S35VN

Kizer Sheepdog Review

Imagine you can pick out anything from Kizer‘s lineup. I was recently put in that position. Not a bad place to be. Thumbing through their catalog yields all sorts of stuff from the pedestrian to the outlandish. The Sheepdog is more in that second camp. It’s a big bold design. Not likely to dislodge something like the FRN Chaparral from your pocket, but definitely a conversation piece.

Buy the Kizer Sheepdog at BladeHQ

The Sheepdog is a design from Chris Conway of Sheepdog Knives, and is the production version of Conway’s C01C custom knife. The Sheepdog even has “C01C” laser engraved on the blade. It’s a big and chunky offering for fans of big and chunky knives. Clearly this one won’t be for everyone, but the unique design and loyal following piqued my interest.

This knife was provided to me free of charge from Kizer. All thoughts are my own.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Sheepdog has an overall length of 7.75″, a 3.125″ blade, and it weighs 6.17 ounces. Right now I have the open knife resting on my chest as I type this review out on my couch. The resulting sensation is what I would expect the early onset of a heart attack to feel like. It’s a heavy pressing weight, bearing down on my solar plexus. I better move this review along before my girlfriend has to call 911.

While the Sheepdog is categorized as an EDC knife, you will need to be a fan of BBKs (Big Beautiful Knives) to tote this one around.

For those seeking something smaller, Kizer wisely decided to introduce the Kizer Mini Sheepdog a while back. As part of the Vanguard series, the Mini Sheepdog comes with G10 scales and a liner lock, but it also clocks in at a mere 3.25 ounces. I received a Mini Sheepdog from Kizer as well, but stupidly forgot to take a size comparison photo before sending the Mini over to Grayson for review. I liked the size and weight of the Mini Sheepdog and could see that making for an interesting daily carry tool.

The Sheepdog’s blade is a massive slab of S35VN stainless steel. It’s a modified sheepsfoot, with a gently curving edge, high flat grind, and dual swedges. Sheepsfoot knives generally don’t have a penetrating tip, but the Sheepdog’s leading edge is canted out slightly, resulting in a strong tip that won’t pick out splinters, but could easily blow through a hollow core door.

The blade has been nicely made. The grind lines are crisp, the edge is clean and even, and the finish is a fine stonewash. No complaints.

Given this blade is a hair over 4mm thick, I was dubious of the Sheepdog’s cutting abilities. But much like an NFL linebacker, this big boy has some moves. I started with an apple, as apples are a great test of the slicing ability of a pocket knife. A slicey knife will cut the apple cleanly, while a chunky blade will plow through it, leaving a series of fault lines in your apple slices.

Much to my surprise the Sheepdog cut the apple cleanly. It’s like a small butchers cleaver.

I moved on to cardboard. No problems there either. The S35VN blade peeled through the cardboard boxes. It eventually slowed down as the edge dulled, but the edge geometry is good and the knife cuts well. After the boxes, I touched the Sheepdog up on the ceramic rods from my Sharpmaker and we were back in business. At that point I carried the knife with me. Mostly on the weekends when I could carry a big blade like this. It performed regular EDC tasks, including opening mail and packages containing other knives, without any issue.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

Handle construction is simple and elegant. At the front of the knife you have an oversized pivot with an anodized blue titanium pivot collar. Towards the butt of the handle are two stainless steel standoffs. A series of three slots have been milled into the show side, offering a little extra traction and a view inside. Not much to see except for an expanse of dully shining titanium when the knife is open, or the glinting stainless steel blade when the knife is closed.

There is something oddly cathartic to the handle of this knife. It’s a hefty piece of contoured and bead blasted titanium, and it reminds me of palming a well worn river rock.

While the Sheepdog doesn’t have much of a “traction plan” with respect to aggressive texturing or jimping, the knife has clearly been built for comfort. Your hand naturally wraps around the handle, fingers finding the grooves, and thumb sliding across the broad spine of the blade. The result is a secure and confident grip without hot spots or ergonomic issues. I had no problems using my knife during the testing period. Granted I didn’t try to break down a yak with it, but for normal utility tasks the knife worked fine. I suppose you could always slap some skateboard tape on it, dudes.

The pocket clip is not without its controversy. First of all, it’s a milled titanium clip, so by default it’s going to raise the ire of a percentage of our knife loving brethren. I’m talking about those who have sworn their swords against the recent rebel uprising of milled pocket clips. Those folks will forever condemn the Sheepdog with its milled clip as a glorified paperweight, unfit for daily carry.

