titanium

Spyderco Spydiechef Review

I didn’t get it. After tearing open the box and turning the knife over in my hand, I simply didn’t get it. Flat colors. Slow deployment. Boring construction. This is the legendary Spydiechef? It’s a weird-shaped blade sandwiched between two pieces of gray titanium, with a retail price of $215. What manner of magic has bewitched my fellow knife lovers?

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And yet, I seem to land smack in the middle of the Spydiechef’s target market: Knife guys (check) who care deeply about edge retention and rust resistance (double check) and encounter a variety of daily cutting tasks (indeed) while also cooking on the go with some degree of regularity (bingo).

Designed by the legendary Marcin Slysz and manufactured by Spyderco’s wizards in Taiwan, this knife should be right up my alley. And, while it may not have been love at first sight, the Spydiechef spent the last few weeks working its way to the head of the table.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

Dimensionally, there’s nothing too special here. You’re looking at a 3.32-inch blade, with a thickness of just under 0.12-inches. The handle/closed length is a middling-sized 4.46-inches, stretching the overall number to 7.78. Weight is low (3.8-ounces), thanks to the Chef’s flow-through titanium chassis. You’ve got the standard Spyderco wire clip, which can be mounted on either of the side slabs. Boring bronze washers, a snooze-inducing frame lock, and *yawn* a lanyard hole.

Here is a size comparison with the Spyderco Shaman:

But, it’s not the specs that make the Spydiechef such an excellent knife. It’s those delicious details that will bring one into my permanent collection.

Let’s start with the blade. Its LC200N steel has been formed with some sort of metallurgical witchcraft. While we’ve seen “rust-proof” steels before, such as H1 on Spyderco’s Salt line, this stuff is a whole new animal.

Here’s what the maker has to say about LC200N: “This state-of-the-art nitrogen-based alloy is extremely corrosion resistant and is actually used by NASA for the ball bearings used in aerospace applications.” Sounds great, but ball bearings aren’t known for holding an edge.

This is where Youtubers like Pete from Cedric & Ada come into play. His barrage of edge-retention and corrosion tests has established LC200N as one of the premier steels for EDC tools. While I didn’t subject the Chef to these sorts of extreme conditions, I can confirm that it showed no sign of rust after multiple cooking sessions. I’ve used this knife almost every day since it arrived, and the edge has yet to dull or dim.

The Chef’s blade shares two traits with many of my favorite cooks – It’s friendly to strangers, and it’s all belly. Despite its 3-plus inches of shiny steel, the graceful curve of Slysz’s design is easy for even the more paranoid to stomach. And, thanks to its flat grind and Nick Shabazz sharpening job, it’s been a slicer since day one.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Spydiechef’s handle is gray, like the color of boiled meat or the hair of an overworked cook. This titanium blandness was at least partially responsible for the knife’s poor first impression. But, once I got it in the hand, the subtlety of Slysz’s design became immediately apparent.

Take a look at my hand position:

Beyond its ergonomic excellence, the curve of the Chef’s titanium handle offers a significant advantage in the kitchen. It keeps the edge (mostly) below my knuckles, greatly easing the slicing and chopping process. Not as much as a dedicated kitchen knife, sure, but more so than any other folder I’ve handled.

The pocket clip offers another bit of subdued excellence. On the surface, it appears to be just another iteration of the classic wire clip. But take a look at that angle. It allows the knife to curve down and into the back of the pocket, keeping it out of the way of whatever else you may be carrying.

There are a few caveats here. While the reversible clip makes this technically an “ambidextrous” knife, the placement of the lock bar in relation to the Spydie-hole will make one-hand opening a challenge for lefties. And, though it’s technically stainless, the titanium handles do pick up smudges and snail trails. Neither of these is terribly troubling to me, though. I’m more than pleased with the Chef’s ergonomics, both in the hand and in the pocket.

Deployment and Lockup

As evolutionary as the rest of the Chef may be, the knife’s deployment and lockup are as basic as bacon and eggs. Not to say that chicken ovum and cured pork aren’t delicious (they are), but there’s a skill to handling even the most humble of ingredients. The combination of Spydie-hole and bronze washers is classic – Never flashy, but accessible and delicious. It’s a no-fuss, low maintenance setup for those who use their knives rather than playing with them.

