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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.

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. This table includes the parameters for all the OKC knives in this series of reviews.

The blade is made from 5160 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.

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

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
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
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)

Enter the ‘Mid-Serrated’ Blade

21 March, 2016

After much study of edge usage and how serrations interact with various tasks, I have formulated a new concept in part-serrated knife blades – the Mid-Serrated blade.

Read all about it on its own dedicated page.

The Mid-Serrated Blade – A new concept from Subwoofer

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

Knife Review: Böker Plus Kwaiken Damascus/Damast (3.5″ blade – Odins Eye Damasteel)

23 February, 2016

The Böker Plus Kwaiken Flipper is one of Böker Plus’s most popular knives, and is the result of a collaboration with renowned knife maker Lucas Burnley. The Kwaiken Flipper is available in many variations of blade and handle materials. This review is looking at the Damascus / Titanium 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 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 Odins Eye pattern DAMASTEEL martensitic stainless Damascus 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.
This knife started as the distinctive Kwaiken fixed blade design created by Lucas Burnley from New Mexico. Lucas Burnley wanted to transfer the thin and narrow concept into a folding knife, without changing the proportions too much. Working with Böker, Lucas developed the Kwaiken folder in thumb stud and flipper varieties maintaining the unique character of the clean lines and sleek design

In keeping with the sleek design, the knife uses a hidden stop pin, IKBS ball bearing system and liner locking mechanism.

The Böker Plus Kwaiken flipper has been available in several other versions with a recent upgrade to VG-10, but this special edition is presented with the blade made from the Swedish powdered-metal Damascus steel (ie DAMASTEEL).
Before talking a little more about the exact steel used in this knife, here is a quick note about Damascus steel:

Damascus steel was considered the ultimate blade material in the Middle Ages, and is named after the Syrian city of Damascus, a once important commercial centre for knives and swords with blades made from this special composite steel.

Ignoring its decorative appeal, Damascus is a composite steel, (made of at least two steels with different properties). These steels are folded over each other again and again creating a layered structure which is clearly visible when etched. Combining the steels in this way allowed their respective strengths (edge holding and toughness) to overcome their weaknesses (easily blunting and brittleness) resulting in a far superior steel. The more layers in the final steel, the better they work together.

The properties of Damascus steel can now be recreated in a single modern steel so it is no longer necessary to use Damascus steel. Damascus steel is still highly desirable for its historical and decorative appearance.

DAMASTEEL is a Swedish brand of specialist manufacturer of stainless Damascus steel.

DAMASTEEL’s products are all made from a martensitic stainless Damascus steel which is a powder based steel with the two alloys RWL 34 and PMC 27. They are both variations of the martensitic stainless steel 420 type with a minimum of 13 percent chromium content.

For the Kwaiken flipper, Böker Plus have chosen the ‘Odins Eye’ pattern. When etched to bring out the detail of the layers, the RWL34 shows as Bright and the PMC27 as Dark.

A few more details:

The Kwaiken folder arrives in a sealed presentation box.

The box lid is held closed by a magnetic catch, and the knife is plastic wrapped and held in a foam liner.

The first full view of the super sleek Kwaiken flipper fresh out of the box.

A couple of hints of something special. First the flipper is clearly Damascus steel, and secondly, the folded knife is sitting upright with the blade opening downward – not something you can do with most folding knives. Oh and let’s not forget the Titanium scales.

Yes that definitely is Damascus.

Turning it over to look at the spine of the blade and you can see it sits flush with the liners giving a completely flat profile. The only part of the blade protruding from the handle is the flipper.

The small pocket clip is steel.

Looking down into the handles, there is still something we haven’t seen, a stop pin. This is because the Kwaiken folder uses a hidden stop pin which runs in a slot cut into the blade tang near the pivot, allowing it to be totally out of sight.

We can start to take in the details on the blade-side of the handle. The spine of the blade shows the Damascus pattern etched into it along with some sculpting. There is also the liner lock detail from its spring section to the lock release cut-out.

