cetan

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/50529080

Note: I'm cross-posting this on behalf of the OP (see link above)

This is a VERY cheaply built knife, so much so that it's barely worth keeping, let alone carrying. There's not even a pocket clip on it.

BUT, this combination of form and features is EXACTLY what I've been looking for (with a tip-up clip, that is) in a daily carry folder. The handle and finger protection is there, the blade and handle length fit a perfect middle ground for fighting and practicality, it even has a fuckin Emerson style wave that they don't even bother advertising.

Unlike most wave openers, this one is set VERY far back, is slightly oversized, and doesn't have anything forward of it (discs, pegs, etc) to prohibit getting your full blade length.

So if this wasn't so GODDAMN TRASH, I would call it perfect. I haven't seen anything yet, but if there is a brand-name, high(er)-quality knife that is basically this, PLEASE let me know.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/22263624

It's been a while since I've actually made a post here. @[email protected] has the lock on entertaining content here, so I figure I should come in with boring and bland (both the knife and the post!) ;)

Earlier this year, in addition to my normal (aka way too many) knife buying, I went down the rabbit hole a bit on inexpensive knives on Amazon.

Now, you can't throw a dust mote and not hit a dozen cheap knives sporting blades made of pot metal (or worse) on that hellscape of a site.

But I was after bigger game: a usable, decent knife for about $10.

That lead me, first to the Duratech liner-lock which I discussed here: https://lemmy.world/post/12442733

That knife is still in use and has done reasonably well, despite the terrible detent. (I never did take it apart). I have not been kind to it, including batoning wood to make some kindling.

Shortly thereafter, Duratech came out with their own cross-bar locking knife (aka Axis lock) which ended up being just under $12.

The quality was greatly improved for sure, but it's also a bunch heavier than the liner-lock which itself was already too heavy for my normal EDC.

One of the knives I also purchased around this time was the Watchman W001 (or as the box says: Watchman W001 Pocket Knife Folding Knives Traditional folder Wood Handle Material Collection). Strangely, you might also see it as the Watchman WM001.

Watchman as a brand offers a number of knives on Amazon. I have no idea the quality of any of them but they are sufficiently inexpensive.

The W001 is, according to Amazon, a non-locking knife despite the fact that all the photos show a rear-mounted lockback. Rest assured that this is indeed a locking knife.

For $10 you wouldn't expect much in terms of steel, but honestly 7CR17MOV, which is the same as 440A, is way better than a lot of other knives for even more money. (Assuming Watchman have a decent heat treatment on it).

Fit and finish is predictably not great but certainly not terrible. Some gaps between scales and liners and one of the pins is just slightly proud of the scales. But the lockback provides plenty of snap. There's side-to-side blade wiggle but nothing worrisome. The wooden scales are nice and smooth and appear sealed but I wouldn't want to test it.

The grind (of which I do not have a good closeup) tapers in thickness from back to front on the blade and for sure more aggressive on one side than the other. Sharpness out of the box was ok but nothing to be excited about. I stropped it but haven't sharpened it yet.

Curiously, there's another knife out there that looks strikingly similar. The Rough Rider RR1708. Someone posted a video on it a couple years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKv36gDGx4I The Rough Rider is marketed as having 440A steel. (The video says it's 420A but that's incorrect).

This knife has sat on the desk since it arrived. My youngest kid gut-punched me the other day when he looked at all the knives and said "you sure have a lot of knives you never use"

Brutal takedown.

So the W001 is being put to use. I'm going to 5th-pocket carry it and it will be my only knife for the next two weeks or so. We'll see how the 7CR steel holds up and if I can stand not having a pocket clip.

I'm sure, at the very least, it'll be great at opening more packages containing new knives.

It's been a while since I've actually made a post here. @[email protected] has the lock on entertaining content here, so I figure I should come in with boring and bland (both the knife and the post!) ;)

Earlier this year, in addition to my normal (aka way too many) knife buying, I went down the rabbit hole a bit on inexpensive knives on Amazon.

Now, you can't throw a dust mote and not hit a dozen cheap knives sporting blades made of pot metal (or worse) on that hellscape of a site.

But I was after bigger game: a usable, decent knife for about $10.

That lead me, first to the Duratech liner-lock which I discussed here: https://lemmy.world/post/12442733

That knife is still in use and has done reasonably well, despite the terrible detent. (I never did take it apart). I have not been kind to it, including batoning wood to make some kindling.

Shortly thereafter, Duratech came out with their own cross-bar locking knife (aka Axis lock) which ended up being just under $12.

