Custom Tacticals

Spyderco James Keating Chinook 3 Knife

corwin99 — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:39:51 +0000

If there’s one thing James Keating knows, its knives. And when you take a guy like Keating and put him in a room with the crazy guys at Spyderco, you’re going to come out with an amazing knife. Now, let them revise the knife three times to perfection, and you have the Keating Chinook 3.

When I cracked this one open, I was totally blown away by the bank vault lockup and huge clack sound that the lockback made when it engaged. It was no surprise to me that this is a MBC-rated lock. Without a doubt the Chinook 3 has the beefiest lockup of any Spyderco folder I’ve handled.

Other great features of the Chinook 3 are the CPM S30V blade, and Golden, Colorado factory pedigree. The big beefy 3 3/4″ blade has been flat ground for the third iteration of this fantastic blade from Spyderco. Previous generations were hollow ground.

I’ve owned one of the Generation 2 models, and this new full flat grind is much nicer in my opinion. I think it suits the knife better, and has a cleaner look than the hollow grind version. Since this was purchased as a gift for my uncle, I was unable to test cut anything besides some arm hair to make sure Spyderco is still keeping their blades hair-popping sharp out of the box – and they are!

The new Generation 3 Chinook is also much lighter than previous ones having shaved almost 1.5oz of weight, possibly due to additional skeletoniztion of the steel liners and the refined handle profile.

The Chinook 3 is a fairly large knife, but I found the handle to be okay in my hands. It has lots of nice comfortable cuves that nestle it nicely in the palm, and also allow for easy grip changes. James A. Keating was not messing around with this one!

Overall its a killer knife with an insanely strong lock-up, and would make a great Hard-Use EDC for anyone that can handle carrying something this large. The upswept blade is great for a number of tasks such as slicing and skinning, and the point is stong enough for penetration. For more information on the knife’s uses you can see James A. Keatings website.

Specs:
Overall Length: 8 9/16″
Blade Length: 3 3/4″
Blade Steel: CPM-S30V
Handle Material: G-10
Liners: Stainless Steel

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Benchmade Elishewitz 690 Knife

corwin99 — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 03:27:47 +0000

I’ve owned 3 of these Benhmade 690 knives, and still have two of them in my posession and I have to say that it is one of the nicest Benchmade knives they ever made. It has been produced in several variations, all of which are very well made. I’ve owned one of the blue-dyed wood models as well, which was a beautiful piece.

The Benchmade 690 has long since been discontinued and was designed by Allen Elishewitz for Benchmade, back before they had a falling out. Early models carried Allen’s maker’s mark on them, while later versions that were produced after they parted ways no longer carried Allen’s mark and his name was removed from all literature. Even now the archives on the Benchmade site do not mention Allen and say “Benchmade Design” – which kind of disgusts me.

Allen’s designs have always been solid and appealing. The 690 brought a lot of Allen Elishewitz’s custom features to Benchmade’s production knives…. features like the extra wide pivot pin, wide leaf-shaped pocket clip, and beautiful rosewood handle and bolstered construction. The bolsters on the 690 are somewhat interesting – they are actually only half-thickness, and below them is a layer of Rosewood. The reasoning must have been some sort of manufacturing method.

The blade on the Benchmade 690 is stonewashed and sating finished 154CM, with a single thumbstud (I wish they were double). There is an ever-so-slight recurve on the blade, but its basically a standard clip point. The titanium liners are annodized blue, and have a slight shadowbox effect around the handles, which gives the knife some depth. No backspacer on this one, though I would have liked to see it on something with this type of style since it goes well. Just your standard stand-offs.

When I first started collecting knives, Allen Elishewitz was my grail of knife makers. I always wanted a piece from him, and when I bought my first Benchmade 690, it was like a semi-dream come true. I had owned several of the other Elishewitz designed Benchmades like the Dark Star and Stryker, but the 690 actually looked like a custom Elishewitz! While the quality isn’t quite the same as a custom piece, it sure does look the part.

To this day, still one of the best looking and most well-made Benchmades around.