I’m a little less dogmatic when it comes to this sort of thing. Yeah, I’ve handled some knives with milled clips that didn’t work, but the one on this Sheepdog isn’t bad. It has been designed in a way to produce a lot of spring tension. Spring tension is critical for the success of any pocket clip, as this is what keeps the knife in your pocket.

The pocket clip works fine. I mostly wear lightweight shorts with a triangular pocket, and like to keep my knives high in the pocket up near my belt. Nothing upsets me more than a loose clip that allows my EDC knife to constantly sink towards the bottom of my pocket. That is the worst. Thankfully we don’t need to worry about that here. The Sheepdog’s pocket clip defies gravity and keeps my knife where I want it. No small feat given how heavy this thing is. Job well done, Kizer.

Ultimately, the Sheepdog carries well for what it is, but this is still a 6 ounce+ pocket knife. It isn’t a Dragonfly. You are going to notice it. It may even pull your pants down if you forget to wear a belt.

Deployment and Lockup

The Sheepdog makes use of an oversized flipper tab to get the blade open. The flipper is a substantial piece of steel allowing the user to pop the blade open with a lightswitch stroke. The detent is dialed in, and the blade runs on caged washers. The end result is a knife with reliable and satisfying flipping action. I’d put it at a solid “7” on the 1-10 scale. It gets the job done, but this is still a big heavy blade, and you feel that in the action. There is no jimping on the flipper tab, and I don’t think it needs it. My index finger has never slipped on the flipper.

For lockup we have a standard titanium framelock with steel lockbar insert. This is much like the Kizer Intrepid I reviewed two years ago. Kizer has the lock tuned to perfection. It locks up early, there is no blade play, and the lock is easy to disengage. There is no lock stick, and thanks to some contoured edges I can easily jam my thumb in place to release the lock bar. Much like the framelocks you find on a Zero Tolerance knife, this one just works.

Here is a parting shot of my Sheepdog next to the Paramilitary 2:

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Kizer Sheepdog Review – Final Thoughts

The Sheepdog is not for everyone. In fact, the Sheepdog is not for most people. It’s simply too big and too heavy. Despite that this knife has been well received. After carrying one for a while I can see why. It’s well made and functional. For those who want something big and chunky, the Sheepdog could be the one.

While the Sheepdog a big chunky knife, it is surprisingly light on its feet. The blade cuts cleanly, the knife feels good in hand, and it actually carries alright thanks to an especially strong milled pocket clip. And you can’t argue with the material selection or the fit and finish. Top notch materials combined with excellent fit and finish all lend a premium feel to this knife. That’s important given its ~$200 price tag.

The end result is a big but surprisingly refined knife. It isn’t for everyone, but I suspect that those that find themselves drawn to the Sheepdog will be pleased with its performance and execution.

KIZER Cutlery Pocket Knives Flipper Knife Frame Lock Folding Knife Titanium Handles Tactical EDC Knife, Sheepdog C01C Ki4488

List Price: $204.00

Price: $204.00

Price Disclaimer

I recommend purchasing the Kizer Sheepdog 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.

Custom Knife Factory Decepticon 2 Review

by Andrew Gene Leave a Comment

Ever since the explosion of the Shirogorov brother’s knives, there has been an increased interest in what is being produced in Russia. This has been pushed further along by a growing amount of breakout designers, most notably Dmitry Sinkevich. Sinkevich, a long time Shirogorov collaborator, has also worked extensively with KAI USA. The outcome was a high end knife in the Limited Edition 0454, mid range knives in the 0452CF and 0450 as well as budget conscious models like the Kershaw Nura.

Buy the CFK Decepticon 2 at BladeHQ

The KAI collaboration has resulted in wider exposure and greater accessibility to Russian designs outside of Shirogorov, who were previously the go to brand. The issue with enjoying a Shirogorov has always been the initial price point and/or inflated after market cost, partly due to available knives and a near monopoly on their distribution in North America. While somewhat inaccessible, the popularity of Shirogorov has opened up a wider market for other Russian designers and manufacturers. At the same time, the KAI collaboration put similar designs into more peoples hands.

