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.