Specs:
Blade Length: 3.25″
Blade Thickness: 0.133″
Blade Material: 154CM
Blade Hardness: 58-60HRC
Blade Style: Clip-Point
Weight: 3.00oz.

Todd Begg Glimpse Folder Knife

corwin99 — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:51:40 +0000

Todd Begg’s Glimpse folder has been one of my Grail knives for quite some time, but I’ve never wanted to spend the money on the new IKBS version. I came across one of his earlier pieces before he starting using IKBS, and snatched it up. Let me tell you, the quality of this piece and the precision with which it was made is outstanding…

The Glimpse folder is Todd Begg’s signature folding knife with a flipper opener and hidden stop pin mounted adjacent to the central pivot. The hidden stop pin is a nice feature and really streamlines the look of the knife.

This piece has the Micarta handles with two-tone Micarta insert in Burgundy, all of it bead-blasted. The knife has the signature machined accent holes and central groove, which enhances the look and style of the knife nicely.

Blade is very sharp, and hollow ground. The satin hand-rubbed finish is nice, but I think perhaps over-rubbed, at least on this example, dulling the grind lines just a bit too much for my liking. However, this does not detract much from my enjoyment of the knife.

Blade Steel is 154CM, and the overall shape of the knife reminds me a bit of Steve Ryan’s work. Even without the IKBS this blade flicks very efficiently and out to an open position without too much effort. The washers on either side of the blade are very thin, and there is NO blade play in the closed position. A very finely craft knife indeed.

Todd Begg uses extensive CNC machining in his work, and this is evidenced by the massive machine that he and his wife feature on their website. This is probably what allows him to create the elaborate work that he does. I’m not sure if this peice is made prior to the extensive CNC machining or after, however.

When I received the Glimpse, it was a lot larger and thicker than I imagined from looking at photos online. The 3 3/4″ blade is a decent size, and the handles are chunky, giving the knife good purchase. The custom machined titanium pocket clip is also a beautiful piece of work, perfectly matching up to the contours of the knife.

Overall an outstanding blade, and one that I will likely always love.

Closed Length: 5 1/8″
Blade Length: 3 3/4″
Overall Length: 8 13/16″
Handle Material: Micarta
Blade Material: 154CM Stainless Steel

Benchmade Boguszewski Spike Automatic Knife

corwin99 — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:26:27 +0000

The Phil Boguszewski designed Benchmade Spike is one of the most iconic early models in Benchmade’s history, available in both an automatic and manual version. The Benchmade Spike was a simply designed knife with a thin spearpoint almost dagger-like blade.

This is the automatic version, which uses a simple button firing mechanism and button lock. The knife is perfectly symmetrical when opened, giving it the look of a dagger, and earning its namesake. You will notice that the pivot is off-centre which makes the blade stop portion of the tang to be exposed when the knife is in the closed position. This makes the closed knife not look as nice as many others.

The blade on this Benchmade model 1000 is ATS-34 stainless steel, fully flat ground to a razor sharp edge. The aluminum handle is machined, and annodized black. At the time these knives were made, the quality is quite exceptional, however newer machining quality has improved in USA made knives.

The Butterfly logo has the old “Bali-Song” text written on it instead of the newer “Benchmade” text, and instead has Benchmade U.S.A. written underneath it. This knife was from the old days when Benchmade knives were all made in the U.S.A.

The knife handle does not offer much grip, even with the fluting in the sides, which does help some, but does not help at all with forward grip and retention, which are important with a stabbing motion, something this knife should be good at.

However, its a cool design, with a great iconic look that most people recognize and appreciate. The Benchmade Spike is a great collectors knife, and not so much an EDC knife. Like most of Benchmade’s older products, however, it does have very good fit and finish.

Blade Length: 3.625″
Overall Length: 8″
Weight: 3.4oz
Blade Steel: ATS-34
Handle Material: T6 Aluminum

Mike Obenauf Large Model 2 Framelock

corwin99 — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 01:22:01 +0000

Yet another Mike Obenauf folder review here, with some new perspective possibly since its been a while since I have reviewed one. This model 2 larger framelock folder is basically the large version of the Small Model 2 Framelock that I reviewed in 2007.