Enter Custom Knife Factory. Custom Knife Factory is a relatively young manufacturer headed by Mikhail “Mike” Kulygin. The aim of the brand is to work with some of the “newer” talent on the Russian Knife scene. I quote ‘newer’ as some of these designer/makers have been around for quite some time. It’s just that they are only coming into our popular North American knife culture as of late. One such designer is Alexey Konygin the creative mind and craftsman behind the knife in this review. I personally have been very interested in Alexey’s designs after seeing a video of a custom Decepticon “1” on YouTube in 2012. Impressively 2011 is when the designer came onto the scene, hitting the ground running with his original offerings. Three years and a new iteration later, I’m very happy to present a review of the Konygin/CKF Decepticon 2.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Decepticon 2 is a large folder, produced in a limited run of 300 natural-finish titanium handle versions. The over all dimensions are 9.69” with a substantial 4.33” blade and weight of 6.06 oz. It’s difficult to perceive the size of the knife based on the numbers alone, it’s best to hold one to get the idea. The designer has stated a liking for big knives and this certainly fits the bill. Despite its size, it actually feels quite light in hand due to the handle’s structure.

The blade is made from Crucible’s S35VN, a widely used powder metal “super steel”. It is considered an upgrade to S30V through the addition of Niobium and has pretty much taken its predecessors place in mid to high end folders. Overall, this stainless has great edge retention and toughness, yet is still fairly easy to maintain.

The profile is a stylish modified drop point. A high flat grind adequately reduces the .156” stock at which point it receives a secondary edge bevel. The spine has a slight concave curve for thumb placement which changes direction mid-spine, arcing downward to meet the belly at a fine tip. The upper portion of the blade is detailed with a stylized thumb hole that is accented by a deep swedge grind and line milled into the upper corner of the opening. Visually, the line here continues up to a small thumb ramp that has a row of fine jimping. The blade has a light stone wash finish and is kept clean of markings except for text indicating the steel type. To help with sharpening, there is a good sized choil allowing you to work the edge right to the heel.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is constructed of sculpted slabs that stack together integrating to define the Decepticon’s distinct aesthetic. The two inner parts of the frame include all of the key mechanical components, like the lock and a channel for the stop pin. The outer scales add more width for a full feeling grip while their cutouts create counterpoints with the inner, latticed frame. At each end, the layers shear off at contrasting angles adding another interesting aspect to the multi-faceted design. Although the shapes appear to have several hard angles, the overall profile, coupled with some nice chamfering makes for a surprisingly comfortable grip. The only exception to this for me, is the end of the clip which can feel sharp if you hit it the wrong way.

While on the topic of the clip, it works well with a good amount of tension. It blends into the rest of the design and has been nicely machined. As another feature, the partial back-spacer raises away from the frame creating a spot for a lanyard. The back-spacer is marked with the knife’s unique serial number, this one being #67 of 300. The CKF logo also appears etched on one of the exposed surfaces of the liner.

Deployment and Lockup

While there is the thumb hole, the Decepticon 2’s main deployment method is its flipper. As with most details of the knife it is also embellished with a cutout. Functionally it works well, snapping the substantial blade into place with a push or pull, equally well.

The lock up is very solid with good tension allowing it to seat and disengage easily. The end of the lock arm has a steel insert with a similar configuration to Zero Tolerance’s knives in that the part also includes the detent. To help comfortably unlock the knife and to provide easier access to the lock arm, the inside of the scales are chamfered. The mechanism travels on thrust bearings for smoothness and lateral stability. Everything is held in place by an over-sized custom pivot.

Custom Knife Factory Decepticon 2 Review – Final Thoughts

Although individual taste will vary, it is undeniable that the Decepticon designs are unique. If looking at it objectively, all of the key functional components are there. The blade is useful, handle comfortable, lock strong and materials premium. More impressively the design does this while visually setting itself apart from anything else currently out there.

I think that the name might be a little confusing when approaching this design because of it’s association to the movie franchise. Michael Bay might narrow the market appeal. As a note, Konygin named the knife after designing it and has stated that it was not inspired by the movies…

Personally I really enjoy this iteration and production of the Decepticon. It has achieved a delicate balance of generous embellishment without looking gaudy or ostentatious. I would equate this to the approach of creating shapes and lines by removing stock, instead of piling on extra details, like moku-ti or engraving. It clearly shows off a creative, innovative liner lock assembly with an intelligent utilization of modern methods and materials.

I especially appreciate how well thought out the lines and shapes are on this design. Alexey Konygin has paid great attention to the interaction of all the elements when the knife is both open and closed. From a manufacturing perspective the knife is very well made with a top end fit and finish. I’m looking forward to seeing more CKF collaborations and Konygin designs in the future. I’m sure that these collaborations will help quench the healthy thirst for more Russian designs.

