Subwoofer, Author at TACTICAL REVIEWS

Gear Review: DMT Aligner ProKit and DuoSharp 10″ Bench Stone

9 January, 2017

It is possible to put a great edge onto a knife with very basic equipment and a lot of time. However, with the ever harder and more abrasion resistant steels, diamond stones make it much easier and faster to achieve that edge. DMT are one of the best, if not the best, makers of diamond sharpening stones. If you have checked my ‘Recommended’ page you will have seen that DMT was actually already my favourite diamond sharpener brand, with a pair of DiaFolds (Coarse/Extra Coarse and Fine/Extra Fine) always with me for field maintenance.

In this review I’m looking at two very different sharpeners, a large bench stone (Duo Sharp 10″ Bench Stone) and a guided precision sharpening system (Aligner ProKit).

“Getting your EDGE back”:

There are so many variations in knife design, size and purpose, and I shall continue to try and review as many as I can, but the one thing that they all have in common is a cutting edge, and it is that edge which makes a knife into a tool. When you buy a knife, the factory put an edge on the blade, but this can vary considerably in quality even from good manufacturers. Relying on the factory edge is like buying a car and only driving it as far as the original tank of fuel will take you. You can transform the performance of a knife, so it is worth investing in quality sharpening equipment.

Actually this section title uses the name of a sharpening service I offer to neighbours (100% going to charity), and is absolutely appropriate for anyone who wants to have the best performance from their cutting tools.

I’ve used just about every method of sharpening, both manual methods and powered. These range from the humble carborundum bench-stone to high-end guided sharpening systems, as well as various wet/dry grinders and belt sanders. Manual sharpening does take longer, but gives you greater control and removes less metal. Where Diamond sharpeners really stand out is the speed they cut, and a quality diamond stone can cut 6-10 times faster than other stones. That is a lot fewer strokes you need to make.

There are many diamond stones to choose from with very different prices. DMT claim the flattest sharpening surfaces with the highest quality of diamond particle and density of coating. I can’t examine this to confirm or deny their claim, but what I can say is that where other diamond stones have let me down and worn out quickly, the DMT stones I have, have worked very very hard and are still going strong.

A few more details of the Aligner ProKit:

The Aligner ProKit comes in a storage/carry case.

For this review DMT have also included the Extra-Extra-Fine stone (pink colour) so this is not normally in the ProKit pack. What is included are the three grits Coarse, Fine and Extra Fine, the stone holder/guide-rod, the Aligner adjustable clamp and guide, a tapered serration sharpening diamond coated rod plus the instructions.

Laying everything out, this is what is in the box (remember the pink stone is not part of the ProKit).

As it can’t be fitted into the stone holder, the tapered rod has its own guide rod which screws into the widest end.

I don’t have a microscope to really go in ultra-close to the different grit stones, but this series of images at the same scale give an indication of the different grits.
First up is the Extra-Extra-Fine where the surface appears almost as if there were no particles in it.

Moving up to Extra-Fine and the surface is starting to take on a textured appearance.

With Fine you can see the grainy surface.

Finally with Coarse there is a distinct texture to the surface of the stone.

Each of the different grit stones are fitted into the holder for use.

The stone is pressed into the pocket in the holder.

Then the lock at the end of the holder is turned to hold the stone securely in place.

A closer look at the rotating lock. Initially the fit of the stones into the holder is snug enough to not need the lock, but as you use it more they loosen up slightly and you do need to use the lock.

Being a portable kit, the stone holder has a folding guide rod. Here it is folded over the stone.

The rod hinges round and locks into place in the open position.

Then we have the crucial part of a guided system, the guide itself. This is a clamp which fits onto the blade spine and has adjustable guide rings for the guide rods to run in.

Looking in close at the clamp jaws. There is a brass screw for adjusting the width of the jaws.

With the jaws adjusted to the right size, a locking screw is used to tighten the jaws onto the blade.

Each of the two guides have a number of positions they can be set to. Each of these positions has a groove moulded into the guide arm.

Here we have the clamp fitted onto a blade and the guides set to position 3.

A few more details of the DuoSharp Bench Stone:

The box was shown earlier along with the Aligner ProKit. Inside the box you get the DuoSharp, a sharpening guide (showing other DMT products) and a set of rubber feet.

There are eight feet which need to be fitted to the eight pegs (two in each corner).

While the bench stone is upside-down one of its stand-out features can be seen – a handle. This is part of the DuoBase design.

The handle means that you can take the stone to the blade instead of the blade to the stone. For larger blades this is ideal and makes the DMT benchstone pretty unique. Later on I show an example of exactly this with a ham knife.

The Diamond stone slab is double-sided, so for the other grit you need to flip it over. It is held onto the base with two plastic clamps. Turning the base over you can see the two tabs that click into place. (you can also see the positions these can be put for the smaller 8″ stone.)

Simply pinch these together to release the stone clamp.

You only need to remove one of the clamps to allow the stone to come free.

Fitting in with the colour coding across the DMT range the Red dot represents the Fine grit. The smaller blue dot shows what grit the other side of the stone has – in this case Blue/Coarse.

The DuoSharp 10″ benchstone has an ‘interrupted’ surface which helps clear the filings produced during use. There are a couple of pin marks into the plastic which probably relate to location pins used during the moulding of the plastic part.

You can see how the diamond surface has been moulded into a plastic base-plate. One end has the elongated tab, only part of which fits under the stone clamp.

The other end has a smaller tab for the stone clamp to hold.

Flipping the stone over you can see the Blue grit indicator spot, this time with the smaller Red dot for the other side’s grit.

Fixing the stone back onto the base, first slide the tab under one stone clamp.

Then fit the second stone clamp.

Press the clamp down until it clicks into place.

For an idea of scale, here is the stone next to a Fällkniven F1. At 10″, this is a good sized stone.

What are they like to use?

Firstly, the Aligner fully packed in its box is not only compact, but is also light weight. This makes it a great kit to take with you on trips, to keep in the car, or to use to sharpen friends/relatives knives. With DMT diamond stones being used dry you also don’t need to carry any oils or lubricants, so overall it is very convenient.

Clamp based sharpening systems are limited by the capacity of the clamp. The Aligner’s clamp has a 6.5mm capacity if the adjustment screw is fully removed and reinserted one half turn. I’d prefer more than half a turn, so I think a 6mm blade thickness is a more realistic maximum.

It is best to have an ‘approach’ to keep your results consistent. In this case what I’m referring to is the clamp position. Moving this along the blade will change the angle the stone runs on the edge. So far my approach has been to fit the clamp in the centre of the cutting edge of the blade on every blade I sharpen. Working in this way, in future you will put the clamp into the same position for subsequent sharpening sessions.

As with this type of guided sharpening, once the clamp is fitted to the blade spine and locked on, sliding the guide rod into the guide ring you can now move the stone across the knife edge at a consistent angle.

If you are not used to working with this can be a little awkward. The instructions say to hold the knife handle in one hand and the stone holder in the other; personally I find it easier to hold the clamp in my left hand (I’m right handed) with the blade sitting on my hand. The feel is the same for both sides of the blade. If you have to hold the knife handle it means swapping round an moving the stone with your non-handed hand as well.

For narrow blades you should check for clearance (keeping the stone from wearing into the clamp). In this case there is plenty of room, but the blade is not narrow.

To select the right angle you can use the ‘Sharpie’ method (using a marker pen to blacken the edge bevel and check where the stone is cutting) and if necessary adjust the position of the guide rings. If you are using different settings for different blades, you will want to keep a note of the positions used for each blade to allow you to sharpen it properly next time without changing the bevel angle.

Once you are done, I find it best to leave the clamp on the blade when you test the edge in case you need to work on the edge a little more.

Overall the Aligner is light and efficient, and the DMT diamond stones cut very well.

Update 20 Jan 2017
Following some discussions on the clamp being liable to flex as it is plastic, I wanted to show more clearly how I use the Aligner and similar guided sharpeners. In the instructions for the Aligner it show the stone being held under the knife and the knife being moved over the stone in a similar way to using a bench stone. This means you are holding the knife by its handle and pressing down onto the stone. Like this there is maximum room for flexing. However I have always used this type of guide differently.

I hold the clamp and allow the handle to rest onto my wrist for this side of the blade.

And for the other side I again hold the clamp and support the handle (or blade depending on the blade length) with my third and fourth finger. This way round the blade also sits onto the pad of my thumb.

In this way it is possible to support where the clamp holds onto the blade while you bring the stone to the blade.

And the other way. Hopefully this show clearly why I haven’t had any actual issue with flexing from the plastic clamp.

End of Update 20 Jan 2017

Now we move onto the DuoSharp Bench stone and the technique requiring most user skill. However due to its wide flat surface and diamond cutting efficiency it certainly seems to make sharpening this way much easier than on the carborundum stones I learnt on.

The kitchen knives being sharpened are slightly magnetised due to being stored on a magnetic rack. The filings stand themselves up like this due to being magnetic themselves. A wipe over with a damp rag clears these off nicely.

A few of the knives this stone breezed through.

Now onto something a little more challenging, a 16″ ham knife. Ham knives are super flexible and thin, so are not easy to work onto a stone with.

This blade had seen some abuse in the past and the edge was a bit wavy. I wanted to tidy it up and put together a very simple jig to keep the blade straight. A couple of stop-screws on a wooden base and some masking tape to keep it in place. To the right you can see an angle guide I setup for reference to help me stay on track.

