Knife Review Archives - Page 11 of 12

Knife Review: Spartan Blades PALLAS Button Lock

5 October, 2016

Spartan Blades LLC proudly make “Knives with Intent”, and their Pallas Button Lock folder is no exception, fulfilling its design brief exceptionally well.

The Blade and Handle Geometry:

Most knife specifications have a basic description of the blade geometry, but in this section I will be taking a more detailed look at geometry and balance.

Using a set of gauges and precision measuring equipment including a Vernier protractor, callipers, fixed radius gauges and the unique Arc Master adjustable radius gauge (the one that looks like a crossbow).

These measurements have been tabulated and are presented along with a few reference blades (8″ Chef’s Knife, 5.5″ Santoku and the popular Fällkniven F1).

Key aspects such as the primary bevel angle, grind type, blade depth, blade thickness, length, weight are detailed, along with balance information.

The ‘Balance relative to the front of the handle’ tells you if the knife will feel front heavy, or if the weight is in your hand (a positive value means the weight is forward of the front of the handle). The ‘Balance relative to the centre of the handle’ indicates how close to a ‘neutral balance’ the knife has in the hand.

In the case of full convex grinds the approximate centre of the grind is used for the primary bevel angle estimate.

The blade is made from S35VN steel.

Explained by the Maker:

The reasons for certain design choices may not be clear when simply looking at an object, so this section is intended to give an insight into the thinking behind a design by speaking to the designer themselves.

Unfortunately I can’t always get time with the designer so will use this section to include relevant information about the knife and its designer.

Mark Carey (co-founder of Spartan Blades LLC) and I discussed the Pallas at IWA 2016, so I was able to find out a little of the thought processes that brought the Pallas folder into Spartan Blades’ line up.

The knife was actually designed by Spartan Blades’ other founder Curtis Iovito and named after PALLAS (PALE ES), the Titan god of warcraft from Greek mythology.

Mark, as an ex-serviceman himself, is passionate about helping to properly equip those in the armed forces with reliable tools. The Pallas was born out of a relatively simple need for a folding knife that could be easily closed with gloves on, and while being made of premium materials, would stay at an affordable price point.

With most liner or frame lock knives being awkward to close with gloves on, the button lock was an ideal format to make it easy to release the lock with even thick gloves on. For a blade you can rely on, CPMS35VN steel was chosen with a thickness sufficient to make it strong, without being excessively thick or heavy which would impede cutting. The S35VN blade rides on a set of Alpha bearings keeping it slick. To keep weight low and yet not add a high cost, 6061 aluminium was used for the frame along with stainless steel hardware.

In its standard format the Pallas has a flipper tab and thumb stud, either of which can be flicked to easily open the blade. In this review is a special modified version for the UK market. The modification was included following a discussion between Bruce of Heinnie Haynes and Mark, and required the flipper tab to be removed.

This ‘UK’ modified Pallas was created due to the UKBA tightening control over imported knives with quickly deployable blades. Flipper style knives are the primary target.

A few more details:

The Pallas box along with a Heinnie Haynes sticker to signify the creation of this ‘UK’ Version of the knife.

Flipping open the box, and the Pallas is sandwiched between foam liners with a Spartan Blades sticker included.

Fresh out of the box, the Pallas.

Straight in for a look at three key aspects of this knife, it is made by Spartan Blades (with the logo engraved in the handle), there is a button lock, and the blade is S35VN steel.

Closer still to the stainless steel button.

Despite an overall flat cross-section, the Pallas is full of curves that make the design flow and provide its ergonomics.

Note the deviation from a standard Pallas in the there is no longer a flipper tab on this special UK version.

SpartanBlades’ signature titanium arrow pocket clip.

The pocket clip is one sided and cannot be fitted to the side with the lock button.

This is where the flipper tab would be on the standard Pallas.

Button locks are far less common in non-autos, than other locking mechanism, so warrants a closer look. Here the blade has been opened slightly to allow the button and its shaft to be seen.

Viewed from a slightly higher angle you can see how the button has been pulled into the handle as the blade starts to open.

With the blade a little further open you can see the locking notch in the blade into which the button engages. You can see it is just to the right of the blade stop pin.

The blade is now nearly fully open and the locking notch has nearly reached the button.

And fully open the button has locked itself into the notch in the blade. The blade has also hit the stop pin and is firmly wedged between the two.

Now the blade is fully open, the UK version trimmed off flipper tab can be seen more clearly.

The overall view.

when looking closely at the blade tip you can see the contrast of the crispness of the final edge bevel and the rounded blade spine.

The entire blade surface has a stonewashed finish.

Not quite a full flat grind, the Pallas blade is a high flat grind.

Each side of the pivot bolt is different, with a nut on this side.

And a torx bolt head on the other side.

Though they look good, the handle spacers are also a very practical design with wide flats where they contact the handles and a slight waist which will reduce weight without any significant loss of strength.

You can see straight through the handle with the three spacers one end,and the blade pivot at the other.

All the edges of the spine are nicely rounded. So you won’t be striking sparks off fire-rods, but you also won’t be fraying your pockets.

There is a little jimping for your thumb where the blade meets the handle.

Each side of the spacers are held with torx bolts, as is the pocket clip.

Blade centring is spot on.

When the blade is between one third and two thirds open you can see the blade-stop hook in the tang of the blade.

The cutting edge is terminated in a choil, and the plunge line is nicely radiused to reduce stress concentrators.

At the butt of the knife handle, there is jimping top and bottom giving a surprisingly useful amount of grip. I’d also take this opportunity to point out the surface texture of the anodised handles. There is a matt finish to the anodising due to what appears to be an underlying bead blasted surface.

Grooves cut into this side of the handle provide grip where your finger tips press onto the handle. Subtle and effective.

The lanyard hole goes through both handle slabs.

Lastly for this section, a close-up of the thumb stud which looks crisp and precise, yet without any sharp edges on the thumb contact surface.

What it is like to use?

I like a big folder, and though the Pallas is not really big, it certainly is a good size with its 3 3/4″ blade and 8 3/4″ opened length. For a knife of its size with all metal construction, the weight is impressively low making it easy to carry.

Admittedly I was slightly sceptical about the button lock from the point of view of a good tight lockup. Straight out of the box, my fears seemed to be proving true, HOWEVER (and yes a big however) this was only due to two reasons. Firstly without the flipper, I was only opening the blade slowly and the lock was then not engaging tightly, and secondly the button just needed a little use to settle in.

After more use, the lock was engaging tightly even when only opened gently on the thumb stud. So I would recommend all users to start with at least 30-40 good firm flicks open to bed the button lock in. After this the lock has been spot on and rock solid. Even with the UK version you can start to open the blade with the thumb stud, then flick it fully open with your wrist. For those with the knack, so can also flip the blade open using the thumb stud instead of the flipper tab (but be careful as you can easily catch the edge with your thumb doing this).

Another observation that was immediately obvious, is that the blade movement is super slick. Importantly the blade has no side-to-side play, but the movement is so smooth and easy I would go so far as to say it is the smoothest I’ve used to date (and I’ve handles hundreds of folders with and without ball-bearings). This may in part be due to the button lock mechanism allowing the blade tang to move freely, or possibly due to the high level of finish of all the moving parts.

The generous size of the knife means it is a comfortable handful with or without gloves. I would obviously prefer the added protection the flipper tab (finger guard) gives you, but for this UK version it is no less safe than other non-flipper folders.
(I take XL size gloves)

Taking up a thrust hold, the jimping on the blade gives you more grip.

Though this was not the intention of the harpoon style blade, it just happens that for a fine working grip your first finger sits nicely against the harpoon spine. Like this of course you need to watch your thumb doesn’t hit the lock button. (So far I’ve not had any instances of an accidental press of the lock button)

When swapping between grips, your hand seems to fall into place with no adjustment required to eliminate any hotspots. Handle shaping is subtle but certainly works well for me.

With the button lock design being focused on ease of closing with gloves on, it is primarily a right-handed layout with the button being easy to reach with the thumb of your right hand. The clip is also fixed to one side (opposite to the button). The blade has a double-ended thumb stud and there is a depression on both handle sides giving easier access to the thumb stud, so at least for opening the Pallas is suitable for left-handed users as well. Are there any issues for left-handers? No, even using the Pallas left-handed I found the button easy to press with my first finger to close the blade. It is not as comfortable with the clip falling under your finger tips in a left-handed grip, but that is only a minor annoyance.

Another concern I had was of the button being accidentally pressed during use. So far I’ve not come close to doing this as the button appears to be far enough forward you positively have to try and press it. It is perhaps a small risk, but the completely safe and easy one-handed-closing the Pallas allows, has started to make this a firm favourite. While holding the button in, the blade is able to swing freely, so one-handed-closing is as easy as pressing the button and either flicking the blade closed or holding the blade upright and allowing it to swing closed. Many knives open easily, but few close this easily (when you want it to close).

I’m not a fan of pocket clips, and the Pallas clip looks quite thick, but thanks to being titanium, it has an ideal holding tension that is not too strong or weak.

Blade thickness is an excellent compromise between ultimate strength and cutting ability. It is thick enough that in some harder materials you start to feel it binding as the blade grind wedges into the cut, but the high flat grind helps this stay manageable. There is enough steel in the blade that you are not going to be worried about breaking it (unless you try to use it as a pry bar).

To give another idea of scale, here it is next to the Fällkniven F1 and a Spyderco UK Pen Knife.

And also shown next to the Spartan Blades Harsey Model II.

Review Summary

The views expressed in this summary table are from the point of view of the reviewer’s personal use. I am not a member of the armed forces and cannot comment on its use beyond a cutting tool or field/hunting knife.

Something that might be a ‘pro’ for one user can be a ‘con’ for another, so the comments are categorised based on my requirements. You should consider all points and if they could be beneficial to you.

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Button lock makes blade closing easy, with or without gloves.	Lock initially needs some bedding in.
Safe and Easy One-Handed Closing.	Small possibility of accidentally pressing the lock button during use (this did NOT happen during testing).
Strong S35VN Blade.	Slightly biased for right-handed users.
Lightweight for its size.
Super smooth blade action.
Zero blade play.
Excellent fit and finish.
Titanium pocket clip.

Discussing the Review:

Please feel free to add comments to the review, but the ideal place to freely discuss these reviews is on a forum. If you started reading the shorter forum version of the review, but followed the link this full exclusive review, please return to that forum to discuss the review there.
If you read the review entirely on Tactical Reviews, please consider one of the following to join in any discussion.

EdgeMatters – Sponsored Reviews (UK based Forum for Knife Makers and Collectors)

BladeForums – Knife Reviews (US based Forum for Knife Discussion)

CandlePowerForums – Knife Reviews Section (Largest and Friendliest Flashlight Community Forum)

Knife Review: Zero Tolerance 0095BW Flipper (S35VN blade, Titanium Handle, ‘BlackWash’ Finish)

30 September, 2016

One of Zero Tolerance’s new knives for 2016, the 0095BW is one which initially did not particularly stand out for me, but as I’ve got to know it better, I’ve found I very nearly missed out on a real gem.

The Blade and Handle Geometry:

Most knife specifications have a basic description of the blade geometry, but in this section I will be taking a more detailed look at geometry and balance.

These measurements have been tabulated and are presented along with a few reference blades (8″ Chef’s Knife, 5.5″ Santoku and the popular Fällkniven F1).

Key aspects such as the primary bevel angle, grind type, blade depth, blade thickness, length, weight are detailed, along with balance information.

