Benchmade 581 Barrage Review: Class Act

I love Benchmade. I can’t explain the amount of blades that come out of their company that are well thought out designs and executed to near perfection. The Barrage series has been around for as long as I can remember. The standard Barrage is a good knife, but I wanted to take it to the next level with the 581 AKA the classy Barrage.

USE: The 581 is an EDC/utility knife. However, with the blade length coming in at just over 3 and a half inches and the assisted opening, it could be used as a tactical folder.

DURABILITY AND STEEL: This particular Barrage sports a .12 inch thick blade which is standard fodder for most of Benchmade’s knives. The steel is Bohler M390. This is an outstanding steel found in many high end knives from Benchmade to Microtech. It has good rust resistance, good toughness, great edge retention, and good resilience.

5/5

ERGONOMICS AND TEXTURING: The 581 is the classier version of the Barrage and thus Benchmade has toned down many of the tactical aspects of the knife. The ergonomics are good, but the pocket clip can produce some discomfort if you are using the knife hard. The traction plan is mediocre with smooth G10. Some ridges are cut into the aluminum bolster that makes up the choil to prevent slippage on a thrust. Overall decent, but not great.

3/5

ACTION AND LOCKUP: Action is lightning fast. The assisted opening definitely beats or rivals any auto knife I’ve deployed. The Axis lock doesn’t disappoint. I’ve put some hours in with this knife and even drenched it in salt water in the Gulf of Mexico on a fishing trip. Even after all that, the lockup has no vertical or horizontal play.

5/5

COST: The 581 variant of the Barrage can be had for 180-220 American. I believe with the premium steel, G10, and American Craftsmanship it’s a good deal. Competitive options would be The Schempp Bowie from Spyderco and possibly even a Microtech UTX-70 or UTX-85.

4/5

FINAL THOUGHTS: I have come to really enjoy this knife when I carry it. I have taken it to work and the great outdoors and it has performed flawlessly so far. If you don’t care about the premium steel or the aesthetics of the knife then go for the standard Barrage.

OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5 Badass

Ontario SP10 Marine Raider Bowie Review: Keeps Pushing

Ontario is one of my favorite knife companies. They make some of the best blades for the money. You can pick up an American crafted knife for a great price. Being a Marine myself, I had to have the Marine Raider AKA the Sp10.

USE: The SP10 is the embodiment of a large combat knife. It can also be used as a bushcraft or camp knife. Holding this blade makes you feel like you could melee a grizzly bear. It’s a hell of a knife.

“Just a Tuesday with my Raider Bowie”

DURABILITY AND STEEL: The Raider Bowie is 1/4 inch thick, 9 and 3/4 inch long hunk of steel. This knife is the epitome of durable. The steel is 1075 carbon steel. This is a midgrade carbon steel with great toughness, exceptional resilience, and poor rust resistance.

5/5

ERGONOMICS AND TEXTURING: The SP10 feels great ergonomically and has a commanding weight. As a fighting knife it isn’t fast in hand, but it has enormous power. The guard is effective, and the handle doesn’t produce any hotspots during hard work.

4/5

SHEATH: The sheath is effective, cheap cordura. It works, but it isn’t fancy. It is obviously paired with this blade to cut costs.

3.5/5

COST: This slab of 1075 can be yours for around 40-60 dollars depending on retailer. It’s a lot of steel for the money. However, I think I would be happier with 1095 or SK-5. The price is fair. Another option would be the Kabar USMC fighting knife.

3.5/5

FINAL THOUGHTS: This is a monster knife. It weighs 1 pound 6 ounces. I would prefer a lighter knife for a fighting knife, but it can split wood like no other. I would probably not take it to combat, but I keep mine in my truck. I’ve felled more than a couple small Mesquites with ease, but I wouldn’t want to lug it around on my back or belt.

OVERALL SCORE: 4/5 Good to go

 

CRKT Swindle Review: Funky Clip

CRKT is a super popular knife company. I have to say that they make a ridiculous amount of knife designs. However, I don’t like very many of them. That’s nothing against CRKT, just my personal opinion.

USE: The Swindle is an EDC knife. It has a 3.25 inch elongated wharncliffe blade. I have a thing for wharncliffes. It’s a great blade shape for EDC.

