I've finally received this knife and would like to tell you about it.
I ordered it to serve as a tactical hard use fixed blade (which was lacking in my collection), my criteria was: solid and thick spined knife with good ergonomics, kydex sheath and 4+ inches of blade length.
The knife came in a black "Extrema Ratio" branded cardboard box, reasonably sharp out of the box.
When I got it out, I was quite surprised. From my talks with the seller. he told me that blade length is going to be 10 cm (~ 4''), but it is in fact 11 cm if you count the choil area of the blade, so it was a good surprise, as I wanted a longer blade.
I usually don't test my knives, but with this one I just couldn't resist, so I went up to the yard, shaved and chopped some wood and also tested the tip.
The Pros:
- Awesome ergonomics: The handle is made from a rubbery material, which is nice to the touch and has just the right amount of squeeze and grip. It is also quite long, so can be held comfortably in a few ways and grips. The gimping is pronounced but not sharp and will feel great with or without a glove.
- The weight and the balance: the knife feels very light in the hand (216.7 g/7.6 oz) for a fixed blade, and this is partly due to the great balance between the blade and the handle.
- The design, looks, fit and finish: A big plus in owning an Extrema Ratio knife (or a clone in this case) are the looks and the design. The knife looks great, inside or outside the sheath, just a proper tactical fixed blade look. The fit and finish are also very nice, no visible problems there.
The design is just awesome. It starts with the fact that you can insert the knife into the sheath in both ways, so it will suite lefties as well. The rivets are Tec-lok compatible and positioned great to mount the sheath to your gear. The knife also has a holed finger guard in the front and a striking point/lanyard hole in the back, that extend the usage options of the blade.
The Cons:
- The sheath: It's done well, but a few things still bugged me. The knife sits well, and won't fall off in both directions, but it does rattle quite a lot, especially side to side, which can create quite a loud noise. The genuine one has a rubber insert inside to prevent this. I believe the same solution can be done here. Another solution can be to heat it up and press it. The advantage of a fully hollow sheath is that water will come out right away and also is will be very easy to clean.
Another issue with the sheath is the clip that it comes with - it feels a little flimsy. I will definitely replace it with a good Tek-loc. - The blade steel: As I've seen after the tests, the knife has a pretty soft blade steel, which wouldn't hold an edge for a very long time. I mean, it's not bad (behaves sort of like 440C), but it's not some supersteel. The plus is it can be sharpened very quickly and easily.
The Verdict:
- This is a very good knife to be used as a tactical fixed blade for non-combat use. It is solid, and probably won't disappoint you for your regular tactical getaways or outdoors. It is also pretty inexpensive, so you wouldn't regret really using and abusing it. Also, the looks and the design really do it for me.
I probably wouldn't use it for actual combat, as I would like a battle-proven fixed blade for those.