Moving closer there is just a small cut-out to give just enough access to the lock bar to release it, and the lock bar has a shallow bevel to ‘ease’ the corner of the lock bar where you press on it.

Two long scallops on the blade spine sit near the thinned liner which acts as the lock bar spring.

And the blade emerges…

…allowing us to take in the beauty of that Damascus blade. The etching of the blade brings out the layers, but you can see how the polished edge conceals those layers. (To those not familiar with Damascus steel, it is only the etching that shows the layers, otherwise it would look no different.)

This image has several details of note. The blade has a sharpening choil – this is a favourite feature of mine. The entire blade side is etched including the flipper (the effect this has will be discussed later). You can see some diagonal grinding line remnants on the blade flat as well as some machining lines running along the Titanium handle scales.

Looking very very closely at where the point sits when the knife is closed, you can see it is the tiniest bit off centre. However, for some reason this photo makes it look much worse than to the eye. You can also see a slight unevenness of the final edge bevel, but these are tiny details magnified significantly.

The Böker Plus logo is etched into the Titanium. It appears to be a laser etching but is not ‘cut’ into the surface, instead appearing mainly as a colour change. I can’t find the logo just by feeling for it.

Now to concentrate on the lock and its engagement. Here the full lock-bar is shown from where it bends inward at the thinned section of liner, to the lock surface.

The lock bar does not quite get to the centre of the blade.

A view from the other side.

Having operated the lock quite a few times a set of marks show on the blade’s lock surface giving a better indication of the contact point.

What it is like to use?

To try to describe what this knife is like to use, I need to go back to its ultra-sleek lines with a fully concealed folded blade.

Being so streamlined and being all metal, the Kwaiken feels relatively heavy, yet fine at the same time. In a similar way to the fusion of beneficial characteristics in the Damascus steel used for the blade, the Kwaiken flipper manages to give you the best of each of its characteristics with a reassuring weight and a handle that is slim, elegant and easy to hold.

Flippers vary enormously in the smoothness of their opening. Böker Plus’s Kwaiken flipper is known for is silky flip, but in this photo I’ve gone in very close to look at the etched blade and flipper surface. Though the blade itself runs on an IKBS ball bearing, the lock-bar sits against the side of the blade tang inside the handle.

The lock-bar has a blade retaining detent and once the blade starts to open, the ‘ball’ part of this detent sits against the side of the blade and rubs over the surface. Due to this, the opening of the blade has a slightly gritty feeling as the blade rotates round into the locked position.

Holding the lock bar away from the side of the blade removes this gritty feeling straight away, and the more I flip the knife open, the smoother it is becoming. It is an unfortunate consequence of the Damascus etching and that the entire blade surface is etched. If you go for this version you will forgive this because you wanted this steel.

To give an idea of scale, the Kwaiken flipper is being shown next to a UKPK FRN. Also notice again the fully enclosed blade unlike the UKPK.

And with the blades open. Compared to the UKPK with its contoured grip, finger choil and negative rake, the Kwaiken looks straight, stiff and not very ergonomic, but don’t be misled by this. Actually it sits very well in the hand, not for extended periods of heavy cutting, but for general EDC work it is fine.

For a narrow blade, the blade stock is quite thick and this does affect the ease with which you can make deep slicing cuts. As with any hollow ground blade, the first part of the cut is easy, but as the cut depth increases the blade starts to bind. Having said this I think the spine thickness suits the style and length of blade perfectly and I wouldn’t change it.

The point is great for piercing cuts, in fact with its slim blade the Kwaiken is excellent at deep piercing cuts

The Kwaiken flipper is an outstanding piece of design and I take my hat off to Lucas Burnley for creating a timeless masterpiece which, thanks to Böker Plus, is within reach of just about everyone.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Sleek lines	Slight roughness in the opening due to Damascus etch
Fully enclosed blade	Relatively heavy
DAMASTEEL blade	Small pocket clip
Easy flip
Ball-bearing pivot

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