titanium

Kizer Alter Ego Review

Last Updated: September 7, 2019
Kizer’s 2017 catalog wasn’t released to the same fanfare as Spyderco’s or KAI’s. That may be partially due to the fact that it’s massive. Most of their old designs are still on there, so don’t worry, there’s no need for panic purchases a la Spyderco’s discontinued list. At the same time, Kizer has collaborated with a host of new makers so up and coming your plaid-bedecked neighbor who won’t shut up about vinyl records hasn’t even heard of them.

Buy the Kizer Alter Ego at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

In the interests of full disclosure, you should know that this review sample was provided by Kizer. While that won’t have an impact on my impartiality, there is the risk that the product I was sent was double or triple checked for quality, and that my sample is the best of the brood. That risk is counterweighted by Kizer’s deserved reputation for high manufacturing tolerances. In other words, I don’t think you need to worry about it.

The Kizer Alter Ego falls into their “Bladesmith” line, which is seemingly reserved for collaborations with custom makers. I was surprised to learn this, as the Alter Ego seems aesthetically similar to many of Kizer’s in-house designs. Searching for “Kim Ning” and “Kim Ning Knives” yielded no results outside of Kizer products. It may be that he is better known internationally, or that he doesn’t have an English website, but I suspect that (much like Jim McNair of KAI) he’s a full time designer for Kizer.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Kizer Alter Ego has a 3.55” blade housed in a 4.625” handle. Overall, it’s 8.125” long and weighs 4.91 oz, with a blade thickness of .1375”. For some this isn’t terribly large, but it’s definitely more knife than I’m accustomed to. To their credit Kizer kept the weight pretty low. As a point of comparison, it weighs only .6 ounces more than the Zero Tolerance 0900, but has a .85” longer blade. Those numbers might not look impressive on paper, but trust me when I say that the difference is significant in person.

The blade itself is made of S35VN, a powder metallurgy steel developed by Crucible as the successor to S30V. Prior to the revolution of high-end Chinese manufacturers, a steel like this would have been unheard of on a Chinese knife. Times have changed, and now it’s sound business sense for companies like Kizer to import high performance steels. S35VN is a particular favorite of mine. It retains S30V’s wear and rust resistance, but doesn’t chip as frequently. I’ve used the Alter Ego frequently (if not rigorously) over the past month, and the experience matched my expectations.

As nice as the S35VN is, I wish it had been paired with a plainer utilitarian blade. The Alter Ego sports a drop point blade with a profile that echoes the Viper Dan 2 or the ZT0770 (both blade shapes that I love), but which is drawn up into a recurve closer to the base of the blade. While by no means a dramatic recurve, it exaggerates the belly enough to make certain tasks – press cutting in food preparation, for example – less predictable than a continuous curve or a straight edge. If I found myself cutting rope on a regular basis the recurve would have more appeal, but my needs are fairly pedestrian.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Carry

Much like the blade, the handle is comprised of organic, muscular lines. In some respects it’s comparable to the Hinderer design aesthetic, but where Hinderer relies on hard angles and a very industrial appearance, Kizer turns to curves that are almost anatomical. In keeping with this, ornamentation is kept to a minimum. I’m not normally a fan of decorative pivots, but Kizer’s rendition is eye-catching, subtle, and most importantly is torx compatible.

The ergonomics on the Alter Ego are good, if narrow in application. It’s difficult to tell from the photos and product literature, but the handle coerces your fingers into something akin to a pistol grip. That’s not necessarily a downside, especially if you’re in the market for a tactical folder. This knife won’t leave your hand unless you want it to. However, it’s less than ideal for everyday tasks, such as preparing a picnic lunch or opening a clamshell package.

While the design is ergonomically sound, if not to my taste, there is one flaw in the execution: the pocket clip. It’s not offensively bad (like this little guy), but it does generate enough of a hot spot to cause some discomfort. Gloves and careful finger placement mitigate this problem. The clip aside, Kizer put a lot of work into making this knife comfortable. All the edges are buffed and all the corners are softened. Kizer clearly knows how to make a knife comfortable.

The Alter Ego is pretty quiet in the pocket. No one could call it svelte – it is fairly wide, and nearly an inch of the handle sticks out past the edge of the pocket – but for a knife this size, it’s better than I expected. The aforementioned contouring keeps it from feeling like a brick in your pants, and though the clip detracts from the blade’s ergonomics, it also ensures that an errant seat belt can’t make off with your rather expensive pocketknife.

Deployment and Lock-Up

As with most of Kizer knives, the Alter Ego’s blade is deployed via flipper tab. Sadly, Kizer committed something of a cardinal sin in the design stages of the Alter Ego: they put aggressive jimping right under the flipper tab. For the first two or three days I carried it, my index finger would slam right into the aforementioned jimping every time I flipped it open, leaving my finger raw and smarting. Eventually my technique improved and the problem went away, but it was a literal pain to deal with. It’s a shame that such a flaw wasn’t caught earlier, because otherwise deployment on the Alter Ego is perfect. The detent is crisp and firm, and there’s not a hint of grit in the bearing pivot. It’s not as snappy as the action on my ZT0900 – there’s more of a hydraulic feel to it – but that’s a matter of taste, not quality. Deployment on both knives is as smooth as glass.

Commensurate with Kizer’s reputation, the frame lock on the Alter Ego is perfectly executed. There is zero wiggle in the lock while deployed, and because of the steel insert there’s no break in period or risk of the lock face galling inappropriately over time. Since arrival, the lock has consistently engaged the blade tang at about 50%, though it should be noted that 100% of the steel insert engages the tang. Said insert also functions as an overtravel stop. To round things out, Kizer also milled a slight cut out in the handle to make the lock more accessible.

