If there’s one thing James Keating knows, its knives. And when you take a guy like Keating and put him in a room with the crazy guys at Spyderco, you’re going to come out with an amazing knife. Now, let them revise the knife three times to perfection, and you have the Keating Chinook 3.

Other great features of the Chinook 3 are the CPM S30V blade, and Golden, Colorado factory pedigree. The big beefy 3 3/4″ blade has been flat ground for the third iteration of this fantastic blade from Spyderco. Previous generations were hollow ground.

I’ve owned one of the Generation 2 models, and this new full flat grind is much nicer in my opinion. I think it suits the knife better, and has a cleaner look than the hollow grind version. Since this was purchased as a gift for my uncle, I was unable to test cut anything besides some arm hair to make sure Spyderco is still keeping their blades hair-popping sharp out of the box – and they are!

The new Generation 3 Chinook is also much lighter than previous ones having shaved almost 1.5oz of weight, possibly due to additional skeletoniztion of the steel liners and the refined handle profile.

The Chinook 3 is a fairly large knife, but I found the handle to be okay in my hands. It has lots of nice comfortable cuves that nestle it nicely in the palm, and also allow for easy grip changes. James A. Keating was not messing around with this one!

Overall its a killer knife with an insanely strong lock-up, and would make a great Hard-Use EDC for anyone that can handle carrying something this large. The upswept blade is great for a number of tasks such as slicing and skinning, and the point is stong enough for penetration. For more information on the knife’s uses you can see James A. Keatings website.

Specs:
Overall Length: 8 9/16″
Blade Length: 3 3/4″
Blade Steel: CPM-S30V
Handle Material: G-10
Liners: Stainless Steel

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I’ve owned 3 of these Benhmade 690 knives, and still have two of them in my posession and I have to say that it is one of the nicest Benchmade knives they ever made. It has been produced in several variations, all of which are very well made. I’ve owned one of the blue-dyed wood models as well, which was a beautiful piece.

Allen’s designs have always been solid and appealing. The 690 brought a lot of Allen Elishewitz’s custom features to Benchmade’s production knives…. features like the extra wide pivot pin, wide leaf-shaped pocket clip, and beautiful rosewood handle and bolstered construction. The bolsters on the 690 are somewhat interesting – they are actually only half-thickness, and below them is a layer of Rosewood. The reasoning must have been some sort of manufacturing method.

The blade on the Benchmade 690 is stonewashed and sating finished 154CM, with a single thumbstud (I wish they were double). There is an ever-so-slight recurve on the blade, but its basically a standard clip point. The titanium liners are annodized blue, and have a slight shadowbox effect around the handles, which gives the knife some depth. No backspacer on this one, though I would have liked to see it on something with this type of style since it goes well. Just your standard stand-offs.

When I first started collecting knives, Allen Elishewitz was my grail of knife makers. I always wanted a piece from him, and when I bought my first Benchmade 690, it was like a semi-dream come true. I had owned several of the other Elishewitz designed Benchmades like the Dark Star and Stryker, but the 690 actually looked like a custom Elishewitz! While the quality isn’t quite the same as a custom piece, it sure does look the part.

To this day, still one of the best looking and most well-made Benchmades around.

Specs:
Blade Length: 3.25″
Blade Thickness: 0.133″
Blade Material: 154CM
Blade Hardness: 58-60HRC
Blade Style: Clip-Point
Weight: 3.00oz.

The Phil Boguszewski designed Benchmade Spike is one of the most iconic early models in Benchmade’s history, available in both an automatic and manual version. The Benchmade Spike was a simply designed knife with a thin spearpoint almost dagger-like blade.

The blade on this Benchmade model 1000 is ATS-34 stainless steel, fully flat ground to a razor sharp edge. The aluminum handle is machined, and annodized black. At the time these knives were made, the quality is quite exceptional, however newer machining quality has improved in USA made knives.

The Butterfly logo has the old “Bali-Song” text written on it instead of the newer “Benchmade” text, and instead has Benchmade U.S.A. written underneath it. This knife was from the old days when Benchmade knives were all made in the U.S.A.

The knife handle does not offer much grip, even with the fluting in the sides, which does help some, but does not help at all with forward grip and retention, which are important with a stabbing motion, something this knife should be good at.

