1TO10REVIEWS

On a scale of 1to10 this knife was meh.

I bought another item off of Steep and Cheap.  It was a SOG Flash II knife.  To be truthful, I don’t love it.  I don’t hate it either, but I am not blown away.

I have always had a very high opinion of SOG knives.  They make well regarded tactical and combat knives, and insist upon a high level of quality control and excellent materials.  I think that for a normal folder, or a fixed-blade knife, I might have a better opinion.  But this knife has a different function.

The Flash II uses SOG Assisted Technology, an internal mechanism that assists in opening the knife quickly. Basically, once you start to open the knife (using the thumb stud on the blade), internal springs assist in flinging the blade open.  You could consider it a semi-automatic knife.  While this is kind of cool, I am honestly not that fussed about it after using it.

My issue with this knife is that I feel like there’s lots to go wrong.  It has a safety, which seems superfluous to me.  The knife never seems to accidentally open in your pocket, and there is an internal mechanical “something” that can become gummed up and/or go wrong.    And the unlock mechanism (after you’ve locked the blade open) is a slider switch.  I found it overly difficult to use unlock mechanism right out of the box.  Now that it’s had a little bit of use, it moves more easily.  I’m concerned that it may become too loose over time, rendering it less effective.  I really can’t fault SOG for something that might happen though.  However, because this is a sliding switch, I AM concerned that gunk (mud, slime, pocket lint, you name it) could easily get embedded in the mechanism and foul it.

Also, I find that this knife lacks symmetry.  It has a curve for the fore and middle fingers, but I think the base of the scales narrow too much.  This is a subjective topic, but I don’t love the ergonomics or the design of the scales.

One positive thing I WILL say about this knife is the weight.  It’s quite light, under 2 and a half ounces, and it’s barely noticeable in your pocket.  When I am using a knife, I actually prefer it to have a little bit of heft, so in terms of usability the lightweight is sub-optimal (IMHO.)  However, in terms of every day carry, it’s sometimes nice to have a lighter weight blade in your pocket.  This is especially true as I frequently ride my bike to work, and I always carry a blade with me, regardless of where I’m going.  It’s a benefit to have light weight tool in your pocket when your thighs are pumping up and down.

Let me be clear.  I don’t hate this knife.  But I don’t love it either.  If pressed, I would probably give it a 4 out of 10, but I’m pretty satisfied with “meh.”  If you want to purchase one, and you don’t catch it on SteepandCheap, you can buy it from SOG for full retail.  Or you can check out The Blade Shop.  As of this post, they’re selling it at $41.00, down from the full retail price of $72.

Here’s a brief video review I made on 12seconds.tv:

SOG Flash II Knife - not that fussed on 12seconds.tv

My Review:9

A couple of years ago I bought a knife made in Italy, an automatic. This particular one does not have a button to eject the blade. Rather, it is a style known as a “scale release” knife.

On a folding knife (one that does not have a fixed blade) there are usually two sides to the handle, known as scales. Typically the blade folds down in between those scales. A scale release knife is an automatic (or switchblade) knife that allows you to release the blade by sliding the two scales in opposite directions. See the video below for a demonstration:

My close friend and mentor Earl had a knife like this, and I always thought it was the bee’s knees. His was given to him by a friend, and I only got to play with it about once a week. Eventually, with much painstaking research, I finally figured out where I could get one for myself. A company called: AB Coltellerie. (UPDATE: There is an newer website up, owned by the same group: http://www.skmknives.com/ - it stands for Switchblade Knife Makers)

Here are the dimensions:

• Handle: Silver Satin Anodized Aluminum
• Blade length: 3″½
• Length of closed knife: 4″
• Bolsters: None

AB Coltellerie is an Italian knife company located in Maniago, Italy. They are willing to ship to the United States, but be aware that switchblade knives are illegal to buy and sell in most states. I love this knife, though I do wish there had been an option to have a pocket clip on it. Not having a pocket clip makes it difficult to conveniently carry around.

The quality of craftsmanship and materials is impeccable. The aluminum is finley machined and the knife feels solid and comfortable in the hand. The curve of the blade is nicely elegant for a drop point blade. The spring behind the blade is powerful, and after 3 years of semi-regular use there is no discernible change or decline in its strength. I expect to get a lifetime of good service out of the knife.

Truthfully it is probably not a good knife for everyday carry. But it is a fun knife to use, and it has such a neat and unusual mechanism for opening. Those factors, plus the high quality and beauty of the knife make it a very solid 9 for me.

My Review: 9

A nine? Really? A nine?

Well, yeah. I think it was pretty damn good. To be fair, my expectations were VERY low going into it, which always helps with my perception of a film afterwards. But I liked it a lot.

This movie reminded me of good old-fashioned action flicks. Great movies like Total Recall and Terminator, Conan and First Blood. Rambo IV was an unapologetic, ass-kicking flick. It wasn’t complicated, or preachy, or overwrought. In fact, the dialogue was pretty minimal in general. Two main themes were explored in this movie:

1. You are what you are.

2. Being a good guy.

Number 1 is a recurring theme from all the Rambo movies. You can distill it this way: You can take the soldier out of the war, but you can’t take the war out of the soldier. John Rambo is good at killing people. It’s what he does. It’s who he is.

Number 2 is what makes you feel good about all the violence. Some people get seriously blown up in this movie, but they get blown up for good reason. At least, when the bad guys get blown up it’s for good reason. Lots of innocent people that don’t deserve it get blown up too, and that’s sad. But if they didn’t, then it wouldn’t feel so vindictive and awesome when the bad guys get theirs.