Kizer Alter Ego Review – Final Thoughts

At a price point that hovers between 160USD and 180USD, the Alter Ego is competing with the premier lines of most brands; within the genre – titanium framelock flippers – it’s directly competing with most of Zero Tolerance’s catalog. While I’m not going to wade into the waters of which brand I prefer (the gaming industry has console wars covered), I can say that the Alter Ego is as well made as any normal run ZT. That’s pretty high praise, all things considered.

End of the day, this knife isn’t for me. It’s too big for my purposes and definitely has a different end user in mind. That said, everything else about the knife – the manufacturing tolerances, materials, attention to detail – is fantastic, and clues me into just how much I’ve been missing out on by not trying a Kizer sooner. If the design of this knife appeals to you, I’d wholeheartedly recommend it. If the quality of the Alter Ego is representative of their entire catalog (and the community’s response indicates that such is true) then I wouldn’t hesitate to buy any Kizer knife if the design appealed to me.

Kizer Cutlery 4492 Alter Ego Framelock 4 5/8" closed

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

WE Knife Company Model 605 Review

by Dan Jackson Leave a Comment

WE Knife Co. (or “WE Knives”) is a relatively new manufacturer from China. Technically that isn’t true as, they produced OEM knives for other brands for years, but WE Knives has recently garnered attention from knife collectors under their own brand. This is thanks to a combination of precision machining, high end materials, and a unique aesthetic.

Buy the WE Knives 605 at BladeHQ

I thought WE Knives were interesting, but largely dismissed them as most of their models feature 3.75″+ blades. I don’t mind a bigger knife, but for a true daily carry piece I gravitate towards knives with a 3.5″ blade or under.

The WE Knives Model 605 is a strong departure from their typical 4″ bladed behemoths. Here we have a compact and curvaceous design. Offered in a variety of colors and finishes, the 605 is anything but boring. And when I got a chance to check one out in person at Smoky Mountain Knife Works, I knew I had to pick one up for review.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Model 605 has an overall length of 7″, a 3″ blade, and weighs 4 ounces. My particular model is the 605J, with grey titanium handles, a two-tone blade, and purple anodized accents. This is a nice size for daily carry, but the knife itself is almost too nice to really beat on. It certainly could be considered a collectible, and it comes in a zippered nylon pouch with microfiber cleaning cloth.

The blade is a modified drop point. It has a satin finished high hollow grind and swedge, and black oxidized flats. The blade is beautiful featuring immaculate grinds, a perfectly even edge, a rounded thumb ramp, and interesting details around the thumb hole.

WE Knives went with S35VN blade steel for the model 605. Knife enthusiasts will know that this is an American steel made by Crucible. Much like Kizer, WE Knives appears to import raw material from the United States to manufacture their knives. That level of attention is uncommon, and helps shuck off the stigma that Chinese knives are cheap and undesirable.

S35VN is an excellent choice for blade steel and is cropping up in a lot of the high end knives I review. Much like CTS-XHP and CPM-154, S35VN gives you a good balance of edge retention and ease of sharpening. It’s a practical steel for a user knife. It’s high end, but not high maintenance. It also takes a beautiful polish as this 605 clearly demonstrate. I had a tough time getting a photograph of the blade without getting reflections in the shot.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle of the 605 is another thing of beauty. The crisp lines, the use of texture, and faceted handle all serve to catch the light and draw in the eye. The bookmatched titanium handles provide the illusion that the handle is made from a single piece of material. And of course we can’t ignore the purple hardware. Usually purple isn’t my first choice for a knife, but it’s a nice change of pace from the typical blue. WE Knife Co. has a muted color palate that they like to feature on all their knives. It’s unique and I like it. Another surprise is the fact that the inside of the handle has been milled out. This lightens the knife and shows even more care and attention.

While the handle itself is immaculate, I care less for the choice of proprietary star head hardware. Much like on the Southern Grind Spider Monkey, hardware like this makes the knife impossible to take apart without a special tool. That said, at least WE Knife Co. has the decency to include a take down tool with every knife. That is much more forgivable to me, but it still requires the use of a specialized tool.

The 605 ergonomically dialed in. This is a small knife with several finger grooves. Oftentimes that spells disaster, but here WE Knives managed to get this spaced right, at least for my larger hand. There is just enough room on the handle for a full 4 finger grip. However, if you use the forward finger choil on the blade there is plenty of room the spread out. I’m generally a fan of forward finger choils, and the one on the 605 is no exception. For traction you have light texturing on the handle and a short run of jimping on the spine of the blade. This jimping is good: it offers some traction without being too aggressive.

The 605 comes with a milled titanium pocket clip. Milled clips seem to fall in and out of favor. At first they were a desirable high end feature appearing only on expensive custom knives. As they became more accessible some people came to the conclusion that they were ineffective pocket clips, bulky and with poor spring retention. I haven’t had a ton of experience with milled clips, but I can say the one on this 605 is excellent. Retention is about perfect. The knife slips in and out of the pocket easily, but isn’t loose. Aesthetically, I think it’s a big improvement over a stamped clip.

This knife carries well, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. It has a small blade, but at 4 ounces and .54″ thick it’s pretty chunky. The pocket clip does a good job keeping the knife in place, and I largely forgot about the 605 as it rode in my pocket.

