Pros: Blade Material, Ease of Opening, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip, Sheath, Weight
Cons: Blade Sharpness, Handle Feel, Handle Material
Choices Were Made
I really like this knife and waited a while before pulling the trigger. Overall, it's a great-looking blade—well made, with smooth action and an impressively lightweight design. I specifically chose this model because I liked the handle color and wanted to try Elmax steel. There’s also a similar version called the A200, which comes with Sleipner steel and milled G10 handles. If you're interested in this knife, I’d recommend going with that one instead. The FRN scales on my model are very flexible, and deploying the blade with a thumb flick causes your fingers to press against the pocket clip, which slides across the handle—kind of annoying. While the FRN is strong, it's so light that the knife feels like it wants to tip out of your hand. I contacted ANV in the Czech Republic and had them send me a set of G10 scales to replace the FRN ones. That completely transformed the knife. I like it so much better now—but it cost me about $80 with shipping and exchange rates. The swap also voided my warranty. To make things trickier, the pivot uses loose ball bearings (about 20 per side) with no cage, so replacing the scales was nerve-racking. I think this is a great knife now—but if you're considering one, I'd strongly suggest choosing the version with the better handle material, even if it comes with the lesser steel. There is an A100 that has ultem handles as well, perhaps that one is better, but I really like these black milled G10 ones. By the way, the snowflake icon next to the steel designation on the blade means it was cryogenically heat-treated to minus 300 degrees using argon.
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