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Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Finish, Blade Sharpness
Cons: None
Spartan Blades Ronin Shinto
This S35VN blade is a very good all purpose survival type of knife. The blade has some extra weight toward the front of the blade which makes it good for chopping. It will make feather sticks with ease. Great ergonomics on the handle. You can literally balance the blade on your finger due to the excellent ergonomic's that this knife has. There is an indention on the front part of the handle for a pinch grip. You place your thumb and forefinger in the indented grooves on the front part of the handle for fine detailed work. The front part of the blade has an ample amount of belly to it for skinning or cutting & chopping. The re-curve part of the blade makes for good slicing ability and aides in making long draw cuts. This knife is my go to outdoor knife. The Ronin Shinto is built like a tank out of one solid piece of s35vn steel. It's thick enough that you are not going to break it using it to chop. The edge is ground thin enough that it makes for a decent slicing blade. I live near the ocean so the S35VN stainless steel blade is a good choice for corrosion resistance. The blade will take a sharp edge and hold it for a decent amount of time. I personally find that this knife will sharpen up quickly on a spyderco sharpmaker. My only complaint about this knife would be the price. It isn't cheap, but as the old saying go's "you get what you pay for". I find that to be a true statement regarding the Spartan Shinto. Yes the price is sort of steep for a knife. But it performs flawlessly in all of the task's that I use it for. I've used this knife for making anything from Tent peg's, making cordage out of bark fiber, feather sticks, camping food prep, and breaking down cardboard boxes. I've even used it as a hunting knife to gut and skin game. I am very happy with this blade. I feel like it's a good do everything knife. Would I buy this knife again? Absolutely I would, with no regrets.