DURABILITY AND STEEL: The blade is .12 inches thick and terminates into a fine point. The steel is 8Cr14MoV. This is a cheap Chinese steel that has Good rust resistance, fair edge retention and fair toughness. It’s made to a budget.

3/5

ERGONOMICS AND TEXTURING: The ergonomics of this knife are fair. The handle is very straight and doesn’t really mold to your hand. It does have effective gimping on the spine that keeps a hold of your thumb when doing work. The handle is smooth and may be slick with sweat on your hands.

3/5

ACTION AND LOCKUP: The action is smooth, but not exceptional and the lockup is tight with no horizontal or vertical play.

4/5

COST: The Swindle can be yours for 40-50 dollars. Other knives that come to mind are the new Cold Steel Voyagers and the Spyderco Tenacious or Resilience. Those are great, foreign produced knives that I would rather have over this knife.

3/5

FINAL THOUGHTS: This isn’t a bad knife, but man… the pocket clip on it is weird and less effective than the normal offering. It makes the knife sit stupid in the pocket. I wonder why they would attempt to change a design that isn’t broken. Sometimes “innovation” is just messing stuff up.

OVERALL SCORE: 3/5 Painfully Average

Brous Blades Tyrant Review: Intense

Brous blades are medium to high end knives made by Jason Brous. Many of his high end knives are made with the best materials. His midrange knives are outstanding for the price. You are getting good steel and semi custom quality for the same price as a Spyderco or Benchmade. He has branched out and you can get some of his designs from foreign manufactures for a price/quality cut.

USE: The Tyrant is 100% a folding tactical knife. The point is so fine I’m afraid to touch it for fear of drawing blood. It’s the finest point I think I’ve ever seen on a 4 inch knife.

DURABILITY AND STEEL: This knife comes with D2 tool steel. D2 is hard as hell and has outstanding edge retention, decent resilience and fair rust resistance. I do fear for the durability of this knife. As a tactical blade, it would definitely penetrate with the ultra fine point, but I can see that point snapping off fairly quickly. It sports a liner lock, which is effective, but not my preferred lockup.

4/5

ERGONOMICS AND TEXTURING: The ergos of this knife are amazing and it feels great in hand. It has a deep choil and the flipper acts as a guard to protect the hand during thrusts. The traction plan is weak and you could lose this knife easily with sweaty hands.

3/5

ACTION AND LOCKUP: The flipper action is smooth and exudes quality. The lockup is tight with no horizontal or vertical play. Great craftsmanship.

5/5

COST: You can buy a Tyrant for anywhere from 150-180 bucks. There are a swath of Benchmades and Sydercos in this area. However, I think the Tyrant has a leg up on craftsmanship over those knives. It really FEELS like a 400 dollar knife. The handle is made of Aluminum and not Titanium so that hurts, and D2 isn’t in the same realm as M390 or ELMAX or S90V…. but I think the price is good, not excellent.

4/5

FINAL THOUGHTS: I like this knife. It’s a really cool blade from a smaller batch knife maker, but not so small that you have to pay hundreds of dollars for the privilege of owning one. It really is an intense design and I don’t say that often. Jason Brous makes some really sinister looking blades.

OVERALL SCORE: 4/5 Good to go

Benchmade Mini Presidio Review: Budget Benchmade

Benchmade is known as one of the “high-end” knife companies in the United States. They do make some of the best factory produced blades available, but American craftsmanship comes at a cost. When someone comes to me looking for a Benchmade it is easy for them to be overwhelmed by price alone. A 940 Osborne, one of my personal favorites, runs about 175 dollars. Contrary to what many of us knife nuts think, 175 dollars is a lot of money for a pocket knife to 90% of people. Enter the Benchmade Mini Presidio, the budget Benchmade.

USE: The Mini Presidio is an EDC knife. The blade length is 2.97 inches which is a suitable length for most EDC tasks. It has a drop point which is my preferred shape for most EDC knives.

DURABILITY AND STEEL: The Presidio is a fairly standard knife in this department. It sports a .12 inch thick blade. However, Benchmade decided to go with 440 C steel instead of their usual 154CM. 440C is inferior to 154CM and is not one of my personal favorite steels. It is fairly hard and has good rust resistance.