If there’s one complaint I have with the Chef, it’s the closing action. Have you ever worked in a restaurant? The closing shift almost invariably sucks. Same goes for the Spydiechef. You have to nudge the blade up and over its detent, which requires applying force to the blade while your thumb is still in the slicing path. Exert too much pressure, and it could theoretically pop down and filet your knuckle. Now, I haven’t had this happen. The detent is soft enough that a gentle push will pop it over the ceramic ball. But, it’s definitely something that requires some fine motor skills.

Spyderco Spydiechef Review – Final Thoughts

This is a knife that’s put my collection in crisis. Between the Spydiechef, the FRN Chaparral, and the Kershaw Atmos, the other folders in my case aren’t getting much pocket time. The Native 5 has subbed in for a day or two, but the Kizer Begleiter, Steel Will Cutjack, and even my ZT0562 have been unable to crack the rotation.

This knife is so damned good that it’s dampened my enthusiasm for other knives. And honestly, I think I’m okay with that. This is a tool I feel good carrying, using and, in the near future, owning. It’s the Chaparral all over again – Nick Shabazz loans me a knife, and I wind up buying one. Thanks again, Nick, and a hearty “Well done” to Marcin Slysz and Spyderco.

Spyderco, Inc. 9000704 Spydiechef Titanium Folding Knife

List Price: $217.75

Price: $217.75

Price Disclaimer

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

Olamic Wayfarer 247 Review

by Dan Jackson 2 Comments

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

Buy the Wayfarer 247 at BladeHQ

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

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

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

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

General Dimensions and Blade Details

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

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

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

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

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

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

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deployment and Lockup

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

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

Here is a shot of the detent ramp:

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

Here is a size comparison with the ZT 0609:

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

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

Olamic Wayfarer 247 Review – Final Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

Olamic Wayfarer 247 – From $375.00
From: BladeHQ

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

Maxpedition Excelsa Review

by Andrew Gene 3 Comments

Maxpedition is a company best known for their military inspired backpacks. They offer a wide range of fabric goods, including packs, pouches, slings, and related accessories. This is a niche brand that has developed a loyal following over the years in the outdoor recreation and daily carry communities.

Buy the Maxpedition Excelsa at BladeHQ

So it was a little surprising to hear in 2013 that Maxpedition was going to start selling knives. On some levels it makes sense, as knives definitely compliment outdoor and “tactical” backpacks, but on the other hand they are completely different products. I’d say it’s akin to Apple deciding to sell office furniture.

At any rate, the Maxpedition Excelsa is the second knife from the Maxpedition, the first being the Ferox. The design closely resembles their previous offering, but sees a significant upgrade in materials and construction.

While considerably more expensive, the Excelsa is still aggressively competitive for a titanium frame-lock. Coming in below $130, it has features found on knives over double the price, including an over-travel stop and tool-steel blade.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Excelsa comes in two sizes. The small version is 6.7” in total length with a 2.9” blade and weighing 2.9 oz while the large version is 8.3” in with a 3.6” blade and weight of 5.1 oz. Both sizes are good for Every Day Carry (EDC) depending on your needs and preferences in an EDC knife. The knives are made in Taiwan.

The pattern is a straight forward drop point. This is commonly used on sport and utility knives for its well rounded performance in both slicing and penetrating cuts. It is also easy to maintain with a bellied profile which lacks any kind of re-curve or otherwise unusual geometry. A full flat grind with a secondary bevel produces a keen working edge. A choil will make sharpening to the end of the edge possible. The spine is capped adding nice detailing and there is a jimped thumb ramp for added control.

The blade steel used is D2. In this case it has been hardened between 58-60 Rockwell.

Unusually, there are no markings on the blade denoting the materials or manufacturer. While I like this clean aesthetic, it would be helpful to have the steel type embossed on the ricasso to let the user know how to care for the blade. This is especially true since D2 is a semi-stainless tool steel that will require some maintenance to keep it free of corrosion. If you were the second owner of the knife and didn’t have or read the documentation, then you might be surprised to see the blade behave differently from a true stainless steel folder.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle of the Excelsa has a simple two slab open build with a minimal amount of fasteners: three including the pivot. The inner edge has a first finger groove and another convex sweep that helps to lock the hand in place. The back edge is primarily straight with a slight turn down at the pommel that nests in the hand or serves as a thumb rest in a reverse grip. The titanium and hardware have been given a matching matte, bead blast finish.