The quality was greatly improved for sure, but it's also a bunch heavier than the liner-lock which itself was already too heavy for my normal EDC.

One of the knives I also purchased around this time was the Watchman W001 (or as the box says: Watchman W001 Pocket Knife Folding Knives Traditional folder Wood Handle Material Collection). Strangely, you might also see it as the Watchman WM001.

Watchman as a brand offers a number of knives on Amazon. I have no idea the quality of any of them but they are sufficiently inexpensive.

The W001 is, according to Amazon, a non-locking knife despite the fact that all the photos show a rear-mounted lockback. Rest assured that this is indeed a locking knife.

For $10 you wouldn't expect much in terms of steel, but honestly 7CR17MOV, which is the same as 440A, is way better than a lot of other knives for even more money. (Assuming Watchman have a decent heat treatment on it).

Fit and finish is predictably not great but certainly not terrible. Some gaps between scales and liners and one of the pins is just slightly proud of the scales. But the lockback provides plenty of snap. There's side-to-side blade wiggle but nothing worrisome. The wooden scales are nice and smooth and appear sealed but I wouldn't want to test it.

The grind (of which I do not have a good closeup) tapers in thickness from back to front on the blade and for sure more aggressive on one side than the other. Sharpness out of the box was ok but nothing to be excited about. I stropped it but haven't sharpened it yet.

Curiously, there's another knife out there that looks strikingly similar. The Rough Rider RR1708. Someone posted a video on it a couple years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKv36gDGx4I The Rough Rider is marketed as having 440A steel. (The video says it's 420A but that's incorrect).

This knife has sat on the desk since it arrived. My youngest kid gut-punched me the other day when he looked at all the knives and said "you sure have a lot of knives you never use"

Brutal takedown.

So the W001 is being put to use. I'm going to 5th-pocket carry it and it will be my only knife for the next two weeks or so. We'll see how the 7CR steel holds up and if I can stand not having a pocket clip.

I'm sure, at the very least, it'll be great at opening more packages containing new knives.

With all the talk about Benchmade pricing, it's nice to find a good deal.

Looks like both BladeHQ and KnifeCenter are clearing out stock of the full-sized Benchmade Griptilian 551-BK for $100 and $110 respectively.

~~www.bladehq.com/item--Benchmade-Griptilian--6223~~

Edit: BladeHQ is sold out

~~www.knifecenter.com/item/BM551BKS30V~~

Edit: KnifeCenter is sold out

And full-sized is key here. This is not a small knife. 3.45" (8.76 cm) blade with an overall open length of 8.07" (20.5 cm). It's also 3.82 oz (108.3 g) which is more than 2 full sized Bugout knives.

But for $100 with S30V steel and very sturdy scales (even if it's not a full liner) this is a really good deal.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/12612373

Happy Front Flipper Friday to all who celebrate.

Despite the fact that I tell myself I don't even really like front-flippers, they keep showing up at my house.

A true cry for help, I think.

Today's Front Flipper is the Ray Laconico designed, CJRB Ekko

This version has CJRB's budget powder steel AR-RPM9, 3.25" (8.26 cm) in length with green micarta scales. The micarta is very smooth and, depending on opening method, can feel a little slippery but I've not had any real issues.

Straight spine with a nice deep swedge ground out at the front.

Perfectly centered out of the box with really great action.

I like the fact that it's a sheepsfoot with a little bit of belly on it. I like the fact that you can easily spydie-flick it open (and are not forced to use the front flipper).

It's not an out-of-this world knife but a nice solid choice. I got it used, as I do most of my knives these days, and so the price was really good. Looking forward to putting this into the EDC rotation.

Happy Front Flipper Friday to all who celebrate.

Despite the fact that I tell myself I don't even really like front-flippers, they keep showing up at my house.

A true cry for help, I think.

Today's Front Flipper is the Ray Laconico designed, CJRB Ekko

This version has CJRB's budget powder steel AR-RPM9, 3.25" (8.26 cm) in length with green micarta scales. The micarta is very smooth and, depending on opening method, can feel a little slippery but I've not had any real issues.

Straight spine with a nice deep swedge ground out at the front.

Perfectly centered out of the box with really great action.

I like the fact that it's a sheepsfoot with a little bit of belly on it. I like the fact that you can easily spydie-flick it open (and are not forced to use the front flipper).

