Made in China

Casio G-Shock DW-5600E Watch Review

After I destroyed my Seiko SKX173 digging a ditch in my back yard, I found myself without a watch. I was not in a place financially where I could replace it with another automatic, and the thought of getting it fixed did not cross my mind. So the only thing to do was to find something cheap to replace it – and to replace it fast.

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Like many Americans, I found myself browsing the aisles of Wal-Mart. Moments later I walked away with a Casio G-Shock DW-5600E strapped to my wrist. I knew that G-Shocks were supposed to be tough, and for $40 I could swing the purchase. That was the extent of my pre-purchase research. Oddly enough I also bought my first knife at Wal-Mart with no research.

The DW-5600E ended up being my daily wear watch for the next 3 years. I eventually got my SKX173 fixed, but the DW5600E stayed on my wrist 95% of the time. I eventually upgraded to something cooler (and 50x more expensive), but I still use my DW-5600E to time my laps at the swimming pool and for dirty jobs.

Case and Movement

The DW-5600E has a 42.8mm wide case, is 13.4mm thick, weighs 54g/1.9 ounces, and is made in China. I would say it wears small thanks to the rectangular design. Casio originally developed the G-Shock series in the 80s, with the goal of creating a heavy duty, water resistant watch with excellent shock resistance (G-Shock is actually short for “Gravity-Shock”). They ended up creating a modular digital quartz watch with a polymer cushioned case that has since spawned hundreds of iterations. Even the average lay-person can identify a G-shock, so to say the result was successful would be a massive understatement.

Personally, I have beat on this watch for years without a second thought. Whenever I am testing a large fixed blade knife, or doing something stupid, I choose the Dw-5600. It hasn’t failed me yet and I’ve owned the watch for years. The shock resistance Casio advertises is no joke. I have had cheaper quartz watches that fell apart.

The DW-5600E is currently Casio’s most basic model in the series. The 3229 module is the heart of the DW-5600E. I am not going to claim to be an expert on quartz digital movements. I will point you to Casio’s user’s manual for the 3329 if you want to know the ins and outs of the features and how to operate them. From what I can tell, my watch has kept great time.

The DW-5600E is powered by a CR2016 lithium battery, and Casio says that it should last for 2 years if you use the backlight and alarm once a day. I use mine less than that and the watch has been going strong for 3-4 years now without need for a new battery.

Rounding things out case back that is held down with 4 Phillips screws. This is to be distinguished from a screw down case back. The original DW-5600C came with a full steel case and screw down case back (making it uber desirable among G-Shock collectors). While the current iteration is less robust, it’s still good for 200M of water resistance and has held up great for me.

Dial and Bezel

This is a no-frills watch, but still offers a staggering number of features, including a timer, stopwatch, alarm, calendar, and illumination. Everything is clearly laid out on the dial, and you press one of the 4 buttons on the case to rotate through the functions. I use the watch and calendar functions on a daily basis, and find the stopwatch handy for timing laps in the swimming pool or sets in the gym.

Using the watch is intuitive. I am not going waste your time by trying to explain the feature set of the 3229 in great detail (read the user manual for that). The digital read out is legible, and it’s easy to cycle through the functions and manipulate the watch. The electro luminescent (EL) backlight works well and elicits a soft blue glow.

The LCD is covered by a mineral crystal. I have not had any chips or scratches on my crystal, thanks in large part to the protruding plastic bezel. While it doesn’t rotate and click like a dive watch, it does say “G-SHOCK PROTECTION” on it and soak up bumps and scrapes.

Strap and On the Wrist

The Dw-5600E comes with a removable polymer strap. The watch is designed so that the strap looks integrated, but if you wear it out it is easily replaced with a spring bar tool. Like the rest of the watch, the strap is practical. The strap is secured with a stainless steel buckle and polymer strap keeper.

I find the DW-5600E to be a fantastically comfortable watch. It is lightweight and since it is on a strap rather than a bracelet, adjusting the watch for a perfect fit is easy. Being a sport watch, it’s chunky, but it does fit underneath the collar of a dress shirt, if you are as sartorially clueless as I am.

I paired my 5600 with a Benchmade Griptilian, as both are polymer clad utilitarian objects.

Casio DW-5600E Review – Final Thoughts

For less than $50, the DW-5600E is an impressive piece of hardware. I wore mine with impunity for years and it has performed flawlessly. Although I have since moved on to fancier mechanical watches for daily wear, I still use my DW-5600 regularly – especially for the gym, working in the yard, and for other dirty jobs. It is a perfect beater watch.

Although this is considered an entry level G-Shock, it has everything I need and should work well for most people. I am not a huge fan of the oversized G-shocks, and I think that the beauty of the 5600E lies in its simplicity. It is a lightweight and rugged watch that is ready for work. It also represents great value for money.

I recommend it with confidence if you need an inexpensive, practical and tough watch.