Deployment and Lockup

This knife comes with both a thumb hole and a flipper. Of course most people will be drawn to the flipper, myself included. I found it flips nicely. It’s on par with my Zero Tolerance flippers and my Kizer Intrepid. Much like some Zero Tolerance folders, you do need to take care when opening up the knife with your right hand. If you put pressure on the lock bar, it will make it tough to deploy the blade. That is one of the few perks of being a lefty.

Of course if you get tired of the flipper you can also open the knife with the thumb hole. The detent on the 605 is substantial so it will take some dedication to use the thumb hole, but it’s entirely possible to open the knife this way. Action is smooth thanks to a ceramic ball bearing system. It is not the absolute smoothest knife I have operated (that is probably reserved for the ZT 0454 or the Shirogorov 95t), but it’s pretty damn smooth. You can shake the knife closed after disengaging the lock.

Speaking of locks, the 605 comes equipped with a titanium frame lock with stainless steel lock bar insert. The lock has been executed perfectly. There is no lock rock, lock stick, or blade play of any type. I would again put this on par with my ZTs, which I consider to be a gold standard for titanium framelock flippers.

Blade centering is dead perfect.

WE Knife Co. 605J Review – Final Thoughts

We are only 3 months in to 2017, and I am already thinking that this could be the nicest knife I review all year. I enjoy it because it is unique, meticulously machined, and above all, thoughtful. There are so many details to consider that I can’t help but compare this to a Shirogorov. It’s not quite on that level. It is pretty close, but it’s not a $700 knife. Everything from the superbly finished blade to the pocketed titanium handle has been a fanatical level of consideration. I also enjoy the design. It won’t be to everyone’s taste but I think the 605 is unique and compelling. This is something I can’t say about every one of their models.

I am glad I took a chance on the WE Knife 605. I’d recommend it without reservation if you are interested in the design. It isn’t cheap, but I see a lot of value for money here. I think you will be impressed.

We Knives 605J – $242.25
From: BladeHQ

I recommend purchasing the We Knives 605J at BladeHQ. Purchasing anything through any of the links on this site helps support BladeReviews, and keep this review train running. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated.

Chris Reeve Knives Small Sebenza 21 vs. Strider PT CC – Knife Showdown

by Benjamin Schwartz 16 Comments

Last Updated: August 3, 2019
Five years ago the $300+ production knife market was a frontier town, with just a few big names able to operate successfully at these empyrean price points. Two of the biggest were Chris Reeve Knives and Strider. For a long time the line between production and custom knives was drawn by these two companies.

But you already know all that. They may just be two products in a now-crowded space, but years of archived forum texts and reviews will show that the Sebenza and the Strider SnG and their variants are among the most talked-about production knives ever made. Denigrate them, worship them, collect them, avoid them – it’s practically a rite of passage to have some kind of strong opinion about these knives.

They’re legends. But legendary is one thing and utility is another. Mythical statuses don’t really befit something we throw in our pocket and use to break down boxes. So I’ve procured, carried, and tested the Small Sebenza 21 and the Strider PT CC to see which knife will stand triumphant in the BladeReviews Showdown Arena. Let’s treat these hallowed blades with a certain familiar contempt, see how they work as knives, and discover which comes out on top.

General Dimensions

The specs for the knives are:

	Small Sebenza 21	Strider PT CC
Overall Length	6.875”	6.5”
Blade Length	3”	2.75” (2.1” cutting edge)
Weight	3 oz.	2.3 oz.
Blade Thickness	.13”	.13”
Handle Thickness	.43”	.40”
Blade Material	S35VN	S35VN
Handle Material	Titanium	Titanium/G-10
Country of Origin	USA	USA

These are both canonical choices for a high-end, smaller-sized EDC blade.

Blade Geometry and Cutting Performance

The Sebenza has a nuanced hollow grind that removes enough material to make it a capable slicer, but leaves meat behind the edge to dispel any concerns of frailty. It just gets out of the way while you work with the blade – just like a good grind should.

Starting with an equally thick stock, Strider decided to lean into toughness with a gradual flat grind. In extreme situations it might be able to soak up more abuse than the Sebenza, but when it comes to cutting tasks – even heavy duty cutting tasks – it is worse. Not terrible, but you’ll definitely have intimations of wedgeiness as you cut with it.

So unless you value durability over all else in a small EDC knife, the Sebenza has the clear advantage here.

Winner: Sebenza

Blade Steel

Made in 2016, my Sebenza has S35VN blade steel. The sequel to S30V, S35VN brings additional positive characteristics to the standard-setting original. There’s a tendency in high-end steels to get too esoteric too quickly. ZDP-189, S90V, M4 – these kind of steels trade in extremes. They appeal to enthusiasts and lose the everyman. S35VN is my favorite super steel because it offers high levels of performance while remaining accessible, easy to sharpen and maintain. On my Sebenza it is superb.

The steel on my PT is…also S35VN, also superb. There may be a difference in heat treat or Rockwell, but in use I’ve noticed no difference, so this category can only shake out one way: a draw.

Winner: Draw

Handle Construction

The phrase “beautifully machined” is a tired one, but it assuredly applies to the Sebenza: its titanium scales have been meticulously attended to, inside and out. The media blast is consistent, the chamfers precise, the construction rigid, reliable, and handsome.

The PT’s contoured G-10 show side scale, integrated backspacer, and titanium locking side make for rock-solid build quality and surprisingly light weight – you wouldn’t think this knife would be lighter than the Sebenza, but it is. Nothing about the PT immaculate, but everything feels right, and it’s a pleasure just to hold. Despite its “Duty Tool” attitude, the PT CC feels like a handcrafted luxury item – which, of course, it is.

