Why ? Because it’s take a razor sharp edge and keeps it, it’s a tougher than stainless steel super steel and its edge stability is better: no chipping or warping in my uses. Of course it will get stained but that is the part of his multiple charms. This is a steel used in blade competitions and Gayle Bradley is a fan of it.
The Yojimbo2 design asked for a very thin point and a stronger, tougher steel. M4 is a must if you want to use it (like myself) in everyday chores… hard !!
Because such great ergos ask for hard working.
Compared to my previous YO2, the closing sound “TICK” got a much higher pitch than my S90V version. I had noticed that kind of higher pitch on another super tool steel: Maxamet.
Does it mean the steel is harder ? Will see.
So stay tuned!
I have changed the OEM clip for this one.
It’s a shortest deep carry clip.
The Para 3 in Maxamet got the same high pitch TICK.
Dirty blade ready for some chores.
Both knives are excellent EDC. The Yo2 offers really powerful cuts on wood.
A word which comes back a lot with my Yo2 review is “power”. The heft of the saber ground hollow blade and the confortable thick spine is a call for pushcuts and “very light” chopping. You will see what I mean in a few photographies…
Deshouldering and starting to get a thinner edge. The factory edge is excellent though.
“Ghost” and “Jade” together: same materials.
The handle lengths are different just because one is standing on its clip.
Push cuts are easy.
This is the kind of “very light” chopping cuts which are made in blink of an eye.
The Yo2 is a great trimmer. The edge bites deep and the straight edge won’t let go.
It’s very efficient !
M4 steel erases any fear of breaking the thin tip easily but I do respect too much my knife to try any lateral forcing. At least I’m no afraid to use that blade tip hard !
Rinsing and cleaning the blade in a spring stream. No real patina so far but soon it will come. M4 get darker in a slow way on my experience: no hurry !
But that Jade handle goes so well with natural environments…
There is a lot of charm in the Yo2: the heavy blade smooth action, the straight edge power and the great ergos ! Nobody seems to notice it while used in a restaurant, the Jade helps a lot to make it less a weapon and more a tool.
My first experience with Massdrop exclusive design was one year ago. The Falcon has been a surprise in its quality and design and since has been my Spyderco Techno replacement. The Gent is even a better deal !! We are in presence of a real masterpiece in modern cutlery and, pardon my French but I weight my words.
First thing I have noticed is the blade to handle ratio: in a folder, the blade will be most of the time shorther than the handle but with some designers tricks you can give the illusion… It was already the case with the Falcon: we got a real elegant knife despite being short, the blade is perfectly centered, the blade evenly ground, the action is smooth as butter and the edge cut my hairs… WOW !!
The large choil seems to be a Ferrum Forge signature and it is handy for precision cutting. Also when not using it I can hold the handle with 4 fingers. It is much more ergonomic and fonctionnal that my Izulas in that matter.
The lock is similar to the Spyderco PPT. It is a thick pride liner lock made of bead blasted grey titanium. The slabs are G10 with a very nice texture. Attention to details is stunning: quality is at the rendez vous. The lock feels strong and any way your hand is protected by the flipper used a guard and by the choil if you choose to use it. This is a very solid folder.
The blade is exquisitely ground and the edge is thin, razor sharp our of the box.
The opening construction is ultra minimalist and VERY EASY to keep clean !!
I love ultra minimalists design as found on the Spyderco K2 for example.
The spine is gently chanferred for an excellent confort in thumb pushing cuttings.
Something I won’t have to do myself.
Immediatly you want to play with and put the high saber flat ground S35VN blade in its pace. A steel first introduced to me through the Spyderco Native 5.
As a Lady/Gent knife it is small like a jewel.
Non threatening is a must in that kind of EDC knife. But don’t get fooled by its size; this is a real workhorse !
The detent is a little harder than the one of my Falcon or my ZT0562CF but it works and fires every time. It is really smooth and no side play so far. I was not able easily to open the blade without using the flipper.
The deep carry clip is well thought and it makes the knife disappearing in the pocket. EDC is often better in low profile configuration.