Sale

Casio Wristwatches (Model: DW5600E-1V)

Shock Resistant, 200 Meter Water Resistant. Case diameter : 45 mm
EL Backlight with Afterglow, Multi-function Alarm, 1/100 second stopwatch. TO set time and Date:1.Press A while in the Timekeeping Mode. The seconds digits flash on the display because they are selected 2. Press C to change the selection in the following sequence
Countdown Timer, Auto-repeat function, Hourly Time Signal, Auto Calendar (pre-programmed until the year 2039)
If you do not operate any button for a few minutes while a selection is flashing. the flashing stops and the watch goes back to the timekeeping mode automatically
In an effort to avoid the navigation buttons being pushed accidentally they are purposely designed to be a bit harder to push in. This is not a defect or flaw.

If you would like to buy a Casio DW-5600E, I recommend purchasing it at Amazon.com or Jomashop. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Kershaw Strobe 1086 Review

by Grayson Parker 3 Comments

I’ll be honest: budget knives are rarely on my radar. Not because I’m sitting on wads and wads of cash, but because most of the time budget knives are compromised in some way that triggers my snob reflex. There are exceptions, but those tend to stand so far above the rest of the field that it’s easy to write off the entire category. Not every budget offering is a Kershaw Skyline or an Alox Cadet, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good knives. Oftentimes, they’re just flawed in some way that makes the knife community shrink away before taking a deeper look. One such product is the Kershaw Strobe.

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The Strobe is a Chinese-made knife, designed by Matt Diskin and produced by Kershaw. Although Matt’s designs aren’t the trendiest, I prefer his design cues to other, more marketable names. Prior to the release of the Strobe, the only production with Matt’s name on it was another Kershaw release, the Diskin Hunter.

I’ll come out right now and say it: had Kershaw used the same materials on the Strobe that they did on the Hunter, this knife could have been the next Skyline. The combination of G10 and Sandvik 14c28n is one of the reasons I love Kershaw’s stateside offerings, and to see them miss this opportunity is disheartening. Still, the Strobe is no slouch. Apart from one obvious design flaw (hopefully one Kershaw will address in a future release), the strengths of the Strobe carry it past the lackluster materials.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

Perfectly sized for a “do-anything” work knife, the Strobe boasts a 3.3” blade, an overall length of 7.55”, weighs in at 4.37 oz, and is made in China. It’s a bit on the heavy side when compared to all stars like the Skyline, Mini-Grip, and some of the lightweight options from Spyderco, but in my two months of on-and-off carry the Strobe’s weight hasn’t been a real detriment. The blade is long enough to actually be justified, as opposed to knives with blade lengths that are just over the common limit of 3”.

The blade itself is plain, but better for it. A narrow drop point profile is complemented by a funky angular swedge that sits at the middle of the spine, and the full flat grind matches the technical aesthetics behind the knife. It’s quite impressive how wide of a blade Diskin managed to fit onto a (relatively) slim knife. There’s a nearly perfect amount of belly to the blade, and it slices nearly as well as my Paramilitary 2.

8Cr13MoV is a pretty common choice for budget Chinese knives, and in this iteration I can’t complain. Bead-blasted 8Cr is very susceptible to rust, but fortunately the Strobe comes with a nice stonewash. There’s not a whole lot to say about this steel. It sharpens easily and holds a decent edge, but needs frequent touch-ups. While I don’t have any complaints, I’m not impressed either. It’s a solid choice given the country of origin.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Carry

However, it’s harder for me to warm up to the handles. The plastic isn’t even the problem – on the contrary, I think it’s a great way for companies to produce contoured handles on budget knives. What really bugs me is the “K-Texture” pattern they used on the scales. It’s not pronounced enough to improve the grip, so all it does is turn your pocketknife into an ad for Kai. From a distance the “K-Texture” looks like a simple geometric pattern, but in your hand it’s pretty garish. To their credit, Kershaw and Zero Tolerance have been toning down the logos and branding on their products, but they clearly took a step backwards here. I can’t advocate removing the scales (some have done so) as the scales help the grip, but it’s the shape and thickness of the scales that help, not the texture.

Despite the disappointing handle scales, the Strobe is great in the hand. The shape of the handle locks the user’s hand in place without generating any hotspots. Even the clip (which I thought would poke me right in the palm) fails to negatively impact the grip, but I will say that it could be problematic in someone else’s hands. There is no jimping on the Strobe, which is definitely a welcome omission. I haven’t once found myself wishing otherwise.

The Strobe carries fairly well. It doesn’t need to be wrestled into or out of the pocket, but the clip is a bit tight on thicker pants. My feelings on the pocket clip are pretty polarized: on the one hand, the over-the-top clip is great. On the other, it lifts up pretty significantly to allow the clip room to slide over pockets, which makes it something of a paint scraper. It also snags on my jacket far too frequently. Is it a big issue? No, but I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t rub me the wrong way.

Deployment and Lock-up

Kershaw has been really dialing in their flippers across their product line, and the Strobe is no exception. The combination of a strong detent and the bearing pivot results in a flipper that fires almost every time. While the pull is a bit strong for my tastes, most of the knife community seems to prefer their flippers that way. And as much as I love the Skyline…the Strobe does deploy faster and more consistently.

