cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/22263624

> It's been a while since I've actually made a post here. @dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world has the lock on entertaining content here, so I figure I should come in with boring and bland (both the knife and the post!) ;) > > Earlier this year, in addition to my normal (aka way too many) knife buying, I went down the rabbit hole a bit on inexpensive knives on Amazon. > > Now, you can't throw a dust mote and not hit a dozen cheap knives sporting blades made of pot metal (or worse) on that hellscape of a site. > > But I was after bigger game: a usable, decent knife for about $10. > > That lead me, first to the Duratech liner-lock which I discussed here: https://lemmy.world/post/12442733 > > That knife is still in use and has done reasonably well, despite the terrible detent. (I never did take it apart). I have not been kind to it, including batoning wood to make some kindling. > > Shortly thereafter, Duratech came out with their own cross-bar locking knife (aka Axis lock) which ended up being just under $12. > !i > > The quality was greatly improved for sure, but it's also a bunch heavier than the liner-lock which itself was already too heavy for my normal EDC. > > One of the knives I also purchased around this time was the Watchman W001 (or as the box says: Watchman W001 Pocket Knife Folding Knives Traditional folder Wood Handle Material Collection). Strangely, you might also see it as the Watchman WM001. > > !i > > Watchman as a brand offers a number of knives on Amazon. I have no idea the quality of any of them but they are sufficiently inexpensive. > > The W001 is, according to Amazon, a non-locking knife despite the fact that all the photos show a rear-mounted lockback. Rest assured that this is indeed a locking knife. > > !i > > For $10 you wouldn't expect much in terms of steel, but honestly 7CR17MOV, which is the same as 440A, is way better than a lot of other knives for even more money. (Assuming Watchman have a decent heat treatment on it). > > Fit and finish is predictably not great but certainly not terrible. Some gaps between scales and liners and one of the pins is just slightly proud of the scales. But the lockback provides plenty of snap. There's side-to-side blade wiggle but nothing worrisome. The wooden scales are nice and smooth and appear sealed but I wouldn't want to test it. > > !i > > !i > > The grind (of which I do not have a good closeup) tapers in thickness from back to front on the blade and for sure more aggressive on one side than the other. Sharpness out of the box was ok but nothing to be excited about. I stropped it but haven't sharpened it yet. > > !i > > Curiously, there's another knife out there that looks strikingly similar. The Rough Rider RR1708. Someone posted a video on it a couple years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKv36gDGx4I The Rough Rider is marketed as having 440A steel. (The video says it's 420A but that's incorrect). > > !i > > This knife has sat on the desk since it arrived. My youngest kid gut-punched me the other day when he looked at all the knives and said "you sure have a lot of knives you never use" > > Brutal takedown. > > So the W001 is being put to use. I'm going to 5th-pocket carry it and it will be my only knife for the next two weeks or so. We'll see how the 7CR steel holds up and if I can stand not having a pocket clip. > > !i > > I'm sure, at the very least, it'll be great at opening more packages containing new knives. > > !i >

It's been a while since I've actually made a post here. @dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world has the lock on entertaining content here, so I figure I should come in with boring and bland (both the knife and the post!) ;)

Earlier this year, in addition to my normal (aka way too many) knife buying, I went down the rabbit hole a bit on inexpensive knives on Amazon.

Now, you can't throw a dust mote and not hit a dozen cheap knives sporting blades made of pot metal (or worse) on that hellscape of a site.

But I was after bigger game: a usable, decent knife for about $10.

That lead me, first to the Duratech liner-lock which I discussed here: https://lemmy.world/post/12442733

That knife is still in use and has done reasonably well, despite the terrible detent. (I never did take it apart). I have not been kind to it, including batoning wood to make some kindling.

Shortly thereafter, Duratech came out with their own cross-bar locking knife (aka Axis lock) which ended up being just under $12. !i

The quality was greatly improved for sure, but it's also a bunch heavier than the liner-lock which itself was already too heavy for my normal EDC.

One of the knives I also purchased around this time was the Watchman W001 (or as the box says: Watchman W001 Pocket Knife Folding Knives Traditional folder Wood Handle Material Collection). Strangely, you might also see it as the Watchman WM001.

!i

Watchman as a brand offers a number of knives on Amazon. I have no idea the quality of any of them but they are sufficiently inexpensive.

The W001 is, according to Amazon, a non-locking knife despite the fact that all the photos show a rear-mounted lockback. Rest assured that this is indeed a locking knife.

!i

For $10 you wouldn't expect much in terms of steel, but honestly 7CR17MOV, which is the same as 440A, is way better than a lot of other knives for even more money. (Assuming Watchman have a decent heat treatment on it).

Fit and finish is predictably not great but certainly not terrible. Some gaps between scales and liners and one of the pins is just slightly proud of the scales. But the lockback provides plenty of snap. There's side-to-side blade wiggle but nothing worrisome. The wooden scales are nice and smooth and appear sealed but I wouldn't want to test it.

!i

!i

The grind (of which I do not have a good closeup) tapers in thickness from back to front on the blade and for sure more aggressive on one side than the other. Sharpness out of the box was ok but nothing to be excited about. I stropped it but haven't sharpened it yet.

!i

Curiously, there's another knife out there that looks strikingly similar. The Rough Rider RR1708. Someone posted a video on it a couple years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKv36gDGx4I The Rough Rider is marketed as having 440A steel. (The video says it's 420A but that's incorrect).

!i

This knife has sat on the desk since it arrived. My youngest kid gut-punched me the other day when he looked at all the knives and said "you sure have a lot of knives you never use"

Brutal takedown.