In the case of full convex grinds the approximate centre of the grind is used for the primary bevel angle estimate.

The blade is made from S35VN steel.

A few more details:

The 0095BW’s box.

Inside was the 0095BW and a generic ZT information leaflet.

Quiet and subtle, the 0095BW’s stonewashed ‘BlackWash’ finish makes it inconspicuous.

Nicely picking up the edges, the stonewashed finish allows you to really appreciate all the design details and flow of the lines.

A two-tone pivot adds a decorative element.

Blade and handle blend into each other with the stonewashed finish, and on this side the model, ‘made in’ and KAI logo can be seen on the blade. Also note the bolt head holding the hardened lockbar insert onto the Titanium lockbar.

The blade is perfectly centred (even if I’ve not quite captured that in this photo).

Despite such an understated, almost ‘used’ look, the 0095BW is a stunning looking knife.

On the other side of the blade is the ZT logo which sits into the lock release cut-out.

The removable clip also has the ZT logo. Also note how it sits at an angle such that it does not press on the lock bar, but instead on the side of the handle.

Taking a lower angle view, you can see the thinned area of the handle (under the clip) that creates the lock bar spring.

Ready for action the flipper (which doubles as a finger guard) has jimping to provide a good grip.

Ready for the clip to be mounted on either side, the 0095BW has the threaded holes for tip-up carry either way round.

A close view of the stonewashed finish on the handle. This gives an even overall ‘worn’ look, which really helps further marks blend in. The 0095BW is asking to be used.

With the blade open you can now see the lockbar release cut-out, and the where you press on the lockbar to release the blade. Notice as well how the lines of the handle flow into the flipper.

A close-up of the blade tip.

One of those details I consider a must-have, the 0095BW has a choil to terminate the edge and allow proper sharpening.

Like the handle, the blade has a stonewashed finish. The main difference here is that the blade grinding lines are visible through the finish.

A well rounded plunge line follows the handle’s front edge.

Out of the box, lock engagement is not that deep. However the lockup is rock solid. As it wears this will gradually increase the engagement.

The blade stop is a pin set into the handle, but set into blind holes so it cannot be seen on the side of the handle.

Giving it the really snappy opening is the detent ball which holds the blade closed until enough pressure is applied to the flipper.

A curving handle acts like a palm swell. The harpoon blade design is one of my favourite blade shapes.

Another look at that harpoon design.

What it is like to use?

Again this knife surprised me, as in contrast to its modest appearance (mainly thanks to the stonewashed finish), the 0095BW displays modern lines and has particularly good slicing and piercing ability. The blade cuts very aggressively and eagerly.

With a narrow point angle, the tip cuts very deeply (frequently deeper than you might want) and means you have to be wary of this. The high flat grind makes this almost a full flat grind and as such it slices very well. Add to this the blade being only 3mm thick and it makes those deep slicing cuts very easily.

The 0095BW is a good size folder with 3 1/2″ blade, yet remains slim, light and easy to pocket due to the Titanium used for the handles. This cuts both ways though, and does make the handle a little thin for heavy or extended work. As an EDC blade for sporadic cutting, the compromise is ideal.

Holding for a piercing cut, the flipper serves as a finger guard and gives you a solid surface to push forward with. (I take XL size gloves)

Taking up a power grip, the harpoon blade shape fits in perfectly with a thumb positioned on the spine for a stronger cutting force. The curve of the handle sitting nicely into your palm.

While looking at grip, a small aside to take a look at a common issue people have with flippers – that of finding them difficult to flip. The most common reason people have difficulty with flippers that use integral locks, is the accidental pressure on the lock bar. The lock bar has the blade retention detent, and is you push on the lock bar you effectively prevent the detent from slipping and so stop the blade deploying. You need to ensure that when you grip the closed knife you keep your fingers off the lock bar, and if you do this, sliiiiCK, the blade flies open and locks firmly. For a knife where the pocket clip sits fully on the lock bar (not the case here) you need to watch that as well.

Once you have the hang of gripping the knife correctly for the flip, it starts to become addictive and usually your flipping session ends with someone shouting at you to “STOP IT” (or is it just me that has that happen?).

In terms of its flip, this is one area Zero Tolerance have worked hard to get right. The design of the detent allows a good amount of force to build and then a clean release of that force as the blade breaks free. Using ZT’s KVT ball-bearing makes the blade motion super smooth, in fact if you push the lock bar out slightly to stop the detent ball pressing on the side of the blade, the blade will swing smoothly under its own weight. The result of a tuned detent combined with the KVT ball-bearing, is a very positive blade deployment which you might even think is assisted. Lock-up is absolutely solid with no play at all.

A quick mention of the ZT BlackWash finish – this is a bit like getting stonewashed jeans, it has almost been worn-in for you. The finish makes it look used, and easily masks any further marks from use, so unlike other types of finish that can be painful to see the first signs of use on, the 0095BW is just asking to be used.

To give an idea of scale, here it is next to the Fällkniven F1 and a Spyderco UK Pen Knife.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Understated look using ZT’s BlackWash finish.	Handle too slim for extended use or heavy cutting.
Extremely effective for slicing or piercing.	Blade tip makes it easy to cut too deeply.
Silky and positive flip action.	Pivot bearing is not sealed so could attract dust and grit.
Light weight.	Careful placement of fingers required for an easy flip.
Slim design is easy to pocket.	Can become slippery with wet or greasy hands due to a lack of grip patterns or jimping.
Uses S35VN steel.
KVT pivot ball-bearing.
Reversible clip.
Excellent fit and finish.

Discussing the Review:

Please feel free to add comments to the review, but the ideal place to freely discuss these reviews is on a forum. If you started reading the shorter forum version of the review, but followed the link this full exclusive review, please return to that forum to discuss the review there.
If you read the review entirely on Tactical Reviews, please consider one of the following to join in any discussion.

EdgeMatters – Sponsored Reviews (UK based Forum for Knife Makers and Collectors)

BladeForums – Knife Reviews (US based Forum for Knife Discussion)

CandlePowerForums – Knife Reviews Section (Largest and Friendliest Flashlight Community Forum)

Knife Review: Buck Selkirk, Compadre Chopping Froe and Kinetic Fishing Spear

26 September, 2016

Buck’s Selkirk, Compadre Chopping Froe and Kinetic Fishing Spear were specifically chosen for this review to compliment each other for camp/survival tasks. Following a visit to Buck at IWA 2016 I’ve been able to give these a good workout to see how they fare.

The Blade and Handle Geometry:

Most knife specifications have a basic description of the blade geometry, but in this section I will be taking a more detailed look at geometry and balance.

These measurements have been tabulated and are presented along with a few reference blades (8″ Chef’s Knife, 5.5″ Santoku and the popular Fällkniven F1).

Key aspects such as the primary bevel angle, grind type, blade depth, blade thickness, length, weight are detailed, along with balance information.

In the case of full convex grinds the approximate centre of the grind is used for the primary bevel angle estimate.

Explained by the Maker:

Unfortunately I can’t always get time with the designer so will use this section to include relevant information about the knife and its designer.

The following comments are noted from a walk-through that Joseph Piedmont kindly gave at SHOT Show.

Model 863, the Selkirk is Buck’s new survival knife which includes a fire-rod with whistle for signaling. The sheath is moulded plastic and features multi-carry capability that can be reconfigured to allow for vertical or horizontal carry, and even upside-down as a neck knife.

The knife itself is a flat-grind drop-point featuring a guard and a hammer pommel. The handle has custom micarta sides. The choil is left with its sharp ground edge to allow it to be used with the fire-starter and have a nice grip to get good sparks.

The Selkirk’s sheath has a nice crisp snap-in, really holding the knife, so you won’t have to worry about it falling out.

Chopping Froe model 108 is fitted with American walnut handles and a red powder coated 5160 blade. This is part of the camping and outdoor survival series. Red was chosen to tie in camping of yesteryear (where it was common to use red-headed hatchets), with the camping of today.

The knife was modelled from a Scandinavian tool with the same name used to chop kindling. Buck have modified it with the handle and putting a knife edge on it to make it more versatile. (Reader’s NOTE: a traditional froe has a dull edge, a handle at 90 degrees to the blade, and is use for controlling and advancing a split in a piece of wood)

The Buck froe has been given a very steep grind producing a wedge behind the knife edge. When splitting wood, the knife edge starts the cut, but the wedge takes over so the knife edge is not finishing the cut.

The black leather sheath protects the blade and the D-ring makes it really easy to connect it to your gear or hang it up.

The Kinetic Fishing spear is one of three new spears. This range goes from the smallest, the Hunt Spear, to the Two Tined Gig spear, and finally the 074 Fishing Spear. The fishing spear is the most involved design with two interconnecting pieces. In its folded-flat state the spear is covered front and back by a plastic sheath tied together with paracord. The paracord is held in place with a moulded pinch-grip making it quick and easy to secure and release. The two parts of the spear lock together to form a four point spear. It has the same chisel on the back as the other two spears, and crucially needs to be driven deep enough into the stick to engage the secondary wedge. The beauty of this design is that the sheath parts go from the flat packed configuration into a cross shaped safety cover for the four points when it is mounted.

One trick to be aware of when mounting the spear heads is to wrap the paracord onto the stick before pounding the spear into the end of the stick. This really tightens up the paracord giving a very secure fit.

A few more details of the Selkirk Survival Knife:

Before concentrating on the Selkirk, here are the boxes for all three together.

The Selkirk arrives in its sheath with ferrocerium rod and whistle, plus an instruction leaflet for the sheath mounting options and a warranty card.

Though it looks like a Kydex type of sheath, it is a moulded plastic.

On the back of the sheath, the belt loops can be removed and refitted in different positions.

All the components lined up with the sheath, knife and ferrocerium rod/whistle.

The Selkirk has a nice deep blade with full flat grind.

Buck say that the pommel (rear bolster) can be used as an improvised hammer.

Looking close up at the handle micarta sides you can see the semi-smooth finish and additional grip grooves.

An overall view of the handle. The layers in the micarta act as contour lines showing the shaping.

From a different angle you can see the palm swell and grip flaring.

A very close view of the choil and its sharp edges for striking the fire-rod.

Going closer still for a look at the point and how the cutting edge has been formed from a coarse grit followed by a polishing process.

On the spine there is an area of jimping for the thumb to sit on. On this example this was well formed and not too sharp.

Keeping on the up-close theme, the moulded sheath has the Buck logo moulded into it.

Next to the fire-rod holder are the sheath screws which adjust the retention tension of the sheath. You can change how much force is needed to remove and insert the knife by adjusting these screws.

On the lower part of the whistle is a bayonet fitting to hold the fire-rod in place. There is also a cord which can be stretched over the end of the rod to further secure it.

Inside the belt loop is a moveable adjuster block to cater for different width belts.

At the tip of the sheath there are metal rivets that provide tying points.

The overall impression of this knife is good, but its mass produced character is visible when you start looking and small details. Here the micarta handle is not a perfect fit.

Still looking for flaws, this time at the pommel, the grinding is not that precise and filler appears to have been used between the micarta and steel pommel.

The Selkirk with a couple of other well known knives to provide the scale. (Fällkniven F1 and a Spyderco UK Pen Knife)

One last look at this knife before moving onto the Froe.

A few more details of the Compadre Chopping Froe:

First impressions are really good thanks to the leather sheath the Froe arrives in. The only other item in the box is the warranty card.

Immediately obvious are some nice touches like the retaining strap’s popper cover having Buck’s logo and name on it.