Using the handle on the back of the base I then used the bench stone hand-held. Working on the long and flexible blade in this way was so much easier and resulted in a corrected and hair-splitting edge (after a final strop).

The only real limitation with a large flat bench stone like this is with the recurve section of some blades. Those concave recurve sections just won’t get to touch the diamonds, but that is always the difficulty of a recurve blade.

Being able to hand hold the DuoSharp bench stone was an unexpected benefit of the DMT design and makes it much more versatile.

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
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Aligner package is lightweight for easy transport.	Aligner guide clamp will only fit blades up to 6-6.5mm thick.
Aligner ensures you maintain a consistent angle.	Aligner – One side of the blade is more awkward to work on than the other.
Aligner – Easy swapping of grits.	Aligner – Clamp needs to be fitted tightly and can flex if pressing too hard.
Bench Stone – Large flat surface.	Bench Stone – Large surface prevents recurve blades being sharpened.
Bench Stone – Handle included to allow hand-held use.	Bench Stone – Rubber feet can fall off.
Bench Stone – Easily identifiable grits.
DMT stones can be used dry.
DMT diamond surface cuts very well.

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)

Light Review: Fenix TK15UE (Ultimate Edition)

27 December, 2016

Fenix have been taking classic lights from their range and creating ‘Ultimate Edition’ versions, pushing their performance to the maximum. The TK15 has now been ‘UE’ed to make the TK15UE with uprated output, throw and a new stainless steel bezel.

Taking a more detailed look:

The TK15UE comes in Fenix’s standard packaging.

Included with the TK15UE are the instructions, a holster, a lanyard, a couple of O-rings and a spare switch boot.

Before we move on, the holster is worth lingering on a little longer.

On the back there is a choice of a D-ring, fixed loop, and Velcro closing loop.

There is something a little different here. The holster flap has a retaining strap over it and inside the holster it is fixed with Velcro.

You can just see inside that the flap extends most of the way down the inside of the holster.

The entire flap can be undone and either removed or adjusted to loosen or tighten the fit, or even accommodate a different length light.

As supplied, the holster is correctly configured for the TK15UE.

The most obvious sign that this is something a bit different to the previous TK15s is the Stainless Steel bezel.

Let’s have a look at how the TK15UE and an older TK15 compare. This is the TK15C. So the holster is more than the basic one the TK15C comes with.

Dimensions are all very similar. The TK15C I’m comparing with here has had the clip removed as well as the tactical grip ring because it has been used gun-mounted.

Going in close to the engraving of the model, the knurling and mode switch.

All the edges of the clip are nicely rounded, and there are no sharp corners to eat away at your pockets (just the knurling under the clip).

The switch button does protrude, so no tail-standing, and it has two raised areas to provide the switch with some protection from accidental activation.

As with the stainless bezels on other Fenix lights, the edges have been bevelled to make them kind to the holster and your pockets.

The inner edges of the bezel are crisp without being sharp.

Fenix’s preferred trapezoid threads are used.

The end of the battery tube is the electrical contact that connects to the tail-cap contact.

Inside the tail-cap are the battery tube contact and the negative terminal sprung contact.

With the TK15UE, the head will unscrew.

As the battery tube can be removed we can get a good look at those contacts in the head.

Just like previous TK15 models, the TK15UE has a smooth reflector.

In the centre of that reflector is the CREE XP-L HI V3 LED.

Looking straight into the TK15UE’s reflector.

The TK15UE is one of the more compact single 18650 lights. Not as compact as the small-head types such as the PD32, but it does have a big enough reflector to give it some punch.

You can take off the tactical grip ring by unscrewing it.

Unless you buy the optional thread protector you will see the grip ring threads.

The beam

Please be careful not to judge tint based on images you see on a computer screen. Unless properly calibrated, the screen itself will change the perceived tint.

The indoor beamshot is intended to give an idea of the beam shape/quality rather than tint. All beamshots are taken using daylight white balance. The woodwork (stairs and skirting) are painted Farrow & Ball “Off-White”, and the walls are a light sandy colour called ‘String’ again by Farrow & Ball. I don’t actually have a ‘white wall’ in the house to use for this, and the wife won’t have one!

Indoors the TK15UE is not at its best, as it is quite a throw orientated beam. The hotspot is bright and well formed. Spill is relatively dim and narrow but usable. There is enough balance in the beam to make it OK indoors.

But it is when you get a bit more range that the TK15UE really starts to shows what it is made of. The throw belies its compact size, and with the ‘UE’ upgrade it is a really punchy little light.

Modes and User Interface:

To control the TK15 UE there is the forward-clicky tail switch, and the mode selection switch just behind the head.

Click ON (or half press for momentary action) the tail switch to access the last used constant mode. With the tail switch on, press the mode button to cycle though the modes.

The standard modes are Low, Medium, High and Turbo.

There is a hidden Strobe mode accessed by holding the modes selection switch in for 1s. Strobe is not memorised as a last used mode.

Batteries and output:

The TK15UE runs on 18650 or 2xCR123.

To measure actual output, I built an integrating sphere. See here for more detail. The sensor registers visible light only (so Infra-Red and Ultra-Violet will not be measured).

Please note, all quoted lumen figures are from a DIY integrating sphere, and according to ANSI standards. Although every effort is made to give as accurate a result as possible, they should be taken as an estimate only. The results can be used to compare outputs in this review and others I have published.

___________________________________________	________________________________	________________________________
Fenix TK15UE using specified cell	I.S. measured ANSI output Lumens	PWM frequency or Strobe frequency (Hz)
___________________________________________	________________________________	________________________________
Turbo – Fenix ARB-L18-3500	776	0
High – Fenix ARB-L18-3500	377	0
Medium – Fenix ARB-L18-3500	164	0
Low – Fenix ARB-L18-3500	14	0

* Beacon and Strobe output measurements are only estimates as the brief flashes make it difficult to capture the actual output value.

Peak Beam intensity measured 31100 lx @1m giving a beam range of 353m.

There is no parasitic drain.

I was slightly surprised by the Turbo output runtime trace as unlike most Fenix lights the TK15UE does not appear to run with a regulated output. The trace was recorded using cooling, so it is unlikely that this is due to overheat protection, instead the TK15UE seems to run at maximum output with that output sagging as the cell becomes depleted. However saying that, you do get a full hour of runtime at more than 600lm, so overall the performance is still good. (This was run using Fenix’s latest ARB-L18 3500mAh cell.)

Troubleshooting

This section is included to mention any minor niggles I come across during testing, in case the information helps anyone else.

No issues were encountered during testing.

As per the description of this section, this information is provided in case anyone else finds a similar ‘issue’ that might be fixed in the same way.

The TK15UE in use

By separating the mode selection to a side-switch Fenix have allowed proper momentary use of that forward-clicky tail switch. This makes for a really easy and intuitive interface and keeps things simple for any user.
Fortunately the strobe mode is reasonably well hidden and is not memorised; I’m surprised anyone still includes strobe. As those that follow me will know, I’m certainly no fan of strobe and most true tactical users I know are aware that if you strobe another person, you strobe yourself as well, so your are better off not using it at all. Thankfully with the TK15UE you need never come across strobe and can use the four constant output modes without tripping over strobe.
The TK15UE manages a balance between hotspot and spill that, although it is more oriented towards throw, is still usable at indoor distances.
When using the holster with the TK15UE inserted bezel-down, the bezel does catch in the holster before getting all the way in. Used bezel-up, this does not happen. It seems to be due to the adjustable flap taking up more space inside so the bezel catches on the inside of the holster. To get it all the way into the holster bezel-down you need to twist the TK15UE as you insert it.
There are smaller single 18650 lights, but the TK15UE is still compact enough to make it easy to carry, yet that slightly larger head is enough to give it a nice strong beam. Even with the upgrades to the head and LED, Fenix have kept the character of the TK15 but made it significantly brighter.
I’ve always felt the TK15 was an unsung hero in the Fenix line-up, quietly getting on with the job while others took the glory. In the Ultimate Edition, the TK15UE can now take some of the limelight and hopefully get a bit more recognition.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Significantly boosted output compared to previous TK15 models.	Turbo output not regulated.
Excellent throw from a compact head.	Bezel catches in holster when used bezel down.
Simple user interface.	Can accidentally hit the mode switch especially if wearing gloves.
Stainless Steel Bezel.

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.

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

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

Knife Review: Böker Plus Kwaiken Mini Flipper

22 December, 2016

After reviewing the Böker Plus Kwaiken Flipper, while at IWA 2016 I was able to speak to Lucas Burnley about the original Kwaiken folder and this new ‘Mini’ version of the Kwaiken Flipper. This review is of the new Kwaiken Mini Flipper, a scaled down version of the Kwaiken Flipper.

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 VG-10 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.
While at IWA 2016 I was fortunate enough to meet Lucas Burnley and have the opportunity to talk to him about the Kwaiken Flipper and its development and design including the latest ‘Mini’ in this review.

(Photo Credit – Oliver Lang-Geffroy)

The original Kwaiken was in fact a fixed blade, and the folder came from that fixed blade around eleven years ago (approx. 2005). The fixed blade Kwaiken is such a simple design it was a hard translation into the folder, and to date is the hardest thing Lucas has designed.

Aspects such as the fully enclosed blade, the detailing on the spine and the sleek lines were the main reasons it was difficult to work out the mechanics, and how to make it, making it a stretch for Lucas at the time.

The design is completely linear and slender which is what the Kwaiken is known for. At the time, Lucas’s design style (apart from the Kwaiken) was very curvy with big wide blades and the folders he was making were really ‘swoopy’, so to strip the design down to the point the entire blade fits within the handle, yet still has the same proportions of the fixed blade was a real challenge.