So the W001 is being put to use. I'm going to 5th-pocket carry it and it will be my only knife for the next two weeks or so. We'll see how the 7CR steel holds up and if I can stand not having a pocket clip.

!i

I'm sure, at the very least, it'll be great at opening more packages containing new knives.

!i

With all the talk about Benchmade pricing, it's nice to find a good deal.

Looks like both BladeHQ and KnifeCenter are clearing out stock of the full-sized Benchmade Griptilian 551-BK for $100 and $110 respectively.

www.bladehq.com/item--Benchmade-Griptilian--6223

Edit: BladeHQ is sold out

www.knifecenter.com/item/BM551BKS30V

Edit: KnifeCenter is sold out

And full-sized is key here. This is not a small knife. 3.45" (8.76 cm) blade with an overall open length of 8.07" (20.5 cm). It's also 3.82 oz (108.3 g) which is more than 2 full sized Bugout knives.

But for $100 with S30V steel and very sturdy scales (even if it's not a full liner) this is a really good deal.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/12612373

> Happy Front Flipper Friday to all who celebrate. > > Despite the fact that I tell myself I don't even really like front-flippers, they keep showing up at my house. > > A true cry for help, I think. > > Today's Front Flipper is the Ray Laconico designed, CJRB Ekko > > This version has CJRB's budget powder steel AR-RPM9, 3.25" (8.26 cm) in length with green micarta scales. The micarta is very smooth and, depending on opening method, can feel a little slippery but I've not had any real issues. > > !image > > Straight spine with a nice deep swedge ground out at the front. > > !image > > Perfectly centered out of the box with really great action. > > !image > > I like the fact that it's a sheepsfoot with a little bit of belly on it. I like the fact that you can easily spydie-flick it open (and are not forced to use the front flipper). > > !image > > It's not an out-of-this world knife but a nice solid choice. I got it used, as I do most of my knives these days, and so the price was really good. Looking forward to putting this into the EDC rotation.

Happy Front Flipper Friday to all who celebrate.

Despite the fact that I tell myself I don't even really like front-flippers, they keep showing up at my house.

A true cry for help, I think.

Today's Front Flipper is the Ray Laconico designed, CJRB Ekko

This version has CJRB's budget powder steel AR-RPM9, 3.25" (8.26 cm) in length with green micarta scales. The micarta is very smooth and, depending on opening method, can feel a little slippery but I've not had any real issues.

!image

Straight spine with a nice deep swedge ground out at the front.

!image

Perfectly centered out of the box with really great action.

!image

I like the fact that it's a sheepsfoot with a little bit of belly on it. I like the fact that you can easily spydie-flick it open (and are not forced to use the front flipper).

!image

It's not an out-of-this world knife but a nice solid choice. I got it used, as I do most of my knives these days, and so the price was really good. Looking forward to putting this into the EDC rotation.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/12442733

> Here's a quick photo essay on what $9.99 will get you (currently $8.99 with coupon at amazon) from "DuraTech" > > It came in a serviceable cardboard box and not just bubble wrap or anything like that. The pocket clip provides the retention inside the box. > Added bonus inside the box: extra oil (I hope it's just oil) soaked into the cardboard: > !image > > !image > > The scales are very grippy and will probably tear up a pocket or two. > Pocket clip is pretty decent deep carry. Screws and clip are not recessed. Right side-only. Also, I'll need to get another photo of it but the clip has a lateral bend in it that parallels the shape of the scales. Very odd looking. > > !image > > !image > > Centering was slightly off but not bad (my photo is also off so it over-emphasizes the angle) > > !image > > Grind is really good for a $10 knife. Even on both sides, no issues. 8CR13MOV steel but unknown hardness so we'll see how it holds up. Here it is with it's little protective sheath out of the box. > > !image > > > Everything was looking good but, of course, there is a catch. It is, after all, a $10 knife. > Probably the worst detent I've ever seen. Getting the detent ball out of the hole gives you a click loud enough to be heard in the next room. I may have to try and capture it on video. The knife is almost impossible to open with the flipper tab and completely impossible to open with the thumb studs. Even if the detent was dialed in, the thumb studs are almost useless given how close they are to the scales. I might remove them entirely. > > So, if you'd like a knife with a flipper tab and thumb studs that is actually two-hand open, this may be the knife for you!

Here's a quick photo essay on what $9.99 will get you (currently $8.99 with coupon at amazon) from "DuraTech"

It came in a serviceable cardboard box and not just bubble wrap or anything like that. The pocket clip provides the retention inside the box. Added bonus inside the box: extra oil (I hope it's just oil) soaked into the cardboard: !image

!image

The scales are very grippy and will probably tear up a pocket or two. Pocket clip is pretty decent deep carry. Screws and clip are not recessed. Right side-only. Also, I'll need to get another photo of it but the clip has a lateral bend in it that parallels the shape of the scales. Very odd looking.

!image

!image

Centering was slightly off but not bad (my photo is also off so it over-emphasizes the angle)

!image

Grind is really good for a $10 knife. Even on both sides, no issues. 8CR13MOV steel but unknown hardness so we'll see how it holds up. Here it is with it's little protective sheath out of the box.

!image

Everything was looking good but, of course, there is a catch. It is, after all, a $10 knife. Probably the worst detent I've ever seen. Getting the detent ball out of the hole gives you a click loud enough to be heard in the next room. I may have to try and capture it on video. The knife is almost impossible to open with the flipper tab and completely impossible to open with the thumb studs. Even if the detent was dialed in, the thumb studs are almost useless given how close they are to the scales. I might remove them entirely.