While I personally prefer the small model 2, the large model 2 seems to be more popular with collectors and knife enthusiasts due to the larger 3 1/2″ blade and chunkier handle. Let’s face it, most knife knuts like the bigger knives! This is the first Large Obenauf knife I’ve owned, and I really do like the feel of the knife and the way it fits in my hand. The previous four Obies that I owned were all small models.

While Mike Obenauf might not be the most stand-up guy around, his knives do have a certain appeal and quality to them that is quite exceptional for the price point. This Large Model 2 is impeccably finished and a joy to use. The styling is familiar to those that have seen Kit Carson’s knives.

Overall, Obie’s knives are still a great buy, but you’ll have to find someone else to maintain them and sharpen them when the time comes, since Mike isn’t really around anymore and not really someone you’d want to send your knives to anyway. The Large Model 2 Framelock is an excellent example of his ability, and a great collectible that won’t be made anymore.

Specs:
Blade Length: 3 1/2″
Overall Length: 8 3/8″
Blade Steel: S30V
Blade finish: Handrubbed Satin
Handle: Titanium
Lock: Titanium Frame Lock
Backspacer: G-10

Dalton Scale Release Automatic Knife

corwin99 — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 22:20:01 +0000

One of Dalton’s earlier non-button activated automatics, the Dalton Scale Release is very similar to most scale release automatics out there with the benefit of the Dalton Flair: Annodized aluminum handles, bead blasted blade and signature super-stiff pocket clip and allen screws.

While my description might not be the most flattering, its just an allusion to Dalton’s tendancy to the aforementioned style of finishes. In fact, its those familiar styling cues that draw many (including myself) to Dalton’s recognizable designs.

The black annodizing is of the Hard Annodizing variety, giving the handles some measure of wear resistance and protection from discoloration, which Aluminum handles tend to do when used often. This finishing keeps the handle looking fresh, unless you drop it or rub it against something hard.

This scale release works the same as typicaly scale release knives do, such as the Protech Magic or any of the Vallotton designed pieces. The mechanism is activated by sliding the scales in different directions, which raises a lockbar on the spine of the blade that is similar to the lock on a lockback folder. This lock holds the blade in both the open and closed positions, and a standard coil spring provides the power for the automatic action.

The Dalton Scale release is a bit more difficult to manipulate than the Protech Magic was for me, as the dalton seemed to have a stiffer back-lock. This made it harder to fire. I was still able to fire it with one hand, however, my friend with larger hands was not.

The ATS-34 blade is razor sharp and has nice crisp grinds. The handle shape and drop point blade design make the knife a great all-round user and utility knife. Dalton’s are known for their hard firing springs and unique sound when they are opened. Unfortunately, the Scale Release doesn’t have the same Dalton sound when it’s opened, but it does have the same hard-firing blade.

Overall an excellent knife, with a few kinks that could be worked out with subtle tweaking on Dalton’s end. Still a great knife from one of the industry leaders in Automatic Knives.

Specs:
Blade Length: 3 1/2″
Closed Length: 4 5/8″
Overall Length: 8″
Handle Material: Anodized Aluminum
Blade Steel: ATS-34
Weight: 4.4 oz

Masters of Defense Duane Dieter CQD Knife

corwin99 — Fri, 28 May 2010 01:45:02 +0000

Masters of Defense came around in the late 90′s and produced some deadly designs, all of which were collaborations with well-known knife makers or martial artists and self-defense instructors. After they were sold to Blackhawk!, these were made with cheaper materials such as 440C steel instead of 154CM steel, and the Duane Dieter name was removed from the brand.

I’m not sure exactly when the transition occured, but this model is pre-blackhawk, and is incredibly well made. It harkens back to the days of the old Microtechs, and certainly brings back great memories of the all the top-quality US-made knives of yore. Its no secret that Blackhawk! is not liked by many in the online knife-world, but I really can’t comment on their quality since I never owned nor have I handled their products.