CKF Decepticon 2
From: BladeHQ

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Custom Knife Factory Decepticon 2 at BladeHQ. The knife is no longer in production, but BladeHQ offers plenty of CKF knives, including the Decepticon 4. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website, including Amazon.com, helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Photo Credits: Andrew Gene

Demko Knives AD-15 MG Review

by Aaron Shapiro 5 Comments

There are knives that elicit feelings of elegance and delicate class, and then there are knives that make you feel like you’re carrying a tool that can handle damn near any task that you throw at it. Demko Knives belong solidly in the latter camp.

Buy the Demko Knives AD-15 at BladeHQ

For those of you that are hearing the name Demko and it’s sounding familiar Andrew Demko is the designer of Cold Steel’s famed Tri-ad Lock as well as some of their (in my opinion) coolest designs. Demko has also maintained his own custom knife shop, producing well built heavy-use folders that kept that distinct look that made his name famous among knife aficionados.

Based on my experience knives from Demko’s shop directly were a little difficult to come by when I first started getting into custom pieces. I’m not sure if that due to his work with Cold Steel, or maybe just the circles I ran in… but recently Andrew did two things that changed this. First he developed a new lock, the scorpion lock, that is not available from Cold Steel and secondly, he developed his Machine Ground (MG) series.

I would probably call his MG series mid-techs, although from what I have heard the only difference between Demko customs and the MG’s is the actual grinding of the blades themselves. Obviously his customs are hand ground, while the MGs are machine ground. More on that later.

First, the ever important specs of our Demko Knives AD-15 MG, the subject of this review:

Blade Length: 3.75”
Overall Length: 8.625”
Handle Thickness: .59”
Blade Thickness: .196”
Steel: S35VN
Weight: 6.4oz
Lock: Demko Scorpion Lock
Country of Origin: USA

(Please note these measurements are according to my ruler and calipers. The manufacturer’s listed measurements may vary.)

Blade Details

So, as I stated in the intro these knives are part of the “MG” series that the Demko shop is now putting out. I think the overall idea is to get some of their knives into customer’s hands without having to have the custom price-tag attached. In order to cut down on the cost, they have opted to put Machine Ground blades in these AD-15s. Apart from that I think there are minimal cosmetic differences between these and the customs.

So what does this mean for the end user? Well, nothing really. The knife is evenly ground, with crisp lines and a thin flat grind, and it is finished extremely well. For the run that was available at Blade Show, where I bought this knife, they had actually gone back and put a machine-satin or grind-line finish on the blade. This is generally my preference in a blade finish.

All that said, the knife came to me horrifyingly sharp, and I say this as someone that can sharpen a knife to a mirror–hair whittling edge. The Demkos did something to make this knife glide through paper like nothing I’ve seen. What makes this even more remarkable is the blade is made from 4.5mm thick stock. That is thick stock for a folding knife.

The steel choice is worth noting as well. S35VN is a weird pick for a knife that I’d consider a “heavy-use knife.” Don’t get me wrong as S35VN is generally a fine steel. I have it in my Chris Reeve knives and it’s performed great for me, but I would have expected 3V or M4 in this monster. Gimme something with some real brawn, Demko!

I suppose the choice of S35VN isn’t really a problem, as S35VN is still a premium steel with a well deserved reputation for all-round performance. It was just a surprising choice to me as this knife is otherwise entirely overbuilt. I think a tougher steel with a greater reputation for hard use would have been even better under these circumstances.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

To address the elephant in the room before we talk about anything else, the AD-15 MG is a big knife. I mean the thing is over eight and a half inches long. However, as a result Demko was able to figure out how to incorporate a very effective saber-style handle to the knife. This allows you to grab onto it and know that you’re not going to slip anywhere, and to add additional traction most of these knives are offered in textured G-10 or Micarta for even more grip.

As for the handle material itself, it’s okay. Don’t tell anyone I said this, but I kinda wish I had gotten a G-10 version. The natural micarta has a raw edge that has turned out to not really be my favorite. His G10 knives were very nicely squared away, I’d love to see one in CF.

The Demko’s are also now offering these knives in full Ti handles. This was debuted at Blade 2018. In my opinion full titanium is a lousy “upgrade” as it adds nearly $200 to the price tag and a lot of extra weight, but the full titanium version offers no additional operational strength.

The clip is a ho-hum spoon style three screw clip that straddles the lanyard hole. This placement makes the knife ride a bit high in the pocket. I love and hate this high clip placement. On one hand, it allows you to have a really positive grip on this (expensive) knife in your pocket when you withdraw it, but the knife is also is going to dig into your side when you sit down. So this clip configuration has its pros and cons.