Really, this is a difference is between cold and warm finishes: the precision of the Sebenza vs . the inviting luxury of the PT. in the end, I think I’m going to give this one to the PT. It may not show the same attention to detail as the CRK knife, but its handle is smartly designed and well put-together.

Winner: Strider PT CC

Ergonomics

Neutral ergonomics are always good, even when they aren’t inspiring. The Sebenza is serviceable in all relevant grips. Each angle and cut in the handle serves a purpose. The edge chamfering lends dimensionality. The clip rests just between the middle and forefinger. Even sub-ergonomic details like the cut in the lock bar release are finely-tuned. The Sebenza design has been fussed over and it shows.

With a double finger choil the PT isn’t ergonomically neutral. You’re expected to hold it a certain way, but that way works so well. And credit to Strider for making the forward choil roomy enough: many knife makers shrink it down and ruin the point. After several years and many knives in between the PT’s ergonomics still remain at or near the top in my collection.

This was a tough category: the neutral, versatile, but never extraordinary ergos of the Sebenza, or the more restricted, more refined design of the PT. It came down to this: which knife do I holding and using more? The answer is the PT CC.

Winner: Strider PT CC

Pocket Clips and Carry

CRK’s double dip clip gets a lot of love. For the most part, it’s deserved. It did lose a little tension over time, but nothing catastrophic. Retrieving and stowing the knife is painless. Retention is strong and sure, and the knife itself so trim and thin that carry is totally effortless.

The clipless PT CC comes into this category at a disadvantage. It is, however, quite good carried loose in the pocket. It can be hard to feel comfortable with a $300 knife banging around alongside coins, keys, and other jagged pocket paraphernalia, but I think the PT is beefy enough to take it.

Both knives are in the top tier in their respective carry categories. However, the PT is fighting a losing battle due to its lack of a clip. Given the choice, I’m always going to choose pocket carry. The Strider is great in the pocket, but the Sebenza wins here.

Winner: Sebenza

Deployment

A strong detent and custom washers make opening the Sebenza a different affair than its more conventional cutlery brethren. I enjoy its unique calibration. It’s smooth, but provides plenty of feedback throughout opening. You can also flick it open once the knife is broken in a bit.

The PT CC is more conventional: nice and poppy and well-tuned. You can flick it out with minimal effort, or slow roll it without having to climb a mountainous detent. The oval is intuitive and the blade stops work okay as thumb studs. I tend to run this knife with little lubrication and there is no discernible decline in its action.

It is tempting to give the Sebenza the nod here, because it is more enjoyable to open and close. However from a practical point of view I have to give it to the PT. It is just as reliable, but faster and without the learning curve.

Winner: Strider PT CC

Lockup

Like the deployment, the Sebenza’s frame lock is different than the industry standard – and in this case I think better. You can’t trick it into locking up less, and there is absolute, positive rigidity once it’s open – not even a hint of play in any direction. Whether it’s the tolerances, the lock geometry, the lock bar tension, or the alchemy between all three, this is as good as folding knife locks get.

The frame lock on the PT is less exalted, but still very good. It may not have the world-beating tolerances of the Sebenza frame lock, but there is nothing to complain about in a practical sense.

It isn’t always the case that the original remains the best, but the Sebenza’s frame lock is still a marvel.

Winner: Sebenza

Price

These are both expensive knives. The Sebenza costs $350. The PT CC cost $300 when I bought it but appears to have gone up to $320 since then. At that price there’s about a 10% difference between it and the Sebenza. I love both of these knives but let’s be real here: you don’t need a $300+ knife. You buy a Sebenza or a Strider because you love knives and you want to see what can be achieved when price is not a concern.

Small Sebenza 21 vs. PT CC – Some Objective(ish) Final Thoughts

This is an iconic matchup, so it’s disappointing that it ends in a tie. Kind of like an action movie ending with good guys and bad guys both out of ammo and walking away shrugging their shoulders.

But in a way that’s fitting, particularly when you take into account the high price tags of both knives. As landmark products of the high-end folding knife market, the Sebenza and the PT should hold their own against the other, and they do. The Sebenza is the better cutter and the PT is better ergonomically, but both are pretty competent even in their respective weak areas. Prices are within spitting distances of each other, so it’s going to come down to what you value more as a buyer. However…

My Subjective Final Thoughts

When I first came up with this showdown but before I began writing it, I thought the Sebenza would blow the PT out of the water. I had just got my Small 21 and was still cross-eyed as we all get when we acquire a grail. As time and testing went on, however, I came to appreciate my long-neglected PT CC again. What I thought would be a blowout became a very close race.

That being said, for me the Small Sebenza 21 does still win. I like the blade better, I like having a pocket clip, and the incredible tolerances make for something that is 100% reliable compared to the solid but idiosyncratic PT. Ergonomics are very important, and the PT is great in this area, but the Sebenza offers a more rounded package. But having completed a leg of the knife buyer’s journey by acquiring a Sebenza and a Strider, I can tell those still on their way to these landmark blades that no matter which you pick, you’ll be satisfied.

If you are considering buying a Strider PT or a Chris Reeve Knives Small Sebenza 21, I recommend purchasing them at BladeHQ or KnifeArt. By purchasing things through any of the links on this website you support BladeReviews.com, keep the website free of annoying banner ads, and help produce future reviews. Thank you very much.