The Dieter CQD has fantastic ergonomics, and is designed to work well in a gloved hand, since many military users often wear gloves when operating their knives. The grip-tape is fantastic for retention and there are two ridges on the front of the handle that prevent your hand from slipping onto the blade. The blade is a modified spear point design by Vaughn Neeley, founder of Timberline Knives.

There is a discreet saftety on the thumb ramp of the handle, which works well. The carbide glass-breaker is also at the front of the handle, making it impossible to use unless the blade is closed. This is probably a good idea. The back end of the handle has a line/seat belt cutter, which is well concealed so that you can’t accidently cut yourself with it. The reversible pocket clip is only for tip down carry, which is also probably a good idea since otherwise you might accidently catch the line cutter on your pocket and cut that up.

Blade is black, and razor sharp. This Masters of Defense version was available in Bead Blast as well as Damascus and PVD coated blades. The current Blackhawk version appears to only be available in black.

The CQD is probably my favourite automatic knife in my collection at the moment, with a quality unmatched by any automatic in this price range. While I can only speak for the MOD version, this is still relevant to collectors purchasing on the secondary market. The Blackhawk version, while designed in a similar style, may not have the same level of quality in the finish.

Blade Length: 3.75”
Overall Length: 9.5″
Blade Material: 154CM Stainless Steel
Blade Finish: Black PVD coating
Handle Material: CNC Machined 6061-T6 Aluminum

Jared Ryan Price (JRyan76) Friction Folder

corwin99 — Tue, 11 May 2010 04:53:58 +0000

This striking orange G-10 friction folder from Jared Ryan is a joy to use and fun to look at. The textured G-10 handles give good purchase for the hand and the satin hollow ground finished blade is very sharp. Jared Ryan is a small custom maker from the US and at the time of purchase, this was his only model.

Jared makes the regular run of this knife in a black handle, but released an Orange Textured G-10 version for EDCForums in 2009. This version features a very cool orange and grey custom lanyard as well. The steel is a very sharp Sandvik 13C26 steel blade, measuring 2 1/4″ long. The blade is satin finished and marked with the EDCF2009 etching, and perfectly full flat ground.

The hardware on the knife is all bead blasted, which serves up a nice contrast to the satin finish blade. The knife is a friction folder, which, for those of you that do not know, is a knife that does not really lock, but uses pressure from your hand and friction to keep the knife open. So the knife really isn’t for hard use, more of a utility knife for quick cuts.

The blade is a modified sheepsfoot style with a slight curve to it. It cuts nicely and has a wicked sharp edge. While a non-locking blade isn’t for everyone, this is one of the better friction folders out there. The wide blade gives it more cutting power than most slipjoints, and the lanyard hole and design allow it to be stowed easily in the pocket, though the lack of a ball detent would probably make that a bit dangerous. If a ball detent were somehow added in order to at least keep the knife closed, I think this would be a substantially better knife. Otherwise, still an awesome and very cool looking knife!

Specs:
Blade Length: 2 1/4″
Handle Length: 3 1/4″
Overall Length: 5 1/2″
Blade Steel: Sandvik 13C26 Stainless Steel
Handle Material: G-10

Video:

Mercworx Lachesis Folding Knife

corwin99 — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:57:38 +0000

MercWorx is an American Tactical Knife company that claims to have been a private contractor for specialized “demanding clientele”, providing them with tactical tools in sometimes sterile versions. In general, the marketing for the company is clouded in mystery, which adds to its allure.

“Gentlemen prefer them, professionals insist on them” is their tag line. Sounds very cool, and I really don’t know any more than anyone else about the company. When they came around in the early 2000′s, they were a hot company, but their customer service had many complaints. This seems to have cleared up now, especially since they have to compete with companies like Strider, who have VERY good customer service.

