Pros: Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials
Cons: None
Lots of bang for the buck; an excellet value.
I purchased this knife to use on camping and backpacking trips, as well as to be included in a car utility kit. Since I just took delivery of my Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Knife, my review is based on my initial impressions only. I have not had a chance to use the knife kit in the field. The high carbon stainless steel blade (I read somewhere that it was 440A) is a decent and useful size; not too long, not too short. The blade has a high, slicing-friendly, hollow grind that tapers to full thickness about 3/8" from the spine. I measured the full thickness of the spine to be 3/16". I'm not sure of the tang shape or how the handle materials are affixed, but all components feel solid and have excellent fit and finish. The rubberized handle is plenty grippy, and I find the handle shape to be comfortable and versatile. Overall, I believe this is a solid knife that will adequately handle any reasonable task that I throw at it, including proper batoning to chop or split wood. The knife sheath and nylon sheath platform combine into a versatile carry system for the knife. All of the retaining straps for the sheath and knife secure with a hook and loop material, which I find works fine/serves it's function well, and is easily manipulated. The integrated diamond sharpener on the back of the sheath looks like it would work well for a speedy touch-up in an emergency situation. I don't think it is fine enough to achieve shaving sharpness, but it would certainly rejuvenate the blade's usefulness if pressed into service. I like that the sharpener is mounted on an angle, which can make emergency sharpening simpler and easier. The small whistle is certainly functional, as is the fire steel that is integrated into the sheath. I moved the whistle from the pommel to the bottom of the sheath to make way for a lanyard more to my liking. Although the fire steel seems to plug securely into it's spot on the sheath, I leashed it to the loop at the base of the sheath with a lanyard for a little extra insurance. The little survival info pamphlet that came with the package is easy to read, and the advice is simple and easy to follow. I wasn't able to fit the pamphlet into the pocket on the back of the sheath platform, but I also didn't really try too hard to do so. Overall, I think this package is an excellent value. I can say that I was more than pleasantly surprised by the quality of all the components, and that my expectations have been exceeded thus far. I have no doubts this knife kit will serve me well when called upon. Post script: I feel it was well worth the wait for this knife package.