It's not an out-of-this world knife but a nice solid choice. I got it used, as I do most of my knives these days, and so the price was really good. Looking forward to putting this into the EDC rotation.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/12442733

Here's a quick photo essay on what $9.99 will get you (currently $8.99 with coupon at amazon) from "DuraTech"

It came in a serviceable cardboard box and not just bubble wrap or anything like that. The pocket clip provides the retention inside the box. Added bonus inside the box: extra oil (I hope it's just oil) soaked into the cardboard:

The scales are very grippy and will probably tear up a pocket or two. Pocket clip is pretty decent deep carry. Screws and clip are not recessed. Right side-only. Also, I'll need to get another photo of it but the clip has a lateral bend in it that parallels the shape of the scales. Very odd looking.

Centering was slightly off but not bad (my photo is also off so it over-emphasizes the angle)

Grind is really good for a $10 knife. Even on both sides, no issues. 8CR13MOV steel but unknown hardness so we'll see how it holds up. Here it is with it's little protective sheath out of the box.

Everything was looking good but, of course, there is a catch. It is, after all, a $10 knife. Probably the worst detent I've ever seen. Getting the detent ball out of the hole gives you a click loud enough to be heard in the next room. I may have to try and capture it on video. The knife is almost impossible to open with the flipper tab and completely impossible to open with the thumb studs. Even if the detent was dialed in, the thumb studs are almost useless given how close they are to the scales. I might remove them entirely.

So, if you'd like a knife with a flipper tab and thumb studs that is actually two-hand open, this may be the knife for you!

Here's a quick photo essay on what $9.99 will get you (currently $8.99 with coupon at amazon) from "DuraTech"

It came in a serviceable cardboard box and not just bubble wrap or anything like that. The pocket clip provides the retention inside the box. Added bonus inside the box: extra oil (I hope it's just oil) soaked into the cardboard:

The scales are very grippy and will probably tear up a pocket or two. Pocket clip is pretty decent deep carry. Screws and clip are not recessed. Right side-only. Also, I'll need to get another photo of it but the clip has a lateral bend in it that parallels the shape of the scales. Very odd looking.

Centering was slightly off but not bad (my photo is also off so it over-emphasizes the angle)

Grind is really good for a $10 knife. Even on both sides, no issues. 8CR13MOV steel but unknown hardness so we'll see how it holds up. Here it is with it's little protective sheath out of the box.

Everything was looking good but, of course, there is a catch. It is, after all, a $10 knife. Probably the worst detent I've ever seen. Getting the detent ball out of the hole gives you a click loud enough to be heard in the next room. I may have to try and capture it on video. The knife is almost impossible to open with the flipper tab and completely impossible to open with the thumb studs. Even if the detent was dialed in, the thumb studs are almost useless given how close they are to the scales. I might remove them entirely.

So, if you'd like a knife with a flipper tab and thumb studs that is actually two-hand open, this may be the knife for you!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/11313739

I'm trying to remember if this was my first button lock knife. If it wasn't the first it was darn close. Picked up a used Civivi Altus back in June. I carried it for most of June but then had set it aside for other things.

In December I picked it up again after using it to improve my sharpening skills and it's been in my pocket, for the most part, ever since.

I have to apologize in advance for the low quality of the photos here. After dropping my phone through the ice while ice fishing recently I had to settle for a lesser phone with much lower camera quality.

Maybe if I had not purchased so many knives in 2023 I could afford a better phone? Such talk is madness and we will never think like that again.

The Altus, right out of the box, was a good fit in my hand. Handle length and shape is good and, while it appears a little boxy, doesn't feel that way.

The one issue I had was the pocket clip sat in a weird spot in my palm. So, this seemed like a good excuse to try out one of the replacement titanium clips that Civivi offers and it has made a world of difference.

I can't even notice it's there anymore.

The trade-off with the titanium clip is that it is no longer deep carry. But it's close enough and the way the back of the handle is shaped, it doesn't show up in your pocket in a very noticeable way.

The blade is 2.9" (7.37 cm) Nitro-V steel which, near as I can tell, is very similar to 14C28N. It's been a great steel for the money and takes a nice edge (as far as I my so-so sharpening skills are concerned). I've not had to sharpen it since but have stropped it several times. The flat grind is good but I do wish it had a bit of a hollow grind as food prep is not nearly as fun as with my classic Elementum.

The button lock on this has been fantastic. No issues at all (though again it was used so probably already worked in a bit) with lock-stick or weird deployment. Detent is well tuned as well and the drop-shut and flip open with the button is flawless. It makes a satisfying-sounding click in both directions.

It is not a small knife but it is not a large knife either. Even with the G10 scales and internal milling it somehow feels a bit heavier than similarly sized knives but it sits nicely at 3.11 oz. (88.3 g).

No comparison photos against other knives today, sorry.