Although some have billed the lock on the Strobe as a liner lock, it’s really a framelock in disguise. I haven’t noticed any blade play or lock rock, and the knife feels pretty stout. I do wish there was a larger cutout for disengaging the lock; as it stands, it’s pretty easy for your thumb to slip off the lock when attempting to close the knife. Other than that I can’t complain.

Kershaw Strobe Review – Final Thoughts

Viewed in a vacuum, the Strobe is a great value knife. It’s readily available at big box stores, costs less than $30.00, and can take a beating. I’ve got major issues with the “K-Texture” on the handle scales (I’m not alone in that either) and a minor complaint concerning the clip, but in the grand scheme of things neither are mortal sins. When you compare it to other options around this price point, I don’t think it’s quite as competitive. Personally, I still think the Skyline blows it out of the water, with better steel, G10, and less weight. But the Skyline also costs around ten dollars more. If I had to choose between the Strobe and one of the Hinderer/Onion/Emerson collaborations at the same price point, I’d go with the Strobe most of the time.

If you’re on a budget or enjoy budget knives, the Kershaw Strobe should definitely be on your radar. The lines of the design are pretty beautiful, and if it weren’t for the K-Texture it’d be a great looking blade. It’s probably out of the question for Kershaw to re-release the Strobe with better materials, but hopefully it sells well enough to merit future Diskin/Kershaw collaborations. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to sand the “K’s” off of my Strobe.

Kershaw Strobe 1086 Plain Edge Folding Blade Hunting Knife, (Box Version) 3.3"

Steel: Stainless steel
Stonewashed finish-Handle length: 410-K-texture grip overlays
Blade length: 3.3 in. (8.4 cm)-Closed length: 4.25 in. (10.8 cm)
Manual opener-no mechanical assist
Flipper; KVT ball-bearing opening; Frame lock

Editor: I recommend buying the Strobe at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Boker Plus Urban Trapper Review

by Dan Jackson 31 Comments

If you have been following knife trends at all, you will know there is big interest in both titanium framelock flippers and traditional folding knives. So it shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to come up with the idea of combining these two trends, but they have really been viewed as two mutually exclusive phenomena. That is of course, until now.

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Enter the Boker Plus Urban Trapper. Designed by fellow Floridian and custom knife maker, Brad Zinker, the Urban Trapper is exactly what it sounds like: the melding of a traditional trapper pattern with modern features and materials. The end result, is everything you love about traditional folders (their light weight, and wickedly thin blades) combined with the bells and whistles of a titanium framelock flipper.

It sounds great, but given Boker‘s quality control issues some might pass this model over. That would be a mistake. This is arguable the best knife I have handled in 2015. No joke. Boker has had a spotty history with quality control, and their titanium framelocks have been notoriously bad, so I probably have my work cut out for me if I am to try and convince you that this is the best production knife I handled in 2015, but they absolutely slammed this one out of the park. Let me explain to you why.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Urban Trapper has an overall length of 7.75″, a 3.5″ blade, and the all titanium version (shown here) weighs a mere 1.78 ounces, is made in China, and currently retails for around $60. The knife is insanely light yet still packs a healthy 3.5″ blade. I am not one to bother with blade to handle ratios, but Brad used up every spare millimeter when cramming the blade into the handle. The end result is both thoughtful and elegant.

The Urban Trapper was designed to be an Every Day Carry (EDC) knife, and I have used mine in that capacity. Although the blade is on the long side, but it’s thin profile means I have not had any issues using the Urban Trapper in public. I think you could also argue this is a gentleman’s folder.

The blade of the Urban Trapper is an elongated clip point, featuring a lean clip with a thin swedge. It is definitely a modern take on a classic blade pattern, and isn’t your grandpa’s clip point. Most of the spine is taken up by the swedge, but the part that isn’t is capped (rounded). The blade has a high flat grind and precise tip. I have always found clip points to be utilitarian, and this version is no exception. The tip is excellent for detail work, and the thin grind slices like a traditional folder (meaning, it slices wonderfully).

An interesting detail on the knife is the satin finished blade. If you watch YouTube knife reviews of custom folders, you will invariably hear the reviewer go on about how the knife is “the best flipper I have ever handled” and/or gush over the “hand rub satin finish”. While I think both of those reviewer tropes are more than a little tired, I can’t deny that the blade is well done and the satin finish, running horizontally from ricasso to tip, was intended to mimic the hand rubbed finish of a custom offering. It’s a nice touch, especially at this price point.

Boker went with VG-10 steel for the blade, a middle of the road Japanese stainless. I don’t mind VG-10 on this knife given the price point. I have used my Urban Trapper quite a bit, and have had the chance to test it on a variety of materials. It’s great for breaking down boxes, and slices apples with ease. Speaking of slicing, the thin flat grind is a tremendous slicer, much like many of the traditional folders I have used like the Indian River Jack or Alox Cadet.

