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Pros: Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip, Weight
Cons: Blade Material, Handle Material
Surprisingly awesome
I got this one on a whim and it’s really grown on me. I’ve been a fan of cross bar locks since 2006, I have and still sometimes carry a Benchmade 530 (the great grandfather of the bugout series). I’ve also had a couple kershaw shuffles, which are an earlier version of the craze. Those were novel, but not particularly great. This one is great. The lock is very smooth and secure once you break it in and flip it a few dozen times (a little grit at first). The blade shape is quite useful, especially for such a small knife. It’s lightweight but the backspacer and integrated bottle opener are made of steel in the same tasteful finish as the blade so the whole package has a satisfying heft and balance in the hand, doesn’t feel cheap at all. 8crmov blade steel and frn handle are nothing exciting, but they are well executed here and do the job just fine, esp for the price. It takes up very little space in the pocket and the pocket clip is subtle and carries very deeply. That means it can be a little tricky to deploy because it’s so small, but you get the hang of it. I put my index finger in the bottle opener area and pinch my thumb and middle finger on either side of the handle to draw it out of my pocket. I also added a small lanyard which gives my pinkie finger something to hold onto when using the knife or flipping it closed. Pretty excellent for $40! If they made one with upgraded blade steel I’d buy it too.