Strider PT – $300.00
From:BladeHQ KnifeArt

Chris Reeve Knives Small Sebenza 21 – $350
From: BladeHQ KnifeArt

Kizer Ki3480 Dirk Pinkerton Rogue Review

by Dan Jackson 10 Comments

The Kizer Ki3480 Rogue is a series of firsts for me. It’s the first Dirk Pinkerton design I have ever reviewed, it’s my first review of a mid-tier Kizer knife, and it’s the first wharncliffe I have reviewed in a while.

The designer, Dirk Pinkerton, is an interesting guy. He is a custom knifemaker from Huntersville, North Carolina, and his focus is on purpose built knives for self defense applications. He even did a collaboration with our very own Chad McBroom, the Active Response Kerambit.

Buy the Kizer Rogue at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

Using knives defensively is well outside my wheelhouse, but I have been curious about Dirk Pinkerton’s designs ever since reading RoadKill’s review of the Meyerco Wharning back in 2012.

The Rogue shares some obvious design similarities to the Wharning. Namely, the aggressive wharncliffe blade. It’s different from what I typically review, and different from Kizer’s other designs, which is exactly why I wanted to check it out.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Rogue has an overall length of 7.125″, a 3.00″ blade, and it weighs 3.92 ounces. Like all Kizer knives, the Rogue is made in China. I like that although the Rogue was likely designed with self-defense in mind, this is still a practical size for Every Day Carry (EDC). In fact, it almost resembles a folding box cutter. An obvious comparison would be with the Spyderco Yojimbo 2, a knife designed by Michael Janich. In addition to being a designer for Spyderco, Michael Janich is a martial artist and fellow enthusiast of the wharncliffe.

The dramatic wharncliffe blade is what makes this model stand out. You are going to either love it or hate it, and it is different from anything else in my collection. The 4mm thick blade has been given a partial flat grind. There is no swedge but the blade still comes to a needle-fine tip. The blade has been given a fine tumbled finish.

The benefit to a wharncliffe blade is that it excellent for slicing cuts. Power is applied uniformly to the edge whether you are at the tip, or by the ricasso. Combine that with an excellent tip for thrusting, and you have a very capable blade shape. For these reasons it is easy to see why guys like Michael Janich and Dirk Pinkerton prefer the wharncliffe.

The flip side is that there is no belly, which makes tasks like skinning near impossible. This is not my favorite knife to use in the kitchen.

Kizer chose S35VN for the blade steel. S35VN is excellent stuff. The more I use S30V, the more I like my S35VN blades. They are easier to sharpen and less brittle, but still hold a good edge like S30V. S35VN is an American steel, and Kizer had to import it in to China to make their knives. We often think of products being exported from China, so it’s an interesting point to consider, and speaks to Kizer’s dedication to making high end production knives.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Rogue has full titanium handles. Unlike the Intrepid, the handles of the Rogue are not 3-D contoured. Instead, they have been milled with a series of reliefs to provide texture and visual interest. The handle was then given a black coating and then the face of the handles were surface ground to provide a brushed titanium texture. The two-tone finish is unique, and so far it has held up well. Everything has been screwed together, and there are 2 barrel spacers and a decorative pivot.

Fit and finish is excellent. Everything has been completed to an eerie level of precision, much like a Taichung, Taiwan Spyderco.

The ergonomics of the Rogue benefit greatly from a simple handle design, and good use of jimping. The handle shape is about as simple as they come, which means that it will feel great for most people. There is flat top jimping on the spine of the blade. This offers good traction without being overly destructive. There is some additional light jimping / millwork on the spine of the handle, and also where your pinky and ring finger rest. These features, combined with the millwork on the handle slabs, offer a good deal of traction for the end user. The end result is a knife that feels secure in the hand without being obnoxious.

The blue titanium pocket clip offers a splash of color while being a good pocket clip. It’s a fold over deep carry clip, that has been placed so that about a quarter of an inch of the knife is left exposed. This was probably done to provide easy access in the event you needed the knife in an emergency situation. Personally, I’d prefer an even deeper carry, but the knife is still discrete.

The Rogue carries well. It’s not an overly thick or heavy knife, and the titanium clip offers plenty of retention. The knife stays in your pocket until you need it, and then it’s ready to go. No complaints with how this knife carries.

Deployment and Lockup

The Rogue is a dual thumbstud knife. I have always liked thumb studs, and the ones on the Rogue are nicely done. They are prominent and easy to access. The blade rides on phosphor bronze washers; my washer material of choice. Here the action is smooth and easy. There is a fairly strong detent, and the blade flicks open with a push of the thumb.

For lockup we have a titanium framelock with a stainless steel lockbar insert. The knife locks up early, and is secure. There is no blade play in any direction. There is also no lock stick. This is an excellent fame lock and rivals the Zero Tolerance framelocks I have owned over the years. Top shelf stuff.

Blade centering is good, but not perfect. That is about the only fit and finish nitpick I could find.

Kizer Rogue Review – Final Thoughts

The Rogue is solidly designed and perfectly executed. I have a hard time finding fault with this knife. Maybe I would move the pocket clip up a quarter of an inch, and the blade over a millimeter. Beyond that I don’t have much to say. Some may not care for the aggressive wharncliffe blade shape, or the 2 tone handle, but that is more personal preference than anything. If you are a fan of the design, then I would recommend it without reservation.

What you get for the money is also worth mentioning. As of the date of publication of this review, the Rogue can be had for just under $120. At that price you are getting a full titanium handle, a S35VN blade, a thoughtful design, and a near perfectly executed knife. The fit and finish is excellent, and the frame lock is among the best I have handled. I can’t think of much that touches it at this price point.