However, its a cool design, with a great iconic look that most people recognize and appreciate. The Benchmade Spike is a great collectors knife, and not so much an EDC knife. Like most of Benchmade’s older products, however, it does have very good fit and finish.

Blade Length: 3.625″
Overall Length: 8″
Weight: 3.4oz
Blade Steel: ATS-34
Handle Material: T6 Aluminum

One of Dalton’s earlier non-button activated automatics, the Dalton Scale Release is very similar to most scale release automatics out there with the benefit of the Dalton Flair: Annodized aluminum handles, bead blasted blade and signature super-stiff pocket clip and allen screws.

The black annodizing is of the Hard Annodizing variety, giving the handles some measure of wear resistance and protection from discoloration, which Aluminum handles tend to do when used often. This finishing keeps the handle looking fresh, unless you drop it or rub it against something hard.

This scale release works the same as typicaly scale release knives do, such as the Protech Magic or any of the Vallotton designed pieces. The mechanism is activated by sliding the scales in different directions, which raises a lockbar on the spine of the blade that is similar to the lock on a lockback folder. This lock holds the blade in both the open and closed positions, and a standard coil spring provides the power for the automatic action.

The Dalton Scale release is a bit more difficult to manipulate than the Protech Magic was for me, as the dalton seemed to have a stiffer back-lock. This made it harder to fire. I was still able to fire it with one hand, however, my friend with larger hands was not.

The ATS-34 blade is razor sharp and has nice crisp grinds. The handle shape and drop point blade design make the knife a great all-round user and utility knife. Dalton’s are known for their hard firing springs and unique sound when they are opened. Unfortunately, the Scale Release doesn’t have the same Dalton sound when it’s opened, but it does have the same hard-firing blade.

Overall an excellent knife, with a few kinks that could be worked out with subtle tweaking on Dalton’s end. Still a great knife from one of the industry leaders in Automatic Knives.

Specs:
Blade Length: 3 1/2″
Closed Length: 4 5/8″
Overall Length: 8″
Handle Material: Anodized Aluminum
Blade Steel: ATS-34
Weight: 4.4 oz

Masters of Defense came around in the late 90′s and produced some deadly designs, all of which were collaborations with well-known knife makers or martial artists and self-defense instructors. After they were sold to Blackhawk!, these were made with cheaper materials such as 440C steel instead of 154CM steel, and the Duane Dieter name was removed from the brand.

The Dieter CQD has fantastic ergonomics, and is designed to work well in a gloved hand, since many military users often wear gloves when operating their knives. The grip-tape is fantastic for retention and there are two ridges on the front of the handle that prevent your hand from slipping onto the blade. The blade is a modified spear point design by Vaughn Neeley, founder of Timberline Knives.

There is a discreet saftety on the thumb ramp of the handle, which works well. The carbide glass-breaker is also at the front of the handle, making it impossible to use unless the blade is closed. This is probably a good idea. The back end of the handle has a line/seat belt cutter, which is well concealed so that you can’t accidently cut yourself with it. The reversible pocket clip is only for tip down carry, which is also probably a good idea since otherwise you might accidently catch the line cutter on your pocket and cut that up.

Blade is black, and razor sharp. This Masters of Defense version was available in Bead Blast as well as Damascus and PVD coated blades. The current Blackhawk version appears to only be available in black.

The CQD is probably my favourite automatic knife in my collection at the moment, with a quality unmatched by any automatic in this price range. While I can only speak for the MOD version, this is still relevant to collectors purchasing on the secondary market. The Blackhawk version, while designed in a similar style, may not have the same level of quality in the finish.

Blade Length: 3.75”
Overall Length: 9.5″
Blade Material: 154CM Stainless Steel
Blade Finish: Black PVD coating
Handle Material: CNC Machined 6061-T6 Aluminum

MercWorx is an American Tactical Knife company that claims to have been a private contractor for specialized “demanding clientele”, providing them with tactical tools in sometimes sterile versions. In general, the marketing for the company is clouded in mystery, which adds to its allure.

Now that that’s out of the way, on to the knife’s fit and finish. The grind of this Lachesis is bloody cool, and is typical of the style that Mercworx uses in all their blades. All of their knives are made from beginning to end by a single craftsman in the USA. They are not custom made, but they are very close to it.