So, if you'd like a knife with a flipper tab and thumb studs that is actually two-hand open, this may be the knife for you!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/11313739

> I'm trying to remember if this was my first button lock knife. If it wasn't the first it was darn close. > Picked up a used Civivi Altus back in June. I carried it for most of June but then had set it aside for other things. > > In December I picked it up again after using it to improve my sharpening skills and it's been in my pocket, for the most part, ever since. > > !image > > I have to apologize in advance for the low quality of the photos here. After dropping my phone through the ice while ice fishing recently I had to settle for a lesser phone with much lower camera quality. > > Maybe if I had not purchased so many knives in 2023 I could afford a better phone? Such talk is madness and we will never think like that again. > > !image > > The Altus, right out of the box, was a good fit in my hand. Handle length and shape is good and, while it appears a little boxy, doesn't feel that way. > > The one issue I had was the pocket clip sat in a weird spot in my palm. So, this seemed like a good excuse to try out one of the replacement titanium clips that Civivi offers and it has made a world of difference. > > !image > > I can't even notice it's there anymore. > > The trade-off with the titanium clip is that it is no longer deep carry. But it's close enough and the way the back of the handle is shaped, it doesn't show up in your pocket in a very noticeable way. > > The blade is 2.9" (7.37 cm) Nitro-V steel which, near as I can tell, is very similar to 14C28N. It's been a great steel for the money and takes a nice edge (as far as I my so-so sharpening skills are concerned). I've not had to sharpen it since but have stropped it several times. The flat grind is good but I do wish it had a bit of a hollow grind as food prep is not nearly as fun as with my classic Elementum. > > !image > > The button lock on this has been fantastic. No issues at all (though again it was used so probably already worked in a bit) with lock-stick or weird deployment. Detent is well tuned as well and the drop-shut and flip open with the button is flawless. It makes a satisfying-sounding click in both directions. > > !image > > It is not a small knife but it is not a large knife either. Even with the G10 scales and internal milling it somehow feels a bit heavier than similarly sized knives but it sits nicely at 3.11 oz. (88.3 g). > > !image > > No comparison photos against other knives today, sorry. > > Overall: > If you like the blade shape and want to experience a good button lock, I recommend it. I've used it for food prep, fire prep (feathersticking pieces of fatwood), opening 40lb bags of bird seed, on plenty of boxes and zip-ties with excellent results. The only real issue with food prep is the same for every flat-ground knife: not as efficient a slicer. The other thing I'd mention is that current prices are at ~$73 US which feels too high. Maybe catch a sale or buy one used if you can. >

I'm trying to remember if this was my first button lock knife. If it wasn't the first it was darn close. Picked up a used Civivi Altus back in June. I carried it for most of June but then had set it aside for other things.

In December I picked it up again after using it to improve my sharpening skills and it's been in my pocket, for the most part, ever since.

!image

I have to apologize in advance for the low quality of the photos here. After dropping my phone through the ice while ice fishing recently I had to settle for a lesser phone with much lower camera quality.

Maybe if I had not purchased so many knives in 2023 I could afford a better phone? Such talk is madness and we will never think like that again.

!image

The Altus, right out of the box, was a good fit in my hand. Handle length and shape is good and, while it appears a little boxy, doesn't feel that way.

The one issue I had was the pocket clip sat in a weird spot in my palm. So, this seemed like a good excuse to try out one of the replacement titanium clips that Civivi offers and it has made a world of difference.

!image

I can't even notice it's there anymore.

The trade-off with the titanium clip is that it is no longer deep carry. But it's close enough and the way the back of the handle is shaped, it doesn't show up in your pocket in a very noticeable way.

The blade is 2.9" (7.37 cm) Nitro-V steel which, near as I can tell, is very similar to 14C28N. It's been a great steel for the money and takes a nice edge (as far as I my so-so sharpening skills are concerned). I've not had to sharpen it since but have stropped it several times. The flat grind is good but I do wish it had a bit of a hollow grind as food prep is not nearly as fun as with my classic Elementum.

!image

The button lock on this has been fantastic. No issues at all (though again it was used so probably already worked in a bit) with lock-stick or weird deployment. Detent is well tuned as well and the drop-shut and flip open with the button is flawless. It makes a satisfying-sounding click in both directions.

!image

It is not a small knife but it is not a large knife either. Even with the G10 scales and internal milling it somehow feels a bit heavier than similarly sized knives but it sits nicely at 3.11 oz. (88.3 g).

!image

No comparison photos against other knives today, sorry.

Overall: If you like the blade shape and want to experience a good button lock, I recommend it. I've used it for food prep, fire prep (feathersticking pieces of fatwood), opening 40lb bags of bird seed, on plenty of boxes and zip-ties with excellent results. The only real issue with food prep is the same for every flat-ground knife: not as efficient a slicer. The other thing I'd mention is that current prices are at ~$73 US which feels too high. Maybe catch a sale or buy one used if you can.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/10804245