The ergonomics are simple but comfortable. This relatively handle design will accommodate most people. You won’t be surprised to hear that the large version is larger and more comfortable for big hands. There is wide toothy jimping on the spine of the blade that captures the thumb without irritating it.

For carry there is a lanyard hole and right handed, tip up or down deep carry pocket clip. When you consider that there is only a single thumb-stud and frame-lock, this adds up to the knife being for right handed people only.

At under 3 ounces, the smaller version of this knife is imminently pocketable. It carries easily and something you will quickly forget thanks to it’s light weight, and the strong spring retention in the pocket clip. The large version is more noticeable in the pocket, but still carries well for what it is thanks to the discreet deep carry clip and thin design.

Deployment and Lockup

For deployment there is a tiered thumb-stud with an angled face. Set a good distance away from the scale’s inner edge, producing the blade is easy with one hand. This is helped along by good tolerances and phosphor bronze washers. These thumb studs remind me of those found on the Kershaw Blur.

On opening the tang meets a solid, titanium frame-lock. On the review samples provided, both were play free in any direction and easily disengaged. In order to protect the spring integrity Maxpedition has added a small tab on the inner surface to prevent over-travel when unlocking. While there are several variations of this type of mechanism, Maxpedition is in the process of patenting theirs, asserting differences in the implementation.

Unlike the blade without any markings, the locking leaf has “Maxpedition” laser etched on the surface. The branding here is a little too bold for my taste and I feel the logo could definitely be dialed back a bit to uphold the sober aesthetic.

Maxpedition Excelsa Review – Final Thoughts

Over all the Excelsa is an interesting design. While I understand and very much appreciate minimal design, this may border on sterile for some. It could have been nice to add a little something to make it more personable. Something that wasn’t a large Maxpedition logo. Maybe some added texture or subtle anodized details? Possibly a greater departure from the Ferox design could have expanded the design vocabulary of the line-up? Outside of design taste my only real issue with this knife is the lack of marking for the steel type.

Criticisms aside Maxpedition has done an excellent job with the utility as well as the pricing. You would be hard pressed to find another folder that can boast the features, materials, fit and finish at this price point.

Maxpedition FRMLCKL Excelsa Large Framelock Folding Knife with D2 Blade and Titanium Handle

List Price: $149.59

Price: $124.98

You Save: $24.61

Price Disclaimer

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Maxpedition Excelsa 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.

Additional Specifications:

Small Version

Overall Length: 6.7″
Weight: 2.7 oz

Blade:

Length: 2.9″
Thickness: 0.11″
Steel : D2
Hardness : 58-60 HRC

Handle:

Slab and lock thickness: 0.12″
Length: 3.9″

Large Version

Overall Length: 8.3″
Weight: 5.1 oz

Blade:

Length: 3.6″
Thickness: 0.14″
Steel : D2
Hardness : 58-60 HRC

Handle:

Slab and lock thickness: 0.15″
Length: 4.7″

Made In Taiwan

Zero Tolerance 0609 Review

by Dan Jackson 9 Comments

This is a reader request. Proof that if you twist my arm hard enough I’ll review the latest full titanium Zero Tolerance flipper. Only for you guys.

Buy the Zero Tolerance 0609 at BladeHQ

The Zero Tolerance 0609 is an R.J. Martin design, and is another step in ZT’s trend of releasing smaller, more EDC friendly knives. The last R.J. Martin / ZT collab I handled was the 0600, a massive, 9.5″ framelock flipper. It was big and beautiful piece, but few people are going to want to carry a folding knife with a 4.25″ blade on a regular basis. Plus it was a $400 limited edition knife.

The 0609 is much more reasonable in its footprint, price point, and availability. When you consider that I reviewed pieces like the 0300 and 0560 only a handful of years ago, it shows how the market has evolved. Big chunky knives are losing favor to more pocket friendly offerings. Lets take a deep dive into this recent release from Zero Tolerance.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The 0609 has an overall length of 7.4″, a 3.4″ blade, weighs 3.3 ounces, and is made in the USA. This is a good size knife, but you may be surprised to learn that the 0609 is both smaller and lighter than a Benchmade Griptilian. I think this is a great size for those wanting a full size knife, but still something thin, lightweight, and special.

The blade is a twist on R.J.’s classic drop point, found on models from his Q36 customs, to the Kershaw Volt. This particular blade has been given a harpoon and swedge, lending a more exotic, technical look to the knife.

