# One of my favorite knives.



## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

Oh, I know what you're thinking. After all, who would pay for this folder, replete with a poor finish, and appearing to be made out of mismatched parts?

Well, I gladly paid for it, in fact, I have four of them. I have never had to go mano-o-mano against a guy with a knife, probably because my defensive knives are known to be polished to +100K grit where your average scalpel is perhaps 15K--on a good day.

(This example is not one of my average blades. I only put a 140 grit shaping stone on the fixture, and then lightly removed the burr).

The other three models I own are mirror finished. And while I seldom prepare defensive knives (because "knife fighting" is only found in movies), I will admit that there are idiots in the world and the mall despite my disbelief.

The knife does have some decent qualifications but you have to insure your own fit and finish. Without hyperbole, these folders have the worst factory edges I've ever seen. In fact, the right side of the bevel never matches the left side. My stones hit high on the right side and low on the left. Even the tips by themselves had a differing angle.

So why is this one of my favorite knives? I view this model as a great source for "raw materials." The lock-up is tight, both handles are beefy, the spring action is snappy, fast and sure, and the spring engagement is perfect for my taste--50% on the tang and 50% off. This setting ensures years of wear. In other words, the "working parts" have good fit and finish, it's just not "pretty."

If you have 16 to 18 bucks and know how to sharpen, I suggest you buy a few of these folders. People buy Edsel automobiles, and "high water pants" amid donning both stripes and polka dots. If I run into you at a blade show and let you make some test slices, I'll never get my knife back.

Buy one before the mob finds out how good they really are.


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