> What is up knife community! It's been a while, what with the chaos of the holidays, and then the chaos of work after the holidays and etc., etc. > > I picked up a few knives over the holidays, some for the kids, some for me. The first of which is this KNAFS Lander 2! > > For those who do not know, KNAFS was started by Ben Peterson, a former BladeHQ marketing/YouTuber/designer/other things guy. He first collaborated with WE/Civivi on the Banter and Baby Banter series of knives. (See previous post on one Baby Banter variant here > > Ben was famous for his long drawn-out catch phrase "What Is Up Guys?!" that he would start all the BHQ videos with. > > Fast forward a few years and Ben left BHQ and started his own knife company with a couple of his own designs. The first was (not surprisingly) the Lander. > > The Lander is an interesting platform because it was designed, from go, to be something you could easily swap scales on. The knife does not have to be completely dissembled in order to change its appearance. And, amazingly, Ben released the detailed specs of the Lander scales, free, to the internet. If you have a 3D printer (or access to one) you can download the complete STL or STP files and print your own. > > The original Lander is a liner lock and either D2 or 14C28N steel and OEM'd by QSP. > > As is the way of things in the knife world, one Lander is not enough. And so, the Lander 2 was released in November 2023. > > Using Keizer as the OEM, the Lander 2 is a crossbar locking knife with an S35VN blade. (Keizer calls their lock the Clutch Lock) which has 5 different adjustable points for both sets of springs on the lock, meaning you can adjust the spring tension simply by moving where it connects to the liners. > > !image > > So we have a knife that is provides user-friendly customization in looks and in action. > > Here it is in comparison to a couple other knives, first the Kershaw Heist (another crossbar lock discussed recently) > > !image > > Similar in length but the Heist has a much thinner blade and is slightly thinner in body and lighter. > > Here it is compared to a classic: the Civivi Elementum. This has been my user for some time now and the D2 has a slight patina but is blemish free for the most part. (Tape residue not withstanding) > > !image > > I was losing the evening light, so I only got one image of the Lander 2 closed. > > !image > > Usage so far: > Pretty limited use by me since I got it. Mostly because I've been using other knives that I also picked up. This Lander 2 was used but barely so. I had to clean up the scales a bit and stropped the blade but other than that it looks brand new. > > I buy used knives almost exclusively these days as the discounts can be quite good. > > The action on the Clutch Lock is really really good. Buttery smooth right out of the box. But then again, it was used so the previous owner may have flipped it a lot? I'm not going to complain because it's really nice. > > The thumbstuds and crossbar studs are well made and do not bite into the hand. The shape of the handle is, for my hand size, nicely formed. What use I've put it through has been pleasant. I wish the Lander 2 had a hollow grind instead of a flat grind but the slicing has been fine even without. > > I didn't have it handy for photos but it reminds me a lot of the first version of the Civivi Elementum button lock (the one where the button was only method of deployment). > > Because the knife was just released, there are not many 3rd party options for scales. A few have started showing up on Etsy that I've seen, so hopefully more soon. > > Overall verdict: The crossbar lock (adjustable) and open format of the scales (awesome) makes this a very compelling choice. I would not have paid full retail price for it though, as there are a lot of other S35VN knives out there for much less. But if 3D printing or just having a lot of choice for how your knife looks is your thing, it's hard to find an easier solution than the Lander series. >

What is up knife community! It's been a while, what with the chaos of the holidays, and then the chaos of work after the holidays and etc., etc.

I picked up a few knives over the holidays, some for the kids, some for me. The first of which is this KNAFS Lander 2!

For those who do not know, KNAFS was started by Ben Peterson, a former BladeHQ marketing/YouTuber/designer/other things guy. He first collaborated with WE/Civivi on the Banter and Baby Banter series of knives. (See previous post on one Baby Banter variant here

Ben was famous for his long drawn-out catch phrase "What Is Up Guys?!" that he would start all the BHQ videos with.

Fast forward a few years and Ben left BHQ and started his own knife company with a couple of his own designs. The first was (not surprisingly) the Lander.

The Lander is an interesting platform because it was designed, from go, to be something you could easily swap scales on. The knife does not have to be completely dissembled in order to change its appearance. And, amazingly, Ben released the detailed specs of the Lander scales, free, to the internet. If you have a 3D printer (or access to one) you can download the complete STL or STP files and print your own.

The original Lander is a liner lock and either D2 or 14C28N steel and OEM'd by QSP.

As is the way of things in the knife world, one Lander is not enough. And so, the Lander 2 was released in November 2023.

Using Keizer as the OEM, the Lander 2 is a crossbar locking knife with an S35VN blade. (Keizer calls their lock the Clutch Lock) which has 5 different adjustable points for both sets of springs on the lock, meaning you can adjust the spring tension simply by moving where it connects to the liners.

!image

So we have a knife that is provides user-friendly customization in looks and in action.

Here it is in comparison to a couple other knives, first the Kershaw Heist (another crossbar lock discussed recently)

!image

Similar in length but the Heist has a much thinner blade and is slightly thinner in body and lighter.

Here it is compared to a classic: the Civivi Elementum. This has been my user for some time now and the D2 has a slight patina but is blemish free for the most part. (Tape residue not withstanding)

!image

I was losing the evening light, so I only got one image of the Lander 2 closed.

!image

Usage so far: Pretty limited use by me since I got it. Mostly because I've been using other knives that I also picked up. This Lander 2 was used but barely so. I had to clean up the scales a bit and stropped the blade but other than that it looks brand new.

I buy used knives almost exclusively these days as the discounts can be quite good.

The action on the Clutch Lock is really really good. Buttery smooth right out of the box. But then again, it was used so the previous owner may have flipped it a lot? I'm not going to complain because it's really nice.

The thumbstuds and crossbar studs are well made and do not bite into the hand. The shape of the handle is, for my hand size, nicely formed. What use I've put it through has been pleasant. I wish the Lander 2 had a hollow grind instead of a flat grind but the slicing has been fine even without.

I didn't have it handy for photos but it reminds me a lot of the first version of the Civivi Elementum button lock (the one where the button was only method of deployment).