The UT also held up well as a utility knife. I have used the knife for several home improvement projects, cutting thick plastic and even wire in a pinch. I don’t recommend cutting wire with the Urban Trapper, but I didn’t have anything else on me at the time. The knife held up fine, although the edge definitely rolled. VG-10 will not hold an edge forever, but it’s an easy steel to sharpen. No issues with rust, and I routinely rinsed the knife out in the sink after using it.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

There are a surprising number of details to enjoy when examining the handle of the Urban Trapper. The handle is comprised of 2 pieces of titanium and a single stand off. All of the edges have been neatly rounded, and a series of holes have been drilled into the handle to provide visual interest and lighten the knife. The holes are countersunk and the edges have been given a mirror polished edge. Everything has been executed flawlessly. There is a nice decorative pivot, and the seat of the pocket clip is inlayed into the handle. The titanium is given a tumbled finish which hides wear well. For a simple slab built handle, Boker did a lot to bring Zinker’s custom design to life.

If naked titanium is not your thing, Boker is also offering the UT with a variety of handle covers including Cocobolo, G10, and carbon fiber. I haven’t checked these out yet and prefer this minimalist version.

The Urban Trapper is a thin and lightweight knife, but it’s not cramped for space. I am able to get a comfortable grip on it without any issues. That said, there is not much in the way of traction on the handle. The stonewashed finish offers a little feedback. There is no jimping. It would not be my go to knife for a 3 month expedition through the Amazon, but it’s fine for urban EDC. I would suggest using this knife the same way you would use a slip joint. That said, I have gotten a lot of work done with the UT and I can say with confidence that this knife is comfortable for normal use.

The Urban Trapper comes with a nice fold over deep carry titanium pocket clip. The handle has been milled so the clip slots in to it and is held in place with 2 flush mount screws. This is nice because there is nothing for your pocket to get caught on when you insert the knife into your pocket. The drawback is that the knife is set up for right side tip up carry only. Not a big deal for me, but worth mentioning.

The UT carries well. At under 2 ounces you quickly forget it’s in the pocket. The knife is wafer thin and the clip is very unobtrusive. This is a fantastic knife for my style of daily carry.

Deployment and Lockup

The flipper tab on the Urban Trapper may take some getting used to. It’s squarish and has jimping, and I find that the knife opens best when you “light switch” the flipper by resting your index finger on the corner of the flipper tab. Personally I never had any problems getting the knife open, and I am able to push button the flipper too, but in reading up a bit for the review I noticed some people complain about the flipper. It works fine for me. The detent is solid and the knife is on a bearing system. It flips well, and fires hard. The action is smooth to the point where I can shake the blade closed.

For lockup we have a simple titanium framelock. There is no steel insert. Just simple titanium on steel. My knife locks up early (around 20%) and is secure and without play. This is after opening the knife hundreds of times and beating on it in a series of little remodeling projects. I realize Boker does not have the best track record with their titanium framelocks, but this Urban Trapper is trouble free after a couple months of use. I plan on keeping the knife and will update the review if anything changes.

Blade centering on my knife is basically perfect. The pivot has loosened up a couple times, but a twist of my allen wrench brings things back to true.

Boker Urban Trapper Review – Final Thoughts

Although I think it was released in 2014, the Urban Trapper is on my short list for “Best Knife of 2015”. For $60 I consider it a production folder masterpiece, blending two of the current hottest trends in knives while coming in at the notoriously tough $50-75 price range. When I first got the Urban Trapper I immediately compared it with another favorite of mine: the CRKT Swindle. The knives share some similarities: they are slim, inexpensive, bearing equipped framelock flippers. The Urban Trapper sells for twice as much, but I think it’s twice as nice of a knife. It’s much lighter and the pocket clip is way better. Well worth the price premium in my book.

And let me attempt to put any quality control fears to rest – my Urban Trapper has been problem free, and that seems to be par for the course based on my research. The fit and finish is excellent. There is no blade play, lock rock, or anything like that. Say what you will about Chinese knives, but this one is dialed in. The Urban Trapper truly is a combination of the things I love most about traditional folders (their pocketability, people friendly profile, and thin blades) with all of the creature comforts we have come to know and love with framelock flippers (one hand opening, pocket clips, lightweight materials). For $60 it’s a no brainer.

The Urban Trapper comes with my highest endorsement. It easily makes its way onto my best EDC knives page. There are nicer more expensive knives out there, but the Urban Trapper is a perfect storm of price, workmanship, and performance. This is something everyone can appreciate. Buy it and enjoy it. You can thank me later.

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Boker Plus 01BO730 Urban Trapper Knives with 3-1/2 in. Straight Edge Blade, Silver

Cutlery grade Japanese VG-10 steel blade
Titanium frame lock
8mm grip strong titanium handle
3 1/2 in. blade length 7 3/4 inch length. 1.7 ounce weight.
Limited lifetime warranty

I recommend purchasing the Boker Plus Urban Trapper 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.