Also of note with the retaining strap is that the metal back of the popper that sits against the handle has been covered to prevent it marking the wooden handle.

There is a cut-out in the sheath that shows the Buck anvil logo cut into the blade.

Pressed into the leather sheath is the Buck logo.

The sheath is well stitched and riveted for extra strength.

On the back of the sheath the rolled rivet heads are not as neat as on the front, but fit with the rivet colour used for the hanging loop.

The rolled over heads of the rivets on the back of the sheath look like this.

A nice heavy duty D-ring is used for the hanger.

Opening the two retaining straps allows the Froe to slide out.

A very obvious label warning you not to strike the Froe’s blade with hardened tools is on the side of the blade. This is no different to traditional froes or any other blade you might baton with.

Whipping the label off gives you the full effect of the red powder coating.

The ‘tip’ of the blade shows the splitting wedge design of the blade grind.

There is a subtle choil next to the handle.

At the top of the blade next to the handle there is a hole in the blade. Though this could be used as a wrist strap attachment point, I would advise you to be very careful if you want to do this as it can become more dangerous than the tool coming out of the hand.

The American walnut handle slabs are held on with nice looking bolts.

Blade stock used for the Froe is substantial.

Having a long handle, the Froe can be used with different grips.

looking along the Froe to show more of the contours of this tool.

There is a nice swell at the pommel to prevent slipping, but no striking surface. If you hammer on, or with, this tool you risk damaging the handle. This view also shows the handle is made from plywood, not solid wood, as this will be more resilient and resistant to cracking.

A few more details of the Kinetic Fishing Spear:

And now for something completely different, a fishing spear.

Folding flat, the Kinetic Fishing Spear is very neat in its folded state.

This package is held together by a paracord tie and a pinch-grip.

Pulling the end of the cord out of the pinch-grip you can start to unwind it.

Releasing one side of the plastic cover.

The pinch-grip has small teeth to hold onto the cord.

The same piece of cord then releases the other side of the cover.

Fully unwound the cord comes completely off the cover.

Now you can slide off the lower cover.

And then the point covers, which also slide apart to give two separate pieces.

The shorter of the two parts of the spear head slides into a slot in the larger part.

This then rotates into place, and in this position cannot move backwards or forward.

When assembled the spear suddenly looks very capable.

The smaller piece has the Buck logo on it.

As does the larger piece.

A really cleaver feature is that the two pieces of the point guard slide together to form a cross shape.

This cross shaped guard can then cover the points of the assembled spear head.

There is a barb on each of the four points.

A chisel point is provided on the tang of the larger piece of the spear that can both be used for some of the spear pole preparation, and to make it easier to drive into the end of the pole.

What are they like to use?

It is not that I expected anything to be bad about the Selkirk, but it has really surprised me just how good it has been for me to use. Not only that, but anyone I’ve handed it to has also been impressed with how good it feels in the hand.

Remembering that I take an XL size glove, this is how the Selkirk looks in the hand.

The shaping of the handle is excellent. The palm swell is just enough to sit very naturally, and the curve of the handle allows your hand to work with the Selkirk. Flaring at the front and back of the handle stops you hand moving, and even working hard with this knife on hot days with sweaty hands didn’t cause any issues.
Resting between cutting jobs, the Selkirk just seems to stay in place in a relaxed hand, and when working I was never aware of the handle, instead all my focus was allowed to fall onto the cutting task and directing the blade. I did not expect this level of comfort and control.

I’m going to look at more of the Selkirk in use later on, but switching now to the fire-lighting capability of the Selkirk, and how well it strikes sparks from the ferrocerium rod.

As the product description from Buck specifically says the choil has been left with a sharp corner to use for striking sparks, I’ll start with this. Once you get through the outer coating of the new rod, you then start to get proper sparks. Using the choil does work OK, but is not that good.

Flip the blade round and use the spine instead and you are rewarded with a bigger shower of sparks. So the specific feature of using the choil to strike sparks is a little redundant. What you do have is a choice of more or less sparks. Striking fewer sparks with the choil will wear the fire-rod away less and may be all you need.

Scaling up in size we have the heavy Chopping Froe. Here the grip is closest to the pommel and gives the greatest striking advantage.

For more control you can grip the Froe handle near the blade. This is good for finer chopping tasks, but the blade edge is not really sharp enough (due to the edge angle) for fine carving or slicing cuts.

When I initially saw the rake of the Froe’s blade, I thought it would be awkward to use, and if working onto a chopping block, the angle does mean you can’t really strike down onto the block and have the edge strike squarely, you always end up cutting into the edge of the block.

Moving to free-cutting when you are chopping through branches or the trunks of smaller trees, then this rake actually ensure the edge strikes at a slight angle which does enhance the cutting power. The Froe is very efficient when used in this way.

The more I use the Buck Froe, the more I would compare it to a hatchet rather than a knife, but a hatchet with a very long edge and which does not need a precisely positioned strike to get a good result. The knife edge, despite being sharp enough, is not well suited to anything but chopping. The blade thickness and steep primary grind make it pretty hopeless for slicing cuts and the overall size/weight and rake make fine work difficult.

Finally a quick mention of the Kinetic Fishing Spear. Unfortunately I’ve not been able to spear any fish with it so far. Not due to always missing, but due to a lack of suitable fishing opportunities. Mounted it seems very capable and with an overall good balance, but unfortunately up to now that is as far as I can comment.

Mounting the Kinetic Fishing Spear

One small project that would cover all three of these Buck products is to make a shaft for the Kinetic fishing spear head. A quick visit to a local wooded site resulted in a pole for a first attempt.

Working onto a cutting block I used the Froe to trim the pole to length and to prepare a baton for later. As you can see here the Froe has cut quite deeply into the edge of the cutting block.

The spear head needs a cross shaped split to fit into. For finer control than the Froe would provide, instead I went for batoning the Selkirk to create the split.

A quick clean up of the end of the pole.

And setting the Kinetic spear head into place.

Then using a cord wrap to hold the spear head firmly. (keeping the cord in a single piece and using a whipping technique to secure the ends.

All ready to go, the fearsome Kinetic spear and the partnership of the Selkirk and Froe.

Onto another project, and in this instance I was making a wooden spoon. This requires some careful splitting of a small log, so again I whipped up a baton and used this for making the controlled split with the Froe.

The splitting worked very well and the Froe also did a little rough shaping, before it became a little awkward to use due to the rake.

Other tools were used, but it all started with the Froe.

While things were going well I decided to have another go at the spear’s pole. I found a rather good piece of hazel, and this time cleaned off all the bark with the Selkirk.

The size of the pole was chosen to suit the tang of the spear head.

Pre-split using the Selkirk, the Kinetic spear head was then tapped into place.

Wrapped tightly with paracord to secure the head. As the wood dries further the cord needs to be re-wrapped to stay tight.

Ready to go, the only issue, no suitable fishing spots round here.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Selkirk – Excellent handling.	Selkirk – Fit/Finish is not the best.
Selkirk – Versatile sheath.	Selkirk – Ferrocerium rod retention may not be secure if not using the cord loop.
Selkirk – All rounder FFG blade.
Selkirk – Hammer pommel.
Selkirk – Ferrocerium rod with Whistle.
Froe – Effective heavy chopper.	Froe – Relatively expensive.
Froe – Great for splitting even large logs.	Froe – Poor performance for other cutting tasks.
Froe – Very sturdy leather sheath.	Froe – Blade rake is awkward when cutting onto a block.
Froe – Long Handle allows different grips.
Kinetic – Strong construction.	Kinetic – Requires mounting before it can be used.
Kinetic – Guard can be used folded or assembled.	Kinetic – It is necessary to hammer on the prongs to mount it.
Kinetic – Cord is provided.

Discussing the Review:

Please feel free to add comments to the review, but the ideal place to freely discuss these reviews is on a forum. If you started reading the shorter forum version of the review, but followed the link this full exclusive review, please return to that forum to discuss the review there.
If you read the review entirely on Tactical Reviews, please consider one of the following to join in any discussion.

EdgeMatters – Sponsored Reviews (UK based Forum for Knife Makers and Collectors)

BladeForums – Knife Reviews (US based Forum for Knife Discussion)

CandlePowerForums – Knife Reviews Section (Largest and Friendliest Flashlight Community Forum)

Knife Review: Fällkniven F1 Pro

22 August, 2016

Although Fällkniven have a winning formula with their F1 Survival knife, (the official survival knife of Swedish Air Force pilots since 1995), Fällkniven’s desire for continual improvement led them to start work on the Pro Series, including the F1 Pro, in 2010.

The Pro Series consists of the F1 Pro (featured here) as well as the S1 and A1 Pro models.

The Blade and Handle Geometry:

Most knife specifications have a basic description of the blade geometry, but in this section I will be taking a more detailed look at geometry and balance.

These measurements have been tabulated and are presented along with a few reference blades (8″ Chef’s Knife, 5.5″ Santoku and the popular Fällkniven F1).

Key aspects such as the primary bevel angle, grind type, blade depth, blade thickness, length, weight are detailed, along with balance information.

In the case of full convex grinds the approximate centre of the grind is used for the primary bevel angle estimate.

The blade is made from laminated (Outer)420J2/(Centre)CoS (Cobalt-Special) steel.

Explained by the Maker:

Unfortunately I can’t always get time with the designer so will use this section to include relevant information about the knife and its designer.

Peter Hjortberger (Founder of FÄLLKNIVEN AB) told me a little of the origin of the F1 – The F1 story started with an inquiry from two pilots in the Swedish Air Force (Swedish ”Flygvapnet”). They had a very, very simple sheath knife in their survival dress (leg pocket), a knife that cost less than one GBP. Considering that they were flying an air-fighter costing a huge amount of money, the pilots thought that they should carry a knife which was the same quality level as their aircraft.

Though there is quite a long story behind the F1 Pilot Survival knife, the ”F” comes from ”Flygvapnet”, but you can also consider it to be like the ‘F1’ of Formula One racing, or why not ‘F’ like in Fällkniven.

The F1 knife became such a worldwide success that Peter decided to stop selling products from other brands and concentrate the company on developing their own knives. From 1995 this has been the focus of the company and the reason behind Fällkniven’s good reputation all around the world.

Before getting into the detailed look at the F1 Pro, there is a list of upgraded features that Fällkniven have published so you can keep an eye out for them in the photos (especially the F1/F1 Pro comparison section). I’m going to quote the statement from Fällkniven and add some more detail as we go.

“1. The laminated VG10 steel is replaced with a laminate cobalt steel (lam. CoS) which, amongst other things, ensures a durable edge and improved edge retention.” – Uprating the steel has allowed the hardness to be increased from 59HRC to 60HRC without compromising durability. Cobalt is very beneficial in steel alloys and is used in drill bits suitable for drilling hardened steels. The composition of the CoS used by Fällkniven is shown below compared to the VG10.

Steel analysis
VG10 Composition (59 HRC)	CoS Composition (60 HRC)
Cr – 15.00	Cr – 16
Co – 1.40	Co – 2.5
Mo – 1.05	Mo – 1.5
C – 1.00	C – 1.1
Si – 0.60	V – 0.3
Mn – 0.50	W – 0.3
V – 0.20	Si – trace
P – 0.030	P – trace

“2. The blades are consistently thicker causing an increased torsional rigidity – they will withstand even greater external forces than before.” – Currently unpublished, but Fällkniven have assured me that the breaking test result of the F1 Pro has provided a very positive result compared to the standard VG10 F1.

