Steel : M390
Closed Length : 3 3/4 inches
Blade Length : 2 15/16 inches
Edge Length : 2 5/8 inches
Overall Length : 6 11/16 inches
Weight : 2.15 ounces for the carbon fiber
Half Stops : Yes
It’s the rounded edges on everything that offsets any negative that could have been there on this knife.
The first thing you notice is the tang is tall so it gives the initial impression it would be a sharp pocket eater. The tang corner is nicely rounded so it rides in your pocket without a problem and is not noticed in your hand. Even where the spring ends on the back of the knife is rounded as well as the blades spine. Even the bolster and handle take advantage of the rounded liners, buy being a few thousands smaller. Blade to handle ratio is excellent.
If you are used to slip joints they are judged by how flat and flush the back spring come out. Throw that concept out with this knife, the back spring and liners have a radius, so if it wasn’t flush it wouldn’t mater. It is consistent from front to back, so flush by a slightly different standard.
The only thing not rounded are the sides of the knife but that just makes it more comfortable in your pocket. Weighing in at 2.15 ounces. You won’t notice it in your pocket unless you are used to very short, light knives. Compare that weight to my Queen buffalo horn Stockman that weighs in at 3.4 ounces.
This is the smoothest slipjoint knife I’ve got. Out of the box it didn’t need to be oiled or flushed out. I’m going to attribute that to two things. The first being the pivot is larger than the pins used in slip joints. The second thing is the spring has the same satin finish on the inside as it has on the outside. No break in is needed on this knife.
I dug out a variety of knives and patterns to compare it to. The only slip joints as smooth were the round tang stockmans from GEC, CSC and Queen. None of the knives with half stops were as smooth. The lion Steel has half stops. Pull is a 5 on both samples and the blades are centered.
Fit and finish is excellent, the only flaw if you want to be nit picky is if you hold the back springs to the light there is a little light showing behind the bolster on one side. You can’t see the gap on the back, the radius construction hides it.
I did a cardboard slicing comparison with a Benchmade mini Ritter, M390, a Queen Copperhead, D2 and the Lion Steel barlow, M390.
The copperhead and the lion steel are about the same thickness at the spine (.094)and about the same height, both have an 18 degree per side edge. The copperhead is .015 behind the edge and the barlow measured .021.
I have to give a slight edge to the barlow but I’m not sure why, maybe because the barlow was sharpened to 1500 grit and the copperhead was 600 grit. Or perhaps the primary grind is a bit more obtuse on the copperhead.
The Ritter mini was sharpened to 18 degrees per side to 1500 grit, it’s .100 at the spine and .015 behind the edge. The Ritter is much taller from edge to spine than the copperhead or barlow and it showed when slicing. Coming in last behind the copperhead and barlow.
All cutting was done with the back half of the blades to negate any advantage of a tapered blade.
M390 is an amazing steel, it’s very stainless and holds an excellent edge. BUT. it’s best sharpened with diamonds. Trying to sharpen it with a set of budget stones will be an exercise in futility. You could sharpen it with diamond V rods but to profile to a more acute angle, a Wicked Edge or KME guided system would be a good idea. Having said that I think it sharpens and profiles easier than D2 and holds a better edge.
If I could change one thing it would be to thin the blade by about .005. this would thin the blade just a bit behind the edge. Do that and it would be the perfect knife, the so called One.
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