3/5

ERGONOMICS AND TEXTURING: The Mini Presidio feels good in hand. It is light and fast. It has adequate amounts of texture that ensures a firm grip on harder EDC tasks. I believe it is a well thought out traction plan.

4/5

ACTION AND LOCKUP: The action on this knife is quick and smooth in standard Benchmade fashion. It locks up like a vault and has one of my favorite locking systems, the Axis lock.

5/5

COST: The Mini Presidio can be yours for 80-100 dollars. Considering the American craftsmanship from a reputable company like Benchmade, its a good deal. I love mine. However, with options like the Spyderco Manix 2 and Benchmade Griptilian in the same price range, it has some pretty stiff competition.

4/5

FINAL THOUGHTS: I would rank the automatic version of this knife the same as the manual version. I like mine, but I will probably trade or sell it off to get something else.

OVERALL SCORE: 4/5 Good to go

 

Case Sodbuster Review: Grandpappy’s Blade

I’ve gone over how Case still makes exceptional blades. Slip joint knives are in decline in most parts of the world. However, in the country, you can still find Case knives on the belt of any working man. The Case Sodbuster is a popular design that has been around for decades.

USE: The Sodbuster is an EDC knife. There is no way a slip joint of any kind could be used as a tactical knife.

DURABILITY AND STEEL: The Sodbuster is a classic knife. It is .08 inches thick and 3.55 inches long. It isn’t the most robust knife I have ever seen, but it was designed during a time before “super hardcore” EDC knives were a thing.

The steel is Case’s Chrome Vanadium (CV) or Surgical Stainless (SS). The CV steel has high resilience, is easy to sharpen, and rusts easily. The SS steel is a mediocre steel that can be compared to 440A.

3/5

ERGONOMICS AND TEXTURING: The Sodbuster has natural ergonomics. It feels great in hand, however it has no traction plan to speak of. It is an old design, so I may have to cut it a break because apparently grandpa didn’t believe in G10 and gimping.

“I killed fitty men with a Sodbuster!”

3.5/5

ACTION AND LOCKUP: There is no side to side or up and down play in the blade during lockup. The slipjoint action has a very strong backspring but won’t close without deliberate action.

4/5

COST: The Sodbuster can be bought for anywhere from 25-100 bucks depending on the handle material. I bought the yellow synthetic handle with the chrome vanadium blade. I think the lower end handle materials make for a great deal to the slipjoint aficionado.

4.5/5

FINAL THOUGHTS: The main issue I have with Case Knives is that they have really lost some of their quality control. The last two I have purchased have had small issues that shouldn’t be present in a U.S. produced blade carrying the name “Case”. The Sodbuster I purchased has terrible blade centering and it scratches the finish of the blade every time I close it. Come on Case, we deserve better.

OVERALL SCORE: 3.5/5 Good Enough For Government Work

 

 

Morakniv Review : You Should Have Four

Morakniv is a Scandinavian knife company. The Factory in Sweden has been pumping out knives for a little over 100 years. They boast that quality knives have been made in the area for over 400 years. If you haven’t heard of Morakniv and their knives before now, prepare your Amazon search bar. There are many different models made by Mora and you can buy most of them for less than 20 dollars.

USE : Morakniv produces many different fixed blades. Most of their knives are strong camp knives, bushcraft knives, and utility fixed blades.

DURABILITY AND STEEL : Moras are strong fixed blades. However, most of their designs use a 3/4 tang. In my use of about 5 different Morakniv knives, all with 3/4 tangs, I have yet to shake one loose during hard use. Most of their blades are remarkably thick and almost all of them utilize a scandi grind. The scandi grind is a unique edge that is strong as hell and is adept at splitting and shaving wood.

The steels Morakniv uses can be split into 3 catagories. Their stainless offering is a 14C28N, this is a medium-high quality stainless steel used in many of Kershaw’s higher end stainless knives. Their carbon models are made of an unknown mixture, but I can attest to their ability in the field. Their carbon steel knives have high toughness and resilience, but low rust resistance (like all carbon steel blades). Lastly, they have a laminated steel. The laminated steel uses a carbon steel core and an alloy “sheath” this allows for weather resistance and durability. This steel is usually reserved for the higher priced knives from Morakniv.

