Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Chris Reeve Large Sebenza 21: Fake Vs. Real Showdown!
Hey everyone, the fake vs. real Sebenza comparison is up. Take this video as a PSA for those getting into higher end knives such as CRK's so that you know what you're getting is genuine. I think I covered everything I needed to say in the video. These fakes are what they are, so just be aware of them. I'm not going to divulge where to get them as any amount of google searching should allow those who want them to be able to find them.
Also, Gavko just came out with a video about his thoughts on fake knives and I am pretty much in agreement with him. Check it out here:
As always, thanks for your time friends!
-Tim
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Two Tone Mummy Lanyards!
Hey everyone, I did some fiddling around and figured out a way to do the mummy lanyards with two colours. The first one wasn't the best as you can see the melt point between the two colours, but after some messing I managed to hide the seam and get them to look a lot nicer. Let me know what you guys think and if you'd like to see a tutorial! Thanks!
-Tim
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Snake Knot DSLR Camera Strap!
Just wanted to share one of my latest projects for a friend. He wanted a camera strap for this Sony NEX 7 and he told me about how he'd seen camera straps made of paracord or braided leather. So naturally I thought I'd prototype one of my own for him using my favourite knot, the snake knot!
I culled a couple of snap hooks from an old crappy camera strap of his and used them to make this new one. I just went with all black to make it easier and it measures about 93 cm/37 inches overall. I think it should be plenty strong to hold the camera. I decided to use the snake knot as I find it to be the most comfortable knot to wear due to it's flexibility. Well, who knows... this could be a new product to add to the Weavers of Eternity product line!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Chris Reeve Large Sebenza 21!
Well, the knife game has changed. The day I own a Sebenza was bound to come around. Getting to this point in my knife collecting hobby was a very logical progression for me. Had I bought this knife earlier on before I had experienced the different types of knives out there, I don't think I would appreciate it as much as I do now.
This knife is one of the great examples out there of superior fit and finish, as well as high tolerances. I'm sure that there are knives out there that boast even higher levels of F&F. However, in the category of midtechs/semi-customs I think the CRK Sebenza is a great example. This is my first foray into the world of higher end knives and I'm very happy with my purchase.
I think it takes a discerning eye to really appreciate the Sebenza for what it is. The design of the knife and what it really offers caters to the mentality that "less is more". You won't find a lot of obvious features or bells and whistles on this knife. The true "features" lie in the details. The lock up of the knife is truly "bank vault" solid and must be experienced first hand to be understood.
I thought I had "solid lockup" on some of my slightly pricier knives, but after owning a Sebenza, the definition of "solid" has changed and been set to a higher standard. What's also amazing about the construction of the knife is that it uses all the same sized hex bits for the handle screws, pivot, and pocket clip. It's also very easy to take down/apart for cleaning.
Speaking more about the pivot, the Sebenza uses a bushing system along with perforated phosphor bronze washers. This means that the pivot can be cranked all the way down and the blade will still be able to opened and closed. The pocket clip is also uniquely designed in that it rides very nicely in the pocket with a good balance or retention and ease of extraction.
The smoothness of the Sebenza has been much talked about. However, what many may not expect is that the smoothness of the action is much more "hydraulic" feeling than "silky". This took me a little while to get used to as I learned that the Sebenza isn't a knife you would flick open. Though you can do so, it isn't recommended as per CRK's warranty.
The titanium handle slabs are quite grippy as they've been sandblasted. This finish however doesn't take scratches and scuffs very well. However, this to me isn't a downside as I feel the "pocket worn" look of the knife handle when carried and used for a long time gives the knife much personality.
Well, these are some of my first week thoughts and I'm sure I'll have more as I continue to use and carry the knife. Thanks for stopping by!