“3. The tapered tang is wider and thicker and thus significantly stronger.” – Though I’m not going to cut off the Thermorun handles to expose the tangs, when looking at the comparison photos of the pommel you can clearly see the thicker tang.

“4. The crossguard is made of stainless steel and permanently mounted to the tang.” – Though in real use, the F1’s finger guard has not let me down, the fact it is rubber has always concerned me slightly. The F1 Pro however now has a steel finger guard allowing you to much more confidently apply pressure to it.

“5. The convex edge has been refined to improve the cutting properties.” – The F1 I have actually appears to have a mostly flat grind with only the last 4-5mm convexed to the cutting edge. With the F1 Pro I can clearly see the edge is convexed through the entire primary grind to the edge.

“6. The zytel sheaths are redesigned meaning they are more durable and are better suited to the Molle attachment system.” – Without becoming too large, the F1 Pro sheath is far more robust and includes slots that can accommodate MOLLE straps.

“7. The knives are supplied with our most valued combination whetstone, the DC4. It offers both a diamond whetstone and a ceramic stone for field sharpening.” – Really this just makes the F1 Pro package complete, as you might already have a sharpening system. The DC4 however provides a combination diamond/ceramic stone in a pocket size package making it easy to carry into the field. Well worth having.

“8. The knives are packed in shock-resistant, waterproof boxes that can be used for storage of smart phones, GPS, documents, survival gear and much more.” – Packaging and presentation of the F1 Pro is excellent, and the case can be used for other purposes once you have stripped out the foam liner (easier said than donewith the one I had) giving you a tough case that is small enough to be packable and large enough to be useful.

Keep an eye out for these features in the following sections.

A few more details:

In keeping with Fällkniven’s normal product packaging the F1 Pro arrives in a white cardboard box.
I like the Swedish sense of humour as this is the first knife I have received which came with a supply of Fällkniven branded sticking plasters.

Inside the cardboard box is the tough, waterproof, plastic case.

Opening the case you find the contents nicely organised.

The liner is a substantial closed-cell foam with finger cut-outs to make it easy to remove the items.

You have the F1 Pro knife, its sheath, the DC4 stone and a case for the DC4.

You can buy the DC4 separately, but in keeping with the uprated features of the F1 Pro you get this great stone with the F1 Pro. The gold side is the one with a diamond coating. With harder blade steels, the diamond makes it much easier to achieve a good result while not taking too long.

Flipping the DC4 over, it has a ceramic side which allows for a finer finish once the diamond side has done most of the work.

As it comes out of the box, the sheath has the belt loop tucked into the top.

Pulling out the belt loop and you can see the retaining strap as well.

While looking at the sheath, let’s have a closer look as the new strapping points on side. This is the first one.

On the other side, there is a cut-out in the middle of the strap loop which allows for the movement of the plastic sprung tab which holds onto the F1’s guard. When removing or inserting the F1 Pro, this tab moves far enough out that it would touch the strap loop if it did not have this cut-out.

The webbing belt loop is riveted onto the back of the sheath.

When sheathed, you can hold the sheath upside-down and even without the retaining strap done up, the knife doesn’t fall out, but for complete security the retaining strap is closed round the end of the handle.

And now for the star of this review, the F1 Pro itself.

Taking a close look at the tip of the blade. You can see the line where the outer and centre steels join.

Looking closer still at the lamination join and cutting edge. Where the steels join it appears as if it is slightly softer as during the finishing processes the line has become slightly recessed. This is not a problem, just an observation.

Giving the edge a proper termination the F1 Pro has a choil centred on the plunge line.

Often a point of weakness due to stress concentrators, the F1 Pro’s plunge line has a nicely radiused transition from primary grind to the ricasso.

The fit of the guard to the blade is excellent, but if looking closely at the grip to guard fit, the Thermorun handle material extends slightly beyond the guard.

As with the F1, the tang of the F1 Pro is exposed at the pommel.

A flared tube is used for the lanyard hole and also secures the grip. The flaring of the tube not only keeps it in place, but also means the lanyard hole has no sharp edges that might have frayed the cord.

The sides of the handle have a moulded diamond knurling pattern.

Not actually sharp, the corners of the blade’s spine do strike sparks from ferrocerium rods.

Comparing the F1 and F1 Pro:

This review is not simply a comparison of the F1 and this new F1 Pro, but it would not be complete without looking at the two side-by-side.

Starting with an overall view, the F1 Pro’s heavier build is immediately obvious. The new guard and modified blade grind really stand out.

Staying with an overall view but this time directly side on. Overall dimensions are very similar.

Focusing in on the handles, the F1 Pro has a slightly deeper grip with less pronounced palm swell.

The new guard sits perpendicular to the edge. On the Original F1 the guard sweeps backwards.

With a thicker blade stock and sabre grind, the blade of the F1 Pro is significantly stronger than the already strong F1.

The exposed tangs also show the thicker blade stock used for the F1 Pro.

A view looking down onto the cutting edge of each knife to show the blade and handle thickness.

Lastly the F1 and F1 Pro sheaths side-by-side. The F1 Pro’s sheath is a bit chunkier than the F1’s.

What it is like to use?

With the huge success of the F1, the ‘improved’ F1 Pro certainly has a lot to live up to. Initially I expected the F1 Pro to overshadow the F1 and make it virtually obsolete, but the reality is not so. Both knives have a place, and their differences are what would make you choose one over the other.

Picking up the F1 Pro, you can feel that it is nearly 20% heavier than the F1 though this is not a bad thing, just in keeping with its stronger build.

My hands take an XL size glove, so usually I prefer generously sized handles, especially if I’m going to work hard with it. That said, I’ve always appreciated the F1 being a relatively compact knife, and the F1 Pro still maintains this. A slightly larger grip fits in with this knife as an overall package very well. Even though the sheath has grown slightly as well, it still remains a lot of knife crammed into a small package.

Switching quickly to the hard case supplied with the F1 Pro. You can always leave the case as it came and put the F1 back into it, but once you have the F1 Pro out, you are not going to want to put it back into storage. I keep this one to hand, and it is very easy to pop into a backpack if getting into the great outdoors. So that case….what to do with it? Leaving the foam insert in it is no help as it will only accommodate the F1 Pro, so this needs to come out. With the case being listed as a reusable item, I was surprised that this foam did not want to come out. It seemed very firmly glued into place and I was about to give up when I found that the double-sided tape holding the foam layers together was partially out and sticking the foam to the side of the case as well. After much prying (this is a stiff closed-cell foam), I managed to get it free in one piece. The less patient might have used the F1 Pro to shred this foam liner. Of course, once out, the case can now be used for whatever you like.

Time to get out into the field and try it out for various tasks. The first was a bit of wood carving. Not the only knife used for this, but one of the most comfortable thanks to the thick blade stock and the way the edges of the spine were finished. Placing your thumb onto the spine allows for power and control over the cut. After working with it in this way for quite some time, my thumb was not suffering at all and I could have carried on all day (but had other things to do).

As mentioned above, the spine was very comfortable to press onto, so I wondered how well it would strike a ferrocerium rod (really an essential for a survival knife). It turned out to be really rather good, giving a concentrated and directed shower of sparks.

I thought I would give it a try in the kitchen as well to see what its food preparation capabilities were. A blade this thick is always going to struggle a bit with deeper cuts and this test really showed this. Starting with mushrooms, the cuts were easy and controllable, but the slices were bent over and split by the thick blade.

Moving to a thinner vegetable, it handled the mange-tout with ease and the baby sweetcorn were half cut, half split apart.

The biggest challenge to the blade thickness was a crisp courgette. Cutting was easy but there was a great deal of splitting once the blade got a little deeper. Altogether though, the cutting was easy, and even if not my first choice for food preparation, the F1 Pro worked well enough.

A little mention of that convex edge and maintaining it. For many, the maintenance of a convex edge is challenging. It is easy to set a knife at an angle and sharpen it, but the convex edge is a curve. This can be made even more difficult with an extended convexed edge, and in the case of the F1 Pro, the entire primary grind is convexed. To sharpen a convex edge you need to remove material over the entire convexed section, so for the F1 it means you really need to work on the entire primary grind. It will never look like new once you have done this. You can of course start to put a standard bevel onto the F1 Pro and it will still work well. I sometimes do this and once the bevel has got a little larger I just knock off the shoulder of the bezel (adding a second bevel) giving a pseudo convex effect. It is generally much easier to do this in the field than attempt a full convex sharpen.

Reader’s Note: There is a commonly known ‘simple’ convexing method using wet and dry paper and a mousemat, so you may want to look into this for maintenance at home. It is not really an ‘in the field’ method. Convexing by hand with a flat stone requires practice and a methodical approach, but can be done in the field with a small stone.

Is the F1 Pro going to be right for you? If you want a high strength, compact and efficient cutting tool, then the answer will be ‘yes’. You could also choose the tried and tested, proven design of the original F1, which gives you a slightly lighter and more compact overall package (at the cost of some blade strength), and this would be fine for most users and most conditions. ‘Most conditions’ being the crucial part of that description, as should you find yourself in an emergency situation where the knife might be tested to its limits, you might prefer to have all the strength you possibly could. The F1 Pro has that extra strength ‘in case’ you need it.

Taking the F1 Pro on its own merits, and you have an extremely sturdy, easily manageable cutting tool with excellent edge retention (thanks to the Cobalt Steel). The F1 Pro is a complete package with the knife/sheath, DC4 sharpener and reusable plastic case.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Builds on an already proven formula and reputation.	Quality and strength comes at a higher price.
Cobalt steel edge.	Relatively heavy for its size.
Very strong blade.	Convex edge can be more difficult to maintain with standard whetstones.
Strikes a ferrocerium rod well.	Thicker blade less suited to deeper cuts.
Thick spine is very comfortable to push with the thumb for heavy cuts.
Price also includes the DC4 sharpener and reusable waterproof case.

Discussing the Review:

Please feel free to add comments to the review, but the ideal place to freely discuss these reviews is on a forum. If you started reading the shorter forum version of the review, but followed the link this full exclusive review, please return to that forum to discuss the review there.
If you read the review entirely on Tactical Reviews, please consider one of the following to join in any discussion.

EdgeMatters – Sponsored Reviews (UK based Forum for Knife Makers and Collectors)

BladeForums – Knife Reviews (US based Forum for Knife Discussion)

CandlePowerForums – Knife Reviews Section (Largest and Friendliest Flashlight Community Forum)

Knife Review: Morakniv – A Look at the Classics

7 July, 2016

Morakniv’s products are extremely well known, but with most people being more used to simply calling them a ‘Mora’. Of course Mora is actually the name of the place in Sweden where these famous knives are made. It was when the two major knife making companies in Mora (Frosts and KJ Eriksson) merged in 2005 that ‘Mora of Sweden’ was born and customers referred to their ‘Mora’ knife. Building on its strong branding, on the 1st of January 2016 Mora of Sweden officially changed its name to ‘Morakniv AB’ after the products it makes – Knives from Mora.

With three new models coming onto the Morakniv range (Garberg, Kansbol and Eldris), in this article, Tactical Reviews is looking at several of the core products in the Morakniv lineup including the Companion, Bushcraft Survival, Axe, and Sharpeners.

The Blade and Handle Geometry:

Most knives specifications have a basic description of the blade geometry, but in this section I will be taking a more detailed look at geometry and balance.

These measurements have been tabulated and are presented along with a few reference blades (8″ Chef’s Knife, 5.5″ Santoku and the popular Fällkniven F1).

