Tag: magnacut

Knife Review: Benchmade Adira 18060

15 September, 2025

In this detailed review of the Benchmade Adira 18060, a substantial EDC knife, and part of the Benchmade Water Collection, find out if it could be the ideal companion for your outdoor lifestyle on and off the water – read the Benchmade Adira 18060 Review to see for yourself. The Benchmade Adira 18060 is designed to be especially suited for demanding cutting tasks in and around wet environments. Featuring a CPM-MagnaCut drop-point blade, an AXIS Lock mechanism with stainless springs and it comes with a hi-vis orange lanyard for easy access and visibility. The Benchmade Adira 18060 knife blade runs on phosphor-bronze washers making opening and closing smooth, easy, strong and super reliable. Once opened, the axis lock holds the blade securely, and is ambidextrous, so can easily be used by left-handed and right-handed users. Join me in this Benchmade Adira 18060 Review for all the details.
(Thanks to Heinnie Haynes for helping make this review possible.)

What’s in the box?:
Benchmade have gone all-out on the premium experience with the Adira’s packaging, so there are a few more things to look at in this section. I put my hand into view to give a sense of scale for the box.
Slipping off the outer sleeve reveals the orangey glory of the main box. Flipping up the box lid shows even more layers to the packaging. The knife is presented to you with the blade open, in a felt-topped custom cut out layered box liner. Neatly stored to the back of the box is a Benchmade microfibre cloth rolled up and stored in its own section. With the knife lifted out you can see the layers of the liner, with the ‘LifeSharp’ information where the blade was sitting. All of this attention to detail certainly elevates the experience of receiving this knife.

A good look round the folded Adira 18060 – Things to look out for here are:
A packed gallery here, starting off with every-which-way views of the folded knife. One of the Adira’s main orange highlights is the lanyard (which can easily be removed if you don’t like them) which definitely aids grip, handling, stability and visibility. The pocket clip arrives set up for right-handed (tip-up) carry and has a mounting point on the other side for a left-handed setup. The lanyard hole is generous, taking the doubled-up paracord of the supplied lanyard easily. The anodised aluminium backspacer is a subtle, complimentary, colour to the blue handles. The stainless steel liners have thumb jimping for grip, and support the axis lock and pivot. The pivot bolt is one-sided for easy adjustment if required, but it arrives perfectly set up. There is jimping on the blade’s thumb ramp extension and at the butt of the handle. Another Orange highlight on the Adira is the double-sided thumb stud.

A good look round the opened Adira 18060 – Things to look out for here are:
As we swing that large blade out more details are revealed.

Starting with the action of the Axis lock, and once the blade is deployed, the Grivory handle’s shaping and ergonomics can really be seen. A generous integral finger guard sits to the front, ensuring your hand will not slide forward onto the blade. Grip features are incorporated all over the handle including grooves on the palm swell, and jimping near the butt.
Now, with the blade open, we can get the clearest view of the phosphor-bronze washers sitting between the liners and blade tang. Renowned for its performance and corrosion resistance, CPM Magnacut is proudly emblazoned on the blade next to the Orange thumb stud. The equivalent position on the other side of the blade has the Benchmade logo and model number engraved. Taking in the whole blade, plus its spine and swedge design, and then right in to the very tip.

The Blade and Handle – Detailed Measurements:
For full details of the tests and measurements carried out and an explanation of the results, see the page – Knife Technical Testing – How It’s Done.

The blade is made from CPM-Magnacut steel.

The Factory edge up close:

Followers of Tactical Reviews will know my views on factory edges, but to recap:

Anyone using a knife will need to sharpen it. That first factory edge is just like the first tank of fuel that a new car comes with (or first charge of the battery).
A good factory edge is a ‘nice to have’ but not a ‘make or break’ for a good knife, as you will be putting your own edge onto it soon enough.
The factory edge does however indicate the care a knife maker has put into the final finish.
It is for this reason Tactical Reviews measures factory edge sharpness and specifications, and includes this information in the detailed technical testing.

As a further look at the factory edge, this section has been added to include some high magnification photos of the factory edges.

What is it like to use?
Benchmade’s design approach for the Water collection knives; using robust, reliable, simple design, with strong, corrosion resistant materials, is actually in line with all of my own valued preferences for knife design principles – from the outset this firmly aligns the Adira to my personal tastes.
When it comes to locking knives, in relation to being a UK resident, if I have ‘good reason’ to carry a knife, then I also prefer a substantial folding knife that is capable of hard work. So in this sense the Adira is hitting the spot nicely as well.
Here is the Adira 18060, very comfortably in my XL glove-size hands.