Not being able to use cord wrapping for the handle meant there was a need for additional grip, and the shadow-boxing (the step between the scales and liners) is actually a gripping surface in a similar way to jimping. So the shadow-boxing detail is a completely intentional feature and not included for easing manufacturing tolerances for the production knives. In fact including this feature added extra work as for the custom Kwaiken folders as Lucas would first make the scales to size, and then mark them and hand cut them to the final inset shape.

Asking Lucas about his own workshop and how much automated machinery he has, he mentioned how completely different the approach to CNC machining is to making by hand. Although making by hand is not the most efficient way, if he makes a mistake he can correct it, if he wants to change something he can change it, with CNC machining you have to plan from the start all the way to a finished product. Currently he does use the CNC machine to make a parts-set for a knife which he then assembles and hand fits everything to achieve the really high quality he demands. Whatever method might be used, Lucas feels it is unimportant for there to be a distinction between a custom knife maker and a handmade knife maker; he can forge a knife, machine a knife – he makes knives, and is completely open as to how his knives are made. However, saying that, the processes need to be satisfying to Lucas; he might want to learn how to use CNC machinery simply because it’s fun, after that, if people like that fact, great, but he will make what he wants, how he wants, explain to people how it is made, and then they buy it or they don’t.

Back to the Kwaiken Folder; initially this design didn’t start with a flipper, and the original custom knife had a thumb disc. The flipper was the next generation of the design.

When the first Böker Kwaiken folder production knife was released (thumb disc version), there were complaints because some people had a hard time opening it. This was because Lucas wanted a really small thumb disc and this became a good lesson in the differences between a factory design versus custom knife making. When Lucas makes a custom knife he can absolutely tune that knife so it opens exactly the way he wants it to every time. He can then explain to the user that this is a small thumb disc and instead of treating it like a lever, you need to treat it like a button, pushing down on it. As the design was now making its way into the hands of people not so familiar with thumb opening knives, without the benefit of a custom tune and one-to-one customer contact, the decision was made to move to a larger disc. Production design has to be very understandable to everyone.

The original Thumb disc size.

(Photo Credit – BladeBarrelBezel.com)

The new larger Thumb disc has been fitted and is shown next to the original.

(Photo Credit – BladeBarrelBezel.com)

Lucas asked himself how he could make the Kwaiken folder more understandable and more accessible for everyone – that was why the flipper was introduced. It turns out however, that the flipper had other advantages; it allows the handle to go back to being straight, completely linear and clean, which is how Lucas wanted it in the first place. The ‘flip’ side of this (excuse the pun) is that now you have the flipper tab sticking out. When Lucas designed the Kwaiken flipper, a lot of the knives out there had very large flipper tabs, so he concentrated on working out what it is that really makes a flipper work. In the case of the Kwaiken this results in the tab being shaped like a wheel to allow prolonged contact with it as the blade deploys; this concept allows the tab to be as small as it is (in fact Lucas feels he could probably go even smaller). The goal was to keep it as clean and as small as possible, yet remain intuitive so anyone could pick it up and use it.

Concerning overall design, though Lucas considers the knife a tool, he also recognises the fact that it might be used for self defence, so includes attributes to support that. There is the simple fact that any knife is better than no knife, but here we have a folder so the first disadvantage is that you have to open it. With the Kwaiken, straight out of your pocket, even the folded knife was intended to also be better than nothing, with the taper and slight point of the handle giving you a kubotan style pressure point weapon. This is not something you will see listed as a feature or selling point but is part of the thought process behind the design.

When designing a knife, unlike other products that need to ‘perform’ within measured parameters, the process is more about visual correctness. Things have to ‘look’ right and be intuitive. For Lucas there is a critical interaction in the design between curves, angles and straight lines, and he tries to create tension in his designs. A knife with only curves can be boring, a knife with only angles, though modern looking, can also be boring; for Lucas there needs to be a balance and interest created from combining these.

In the Kwaiken folder, the mainly linear design has a few curves, the sweep from belly to blade tip, and the hollow grind. In fixed blades the choice of grind can be highly driven by the purpose of that knife, be it a small carving knife, or a large chopper. With folding knives you have much more flexibility in choosing the grind. Using a hollow grind takes out more metal and reduces the weight as well as adjusting the balance point. Many of the design features incorporated into Lucas’s designs (such as the scallops in the spine) are not for a particular purpose, but simply to add interest and look good. He doesn’t want his designs to be instantly understood, but instead needing you to look at it again and again to take in the details.

Due to the size constraints inside the Kwaiken, to be able keep blade fully inside the handle, an internal stop pin was needed. This further constrained the space for any bushings and with a small narrow and light blade which needs the action to be slick enough for a flipper, the IKBS bearing system is ideal. Currently Lucas is working on increasing the size to allow the use of caged rather than loose bearings in the next generation of the Kwaiken folder, making user maintenance much easier.

And now the subject of this review, the Kwaiken Mini Flipper, a scaled down version. Miniature is truly scaled down, whereas ‘compact’ is generally scaled down in certain elements but not in others. With the Mini, starting with the blade length, the blade has not been reduced all that much, reduced by only half to three quarters of an inch, but being a folder, with this small decrease in blade length, overall you lose twice that. The knife doesn’t lose much blade, but it gets much smaller altogether.

The reduction in size makes it such a convenient length, Lucas said he would not be surprised if the Mini becomes more popular than the full size version. Many people are not that comfortable carrying a large folding knife, and the Kwaiken is quite a large knife, so the Mini gives you all of the style in a much easier to carry package.

One the most fun aspects of the Kwaiken for Lucas is all the modifications people are making to the basic knife, and he is really looking forward to seeing that with the Mini as well.

The ‘Burnley Böker’ has become a very influential design, affecting what people think of as a Kwaiken more towards Lucas’s design than the original Japanese knife, this has only really been possible due to the collaboration with Böker and getting the knife into so many people’s hands. Though Lucas appreciates exclusivity, he likes to be inclusive. Lucas wants to make his product, and he wants them to be very high-end, so they are going to be exclusive purely because his own output is limited; he just can’t make enough. The factory collaboration provides a starting point and at a usable price, and allows people to be part of the Kwaiken wave without having to find a Burnley original custom.

Many owners of original Burnley custom Kwaiken folders have bought the Böker version as their ‘user’ keeping the original as a display piece. When asked how he feels about the fate of his crafted knives, where every aspect has been optimised to make it the best tool it possibly can be, yet many never get used at all, Lucas responded by saying that the most important thing for him is that the owner gets value from it in their own way, whether that is to be able to pull it out and show its perfection to friends, or to use it. All of Lucas’s knives have been made to be used and used well.

Whenever moving to production, it means suddenly dealing with a lot of different personalities and opinions and there are going to be problems. For Lucas, it is the relationships with the companies he chooses to work with that are most important. You have to be able to have a problem, look at it, and communicate to be able to get it fixed. Working with Böker has been mutually beneficial for both Lucas and Böker and they have both learned from each other. The goal for Lucas is to create icons and to do this working with a factory as a long term relationship, not to produce a single model that fades away, just to get a pay cheque, but to continue to build (as can be seen with the progression of the Kwaiken folder). Icons come about because they are made, and then made available, and then made continuously.

Showing the continual development of the Kwaiken Folder, here are the versions made so far (see photo below)-
1. Böker Plus Kwaiken Folder
2. Böker Plus Kwaiken Folder Orange
3. Böker Plus Kwaiken Flipper Titan
4. Böker Plus Kwaiken Flipper Carbon
5. Böker Plus Kwaiken Flipper Damast
6. Böker Plus Kwaiken Flipper Tactical
7. Böker Plus Kwaiken Mini Flipper G-10
8. Böker Plus Kwaiken Mini Flipper Titan
9. Böker Plus Kwaiken Flipper G-10

(Photo Credit – Böker)

The work is still ongoing and there are a few more versions of the Kwaiken folder in the pipeline, a slim framelock version and a compact version. Though previously only Lucas’s knives have had a duplex grind on the blade, this is also something that is being worked on for the production models, but it is difficult. At the time of speaking the duplex blade grind is on about its fifth version and is getting really close to being ready.

A few more details:

The Kwaiken Mini Flipper arrives in a presentation box.

Before opening the box, here is the full size Kwaiken Flipper next to it.

The box has a magnetic closure, and the knife arrives in a small plastic bag.

This is the G10 version of the Kwaiken Mini – there is a Ti version as well.

Though only a little shorter the scaled down Mini appears a lot smaller than the full size version.

Thanks to the fully concealed blade, the Kwaiken Mini Flipper will sit with the flipper tab upwards.

Turned the other way up you can see how the blade is fully enclosed in the handle.

The Kwaiken Mini Flipper also has a mini clip.

With careful design, the flipper tab has been kept small, and includes jimping for grip.

Top right in this photo you can see the locking surface on the blade tang and just visible in the bottom left quadrant is the concealed blade stop pin.

Blade centring is excellent and only looks slightly off here due to the uneven edge from the final sharpening.

Out of the box, lock engagement is not that deep, but is still rock solid. Also note the cutout of the liner opposite the lock to allow the lock to be released.

The lock bar is part of the liner, and here is the section that has been thinned to create the lock bar spring.

Looking deep within the knife you can see the detent ball which holds the blade in the closed position.

Classic Burnley Kwaiken lines have the straight spine and curve from plunge line to tip.