Deployment and Lockup

Dudes, this lock is super weird. Like, I get it, and I like it, but it took me a solid 2-3 days of playing with it where I stopped nearly cutting myself when I tried opening it. The knife is not that different from the famed Tri-ad lock that Demko licensed to Cold Steel. It’s essentially a titanium bar that runs across the top of the knife, that bar pivots around a pin towards the rear, when doing so it lifts the locking pin and allows you to close the knife. That same spring tension also serves as the “detent.” As a result, you sorta have to push away from the pivot when you open the knife otherwise it won’t budge.

As I said, it’s a different but ultimately intuitive way of opening a knife. Another result of this lock is that the action of the knife has a very hydraulic feel to it. It’s smooth, but slow. As if you were pushing the blade open through soft butter. This isn’t a knife that you’re gonna “pop” open with your thumb. The AD-15 MG’s run on poly washers, so that contributes to the slow hydraulic feel of the action.

Demko Knives AD-15 MG Review – Final Thoughts

How do you pin a bow on a knife this unusual? It’s a new style of mid-tech, with a new locking system, in a different size category than I normally buy. I never condone knife abuse, but the AD-15 seriously feels like a knife that could do pretty much anything and go pretty much anywhere. Need to stab through a car hood? No problem. This AD-15 MG is an absolute tank, and in that capacity this knife is phenomenal.

With a different steel I think the AD-15 MG’s would be perfect. S35VN is fine for a Sebenza, but for an overbuilt folder like this I’d love to see the jump to an even tougher steel like 3V. I believe that Demko has used different steels on the hand ground versions, so perhaps that will trickle down to the MGs eventually.

Also, these knives aren’t cheap. The base model (with G10 or Micarta) comes in around $675 and is readily available on BladeHQ or even Amazon. This AD-15 MG is a lot of money, but you’re essentially getting a custom Demko that has a blade that went through a double disk grinder. Practically speaking it’s very similar to what they’d call a “custom knife.” The hand ground version of this knife starts at $900, and if that’s if you can find one.

For these reasons, I recommend the Demko Knives AD-15 MG if you want a hard use folder from Andrew Demko without spending the cash on one of his full customs.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Demko Knives AD-15 MG 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.

If you enjoyed this review check out more of Aaron’s work by following him on Instagram.

DPx Gear HEST/F Urban Review

by Dan Jackson 2 Comments

DPx Gear has been at it for a while now. They caught everyone’s attention with the original HEST fixed blade knife in 2008. Their first folder was the HEST/F, a knife I reviewed back in 2012. It was promising in a lot of ways, but ultimately a sticky lock and ponderous footprint kept it from being a truly covetable piece of urban EDC gear in my book.

Buy the DPx Gear HEST/F Urban at BladeHQ

Since then we’ve reviewed a couple other DPx Gear folders, including the elegant Aculus and the cherry bomb proportioned HEAT/F. Both were beautifully made Italian knives. The HEST/F Urban is different from the other folders in that it is their first folder 100% made in the USA. Some may remember that DPx ran a Kickstarter campaign for this knife back in 2015. The Kickstarter campaign was a success, and the knife has since made it’s way into production.

Robert Young Pelton himself reached out to ask if I would review a HEST/F Urban, and this knife was provided to me by DPx Gear for review. All thoughts on this knife are my own.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Urban has an overall length of 6.75″, a 2.875″ blade, and weighs 4.27 ounces. The knife is made in the USA. As the name suggests, this is a smaller folder designed for urban or suburban Every Day Carry (EDC). DPx Gear has made some big and interesting stuff over the years, including their HEFT 12 Chopper, so to see them move towards a true urban daily carry knife is interesting.

Here is a size comparison with the Urban next to my Spyderco Sage 1:

The HEST/F Urban features the same signature blade profile of their entire HEST series. It’s a drop point with a big sweeping belly, that tapers upwards towards the tip. The shape reminds me of the profile of a boat. The integrated cap lifter / wave feature is another novel aspect of the blade and a signature RYP design element. I’ll discuss the functional aspects of that further in the “deployment” section of the review.

The blade is ground from over 4mm thick stock. It’s substantial for a small folder like this, but the high flat grind gives the knife decent slicing performance. I found the Urban to be very capable with cardboard working through several thick cardboard boxes that I encountered in my latest round of work with my rental property.

The blade was extremely keen out of the box, and edge retention was excellent. The thick stock and partial flat grind means it won’t slice an apple like a traditional folder, but the knife will get the job done, and there are plenty of practical touches. The stonewashed finish on the blade hides wear and matches the hardware. There is a sharpening choil. And the edge has been evenly applied, a detail I always consider, as it can be a good indicator of quality control.