As intended, the Adira is a real Water baby, very much at home in and on the water. If getting into deeper water I would prefer to add a float to the lanyard in case I did drop it. Lily pads might keep it afloat for a short time, but ultimately it will sink into the depths.

The action, out of the box, is silky smooth, with the blade tang running on phosphor-bronze washers; always my preference for stability, maximum strength, reliability and ease of maintenance. All through the testing there was not a hint of any change in the action, nor would I expect it.

With the extended thumb ramp naturally bringing your grip up onto the blade, and making it easy to apply pressure behind the cutting edge exactly where it give maximum power to the cut. This also lifts the thumb studs slightly, making them both more accessible when the knife is folded, and further away from the cutting edge and any interference when sharpening.

Of course we are very familiar with the axis lock, and how the grip you take to release the lock automatically puts your hand out of the way of the blade path, making for safe and easy one-handed closing (perhaps with the blade spine pressing against something to help swing it closed as you hold open the lock).

Despite not being a full flat grind, and having a good sized blade, the blade stock used means the Adira’s blade is nicely slicey, and it’s an eager enough cutter.

Sitting writing this review, I have the Adira to hand, and having been given a wash with soap and water and good rinse, it is looking as if it hasn’t been used at all. The stonewashed blade finish always being a good choice in this regard, and all the other parts cleaned up to look like new (as so far I’ve not dropped or dinged anything).

As well as being an excellent user, a knife like the Adira, would also be an ideal ‘standby’ or ’emergency’ knife as you know that while in storage it won’t develop any issues, and will be in perfect condition when called into service however long that might be from now. You might even feel the need to get one to use and one to have as an emergency backup.

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.

_______________________________________________
What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________
The front part of the handle is a little slim and digs in to your fingers.
Packaging could be considered excessive.

_______________________________________________
Things I like
_______________________________________________
The whole design ethos of the Water Collection.
Magnacut blade with stonewashed finish.
Highly corrosion resistant throughout.
Phosphor-bronze pivot washers.
Ambidextrous Axis lock.
Orange colour highlights.
Lanyard included to aid grip.
Two-position pocket clip.
Substantial sized knife.
Thumb ramp extension.
Jimping where you need it.

Review Videos

Starting with a short format sixty second review:

Onto a full video review covering many more details:

 
Discussing the Review:
Something new – will it work? A Tactical Reviews Subreddit.
TacticalReviewsChat on Reddit
Please visit there and start/join the conversation.

Knife Review: UG Tools TiNy SecuriTi

6 August, 2025

TiNy by name, but definitely not in strength and performance; this is a detailed review of the UG Tools TiNy superlight knife. Not just the TiNy, but the special ‘SecuriTi’ edition, specifically designed to prevent unauthorised snatching of the knife from the owner by means of an added security lock. More on that later in this UG Tools TiNy SecuriTi review.

Before saying more about the knife, just a quick explanation of the maker’s name. UG Tools in full is Utsch & Gierse Tools, and for the review video titles I’ve written this as U.G. Tools with full stops to separate the U & G. I did this to specifically demonstrate how their name should be said. They are not pronounced like a well know brand of footwear, nooooooo, Utsch & Gierse are U.G. Tools, but write this simply as UG tools. Don’t sound like a caveman, say the name as it should be 🙂

UG Tools TiNy has already made its mark, giving you a superlight fixed blade without sacrificing strength through ingenuous use of 3D printed Titanium handles (referred to as 3DTi) that allow a short tang blade to have the stability and strength of a full tang knife at a much lower weight.

What’s in the box?:
In fact there is no box as this was an exhibition knife from EnforceTac 2025 (held immediately prior to IWA 2025), and shows a little wear on the Ulti-clip mount and this edition’s special security latch.

This review knife has the Floe pattern handle texturing, 3D printed sheath made of PA11 (polyamide) which incorporates the SecuriTi’s added security lock, and has been designed to perfectly integrate with Ulti-Clip UltiLink mounting system.

A good look round the SecuriTi’s Sheath – Things to look out for here are:
First in the gallery are photos showing the integration of the Ulti-Clip UltiLink mounting system into the TiNy’s sheath. UG Tools have made the sheath to use this mounting system so the integration could not be better.
The titanium lever that sits above the UltiLink is the SecuriTi’s security latch. Other sheath details are a retention tension adjusting screw, drainage hole and integrated thumb ramp for removing the knife from the sheath.