The knife’s credentials are marked on one side of the blade, a Burnley design, VG-10 blade steel and using an IKBS bearing.

On the opposite side of the blade is the Böker Plus logo. The blade is stonewashed, and this photo also clearly shows the plunge line and sharpening choil.

A different view of the fully concealed blade.

Torx bolts hold the clip and scales on.

The blade has a small sharpening choil, but if you look closely, the factory edge has not quite made it all the way back to this.

With space being so limited, the actual cutting edge is quite near the surface of the liners with the blade closed.

What it is like to use?

If you start with the full size Kwaiken Flipper, the Mini can feel exactly that, Mini. Perhaps too small, but we must not stop there, as in the course of this testing, after the initial photo shoot, I made myself put away the full size version to allow myself to become accustomed to the Mini in its own right.

Taking the two versions on their own and putting them back to back, the scaling down is clear.

But put this in context with some other knives, and here it is next to the Fällkniven F1 and a Spyderco UK Pen Knife along with the full size Kwaiken Flipper. The full size Kwaiken is a large folder and only seems less so due to being slim, so the Mini is still a good sized knife.

There is plenty of handle to get a good grip. (I take XL Sized gloves)

With the Kwaiken Mini Flipper used as a regular carry, it is much more discreet being smaller and lighter. It still retains all the character of the original, and I found myself forgetting what the full size version feels like and not missing it.

We all have different knife carry laws to contend with, so size can be an important factor. It the UK, there is no difference in law between me carrying the full size or Mini, but if I have good reason to carry a locking knife or I’m simply using it on private property, the Mini is much more pocket friendly.

Having a smaller and lighter blade, the flip is not quite as reliable as the full size Kwaiken Flipper and I’ve had a few misfires. Any misfire can easily be fully opened with a flick of the wrist, and if you maintain good contact with the flipper tab throughout the launch it rarely happens.

For the size of blade, the spine is relatively thick so this does start to drag when cutting deeply into tougher materials. For point-work though the Kwaiken blade shape is highly effective so much so you have to be careful not to puncture too deeply.

Initially I was sceptical about the Kwaiken Mini and it seemed too small; Why would I want to bother with a scaled down version of a great knife? Well, now I’ve lived with it I can see exactly why. Clearly you need to like the Kwaiken design, and if you do (why wouldn’t you?) then the Mini gives you all of the sleek lines and style, in perfect scaled down proportion that is far more pocket friendly.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Truly scaled down so faithfully keeps the character of the original.	Relatively thick blade for its size.
Pocket friendly size.	Flip is less reliable than the full size.
IKBS bearing.	Pocket clip can be tricky to get started.
Fully enclosed blade when folded.
Sleek and distinctive style.

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)

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Light Review: Olight R50 Seeker

12 December, 2016

Olight’s R50 Seeker is a handy sized powerhouse using a 26650 cell and the XHP50 LED allowing it to give you 2500lms in an easily carried package; built-in USB charging adds to its flexibility.

Taking a more detailed look:

The R50 arrives in something more like a presentation box than just ‘packaging’.

The box has a lid which is held shut with magnets.

Taking everything out you have the R50, instructions, charger, charger plug adaptor, USB cable and lanyard.

Before you can use the charger you need to fit your local plug adaptor.

The adaptor clicks into place.

The charger is multi-voltage and with a 2.1A output.

Separating out the USB cable and lanyard. The lanyard has a very nice ‘fabric tube’ wrist loop.

A good looking light with blue bezel an switch rings.

Looking from the rear you can see the USB charging port cover in the tail-cap.

The main power switch is low profile, but big enough to be easy to use.

Diving in close to the quad die XHP50 LED.

Surrounding the LED is a textured reflector.

Flipping round to the other end, there is a rubber charging port cover in the tail-cap.

Pulling this aside exposes the micro-USB socket.

Inside the tailcap, there are three contacts; a ring contact for the end of the battery tube, and two sprung button contacts.

The tail-cap end of the cell has two contacts to match the two in the tail-cap.

Threads are square cut.

Supplied with the R50 is a proprietary Olight 26650 cell.

This cell has the twin contacts on the ‘negative’ end of the cell, and an arrow on the side to indicate which way to insert it.

Peering inside the battery tube to look at the positive contact.

The beam

Please be careful not to judge tint based on images you see on a computer screen. Unless properly calibrated, the screen itself will change the perceived tint.

The R50 manages to combine a very wide spill with a bright hotspot.

Taking it outside and that wide beam lights up everything near you and the broad hotspot has good range.

Modes and User Interface:

Before we get into the controls, we need to charge the R50. After connecting the USB cable there is a red charging indicator light next to the USB socket.

Once fully charged this turns green.

To turn ON to the last used constant mode, click the side switch once.
To turn ON to Turbo directly, double-click the side switch.
To turn ON to Strobe, triple-click the side switch.
To turn ON to Low mode directly, press and hold the side switch for 1s.

To change brightness level, with the R50 ON, press and hold the switch to cycle through Low – Medium – High – Low etc.

To turn OFF, click the side switch.

There is a memory for the last used ‘normal’ mode (Low, Medium, or High) but High is only memorised for 10 minutes after which the R50 goes back to Medium.

There are two ways to lockout the R50:
1. Unscrew the tail-cap a half turn.
2. Press and hold the side switch (from OFF) for over 2s. (After 1s the R50 will come onto Low, but after 2s it will go off again as it enters lockout.)

To exit lockout use the corresponding method to the lockouts above:
1. Tighten the tailcap.
2.Press and hold the switch for 3s.

Batteries and output:

The R50 Seeker runs on a proprietary 26650 cell. The instructions do not mention support for standard 26650 cells, however I have tried this and the R50 does function (though does not accommodate very long cells) apart from the charging not working.

To measure actual output, I built an integrating sphere. See here for more detail. The sensor registers visible light only (so Infra-Red and Ultra-Violet will not be measured).

___________________________________________	________________________________	________________________________
Olight R50 using supplied 26650 cell	I.S. measured ANSI output Lumens	PWM frequency or Strobe frequency (Hz)
___________________________________________	________________________________	________________________________
Turbo	2479	0
High	1281	0
Medium	440	0
Low	39	0

* Beacon and Strobe output measurements are only estimates as the brief flashes make it difficult to capture the actual output value.

Peak Beam intensity measured 22000 lx @1m giving a beam range of 297 m.

There is parasitic drain at 52uA. When using the included 4500mAh cell, it will take 9.87 years to drain the cell.

A very impressive output for a compact light. During extended use, the Turbo stepping down from nearly 2500lm to 1800lm is not noticeable and while running at 1800lm starts to generate a good amount of heat. Even with the step down at 30 minutes to around 1650lm you don’t really notice, and it is only once you get to about 50 minutes and the R50 steps down to the medium output of 440lm that you see a drop in output.

Troubleshooting

This section is included to mention any minor niggles I come across during testing, in case the information helps anyone else.

No issues were encountered during testing.

As per the description of this section, this information is provided in case anyone else finds a similar ‘issue’ that might be fixed in the same way.

The R50 Seeker in use

For such a usable and useful light I am disappointed Olight did not include a holster. Even though it uses the 26650 cell, so has a thicker tube than the common 18650 size light, Olight have kept the overall size very compact and comfortable to hold. It may not be jeans-pocket sized, it is easily coat-pocket sized.

Output is extremely impressive and does meet the specified 2500lm. This does drop to 1800 after 3 minutes, but that reduction is barely noticeable and the R50 continues to impress. Everyone who has seen me using the R50 has said “that is bright” and asked what it is; a real talking point.

One area where I think Olight has really cracked it, is the interface. It is the same, or very similar, to many of the other Olight lights with a single side switch, so you will recognise the way it works. Giving the user direct access to the maximum and minimum levels, whatever you last used, makes this a real winner. Another nice touch is the way that the ‘normal’ mode (from a single click of the side switch) will not memorise High beyond 10 minutes of being off, it means that whatever you were doing with the R50, worst case you might get Medium if you turn it on without thinking. Not so much you get blinded and yet powerful enough.

These days you won’t really find yourself unable to find a USB charger at work or at home. The R50 comes with a quality 2A charger anyway, but while you are away from home you will be able to top up the R50 easily enough. The instructions specifically don’t mention using any other 26650 cells, but being the rebel I am, I popped one in. Clearly the charging function is not going to work, but the R50 itself did work, so you can carry a spare 26650 if you want. Just beware that the R50’s tube is not that long, so some 26650 cells may be too long. Check it fits before you rely on it.

There is some shaping at the head, but the R50 effectively has no anti-roll feature, you need to put it down head-down or tail-down. It does tail-stand very well.

Running the R50 on Turbo also provides you with a hand-warmer as it does heat up quite a lot. Given a cold evening, this certainly is a welcome feature. If you decide to tail-stand the R50 on Turbo you will hit the over-heat protection, so expect the output to drop if you let it get really hot.

Personally I find the R50 hits a real sweet spot in terms of size, ergonomics and output. Give me a side-switch light any day, add to that a cell which is large enough to sustain a significant output and a great all-rounder beam, keep it small enough to pop into a coat pocket and you have a winner. I’ll forgive it the proprietary cell for the fact that this has convenient built-in USB charging, doesn’t need anything else to be bought to use it, but can use standard 26650 cells, so gets round the normal limitation of proprietary cell lights.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
2500lm from a compact light.	Requires the proprietary cell for built-in charging.
Excellent UI using an ergonomic side switch.	No holster supplied.
Can run on a standard 26650 – Unofficially.	No Anti-Roll.
Direct access to Maximum and Minimum modes.
Regulated output.
All-rounder beam.