The BG-42 blade is very sharp and well made, with even grinds. While Mercworx is more known for their fixed blades, the folders are more interesting to me. The Canvas micarta scales are finished somewhat roughly, but are still much smoother than handles from companies such as Busse, giving the knife slightly less grip. The handle shape of the Mercworx Lachesis is very comfortable, and this one is the perfect size of the three folders they make in this pattern.

Bolsters are bead-blasted Titanium, and the liners are medium thickness titanium as well. The Lanyard hold in the back actually had bits of thread from the Micarta still on it, which I was bothered by slightly. I wish they would have taken the time to clean it up a bit there, but I suppose that lack of polish is part of the charm.

The bolster oddly has many screws in it, much more than typical bolsters. The action of the blade is not up to part with similarly priced custom blades from respected makers, but is acceptable. Nylatron washers are fairly thin, and the lockup is solid. The movement just lacks the consistancy throughout the opening action of the blade, which is an indicator of slightly imperfect fit of the handle and pivot area.

Even though the fit and finish are not top-shelf, the knife is a very cool piece of kit, with an excellent design and feel, unlike some of the tactical blades out there. The sweeping plunge grind is reminiscent of Walter Brend, and the drop point blade shape is ultra-versatile.

Specs:
Blade Length: 3 1/2″
Closed Length: 4 3/4″
Blade Steel: BG-42
Handle Material: Canvas Micarta
Bolsters: Titanium

Its about time that I review one of Protech’s amazing Godfather knives. While not having quite the online following and groupies that Microtech and Dalton have, Protech knives are generally of exceptional quality and options given their somewhat modest pricepoint.

I have always been impressed with how well the Godfathers are made especially since they are available for under $200 even with very nice wood or carbon fiber handle inlays. This particular model has the blue and silver Jazz Aluminum handles with G-10 handle inserts. It is also a First Production Run model, serial numbered 431. Blade play on this model is non-existant, and the blade grinds are the older style type with the thinner blade and deeper hollow grinds.

There are numerous different types of blade finishes available on the various Godfathers with most models using Crucible’s 154CM Stainless Steel. This model has a semi-satin finish to it, with a bit more polish to it than usual, which creates a very nice look. The double hollow ground dagger style blade is very thin and light, which makes the automatic action very quick. While the knife looks like a dagger, the top edge is an unsharpened false edge. Since it isn’t concealed within the handle when the knife is closed, it would have to be dull.

The blade has absolutely no blade play, and has good lock-up with the button lock. The firing button on this model is the bead blasted steel variety. Many of the other higher-end Godfathers have exotic materials inlaid into the firing buttons as well.

Overall, the Godfather is my favourite Automatic knife for collecting. They have several varieties with very nice fit and finish, and that makes them fun to collect. The affordable price point makes them a viable option for knife collectors that scoff at paying big money prices for Microtechs.

Specs:
Blade Length: 4″
Overall Length: 9 1/4″
Hand Inlays: G-10
Handle Material: 6061 T6 Aluminum
Blade Steel: 154CM

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After posting this video review on Youtube, I received many comments about how ridiculous this wallet was, and how pointless and uncomfortable it was from the majority of Youtube viewers. However, youtube commenters also tend towards the immature and childish that get their kicks from talking down to others, so its not a good judge of what is good and what is not in many cases.

As you can see from the above photographcs, the multi-tools that are included with the wallet are: Pen, Tweezers, Toothpick, Glassbreaker and Compass. While most of these are useful, the compass wasn’t working when I got it, which is a little bit disappointing, however i’ve heard that it is actually quite common to have cheaper compasses not work properly. I think I would have prefered to have a cool decorative medallion logo insert instead of the compass insert.

The watertight seal is a very cool sellering factor of the wallet, which is entirely machined from Aircraft Grade T-6061 Aluminum, which has been hard annodized black. The quality of the machining is not quite up to snuff with Surefire or Microtech, but acceptable given the $130 price tag.

The hinge is all metal, which makes it strong, but also makes a clinking sound when the wallet is open and in use. The clip inserts inside the wallet which serve as covers for the hidden compartments are a bit thin and cheap feeling. If they were a touch thicker and bead blasted I would have liked them more. The wallet is also available in Delrin Plastic, which would likely make it similar to a Pelican Case.