A good look round the TiNy’s handle and blade – Things to look out for here are:
After an overall look at the proportions, it’s time for a closer look at the 3DTi printed handle with Type II anodised finish. All TiNy models have the integral guard, and the SecuriTi has the additional security latch integral keeper hole for the latch hook to grip.
This review knife features the Floe pattern handle texturing (or giraffe pattern as renamed by a friend).
Another SecuriTi specific feature is the Ceramic ball glass breaker in the butt of the handle. Next to this is a blind loop lanyard hole.
And now onto the blade, the only conventionally manufactured part (not 3D printed), a 100 mm drop point blade made of 2.8 mm thick MagnaCut with stonewashed and DLC coated finish. A sharpening choil ensures you can re-sharpen the entire cutting edge.

Explained by the Maker:
In this section I’m including words directly from the maker themselves.

“Our 3DTi-knives combine extremely low weight with the stability of a full-tang.

Our 3DTi Handles

Our 3D-printed titanium handles were developed by us with clear goals: To achieve the best balance of weight and stability with the highest functionality and perfect ergonomics. In many iterations, the moulds were repeatedly adjusted over a year and subjected to strict stress tests of the knives (and our nerves) until we were satisfied with the result. With a average wall thickness of 1 mm, the high-strength titanium of the handle is still incredibly stable and allows for a blade with an unusually short tang that has no disadvantages: the titanium supports the tang and force is dissipated into the handle evenly. In addition to the extreme weight saving, another advantage is a large hollow space inside (expect with TiNy-models) which, in combination with our titanium screw cap, provides a storage space for various applications. In addition to our ruby sharpening rod, each individually important item can be stored absolutely dry in the handle.

Our Blades

We source our blades from a renowned Solingen contract grinder, with whom we also work together on the optimal ergonomics of our blades and select suitable steels. We have our blades hardened at the special German hardening shop Werz. Here we have full control over the final result. We fit the blades into the handle without play and glue them into the titanium handle over the entire surface with high-strength adhesive. For even more safety, with most models the blade is additionally screwed from the inside. So it remains fully functional in the unlikely event of the adhesive coming off. The adhesive reliably seals the gap to the handle and prevents dirt and moisture from penetrating. It is possible to have worn or damaged blades replaced by us at a reasonable price.

Our Sheaths

Knife sheaths have always been one of our biggest bottlenecks. Knife sheaths typically are made of leather or Kydex and are produced by hand. Due to our large number of blade-handle combinations, we were unable to have sufficient quantities produced economically. The problem: injection moulded sheaths were far from meeting our requirements. That’s why we developed 3D printable sheaths especially for our knives. They are made of PA11 (polyamide) and have, varying by model, for example a removable belt loop, drain holes, an adjusting screw for the perfect fit of the knife and other features. They are available for right- & left-handers. In the future we will offer 3D-printed sheaths and leather sheaths.

Our TiNy series in Floe design was developed with the goal of offering our no-compromise 3DTi design in even more compact and lightweight form. The TiNy with droppoint blade in MagnaCut is, despite the extremely low weight of only 80 grams, as stable as a full-tang of the same length. This makes the TiNy the perfect unobtrusive companion for everyday use(EDC) or a no-compromise backup knife with impressive stability.”

The Blade and Handle – Detailed Measurements:
For full details of the tests and measurements carried out and an explanation of the results, see the page – Knife Technical Testing – How It’s Done.

The blade is made from Magnacut steel.

The Factory edge up close:

Followers of Tactical Reviews will know my views on factory edges, but to recap:

Anyone using a knife will need to sharpen it. That first factory edge is just like the first tank of fuel that a new car comes with (or first charge of the battery).
A good factory edge is a ‘nice to have’ but not a ‘make or break’ for a good knife, as you will be putting your own edge onto it soon enough.
The factory edge does however indicate the care a knife maker has put into the final finish.
It is for this reason Tactical Reviews measures factory edge sharpness and specifications, and includes this information in the detailed technical testing.

As a further look at the factory edge, this section has been added to include some high magnification photos of the factory edges.

What is it like to use?

For this special edition TiNy, as the SecuriTi, I envision it typically being on a load carrier platform or pack shoulder strap to provide maximum accessibility.

Exactly the reason the security latch was added, as being so accessible, there is a chance of unauthorised snatching, which the latch counters brilliantly. For the owner of the knife, releasing the security latch is completely natural, you need only place your thumb, as you would normally, to pop the knife from the sheath, but then apply a little sideways force to the latch lever to release the security latch.
Any attempt to just grab the knife handle will not gain access to the knife as it just won’t come free from the sheath.