Overall: If you like the blade shape and want to experience a good button lock, I recommend it. I've used it for food prep, fire prep (feathersticking pieces of fatwood), opening 40lb bags of bird seed, on plenty of boxes and zip-ties with excellent results. The only real issue with food prep is the same for every flat-ground knife: not as efficient a slicer. The other thing I'd mention is that current prices are at ~$73 US which feels too high. Maybe catch a sale or buy one used if you can.

I'm trying to remember if this was my first button lock knife. If it wasn't the first it was darn close. Picked up a used Civivi Altus back in June. I carried it for most of June but then had set it aside for other things.

In December I picked it up again after using it to improve my sharpening skills and it's been in my pocket, for the most part, ever since.

I have to apologize in advance for the low quality of the photos here. After dropping my phone through the ice while ice fishing recently I had to settle for a lesser phone with much lower camera quality.

Maybe if I had not purchased so many knives in 2023 I could afford a better phone? Such talk is madness and we will never think like that again.

The Altus, right out of the box, was a good fit in my hand. Handle length and shape is good and, while it appears a little boxy, doesn't feel that way.

The one issue I had was the pocket clip sat in a weird spot in my palm. So, this seemed like a good excuse to try out one of the replacement titanium clips that Civivi offers and it has made a world of difference.

I can't even notice it's there anymore.

The trade-off with the titanium clip is that it is no longer deep carry. But it's close enough and the way the back of the handle is shaped, it doesn't show up in your pocket in a very noticeable way.

The blade is 2.9" (7.37 cm) Nitro-V steel which, near as I can tell, is very similar to 14C28N. It's been a great steel for the money and takes a nice edge (as far as I my so-so sharpening skills are concerned). I've not had to sharpen it since but have stropped it several times. The flat grind is good but I do wish it had a bit of a hollow grind as food prep is not nearly as fun as with my classic Elementum.

The button lock on this has been fantastic. No issues at all (though again it was used so probably already worked in a bit) with lock-stick or weird deployment. Detent is well tuned as well and the drop-shut and flip open with the button is flawless. It makes a satisfying-sounding click in both directions.

It is not a small knife but it is not a large knife either. Even with the G10 scales and internal milling it somehow feels a bit heavier than similarly sized knives but it sits nicely at 3.11 oz. (88.3 g).

No comparison photos against other knives today, sorry.

Overall: If you like the blade shape and want to experience a good button lock, I recommend it. I've used it for food prep, fire prep (feathersticking pieces of fatwood), opening 40lb bags of bird seed, on plenty of boxes and zip-ties with excellent results. The only real issue with food prep is the same for every flat-ground knife: not as efficient a slicer. The other thing I'd mention is that current prices are at ~$73 US which feels too high. Maybe catch a sale or buy one used if you can.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/10804245

What is up knife community! It's been a while, what with the chaos of the holidays, and then the chaos of work after the holidays and etc., etc.

I picked up a few knives over the holidays, some for the kids, some for me. The first of which is this KNAFS Lander 2!

For those who do not know, KNAFS was started by Ben Peterson, a former BladeHQ marketing/YouTuber/designer/other things guy. He first collaborated with WE/Civivi on the Banter and Baby Banter series of knives. (See previous post on one Baby Banter variant here

Ben was famous for his long drawn-out catch phrase "What Is Up Guys?!" that he would start all the BHQ videos with.

Fast forward a few years and Ben left BHQ and started his own knife company with a couple of his own designs. The first was (not surprisingly) the Lander.

The Lander is an interesting platform because it was designed, from go, to be something you could easily swap scales on. The knife does not have to be completely dissembled in order to change its appearance. And, amazingly, Ben released the detailed specs of the Lander scales, free, to the internet. If you have a 3D printer (or access to one) you can download the complete STL or STP files and print your own.

The original Lander is a liner lock and either D2 or 14C28N steel and OEM'd by QSP.

As is the way of things in the knife world, one Lander is not enough. And so, the Lander 2 was released in November 2023.

Using Keizer as the OEM, the Lander 2 is a crossbar locking knife with an S35VN blade. (Keizer calls their lock the Clutch Lock) which has 5 different adjustable points for both sets of springs on the lock, meaning you can adjust the spring tension simply by moving where it connects to the liners.

So we have a knife that is provides user-friendly customization in looks and in action.

Here it is in comparison to a couple other knives, first the Kershaw Heist (another crossbar lock discussed recently)

Similar in length but the Heist has a much thinner blade and is slightly thinner in body and lighter.

Here it is compared to a classic: the Civivi Elementum. This has been my user for some time now and the D2 has a slight patina but is blemish free for the most part. (Tape residue not withstanding)

I was losing the evening light, so I only got one image of the Lander 2 closed.

