Well it's been a few days, but I recorded my thoughts so I'll post my notes and then sum it up.
Initial impressions:
1. Very nice presentation and packaging.
2. Well made knife with decent heft for size.
3. A lot of blade in a small package. I like the shape of the clip blade.
4. The swedge is wonderful, very nice touch.
Pros:
1. Solid construction. No wobble.
2. Very good pull.
3. Very good snap when closing.
4. Carbon steel.
5. Steel takes a very good edge.
6. Wood covers are very nicely rounded and thinned. No sharp edges felt in the hand. Fit my hand well for a smaller knife.
7. Wonderful swedge.
Negatives:
1. Was not very sharp when it arrived.
2. The bevel was not good and even as of its been sharpened freehand at different angles. I'm not sure if it came from the factory like that. It cleaned up nicely on an Arkansas stone.
3. Minimal gaps between the inner scales and the back spring. Some pin point light coming through. No more than most production knives. Completely acceptable.
4. Only one blade.
Final thoughts:
Over all for a user this is a very good knife. It fits the hand well for what I consider a little knife. It really could use a second blade though in my opinion. The wood covers were nice, wood is not not my cup of tea, but they were nice. The walk was a bit gritty, I loved the spring tension, but at this price point I would expect a bit more smoothness. Also, for the price, I would expect the tang to be flush with the liners in the closed position. I mean a $15 chicom Rough Rider is, this one should be too.
Please don't take my "for the price" comments to mean that I think this is a bad knife, it is a well built knife for sure. The list price is a real deal too, and if the final price were the same as the list price those little aesthetic things might not bother me as bad. But by the time shipping is thrown in, we are at the CASEish price range. If I am going to be paying the same amount I'll take the one with better fit and finish all other things being equal.
IMO these could be very good selling, sought after knives. Quality is definitely there, and did I mention and awesome swedege!!!!! But fit and finish needs to be tweaked some. Just remember that with the shipping charges you are stepping up a level in the market. I may be willing to accept some crudeness in he $30 price range, but north of $40 I expect some refinement. Just my opinion.
Here are the best pics I took. Cutting some burlap for the bee smoker, and about to trim some comb off the queen cage I removed from the new colony of bees. By the way, I introduced Parker to the joys of chewing bee comb. Lol. I also whittled with it, and it did well. No pics of that though.
“There are things in the old Book which I may not be able to explain, but I fully accept it as the infallible word of God, and receive its teachings as inspired by the Holy Spirit.”
Robert E. Lee