Boker Plus 01BO188 Titan Drop Review

by Dan Jackson 6 Comments

Last Updated: August 11, 2019
Have you ever bought a knife while drinking? I’m not sure if this is a common thing or not, but I was putting back a few beers one night while recording yet another morally suspect episode of GearGeeksLive when I decided to pick up this Boker Titan.

Buy the Boker Plus Titan Drop Point at BladeHQ

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It’s a pretty basic knife, but the price is right and I have been wanting to check it out for a while. Apparently I needed a couple IPAs to get properly motivated. I guess there are worse things you can do after having a few beers…

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Titan has an overall length of 8.25″, a 3.75″ blade, weighs 4.10 ounces, and is made in China. The first thing I noticed when I pulled this out of it’s box was how big it was. I guess I would have realized that if I considered the specifications in between swigs of beer and trying to top Andrew’s non sequiturs, but sometimes these details get lost in the ether. It is definitely too large to be a daily carry for me, but it’s nice and slim and could make a good EDC for some people or perhaps even a “tactical knife”. I’d say it compares favorably to a Spyderco Endura, and it’s a bit smaller than my large Sebenza. I’d love to see Boker make a version with a 3″ blade for EDC, but I don’t want every knife in my collection to be a 3″ EDC knife.

The blade shape is a classic drop point with a full flat grind and satin finish. The blade has been well ground and the 440-C blade steel came sharp enough to brush the hairs off my arm without much thought. In practice this is a really nice cutter. The edge has been neatly and uniformly ground, and in practice I have found that the Titan is excellent for your typical tasks like breaking down boxes, working in the yard, home projects, etc. The full flat grind is nice and lean and it’s almost surprising how much extra leverage you can generate with the longer handle and blade.

Although it’s not a substitute for a real kitchen knife I did do a little food prep with it and was pleased with the results there as well. The tip is also very fine, and is great for stabbing through stuff. I managed to jab myself in the pinky while pruning some tomato plants, and the fruit was not the only thing that ran red that day.

The 440C blade has been easy to maintain and edge retention is pretty good. 440C is a softer steel, and I’d place it around AUS8 or slightly better in the edge retention department. Like AUS 8 it sharpens easily, and all I need is a strop to keep this knife very sharp. The satin finished blade attracts finger prints, but so far it hasn’t attracted any rust. All said I am pleased with the performance, especially given the price.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is comprised of two slabs of titanium, a steel lock back, and a titanium backspacer. Everything is screwed together with matte stainless steel hardware. The dull gray titanium contrasts nicely with the satin finished blade and clip. Everything lines up neatly and is well finished. Boker’s Plus line often gets a bad rap for poor fit and finish, but the build quality here is very high. There is a simple elegance to the knife that draws me in. The full metal construction means that the knife is solid and sturdy, yet it is still slim pocketable. You still get some interest on the enthusiast level with the use of titanium, and it also helps keep the weight down quite a bit. It’s a great blend of form and function.

Being that this is a larger knife, it goes without saying that the handle is quite generous. I’m able to get my meat hooks onto it with plenty of room to spare, and this is a knife that is built to get work done.

Although this doesn’t speak directly to ergonomics in use, I will say that there are some sharper edges on this knife (namely the spine and lock bar) and if you are going to obsessively open and close the knife, you may develop some lingering discomfort on your thumb. This isn’t uncommon for a lock back knife, but I did want to mention this a potential negative as this review is largely very positive.

The pocket clip is very similar to what you might find on a standard Emerson or Benchmade clip. This is a proven pocket clip design. Much like its Benchmade or Emerson counterpart, it’s very secure and is easy to use. This one from Boker has been given a very bright satin finish. It isn’t particularly discrete, but it matches the satin blade nicely. The handle is tapped for ambidextrous tip up carry and it’s a relatively deep carrying knife. This is a very thin knife and despite being over 8″ long it carries very well. Again, I can’t help but compare this to an Endura, and in this case I think that is a good thing.

Deployment and Lockup

It is impossible to see what kind of washers Boker used without taking the knife apart, but I can say that the action is very smooth. My guess is they have phosphor bronze washers in there. The teraced thumb studs are easy to get at, and the backspring can be overcome with the push of a thumb.

For lockup you have a sturdy backlock. There isn’t much to write about here beyond saying that the lock works well. It engages crisply and there is no play. The fact that the knife is completely made of metal would lead me to believe you could run this knife pretty hard if you wanted to. I haven’t tested it beyond normal daily tasks, but it could definitely be beaten on like the Cold Steel American Lawman, another favored lockback knife of mine. Blade centering on my model is excellent.

Boker Titan Review – Final Thoughts

I think I need to shop for knives while drinking more frequently because I stumbled across a winner here. The Titan is very basic and is an extremely conservative design, but it has been done right and the inclusion of titanium handle scales lends it a touch of class.