In 2015 the Urban was originally offered in S30V blade steel. These days the Urban has been upgraded to S35VN. I’ve reviewed dozens of knives in S35VN at this point. Although it may not be the most exotic choice of blade steel, S35VN is excellent stuff and was a good choice for the Urban. This is a proven steel that holds a good edge, sharpens easily, exhibits high corrosion resistance, and is reasonably tough which means it will not chip out easily. S35VN is a great all round high performance blade steel.

I find that if you don’t completely dull the knife, then all you need to do to maintain a hair shaving edge is run the knife along the fine stones of the Spyderco Sharpmaker. Those fine stones are all you need to keep a razor edge on this knife.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle of the Urban is comprised of two thick titanium slabs and a black hard anodized partial aluminum backspacer. The handle has been beautifully executed. Fit and finish is top notch. The titanium handle slabs have been chamferred and left with a bead blasted finish. The silver hardware and all the pieces are perfectly flush. There is a decorative oversize pivot. Everything exudes a level of quality that you would expect from a knife at this price point.

The Urban is a small knife, but the spare design gives you plenty of room for a full 4 finger grip, and the thick build fills the hand. I found the Urban to be both a comfortable and capable work knife.

My only gripe with the ergonomics relates to the “wire stripping jimping”. Specifically, the biggest jimp farthest away from the tip of the blade. I find that to be too grabby for my tastes and would prefer either a smaller jimp, or more traditional toothed jimping. I levied this same criticism against the original HEST/F. While I understand that the Urban is designed to have a few multi-tool features integrated into the design, I’m still not sold on the wire stripping jimping.

The Urban features a reversible tip up deep carry pocket clip. The clip has excellent spring strength, and it buries the knife into your pocket. While the knife is relatively thick and over 4 ounces, I don’t notice it during carry thanks to the small footprint and the excellent clip. The knife stays in place and out of the way until you need it. That is exactly how I like my folding knives to carry.

Deployment and Lockup

The Urban is interesting because it is a bearing equipped folder with thumb studs or a wave opener. As a lefty I find the thumb studs to be a little tight as there is not as much room to access the stud on the locking side of the knife, but there is plenty of room on the right side and once you get placement on the thumb stud the blade almost explodes open thanks to the strong detent and bearings.

The bottle opener on the blade doubles as a wave opener. It’s an easy knife to wave off your pocket. Additionally you can use this as another spot to flick the blade open in addition to the thumb studs. The bearings are smooth to the point where you can easily shake the blade closed.

For lock up DPx Gear went with a titanium framelock reinforced with a steel lock bar insert. The steel insert doubles as an over-travel stop, but it also fixes the sticky lock issue that plagued the original HEST/F. Lockup is early. Around 40% of the lock face engages with the blade. Lockup is also secure. There is not a shadow of blade play in this knife. It’s rock solid.

Here is another size comparison with the ZT 0454CF:

I think DPx Gear nailed the lockup and deployment section. The knife rivals any Zero Tolerance folder I’ve handled. I think ZT is a good benchmark as their knives are consistently good. I think at some point DPx will need to use this OEM to build them a flipper of some sort.

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

DPx Gear Urban Review – Final Thoughts

Hands down this is the best DPx Gear folder I’ve handled to date. I think they took all the lessons learned from their prior designs and built on those lessons to develop the Urban. I also think that the choice to work with a US based manufacturer is a good one. I like Lionsteel knives, but was never a big fan of the original HEST/F and the way it was built or the rotolock. This Urban is simply a better knife with its bearings and stainless steel lockbar insert. The rest of the knife has been beautifully built. The parts line up perfectly. The machining is crisp and clean. The finish work is superb.

For constructive criticism my biggest gripe is probably that one section of wire stripper jimping. It’s a little too sharp and toothy for me. But in practice I didn’t find that to be a deal breaker as I didn’t notice the jimping much when I actually cut things. Beyond that I don’t think I would change anything on this knife.

If you are a fan of sturdy little full titanium knives, knives like the Spyderco Techno, then I think you are going to enjoy this one. It’s nicely built, performs admirably, and is entirely unique. It’s not inexpensive, and the full titanium version here will set you back about as much as a Small Sebenza, but I think the quality is comparable. Additionally, DPx Gear offers a version of the Urban with a G10 scale that is around $200 and weighs about 3.6 ounces. At that price and with a near 1 ounce weight reduction, I think that is a highly competitive offering.