The Yojimbo 2 can be had at that price, but you won’t get S35VN or a titanium frame lock. That is an interesting comparison. I am sure some will prefer the thumb hole and compression lock, and find those to be worthy trade offs, but if Spyderco were to make the Yojimbo 2 as a titanium framelock, it would easily be a $200 knife.

The Rogue is another solid offering from Kizer. Between the high end Intrepid, and the value oriented Vanguard Gemini, the Rogue shows that Kizer can also play in the middle market. This is a company to continue watching. Their strategy of offering both high quality and high value is tough to ignore.

Kizer Cutlery 3480 Rogue Framelock

I recommend purchasing the Kizer Rogue at Amazon and BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Zero Tolerance 0900 Review

by Grayson Parker 13 Comments

Last Updated: May 20, 2019
Alright, peer pressure, you win. You finally got to me. After holding out for god knows how long, I finally jumped on the titanium-flipper-framelock (henceforth TFF) bandwagon. Not just any TFF, mind: if I’m challenging my own tastes, I’m going all the way. Full bore. Thus, I decided to pick up a Zero Tolerance; my first ZT, excepting my brief flirtation with one of their pens. The only concession I granted to my own predilections was blade length, and that’s in part due to workplace regulations.

Buy the Zero Tolerance 0900 at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

The Zero Tolerance 0900 is a design by Les George that’s based on his “Mini Harpy”, but which also bears a ton of similarity to his ESR series. Les’s design aesthetic is tough to pin down, but his fascination with drop points and simple lines gives me the warm fuzzies inside. Honestly, I’m glad ZT picked a relatively conservative designer for their first sub-3” knife. No tanto point, no funky recurve. Just a solid design.

One of the reasons I steered clear of TFF’s was that I (persnickety a-hole that I am) could always find something to complain about. Whether my excuse was the lack of a lock-bar insert, the steel not being quite good enough, or the blade length being a touch too long for polite company, there was always an excuse. Not anymore. All of the reasons that otherwise would stop me from reviewing a TFF are gone, and my pretensions are crumbling around me. On that note, let’s get into the review.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

Neither Zero Tolerance nor Les George are known for dainty designs, so it should come as no surprise that their collaboration – though short in the blade – is a bit of a tank, weighing in at 4.3 oz. The 0900 has a 2.7” blade, a 3.9” handle, and an overall length of 6.6”. Most of the time I don’t feel the need to mention weight ratios, but this is a lot of weight for such a short blade. It’s shorter and heavier than the infamous Kershaw Cryo. The balance point of the 0900 is perfectly set in the first (and only) finger scallop, so the knife isn’t poorly weighted, just dense. Very dense.

Although this is my first ZT, it isn’t the first I’ve handled. A good friend of mine is firmly in the Zero Tolerance camp, and more than a few of their offerings have passed through his collection at one point or another. Handling those set my expectations pretty high. For the most part those were met; apart from one fatal flaw, that is. The secondary bevel is slightly asymmetric at the tip of the knife. I don’t know how ZT could let this leave the factory in such condition.*

*please don’t kill me KAI, that was sarcasm

I’m a bit of a stickler for thin grinds, so the chunky blade of the 0900 made me hesitate to pick one up. Fortunately, those fears were unfounded. The 0900 is a much better slicer than expected; the wide blade and high grind gets it thin enough behind the edge to do some real work. So in that sense, it outperformed my expectations. Sadly, it’s still a thick chunk of metal, and the high flat grind can only do so much to help. When compared to other knives in its class – notably the Spyderco Techno and the DPx HEAT/F – the 0900 falls closer to the Techno than the HEAT. That’s a good thing in my book.

The blade is S35VN, which is probably one of the most well-rounded steels on the market. It’s easier to sharpen than its predecessor S30V and it chips less. Mine arrived with an edge so keen I felt it on my finger before my eyes registered contact. I’ll grant that I haven’t been able to maintain that level of sharpness, but I’m not exactly a gifted sharpener. Infrequent stropping has kept it sharp enough for my needs.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Carry

Les George tends to use fairly simple lines in most of his designs. As a result, Zero Tolerance didn’t have to flex outside of their comfort range – at least, not far out of it – to produce this for a mass market. A good comparison is the ZT0220, designed by Jens Anso. Anso’s aesthetic is more avant-garde and less likely to appeal to a broad market. You can see some of his design aesthetic in the 0220, but it’s so muted that his touch isn’t immediately clear. By contrast, Les’s design aesthetic is much more conservative, and thus easier to translate. Ultimately this feels like a Les George produced by Zero Tolerance, not a Zero Tolerance designed by Les George.

In my experience, ZT knives have had good (but not great) ergonomics. I’ve occasionally been blown away: the contoured handle of the 0454 and the thumb placement on the 0392 come to mind, but those are the exceptions, not the rule. As such, I expected the 0900 to be solid in the hand, but nothing to write home about. That was a mistake on my part. This knife melts into my hand in a way that I never would have expected. It almost sings. My error lay in assuming that the contours were simply for visual appeal, and that otherwise it would feel like any other slab-handled knife. Photographs did the design no favors. The contours are deep and well chamfered, allowing your palm to wrap around the handle without feeling like you’re holding a slab of metal.