Because the knife was just released, there are not many 3rd party options for scales. A few have started showing up on Etsy that I've seen, so hopefully more soon.

Overall verdict: The crossbar lock (adjustable) and open format of the scales (awesome) makes this a very compelling choice. I would not have paid full retail price for it though, as there are a lot of other S35VN knives out there for much less. But if 3D printing or just having a lot of choice for how your knife looks is your thing, it's hard to find an easier solution than the Lander series.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/9936120

> That's right, I've been at it again. > > (And if you want to fast forward through all the foreplay and get right to the action you can download the models package here. Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals.) > > ! > > Here's a slightly more practical printable than the last one, which I'm calling the Sparrow. > > This knife has the same design goals as before: Fully printable, with no external hardware except the Stanley utility knife blade, no supports, and mechanically as close to a real functional mechanism as is possible. > > ! > > ! > > So it's a real working lockback folder. It locks up pretty good, too. Getting that working was one of those things that sounded really simple conceptually but actually turned out to be a pain in the ass to achieve. The mechanism owes a bit of credit to the Secret Of Show Business, via the wooden Spyderco kit we looked at a while back. > > Oh, and making it in orange gives the the opportunity to do one of them there themed gear flat-lays that are so popular with the influencers nowadays. > > ! > > The Sparrow is a pretty pocketable EDC size at about 3-5/8" long when closed. It's noticeably shorter than my CQC-6K, but it's longer than a Gerber EAB because I can't cheat and use smaller diameter steel screws. A noticeable portion of its length at the tail end is just to accommodate the printed screw, which I can't make much thinner if I'd like it to continue to, you know, work. > > ! > > Of course, it has a reversible pocket clip available as well. > > ! > > Sure, it's not as much fun to fiddle around with as a balisong knife. But I find the simple folding design a lot more practical for daily use. (I've been beating the shit out of my prototype, as is tradition, for a whole week at work before considering it "done.") Plus it's much less likely to draw the ire of the local constabulary if you happen to live in one of those countries with an unfortunate deficiency of bald eagles. > > ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ > > Preemptive Burning Questions That Would Otherwise Inevitably Appear In The Comments > > Q: Why are all the screws and pins separate parts? Don't you know you could simplify the design by making it all one solid lump? > > Of course I know that. However, let's say you manage to break one of those titchy little 2mm pins. Would you rather re-print the entire monolithic handle liner assembly, or one 0.3 gram pin? > > Q: But also making the handle scales separate was still totally pointless, right? > > Sure, except this allows me to make a variety of scale styles available, including zooty skeletonized ones you can print in a complimentary color for two-tone aesthetics: > > ! > > The possibilities practically suggest themselves. > > Q: This is going to break instantly and you'll slice your fingers off. Printing something like this is so unsafe! I know this because I have done no math or testing whatsoever, but am an armchair expert! > > Well, I clamped my prototype knife in my vise and yanked on it against its opening axis with a dial scale until it broke. You know, for science. > > The major markings on that scale are 5 pound increments, by the way. It gave a noticeable warning creak at 37 pounds, and finally broke with the dial indicating 39 pounds. It was only made out of ordinary PLA. As you can see, I actually had to adjust my grip and I was bracing my foot against the bottom of my workbench to be able to put enough oomph into it to break it. If you torque your box cutter at nearly 40 pounds in day-to-day use I suggest you're probably using it wrong. Provided you don't try to use this knife as a crowbar or a piton I really don't think you'll have anything to worry about. > > Q: What's with the dumb bird on everything? > > He's a penguin. Don't be dissing my penguin, man. > > ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ > > .STL Files Download: Here. > > As before, the above is provided as-is and with no guarantees, and you are free to make your own or give printed knives away to friends or family or what have you, but prints of my models are not to be sold and not to be uploaded or reposted to any model repository or anywhere else outside of the Lemmy-sphere. > > ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ > > Assembly Instructions and like a million pictures As Follows: > > People with no interest in printing or assembling one of these can stop reading now. I promise I'll go back to my usual program of loquacious show-and-tell/point-and-laugh over various whackmobile novelty knives in my subsequent posts. > > Anyway, you will need to print this small mountain of components. > > ! > > The complete bill of materials is as follows: > > - 1x Blade Holder > - 1x Top Liner, 1x Bottom Liner > - 1x Lock Bar > - 1x Spring Block > - 2x Female Screws > - 2x Male Screws > - 2x 2mm Pins > - 1x 4mm Pin > - 1x Top Scale, 1x Bottom Scale of your choice > - If you want to use the clip, you need 1x Pocket Clip, and replace 1x of the short female screws with the longer one included, labeled "for pocket clip." > > Several components are quite close fits, and various pins and screws need to fit through their respective holes. If your printer produces parts with a lot of elephant's foot on the bottom you'll probably have to trim the inside edges of the holes with a utility knife blade, which is something I should hope you'll have to hand when embarking on this project... > > Start with the bottom liner. You can identify it as the one with the chamfered holes for the pins, which you'll notice have flared heads. > > ! > > Stick the 2mm pins and the 4mm pin through. They'll sit flush with the underside of the liner. If they don't, you have some trimming to do. Then sandwich your bottom handle scale underneath that. The scale will keep the pins from falling out. > > ! > > Then identify your screws. There are two screw lengths, and if you're going to use the pocket clip you'll put the shorter one through the front where the blade goes on, and the longer one through the tail where the clip will go. If you're not going to use the clip, just employ two short screws instead, one on either end. > > ! > > Either way, stick the female screws up through the entire sandwich. > > ! > > Drop the blade holder on the front screw. > > ! > > Then put the lock bar through the middle pin. Play with it a bit and make sure it drops cleanly into the notch on the blade holder. If anything is going to require tuning or sanding it'll be the interface between the lock bar and its notch there. It should also pivot freely on its pin. If it's a really tight draggy fit this will annoy you, and this'll make the lockup unreliable as well. > > ! > > The spring block goes on next, and obviously the holes on it are for your last remaining pin plus the screw at the tail end of the knife. The prong on it goes below the end of the lock bar, i.e. on the inside. When you press the hump on the lock bar it should spring up and down satisfactorily. > > ! > > Then the top liner goes on. All three pins should rest home in the holes in it. > > ! > > Then the top scale and its (male) screw. You can drive the screws with a penny if you're too perverse to use a screwdriver. > > ! > > If you're going to use the pocket clip, decide which side you want it on (of course it's reversible; I'm not an animal) and stick it through the slot on the tail end of the knife. > > ! > > For strength, I recommend putting the female side of the tail screw through the clip, then through the rest of the assembly, and then put the male screw on the side that's not holding the clip. Depending on which side you chose to put the clip on you may have to take it out and stick it through from the other side. > > FYI, if you don't use the pocket clip there is a hole in its mounting slot you can use to tie a lanyard through instead, if you're into that sort of thing. > > ! > > The blade slides in from the front and rides in a track that holds it on both the sharp edge and the blunt spine. Press the blade locking pin flexture down to get the pins to clear. > > ! > > The pins ought to click into the two notches on your blade quite nicely. If you noticed that this is the same blade holding mechanism is very similar to the one on my last knife, that's because you're right and it's exactly the same. > > ! > > Fin.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/9725583