Key aspects such as the primary bevel angle, grind type, blade depth, blade thickness, length, weight are detailed, along with balance information.

In the case of full convex grinds the approximate centre of the grind is used for the primary bevel angle estimate.

With the large number of knives in this review, three tables have been prepared. Starting with the reference knives and the Axe.

Then all the Companion models together, as well as the 120 wood carving model.

In the final set, the Bushcraft Survival models are shown amongst the Companions and Axe for comparison.

A few more details:

Designed as working tools, Morakniv products arrive in a variety of packaging ranging from none to blister packs and boxes.

Being the most popular of Morakniv’s products, the Companion comes in several different versions. Ignoring colour variations, the main types are (from left to right), the Companion (Stainless Steel), Serrated Companion (Stainless Steel), Companion Heavy duty (Carbon Steel) and the Companion Tactical (Stainless Steel).

All companion versions come with the same design plastic sheath (colours vary), but the Tactical version has an additional sheath cover which is MOLLE compatible. The Morakniv fluorescent orange is very bright!

Taking just the Companion knives themselves, the main differences are the thicker blade of the Heavy Duty, and the black ED coated blade of the Tactical.

The Companions are considered about the best value outdoor knife on the market, and as a step up in performance, the Bushcraft Survival models are also rated very highly for their value for money. Both models come in a cardboard backed blister pack.

Opening these is easy and does not require another knife thanks to a well thought out design allowing you to get a finger under the plastic part and pull it open.

Morakniv have put an impressive package together with a heavy duty blade, diamond sharpener on the sheath and an integrated firesteel. The sheath has an option of two different hangers.

The hangers fit into the back of the sheath, and you have the choice of a fully enclosed belt loop which can handle wider belts, or a hook-over style belt loop. With the knife in the sheath, these loops cannot be removed.

The ‘Survival Bushcraft’ has a Stainless Steel blade, and the ‘Survival Bushcraft Black’ has a Carbon steel blade.

The ferrocerium rod fits into a holder on the side of the sheath.

Here the ‘Survival Bushcraft’ is shown in the sheath with the enclosed belt loop fitted, and the ‘Survival Bushcraft Black’ knife and ferrocerium rod are shown next to the sheath which has the belt clip fitted.

Next up in the whistle-stop tour are the Outdoor Axe and three diamond sharpeners.

Unpackaged for a better view. Like the Companions and Survival Bushcraft models, the orange handle of the Outdoor Axe is very fluorescent.

Though this image is low in contrast, you can see the Outdoor Axe still bears to older ‘Mora of Sweden’ mark, but the box it came in was branded Morakniv.

Like the Companion Tactical the Outdoor Axe has an ED coated blade.

The Axe blade is Boron Steel.

A perfect camping trip kit here with the Outdoor Axe, Bushcraft Survival, and a 120 for fine whittling when relaxing next to a roaring camp fire.

What are they like to use?

There are a couple of good reasons the Morakniv products are so popular; the first is their great value for money, so much so the Companion is almost disposable, and you won’t have to shed a tear if you lose one. Then there is the fact that they handle really well, being light, comfortable to hold and work with for long periods, and are very efficient cutters. The Scandi-grind used also makes them very easy for everyone to sharpen as you have a built-in edge angle guide.

Taking time to specifically re-assess these knives, I spent a couple of days making a few camping accessories from pot hangers to a spoon.

Roughing out a spoon requires a lot of wood removal, but you also need to be careful; the Outdoor Axe made light work of this.

A bit of a jump forwards here and in the shaping of this spoon, the Companion models were also used. Comparing the Companion and Bushcraft Survival is not straightforward. The Companion with its thinner blade does cut with less resistance carving wood and cutting other materials, but the Bushcraft Survival’s thicker blade makes it more robust if batoning with it and also gives a more comfortable spine to push on for certain cuts.

For the tighter radiuses the 120 wood carver is king, and for the bowl of this spoon you really do need a hook knife and the Mora 162 is the one I had to hand.

Looking at the back of the bowl, nice clean cuts can be seen in all directions.

Not yet mentioned is the Serrated Companion. It was not well suited to woodcarving, and has a particular place when you are dealing with fibrous materials. Personally I would keep the Serrated version on standby for a few specific tasks rather than have it as a general use knife, and with the Companions being so inexpensive you can have both plain and serrated blades without breaking the bank.

Moving more into the ‘survival’ area, though a Companion would serve you well if it were the only blade you had, the Bushcraft Survival is that much more sturdy and has a built-in diamond sharpener and a fire-steel; definitely a more complete package.

The spine of the Bushcraft Survival has been left with a sharp corner to make striking the fire-steel effective and this is a typical strike. (slowed down to better show the sparks).

Morakniv have been making tools for a very long time, and their tools are designed to be used; you don’t buy a Morakniv as a drawer queen. It is clear when you use them, they have been designed very well and perform admirably. We are not talking super-steels here though, so you will need to maintain the edge and not expect them to survive extreme punishment.

With Morakniv, you will find you tend to end up with quite a few. One in the tool box, one or two in the fishing tackle box, one in the car, ………..(fill in your own here)…..and several for the family when going camping. Tools you are happy to use, lend or give as gifts. When did you get your first Morakniv?

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Great value for money.	Steels not as tough as more expensive knives.
Reliable build quality.	Not full tang (Stick tangs used).
Choice of light or heavy duty blades.	Scandi-grind not suited to all cutting tasks.
Diamond sharpeners available (or included).
Choice of Stainless or Carbon Steels.

Discussing the Review:

Please feel free to add comments to the review, but the ideal place to freely discuss these reviews is on a forum. If you started reading the shorter forum version of the review, but followed the link this full exclusive review, please return to that forum to discuss the review there.
If you read the review entirely on Tactical Reviews, please consider one of the following to join in any discussion.

EdgeMatters – Sponsored Reviews (UK based Forum for Knife Makers and Collectors)

BladeForums – Knife Reviews (US based Forum for Knife Discussion)

CandlePowerForums – Knife Reviews Section (Largest and Friendliest Flashlight Community Forum)

Knife Review: Ontario Knife Company Black Bird SK-5

18 April, 2016

The Ontario Knife Company Black Bird SK-5 review is the third of a three-knife review series featuring the Black Bird SK-5, RD Tanto and RTAK II. (See – OKC Group Review.)

The Black Bird SK-5 is a survival knife designed by Paul Scheiter and is intended to be highly functional and yet very simple.

The Blade and Handle Geometry:

Most knives specifications have a basic description of the blade geometry, but in this section I will be taking a more detailed look at geometry and balance.

These measurements have been tabulated and are presented along with a few reference blades (8″ Chef’s Knife, 5.5″ Santoku and the popular Fällkniven F1).

Key aspects such as the primary bevel angle, grind type, blade depth, blade thickness, length, weight are detailed, along with balance information.

In the case of full convex grinds the approximate centre of the grind is used for the primary bevel angle estimate.

The blade is made from 154CM steel.

Explained by the Maker:

Unfortunately I can’t always get time with the designer so will use this section to include relevant information about the knife and its designer. The following information was noted from an interview with Paul Scheiter by Adam from Equip2Endure

Starting with the name, why is it the SK-5? Well, the ‘SK’ of ‘SK-5’ stands for Survival Knife and the ‘5’ is for its 5 inch blade length, so SK-5 allows for a possible future series with an SK-4 and SK-3.

The concept of this knife is to have sheer simplicity and to achieve maximum function because of that. There is nothing gadgety on the knife, and it only has the bare basics. This gives a knife that has everything it needs and nothing that it doesn’t.

The result is something that is very comfortable in the hand which you can use for hours on end. There are no abrupt angle changes anywhere that your hand would come in contact with, so you are not going to get hotspots and blisters. This is really important for a survival knife where you will be doing a lot of wood processing and splitting.

A notable point is the steel choice of 154CM; in addition to there being a good compromise of edge retention and corrosion resistance, it allows for there not to be a powder-coat on the blade. Amongst other things, not having the powder-coat makes it easy to strike a ferro-rod.

The full flat grind gives the ideal cutting geometry; it stays as thin as possible for as long as possible, and reduces the calories used when cutting wood.

A spear point tip puts a little more metal behind the point, making it less prone to breaking if it gets torqued. The tip itself is placed in the dead centre line of the blade making tasks, such as the initial shaping of a bow drill pit, straightforward as this knife will drill very nicely.

The pommel of the knife is flat and perpendicular to the blade so that if you wanted to use it as a spear head (which would not be recommended, but sometimes it may be a necessity), you can carve a shelf into a piece of wood so the pommel seats perfectly onto this, giving you thrusting power, then you put the lashing around the handle to complete the spear.

Blade stock thickness at 0.13 inches was chosen as a sweet spot where you can confidently baton with it but not take away too much from wood carving which is the primary intention.

At various shows, Paul has noted that people have generally been surprised that it is a lot lighter than it looks.

On a final note about how to carry the knife, Paul Sheiter’s preferred carry option is not to wear the knife on his belt but to use a high over-the-shoulder strap/band (like a cross-body sling bag) as it allows the knife to be kept in sight to the front of the body and if wearing a winter coat you don’t have to lift the coat to access the sheath.

A few more details:

Just as with the others in this series, the Black Bird SK-5 comes in Ontario Knife Company’s standard knife box.

Inside the box the knife has a cardboard protector over the blade, and the knife is not fitted into the sheath. There was also a letter explaining that this knife had upgraded G-10 handle slabs.

The first proper view of the Black Bird and its sheath.

Before going back to the knife, a quick look at a few details of the sheath. On the back, the sheath has a PALS/MOLLE strap for mounting on a pack, vest or load carrier.

The press stud used on the retention strap is a military specification type where you can only release it from one direction.

It is possible to change the fit of the retention strap using the Velcro adjustment.

Inside the sheath is a felt liner.

As well as there being PALS webbing on the front of the sheath, here you can also see the drainage hole at the bottom to allow water out.

Back to the knife and its details. On one side the maker and model are engraved on the blade near next to the handle.

There are three details I’d like focus on in this photograph:
– The generous lanyard hole allows for easy fitting of a lanyard.
– Inside the lanyard you can see evidence of the water-jet cutting and slightly imperfect fit of the handle material, but on the outer edges of the handle and blade tang have been ground to a smooth finish.
– We are looking at the handle grip hook which gives plenty of purchase for all tasks.

Although the handle slabs are flat sided, they have been well rounded to remove sharp edges. Three bolts are used to secure the grips.

A close look at the blade tip showing the blade-flat surface finish as well as the factory edge and its finish.

One of my personal preferences, a sharpening choil.

As mentioned earlier, the handle slabs and blade tang are ground/sanded to a completely flush fit.

A sharp edge is left all along the spine meaning you can strike a ferro-rod from any part of the spine that suits you.

Though not a mirror finish, you can see the reflection of the handle on the blade flat so you could use the knife for signaling.

Unlike the other OKC knives in this series of reviews, the Black Bird’s sheath has only a single retaining strap. There is enough room for the knife to come about half an inch out of the sheath with the retaining strap closed.

For the last photo in this section, we have en extremely close view of the peely-ply G-10 handle texture.

What it is like to use?

As the designer Paul Scheiter noted earlier, the SK-5 does feel lighter in the hand than you would expect – immediately manoeuvrable and easy to use. This is largely thanks to the full flat grind keeping just enough steel in the blade for strength without being overly thick and heavy.

There is no ‘ideal blade length’, as everyone has their own preferences, but being the only Black Bird so far, the choice of 5 inches for a general purpose survival knife is really hitting the spot for me.