So let’s put a little convexing on that baby: Stuff 2, Fallkniven DC4 and leather…
Diamonds are in play for the first round. The thin edge makes it easy to scratch and of course I have scratched it. You can notice the very nice belly on the blade.
But nothing some use and future stropping won’t erase in a “beautility” attempt. The idea is just to bring convex in the middle of the belly.
Leather stropping, razor sharp let try it on my favorite test in ergos and edge: the Bottle Butt !!
As you can see it was an easy cut for that little knife. There is power in this one. The blade is just thick enough to provide a comfortable spine to strongly push through.
The Belly always help for push cutting in hard material.
So far what do we got:
an elegant, non threatening short folder with premium materials (Titanium and S35VN).
It can be deployed and close with one hand. Great balance with its sweet spot just behind the pivot. Great ergos, thin edge and easy to clean ?
This is almost the perfect EDC, worst it the best EDC you can buy for 80 dollars !!
This kind of high quality knife could be the only folder to bring with you anywhere. A great little big knife ready for anything ! Thank you to my friend Dan Sharpe for having introduced me to that little wonder !
SPECS
Produced by Drop
Designed by Ferrum Forge
Manufactured by WE Knife (in Guangdong, China)
Blade: CPM-S35VN stainless steel
HRC: 58–61
Blade type: Drop-point
Grind: Flat saber
Finish: Stonewashed
Handle: 6AL4V titanium with rosewood or carbon fiber scales
Lock: Liner lock
Open: Flipper tab
Ceramic detent ball
Caged pivot bearings, hardened steel washers
Choil for easy sharpening
Reversible, deep-carry steel pocket clip
Blade thickness: 0.13 in (3.2 mm)
Handle thickness: 0.4 in (1.1 cm)
Blade length: 3 in (7.8 cm)
Closed length: 3.6 in (9.7 cm)
Overall length: 6.6 in (17.5 cm)
Weight: 2.4 oz (68 g)
Founded in 2009, Ferrum Forge started from humble beginnings in Elliot Williamson’s garage in Southern California. Using found pieces of steel like old files and leaf springs, Elliot gradually taught himself the art of knifemaking and metallurgy. As his skills and passion grew, so too did the demand for his work. Luckily, Elliot’s brother Chris joined the team in 2012 to help expand Ferrum Forge to what it is today: a small operation dedicated to designing and producing custom knives through a rigorous process of development, machining, iteration, and quality control.
The story of the Gent starts back in 2016 when Elliot and Chris Williamson from Ferrum Forge teamed up with Drop (formerly MassDrop) for a cross brand collaboration. Ferrum Forge designed a series of unique Drop x Ferrum Forge knives that they produced, but none would compare to the Gent. After the success of the first few models, Drop asked for a less aggressive design better suited for carrying in an office environment. It was time for Elliot from Ferrum Forge to break away from aggressive, “tactical” style and give the world his take on a modern, gentlemen’s folding knife. Not only did he accomplish his goal, he created the most popular, best selling knife that Drop ever sold.
Ironically, Elliot didn’t like the Gent after he rendered it in 3D. His artistic side screamed it was boring and too simple. Meanwhile, Chris, lacking that artistic side, saw the elegance in the simplicity and loved it. Drop cast the tie breaking vote and the Gent came to life.
The Gent started their evolution toward slimmer, lighter, more pocket friendly, and less expensive knives. It was the first ever Ferrum Forge liner lock design and would eventually lead them to creating liner locks like the Stinger, Mini Archbishop, and Prolix.
Unfortunately their collaboration with Drop ran its course and they discontinued the Gent.
Back to trying to get a patina on cruwear after my first attempt.
Because lemon juice is not smelly and we use it a lot in the house, I have tried to let the blade all night in a tissue imbibed.
Tissue seems to be some kind of catalyst as it help to keep a contact between the citric acid and the surface of the blade.
In the morning the tissue was dark!
And you can notice rust starting to form in between strokes of the patina.
Rust is removed with some polishing which keeps the patina.
So here we are now with a kind of camouflage results.
It looks forced but should “mild” with uses but yes you can get a Patina from Cruwear with lemon juice and a night…
Which means if you forget your knife in the sink after making some salad, you can get rust on your Cruwear blade and a very swaggy patina.