The spring locking latch is a nice touch and I really like how it works. The lanyard hold which allows you to hang the wallet around your neck is also a handy feature. One of the problems I’ve been having over time is that the rubber waterproof seal will come off when the wallet is closed for a day or two and then opened. This is a bit annoying to fix all the time.

Overall, I think the concept is a good one and the idea is sound, however the execution of the wallet is still a bit rusty, so to speak. It needs to be refined a bit more with perhaps a better finish, less rattle in the hinge, a working compass, nicer insert pieces and a less finnicky water resistant rubber seal that does not come out all the time. Once some refinements have been made, I think this could be a very well-made and polished product that many people would find useful for camping and kayaking or other ourdoor activities.

See the TMT Tactical Wallet on their website:
http://www.tmtwallet.com/

I have to admit, with Emerson knives I’m not sure I know what the hype is all about. While I think this is a fantastic knife design, the construction and materials are pretty standard stuff. Additionally, the extra cost and rarity of a true satin finish is somewhat odd, since a Satin finish is available on nearly all knives of this price range with no extra cost.

From a design and ergonomic standpoint, the knife is extremely well made. The knife has great feet and fanastic control, especially given its large size. The Wave feature is obviously very desirable for many users of this knife, though I personally am not a fan of it. It deploys quickly, but is difficult to use when you want to be more discreet. The true satin finish is a very nice feature to have, since it is my preferred finished on general user knives.

The knife is shaving sharp, but has a sabre grind, popular with Emerson. This one is particularly shallow, given the knife a relatively thick edge, and obtuse cutting geometry, making the knife more suited to hard use at the expense of cutting efficiency.

154CM steel is a tried and true American original that is strong, reliable, and easy to sharpen. The G-10 Handles are resistant to just about anything and very grippy. The flat-head trademark pivot is supposed to make the knife easy to adjust in the field, and the titanium liners and lock are pretty standard at this level of knife. Aside from the design, however, nothing really stands out. Emerson relies on his design to charge the $100 premium over other knives out there with similar materials, and level of fit and finish.

The Super Commander is a great, tough user knife, and would be likely fantastic for military or LEO’s. However, aside from the design, there is very little value in the knife that one would typically associate with the price tag. Emerson’s do maintain their value, so resale prospects are good. Great knife, with a few small complaints, but I feel the pricetag is about $100 too high.

Specs:
Overall Length: 9 1/2″
Blade Length: 4″
Blade Steel: 154CM
Handle Material: G-10
Liners: Titanium

The Cold Steel knives just keep on coming! The Black Sable is perhaps the highest end of all the Cold Steel knives that have passed through my hands, and it is quite a decent knife, if you don’t consider it’s retail price of $489.95. Yes, $489.95. Seriously.

How that we’ve got the ridiculous pricing out of the way, we can talk more about the actual qualities of the knife. The VG-10 San Mai III steel blade; the beautifully ground, shaped and polished blade; and carved titanium bolsters. The lockback mechanism is very solid and locks like a bank vault. Micarta handles are smoothly polished, showing a level of finish definately a cut above your usual knife, especially from Cold Steel.

The San Mai III blade uses layers of 440A sandwiching a peice of VG-1 steel, and when they are fully polished like this one, the result is quite stunning. The trailing point blade is unusual, with a Tanto-style tip, giving it a Japanese inspired look. The handle has a pronounced finger choil and a curved butt, giving the knife fantastic retention. Carved bolsters add a level of sophistication to the design and the reversable pocket clip adds versatility.

I would have liked to see a larger pivot screw, maybe with a fancy proprietary spanner pattern of some sort. Additionally, the action, while precise, is somewhat stiff on this knife. This is due to a combination of the shape of the blade tang and the amount of pressure exerted by the lockback mechanism. This knife is a bit hard to open compared to others.

The blade is very thick, and overall the knife has a lot of weight to it, and the curved handle fits my hand nicely. I would recommend this knife if you can pick it up at a bargain price in the under-$250 range, and do not really plan to use it. The stiffness of the action means that it is slow to deploy, and the impractical shape of the knife make it difficult to use as an EDC. Additionally, while the polished blade is beautiful to look at, it will scratch easily making the knife look used very quickly.

Specs:
Blade Length: 4″
Overall Length: 9 7/8″
Blade Steel: San Mai III
Handle Material: Micarta
Bolsters: Titanium
Frame: Titanium

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