0652-29

This is a great knife with the exception that the lock is stiff. Maybe it will work better once it has been used for a while. Here's hoping!

2019 Update:The locking mechanism has become very easy to operate over time, according to the elderly individual with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis that I gifted this item to. With occasional bevel maintenance it has held its edge fairly well since 2014. It has, undoubtedly, been dropped onto concrete many times, but doesn't have much visual damage.- - - - -After looking through many knives for both a Lockback and a Drop Point I came across this item, which I thought would make a good gift.Basic Overview:-The grip is 3 and 3/8th inches long, and 11mm wide (excluding clip) with two brass pins punched through the steel spine and butt (one each) to hold it all together. It is relatively comfortable to hold, although somewhat small in my hands (I take true Large gloves, and my small finger hangs off completely). The Desert Ironwood had no cracks or gouges in it, and is pleasant to both look at and wield.-The blade is 3mm thick, tapering down to 1mm at its point. The edge was, out-of-the-box, sharp enough for immediate usage and had no divots, unnatural bevels, or mars in its edge. The blade is stainless, as is to be expected, and is a composite of 440C, which is standard for many low-priced knives.-The locking mechanism is called a 'Lockback', or 'Spine Lock', and, in my experience, is much safer and sturdier than the typical 'Frame Lock' and 'Liner Lock' pocket knives which are so prevalent and often allow the blade to close even when 'locked'. The torque bar, which allows the spine to lock the blade from movement, was very stiff on my item. I intended this item to be a gift for an elderly person so I opted to keep the locking bar compressed for almost a full week to allow for easier compression. There may have been better methods, but this was the first time I encountered a stiff Lockback, and thus improvised.Pros:-A Lockback, which, in my opinion, is much safer than Liner Lock and Frame Lock models and allows for more pressure to be placed upon the blade.-Scandinavian Grind, which is the simplest grind to sharpen with minimal to absolutely no sharpening knowledge.-Drop Point blade style, which combines a strong tip with decent slicing ability.Cons:-Anyone with a large may have problems gripping this blade well. I have deep tissue damage in my dominant hand, and large hands, making this knife slightly difficult to grip.-The locking bar is stiff to begin with, and almost certainly requires maintenance for a true one-handed operation.-As the grip is held together with brass pins, without the proper equipment it would be difficult for deconstructive maintenance to be performed without marring or damaging the Ironwood or brass.My Final Verdict:Old Timers have been good knives, and this one is no exception. If you put a little time into it then I could easily see how it would become a favorite and E.D.C. item. If you intend on purchasing this for a gift (as I did), you may wish to fully compress the locking bar for several days in order to lessen the strength, Lockbacks can lock securely with little force.

This knife is a little bit smaller than I thought it would be. My husband is a farmer with very big hands, so he would like it if it was just a tad bigger to get in and out of his pants pocket, but it must not be too big of a deal because I see him take it in and out of his pocket several times a day!He uses his pocket knife for everything. I like to get him knives that are made well because the poorly made ones don't last more than a month or two. Yes, he does abuse them, I admit, but I still like to see them last a year anyway.This one definitely seems like it will hold up. It has the full locking blade so when it is open, it is really open and he can then use it with the confidence and secure feeling that the blade won't slam shut and cut the back of his fingers. (Has happened before with the knives that lock open the other way--I think they might be called line lock? Not sure, but to clarify, they do not have the lock button on the back of the knife; rather the lock is like a lever inside the bottom of the handle and you have to have the blade facing upward to unlock it. Don't buy those....they are not trustworthy and you will cut yourself!)He has been using this knife for two weeks now and so far, so good. No loose joints or broken components.We are happy!

Pros:The knife is handsome and it is a good size for a plain pocket knife. The rosewood scales are pretty nicely done and the fit and finish is good especially given the price of the knife. The pocket clip seems heavy duty for the size of the knife and is one position for point down carry. The knife is also small enough to be able to just throw in your pocket but still manages to feel good in the hand.Cons:The knife just did not come that sharp. Plain and simple.Opening the knife is also a bit difficult at first, but this is sometimes the case with new lockbacks so as a first impression I'm not that worried about this. One handed opening using the thumbstuds is also a bit clumsy if you have large hands but I suspect this will get better as the contact points on the hinge get worked in some and I get used to the knife. Overall if you're looking for a locking folder that is on the smaller side, then this is definitely a good option.Update: I put a little 3 in 1 oil on the hinge and sharpened the blade and am now used to opening it. I really quite like this knife after getting used to its smaller size, which is a pro and not a con for an everyday utility type knife.

We bought a couple of these about 6 years ago for a woodworking project. My husband has used them almost every day since and just loves them. One of them finally fell apart and he was afraid he wouldn't find replacements at this point so when we did, we ordered two! I find them a little fatter than the cheapie utility knife available at the hardware store (and they are my preference because of their smaller size) but my husband wouldn't be without these! Don't be afraid to buy these. They are quality.

Knife is great, holds an edge ok, but I sharpen mine weekly anyway. The keeper was kind of loose when I first got it, and only got worse until it finally fell off one day, so now I have to dig thru my pocket 100 times a day to find it.