To give an idea of scale, here it is next to the Fällkniven F1 and a Spyderco UK Pen Knife.

At 5″, the blade is half the overall length of the knife. Combining this with the full flat grind and full tang, even though the blade is 5″, the balance point is brought right back into the hand (see ‘The Blade and Handle Geometry:’ section), and this is the reason it feels light and easy to handle.

With this blade length you still have great control over the point and enough length to make batoning easy (if you need more than 5″ to baton, you should probably choose smaller wood or be making wedges for splitting instead).

Overall the package is small enough to carry easily, immediately making it more likely to be your survival knife (as a ‘survival knife’ is the knife you have with you when you need it).

The Black Bird is extremely comfortable in the hand, though the grip is a little boxy due to the flat sides.

Not to get started on the subject of factory edges (which by necessity have to be created quickly, typically with belt sanders, and are usually not the best edge that knife can have), but in this case I need to mention the factory edge on the Black Bird sample I received. Check back to the measurements I took and you see it was a 58 degree inclusive angle out of the box; this is more like an angle you might choose for an axe. My initial testing was with the factory edge including comparing it to the other OKC knives. (OKC said this was an anomaly as the factory edge is not normally that steep)

Despite such a large edge angle it still cut very well just requiring a higher angle of attack for each cut. Unsurprisingly it was by far the most controlled carver of all three.

Despite not needing a sharpen at this point, I wasn’t satisfied with the factory edge angle, so decided to reprofile to around 38 degrees. Even using DMT diamond stones, the 154CM steel proved to be very hard to work and the reprofiling took me a good four hours. The edge bevel is around three times as wide as the original factory edge. Was it worth it? Well, YES, a complete transformation!

Reprofiling the edge has taken a capable cutter and made it supremely efficient and eager. On a simple paper cut test it now glides through with a push cut where previously it cut perfectly well but needed some drawing across the edge. In wood I have to be careful not to over-cut. (Remember to sharpen your knives to suit you and don’t be afraid to change the edge angle)

Another characteristic this knife has is its inoffensive look. By this I mean the fact that it has a SAK style spear point which makes it look more utilitarian than many ‘survival’ knives on the market. If other people are more comfortable when they see the knife you are more likely to carry it and have it with you when you need it (if you are bothered what others might think). Obviously when sheathed you can’t see this, but overall it is easy to carry unobtrusively. If you take it out to whittle or use it for frivolous cutting tasks it doesn’t look like a weapon. It might seem a minor point, but so far I’ve found this knife getting more positive reactions than any other I’ve carried.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Excellent Handling and Balance.	Grip could be more contoured.
Comfortable for extended use.	Factory Edge too steep.
154CM steel with great edge retention.	154CM is harder to sharpen than other steels.
Full Flat Grind.
Showers sparks from ferro-rods.
Aftermarket sheaths available.

Discussing the Review:

Please feel free to add comments to the review, but the ideal place to freely discuss these reviews is on a forum. If you started reading the shorter forum version of the review, but followed the link this full exclusive review, please return to that forum to discuss the review there.
If you read the review entirely on Tactical Reviews, please consider one of the following to join in any discussion.

EdgeMatters – Sponsored Reviews (UK based Forum for Knife Makers and Collectors)

BladeForums – Knife Reviews (US based Forum for Knife Discussion)

CandlePowerForums – Knife Reviews Section (Largest and Friendliest Flashlight Community Forum)

Knife Review: Ontario Knife Company – Group Review

7 April, 2016

After selecting a set of three knives I felt represented what Ontario Knife Company bring to the market (Blackbird SK-5, Ranger RD Tanto and RTAK-II), I originally intended to present a single group review.
As I have got to know them better, I found that individual reviews would work better, so this page is to tie together the review series and provide a single point of reference to link to all three reviews, plus provide a few group shots for comparison.
This article includes some exclusive images and comments, so is worth getting to the end of before going to an individual review.

03 Apr 2016 – ‘Ranger’ RD Tanto
06 Apr 2016 – RTAK-II
18 Apr 2016 – Blackbird SK-5

Explained by the Maker:

See individual reviews for this exclusive information.

A few more details:

The images at the beginning of this group review page show the unsheathed knives together. This image better shows how the sheathed knives compare in size.

Looking at blade stock thickness, top left is the RTAK-II, middle RD Tanto and bottom right is the Blackbird SK-5.

Moving back to show the three blades sitting next to each other.

The Blade and Handle Geometry:

Most knives specifications have a basic description of the blade geometry, but in this section I will be taking a more detailed look at geometry and balance.

These measurements have been tabulated and are presented along with a few reference blades (8″ Chef’s Knife, 5.5″ Santoku and the popular Fällkniven F1).

Key aspects such as the primary bevel angle, grind type, blade depth, blade thickness, length, weight are detailed, along with balance information.

In the case of full convex grinds the approximate centre of the grind is used for the primary bevel angle estimate. This table includes the parameters for all the OKC knives in this series of reviews.

What they are like to use?

There is too much detail to describe each of these blades strengths and weaknesses in detail, so I’ll just use this opportunity to show the pointed-stick comparison side-by-side

The RTAK-II is an excellent cutter.

As a super tough extraction/digging/rescue tool, the RD Tanto struggles a bit for some basic cutting. It excels at heavy tasks though.

With the factory edge the Blackbird works well enough, but the edge angle is steep. This photo is from before an edge reprofiling after which the SK-5 cuts furiously well.

Review Summary

Here I’ve included a very basic summing up of each knife. See individual reviews for detailed information.

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Knife	In a nutshell
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Blackbird SK-5	No-nonsense survival knife
Ranger RD Tanto	Super tough extraction/rescue tool
RTAK-II	Fantastic all-rounder

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Knife Review: Ontario Knife Company RTAK-II

6 April, 2016

The Ontario Knife Company RTAK II review is the second of a three-knife review series featuring the Blackbird SK-5, RD Tanto and RTAK II. (See – OKC Group Review.)

Part of the OKC RAT series, and designed by Jeff Randall and Mike Perrin of ‘Randall’s Adventure and Training’, the RTAK II (Randall’s Training and Adventure Knife) is the largest of the series. This review is looking at the plain edge variant (you can also get a part-serrated version).

The Blade and Handle Geometry:

Most knives specifications have a basic description of the blade geometry, but in this section I will be taking a more detailed look at geometry and balance.

These measurements have been tabulated and are presented along with a few reference blades (8″ Chef’s Knife, 5.5″ Santoku and the popular Fällkniven F1).

Key aspects such as the primary bevel angle, grind type, blade depth, blade thickness, length, weight are detailed, along with balance information.

The blade is made from 5160 steel.

Explained by the Maker:

Though this knife is well established, and Jeff Randall is no longer directly associated with OKC, he was kind enough to give me a few insights into the history and design of this knife.

The RTAK was designed based on Jeff’s and Mike’s experiences in the jungle back in the mid-90s. There were no specific plans when designing the knife, as at the time R.A.T. were simply designing a knife that would be a compromise between a full length machete and a fixed blade. Machetes are still the preferred tool in jungle environments but shorter fixed blades work better for finer work. The RTAK was Jeff’s and Mike’s vision of that compromise.
Before moving to Ontario Knife Company to be able to increase production capacity, the first RTAKs were made by Wicked Knife Company (Newt Livesay).
Mike and Jeff had been running around in the jungle and using knives enough to know what felt good in the hand. Basically they knew nothing about making a knife when they came up with the RTAK and simply based the blade length (A) and other design aspects on what works, nothing more.
The problem with a lot of big knives is the steel is too thick for the width of the blade, even on full flat grinds. This causes a geometry issue with regard to cutting efficiency, and the choice of a 3/16″ blade thickness (B) and a full flat grind (H) for the RTAK II is a compromise between toughness and cutting efficiency. A machete works so well because its overall blade geometry is thin.
When talking about the handle material / style (C) and the fact that this is seen on many OKC knives, Jeff commented that R.A.T. had introduced this handle style to OKC. Simple to produce and doesn’t have a lot of bumps and hotspots that will fatigue you during extended use.
As it is a large knife, choking up to do finer work means moving your control hand out towards the point and pinch gripping the blade; for this reason, jimping was not worth adding to the spine near the handle (D), so it was left plain. It is possible to use the choil (G) for choking up on the blade, but it was not intended for that purpose; it was mainly put in as an edge grind relief.
A long finger guard (F) and grip hook (E) come from various machete designs. Considering the finger guard specifically, after using a large knife for a while under tough conditions you want as much protection as you can get. Overall the grip and palm swell (L) were made a generous size as large handles stress you less on extended use.
Using a drop-point (I) goes back to the compromise between a fixed blade and machete; drop points do well for most tasks in the field.

A few more details:

Ontario Knife Company’s standard knife box.

Inside the box the knife has a cardboard protector over the blade, and the knife is not fitted into the sheath.

The first view of the RTAK II – now THAT is a knife!

Before going back to the knife, a quick look at a few details for the sheath. On the back, the sheath has a combination PALS/MOLLE/belt loop system. Effectively you use the top PALS strap for a belt loop and can change the placement and size using the webbing.

There are two PALS straps as the sheath is very long. Both using poppers to secure the end of the strap.

Metal eyelet holes are provided for a leg tying point and it comes with a lace fitted through the holes.

This is a long sheath, and has a pocket and twin straps to hold the handle.

Exactly as with the RD Tanto, an expanding pocket is kept closed with a plastic snap-buckle. Opening the pocket shows a fixed elastic strap keeps the pocket neat and tight onto whatever is held in the pouch.

A kydex liner is provided in the sheath, and in this case the blade fits easily without rubbing.

Both the knife retention straps are adjustable to allow the user to tighten or loosen the grip on the knife to suit.

Overall a substantial package.

Fit of the blade to the sheath is just right.

Two straps with popper closures are used to secure the handle when in the sheath.

Despite its size everything looks nicely in proportion.

OKC-USA is stamped into the blade coating on one side.

The micarta handle slabs are secured with three bolts.

All handle edges are nicely rounded over making the grip very comfortable.

A lanyard hole is included in the exposed pommel.

There is a slight overlap of the handle slabs which are shaped separately to the blade tang. You don’t notice this in use.

Not intended as a finger choil, here is the edge relief choil and its relationship to the plunge line.

For corrosion resistance, there is a blade coating. It was much rougher than I expected and is somewhat abrasive. (Any marks on the edge are due to there being a waxy protective film on the blade.)

This RTAK II arrived with a great working edge.

Once you pick it up, that large blade feels like it has shrunk and is as manoeuvrable as a much smaller blade.

What it is like to use?

The first thing that struck me, as soon as I had the RTAK II in my hand, was how much lighter than expected it felt for a knife this large. Immediately I could see myself being able to do a lot of work with minimal effort. It is a big knife but simply doesn’t feel big. Here you can see it in my hand (I take XL sized gloves) and the grip fills my hand well, and despite being one of the largest grips I’ve used, doesn’t feel a stretch.

To give another idea of scale, here it is next to the Fällkniven F1 and a Spyderco UK Pen Knife. (Yes, they do look tiny next to the RTAK II.)

Taking the RTAK II out for a few woodland tasks, it was in its element; chopping, carving, slicing, splitting, feathering all done with ease. The only real issue I could see was that rough blade coating and its tendency to pick up ‘rubbings’ (for want of a better word). This would make it less than ideal to follow up with food prep, as it will have contamination in the coating and is not easy to clean.