4/5

ERGONOMICS AND TEXTURING : Most Moras feel great in the hand for a utility knife. I don’t like the lack of a guard or deep choil on most of their models when looking for a fighting knife, so I don’t consider Moras tactical blades. Many of their grips are made out of rubber and wood. The rubber grip models like the Companion are very comfortable and stick to your hand well, while the wooden models in their classic line are very traditional.

4/5

SHEATH : Most all Moras come with a plastic sheath. These sheaths are probably the one knock I can give Morakniv, but they aren’t terrible. The knives snap in securely and work abnormally well. These sheaths are the definition of utilitarian. They are nothing special, but they are damn functional.

3.5/5

COST : The average price of a Mora is about 15 bucks. That’s right, you can have a Swedish made, tough, dependable, fixed blade survival knife for 15 dollars. Don’t just buy one, buy 4 and put one in your car, one in your get home bag, one in the kitchen, and one on your belt.

5/5

FINAL THOUGHTS : I didn’t want to review all the different models of Morakniv individually because they are so similar. I use the shit out of these knives. I have too damn many of them and I often find them in random places in my house or my vehicles. If you don’t have one you definitely should. For what its worth, my favorite model is the Companion Heavy.

OVERALL SCORE : 4/5 Good to Go

Cold Steel Tiger Claw Review: Ancient Lethality

The hawkbill shaped blade like those found in karambits and other curved knives are extremely effective weapons. The shape mimics a claw of a huge predator. The shape of  this claw can be found on anything from big cats to bears to velociraptors.

“The new Velociraptor from Cold Steel!”

It produces devastating slashes on soft tissue that dig deep and eviscerate the victim. Cold Steel loves martial ability and the Tiger Claw just perpetuates their ideology.

USE: The Tiger Claw is a folding tactical knife. It isn’t made for EDC and would function poorly as an EDC blade.

DURABILITY AND STEEL: This knife uses a .13 inch thick piece of steel and a triad locking system from Cold Steel. It is a stout design that will not fail when you need it. It utilizes Cold Steel’s new favorite alloy, CTS-XHP. Most of what I can find on this steel says that it is very comparable to S30V and less prone to chipping.

4.5/5

ERGONOMICS AND TEXTURING: The ergos on the Tiger Claw are pretty good. It fills the hand well and feels great in both forward and reverse grip. The ring at the bottom makes it easy to grab out of the pocket. The traction plan is well thought out. It has grippy G10 and adequate amounts of gimping in the right spots.

5/5

ACTION AND LOCKUP: The blade deploys with an ambidextrous thumb disk that doubles as an “Emerson Style” wave that can deploy the blade as it is being pulled out of the pocket. It takes some practice to use effectively but it can be mastered and thus becomes deadly fast. The triad locking system locks up like a vault with no vertical or horizontal play.

4/5

COST: The Cold Steel Tiger Claw can be yours for only 115-130 dollars. It is a well made knife with high quality materials. However, it is made in Taiwan. I would say the price is fair with the quality of knife that Cold Steel produces.

4/5

FINAL THOUGHTS: This knife screams martial blade. It looks menacing and it is probably one of the best karambit style knives on the market right now. That being said, karambits/hawkbills aren’t really my thing. They only have one function and the user must develop a specific set of skills to use them to their full potential. I would much rather carry a standard knife that can fill multiple roles, not just a disembowler/wrist locking throat slasher.

OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5 Badass

SOG Fasthawk Review: Last Resort

I get it, you’re 1/16th Cherokee and you’re an operator. You want a tomahawk to slay bodies and look awesome doing it. All joking aside, the tomahawk is a formidable weapon in close quarters. It takes a little more skill than a knife to use, but ,if you can dedicate yourself, it can be effective. In the last couple years the tomahawk has found its way back into the hearts and minds of outdoorsman and warfighters alike. The SOG Fasthawk is a modern twist on Native American brutality.

USE: The SOG Fasthawk is meant to be a weapon, however it is more likely going to see a role as a throwing axe or a conversation starter. I will judge it as a weapon for this review.