Forcing a Patina on Cruwear!
Why?
Because I’m going to the sea and I just need to be certain it won’t pit.
Now Cruwear seems tricky compared to 52100 or Maxamet.
Let see how it will get…
45 minutes later… No patina yet some stains…
“It’s not as rusty as 1095 usually, so it’s easy to get complacent. It can go 3-4 days easier than O-1 or 1095 but 3-4 months is a different story. It’s easy to get fooled by steels with this level of chrome ( 8%) as to corrosion resistance. It will appear as a tiny spot of rust. Easy to overlook as it does not make it apparent that spot is deepening, not getting wider. The surface layer of rust covers up the hole. ”
The Mastiff
And he was right…
Trying to mix oxygen and vinegar using tissues and apple vinegar ?… Nope.
Apple vinegar and apple sugar under the sun….. Nope.
Aceto di Modena…. nope.
Even in the wind…
Naaah forget it. This steel won’t stain beautifully… Just a bit but not enough in my taste.
It will perhaps pit if let unclean some weeks but in my daily uses it should not.
Putting the blade back in the handle the tolerances on that knife are so great you can tight the screws with locktite and pur a drop of nano oil… the pivot is smooth as butter.
Also ten passes on white ceramic and it is back to jumping hairs harvest again.
So cruwear seems to be a very “friendly” steel which doesn’t smell anything when confronted to apple, apple vinegar, various vinegar including aceto … nothing seems to harm it surface.
It is like CPM 3V and will be kept oiled and shiny. My Ed Schempp’s Tuff never needed or develop a patina as my grey Military in Cruwear.
At least I got less worry. 🙂
I really do love that short stubby folder which are turned to be my Spyderco Techno replacement.
In term of ergonomy first, the rounded hand, large choil, smooth thick blade spine, all concours to make your hand “at home” when holding it.
This large choil gives a lot of control and force on precise cut need at the start of the edge. It is the exact opposite of an Izula for example when the index finger is blocked behind the guard, here you can whittle with index finger near the piece of wood giving you a lot of accuracy.
This handle also scales the blade up in term of proportions making it a beautiful short knife. Also in the elegance department, the edge feels like the tip of a lance with it spear’s point. Mine has aged beautifully with a gentle sanding on the titanium.
The clip has hold perfectly and is not hurting my palm when holding the knife tight.
The edge has been gently convexed and did not show any chipping or bending after a year of rotation.
So far I am very happy with my #734 and I highy recommend it.
Massdrop is not always offering bargain, especially regarding some famous 1095 steel made American Blades like TOPS, but for their US/China connection they are often great purchase. My friend Dan Sharpe (thanks to Loremicus a young Mangaka from Hong Kong) highly recommends their FF CRUX which turn to be two of his favorite folder.
I will certainly follow his advice at one moment, those folders are a bargain of high quality.
CUSTOM-KNIFE FEEL, PRODUCTION KNIFE PRICE: That’s the idea behind the Massdrop x Ferrum Forge Falcon. This folder is small enough to take anywhere, yet rugged enough to open boxes, cut rope, slice food, and more.
BEST STEEL ON THE MARKET: Developed by Crucible Industries (a leading manufacturer of specialty steel), S35VN is perhaps the most balanced blade steel ever in terms of all-around performance.
SMOOTH DEPLOYMENT: The Falcon has a grippy flipper tab and a ceramic ball-bearing opening system for buttery-smooth deployment with little effort.
SOLID TITANIUM HANDLE: The 6AL4V titanium handle is both lightweight and strong. Bead-blasted to a smooth gray finish, it perfectly complements the satin blade. The matching titanium clip is reversible for righties and lefties.
ABOUT FERRUM FORGE: Founded in 2009, Ferrum Forge is a dynamic duo of brothers Chris and Elliot Williamson. Known for their innovative designs and precise craftsmanship, the pair operates out of a small Southern California workshop.