In practice I have found this to be a great beater / user knife. It cuts and carries well, and is very functional. Boker’s fit and finish can sometimes be a mixed bag, but it’s hard to screw up a simple lock back, and the fit and finish is actually very good here. The pieces line up perfectly, there is no blade play, the action is smooth and the lock engages crisply. This is actually a really nice knife and think it gives the Endura a good run for it’s money – especially when you consider how damn expensive the Endura has gotten, and the Endura’s proclivity for up and down blade play. Here the Titan is rock solid, and retails anywhere from $20 to $40+ less depending on what kind of Endura you are looking for. Granted this knife is made in China rather than Japan, doesn’t make use of nested liners, lacks a Spyderhole, etc, but you are still getting a ton of knife for your money and it is well made. The only real downside I could find is that the edges of the lock and spine are pretty sharp. While by no means uncomfortable to work with, it was something I noticed when obsessively opening and closing the Titan.

At less than $40 the Titan is a no brainer and it makes my list of recommended high value knives. It may also make my list for recommended tactical knives, but the longer I run this site the less I really understand what tactical knife even means.

Boker Plus 01BO188 Titan Drop Knife with 3-3/4 in. Straight Edge Blade, Steel

Durable and sharp 440C stainless steel blade
Bead blasted titanium handle
Reversible, polished pocket clip
Blade length: 3 3/4 inches. Overall length: 8 3/8 inches. Weight: 4.5 ounces.
Limited lifetime warranty

I recommend buying the Titan at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Kershaw Cryo Review

by Dan Jackson 11 Comments

Last Updated: March 18, 2019

At long last, the Kershaw Cryo. This is another one of those Hinderer/KAI collabs that tantalized knife collectors back at SHOT Show 2011 (or was it 2012? the years just blend together). Whichever year it was, we waited what seemed like forever for this little knife. Finally, after eons of patiently waiting, this much anticipated design hit the shelves. Reactions ran the gamut from exalted praise to abject horror.

Buy the Kershaw Cryo at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

I’m not going to lie, the mixed reviews turned me off from checking out a knife I was initially interested in. But then I realized, “Hey, that’s what I do – I check out knives.” And I’m guessing people want a review on this one, so I finally picked one up. So lets get on with my review of the Rick Hinderer designed Kershaw Cryo.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Cryo has an overall length of 6.5″, it features a 2.75″ blade, and it weighs 4.2 ounces. This is a small (albeit chunky) folder primarily meant for EDC. I’ve been carrying mine as an EDC knife, and it gets the job done.

Guys who like larger knives will probably want something else, and guys who like lightweight knives will also probably find something lacking in the footprint of the Cryo. Personally? I don’t mind the weight and have a soft spot for small knives – this made for a reasonable EDC in my book.

The blade is an attractive drop point design, reminiscent of Rick’s other creations (and collaborations with KAI, including the ZT 0550 and ZT 0560). You have a good amount of belly, a small swedge, and a high hollow grind. The Cryo has a fine tip and gets reasonably thin behind the edge. It makes for a capable slicer when working with materials like leather and cardboard. The entire knife (blade and handles) have been given a gray titanium carbo-nitride coating. It’s an attractive finish and a refreshing departure from Kershaw’s standard value folder formula of a black FRN handle with a plain bead-blasted blade.

Kershaw went with 8Cr13MoV stainless steel for this knife. 8Cr is a Chinese stainless and the choice makes sense when you realize the entire knife is made in China. Given the price I don’t have a problem with the steel or the origin of manufacture. 8Cr13MoV is capable. I cut about 60 pieces of 3/8″ manilla rope with the knife before moving on to several cardboard boxes. At that point the edge was more or less done, but it quickly came back to life with some swipes on a diamond stone. I then carved some 2x2s with the Cryo, testing edge strength and the overall capabilities of the knife. Then I did it all over again because I lost my original video footage (d’oh!). All things considered, the 8Cr held up well – it’s about as good as it gets these days with a $30 folding knife.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Cryo features full stainless steel handles. The gray handles are mated to contrasting black hardware. No doubt the stainless steel construction adds greatly to the weight. I can’t help but wonder what this knife would have been like with a G10 handle scale (a la Hinderer’s real knives) or maybe even G10 and stainless steel liners. Either way construction is solid and reasonably well finished. It’s a flow through design and the decorative black pillars and lanyard tube look nice against the gray steel. All the corners have been more or less rounded and everything lines up. I have no major issues with the way this handle has been constructed.

For light use the Cryo feels pretty good in hand. This is a smaller knife, and I was able to just get a 4 finger grip on it. I take a large glove so I think most people will be able to comfortably grasp the knife for daily tasks. The steel handles are fairly slick, but this is a little EDC blade, and jimping top and bottom side adds a lot of traction in hand. Under harder use (stuff like cutting rope and carving wood) the knife isn’t particularly comfortable, but for more EDC type tasks (cardboard, plastic, etc) the ergonomics were fine. If you are going to sit down and do half an hours worth of cutting like I did you will definitely notice a few hot spots, how rough the jimping is, etc. So it’s not the most comfortable knife, but for casual use and the occasional chore you should be able to get stuff done without huge issues.