Blade stock is thin, clocking in at .12″ (just over 3mm thick), and the high flat grind combined with a wide edge makes for a knife that slices well right out of the box. I had no problem slicing apples, and the knife absolutely decimates cardboard.

Blade steel is CPM-20CV, which is chemically similar to M390, but made in the USA by Crucible. Edge retention has been excellent and there are no signs of chipping or rolling. No issues with rust or corrosion either.

The knife has served well in its role as a high end EDC or “gentleman’s tactical” folding knife. It’s a knife that has been built for speed. I can’t help analogizing it to a sports car. It’s low-slung and has a premium feel.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The 0609’s handle is comprised of two heavily milled pieces of bronze anodized titanium. The anodization is interesting, as the bronze picks up hues of blue and purple from the oils on your skin. I think it’s a nice change of pace over standard raw titanium, but wonder how it will wear over time.

Handle construction is simple and clean. You have two simple handle pillars, and then you have the oversized See-Through Pivot (STP). The STP is an R.J. Martin creation that allows you to see through the pivot. It’s cool and different, but the draw back is you need to buy a special tool from KAI to adjust the pivot or take apart the knife. That’s a definite drawback to an otherwise practical offering from ZT. Still, the STP is one of the more interesting details of the knife.

The ergonomics of the 0609 are pretty good. The handle is long enough to accommodate a full 4 finger grip, while the textured titanium, jimped thumb ramp and spine, and finger grooves all serve to lock your hand in place. The only rub is that this knife is 1.125″ at its widest. Its very thin, making it great for carry, but less comfortable for extended use. Personally, I’m fine with sacrificing a little ergonomic comfort for a lighter and more streamlined knife, but if you are expecting this to fill the hand like an 0808, well, it won’t.

For carry the 0609 comes with a simple inoffensive pocket clip. Even the Zero Tolerance logo has been dialed back on the clip of this knife. Gone are the days of the big “ZT” billboard. Now we have “Zero Tolerance” lettered in a small and spare font. The clip offers good retention and the knife rides relatively deep in the pocket. The handle has been drilled and tapped for ambidextrous tip up carry.

In practice the 0609 carries great. It’s slim, and lightweight. You will quickly forget that you are even carrying it. The sturdy pocket clip keeps the knife firmly in place. Perhaps a deep carry clip would have been nice, but this clip is small and stays out of the way.

Deployment and Lockup

Like most ZTs, this is a titanium framelock flipper. And once again, Zero Tolerance demonstrates that they know how to put a titanium framelock flipper together. The flipper tab is prominent and lightly jimped. The blade pops open easily with either a push button or lightswitch flick. The detent is strong, and the blade rides smoothly on Kershaw’s KVT caged bearing system.

For lockup we have a titanium framelock with stainless steel lockbar insert. Lockup is early and secure. There is no play in any direction and the lockbar disengages easily without any stick. I often consider Zero Tolerance to be the best in the business when it comes to production titanium framelock flippers. The 0609 is another example of why that’s the case.

Here is a shot next to my ZT O450CF. It’s actually not much bigger than the 0450CF. Mostly it’s a wider knife than the 0450CF.

Blade centering is perfect on my knife.

Zero Tolerance 0609 Review – Final Thoughts

I think this is the most refined non-limited production ZT I have handled to date. Clearly they have listened to customer feedback, and this strikes me as an evolution of the Zero Tolerance lineup. Some people may want big chunky folding knives, but there are plenty of us who want something thin and light.

While the brand has been obviously trending towards more practical knives over the years, this 0609 strikes me as the total package. A slick R.J. Martin design, a thinly ground blade married to a lightweight and strong titanium handle, with great flipping action and solid lockup. What’s not to like? The answer is “not much”. It’s a great knife.

Even the price is reasonable. These retail for a little over $200. Not cheap by any stretch, but not unreasonable for a USA made premium pocket knife either. This is easily my favorite regular production Zero Tolerance folder to date. Highly recommended.

Zero Tolerance 0609 Pocketknife; 3.4-inch CPM 20CV Drop Point Blade with Two-Toned Finish; 3D Textured Titanium Handle, Anodized Bronze; KVT Ball Bearing Manual Open; Reversible Pocketclip; 3.3 oz

List Price: $219.99

Price: $219.99

Price Disclaimer

I recommend purchasing the Zero Tolerance 0609 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 Sheepdog Review

by Dan Jackson 6 Comments

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.

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