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.

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

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

Knife Review: Ruger / CRKT GO-N-HEAVY (Plain and Veff Serrated Versions)

7 December, 2016

One of my highlights of IWA 2016 was a visit to the CRKT stand, and on that stand was a knife I could not leave IWA without. Amongst the new Ruger line of knives (produced by CRKT) was the super-sized Go-N-Heavy which stood out not only due to its size, but for the distinctive look which comes from a combination of the design brief for the Ruger line of knives and its pedigree of being a William Harsey design.

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 8Cr13Mov steel, the washers from Teflon and the handles are hard anodised 6061-T6 Aluminium.

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.

While discussing the Ruger knives with CRKT, there were a couple of insights into the processes that led to the final designs of the knives.

The project started with Ruger approaching CRKT and asking them to design a special line of knives for them. The knives had to represent Ruger, so would not simply be any old design, but had to fit in with the feel of Ruger’s products.

As one of the designers CRKT have worked with before, it turns out that Bill Harsey had already been working on a design that was reminiscent of the Picatinny rails on the SR line of rifles. Never quite making it off his workbench, it seemed a perfect fit, so was adopted for the Go-N-Heavy and Go-N-Heavy Compact knives in the Ruger lineup. The Ruger range also includes a total of 23 different models, fixed and folding, plain edges and part-serrated.

A feature used in CRKT knives are the unique Veff Serrations (which we will see in more detail). A different take on the design of serrations where the scallops are angled to give a positive feed into the cut. The effect is similar to a normal wood saw where the teeth cut into the material in one direction, but ride over the surface (clearing the cut) in the other. Veff serrations give real bite to the cut. We will cover these in more detail later.

A few more details:

This review is going to look at both versions of the Go-N-Heavy, the plain edge and part-serrated (Veff serrations). The knife arrives in a Ruger branded box.

Inside the knife is in its belt pouch and wrapped in a plastic bag.

Along with the knife and belt pouch is a CRKT leaflet.

Especially important as this is a large folder, there is a well finished nylon belt pouch.

The belt pouch loops allow for horizontal or vertical carry positions.

That large belt pouch is filled by the Go-N-Heavy.

Let’s take a look round this, starting with the Ruger side of the blade.

Then the CRKT side of the blade. (On this side you can see the stainless steel lock insert/liner.)

Centring is pretty much spot on. Oddly, I’m looking at the actual knife right now and it looks better than this photo.

Loving the details in the handle. Though not a Picatinny rail, it is certainly reminiscent of one.

Enough blade is exposed to allow two handed opening, but there is also an ambidextrous thumb stud fitted to the blade.

One side of the pivot has a torx fitting for adjustment. The pivot bolt appears big and oversized, but this is for stylistic reasons and sits very well with the black anodised handles.

Here we can see the blade stop pin and locking surface (which is fresh and unused straight out of the box).

And out comes that nice big blade with recognisable Harsey style.

Both versions together to show how it looks open and closed.

One side of the blade has the CRKT logo, plus model, engraved into the surface.

Lock engagement straight out of the box looks a little light, but was strong and soon settled in slightly with use.

Stepping back a little this view shows how the stainless liner fits into a recess in one of the aluminium handles.

The holes in the handles do go all the way through. You might also spot that the holes in the stainless steel liner are slightly smaller.

Only one side of the pivot bolt has a torx fitting. The other side is completely plain.

The plunge line is neatly executed.

Torx bolts are used to hold the handles together.

On the thumb ramp there is some fine jimping to give you extra grip.

Taking a very close look into the Go-N-Heavy with the blade open you can see the detent ball on the side of the lock bar which holds the blade in the closed position.

There is a nice flowing semi-swedge on the blade spine.

Now a switch over to the part-serrated version featuring Veff serrations.

Really heavy-duty serrations with only four scallops in the serrated area.

From the other side of the blade you can see the serrations are cut with a single bevel.

The two versions.

What is the Go-N-Heavy like to use?

Before we go onto using it, to start with we have to get the proper ideal of scale, so here the Go-N-Heavy is next to the Fällkniven F1 and a Spyderco UK Pen Knife. Yes, it really dwarfs the Fällkniven in blade and handle.

I take XL size gloves, and this knife makes my hand look small. What the large handle does allow for however are a range for different grip positions all of which remain comfortable.

Ok, I’m not going to argue that it is the most practical knife, but saying that there are plenty of occasions I want to have a large knife with me but can’t really justify a fixed blade. The Go-N-Heavy gives you a knife with presence but which is small enough when folded to pop into a bag or onto your belt and not be too noticeable; until you need it.

There is also just something so satisfying about a big folder, watching that large blade appear and the knife double in size. When at IWA I found it very difficult to put down, and knew exactly which CRKT knife I wanted to test.

Perhaps a little over sized for a box cutter (especially as you might end up going through the entire box and cutting the contents), but it did the job. Clearly this is not what the knife was intended for.

Though the factory plain edge was serviceable enough, I decided to give it a bit of an upgrade and pop a Wicked Edge onto it.

Looks rather nice with its new edge.

Unfortunately no large rope cutting tasks have yet presented themselves, so I’ve had to make do with smaller ropes. On the smaller sizes, the rope tends to stick in one of the serrations rather than the serration sawing through. It makes it more like a series of line cutting hooks. You need to scale up the cutting job to really get the Veff serrations showing their power. They look great, and are very aggressive, but on smaller jobs they can be hard work.
What you really can feel is the effect of the angled serrations; they actively bite deeper into the material as you cut instead of riding over the surface. In the right cutting job it makes for a very aggressive and efficient cut. For smaller jobs you often have to push the cut away from you to stop the teeth biting so deeply.

Serrated or plain edge, its your call and depends on your requirements (I’d love to see a mid-serrated version – see The Mid-Serrated Blade – A new concept from Subwoofer). Either one will give you a really satisfying super-sized folder.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Super-Sized Folder.	Serrations are too large for some jobs.
Harsey Design.	Smaller hands may struggle to open one handed.
Multiple grip options.
Distinctive Styling.
Veff Serrations have excellent bite.
Belt pouch included.

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: Cressi Giant Knife and Alligator (Dive Knives 2016 – Detail Review)

24 November, 2016

This review provides further details for the Cressi Giant Knife and Alligator which could not be included in the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review

The candidates sent by Cressi were a last minute addition to the Mega Test Review, so unfortunately did not go on the Ionian Sea trip and missed out on some of the real use testing, however they did go through all of the experimental corrosion and cutting testing.

A pretty unique pair from Cressi with a knife at at each end of the size spectrum.

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 other blades.

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 measurements are presented alongside some of the other knives from the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review

A few more details of the Giant Knife:

Very nicely presented in its transparent box, the Giant Knife is clearly exactly what it says it is.

The knife and sheath come with a pair of rubber straps.

Standard belt buckle type straps are used.

The back of the sheath is basically flat.

One set of strap mounting points and what looks like an upside-down “CE” mark.

Near the top of the sheath are the other set of strap mounting holes. Something that has me curious is that the rubber retaining ring fits into a hole right at the top of the sheath, but there is an identical hole slightly further down. This could not be used for the retaining ring as you would never get it to fit over the handle, so is there another knife that uses this same sheath?

Staying with the old-school concept, the Giant Knife has a rubber retaining ring which is pulled over the hammer pommel.

Very neatly put together, the rubber ring has a tab which is easy to grip.

In the released position the rubber ring is pushed out of the way. Like this the knife is just loose in the sheath and can fall out.

The sheath is a one piece moulded plastic design.

And there is that substantial blade. Perhaps not actually ‘giant’, but this is certainly a BFK.

As we all know, ‘stainless’ really means ‘stain-resistant’ and Cressi have given the blade a black coating which helps with corrosion resistance, though the cutting edge itself cannot be coated.

Clearly marked as being made from 304 Stainless Steel.

Incorporated into the blade spine is a line cutting hook. This angle clearly shows how wide the double bevel angle is (also see the parameter table) which unfortunately makes it very ineffective.

The back of the blade also has a long line of serrations which unfortunately are also a double bevel with a very wide angle which limits their effectiveness.

A view of the ricasso and plunge line.

Being a true dive knife, the Giant Knife can be taken apart to clean and maintain the knife. The steel hammer pommel unscrews.

After taking off the pommel, the handle slides off the tang. The full tang has been given the same black coating as the blade, so reduces the need to disassemble and clean it.

Even the thread is coated, but given a few disassemblies this will wear off.

A few more details of the Alligator:

Switching to a completely different concept to the Giant Knife, we have the Alligator.

Being a much smaller knife, this is designed to be fitted to your BCD or belt and not to your arm or leg, so instead of rubber straps you get a mounting kit.

The mounting kit includes a hose mount with hose shim (for smaller hoses) plus a straight bar for fitting around webbing.

In the moulded plastic sheath is a sprung knife-retaining plate which clicks into place on the knife handle to hold it in place.

On the back of the sheath are the screw points for attaching the various mount options.

Is it a knife? Is it a pair of shears? Actually it is both.

Viewed from the other side it looks a bit more knife like.

At the base of the handle is a metal loop which holds the two parts of the handle together.

Flipping the clip outwards frees the handle to open up.

As you might expect with smaller shears the pivot is sprung loaded to make them easy to use.

Inside the handles is a set of gripping teeth that can be used to grip and twist nuts/bolts and other objects you need more grip for.