KEY MEASUREMENTS: Blade length: 2. 9 in (7. 4 cm), closed length: 3. 9 in (9. 9 cm), overall length: 6. 8 in (17. 1 cm), Weight: 3. 6 oz (102 g)
This one will be my 5th Paramillie 2, so it is a well known plateforme but the offer was to great to pass: a CPM Cruwear blade and a smooth black G10 handle: another exclusive run from the Knifecenter which is synonym of of a great attention to detail. This sprint run is absolutely flawless and its operation is smooth like butter. You really feel in your hand one of the greatest all-terrain EDC version ever made by Spyderco, no more no less. You can also check my previous review of the Knifecenter Smooth S90V Native 5.
Perfectly centered and the grind lines just great. Golden is getting better and better through the years, it is like a real jewel of a “tactical knife”. Sal and Aric can be proud of that one !
This sprint run got smooth black G10 handles but pardon my French, I do love my edges even smoother than that. It’s really a matter of personal choice but the relation with my tools goes through the finger and the palm of my hands.
So OK It was really a matter of minutes just to round a bit the G10, as I was not obliged to sand all the slabs. So it was an minor adjustment.
The edge is already thin, So I cannot really improve it.
CPM Cruwear is great for stropping: a mirror edge is done very easily.
It is just the first try at deshouldering, the factory edge is still there and I want to test it that way.
This is not my first CPM Cruwear blade as my Grey Millie “Gandalf” was my first.
The knife operates so smoothly I have decided to carry it tip up and have installed a short deep carry clip which disappears under my ring finger once deployed. My intention is also to use the version of the Paramillie 2 hard so I want to hold it by the pivot without a clip coming in the way.
More to come soon.
En this black smooth handle reminds me that knife of my childhood: Le Couteau d’Office Nogent Carbon (Nogent carbon steel paring knife) which was the sharpest knife in the kitchen.
As you know my experience with 52100 has been enhanced with the owning of a great Paramillie 2 Sprint Run. This steel is staining and pitting just by gazing at it hence the forced patina I have done to protect the pivot’s hidden part.
But then ? After almost a year of rotation how 52100 has behaved ?
“52100 will take a very keen edge. What is often called “sticky sharp” or “a hungry edge.” said Sal in March 2018. He also said he wanted a Millie in 52100 to be used as Mountain knife.
And this is true. Like SuperBlue steel ! Those folding razor steel are flirting with lightsabers and are strong. Of course you don’t use your folders like a fixed blade as the pivot and lock can be weaker than a tang. “Batoning” (if any) with a folder should be made with the blade unlocked to avoid any stress on the locking mechanism. But lateral blade jolting inside the cutting medium is commun. I do that in plastics when It got resistance but it can happen inside a wooden knot too. So lateral strength especially on a thin pointy blade like the Millie/paramillie and Para3 is not a luxury as is also edge stability.
But the greatest joy and satisfaction in owning a 52100 blade is in its honing. This steel is made for leather stropping. In two passes it already get back to razor. Of course, I had convexed the blade to a very thin edge. In a simple 2 minutes round, after a full day of using, your knife is back to uncanny sharpness. This is so satisfying !!
The thick bottom of any plastic plastic soda bottle is my favorite test for geometry and bite as it can collapse under the force if not thin enough. The Nilakka is the queen in that game. But my full flat ground blade are all convexed to achieve powerful and controlled cuts. The thinnest of the bunch are my 72100 et CPM M4.
Ghost my CPM M4 millie has been used on various cutting duty involving food and grease as has been my 52100 Paramillie. I don’t do cutting ropes tests or anything which can be numbered, I go with the feeling. Even if I enjoy reading those tests it’s “quantity” over “quality” as a blade is 33% steel 33% heat treatment and 33% blade geometry. Cutting hard wood, looking and touching the wood’s grain and the cut fibers and how the edge behave when twisted inside is my way ad as 52100 is also used in razors: shaving sticks of hard wood is done with ease and control.
For Ed Fowler (grand manitou of forging 52100) when carefully forged and heat treated, this is the most versatile and dependable steel available to the knife industry. He feels that a man who depends on his knife deserves and needs the most reliable knife possible that will not bend easily or break when he needs it the most. A knife that can be sharpened easily and is friendly to his hand.