The pocket clip is a blackened low rider clip allowing for 4 corner carry. The clip is small and discrete, and it inserts and removes easily from the pocket. This is a relatively new pocket clip design for Kershaw, and I happen to like it. The Cryo carried well considering and was there when I needed it. As for the 4.2 ounce carry weight, well, I’m sure some will notice the Cryo’s presence more than others. I found that I didn’t like carrying this knife with dress pants, but had no issue with shorts or blue jeans. It’s one of those “your mileage may vary” things, so please plan accordingly.

Deployment and Lockup

The Cryo features both thumb studs and a flipper, and the knife makes use of Kershaw’s Speedsafe assisted opening technology. The flipper is nice and easy to reach, and the blade springs to life with very little effort. The thumb studs on the other hand are almost impossible to use. They really serve no function. I think Kershaw should have spent some more time on this, either figuring out how to make the thumbstuds usable or removing them from the finished knife. As it stands, it seems half baked, like something was lost in translation from design to realization. As for the Speedsafe, I happen to like it on this knife. The Cryo is small and can be difficult to orient in your hand, so a spring assist to ensure deployment every time works well for me.

Lockup is accomplished via a stainless steel framelock. This pays homage to Rick’s custom and production titanium framelock knives. Lockup is early and relatively secure. Sometimes my knife gets a little side to side play and requires a twist of the pivot screw – not a huge deal. There is also Hinderer a lockbar stabilizer installed on the knife to prevent over extension of your steel framelock. This is a cool high-end feature found on knives like my $400 Strider and of course the ZT/Hinderer collabs as well.

Kershaw Cryo Review – Final Thoughts

On paper the Cryo seems like a decent little knife – and it is. It’s small, cool, and functional. It comes with acceptable blade steel, a nice pocket clip, and fast action. I don’t regret the purchase, and think the knife is fairly priced at $32. It’s not amazing, and certainly isn’t a hall of fame budget knife like the Spyderco Tenacious, Kershaw Skyline, or Ontario Rat 1, but it’s a unique knife for Kershaw, is decently made, and I’d generally say it’s a win.

That said, the knife is a little rough around the edges, and I feel like it could have been so much more. For example, the blade is massively off center (not rubbing, but almost), the thumb studs are useless, and at 4.2 ounces, well the knife is heavy for what it is. There just seems to be a lack of attention to detail that slightly derails the knife. I find it especially ironic considering that the biggest selling feature is the Hinderer name – a name built on extreme quality and high end knives. I’m not expecting a $30 XM-18, but no doubt people interested in a Hinderer designed knives are “knife people” – not the average person contemplating the purchase of a $30 pocket knife at Wal-Mart. Real knife people care about stuff like material selection, fit & finish, and functional design. Perhaps this knife could have played in the $50 price point and appealed more to higher end enthusiasts as well.

So a big part of me wishes Kershaw spent some more time on this one – ironing out the kinks, making it in the USA, and delivering something of real substance. Sure, it may have to retail for $50+ instead of $30, but I think people would pay for it, and the knife would have real staying power. As it stands I view the Cryo more as a flavor of the week than a timeless tool that will become a new benchmark in its class.

In conclusion, I want to emphasize that the Cryo isn’t a “bad” knife. $30 isn’t much money for a folder these days, and I enjoy the knife for what it is. But I still can’t help but wonder what it could have been.

Kershaw Cryo Folding Knife (1555TI); 2.75" 8Cr13MoV Steel Blade, Stainless Steel Handle, Titanium Carbo-Nitride Coating, SpeedSafe Assisted Open, Frame Lock, 4-Position Deep-Carry Pocketclip; 4.1 OZ

Designed by Rick Hinderer and precision engineered by Kershaw
2.75-inch 8Cr13MoV stainless steel blade features excellent toughness, edge retention and wear and corrosion resistance
Great companion for any hiker, landscaper, backpacker, hunter, wilderness guide, electrician or anyone in need of a reliable everyday carry
All-steel construction is coated with a matte gray titanium carbo-nitride, increasing the blade's hardness, edge retention and overall lifetime
Excellent everyday carry for numerous tasks including opening packages, stripping wire, removing splinters, cutting zip-ties, aggressive animal defense and making fire kindling

I recommend purchasing the Kershaw Cryo 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.

Boker Plus S2 Review

by Dan Jackson 18 Comments

Last Updated: August 30, 2019
I’ve been drooling over Sniper Bladeworks custom knives for a long time now. For the uninitiated, Sniper Bladeworks is the brainchild of Lance Abernathy and Jody Muller. Jody handles fabrication and Lance comes up with the designs. The result has been a number of award winning tactical knife designs and superbly built tools that are revered by collectors and users alike.