And while we’re on the topic of violence, this movie is so graphic I was overwhelmed. It’s awesome, though a little bit intense. Splatter, guts, be-headings, eviscerations… and that’s just the tip of this violent and bloody iceberg. Gratuitous would not be an inappropriate term here. But, in spite of that, it still feels right. Remember in Pulp Fiction when that poor fat woman in the white shorts gets shot in the leg by Marcellus Wallace right after he was hit with the car? It’s like that. Inappropriate, and unnecessary, but totally the right thing to do.

The graphic violence in this movie is in the same ball park as Saving Private Ryan, but without the art-house appeal that Spielberg brings to a film. But this movie is not intended to be artsty. Quite to the contrary, it is a 90 minute, straight-up action flick. And that’s why I like it. It does EXACTLY what it’s supposed to do. That being: to kick ass.

Oh, and by the way, Rambo does indeed have another new knife in this movie. It’s a teeny bit cheesy (how he gets it), but it also kind of rules.

Before I wrap this up, I have to say that I am proud of Sly Stallone. I never in a million years thought that Rocky Balboa would be any good, but it was (in my opinion anyway.) I thought a new Rambo movie had even less chance of succeeding, but he fooled me again. He kept it simple, didn’t talk too much, didn’t over-think the script, and he delivered exactly what he needed to. I think Rambo IV deserves a solid 9 out of 10.

Trailer:

My Review: 10

This might be my favorite knife of all time. It’s funny, while I respect Cold Steel products, I am not a devoted fan of their entire production line. However, this folder has such a solid feel and has stood up so well to hard use that I am blown away.

I bought this knife with my friend Brooke while on a trip to Arizona. What first caught my eye was the big-bellied blade - it looked like a skinning knife. When you open the knife, and the blade clicks into the locked position, you can really feel it lock. And this knife passed the “flick test” immediately. (Meaning that you can hold the handle firmly and “flick” the blade out.) I love that.

There are five small allen screws along the spine of the handle holding the scales in place, and a much larger one to rotate the blade. There is a big elliptical thumb hole to open the blade one handed (if you don’t feel like flicking.) I have used this blade to cut, saw, whittle, pry, throw (I know, I know) and anything else I could think of. It has never failed or folded on me, and it still looks great in spite of consistent abuse.

It holds an edge pretty well; when it was new out of the box you could shave with the sucker. But that initial sharp edge usually wears out fast. I have re-sharpened it a couple of times since I bought it (3 years in August) and the steel really does do a good job of holding an edge.

The other thing I really love about this knife is how solid it feels when the blade is out. With most knives when you try to flex the blade, there will be some minimal movement and flex. This one is like a rock. The spine (back or dull) side of the blade is really thick, and the lock/release mechanism is so tight and well engineered that it holds tighter than any other knife I’ve had. The pro lite uses a strong leaf spring lock that’s rated to hold 100 lbs. Sweet.

The only bad think I have to say is that Cold Steel has stopped making them. I don’t know why, I think it’s one of the best knives they ever produced. If you hunt around on the internet you can still find them from time to time, but it ain’t easy. They were made with three different blades (tanto, clip point, and drop point) that come either serrated or non-serrated (all pictured below.) The knife features an extremely tough Zytel handle and the blade measures 4″. It also features a pocket clip, though it is set up for right side carrying only.

This knife kicks more ass than anything else I’ve had. Solid 10 and a ringing endorsement.

Mine (click to enlarge)

The whole range - all blade styles (click to enlarge)

Clip Point, serrated blade, pocket clip shown (click to enlarge)

My Review: 8

The spyderco Police model with the SpyderEdge serrated blade is awesome. I have been thinking about buying one for several years; I first heard about them when I read “Hannibal” by Thomas Harris. After learning that it was the preferred blade of fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter, I had to check it out. I am a knife enthusiast, but the $150+ price tag deterred me for a while.

However, I recently got engaged, got drunk, and my present to myself was to finally sack up and buy the knife. Here’s the deal:

• All stainless steel (blade, scales, etc.)
• Large thumb hole for easy one-handed opening
• Pocket clip for easy carry and access
• Good heft and balance - feels solid in your hand
• Indented lock-release - lets you really grip it without accidentally releasing the blade
• 4 1/8″ blade
• 5 5/16″ closed

This is a beautiful knife. It feels good in your hands, and definitely feels solid. It’s pretty heavy for a pocket knife, and has a fairly gigantic blade for a pocket folder. When you open it and feel the blade “snick” into place, it’s pretty damn convincing. The clip has 3 screws holding it in place, which will help it to stay solid. Spyderco traditionally has extremely high quality materials and workmanship (so I’ve read) - this is my first Spyderco knife, and it is everything I have been told it would be.

My friends and I often carry pocket knives, and frequently like to play the “flick out your blade one-handed” game. The spring, right out of the box, is pretty stiff on this one and it is not an easy flick. Although there is a lot of weight in the knife overall, there is not a lot of mass in the blade as compared to the handle. In order to flick this one (without using the thumb hole) you have to hold it pretty low on the handle. I suspect it will break in a little with time and use.

If you are interested in one of these babies, there are links below. Spyderco sells them directly on their site, and there are dozens of e-tailers who also sell this knife. My favorite, Smoky Mountain Knife Works is also listed, and they sell the Police model for well below MSRP.

This knife kicks ass. It gets a solid 8 rating, and I recommend it whole-heartedly.

http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=2

http://smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?Mode=Text&SearchText=spyderco&Search.x=0&Search.y=0&Search=1&SKU=SP07S