One of the comparisons I made to the other OKC knives was in putting a point on a stick. Due to the full flat grind, the RTAK II cut extremely well letting you chose the cut direction easily. The edge bites well, eagerly getting stuck into all woodland tasks.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Fantastic handling.	You know this knife is strapped to your leg.
Can work comfortably for long periods.	Rough blade coating.
Great slicer.	Grip could be too large for some.
Curent version is 5160 steel
‘Feels’ light
Big enough to slash, small enough for fine work.

Discussing the Review:

Please feel free to add comments to the review, but the ideal place to freely discuss these reviews is on a forum. If you started reading the shorter forum version of the review, but followed the link this full exclusive review, please return to that forum to discuss the review there.
If you read the review entirely on Tactical Reviews, please consider one of the following to join in any discussion.

EdgeMatters – Sponsored Reviews (UK based Forum for Knife Makers and Collectors)

BladeForums – Knife Reviews (US based Forum for Knife Discussion)

CandlePowerForums – Knife Reviews Section (Largest and Friendliest Flashlight Community Forum)

Knife Review: Ontario Knife Company’s Ranger RD Tanto

3 April, 2016

The Ontario Knife Company RD Tanto is the first of a three-knife review series featuring the Blackbird SK-5, RD Tanto and RTAK II. (See – OKC Group Review.)

The RD Tanto is one of the ‘Ranger series’ of OKC knives, a heavy duty high performance range of knives designed by Justin Gingrich.

The Blade and Handle Geometry:

Most knives specifications have a basic description of the blade geometry, but in this section I will be taking a more detailed look at geometry and balance.

These measurements have been tabulated and are presented along with a few reference blades (8″ Chef’s Knife, 5.5″ Santoku and the popular Fällkniven F1).

Key aspects such as the primary bevel angle, grind type, blade depth, blade thickness, length, weight are detailed, along with balance information.

The blade is made from 5160 steel.

Explained by the Maker:

Though no longer directly involved with OKC, Justin Gingrich was happy to talk to me about the RD Tanto, how it came into being, and some of the design’s details.

As this was done by phone to help our discussion I sent this marked up image and include it now so I can use the same reference labels in the description.

The entire OKC Ranger series comes from Justin’s original company ‘Ranger Knives’ which he started in 2002 and eventually sold to OKC in 2008. Under OKC, Ranger Knives became the ‘Ranger series’. All Ranger Series knives have been designed by Justin and the original Ranger Series included four knives, the RD-4, 6, 7 and 9 as well as two versions of the RD Hawk. Justin continued to design the Ranger Series for around three years after selling Ranger Knives to OKC, and the RD Tanto was one of the knives designed for the OKC Ranger series.

During the time he worked with OKC, Justin continued to design various different knives and presented them to OKC for consideration. The Tanto was added as he had received a lot of demand for this style of knife.

With the RD Tanto being an additional design to an existing series, many of the design parameters were already set. Specifications such as the blade stock being 1/4 inch thick and using 5160 steel, as well as the handle design and materials, were kept the same to maintain continuity.

The final blade length (A) was chosen for a couple of reasons, but the main one actually being aesthetics. It had to look in proportion to the RD series handle and 6 1/2 – 7 inches was a sweet spot for this blade. To better understand the purpose of this blade length you need to consider that it doesn’t really fit into the category of a fine-work blade or a heavy-work blade. This blade length is a hybrid of the two and though it won’t do anything really well, it will do everything moderately well. For the person who doesn’t want to carry more than one knife, and doesn’t want to carry a heavy tomahawk or hatchet, the 6-7 inch blade allows them to more-or-less do anything they need to do, without it being too bulky to carry.
Looking at the very heavy blade stock (B), though this was carried over from the other knives in the Ranger series, the intention is to allow it to be a heavy duty tool with powerful stabbing ability. The design needed to be suitable to open a can of beans, dig, carry out extraction work such as prying open car doors or interior doors and to allow the user to really be able to lever on that blade without fear of it breaking.
Handle style (C) is something Justin has gone over with OKC a lot as he would prefer there to be more rounding on the handle slabs to increase comfort. The design originally comes from a time when the slab style of handle was very popular as a straightforward Tactical design. When working on the Ranger knives, Justin had just come out of the military so this tactical style was the one he adopted, however, his original knives had a more rounded handles than the current OKC versions.
Next to the handle, a thumb ramp with jimping (D) is included to provide additional grip strength when thrusting the knife.
Though the exposed pommel (E) allows the knife to be hammered with or hammered on, the jimping on it is not to stabilise the hammer strikes but is intended to keep your thumb in place when using a reverse grip for digging or stabbing.
There are well pronounced hooks front and back of the handle (F) as well as a palm swell (L), asking Justin how these were sized and spaced he explained that the handle shape and size came about because he designs so that it is comfortable for him to use with or without gloves.
Though views vary about the safety of using a choil (G) such as this for choking up on, Justin specifically did design this to be used for a finger to sit in and change the grip for finer work. It was sized for comfort and to enable one finger to sit in it without riding up onto the edge. He was careful not to go too big as it does increase the overall length of the blade. Asking Justin about the choil pushing the cutting edge further from the handle, he responded that with a 6 inch blade you won’t be doing a lot of food prep type cutting and if you are holding the handle you are going to be chopping, digging and slashing. For finer work where you want the edge as close to your first finger as possible you choke up on the blade and use the finger choil to get you back right up on the edge so you can apply more pressure. With a choil, when choking up on it, the change in grip takes a 6 inch blade and brings the blade back to a more manageable 4-5 inch length. Not leaving this subject right now, I pressed Justin as to why not just leave the choil out and bring the edge back to the handle? His reply was that removing the choil increases the blade length making it more daunting to do tip work with. The choil gives you two blade lengths in one knife for greater control in finer tasks.
A flat grind (H) was chosen simply for strength though this can bind or stick when chopping wood.
When asking about the use of a Tanto point (I), as mentioned earlier, there was a high demand for a Tanto design, so this piece was specifically added to fill that gap in the series.
Placing the tip position (J) directly in line with centre of grip was to make the tip as effective as possible. Whether stabbing/thrusting or using the tip as a drill, you get the most power behind the tip when it is in the centre line. If the tip is off centre the point has a tendency to travel in the direction it is already going.
The spine (K) has been kept plain and with no swedges partly for strength, but mainly to give you better purchase if you baton with it. A swedge grind chews up the baton and does not provide any real weight reduction.
Grind line position (M); though the steepness of the primary grind limits slicing sharpness, the more material there is behind the edge the less likely you are to chip that edge. When you are doing tasks like cutting through car doors, prying or processing a lot of wood, with all the material behind it you are less likely to chip the edge. You can still cut paper with it and you can still shave with it if you take the time to hone the edge, but it is not meant for super fine cutting tasks.
In the design specification, the steel is 5160. Though 1095 is a proven blade steel and has been around forever, 5160 is much tougher than 1095, and has the same or better edge retention as 10 series steel. At 56-58 HRC you will be hard pressed to break the knife because it is made from a spring steel. Typically 5160 is used for truck leaf springs as it is meant to take repeated abuse, back and forth motion, and flexing of the blade without forming stress risers or stress cracks in the steel that would lead to catastrophic failure. Failure should never happen with a knife made of 5160 and it should flex/come back, flex and come back for the life of the user.
Lastly looking at the Sheath (N), this is a standard item used by OKC and by Justin when working as Ranger Knives. It is a nylon sheath with a pouch and snap closures, plus a plastic liner to stop you cutting through it if you fall or drop the sheath. Working to a price point, the compromise of using a relatively basic but serviceable sheath was made rather than pushing the price up with a spectacular sheath.

A few more details:

Ontario Knife Company’s standard knife box.

Inside the box the knife has a cardboard protector over the blade, and the knife is not fitted into the sheath.

The first view of the RD Tanto – Heavy Duty! (Any marks on the blade are due to there being a waxy protective film on the blade.)

Before going back to the knife, a quick look at a few details for the sheath. Metal eyelet holes are provided for a leg tying point.

An expanding pocket is kept closed with a plastic snap-buckle.

Opening the pocket shows a fixed elastic strap keeps the pocket neat and tight onto whatever is held in the pouch.

Two straps with popper closures are used to secure the handle when in the sheath.

Both the knife retention straps are adjustable to allow the user to tighten or loosen the grip on the knife to suit.

A kydex liner is provided in the sheath. Due to the thickness of the blade, the fit is snug.

The back of the sheath has PALS webbing (MOLLE compatible).

Enough of the sheath, back to the RD Tanto. Each slab handle is held in place with three screws.

The RD Tanto has an exposed pommel with thumb-grip jimping. You can also see the texture and layers in the micarta handle slabs.

The Ranger Series handle around which this Tanto was designed.

A finger choil allows you to choke up the grip for finer work.

With the 1/4″ blade stock and V-grind, this tanto has a very strong point.

Another look at the grip hook. Here you can also see the micarta handle slabs extend slightly beyond the tang.

At the front of the handle is a similar hook forming the finger guard, and in front of that the finger choil.

Jimping on the thumb ramp is coarse but effective.

There is slight rounding on the plunge line. You can also see some evidence of the water-jet cutting used to create the basic blade shape.

A closer look at one of the handle bolts and the raw sanded surface of the micarta grip.

This is a HEAVY DUTY blade!

Next to the sheath for an overall view of the RD Tanto and the front of the sheath.

Flipping both over to check the other side.

Due to its thick blade stock, the RD Tanto rubs all the way in when inserting into the sheath.

With both straps closed there is no chance of this knife coming loose.

We will see more comparisons of blade thickness in other reviews in this OKC series, but here is a comparison to the RTAK II. The RD Tanto is substantially thicker.

Placed pommel to pommel, the RTAK II and RD Tanto compared again.

What it is like to use?

With a seriously heavy duty knife such as the RD Tanto, before looking at what it is like to use, it is important to consider your expectations for a knife like this and what it will give you.

There is little finesse in a knife of such heavy build – it is a bruiser and unashamed of that. Built for those jobs you would balk at using a knife for, but you want to be prepared for and can only justify carrying one knife/tool.

So if you want to do some delicate whittling and sophisticated food preparations but still want to be able to breeze through a fire door or release someone trapped in a vehicle, you will be disappointed.

For everyday tasks this knife is vastly over engineered and will disappoint most with its cutting characteristics. But, this is NOT why you choose a knife like this.

Look at it next to the Fällkniven F1 and a Spyderco UK Pen Knife. This photo doesn’t do justice of the heavy build in relation to those other knives.

Having put aside the notion that this might go on your belt or pack for ‘normal’ knife work, we can move onto its more serious purpose – Heavy Work.

My hands take XL sized gloves and the grip fills my hand well. When you are really going to be beating a knife the last thing you want is a slim grip, so a good handful makes for a solid grip.

As penetration is a Tanto’s strong point (pun intended) the thumb ramp combined with deep hooks on the grip gives you a great power behind the thrust.

You can either hammer on the exposed pommel or in this case give something a good pounding with it.

Taking the RD Tanto out for a few woodland tasks it was surprisingly capable, but does feel heavy. One of the comparisons I made to the other OKC knives was in putting a point on a stick. Due to the steep edge bevel, the RD Tanto had a tendency to slide off the stick and this resulted in a long point which was formed like this due to the cutting action tending to push away from the centre of the stick. The edge itself is sharp and cuts cleanly but needs to be angled far more ‘into’ the material than most.

Will you want a knife like this? If you want to be prepared for all eventualities, then yes I would say you do. It would not be my every day choice, but it is a choice I want to have and a knife I continue to grab when preparing for certain situations.