Now that that’s out of the way, on to the knife’s fit and finish. The grind of this Lachesis is bloody cool, and is typical of the style that Mercworx uses in all their blades. All of their knives are made from beginning to end by a single craftsman in the USA. They are not custom made, but they are very close to it.

The BG-42 blade is very sharp and well made, with even grinds. While Mercworx is more known for their fixed blades, the folders are more interesting to me. The Canvas micarta scales are finished somewhat roughly, but are still much smoother than handles from companies such as Busse, giving the knife slightly less grip. The handle shape of the Mercworx Lachesis is very comfortable, and this one is the perfect size of the three folders they make in this pattern.

Bolsters are bead-blasted Titanium, and the liners are medium thickness titanium as well. The Lanyard hold in the back actually had bits of thread from the Micarta still on it, which I was bothered by slightly. I wish they would have taken the time to clean it up a bit there, but I suppose that lack of polish is part of the charm.

The bolster oddly has many screws in it, much more than typical bolsters. The action of the blade is not up to part with similarly priced custom blades from respected makers, but is acceptable. Nylatron washers are fairly thin, and the lockup is solid. The movement just lacks the consistancy throughout the opening action of the blade, which is an indicator of slightly imperfect fit of the handle and pivot area.

Even though the fit and finish are not top-shelf, the knife is a very cool piece of kit, with an excellent design and feel, unlike some of the tactical blades out there. The sweeping plunge grind is reminiscent of Walter Brend, and the drop point blade shape is ultra-versatile.

Specs:
Blade Length: 3 1/2″
Closed Length: 4 3/4″
Blade Steel: BG-42
Handle Material: Canvas Micarta
Bolsters: Titanium

Kirby Lambert Snap IKBS Flipper Knife

corwin99 — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 22:21:25 +0000

The latest folder from Kirby is an awesome IKBS flipper called the Snap. This particular example is a prototype, and the very first snap and IKBS folder that Kirby has ever made, and a very impressive one at that. I’m really glad that Kirby took the dive into IKBS!

I remember talking with Kirby about IKBS a year ago and tried to get him to put IKBS into a folder for the 2009 CKG Show, but Kirby’s wanted to make sure that the IKBS would be easy to maintain and that they would not compromise the quality of his folders and would not create warranty issues later down the road before he started incorporating it into his knives.

Fast forward to 2010, I get an email from Kirby asking me if I want the first IKBS folder he’s going to make. I did’t even have to think about it.. HELL YEAH! We worked out the details of the peice, and ended up with a titanium framelock, annodized blue and bead blasted with integral bolster and spalted maple handle insert. As usual, the frame and handles are fully contoured – a Kirby Lambert trademark.

With the IKBS, Kirby’s folder is now even smoother than before, and has no bladeplay. Kirby has tested the IKBS system out by removing ball bearings from the pivot and covering the pivot and filling it with dirt and sand. The folder opens just as smoothly with missing ball bearings and with the dirt within the pivot, convincing him that the system was bomb-proof enough to use in his folders.

Blade on the Kirby Lambert Snap folder is CPM-S30V, hollow ground with a recurve shaped blade. As with most flippers, the trigger also acts as a guard when the blade is open. Deep-carry titanium pocket clip is mounted for tip-up carry.

The integral bolster design is fantastic because it makes the knife very thin, yet strong with a reliable lock that you can feel with your hands. The inlaid spalted maple is figured beautifully and finished perfectly. Kirby also explained that while this one is marked prototype and is the first IKBS Snap made, he did have to mark a second blade to send in to IKBS to get the Approval for IKBS licensing since this one wasn’t to be sent in if I was to get it in time for the show.

Overall the Snap is my favourite overall design from Kirby because I love the shape of the blade, combined with the curved look of the flipper making it a very streamined knife with great feel in the hand. The slight hump on the back side makes the knife fit in the palm very nicely as well. A top shelf knife from Kirby as usual.

Specs:
Blade Length: 3 1/2″
Overall Lenght: 8 1/4″
Blade Steel: CPM-S30V
Frame Material: Titanium
Handle Insert: Spalted Maple

Video: