Pros: Blade Material
Cons: Handle Feel, Pocket Clip
A little odd, but good for the money
Bought this as a cheap budget folder that would be completely inoffensive and because the design intrigued me. Overall I like it for what it is, but it does have some flaws that might be deal breakers for others. Firstly, it's strictly two hand opening via a nail nick, and is tough to open via pinch-gabbing the blade. I know many people despise nail nicks, but the compromise Esee made here was to put bearings in the pivot. Because of that, it glides right open without much leverage required. It won't feel like it's going to rip off your thumbnail like some stiff slipjoint back springs do. Other than that is has two major flaws. The first is the pocket clip. It's god-awful. Not deep carry at all, far too big for the knife, and really just one big hot spot. The screw hole alignment means that it probably will not be compatible with common aftermarket clips either. I took it off to let the knife free float in my pocket. That doesn't bother me. It carries very much like a SAK that way since it's roughly the same size and shape, and I don't fear that the G-10 will get scratched or damaged hitting up against my keys. Even if it did, it's a $20 user. Who cares? The second flaw is the lock bar tab. Rather than having any sort of cutout, the lock bar itself has a tab that protrudes about 1/6 of an inch for easy access to disengage the liner lock. It is rounded off nicely, and in my hands it isn't a deal breaker since it largely lands in the negative space between my index and middle fingers. I can feel it there, but it isn't uncomfortable. I think others' mileage may vary on this, depending on hand size and the grip you want to take. Other than that it's a fine knife. Great neutral shape, great spear point blade in a thin stock that slices well and is versatile in use. The edge grind is ok. Nicely sharp out of the box, but the bevels on mine are very uneven. Forgivable for $20 IMO. And that about sums up my overall feelings on the knife. Its flaws are much easier to stomach when you consider that you get a low-profile, very useful small-task knife in D2 for only $20. It's a perfect knife to take into a public setting where people are more likely to be on edge at the sight of a knife. It will not turn a single Karen head if you pull it out and use it at your kid's soccer game. It's also a fantastic travel knife as long as you don't need to be non-locking or sub 2.5 inches where you're going. One last word, on the color. I purchased this thinking it would be canary yellow, but IRL it's more of a neon yellow. Just a FYI for those deciding between color/handle material options.
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