-Tim
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Ganzo G710 Review
Check out the video review on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHdiKu-K89g
Hey everyone, Tim here and this is my review of the Ganzo G710. So, as you can quite clearly see this knife has been made to look like that of a Benchmade 950 Rift. Manufactured by the Ganzo knife company out of “gond-dohng” or Guandong, China, it’s no surprise that these *clears throat* homages are on the market as China has been known to counterfeit just about everything from car parts to soy sauce. But hey, at least these aren’t being marketed as “genuine” Benchmades. Now, with that elephant out of the way, let’s have a closer look at the knife itself.
The G710 features a three point five inch 440C stainless steel hollow ground blade, with an overall length of eight. Its blade shape is that of a reverse tanto with an unsharpened swedge on the spine of the blade. The length of the cutting edge and adequate belly and strong tip allow this knife to fill the role of large EDC blade and even as a self defense blade.
The 440C stainless steel blade has good corrosion resistance, takes a great edge and holds it quite modestly depending on the severity of your cutting tasks. The knife comes razor sharp out of the box and makes quick work out of the usual cut test materials. The G710 weighs in at a slightly beefier 5.6 oz and is by no means a lightweight knife. This is mainly due to the fact that the steel liners have not been skeletonized or milled out whatsoever. Which is not a deal breaker, as it still carries quite nicely in the pocket without being too noticeable, depending on what you are used to carrying.
Deployment of the blade is via dual thumbstuds and the action of this knife is very smooth. Out of box it may need a bit of breaking in, but after a day of opening and closing the knife repeatedly like a knife-a-holic spaz, it wore in very nicely and despite only having Teflon bushings.
Deploying this knife with the thumbstuds does work well, but you don’t get that same satisfying snap as you would with a griptilian. This is mainly due to the thick and heavy blade stock of the G710. For this same reason the detent and in handle blade retention are not the strongest as the blade can come out of the handle when given a hard enough shake. This however, is not a complete negative as the hefty blade allows the knife to be opened with a quick and easy flick of the wrist, which in my opinion is even easier to do than using the thumbstuds. Lock up, as you may have already noticed is achieved through the axis lock mechanism, which by the way has good lock up and zero up/down or left/right blade play. However due to the heavily criticized strength of the omega springs in the axis lock mechanism, you may want to reserve this knife for moderate to light duty cutting tasks and avoid any heavy duty piercing or stabbing with this knife.
The handle consists of G10 scales that have been machined with the very same scalloped pattern of the 950 Rift. When compared to say the G10 of the Spyderco Tenacious, the traction of the G10 on the Ganzo is substantially much more aggressive in terms of traction. The ergonomics of the handle are somewhat comfortable, but due to some slightly sharper edges on the handle scales, a slight amount of discomfort can be experienced when gripping the handle tightly. There is also a small amount of recessed jimping on the thumb ramp, but it’s much more aesthetic than functional. Also present is a more than large enough lanyard hole to feed 550 paracord through or anything else that you need to get in the hole. (ahem, that’s what she said). The pocket clip can be mounted for tip up left or right side carry, which combined with the axis lock, makes for a truly ambidextrous knife. The clip itself has just the right amount of strength that allows for easy extraction from the pants pocket. However, the strength of the clip feels as if it could be bent out of shape if caught on something, so do be careful.
Believe it or not the pocket clip is actually anodized not just painted. This means the black coloration has much better durability and doesn’t scratch off as easily like the painted clips of the griptilian and spyderco delica. Considering its cost this is truly amazing. Which leads us to our next issue, at the measly twenty dollar shipped out the door price point this knife is truly a steal. However, as they do ship from Hong Kong and China, you may have to wait slightly longer to receive your purchase depending on where you live. The overall fit and finish of this knife is very good. Blade centering is only slightly off and the machining on the G10 had one small blemish on it. Also, on this particular knife, one of the handle scales has the slightest amount of movement against the liner.
