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Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish
Cons: None
Well made - long wait
Regarding shape and size, it compares well to my ESSE Izula with its aftermarket G10 grip-extenders and exceeds it slightly in comfort. What I spent on the Izula & it’s grips is almost the same as the Backpacker Pro and it has S35VN steel vs 1095. The kydex sheath is better too in my opinion. I also like the textured faces on the G10 which provides incredible retention. The factory edge was adequate and I did very little cutting with it before putting a nice edge on it with a KME. That went well & behaved like well heat-treated S35VN. A bit tough to sharpen but the geometry was excellent and the edge came out nice. This is a gift for my sister to take along a stretch of the Appalachian Trail this summer so I’ve not used it much but I think it will serve her well. The only ‘bad’ about it was an eleven week wait from the time I placed the order until it’s arrival. The website here had stated 2-3 weeks when I placed the order. I actually got shipping notification the same day I planned to cancel the order & look elsewhere. Now that it’s in stock & having had a few days with the knife, I just placed an order for one for myself if that provides an indication of my feelings about the knife. Hope this has been helpful.
