to hold on to: the checkered texturing on the aluminum isn’t grippy, nor is the anodization. The aforementioned weightiness keeps the S1 more or less in place, and the flats of the hex-bolt collar give you a place to pinch it. It achieves decent grippiness through balance rather than texturing.

I had heard bad things about the clip before I picked up the S1. I was determined to come to it with an open mind. This clip is really bad. I mentioned above that it’s thick. It’s also tight. I had to fight this thing to get it clipped to my jeans, and when I did the rotund S1 occupied a surprisingly large amount of pocket space. Retrieval is a whole other chore. The retention notch and the angle at which the clip loops it over itself makes pulling this light out feel like you’re wrestling with a misaligned zipper. Terrible, terrible clip. Thank God it’s removable.

Without the clip, the S1 is manageable. It is short, which is nice, but chunky, which is not. Pocket carry is doable, coin pocket carry too, but nothing felt ideal. I do wish it were thinner, but I think its rotundity is a function of the type of battery it takes, and I’m just spoiled from the svelte AAA lights I’ve carried up until now.

Olight S1 Baton Review – Final Thoughts

I don’t buy a lot of flashlights. I average one a year. The S1 may very well slow down the pace even more. It gets the important stuff right. It’s a good representation of the best that the current generation of flashlight technology has to offer, maybe the best representation, and I have a hard time imagining why I would ever need another light.

I mean, I’m sure I will get other lights at some point. The Paramilitary 2 may be all the knife I’ll ever need, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to keep buying and carrying other knives as well. But, just like with the PM2, I’m sure the S1 will remain in my collection. It’s too good not to have around. Whether it’s your first light or your fiftieth, the S1 is immediately, obviously excellent.

OLIGHT S1 500 Lumen Cree XM-L2 CW Compact EDC LED Flashlight

Cree XM-L2 CW LED. Maximum light output up to 500 lumens.
PMMA TIR lens with a 90% light transmittance rate.
3 standard modes: 8 lumens, 80 lumens and 500 lumens.
2 special modes: 0.5 lumen moonlight mode and a 10Hz strobe mode.
Runs on: 1x CR123A or 1x RCR123(Battery not included).

I recommend buying the Olight S1 Baton at Amazon. Thank you for reading.