And there we have them, the Alligator’s jaws. Anyone having to cut loose lines underwater will know just how effective shears are for this task.

Also included is a line cutting hook.

A close view of the knife point. Though not a needle sharp point, I prefer the tip not to be too sharp for a diving knife.

The spine of the ‘knife’ (the top jaw of the shears) has serrations cut into it.

The serrations are formed from a single bevel.

Looking at the top jaw of the shears, the grind is very clean and precise.

One side of the pivot bolt has a security type nut. To tighten this you need a flat head screwdriver with the middle ground out. On trying to adjust this it appears that either thread-lock or some other method has been used to hold this nut in place, so I’ll be leaving it until it needs adjustment.

You can sheath the Alligator either way round, however one way is easier than the other.

The reason it is easier to sheath the knife one way round is due to the blade being offset.

Looking closer you can see that the offset allows the spring for the shears to be incorporated. You can also see the plastic scrapings on the pivot nut where it has rubbed on the sheath.

Feature packed and very versatile.

What are they like to use?

There are those that say there is no need for a big diving knife any more. For many this may be true, and they are better served by something smaller, or even just a line cutter, but there is still a place for the BFK when you need a tool that can take on bigger tasks. Cressi recognise this and that is why they have recently introduced the Giant Knife.

This review includes a cutting tool from both ends of the size spectrum with the much more compact Alligator which is a pair of shears as well as a knife. The Alligator is supremely effective for cutting and in the cutting tests has been scored separately as both a knife and as shears. The cutting score for the shears was joint first place, and the knife was not a bad performer at all. If you combined both scores, it is head and shoulders above any other knife in the Mega Test. The Giant Knife was a respectable performer, but the cutting hook and serrations were poor. See the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review for more information on the cutting test results.

For stainless steel tools, both Cressi knives came out of the corrosion test very well. There is a small amount of rust showing near the pivot between the two halves of the shears.

There is also some rust on the gripping jaws inside the handles.

For the Giant Knife, there is nothing to show for the corrosion testing as there was no visible rust to be found on the knife.

Going back to the Giant Knife… Oh yes, this is a BFK! If you want a decent sized diving knife then the Giant Knife is a very good fit. It is big, the blade is thick, it is heavier than most, but you have a heavy duty tool you can really put to work. The shaped rubber handle gives you a very positive grip and lets you go for it. With some weight behind it, the hammer pommel is effective (just watch where that point is going).
(For size reference, I wear XL size gloves).

Going the other way now, and as the Alligator is much more compact than the Giant Knife, the grip is nearly (but not quite) too short. Despite the smaller size, the Alligator’s knife is effective in all its aspects, with the cutting hook working well and serrations working reasonably.

But the jewel in the Alligator’s crown are the shears. Wet lines and rope can be very difficult to grip and cut with a knife. Free-floating lines even worse, but shears grip the line for you, making it so much easier to cut. Notice how the tip of the shears in the knife blade is hook shaped, which prevents lines slipping out of the front of the jaws. Being spring loaded makes the shears stay firmly in the hand as you use them. Even without the knife blade elements of the Alligator, it would be worth having just for these shears.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
The Alligator gives you the cutting power of shears as well as a knife blade.	Neither design is safe for ‘release’ cutting next to the body.
The Giant gives you a true heavy duty ‘BFK’ for diving.	The Giant Knife’s serrations and hook are ground at far too wide an angle to be effective.
Extremely good corrosion resistance.	The Alligator handle catch can be tricky to open, especially with gloves on.
Both ends of the size spectrum are represented.
Sheaths work right or left handed.

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)

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Knife Review: Whitby & Co Dive Knives – DK9, DK11 and DK511/14 (Dive Knives 2016 – Detail Review)

21 November, 2016

This review provides further details for the three Whitby & Co Dive Knife models DK9, DK11 and DK511/14 which could not be included in the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review

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 other blades.

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 measurements are presented alongside some of the other knives from the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review

There are three Whitby knives, and these have been logged across two comparison tables.

A few more details of the DK9:

Before we really get going looking at the details, you might be curious as to these being Whitby & Co knives yet coming in alternately branded packaging. Whitby & Co source some of the foremost international brands and supply Trade customers with these products.

The knives on test here are referred to under their Whitby & Co model numbers.

Starting with the smallest of the Whitby dive knives, the DK9, it is supplied with two rubber straps with quick release buckles and a leaflet.

On the back of the box are the instructions for assembling the straps. This is the same for all the models on test here.

One end of the rubber strap is moulded so that it won’t pull through the buckle.

Onto the DK9 itself, this is exactly as it comes out of the box, in its sheath.

The knife construction is a single piece of flat stock steel. Being a typical dagger design with shapr point and double edge, it has no diving safety features that would make it safe for cutting away entanglements from the body.

The sheath consists of two moulded plastic halves riveted together. Each side has a slot to fit the rubber straps into.

At the top of the front piece of the sheath are a couple of plastic hooks which hold the DK9 in the sheath.

With the knife inserted you can see how the plastic hooks fit over the guard.

The back of the sheath is a simple flat plastic surface.

Let’s start looking round the knife. From this overall view, notice that in the handle and blade are two types of shackle wrench cut-out and the knife is a one piece all metal construction.

Having a typical dagger grind, there are no sharp corners/edges to the plunge lines.

One side of the double edged blade has some very effective serrations.

The serrations are formed with a single bevel, so when looking at the back, there is no visible edge bevel.

Quick close-up of the blade tip.

A generous sized lanyard hole is included in the handle.

It is a relatively compact blade, and despite the thin handle is comfortable enough in the hand (I take XL gloves).

There is room to fit both straps, but being so compact I found I only needed one and it stayed where I needed it.

As quick-release buckles are used, you set the strap length to fit at which point they operate as fixed length straps. This is how the rubber is threaded through the adjustment side of the buckle.

A few more details of the DK11:

Taking a step up in size to the DK11, and we also take a step up in design and function. As with the DK9, the DK11 comes with two straps with quick-release buckles.

A more substantial package than the DK9. Note that there is a sliding lock for the knife release lever.

Box fresh and not yet subjected to the corrosion testing, the DK11 has a double edged blade with a line cutting hook.

On the front of the sheath is a sprung knife retaining catch with a hook that engages with the knife handle.

Requiring a reasonable pressure, the retaining catch lifts away to release the knife.

The two halves of the plastic sheath are screwed together.

The spine of the blade has the serrations and cutting hook, and the DK11 also has a hammer pommel.

At the front of the handle a stainless steel curved guard is incorporated. There is what might be considered a finger choil in the ricasso, but this is not something I would use when diving.

A close-up of the blade tip and factory edge.

The serrations are a similar pattern to the DK9, but have three repeats of the smaller groove rather than two.

Just as with the DK9, the serrations are formed with a single bevel, so from the other side have no visible bevel.

A line cutter hook is included near the guard.

Despite its smooth lines, the handle is nice and grippy thanks to being rubber.

The blue plastic insert includes the knife retention catch point.

With the DK11 you have a good mid-sized all rounder blade.

After threading the straps through the sheath, you still need to thread the loose end through the buckle.

A few more details of the DK511/14:

Lastly we have a bit of an old-school BFK (Big F’n Knife), the DK511/14. As before, there are two adjustable quick-release buckle straps included.

This is what the classic dive knife used to look like, and it still has a place today.

Again with the classic design we have a rubber ring fitting over the end of the handle to keep the knife in the sheath.

To release the knife just pull the ring off the handle using the tab provided.

Definitely not a compact blade, this is a full size traditional dive knife design.

A real working blade, there are several useful features.

Very ‘saw-like’ serrations which shred rope, even if not cutting it cleanly.

A close-up of the tip shows it could do with a little work, but actually not having a needle like point is safer for diving.

Unlike the hook type of line cutter, the DK511/14 has a much bigger line cutting feature with an elongated scallop which helps contain what you are cutting by preventing the line/rope from slipping off the cutting edge.

The handle is coffin shaped with a flared butt and guard.

Yeah, this is a BFK!

You have a couple of options for strap positions, and the back of the one-piece sheath is shaped to fit your leg.

What are they like to use?

By featuring these three models, this review covers a wide range of the styles of knife offered by Whitby. Not to be too generalistic I would class these three as a backup, general purpose and heavy duty type of knife.

I’ll not cover the cutting again as this is detailed in the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review which you can check for more information on the cutting test results.

None of these dive knives has a blunt tip, which means you do need to take great care using them as a release knife. All of them also have double edged designs which again makes them very hazardous for release use especially if you have line or rope wrapped round you.

Price-wise the DK9 and DK511/14 come in at the low end of the scale, and the DK11 entering the low-mid price range. This is an important consideration as though not perfect, these have proven to be very good value.

Remember that the corrosion testing was tantamount to abuse for these knives. No cleanup, and no protection for the blades, just a highly corrosive environment.

Starting with the DK9, unsurprisingly, the rust has taken hold inside the sheath, and where the edge has been ground (leaving a rougher finish than the rest of the knife). With only two spots suffering significantly, very little of the cutting edge was damaged by this corrosion.

Next up the DK11. Though this does not look too bad, there is rust going into the handle, and around 30% of the edge has corroded. After re-sharpening this knife is was clear the edge had pitted and become damaged. The serrations however show no signs of rust and were unaffected.

Lastly the DK511/14 which was looking one of the worst. It was also the first to show signs of rust after only two hours immersion. The mirror finish on the blade has helped protect it, but the edge has suffered quite a lot of corrosion and pitting.