DPx HEST/F DPHSF027 Urban Ti First Run Limited Edition Folding Knife

Price Disclaimer

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

Zero Tolerance 0450CF Review

by Dan Jackson 16 Comments

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

Buy the ZT 0450CF at BladeHQ

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

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

General Dimensions and Blade Details

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

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

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

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

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

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

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

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

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

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

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

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

Deployment and Lockup

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

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

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

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

Blade centering is dead nuts center on my knife.

Zero Tolerance 0450CF Review – Final Thoughts

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

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

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

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

Zero Tolerance 0450CF; with 3.25” DLC-Coated S35VN Stainless Steel Blade, All-Black Carbon Fiber and Titanium Handle Scales, KVT Ball-Bearing Opening, Frame Lock and Reversible Pocketclip; 2.45 OZ.

List Price: $166.97

Price: $159.95

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I recommend purchasing the Zero Tolerance 0450CF at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Kizer Feist Review

by Grayson Parker Leave a Comment

The Kizer Feist is a knife that I’ve wanted to check out since seeing it in the 2017 catalog. At first, I almost missed it: it’s seemingly such a plain design that my eyes slid right over its page, and it was only during a follow-up perusal that I noticed it was a front flipper. Internally, that changed the design from “plain” to “minimalist.” Maybe a silly distinction on my part, but that was the train of thought.

Buy the Kizer Feist at BladeHQ

Unfortunately, the first run of Feists had issues. Some customers complained of gritty actions and stiff lockbars, so Kizer put a hold on production until they could fix those issues in the now-released second run (with the help of the designer, Justin Lundquist). Between the risks of buying a first generation model and the speed with which the second run sold out, I never had a chance to pick one up.

Luckily, someone offered to trade me their Feist a few months back, and I’ve been carrying it frequently ever since. Incidentally, that person is Tony Sculimbrene of Everyday Commentary. His review of the Feist was published back in September 2017, and I recommend checking it out. This is a rare occasion where two people review not only the same design, but the exact same knife. [This happens to be a high quality unit from the first production run, for the record]. On the whole we’ve come to similar conclusions, though I think I’m a bit more taken with the Feist than he is.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Kizer Feist is a relatively small knife. It features a 2.875” blade housed in a 3.625” handle, and measures in at 6.55” overall. At 2.68 ounces it’s also pretty light. Numbers never tell the whole story, but I’m impressed by the size of the blade they manage to fit into the handle. The attention to detail is similarly impressive: the blade is perfectly centered, has a rounded spine, a curved plunge line, and a very attractive stonewashed finish. It also bears mentioning that the sub-3” blade of the Feist is legal to carry in a wide array of jurisdictions.

In addition to falling into my favorite size range, the Feist also features one of my favorite blade shapes. The modified drop point (especially this iteration of it) is far and away the most useful profile I’ve encountered for everyday tasks. It is comparable to the blade of the Viper Dan 2, or (if that’s too esoteric a reference) an ordinary paring knife. There’s enough belly to handle a picnic lunch, but not so much that the blade will slide out of prolonged cuts in, say, cardboard.

I have to admit that after reviewing the Alter Ego I was more than a little concerned about how the Feist would be ground. I needn’t have worried. Not only does the Feist have thinner stock (.12” thick as opposed to .14”), but the dished grind nearly reaches the spine of the blade, making for a much keener knife overall. As the picture below suggests, it didn’t cut the apples as cleanly as a paring knife, but it didn’t split them, either. It’s not perfectly ground – there’s a hair of wobble along the plunge grind – but that’s a fairly minor detail, and it doesn’t impact the cutting performance.

Crucible’s S35VN is a common choice for Kizer, so I wasn’t surprised to see them implement it on the Feist. That’s not to say it’s a bad choice, mind: S35VN is well regarded for its edge retention, rust resistance, and general toughness, especially compared to its predecessor S30V. I’ve sharpened the Feist once in two months, and truth be told it didn’t need it, I just wanted to polish it up a little. As always, regular stropping is recommended.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

Simplicity is a wonderful thing. There is nothing extraneous to the Feist’s handle: no scallops, no inexplicable bumps or angles, just plain, contoured titanium. The only concession to vanity is a decorative pivot screw, but even that can be turned with an ordinary torx driver. Flaws would stand out on a design as simple as this, yet the handles are symmetrical, clean, and blemish free. The matte finish Kizer put on the Feist adds a bit of grip and contributes to the spare design language.