Sadly, this knife carries about as well as expected: by that I mean that you need the right pants to carry it securely. Part of the problem is the clip. What makes it great in the hand makes it a bit unreliable in the pocket: allow me to explain. The 0900 (like many modern ZT’s) uses KAI’s deep carry pocket clip. It’s unobtrusive and matches the lines of this particular knife, but has a very thin point of contact on a very wide handle. This problem is exacerbated by the placement of the clip, as around half of the point of contact hovers over the lock bar, which means it’s hovering over empty space when the knife is closed. In work pants, this hasn’t been an issue, but in dress pants, quick-drying shorts, or other thin materials, it’s lead to some anxiety.

Deployment and Lockup

This is the part where I eat a healthy dose of crow. As much as I dislike the market’s obsession with flippers, I have to admit that the 0900 is significantly more fun to fidget with than any other knife I own. The deployment is crisp, clean, and requires zero wrist flick. No weird problems with the lockbar were experienced. Keep everything well-oiled, keep grit out of the bearing race, and you’ll be perfectly satisfied. It’s worth noting that I haven’t seen any of the odd lockbar issues others experienced on the 0450.

What can I say? There’s no stick, and lock up has consistently fallen around 40%. The replaceable steel insert is a very nice touch. In addition to warding off lock stick and making potential repairs less onerous, it also functions as an overtravel stop. To date, I haven’t experienced lock rock or blade play, and I don’t expect to. Would I like a lock that keeps my hands out of the blade path? Yeah, but this is as close to perfection as a framelock can get, so I can’t bitch too much.

Zero Tolerance 0900 Review – Final Thoughts

My complaints are pretty minor: I’d like a thinner grind, a different clip, and maybe a bit of weight off the whole package, but those are wants, not needs. It’s exciting enough that Zero Tolerance took a step into the sub-3” category. I hope the 0900 – and the 0450, and the 0808, for that matter – sell well enough that ZT pays more attention to this share of the market. If the recent runs in blue and gold are any indication, that’s exactly what’s happening.

There is some stiff competition for the 0900. The “little big knife” concept has been around for awhile, and other companies have been doing a lot to refine their own offerings. Spyderco’s Techno and DPx’s HEAT/F are fairly popular and fall in the same price bracket. How does the 0900 stack up to those two? Pretty well, actually. The ~~hollow~~ full flat ~~how is this not a hollow~~ grind of the Techno beats out the flat grind of the 0900, but the George design has better ergonomics and the benefit of a steel lockbar insert. While I’m sure the HEAT/F makes for a great rescue knife, it’s far too chunky for everyday tasks, so I think the 0900 has the edge here as well.

I’ve pigheadedly prided myself on steering as clear as I can from the whole TFF market. I don’t like it when a meta (to use gamer jargon) is solved; in my view, it leads to more iteration at the expense of innovation. My problem is that the 0900 is good enough to shut down any objective complaints I have about a titanium flipper framelock. When those issues are solved, my recalcitrance rings less of legitimate criticism, and more of hipster-ism. If you like flippers already, chances are you’ll like the 0900. If you don’t, this is a great (albeit expensive) way to test the waters.

Zero Tolerance Les George Titanium KVT Folding Knife (0900); Manual Open, S35VN Stainless Steel, KVT Ball-Bearing System, Frame Lock, Reversible Pocketclip; 4.3 oz., 2.7 In. Blade, 6.6 In. Overall Length

Durable S35VN stainless steel makes the smaller, classic drop-point blade tough, chip resistant and razor sharp
Stonewashed finish gives blade and handle desirable roughened, scuffed look and helps hide scratches
Reversible, deep carry pocketclip convenient for left or right handed tip-up carry and sits low and comfortably in pocket
Ideal EDC; sleek, easy folding pocket knife essential for everyday tasks—survival tool, cutting boxes, self-defense, home protection, tactical use or the perfect gift
High quality, general all-purpose knife perfect for EDC or use while hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, working, utility or outdoor activities

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Zero Tolerance 0900 at Amazon and BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Leatherman Charge TTi Review

by Grayson Parker 18 Comments

Last Updated: July 27, 2019

I grew up with Leatherman tools. My dad always carried one, and to this day he still has his Leatherman Juice on or around him most of the time. In Scouting, most people carried a multitool of some kind. The first knife that I cut myself with was my dad’s Leatherman Wave. When we climbed Mt. Whitney, I didn’t take a bushcraft knife, I didn’t take a modern folder; all I had was a Leatherman Squirt PS4. If you can’t tell by this point, I’ve got a lot of love for Leatherman tools.

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Under those circumstances, it’s pretty obvious why I’d be drawn to the Leatherman Charge TTi. Full size, all locking tools, built like a tank from materials even a knife snob couldn’t turn their nose up at; you see where I’m going. Last Christmas I decided to take the plunge and purchase one. It’s less and more than what I expected, and I’ll let you decide if that’s a good thing.

I’m sure every gear nut knows this feeling: you only need a tool when you don’t have it with you. That’s part of the problem here. I’ve carried the Charge in the pocket, on my belt, or in a bag for more than a month, and all the tasks I thought I’d be using it for disappeared whenever it was around. Who knows, maybe the plumbing was intimidated into submission.

General Dimensions and Tools

The Charge TTi has a closed length of 4” and a blade length of 2.9”. It’s .8” thick, and weighs 8.89 oz. I haven’t done the math, but it’s approximately heavy enough to qualify as assault with a deadly weapon if thrown. Partially responsible for the dreadnought class tonnage is that all the tools lock while open, a design choice that I still don’t know if I agree with yet. On one hand, it’s comforting to know that the blades won’t be snipping my fingers off if I do something stupid. On the other, I don’t know why an eyeglass screwdriver needs to lock. There’s a bit of play in all the locks, but that’s par for the course with multitools.