> (dear gods... what have I done? ) > > Some of you may remember my Weird Knife Wednesday post from a few months ago about the 2022 Walmart crossbar lock (hilariously called "shaft lock") knife. It was a first for Ozark Trail. Here's a link: https://lemmy.world/post/5850196 > > That knife came out of nowhere and many of the budget-oriented knife communities took notice. If your local Walmart had them, it wasn't for long because they were selling out. I bought 2 (and gave one away as a part of a white elephant gift). > > Skip to 2023 and Walmart has released not one, not two, but three different crossbar locking knives for this holiday season. (more on that later). > > For those who don't know, Ozark Trail is the Walmart in-house brand (the Amazon Essentials of the brick and mortar world) for many, many things. Including knives. > > For $5-6 US, these are knives built to a very specific price point and it shows. > > Enough talk, time for some photos: > > !image > > As mentioned these are 2 of the 3 released this year for the holidays. You'll find these two, along with a few liner lock, frame lock, and fixed blades, in an end-cap or center-aisle display if your Walmart has them in. > > !image > > The textured G10 (?) one at the top looks suspiciously like the Sencut Scepter (which, is par for the course for Ozark Trail "designers"). The second one, with the blue pivot ring does not look familiar but I'm assuming eagle-eyed readers know its inspiration. > > !image > > It's hard to see in these photos both knives have deep-carry clips that extend past the back of the scales. These are very deep carry indeed. > > The action on these knives is really bad. As if straight out of the factory they decided to take them to the beach and bury them all in sand before shipping them off. The crossbar on both grinds against the back of the knife. The spring tension on the bar is not as strong as last years model but could still use some work. I'm sure that they will break in, even if it takes a year. You can't really flip them open (without also throwing your wrist around wildly and looking like a lunatic) and you're mostly going to have to 2-hand shut them. > > On the other hand: these were $5 each. So if you have to slow-roll them open, maybe that's not so bad? > > I had mentioned a 3rd "shaft lock" knife that seems to be mostly available online, though I did find a few stores listing them as in stock (but I'm not driving further than I already have for these). It comes as a part of a 3-pack of knives and some other tools. > > I'm blatantly lifting this image off the Walmart website: > > !image > > I don't think I'm going to buy the pack though because, while only $5 each, buying a couple of these gets me into "real" knife territory (the aforementioned Sencut Scepter being a great knife for the money) and I'd rather buy more of those than more of these. > > Should you buy these Ozark Trail knives? I would hope not. I made this sacrifice for you. Don't repeat my mistakes, learn from them.

(dear gods... what have I done? )

Some of you may remember my Weird Knife Wednesday post from a few months ago about the 2022 Walmart crossbar lock (hilariously called "shaft lock") knife. It was a first for Ozark Trail. Here's a link: https://lemmy.world/post/5850196

That knife came out of nowhere and many of the budget-oriented knife communities took notice. If your local Walmart had them, it wasn't for long because they were selling out. I bought 2 (and gave one away as a part of a white elephant gift).

Skip to 2023 and Walmart has released not one, not two, but three different crossbar locking knives for this holiday season. (more on that later).

For those who don't know, Ozark Trail is the Walmart in-house brand (the Amazon Essentials of the brick and mortar world) for many, many things. Including knives.

For $5-6 US, these are knives built to a very specific price point and it shows.

Enough talk, time for some photos:

!image

As mentioned these are 2 of the 3 released this year for the holidays. You'll find these two, along with a few liner lock, frame lock, and fixed blades, in an end-cap or center-aisle display if your Walmart has them in.

!image

The textured G10 (?) one at the top looks suspiciously like the Sencut Scepter (which, is par for the course for Ozark Trail "designers"). The second one, with the blue pivot ring does not look familiar but I'm assuming eagle-eyed readers know its inspiration.