DURABILITY AND STEEL: The Fasthawk is a surprisingly sturdy axe. The foot long handle is made of FRN and screws into the axehead. FRN is a very impact resistant synthetic that will outlast traditional wood. The head is a quarter inch thick and 6 inches long.

The steel is 420 high carbon. This is a common steel used in a lot of low end knives. It has decent rust resistance and is easy to sharpen. However, after light use I started to see my edge chip away.

3.5/5

ERGONOMICS AND TEXTURING: This tomahawk feels good in hand and it very easy to wield. Fast is an understatement. You could swing the bejesus out of this thing and not get tired doing it. It makes me wish some British soldiers captured my son and were taking him to be hung.

“Finally a chance to use my tomahawk.”

The traction plan on the Fasthawk is fairly good out of box. There are grooves cut into the handle that grab on to you. Overall, it is a fairly solid design.

4/5

SHEATH: The sheath is a cordura and fits snugly over the axehead. It has metal buttons that snap together tightly and wont come undone unless you want them too. It is a simple design that works.

3.5/5

COST: This tomahawk can be yours for anywhere from 23-30 dollars. Considering it is a Chinese made, mediocre material (except for the handle) tomahawk, I would say the price is fair. Other options include the Cold Steel Vietnam Tomahawk, Cold Steel Trench Hawk, and the CRKT Chogan T-Hawk.

4/5

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Fasthawk is more of a toy than anything else. I see it as something I bought when I was bored and has 25 dollars laying around. That being said, it can function as a formidable weapon on soft tissue. I can be thrown fairly easily and is light enough to strike quickly and repeatedly. I like it, but you won’t find it in my bug out bag.

OVERALL RATING: 3.5/5 Good Enough For Government Work

CRKT Crawford Kasper Review: Budget Tactical Folder

Columbia River Knife and Tool is a very popular knife company. They make an astounding number of different blades in all shapes and sizes. They make almost all of their blades overseas in China or Taiwan. However, I have yet to come across a CRKT knife that is poor quality regardless of its country of origin. Many of their blade styles are different and some are a little outrageous, but CRKT is a good knife company. I wouldn’t put them into a group with Benchmade or Spyderco. I would compare their knife materials and craftsmanship to Kershaw or Gerber. The Crawford Kasper is one of their lower end folders that can be had for cheap.

USE:  The Crawford Kasper can be used a large EDC knife or a tactical folding knife. With a blade length of 3.75 inches it falls into a length that is suitable for tactical use, but not adept at fine tasks.

DURABILITY AND STEEL: This knife is .14 inches thick. This is an above average thickness for a folder. The clip point is a fairly robust design and does terminate in a semi-fine point. The blade is definitely thick enough for hard work.

The Steel is 8Cr14MoV. This is a common Chinese stainless steel that has OK edge retention, good rust resistance and decent toughness. CRKT makes the bulk of their knives with this steel to cut costs.

3.5/5

ERGONOMICS AND TEXTURING: The ergonomics on the Crawford Kasper are good if you have large hands, smaller hands may find the large grip a bit oversized. It has a deep finger choil in the grip that suggests it is a tactical folder. The handles are made of some type of smooth plastic. There is a good amount of gimping on the top of the blade and on the liner lock where your finger will sit. Overall, I would say it has decent ergos and a decent traction plan.

3.5/5

ACTION AND LOCKUP: The action on this knife is smooth and the lockup is tight. Mine has no vertical play and had a small amount of horizontal play before I tightened the pivot. The blade centering when folded is perfect. The blade is heavy so it does take a bit of effort to deploy it, but that is true in any thick folder.

4/5

COST: The Crawford Kasper can be yours for around 18-20 dollars. Considering it is an effective and well built large folding knife, I would say this is an awesome deal. Other options at the price point would be the Cold Steel Medium Voyager, The Ontario RAT 1 or 2, and the KABAR Baconmaker Folder.

5/5

FINAL THOUGHTS: If there is one thing that irks me about CRKT, it is their stupid safety that sits just below the spine of the blade. It is made to activate when you put your thumb on the gimping of the handle. I hate knife safeties, and this one will activate any time you use this knife.

OVERALL RATING: 4/5 Good to Go