Once in your hand this is now no longer about the SecuriTi edition, but instead the UG Tools model, the TiNy. Shown here in my XL-glove size hands, it is a compact knife, not a tiny one. Tiny in terms of weight, yes, 85 grams for an all metal construction fixed blade without compromise on comfort or strength. You can see that the ergonomics of the handle and blade make this excellent as a general purpose utility knife.
Considering the ergonomics of the sheath as well, the integral jimped thumb ramp for releasing the knife (which has the security latch lever next to it) makes one handed opening a breeze when the sheath is not mounted to a belt or load carrier; you just pop and flick the sheath off.

Before getting on to some cutting tests, the TiNy has a full metal handle, which meant I needed to test UG Tools’ claim about cold weather use:
“In winter, the low mass with the poor thermal conductivity of titanium ensures that the handle is at body temperature in just a few seconds, even in wet and cold conditions, making it suitable for use in all climates.”

While it is true that Titanium has a conductivity around 22 W/m·K, compared to steel at around 45 W/m·K, another factor is also the low mass of the UG Tools handle construction with a wall thickness of around 1mm, meaning there is also less metal to need to warm up than other metal handle knives.

So for this test I left the TiNy in the freezer overnight to soak it down to a crispy -20°C then, thermal camera ready, straight out of the freezer and in my hand.

The gallery shows how the purely Titanium part of the handle is warming rapidly. Where the steel knife tang is inserted into the handle it stays cold longer. Considering the knife was at -20°C, it wasn’t ‘warm’ but it also didn’t freeze to my skin or otherwise feel particularly uncomfortable.

One other factor in this cold weather test that does make a difference is the surface finish. UG Tools use a Type II anodising carried out after an initial coarse sand blasting. The Type II anodising used creates plasma sparks that “melt” the surface on a microscopic level which leads to a smooth almost organic feeling. This surface finish further insulates your skin from hot/cold when holding the knife.

This is what the surface looks like under the same magnification as the factory edge images.

First I made the TiNy prepare its own baton, ready for a good pounding through pallet wood. Being so lightweight you can’t chop with the TiNy, so it needs a baton to strike it and drive it through what you are cutting. The compact size also means it is more of a nibbling away, having to reposition and widen the cut so the baton can still hit the blade. In this specific cutting test, the knife tip is not available to strike, instead it is either the spine or very close to (or on occasion on) the handle. In the end, the last part of this cut split under the batoning force with only a few millimetres left to cut.
Combining the slim blade stock with a flat grind, makes the TiNy an eager cutter, and easy to control. Slicing the wood like a woodworker’s plane, feather stick work turning into something like a wafer stick.

IT is actually amazingly tactile, and another observation when handling the TiNy is that its unique construction, with the thin walled printed Titanium handle, is that is almost ‘rings’ as you hold it, reminiscent of handling fine ceramics. Different to any other knife I have used, and I like it. Comfortable to use, lightweight, super strong and easy to carry.

As we have seen, UG Tool’s TiNy is the exception to at least two of rules of knife design; that anything other than a full tang compromises overall strength, and an all metal handle is heavy and cold. They say ‘it is the exception that proves the rule’, but is the UG Tools TiNy the exception, or simply the rule breaker?

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.

_______________________________________________
What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________
The UltiLink Mount seems a bit out of proportion on the TiNy.
It makes me want more UG Tools knives!!!

_______________________________________________
Things I like
_______________________________________________
Fantastic ergonomics and comfort.
Magnacut blade.
Low temperature DLC coating.
Security latch system on the SecuriTi edition.
Organic feeling handle texture/Type II anodising.
Uniquely tactile 3D printed Titanium handle.
Uncompromised fixed blade strength weighing only 85g.
Slim 2.8mm blade stock.
Flat grind slicing ability.

Review Videos

Starting with a short format sixty second review:

Onto a full video review covering many more details:

 
Discussing the Review:
Something new – will it work? A Tactical Reviews Subreddit.
TacticalReviewsChat on Reddit
Please visit there and start/join the conversation.

Knife Review: Spartan Blades USMC KA-BAR

3 November, 2023

Take a classic knife, let Spartan Blades perform their magic on it, including using MagnaCut for the blade steel, and you have the Ultimate Elite Edition USMC KA-BAR! This is a detailed Review of the Spartan Blades USMC KA-BAR made with CPM MagnaCut steel.

In this feature review we are looking at the PVD – Tungsten DLC (Flat Black) blade coating with similarly coated butt cap and guard, plus the black leather sheath. The Spartan Blades Elite USMC KA-BAR is also available in ZrN (Flat Dark Earth) and with black or coyote Kydex sheath.

I first saw this awesome knife at IWA 2023, and could not wait to get hold of one.

Review Videos

Starting with a short format sixty second review:

Onto a full video review covering many more details:

What’s in the box?:
Just to point out that the challenge coins and mini patch shown with the box here are not included as standard, but are extras you can order as well if you would like to.