!image

It's hard to see in these photos both knives have deep-carry clips that extend past the back of the scales. These are very deep carry indeed.

The action on these knives is really bad. As if straight out of the factory they decided to take them to the beach and bury them all in sand before shipping them off. The crossbar on both grinds against the back of the knife. The spring tension on the bar is not as strong as last years model but could still use some work. I'm sure that they will break in, even if it takes a year. You can't really flip them open (without also throwing your wrist around wildly and looking like a lunatic) and you're mostly going to have to 2-hand shut them.

On the other hand: these were $5 each. So if you have to slow-roll them open, maybe that's not so bad?

I had mentioned a 3rd "shaft lock" knife that seems to be mostly available online, though I did find a few stores listing them as in stock (but I'm not driving further than I already have for these). It comes as a part of a 3-pack of knives and some other tools.

I'm blatantly lifting this image off the Walmart website:

!image

I don't think I'm going to buy the pack though because, while only $5 each, buying a couple of these gets me into "real" knife territory (the aforementioned Sencut Scepter being a great knife for the money) and I'd rather buy more of those than more of these.

Should you buy these Ozark Trail knives? I would hope not. I made this sacrifice for you. Don't repeat my mistakes, learn from them.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/9608937

> NKD (well, week): The Kershaw Heist > > This knife is a steal. There I said it. It's done. We can move on. No more puns from here on out. 😆 > > Earlier this year, Kershaw released their first crossbar locking knives. It would appear that the runaway winner of the 4 was the Iridium. It showed up in many reviews winning a lot of praise, and likely for good reasons. Kershaw knows how to build knives well and they appear to have knocked it out of the park with their version of the crossbar, which they call the "Duralock." > > The Iridum is not really a knife for me though. With only a few exceptions, I'm not really into knives with scales made of metal. Too cold in the winter and too slippery in the summer. > > When I saw the Heist, however... > > !image > > IMHO, the Heist is what you get when you take a Benchmade Bugout and a Benchmade Freek and make a functional baby at 1/3 the cost. Hashtag KnifeBaby > > !image > > !image > > I don't have a full-sized Freek, just the old-school Mini Freek but the comparison works, I think. > > First off, the Heist is thin. As thin as the Bugout. Lightweight handles, but full-length liners so slightly heavier than the Bugout. The blade itself is far thinner than the Freek and thinner than even the Bugout thanks to the deeper swedge. So this is a very slicey knife indeed. > > !image > > This is not a knife I would expect to be using for hours on end. Much like the Bugout, it's function is all about having a knife in the moment for quick needs without weighting you down. This is a knife I would not have a problem camping/hiking with at all. > > !image) > > Out of the box the knife did need a little breaking in. The action was a little slow but after a week of just handling it, it's just fine. The blade steel is D2 which helps keep the costs down. Kershaw is not a super budget brand though so at $50 it's on the higher end of D2 knives these days. > > Pocket clip is great with the right amount of deep-carry for me. Scales are grippy but not aggressively so, and I don't feel like it's going to tear up the pocket. > > Based on a week's worth of use, I would highly recommend this. The Duralock is well tuned, the knife sits in the hand comfortably for what it is, it's light, and best of all: it's not super expensive. > > !image >

NKD (well, week): The Kershaw Heist

This knife is a steal. There I said it. It's done. We can move on. No more puns from here on out. 😆

Earlier this year, Kershaw released their first crossbar locking knives. It would appear that the runaway winner of the 4 was the Iridium. It showed up in many reviews winning a lot of praise, and likely for good reasons. Kershaw knows how to build knives well and they appear to have knocked it out of the park with their version of the crossbar, which they call the "Duralock."

The Iridum is not really a knife for me though. With only a few exceptions, I'm not really into knives with scales made of metal. Too cold in the winter and too slippery in the summer.

When I saw the Heist, however...

!image

IMHO, the Heist is what you get when you take a Benchmade Bugout and a Benchmade Freek and make a functional baby at 1/3 the cost. Hashtag KnifeBaby

!image

!image

I don't have a full-sized Freek, just the old-school Mini Freek but the comparison works, I think.

First off, the Heist is thin. As thin as the Bugout. Lightweight handles, but full-length liners so slightly heavier than the Bugout. The blade itself is far thinner than the Freek and thinner than even the Bugout thanks to the deeper swedge. So this is a very slicey knife indeed.

!image

This is not a knife I would expect to be using for hours on end. Much like the Bugout, it's function is all about having a knife in the moment for quick needs without weighting you down. This is a knife I would not have a problem camping/hiking with at all.

!image)

Out of the box the knife did need a little breaking in. The action was a little slow but after a week of just handling it, it's just fine. The blade steel is D2 which helps keep the costs down. Kershaw is not a super budget brand though so at $50 it's on the higher end of D2 knives these days.

Pocket clip is great with the right amount of deep-carry for me. Scales are grippy but not aggressively so, and I don't feel like it's going to tear up the pocket.

Based on a week's worth of use, I would highly recommend this. The Duralock is well tuned, the knife sits in the hand comfortably for what it is, it's light, and best of all: it's not super expensive.

!image

Recent discussions around purchasing knives got me thinking maybe a thread of online stores would be good. I'm going to assume that a lot of new-to-knives people are starting on Amazon which is often not the best place.

I'll list a few that I use or have experience with (and maybe some background). I have no affiliation with these places other than being a happy customer. None of the links or codes are going to make me money or give me free stuff. Just thought I would throw together some options for people who are new to knives.