However, this movement is a couple of millimeters at most and can only be felt and not seen with the naked eye. All things considered for the price you pay, it’s really difficult to genuinely complain or have any gripes about this knife. Like many other things in the consumer world, you get what you pay for, and what you don’t pay for, you don’t get. The Ganzo G710 somehow ignores this notion and delivers big value for a small price. That is not to say the original benchmade 950 rift is overpriced at all or not worth it. The whole point of this review is to simply show you the consumer that there are more affordable options out there because let’s face it not everyone has 150 dollars to spend on a knife… and again everyone is different, take it for what it’s worth, different strokes for different folks, … blah blah blah.
So, in the end if you don’t mind sporting a quote unquote… copy, replica, homage, knockoff or whatever you want to call it of a higher end knife. The Ganzo G710 could be the high value budget folder that may very well be just for you! So, thanks for watching in and in case I don’t see you, good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight!
Hey everyone, Tim here and this is my review of the Ganzo G710. So, as you can quite clearly see this knife has been made to look like that of a Benchmade 950 Rift. Manufactured by the Ganzo knife company out of “gond-dohng” or Guandong, China, it’s no surprise that these *clears throat* homages are on the market as China has been known to counterfeit just about everything from car parts to soy sauce. But hey, at least these aren’t being marketed as “genuine” Benchmades. Now, with that elephant out of the way, let’s have a closer look at the knife itself.
The G710 features a three point five inch 440C stainless steel hollow ground blade, with an overall length of eight. Its blade shape is that of a reverse tanto with an unsharpened swedge on the spine of the blade. The length of the cutting edge and adequate belly and strong tip allow this knife to fill the role of large EDC blade and even as a self defense blade.
The 440C stainless steel blade has good corrosion resistance, takes a great edge and holds it quite modestly depending on the severity of your cutting tasks. The knife comes razor sharp out of the box and makes quick work out of the usual cut test materials. The G710 weighs in at a slightly beefier 5.6 oz and is by no means a lightweight knife. This is mainly due to the fact that the steel liners have not been skeletonized or milled out whatsoever. Which is not a deal breaker, as it still carries quite nicely in the pocket without being too noticeable, depending on what you are used to carrying.
Deployment of the blade is via dual thumbstuds and the action of this knife is very smooth. Out of box it may need a bit of breaking in, but after a day of opening and closing the knife repeatedly like a knife-a-holic spaz, it wore in very nicely and despite only having Teflon bushings.
Deploying this knife with the thumbstuds does work well, but you don’t get that same satisfying snap as you would with a griptilian. This is mainly due to the thick and heavy blade stock of the G710. For this same reason the detent and in handle blade retention are not the strongest as the blade can come out of the handle when given a hard enough shake. This however, is not a complete negative as the hefty blade allows the knife to be opened with a quick and easy flick of the wrist, which in my opinion is even easier to do than using the thumbstuds. Lock up, as you may have already noticed is achieved through the axis lock mechanism, which by the way has good lock up and zero up/down or left/right blade play. However due to the heavily criticized strength of the omega springs in the axis lock mechanism, you may want to reserve this knife for moderate to light duty cutting tasks and avoid any heavy duty piercing or stabbing with this knife.
The handle consists of G10 scales that have been machined with the very same scalloped pattern of the 950 Rift. When compared to say the G10 of the Spyderco Tenacious, the traction of the G10 on the Ganzo is substantially much more aggressive in terms of traction. The ergonomics of the handle are somewhat comfortable, but due to some slightly sharper edges on the handle scales, a slight amount of discomfort can be experienced when gripping the handle tightly. There is also a small amount of recessed jimping on the thumb ramp, but it’s much more aesthetic than functional. Also present is a more than large enough lanyard hole to feed 550 paracord through or anything else that you need to get in the hole. (ahem, that’s what she said). The pocket clip can be mounted for tip up left or right side carry, which combined with the axis lock, makes for a truly ambidextrous knife. The clip itself has just the right amount of strength that allows for easy extraction from the pants pocket. However, the strength of the clip feels as if it could be bent out of shape if caught on something, so do be careful.