Usage so far: Pretty limited use by me since I got it. Mostly because I've been using other knives that I also picked up. This Lander 2 was used but barely so. I had to clean up the scales a bit and stropped the blade but other than that it looks brand new.

I buy used knives almost exclusively these days as the discounts can be quite good.

The action on the Clutch Lock is really really good. Buttery smooth right out of the box. But then again, it was used so the previous owner may have flipped it a lot? I'm not going to complain because it's really nice.

The thumbstuds and crossbar studs are well made and do not bite into the hand. The shape of the handle is, for my hand size, nicely formed. What use I've put it through has been pleasant. I wish the Lander 2 had a hollow grind instead of a flat grind but the slicing has been fine even without.

I didn't have it handy for photos but it reminds me a lot of the first version of the Civivi Elementum button lock (the one where the button was only method of deployment).

Because the knife was just released, there are not many 3rd party options for scales. A few have started showing up on Etsy that I've seen, so hopefully more soon.

Overall verdict: The crossbar lock (adjustable) and open format of the scales (awesome) makes this a very compelling choice. I would not have paid full retail price for it though, as there are a lot of other S35VN knives out there for much less. But if 3D printing or just having a lot of choice for how your knife looks is your thing, it's hard to find an easier solution than the Lander series.

What is up knife community! It's been a while, what with the chaos of the holidays, and then the chaos of work after the holidays and etc., etc.

I picked up a few knives over the holidays, some for the kids, some for me. The first of which is this KNAFS Lander 2!

For those who do not know, KNAFS was started by Ben Peterson, a former BladeHQ marketing/YouTuber/designer/other things guy. He first collaborated with WE/Civivi on the Banter and Baby Banter series of knives. (See previous post on one Baby Banter variant here

Ben was famous for his long drawn-out catch phrase "What Is Up Guys?!" that he would start all the BHQ videos with.

Fast forward a few years and Ben left BHQ and started his own knife company with a couple of his own designs. The first was (not surprisingly) the Lander.

The Lander is an interesting platform because it was designed, from go, to be something you could easily swap scales on. The knife does not have to be completely dissembled in order to change its appearance. And, amazingly, Ben released the detailed specs of the Lander scales, free, to the internet. If you have a 3D printer (or access to one) you can download the complete STL or STP files and print your own.

The original Lander is a liner lock and either D2 or 14C28N steel and OEM'd by QSP.

As is the way of things in the knife world, one Lander is not enough. And so, the Lander 2 was released in November 2023.

Using Keizer as the OEM, the Lander 2 is a crossbar locking knife with an S35VN blade. (Keizer calls their lock the Clutch Lock) which has 5 different adjustable points for both sets of springs on the lock, meaning you can adjust the spring tension simply by moving where it connects to the liners.

So we have a knife that is provides user-friendly customization in looks and in action.

Here it is in comparison to a couple other knives, first the Kershaw Heist (another crossbar lock discussed recently)

Similar in length but the Heist has a much thinner blade and is slightly thinner in body and lighter.

Here it is compared to a classic: the Civivi Elementum. This has been my user for some time now and the D2 has a slight patina but is blemish free for the most part. (Tape residue not withstanding)

I was losing the evening light, so I only got one image of the Lander 2 closed.

Usage so far: Pretty limited use by me since I got it. Mostly because I've been using other knives that I also picked up. This Lander 2 was used but barely so. I had to clean up the scales a bit and stropped the blade but other than that it looks brand new.

I buy used knives almost exclusively these days as the discounts can be quite good.

The action on the Clutch Lock is really really good. Buttery smooth right out of the box. But then again, it was used so the previous owner may have flipped it a lot? I'm not going to complain because it's really nice.

The thumbstuds and crossbar studs are well made and do not bite into the hand. The shape of the handle is, for my hand size, nicely formed. What use I've put it through has been pleasant. I wish the Lander 2 had a hollow grind instead of a flat grind but the slicing has been fine even without.

I didn't have it handy for photos but it reminds me a lot of the first version of the Civivi Elementum button lock (the one where the button was only method of deployment).

Because the knife was just released, there are not many 3rd party options for scales. A few have started showing up on Etsy that I've seen, so hopefully more soon.

Overall verdict: The crossbar lock (adjustable) and open format of the scales (awesome) makes this a very compelling choice. I would not have paid full retail price for it though, as there are a lot of other S35VN knives out there for much less. But if 3D printing or just having a lot of choice for how your knife looks is your thing, it's hard to find an easier solution than the Lander series.