My list is going to be US-centric. If you are not in the US and have recommendations, please add them here!

http://www.whitemountainknives.com One of my favorite retailers. Great prices, free shipping, and offers a variety of coupon codes for 10% off. Most of these are tied to individuals who get rewards for people using them. I use one that is, as far as I know, generic: WMK The site has a ton of stuff on sale (especially now).

http://www.indianaknives.com Small retailer in southern Indiana. Great, great customer service, excellent prices and free shipping. A more limited selection but often has 1 or 2 things that larger retailers sell out of quickly because this store flies under the radar.

http://www.knivesshipfree.com As the URL says: knives ship free! Lot of fixed blades, especially Bark River knives. Not a super limited selection of manufacturers but it feels like a very well curated list.

http://www.knifeworks.com Mentioned in a recent thread here. A ton of options and the exclusive home to Doug Ritter-designed knives (manufactured by Hogue). Used to have Benchmade under MSRP but I don't know if they still do that. $100 purchase requirement for free shipping.

https://www.knifecenter.com One of the OG stores. Huge selection, and fantastic YouTube presence. Their website allows you to filter searched by a ton of different options not found in many other stores. Tons of really cool Exclusives as well. $95 min purchase for free shipping.

http://www.bladehq.com For a long time a more commanding presence than KnifeCenter in social media but I think they've fallen back as maybe has their customer service. Always a ton of Exclusives especially all the "Dessert Warrior" options. Free shipping at $100.

Others I have limited experience with but are good:

http://www.smkw.com Smokey Mountain Knife Works

https://www.cutleryshoppe.com/ Another shop with a ton of exclusives. I got a exclusive ALOX SAX from them.

https://www.knivesplus.com If you want a customized Spyderco or Benchmade without going with a random person off Etsy or Ebay, these guys are great.

I know I left stores off the list (mostly for time) so fill in the gaps. Who have you purchased from that's been great?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/9496597

> I had posted on a FFF (Front Flipper Friday) that one of my go-to office carry knives was the CJRB Malieah. A great 5th pocket carry that is not worrisome to non-knife people and fits within the 2.5" blade length limit of the city where the company office resides. > > I think the CJRB has been replace by the Civivi Baby Banter. At least, it seems to have been for the past 6 ot 7 visits. > > !image > > The Baby Banter is even less worrisome to non-knife folks (some have said it is "cute" which I'm sure it bristles at). > > !image > > The knife is my go-to for food slicing at work and (once cleaned) boxes, tape, or as in today: velcro cable straps so I could jerry-rigg a second wireless lavaliere mic receiver to a small video camera. > > !image > > It's small and unassuming but has performed really well. If you're looking for a knife with those properties on the budget side, I highly recommend it. > > !image >

I had posted on a FFF (Front Flipper Friday) that one of my go-to office carry knives was the CJRB Malieah. A great 5th pocket carry that is not worrisome to non-knife people and fits within the 2.5" blade length limit of the city where the company office resides.

I think the CJRB has been replace by the Civivi Baby Banter. At least, it seems to have been for the past 6 ot 7 visits.

!image

The Baby Banter is even less worrisome to non-knife folks (some have said it is "cute" which I'm sure it bristles at).

!image

The knife is my go-to for food slicing at work and (once cleaned) boxes, tape, or as in today: velcro cable straps so I could jerry-rigg a second wireless lavaliere mic receiver to a small video camera.

!image

It's small and unassuming but has performed really well. If you're looking for a knife with those properties on the budget side, I highly recommend it.

!image

As requested by @Nimrod@lemm.ee :

!image

!image

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/9305807

> A day late and a dollar short as they say. So much for "Thursday." I tried to get this post up yesterday but the fates were against me. > > I admit this is a bit of a stretch for Throw Back Thursday because I'm old and 2011 was, near as I can tell, last week. > > At least I think 2011 is the right year because my Google-fu is weak today. > > !image > > The CRKT Drifter has come in 2 major varients: G10 scales with a liner lock and stainless steel scales with a frame lock. I think this was introduced in 2011 but that could also be the liner lock version. If someone wants to correct me, operators are standing by. > > !image > > This is one of only 2 frame locks I own and also one of only 2 combo blades I own. I own a lot of knives, so this might give you some indication as to what I think of frame locks and half-serrations... > Edit: I just remembered that I have 3 other frame locks. So, I'm a complete idiot. > > This knife was purchased in 2019 which was yesterday near as I can tell. It was a very early knife purchase and I had not yet figured out what I did and did not like. Another huge factor was the fact that BladeHQ was basically giving this away in the discontinued section for $15. > > !image > > Aesthetically this is a good looking knife (IMHO). The matte grey and smooth lines go well with the polished blade. However, the reason the lines are smooth is because the pocket clip is single position, tip-down. The horror...the horror. > > !image > > But, there's actually a clever trick here: the pocket clip also serves as the overtravel stop for the frame lock! Now, me not being a frame lock guy, maybe I'm just ignorant here, but that's not something I remember seeing on other knives. This photo is not of great quality due to the lighting I had to work with but you get the idea I think. So while it takes 3 screws to hold the clip down and while it's sort of obnoxious looking, it's also functional and I can respect that. > > !image > > The combo blade, I figured out fairly quickly, is not for me. Give me a knife with full serrations or give me a plain edge blade but not both. It will fail to meet my needs for most things. But thankfully it only took $15 to sort that out. > > !image > > If it's not for you, why keep it you ask? Well because it does remind me of the journey this silly hobby has taken me on but also because I don't get rid of anything and in all likelihood the authorities will find my body buried under a mountain of knife boxes years from now. So what's one more?