The themes that make the Feist’s handle visually appealing also make it incredibly practical. There is not a single line that forces the user to hold it in a particular fashion. Combine that, the excellent contouring, and a balance point just shy of the overtravel stop and you get a remarkably deft and responsive knife. There is no flipper tab, finger choil, or jimping that will stop your fingers from sliding onto the blade though, so be careful.

The Feist features a milled titanium pocket clip that’s mounted for tip-up, right-side carry. Unfortunately, that’s the only position to attach a pocket clip unless you want to modify the Feist or find someone who can. It’s fine as far as milled clips are concerned. The edges on it are buffed enough that it doesn’t generate a hot spot, and it has some (though not much) spring tension. Stowing and retrieving the Feist wasn’t an issue in jeans, work pants, or gym shorts, but for some reason I needed to use both hands to clip it to the pocket of my slacks. I honestly couldn’t tell you why.

Once stowed, the Feist is an excellent pocket companion. It’s lightweight, slim, fairly short, and has contoured scales to boot. There’s enough tension in the clip that it doesn’t shift in the pocket, regardless of what pants I wear. The clip leaves just under half of an inch of the handle exposed. An over the top style clip wouldn’t be unwelcome, but I’ve found the Feist discreet enough for my needs.

Deployment and Lock-Up

One of the reasons I really wanted to check out the Feist was because of its deployment method: the front flipper. Unlike traditional flipper knives (part of my brain is screaming as I type that), front flippers don’t have a tab that’s pulled to deploy the blade. Instead, the rear tang of the blade is elongated and machined to add a bit of grip, which in turn gives the user’s thumb enough purchase to pop the blade open. It’s a very elegant choice, and eliminates problems like accumulating gunk and snagging threads that other deployment methods are subject to.

Unfortunately, this new flipping has a learning curve to it, and Kizer’s execution of the front flipper was less than perfect. Many customers complained of gritty actions, which made opening and closing the knife more difficult. Apparently (and this is secondhand knowledge, so take care) the internal stop pin wasn’t press fit but left free floating, and that was responsible for the grit. If you own a first generation Feist, don’t worry: Kizer is running a redemption program where you can exchange it for an updated model. My review sample hasn’t exhibited this problem: the pivot is reasonably smooth, the detent is crisp, and deployment is easy, though there is a trick to it. Instead of trying (and failing) to describe how to use a front flipper, here’s a video that may help:

Once deployed, the Feist’s blade is held in place by a titanium frame lock. This particular lock features a stainless steel lock face, an inclusion that should be the industry standard by now. Not only do they reduce the need for maintenance, they also make it easier to service the knife, and thus prolong the life of the tool. Furthermore, it’s easy to incorporate a hidden overtravel stop into these inserts, which is exactly what Kizer did.

The lock’s performance has been excellent in the two months and change that it’s been in my possession. There is no blade play, no lock rock, and it consistently engages around 40% of the blade tang. Thanks to some careful machine work from Kizer, there’s enough room for my thumb to access the lock, and the internal edges are chamfered for comfort. Some users have reported overly stiff locks, but this seems to be limited to models from the first run. As before, mine has no problems.

Kizer Feist Review – Final Thoughts

Overall, I’m very impressed by the Feist. It’s a practical, elegant design that matches my needs perfectly, whether I’m in the field, the office, or enjoying a day off. That its debut was marred by reports of shoddy manufacturing is a shame, but by all accounts the second run has none of the problems of the first. The only cross-generational complaint is that the milled clip is a bit stiff, but that’s far from a dealbreaker, at least for me.

Unless you find a sale, the Feist costs around $170. That price bracket has some pretty stiff competition, including the Benchmade G-10 Griptilians, the Spyderco S110V Paramilitary 2, and the Zero Tolerance 0450. I wouldn’t turn my nose up at any of those, but for my money I’d rather have the Feist. Its unique, refreshing, and hopefully a sign of more to come from designer Justin Lundquist.

There are a few people that may want to steer clear of the Feist. Firefighters, EMS workers, law enforcement, and military personnel might find that the design is ill-suited to their needs. The design cues that make the Feist a fantastic everyday carry knife also make it a less than ideal rescue or ‘tactical’ knife. However, if – like me – your needs are fairly simple, and you’re just looking for a pocketable, elegant cutting tool, I think you’ll be more than happy with the Kizer Feist.

Next up: the Prometheus Lights Beta QR V2 in brass.

Kizer Feist – From $168.00
From: BladeHQ

Editor: I recommend buying the Kizer Feist at BladeHQ or Amazon. 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.