Believe it or not the pocket clip is actually anodized not just painted. This means the black coloration has much better durability and doesn’t scratch off as easily like the painted clips of the griptilian and spyderco delica. Considering its cost this is truly amazing. Which leads us to our next issue, at the measly twenty dollar shipped out the door price point this knife is truly a steal. However, as they do ship from Hong Kong and China, you may have to wait slightly longer to receive your purchase depending on where you live. The overall fit and finish of this knife is very good. Blade centering is only slightly off and the machining on the G10 had one small blemish on it. Also, on this particular knife, one of the handle scales has the slightest amount of movement against the liner.
However, this movement is a couple of millimeters at most and can only be felt and not seen with the naked eye. All things considered for the price you pay, it’s really difficult to genuinely complain or have any gripes about this knife. Like many other things in the consumer world, you get what you pay for, and what you don’t pay for, you don’t get. The Ganzo G710 somehow ignores this notion and delivers big value for a small price. That is not to say the original benchmade 950 rift is overpriced at all or not worth it. The whole point of this review is to simply show you the consumer that there are more affordable options out there because let’s face it not everyone has 150 dollars to spend on a knife… and again everyone is different, take it for what it’s worth, different strokes for different folks, … blah blah blah.
So, in the end if you don’t mind sporting a quote unquote… copy, replica, homage, knockoff or whatever you want to call it of a higher end knife. The Ganzo G710 could be the high value budget folder that may very well be just for you! So, thanks for watching in and in case I don’t see you, good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight!
Cold Steel Mini Tuff Lite – One Minute Review
Check out the video review here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7LXIS_IPk8
The mini tuff lite is one of Cold Steel’s latest offerings. What you’re getting here is a small knife with big cutting power. It offers a 2 inch long hollow ground wharncliffe style blade. The tuff lite is an ideal choice for a backup or small edc blade. Weighing in at a diminutive 1.7 oz it disappears when dropped into the pocket or goes unnoticed when clipped to the pocket. Deployment of the knife is via opening hole and has a rather audible and satisfying “snap!” when opened. This is due to the TRIAD lock engaging, speaking of which is rock solid and is highly unlikely to fail on you. By the way, did you notice how the opening hole and jimping on the knife look like that of a Strider? Ergonomics of the knife are excellent as the finger choil and cut outs in the 3” grivory handle allow the knife to simply melt into your hand. The serrations on this knife are extremely functional and make quick work of materials such as cardboard and paracord. The one hit I can give this knife is that the thumb hole had rather sharp edges around it and was somewhat uncomfortable to actuate. However, this was easily remedied with a small file. At the $20 price point, it’s a small knife with big value. Do I recommend it? Yes! Should you get one? Sure, why not?
The mini tuff lite is one of Cold Steel’s latest offerings. What you’re getting here is a small knife with big cutting power. It offers a 2 inch long hollow ground wharncliffe style blade. The tuff lite is an ideal choice for a backup or small edc blade. Weighing in at a diminutive 1.7 oz it disappears when dropped into the pocket or goes unnoticed when clipped to the pocket. Deployment of the knife is via opening hole and has a rather audible and satisfying “snap!” when opened. This is due to the TRIAD lock engaging, speaking of which is rock solid and is highly unlikely to fail on you. By the way, did you notice how the opening hole and jimping on the knife look like that of a Strider? Ergonomics of the knife are excellent as the finger choil and cut outs in the 3” grivory handle allow the knife to simply melt into your hand. The serrations on this knife are extremely functional and make quick work of materials such as cardboard and paracord. The one hit I can give this knife is that the thumb hole had rather sharp edges around it and was somewhat uncomfortable to actuate. However, this was easily remedied with a small file. At the $20 price point, it’s a small knife with big value. Do I recommend it? Yes! Should you get one? Sure, why not?
Saturday, July 7, 2012
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