To date I’ve not had any doors to demolish, or vehicles to gain entry to, but can tell you this is a tool I would happily take for the task. During some severe weather, which was threatening structural damage to buildings, the tool I kept within arm’s length at all times during the threat was the RD Tanto, and it gave me confidence to know I had it.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Super Heavy Duty Build in 1/4″ blade stock	‘Feels’ too heavy for daily tasks
5160 spring steel	Steep edge angle
Tanto point penetration	Edge can bind during wood preparation
You can confidently work this knife hard!

Discussing the Review:

Please feel free to add comments to the review, but the ideal place to freely discuss these reviews is on a forum. If you started reading the shorter forum version of the review, but followed the link this full exclusive review, please return to that forum to discuss the review there.
If you read the review entirely on Tactical Reviews, please consider one of the following to join in any discussion.

EdgeMatters – Sponsored Reviews (UK based Forum for Knife Makers and Collectors)

BladeForums – Knife Reviews (US based Forum for Knife Discussion)

CandlePowerForums – Knife Reviews Section (Largest and Friendliest Flashlight Community Forum)

Knife Review: Spartan Blades’ Harsey Model II (6.125″ blade – S35VN)

24 February, 2016

The SPARTAN HARSEY MODEL II is Spartan Blades’ third collaboration with world renowned knife maker, William “Bill” Harsey Jr. The Harsey Model II was designed to be sturdy knife that would serve equally well as both a field and combat knife. The ergonomic and textured canvas micarta handle is specifically intended to provide comfort and confidence of grip.

The Blade and Handle Geometry:

Most knives specifications have a basic description of the blade geometry, but in this section I will be taking a more detailed look at geometry and balance.

These measurements have been tabulated and are presented along with a few reference blades (8″ Chef’s Knife, 5.5″ Santoku and the popular Fallkniven F1).

Key aspects such as the primary bevel angle, grind type, blade depth, blade thickness, length, weight are detailed, along with balance information.

In the case of full convex grinds the approximate centre of the grind is used for the primary bevel angle estimate..

The blade is made from S35VN.

Explained by the Maker:

Many thanks go to Bill Harsey (knife designer) and Mark Carey (co-owner of Spartan Blades) for taking the time to explain the details of the knife and sheath design to me.

Though not quoting Bill and Mark directly, the following is an explanation of how the final design was arrived at.

Bill spoke with Spartan about the intended use before he started the prototype process. Having already done the Model 1 limited edition, Spartan Blades told Bill they would like to use handle shape but make it a bit smaller (so it would be more usable for more people). It was decided to shrink handle by 5% and change blade length.

In this case the blade length (A) was chosen to fill a specific gap in the Spartan product line.

A harpoon point (B) was used to reinforce the point, with the additional blade width used to make point stronger without making it thicker. The unsharpened edge of the harpoon point could be sharpened if required.

Looking at the area just in front of the guard (C) it might appear to be a finger choil, however, Bill emphasised that this is not a finger choil. Instead it is a relief between the end of edge and front of handle. “Don’t put your finger in it.”

The cutting edge has been pushed away from the plunge line (D), extending the choil. Though this slightly reduces the length of the cutting edge, the knife has the edge where Bill intended it to be on this model. This also takes the end of cutting edge away from the radiused plunge line.

Bill made the guard (E) protrude enough to be useful without getting in the way. (Based on over 30 years of experience rather than any specific guidelines)

As with many of the knife’s ergonomic features, the slight negative rake (F) was chosen by Bill “because it felt right”.

Discussing the single lanyard hole in the butt of the knife (G) and the subject of lanyard use and safety, Bill indicated that this feature is especially useful when working over water, and that ultimately it is the individual owner’s decision of exactly how to use the lanyard when there is a safety aspect to consider (Author’s note – when chopping, use of a lanyard can be dangerous). What was expressly ruled out was the possibility of adding a lanyard hole in the guard.

As well as providing grip, the jimping (H) is for tactile reference. Jimping on the rear of the handle is for same reason but when using a reverse grip.

Front jimping.

View of both areas of jimping.

Rear jimping.

The balance point (I) has been adjusted by selecting appropriate material thicknesses and removing material where it doesn’t need to be (such as drilling the tang).

Featuring a fully sculpted handle, the Harsey Model II’s grip is highly functional with finger grips and pommel hook/swell (J). Placement is of these elements is chosen to ensure function even when user is wearing gloves in adverse conditions.

*Now a temporary move to consider the Sheath design details….

During testing, it was noticed that the position of the strap makes it vulnerable to being cut when inserting or withdrawing the knife.

However Mark explained that the retention strap was positioned at handle choil level to insure a good fit and allow the user to get full grip on the exposed handle. The user can then flip the snap closure with their thumb (and sweep the strap out of way with their finger). While a user could cut the retaining strap, it is unlikely if deliberately drawing. The sheath is adjustable to allow it fit a range of Spartan’s other knives.

Showing the detail of the retention strap’s adjustment. You can alter the fit, or use it for another knife.

Though limited in space, the PALS webbing on the front (L), can, and has been, used for a small pouch or to place pistol holster over it for chest draw.

There is a Felt liner (M) inside the sheath. It is made from a recycled kydex like plastic which is laminated between layers of felt. This has the advantage that it provides some retention and is extremely quiet when drawing making it ideal for use in the field as well as when moving as there is no rattle.

A closer look at the liner.

Looking at the back of the sheath:

Use of Velcro throughout the entire belt loop (N) allows it to be fitted on a 1”-4” belt width and the Velcro keeps the sheath tight onto the belt whatever its size.

There is Velcro on the outer flap.

As well as inside the actual belt ‘loop’ as well.

Rather than just using the webbing loop (into which the D-ring is fitted), a D-ring (O) was introduced to provide better directional stability on the leg and allows for other items to be attached.

There are copious tie loops (P) on the back of the sheath which allow the leg tie down to act as a way to lace the sheath to a vest or pack in any direction (vertical, horizontal or diagonal) as well as allowing it to be mounted to packs or vehicle roll cages.

For the final part of ‘Explained by the maker’ we return to the knife…

Point position (Q) relative to the centre line gives a best ‘user friendly’ position for most tasks.

Though supplied unsharpened, the Swedge (R) can be sharpened like an Axe to allow for use in tinder preparation and splitting wood, which saves the main blade from being used for those tasks.

As explained earlier, the harpoon point strengthens the tip. The position of the end of this feature (S) is dictated by overall form and function.

The final height of the grind line (T) is the result of the desired bevel angle intersecting with the 3/16” blade stock. The bevel angle used in the Harsey Model II allows for good sharpness while maintaining toughness.

A flat grind (U) is used purely as it is stronger than a hollow grind, and in this design, strength and durability are key requirements.

Use of a rounded plunge line (V) is related to providing stress relief during the heat treat / cryo process, and ergonomics when using.

One of the special features of this knife are the sculpted handle scales (W). Spartan Blades scanned a handle Bill had hand ground in the 1970’s that was too hard to make at that time. Both Col Applegate and Al Mar wanted to use it, but at the time technology could not reproduce it – Spartan Blades now have.

The detailed profiling in the butt swell/hook area (X) where the handle scales have a double-swell with swell in the side profile and top profile, came about over many years with Bill’s own experience combined with feedback from users. It greatly aids grip and general ergonomics for all tasks.

The selected blade steel (S35VN), which is used almost exclusively across the Spartan range, has been a logical choice for Spartan. S30V was the first CPM steel specifically created for cutlery and S35VN, a product improvement, just fits with what most soldiers and outdoorsman want. Good corrosion resistance, excellent edge retention and good toughness. Spartan really like it and it is also a great choice for many users who cannot re-sharpen when deployed for 6 months or a year.

A few more details:

Picking up on a few details not covered during the ‘Explained By’ section.

The Harsey Model II is a knife to be used, so the box reflects this simple intent. No fancy presentation packaging, it is a plain box that just gets the knife to you.

Here is another view of the knife out of its sheath with the felt liner visible.

And the side view of the same.

Spartan Blades logo etched onto the blade with U.S.A and the blade steel. This knife is the Flat Dark Earth colour and has a ZrN PVD ‘SpartaCoat’ coating.

So right now, just bear with me as I’m really just enjoying looking at the blade profile…

…along with that sculpted grip and harpoon point

Yes, still enjoying that profile…..

The Flat Dark Earth colouring is a very subdued looking finish that fits right in.

To get an idea of the size of the Harsey Model II, it is shown here with the Fallkniven F1, and Spyderco UKPK FRN.

And straight on.

What it is like to use?

This is a knife I’ve loved the look of from first sight of it. However in a tool designed to cut, looks are not everything, and as it happens the Harsey Model II does cuts just as well as you would hope.

Taking the Harsey Modell II into my daily use gear it has been with me for several months now. (In this photo it is still looking spotless as it had not had any real use at that time).

It has been with me out hunting and on the range.

Out and about in the field.

For a sturdy knife, the Harsey Model II worked perfectly well carving and shaping wood. Pictured in the process of making a ‘mini-me’ letter opener…

For some cutting tasks I have found the Harsey Model II a little too ‘pointy’. The tip is very eager to cut and resulted in more aggressive cuts than I intended in certain situations. Admittedly, these are situations I would normally have used a smaller knife with a less prominent point, but I had the Harsey Model II with me, so had to use it.

It is one of the most natural feeling knives I’ve used. The handle’s curves and sculpted profile just fit my hand and allow it act as an extension of my arm rather than a foreign object. The milling lines from the CNC machining of the G10 provide an ideal surface roughness giving excellent grip yet no rubbing. Without gloves, my hand became tired long before I felt any pressure points or anywhere in danger of blistering. With gloves, the limiting factor are the gloves own seam lines which tend to add a source of pressure and rubbing, but what was clearly evident was that the handle works just as well with gloves or without.

Still on my to-do list is to sharpen the harpoon swedge. Though I like the idea, in my normal use, I already find the point very aggressive, so sharpening the top edge as well is only going to make it even more so.

The sheath has proved very versatile in its mounting options, however there are a couple of points I’ve found that don’t seem to work so well. Though any sheath retaining strap can be in danger of being cut, the retaining strap seems to need to be positively pushed out of the way to avoid being cut. Depending on how you mount it this can be easier or quite difficult.

Though it provides a very secure fit, the use of Velcro on the internal part of the belt loop, means that this is quite abrasive on the belt itself and causes fraying on fabric belts and scratching on leather belts. In military applications you probably won’t care, but ‘sporting’ users might.

Its blade length, at just over 6”, combined with a great balance makes this a very nimble blade despite its sturdy 3/16” blade stock. I’ve not handled the larger Harsey Model I Limited edition, but think that most users would find the Model II more manageable and useful for general tasks even if they could still get a Model I.

The S35VN is standing up to its promises of edge retention. I’ve not been using it for extended periods of chopping (I use an axe for that), but instead just using it as and when I need to, and so far there has been no need to bother with a strop or otherwise maintain the edge. Only further use and time will tell just how long the edge will last before I need to touch it up. The only maintenance I have done so far is washing various ‘residues’ off the blade.

This knife has made itself a firm favourite of mine due to its excellent handling and balance, and a fantastic grip, not forgetting the excellent steel too.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Sculpted handle	The point can cut very aggressively
S35VN blade steel	Possible to cut the retaining strap by mistake
Versatile sheath	Belt loop will mark/fray most belts
Superb balance
Jimping for forward and reverse grips