These knives definitely need a little care and attention and should be cleaned and have grease applied to protect the blades.

Of the three, the DK9 felt very appropriate as a forearm mounted backup blade. Small, easy to forget you are wearing it, and importantly, being on the arm it is easier to watch as you re-sheath it – that point is wicked and will bite you if you are not careful.

The retention system was the least easy to use as you pretty much had to drag the knife out and push it home like a friction fit. Getting gloved fingers under the plastic clips was unreliable.

Going to a leg mount with the DK11, on dry land, the knife release catch was the stiffest of all the sprung clip designs and I thought it would make things a struggle in the water. It was much easier to work with once strapped to your leg, but still not as easy as I would really like. One winning, and unique, feature is the sliding lock. It really did give peace of mind to know that the blade was positively locked into the sheath, and unlocking to then allow the blade to be released was easy.

Lastly the DK511/14 which takes up much more room on your leg. With the rubber retaining ring pulled off the knife handle, the knife actually rattles around in the sheath and will fall out if the sheath is tipped up. This is unlike the other two where simply fully inserting the knife will lock it into the sheath – you have to watch this and make sure you re-fit the rubber retaining strap. There is a time and a place for a big knife, and the DK511/14 gives you a lot of blade for the money.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Excellent cutting results from the DK9	None of the models are safe for ‘release’ tasks due to sharp points a double edged blades.
The DK11 has a locking system to ensure the blade is secure.	All models suffered edge damage from corrosion.
Good value.	DK511/14 knife retention is fiddly to use.
Effective rubber straps.
Sizes from Compact to BFK to choose from.

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: Promate Dive Knives – Barracuda, Scuba, Seal Folder, KF505 Blunt and Line Cutter (Dive Knives 2016 – Detail Review)

17 November, 2016

This review provides further details for the five Promate dive knives (Barracuda Blunt Ti, KF593 Ti, KF090 Seal Folder Ti, KF505 Blunt and KF001 Line Cutter) which could not be included in the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review. Promate is a Full line manufacturer of scuba diving equipment and snorkeling gear including regulators, instruments, buoyancy compensators, masks, snorkels, fins, knives, boots, gloves and bags.

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 other blades.

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 measurements are presented alongside some of the other knives from the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review

As there are five Promate cutting tools, these are logged across two tables.

A few more details of the KF001 Line Cutter:

There are five models from Promate and a huge amount of detail to cover, so each one will have its own “A few more details…” section.

The first two we will look at are the ones that are not fixed blade sheath knives, the Seal Folder and Line Cutter.

Fresh out of the box.

A small container is supplied with the line cutter.

This contains two spare blades wrapped in oil paper.

A close up of the blade in the line cutter.

Taking out the three screws holding the line cutter together allows you to see how the standard utility blade fits inside.

It is a generous size so is easy to handle.

A few more details of the KF090 Seal Folder Ti:

An adjustable wrist strap is supplied fitted to the Seal folder.

The pivot is riveted and cannot be adjusted.

On one side there is a plastic pocket clip.

From this side you can see the blade pivot and lock bar pivot rivet heads.

As a specialist knife, the Seal folder has an unusual cutting hook which is accessible even with the blade folded.

A closer look at the cutting hook.

The blade is part serrated and there is a small thumb opening hole.

In case you had forgotten, it is made of titanium. The serrations are well formed.

When you look at the reverse of the blade, you can see that this knife uses only a single bevel edge.

Going in closer to the back of the serrations.

And also the plain edge.

Not a large knife, the Seal folder is still a comfortable size.

A few more details of the Barracuda Blunt Ti:

Promate’s Barracuda comes in Steel and Titanium versions, as well as blunt and pointed tips. The fully diving orientated blade design with Titanium and a blunt tip was chosen for the review.

Supplied with the knife are two rubber straps and an instruction leaflet.

The strap has quick release buckles.

Each buckle has a sprung loaded adjustment clip to grip the rubber strap.

A strap in its fully assembled state. However this now cannot be fitted to the sheath. You need to take it apart, thread it through the slots and then reassemble it.

Before unsheathing the knife for the first time.

Inside the sheath the blade is wrapped in plastic.

With the knife out, you can see the ambidextrous retention clip.

The retention clip is a sprung plate with a catch in the centre and a release button each side.

A quick look at the back of the sheath.

A fully featured blade made of titanium which has a cutting hook, plain edge, prying blunt tip, smaller plain edge leading into a section of large serrations.

Clearly marked as being made of titanium.

A cutting hook is included near the handle.

The blunt tip is shaped nicely for prying, tapered but not too thin at the end.

Contoured more heavily than any of the other handles, the Barracuda provides excellent grip in all conditions.

Just at the guard area is the indentation that the retention clip holds on to.

The back of the blade reveals that the serrations are cut with a single bevel, but the plain edges are double bevelled.

Nicely cut, the serrations are larger than any others I’ve used.

For scale, I take XL size gloves.

The butt has a large hammer striking surface. This is made of Titanium, so is not up to very heavy work.

Though it doesn’t need any cleaning for corrosion prevention, the Barracuda does fully disassemble.

As mentioned earlier, the straps need to be threaded through the loops before fitting the quick release buckles.

Fully assembled and ready for work.

A few more details of the KF593 Ti:

This is a knife which has had a little more exposure than most and you might recognise it as it was featured in a few episodes of Bear Grylls ‘Man vs Wild’. It is also known unofficially as the Promate ‘Scuba’ Knife, but officially only as the KF593. There is a blunt tip version as well.

The KF593’s box.

Inside the box the knife comes wrapped in plastic. Also include are two rubber straps.

With the wrapping off. There is a warning card included regarding care for the knife, however, this advice proved unnecessary.

The KF593 fresh out of the box.

One of the great features of the KF593 is the retention system of the sheath. There is a sprung plate with two release buttons and a catch.

Looking at the back of the sheath, you can see the lower strap loop serves as a drainage hole. there is also a plastic spring which pushes against the blade when it is in the sheath the prevent rattling.

This knife has alternative colour options for the handle. The orange part of the handle can be grey or blue.

In case you forget, this is a titanium blade. Being a dive knife there is a line cutter hook.

An unusual ‘reverse’ set of serrations are on the blade spine.

The full tang protrudes through the handle and provides a narrow hammer.

As supplied, the factor edge looks quite coarse, but cuts well enough.

A nice mid-sized knife. (I take XL size gloves.)

The coloured rubber insert gives a good amount of grip.

Rather than quick release buckles, this knife uses belt buckle type fastenings. Note that the holes in the strap are actually filled in. The first time you use any of them you need to push the buckle prong through the rubber in the hole.

These straps are very quick and easy to set up and use.

A few more details of the KF505 Blunt:

And onto the last one of the Promate knives, the steel bladed KF505.

In the box is the sheathed knife, rubber straps, care instructions and disassembly instructions.

The clear sheath is an option for this knife.

A box-fresh KF505.

Compared to the titanium knives a different sheath retention system used. A single release button on the front of the sheath is connected to a catch at the rear.

Before moving onto some details let’s look at both sides of the blade.

The other side of the blade.

An unspecified stainless steel is used for the guard. Check the corrosion results later.

The serrations are cut with a single bevel.

The use of a single bevel is clear when looking at the other side.

A line cutting hook is ground into the blade near the handle. Note the steel designation on the blade – Stainless Steel 420 J2.

This knife uses a one-piece rubber handle.

The tang nut acts as a hammer.

Starting to disassemble the knife by taking the tang nut off.

And fully disassembled.

The rubber straps have standard belt buckle type fixings.

This design of strap make it very quick and easy to get everything put together ready for use.

Like the previous model this is a medium sized knife.

What are they like to use?

With several very different offerings from Promate, the cutting results were varied and also not as I expected. The best performer in the cutting tests was actually the Seal folder with Ti blade. This maintenance-free small titanium bladed folder makes a fantastic backup knife. The other knives were mainly let down in the cutting tests by the factory edges, and are more capable given a bit of work getting a good edge.
The biggest surprise was the performance of the dedicated line cutter; using only a standard steel utility blade as the cutting edge, the corrosion testing really took its toll on this (details to follow). With a new blade, initial tests were that this was a very good cutter, so if you can find stainless utility blades they would be a better option.
See the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review for more information on the cutting test results.

Though a really excellent cutter, the Seal knife had a small issue that was easily fixed, but one worth being aware of.
The sharp eyed might have spotted that when looking at the ‘H’ (where the blade spine and lock bar touch), the lock bar is slightly raised. This gave me concern over how well the lock would function. Proven correct, I found the lock failed under mild pressure to close the blade.

Taking a closer look at the locking surfaces, these appeared to be raw pressings so the fit was not good, and the blade tang hook was not catching the lock bar well. There is a simple fix for that….

Without having to take the knife apart, the blade tang hook can be cleaned up with a file (and the Ti files easily) to give a much better flat locking surface. Be careful not to go at this too much as taking more material than necessary will result in a blade that has play in the locked position. File a bit then test, and repeat. Once corrected, the locked blade was solid and the result was worth having to do this.

Earlier I mentioned the line cutter having disappointing cutting results, well this is why – Oh dear! The corrosion testing certainly hit the weak spot of this design – standard carbon steel blades. Cheap and easy to replace, but the rust starts as soon as it gets wet.

