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Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Ease of Use, Overall Quality
Cons: Pocket Clip, Weight
Great EDC Knife
I was looking for a 14C28N folder on the beefier side, but still compact enough to EDC. Realized I don't have anything with denim micarta handles and I like the look of it, so I threw that into the mix, and as a result, I arrived at the QSP Gorilla. Bonus, I didn't own any QSP knives yet, so this was my first go at the brand. First things first: The Gorilla is super comfortable. Fits my hand very well, and the denim micarta has that soft, inviting feel to it. Well-designed to inspire user comfort. It suggests a grip very similar to the Ontario RAT, with the thumb finding its way to the jimping at the back of the spine, ready for heavy duty work. Action is perfect out of the box, super smooth, using either the flipper or the blade hole for a reverse flick. And of course, the reverse flick ability ups the fidget factor. The liner lock is well-chamfered and comfortable to use. This is not a dainty little knife ready to do fine little tasks. The blade is fairly tall blade of substantial stock with a big belly. It's a bruiser. Yet the balance point is toward the back of the index finger groove. It's more nimble than other factors might suggest. Gorilla is the perfect name for it. The steel choice is perfect for this knife. 14C28N is my current favorite stainless. Super tough, super stainless, and very easy to sharpen to a hair-splitting fine, smooth polished edge. It doesn't hold that edge as well as some other stainless steels will, but the fact that it's so easy to sharpen makes up for that, IMO. It's really a great steel that I'd recommend for any EDC knife, but particularly those intended for hard use. Cons: The Gorilla is a bit on the heavy side for an EDC (surprise), and the pocket clip isn't ambidextrous. Would prefer if the lanyard hole was exposed in the back spacer, rather than a simple hole through the micarta and spacer, but it ought to work with a good D-ring or paracord, if necessary. All very minor issues to me, even though I tend to left-side carry. Overall, I couldn't be happier with this purchase, and QSP now has another fan of their work.