I'm sure I've got some errors in this, I'll check it over more when I'm not so drugged up lol
When I'm looking to review a product, different things drive my interest on why I want to cover that item for our community. Sometimes it's a dang that's cool thing, or maybe it's a why don't more people talk about this? For this knife it was a, it can't be as bad as people say, can it? Today we're checking out the A100 from the folks over at ANV, I'm here to see if it's what people say or it's a diamond in the rough.
Acta Non Verba (Latin for action not words) is a knife company in the Czech Republic, and they pride themselves on those products being locally made. They're a unique company that does their own spin on things, and it's great to see fresh ideas in an industry that can be very much monkey see monkey do. The company boasts all kinds of neat ideas from a floating back spacer, to a thumb stud that has Lumidot made from Swiss superluminova.
The A100 is a blend of things that define the company, wrapped up in an attractive package. The knife has an overall length of 8.3 inches, with a blade of 3.6 inches. Really comfortable EDC blades for me seem to be in that 3-3.5 inch range, you can do a ton of stuff with a sub 3 inch blade, but I feel there's more versatility in having a longer, and possibly robust blade for situations that may require such.
The handle on the A100 is GRN, which is the same fiberglass reinforced nylon we see on Spyderco knives. It's a strong lightweight material that knife companies have used for years due to it's versatility. The A100's handle is makes the knife a mere 72g, as a result it's not only nimble in the hand but barely noticed in my pocket. The handle is textured with fluting (those horizontal lines), which provide a secure grip both in dry and wet conditions. I found the A100 to be fairly comfortable in the hand, normal use doesn't see any hotspots. I did find it somewhat concerning that the handle has flex when really using the knife. There's no internal reinforcement or liners, so the GRN is providing all the structural support. The material is thin enough that sides flex inward when being squeezed. This oddity hasn't given any issue during testing, and didn't seem to affect performance. The handle features a neat backspacer that's floating between the handle sides, in the end is a nestled lanyard hole, I'm not big on lanyards but having one tucked away for those who don't carry them is a neat feature.
ADV jumped on the bandwagon like everyone else when the Axis lock patent expired, that's not necessarily a bad thing, the lock has been a superior system for Benchmade since it's inception (1988). Dubbed the A-Lock by the company, it boasts the same innovative features as the original, like easy to operate one handed, and ambidextrous. I can't complain about the lock, does exactly what it's advertised to do, my problem lies more on disengaging the lock one handed.
In order to operate a cross bar lock effectively one handed, I feel the handle has to be the right length so the butt of the knife rests against my palm. That way when I pull back against the lock the handle stays stationary. This perfect size scenario is tricky for manufacturers because of such a varying degree of hand sizes. With the A-100 the handle is almost too long for me to manipulate one handed but I'm about to manage. A problem I have though is the handle scales are thin and sharp near the end of the handle. Pulling back on the lock causes these to dig into your palm, and it's a little uncomfortable. It's not a major inconvenience, and something that can be remidied with a file. However, for what the A-100 costs this is a problem that should be handled by the manufacturer.
The drop point blade has a nice swedge at the top, which is another one of those hallmarks of the company. It reminds me of a harpoon style but with the swedge further up the spine. The blade on this model is in Elmax steel, but the company offers it in Sleipner steel or the famed Mangacut. I found the blade shape to be really efficient at everyday cutting tasks. The thin profile combined with high grind make it a great slicer. Elmax steel is a great performer and an excellent choice for an everyday carry. The blade is covered in a DLC coating, it goes with the black/red design and it's super wear resistant as well. Deploying the knife is fine via a very unusual thumb stud, it's oversized and features a glow in the dark dot. The thumb stud was designed so it gives the comfort of a thumb hole but the opening of a stud. The oversized stud is weird, it's too big for me to snap the blade open easily, almost like it's not shaped right. It can be swapped for lefties and it has a Lumidot, that makes up for it right?
Lastly is the pocket clip, which is wire style. I've handled many a wire clip over the years, I've found them easy to use and a good alternative to standard spring clips. Compared to others this clip is poorly executed, it's not thick enough to prevent flex and it's not anchored to prevent left right movement. Oh and it's not even flat start against the handle. Those who read my reviews know how much I love a well done clip, and this one misses that mark.
The A-100 has a lot going for it but some of it falls short because of poor execution. The lock is easy to operate, has an excellent blade shape, and it's super lightweight. It's not a bad, and could be made even better by some small adjustments by the folks at ADV. For me, with so many other great knives in this price range I'd pick up something else until issues are resolved.
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