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Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip
Cons: None
One of the best Bang For Buck Knives I've seen in a while!
Picked it up because I wanted to give Elmax Steel a try. I've heard its somewhere in the range of M390/20CV. I've also been intrigued by the button actuated top liner lock as well and wanted to try it too. Never would I thought I'd get to try both in such a sleek, ergonomically functional and budget friendly package! For starters, the blade shape is perhaps what I'd consider to be near perfect for universally functional. Drop point, flat grind, AND just big enough finger/sharpening choil to choke up if needed. Additionally, the blade thickness hits that sweet spot at the spine where its thick enough to not feel flimsy, yet thin enough its extremely slicey when you get down to the cutting edge. The handle itself wasn't exactly the "wow factor", but still incredibly great. Aluminum handles, rounded edges and countoured decently enough to get a 4 finger grip on it even if you're not choking up. One surprising and very appreciated aspect of the construction is it's ALL T8 Screws! Pivot, Frame, AND pocket clip! Anyone who's had any number of knives knows that most companies skimp out and use T6 for the frame and pocket clip more often than not which ends up with weaker screws more prone to stripping. With everything being T8 I have the extra confidence that a south paw like me can move the pocket clip to the other side w/out ruining the hardware. Overall an excellently designed knife and at a budget friendly price of $120 USD which seems pretty cheap for something with Elmax steel in it. I can see this being my primary EDC carry for a while. Here's to hoping they make an XL version in the future with a 3.5" blade. Adding a little extra length without increasing the height would really hit that sweet spot for an amazing knife.