The corrosion tests threw up a surprise with the stainless steel knife. Typically, non-cutting stainless parts have a higher grade of stain resistance (with lower cutting ability), but in this case the worse corrosion was to the guard (though the hammer pommel was completely free of corrosion). The blade had a light frosting, but the guard was heavily corroded. After a cleanup, the guard was found to have deep pitting, and the clean-up (using a soak in cider vinegar) actually etched the guard heavily while making the blade nice and shiny.

The blade itself was relatively untouched and the frosting cleaned off with vinegar.

Ergonomics of the Promate knives is excellent, with easy to use, and secure, sheath retention along with great straps.

Folders are a contentious subject for diving, as the action of opening can be a make or break moment for the diver. The opening hole in the Seal folder is a little small, and being experienced in one-handed-opening (OHO) I did find this to be perfectly usable even with gloves, but with tired, cold hands and very thick gloves I suspect it will become increasingly difficult. There is also the exposed cutting hook to consider. This hook was actually a very poor cutter as it was not very sharp as supplied; with it being exposed, this lack of sharpness is actually a benefit. The Seal’s blade is worth carrying this knife for, with very good cutting ability and excellent serrations.

Overall it is clear these Promate knives are designed very well for divers, and the added bonus of zero corrosion on the titanium blades make them well worth considering.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Titanium blades require no post-dive cleanup.	The steel knife and cutter suffered corrosion.
Excellent blade retention.	Factory edges not very good.
Comfortable leg straps.	Serrations are too coarse for smaller ropes.
Handle design provides a very secure grip.
Sheaths are ambidextrous.

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: Spyderco Assist Salt (Dive Knives 2016 – Detail Review)

8 November, 2016

This review provides further details for the Spyderco Assist Salt which could not be included in the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review

Not strictly a diving knife, thanks to the Assist model’s reputation as a rescue knife and the use of specialist rustless H1 steel in the ‘Salt’ edition, it has been adopted by many divers as an underwater rescue knife.

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 other blades.

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 measurements are presented alongside some of the other knives from the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review

A few more details:

The Assist Salt arrives in Spyderco’s standard box.

An instantly recognisable design, but now in a bright yellow FRN and with H1 proudly shown on the blade. You will notice the Assist model’s ‘cobra hood’ over the thumb hole is not present on the Salt version.

Spyderco’s very grippy FRM scale pattern surrounds the model and logo.

And why not? There is a whistle moulded into the handle.

A Spyderco wire clip is used. This can be fitted to either side of the handle.

The ends of the wire clip are held in place under a special hollow bolt that also provides the lanyard hole.

At first it looks like the cutout in the lock bar is misaligned, but….

…no, this is one of the Spyderco details where due to the pivoting action of the lock bar, the cutout does line up once pressed in to release the lock (or due to opening the blade).

The Assist uses a mostly serrated edge (80%), but with a small section of plain edge for detailed tasks. The main cutting power of the blade is in those SpyderEdge serrations.

With well formed finger grooves and the textured FRN handle, the Assist Salt is not short on grip.

Yes, that is H1 steel.

For those not familiar with the Assist model, we’ll come back to the grooves in the blade spine.

Recessed into the butt of the handle, there is a point that looks like a glass breaker.

With the blade closed, if you give it a squeeze, the glass breaker point comes out of the handle ready to use.

Inside the handle where the blade tip sits, there is a small sprung block which has the glass breaker in it.

The rounded end of the blade presses into this block and pushes the glass breaker out for use. Very neat design.

What it is like to use?

Being a folder, for use as a dive knife, it is important that the Assist is a good size as this makes it easy to handle with, and without, gloves.

Actually in terms of easy handling, this is where I was slightly disappointed with the Salt version, as for some reason Spyderco decided to do away with the ‘cobra hood’ over the thumb hole. The thumb hole is still big enough to make opening easy enough, but that cobra hood would have made all the difference when using wet gloves with cold hands, just giving you more to get hold of.

With the claims about H1 steel, I was particularly interested to see the corrosion test results. What did surprise me was what looked like a failure in this regard. However looking much closer, the apparent corrosion is actually the black writing on the blade which has mostly disintegrated, but where the black ‘1’ was, it has made it look like the blade has rusted. However this can be cleaned off leaving just the H1 steel. It might be better for Spyderco to use a different ‘ink’ for the writing, or none at all, to avoid this blemish on the otherwise unmarked H1 steel.

The distinctive blade is a good size (I take XL size gloves) as can be seen here. This is ideal as you have plenty of edge to work with combined with the safety of the blunt tip to prevent stabbing yourself (or others).

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

We have already seen the hidden glass breaker and how the finger grooves in the blade spine are used to access this, but there is another design feature that these finger grooves provide. The Assist can be used as a type of shears where the material to be cut is placed under the folding blade and the blade then squeezed shut to complete the cut. In this arrangement, you are carrying out a push cut with a serrated blade, when the serrations work best in a sawing motion. Personally, despite the very sharp blade, I found this to not work well on wet rope, in fact a normal cut worked far better, so for me the jury is out on that feature.

Unsurprisingly the SpyderEdge was an excellent cutter, and the H1 steel held up well. See the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review for more information on the cutting test results where the Assist achieved the second highest score.

Personally for a ‘working’ diving knife I prefer a fixed blade, but as a backup/release knife, the Assist gives me real confidence when carrying it. Requiring little to no care or maintenance, the Assist Salt is just ready and waiting for when you need it.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Proven Escape Knife Design.	The Assist ‘Cobra Hood’ is not on the Salt version.
H1 ‘Rustless’ Steel.	Blade marking corrode (even though the steel doesn’t).
Built-In Signal Whistle
Built-In Glass Breaker.
Excellent grip.

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: Benchmade 112S H2O (Dive Knives 2016 – Detail Review)

7 November, 2016

This review provides further details for the Benchmade 112S H2O which could not be included in the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review

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 other blades.

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 measurements are presented alongside some of the other knives from the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review

Please note the Benchmade 112S is incorrectly named the 112B in the table.

A few more details:

Benchmade’s nicely presented box.

Taking the lid off the box gives your first view of the sheathed model 112S H20 diving knife.

Included are the sheathed knife, a single rubber strap and a leaflet.

The strap, which can be used for a calf strap or arm strap has a quick release buckle.

A closer look at the plastic buckle and the rubber strap’s adjustable and fixed ends.

The sheathed 112S H2O is a very neat package.

There is an essential drainage hole at the bottom of the sheath.

On one side of the sheath is a very neat and functional release lever which holds and release the knife.

Looking in a bit closer you can see the metal pivot made of 316 Stainless Steel and hidden inside is a zinc-plated music wire spring.

And here it is, the 112S H2O knife.

Featuring a blunt tip designed for safety and prying, there is a plain edge near the tip and a serrated edge closer to the handle.

Two sizes of scallop are used for the serrations.

The plunge line is nicely radiused to avoid stress concentrators, especially important as the blade is designed to pry.

A first finger indentation combined with a grippy rubber handle, makes the 112S very sure in the hand.

Surprisingly missing from some dive knives, the 112S has a lanyard hole.

On the spine is a small protrusion; it is this that the retaining clip locks onto to keep it secure in the sheath.

Part of what makes the 112S look strange, but yet which gives it its excellent cutting power is the chisel grind used for the main edges. This is the back of the blade and it is essentially just flat steel.

The rear of the serrations.

And of the plain edge.

Also included in the blade design is a line cutter hook. This too is a chisel grind and is cut the opposite way to the main edges (back to front instead of front to back).

Looking along the blade from the flat side.

What it is like to use?

Coming from a well respected knife manufacturer, the 112S had a lot to live up to. One of the stranger looking knives, it might not be one which you drool over and ‘must have’. However there is purpose behind every design detail, and its cutting test results speak for themselves. Only shears equalled the cutting score of the 112S, that is quite some achievement. See the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review for more information.

Another key feature of the 112S is the sheath and the retention system. As long as you mount the sheath so that your hand falls onto the handle and your thumb onto the release lever, the drawing of the knife becomes completely natural. Your thumb presses the lever as you grip the knife and the knife can be easily withdrawn. I have found that if pulling on the knife too early, the release lever can’t ‘let go’ of the knife and you have to push the knife back into the sheath to allow it to release the lock. I particularly like that there is a slight friction fit of the knife into the sheath, so even with the lock released, it doesn’t just fall out.

For a good knife steel (N680), the 112S performed very well in the corrosion testing. Here is the raw result of this testing, but actually a lot of this rubbed off with a cloth, leaving only really the outer ring of the corrosion. Less easy to see, there is some corrsion near the handle rubber, but overall for what really constitutes complete neglect, the 112S did not suffer any significant corrosion.

One concern I had was about only a single strap being provided, and this was for two reasons. Firstly was comfort of fit – with two straps you don’t need either to be too tight, but secondly and perhaps more importantly, in case a strap snapped, was cut, or became snagged on something, once that single strap has failed you could lose the knife.

However, my concerns over comfort proved not to be realised at all, and the strap is a good quality so felt secure enough. As long as you check its condition regularly it should be reliable.

In the Dive Knives 2016 – Mega Test Review I did express a preference for one of the knives on test, but that was in relation to a general purpose backup knife. If I were expecting a lot of cutting work, then the Benchmade 112S would jump right up there and would be my pick of the bunch as a quality cutting and prying tool.

Review Summary

_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Things I like	What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________	_______________________________________________
Excellent cutting performance.	Only a single leg strap.
Great ergonomics for knife and sheath.	Slight concern over the corrosion resistance of the ‘music wire’ spring used for the sheath lock.
Sheath is easy to use and secure.
Strong prying tip.
Very good corrosion resistance.

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