You can see on the box that the USMC KA-BAR is part of the Spartan Blades Elite Grade range – top performance in every way.

A good look round the leather sheath – Things to look out for here are:
The black leather sheath is one of three sheath options. It is a traditional layout and construction, stitched and riveted, and made from high quality leather.
Very nicely embossed into the front is the Spartan Blades logo, along with KA-BAR trademark.
The retention strap is located near the butt, again following a traditional pattern of sheath design.

A good look round the knife – Things to look out for here are:
Unmistakable clip point blade with sabre grind and long fuller, all in a black finish. Deeply Laser engraved next to the guard is the large KA-BAR branding and tiny version of the Spartan Blades logo – plus that magic word MagnaCut. This KA-BAR has a straight, asymmetrical guard, and you can also see the rounded plunge line. For this Spartan Blades Elite version, the handle is Kraton G which is super durable polymer.
The butt cap is held in place with a interference fit pin that passes through the end of the tang. When looking at the knife tip close up, this shows the factory edge, matt/flat finish and the little flecks are from the leather sheath.

The Blade and Handle – Detailed Measurements:
For full details of the tests and measurements carried out and an explanation of the results, see the page – Knife Technical Testing – How It’s Done.

The blade is made from CPM MagnaCut steel.

The Factory edge up close:

Followers of Tactical Reviews will know my views on factory edges, but to recap:

Anyone using a knife will need to sharpen it. That first factory edge is just like the first tank of fuel that a new car comes with (or first charge of the battery).
A good factory edge is a ‘nice to have’ but not a ‘make or break’ for a good knife, as you will be putting your own edge onto it soon enough.
The factory edge does however indicate the care a knife maker has put into the final finish.
It is for this reason Tactical Reviews measures factory edge sharpness and specifications, and includes this information in the detailed technical testing.

As a further look at the factory edge, this section has been added to include some high magnification photos of the factory edges.

What is it like to use?

This is a knife design that has been in active service since 1942. Clearly a tried and tested design.

Before going into more about the Spartan KA-BAR, I wanted to pause a moment to look at a couple of other Spartan Blades Elite knives.

Spartan Blades, as well as producing their own fantastic designs, have brought at least one other all time classic back to life and up to date. Here is the Harsey Model II (original design), EK Commando knife (classic), as well as the latest KA-BAR.

And back to the subject of this review – the KA-BAR and how it handles. Shown here is a gallery of the knife in hand. I take XL size gloves.

Comfort and stability is excellent with the Kraton G polymer handle. Molded to represent the original stacked leather handle, but without any of the fragility or other issues a leather handle has. This material also provides excellent shock absorbency if batoning or striking with the blade.

The asymmetrical guard allows for the thumb to reach over easily and press down on the spine. It is a mid sized fixed blade and handles well for this class of knife.

In this final gallery, the first four images represent a cutting test carried out with the factory edge, and a 1″ manila hemp rope. It is a test I slightly regretted starting as the specially prepared rope turned out to be exceedingly tough to cut. I’ll explain why…

Rope cutting tests for me have always had a few flaws and the biggest of these being lacking consistency and being very wasteful, so I went and added my own twist. To overcome those issues, I tightly wrapped clean, new, rope in a brown paper strip with a water soluble gummed back. This was then allowed to dry and kept indoors to keep it fully dry.

The idea was to stabilise the fibres so each cut would be the same (instead of the rope structure collapsing and spreading), while at the same time allowing a thinner ‘slice’ of rope to be cut each time.

Well, unfortunately this was so stable, the rope was almost like a wooden dowel when trying to cut it, with virtually no give or flexibility. Because of this, each cut was very hard work and fatiguing.

Shown is the starting sharpness measurement (BESS 275g), some of the cuts and rope fibres, then the sharpness after 16 cuts (BESS 406). At this point I had to stop. The sharpness had dropped, but was still cutting well enough, and if I could have carried on, so could the knife thought the cuts were less clean.

One of the things I love when carrying this knife is that I have a classic design, but in the very latest materials. A proven design, but tougher and more reliable than ever. Truly an ‘Elite Grade’ knife from Spartan Blades.

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.

_______________________________________________
What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________
Being very picky – the laser engraving has ‘catchy’ raised edges.
The above point is very very picky!
Nothing else.

_______________________________________________
Things I like
_______________________________________________
Spartan Blades build quality.
CPM MagnaCut Steel.
Classic time-tested design.
Choice of leather or Kydex sheaths.
Kraton G handle material.
Hardwearing PVD flat/matt blade coating.