You can check out all the tools on the Charge through this link, the below chart, or the picture below that. I can’t think of a tool they left out, and their inclusion of a flathead screwdriver when the Charge already has two bit drivers suggests they were running out of ideas. That, or they knew too many folks just used the flathead for prying open paint cans and wanted to make replacement easier. Either way, all appropriate tools are present.

Needlenose Pliers	S30V Blade	Can/Bottle Opener
Regular Pliers	420HC Serrated Blade	Wood/Metal File
Hard-Wire Cutters	Saw	Diamond Coated File
Wire Cutter	Spring-Action Scissors	Large Bit Driver
Crimper	Cutting Hook	Small Bit Driver
Wire Stripper	Ruler	Medium Screwdriver

As I noted earlier, the Charge frightened away most of the chores that I would have used it for, but I was able to reach for it a few times. The pliers (which are cast, not machined) are wide and aggressive enough to remove the aerators from sinks, yet come to enough of a needle point for splinter removal. I didn’t use the blade hard enough to push the S30V to its limits, but it worked fine on boxes, apples, and spreading condiments on a sandwich. More than a few bottles of beer were opened as well. The only complaint I have is the absence of replaceable wire cutters, which are common enough in other Leatherman tools that I can’t see why they weren’t included.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Carry

The handles (if you couldn’t guess) are made of titanium. Well, the scales are. The non-tool guts of the knife are made of steel; I don’t even want to know how difficult the machining would be otherwise. By multitool standards the construction is pretty tight. Nominally, it’s held together with torx screws, but that would imply that you can disassemble it. This is not the case. For some reason that only the engineers at Leatherman know, these torx bits have little pins in them, which makes them incompatible with most torx drivers. A quibble, but a galling one. Before I get too negative, I will note that the finish left on the scales is truly beautiful, in a chipped stone kind of way.

Imagine a brick. Now shrink it, make it a little slimmer along the way, and put it in your hand. That covers the essential points of the ergonomics here. Normally I wouldn’t be so dismissive, but compared to the Skeletool the Charge is lackluster at best. To be fair: the edges are rounded, and I’ve never felt a hotspot, but it doesn’t conform to your palm the way other Leatherman tools do. If you’re carrying the Charge with the pocket clip, then disregard my line about “never feeling a hotspot.” You should have a good idea why farther down.

Take that same shrunken brick and strap it to your belt. Honestly, it’s not that bad that way. If you’re working in an industrial setting, no one is going to care about a multitool, and even most offices won’t mind a Leatherman on your belt. The worst I can say is that it can compete for space with any bag you might have, depending on how you wear it. Mine came with the leather sheath, and I haven’t had any problems with it. The side pockets on it are nice for a AAA flashlight and a mini sharpie.

Are you feeling particularly brave? Clip it to your pocket.

Leatherman Charge TTi Review – Final Thoughts

If you walked away from this review with the impression that I don’t like the Charge, I’m sorry. I can see that in many ways it’s a great tool, and deserves to be on the shortlist of high end multitools. This is probably just a consequence of my expectations being in the wrong place. A carpenter, an electrician, or anyone that does a lot of work with their hands would probably love having this on their belt. In other words: “it’s not you, it’s me.”

Funnily enough, its stiffest competition comes from within the brand, in the form of the Leatherman Wave. The Wave shares most of the design language of the Charge: a full set of locking tools, outside accessible blades, and a nearly identical toolset. Of course, it doesn’t have the premium materials that the Charge TTi does, but it also costs half as much. Whether those materials are worth the premium is up to you. Leatherman isn’t the only game in town; Victorinox, Multitasker, Gerber, and SOG all make plier centric multitools. I imagine that I’d have similar complaints if I were to review any of their offerings, as they’re all near the same weight or heavier.

At the end of the day, who should buy this? Well, despite its staid design, it really is the top of the heap. If you want a multitool that has the same materials as a Spyderco Sage 2, this is your only option. The all-locking tools may be unnecessary to me, but a godsend to someone else. It’s a nice enough object that I’m not going to get rid of mine; this’ll just be consigned to the glove box, where it can do some real good in a pinch.

Next up – the ZT 0900. You bastards finally got to me.

LEATHERMAN - Charge TTI Titanium Multitool with Spring-Action Scissors and Cutting Hook, Stainless Steel with Nylon Sheath (FFP)

READY FOR ANYTHING: All the most requested features in one good-looking, functional tool. Take it everywhere, use it anywhere.
FIT MORE FUNCTIONALITY: A variety of pliers, wire cutters, wire crimper and stripper, serrated and regular knives, saw, spring-action scissors, cutting hook, can and bottle openers, files, screwdrivers, and a ruler.
LET’S BE PRACTICAL: Sometimes you only have one hand to spare. The Charge TTi only requires one hand to open and use all the tools, even the ones that aren’t accessible from the outside. And with a locking blade, you can cut with confidence.
ALWAYS ON HAND: Equipped with a pocket clip and quick-release lanyard ring, your Charge TTi is always within reach and ready to work.
GUARANTEED: Our 25-year limited warranty ensures that your Leatherman will give you many years of dependable service. Just send it in and we’ll fix it up. All Leatherman multitools are made and repaired right here in the USA.

I recommend purchasing the Leatherman Charge TTi at Amazon, or BladeHQ. Purchasing anything through any of the links on this site helps support BladeReviews. Any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.