Buy the Boker Plus S2 at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

The Boker S2 is Sniper Bladeworks’ first collaboration with a production company. I recently got my hands on one of these knives and was really impressed by how well the knife worked and the level of fit and finish. The intriguing design lead me to contacting Lance himself in order to gain some insight on this unique knife. Lance was able to provide some of the details and explain why the S2 was built the way it was. It was a real pleasure speaking with Lance, and I hope our conversation helps provide a better review.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

It should be no surprise that Sniper Bladeworks focuses on tactical knives. Lance comes from a heavy law enforcement background and served on a SWAT team for over 11 years. The Sniper Bladeworks custom knives are all built with utility, ergonomics and aesthetics in mind. The S2 is no different. This is a big knife so I would put it in the tactical and/or utility role. I think it’s big for EDC, but it doesn’t look that threatening so it could be a good choice if you like to carry a bigger knife.

The S2 has an overall length of 8-3/4″, a 4″ blade, weighs 5 ounces, and is made in China. This is not a small knife. By way of comparison, I find it holds it’s own next to a Spyderco Military (which also has a 4″ blade, but has a total length of 9 1/2″).

The blade is a big piece of 440C stainless steel. Boker uses a lot of 440C in their plus line and I welcome it with open arms. It’s a good mid-range steel and an all around performer. The width of the blade is impressive and it has a large flat grind that begins almost at the top of the knife. The long curved spine drops off into a nice functional tip. This tip isn’t reinforced and the overall bladeshape is faintly reminiscent of a sheepsfoot shape. Naturally there is a lot of utility with this blade for day to day tasks. I also think this could possibly serve as a rescue knife. And naturally I think the knife could also be used as an emergency defensive tool too. The excellent slicing capabilities of the flat grind mean you could use this knife for anything from cutting seatbelts to preparing food.

Finally, I wanted to comment on the stone wash Boker applied to this blade and hardware. It’s a rough and tumble stonewash and it has created a nice effect. Between the design and finishes of this knife, I get a really utilitarian vibe, and this knife just begs to be used.

Handle Details

The handle is one of the most interesting aspects of the S2. It’s construction is simple enough, with black G10 over matte gray steel liners. The liners have been milled to reduce weight and a black G10 backspacer runs a little over half the length of the handle. All in all, construction is good and all the pieces line up flush with no gaps or irregularities.

Ergonomics on the S2 are pretty special, and it’s where the knife really starts to shine. At first glance the handle is boxy looking and doesn’t appear to be that comfortable. I’ve heard some go so far to say that the handle is “ugly” – I disagree, but to each his own. I’ll say it’s a somewhat unconventional shape, but it really works in your hand. First off, it’s a pistol grip, meaning that the handle attaches to the blade at an angle and naturally orients the blade towards the cutting surface. Lance told me they like this style of handle because it puts the tip on target without bending the hand. In my experience, this design totally works.

The flat back of the handle fits the palm perfectly and your thumb falls into a nicely jimped thumb ramp. When I first picked up the knife I felt like this was a blade I could get some work done with. The flipper also acts and integral guard/choil so your whole hand wraps around the knife nicely. It’s a clever design and the guys at Sniper Bladeworks made the handle plenty big so you have lots of room to move and use various grips.

As a final touch there are some grooves milled into one side of the handle. This provides some extra grip to the already nicely textured G10 and adds some visual interest as well. Lance told me that they like designing knives that look good open and closed – the lines to add a little something extra.

The S2 actually ships with 2 pocket clips, for tip up or tip down carry. Its a good size clip that rides low in the pocket. Retention is good and I found it to be easy to insert into my pocket. Unfortunately the handle has been drilled for right hand carry only.

Deployment and Lock-up

The S2 is deployed by a large flipper on the back of the handle. This knife quickly broke in and I find that deploying this big blade is effortless. I think a flipper was a good idea for this wide blade because your thumb would have to travel far to fully activate a thumb stud. No complaints with the deployment of this knife.

Lockup is achieved through a liner lock. This is a pretty thick liner lock and it engages early with a crisp snapping sound. I found it to be easy to disengage, but because the handle isn’t cut away it does take a little more effort than other knives with a cutout for your thumb. I think for most tasks the liner lock will be more than adequate.

Boker S2 Review – Final Thoughts

All in all I am very pleased with my S2. To be honest, I can’t find a major fault with the knife (the lack of an ambidextrous pocket clip would be my biggest complaint). I think Boker was smart to pick up this cool design from Sniper Bladeworks. When I spoke with Lance he said that they wanted to create something big and functional – just like one of their custom pieces. I think Boker executed that concept wonderfully, as the fit and finish is very high on this knife, with the country of origin being China.

When you consider that the S2 can be acquired for around $50, it’s a pretty good value. I won’t be able to afford a custom anytime soon so this is the closest I will be getting to a real Sniper Bladeworks knife for a while.

Boker 01BO160 Plus S2 Knife with 4 in. Straight Edge Blade, Black

Durable and sharp 440C stainless steel blade
Structured G-10 scales for maximum stability
Reversible clip for tip-up or tip-down carry
Blade Length: 4 inches. Overall length: 8 3/4 inches
Limited lifetime warranty

I recommend purchasing the Boker S2 at Amazon.com and BladeHQ. Thanks for checking out the review.