Ed got a very oldtimer advice for keeping his 52100 blade rust free:
“Any oil will keep rust from the blade, many times I simply apply the oil from the side of my nose or from behind my ear…”
One thing is certain: the more you use your 52100 blade, the more you check it and oil it with your hands.
Ed is not stranger to folding knives as he has teamed up with Ron Appleton and forged the blade out of 52100 for his “Chub” in 2001. Ron wanted to create a folding knife that would be capable of withstanding the rigorous demands of a straight blade user.
Our friend Ed Schempp is another fan of 52100 here what he was saying about it in 2005
“52100 is a very good steel. Ed Fowler has spent a life time tweaking this steel to improve performance. With multiple thermal cycles, normalizing and interrupted quenches, and low temp forging has accomplished and extremely fine grained steel.
Most of the time a good smith can further refine the grain on production steel. Some of the grain can be smaller then but not of the homogenous size that Crucible attains in their CPM products.
This translates to a finer cutting edge that can be sharper than S30V. This edge will not necessarily last as long as a high Vanadium steel like S30V, but can a higher initial sharpness.
The thermal treatment to bring the best of what 52100 has to offer will be expensive, although a simple heat treatment will still bring forward a good amount of what the steel has to offer. Differentially hardened blades would be very difficult to do commercially.”
So 52100 is still a guilty pleasure, because you know it will stain, it will need maintenance but when it come to using it hard and hone it back to sharp, this steel shows is true colors !
My first impression is that this little folder is designed as a very strong little workhorse. Nested liners, carbon fiber, compression lock, integral guard (short choil), full flat ground blade, belly on the edge ? What no to like ?
The hour glass clip !! Because it’s not deep carry friendly ! At least it doesn’t create a real hotspot even when holding the handle tight.
See ? The Rhino could be compared to the PITS in the way the guard/choil is working.
So far it’s another “Little big Knife” by Spyderco which could be used in the woods or in the city. Taichung is again top notch in the manufacturing, the liners are polished for example. Visible bronze phosphorous washers are visible and gives a very smooth opening.
This is the kind of knife which is crying to be used and the belly with the thin edge will certainly give a max of cutting power.
The Grey Mouser has been in my EDC rotation since it has arrived in my pocket.
So this a little report.
Maxamet is like a super CPM M4 to me, it cannot seem to get dull. I have deshouldered the edge and keep it sharp (razor) with white ceramic and leather. The edge behaviour in wood is like M2, it gives a gentle patina to the part cut.
The gently rounded spine is a must for thumb push cutting.
The lock is solid and did not give in to any vertical or lateral play.
The Para3 is really a friendly 3 inches knife with a wide spectrum of uses.
Near the pivot you got as much as any C36 Millie strenght for power cutting as this is the same “cockpit” as the good old Military. The point is easier to control as your hand grabs the blade and the handle with more ease on smaller knives. So you got a very capable knife for the outdoors, able to carve and trim wood.
Maxamet is giving a beautiful orange red patina. I have not been able to get any pit of rust despite my every day use on acidic foods.
It’s less sensitive to medium than K390 and close to CPM10V. You got stain but nothing more in my experience.
I clean it directly under the tap of in a soapy water. Nothing extravagant. The action is on the smooth side even without any oil near the pivot. I have decided to treat it the hard way.
So far I’m really impressed by the ease of keeping razor sharp that very special alloy. It’s not difficult with only white ceramic and leather and it happen once a week just for a refresh.
The deep carry clip is back for tip up carry and it makes a very low signature for an EDC.
It’s used every day for eating and mostly I use the spine to push in the plate.
An apple a day keep the doctor away, especially if you got a good aim.
More to come soon but so far this is a very satisfying experience.
Strangely I am coming back often to the PPT when I first thought it would be a collection and a safe queen. Safe queen my a$$ ! Pardon my French but there is something quite sensual when holding this knife, something which makes the other feel “hollow” in comparaison. The PPT got that heavy butt “anchoring” it to the palm but also the toxicated finish of the handle’s slab is a delight under the thumb.
There is something almost “paleo” in the finish. Something primal in the mechanical way it feels. It’s dense but is designed to be heavy metal. It’s a knife Opie could have admire…
On the performance side, I have decided to get a convexed edge. Diamonds are the only language stubborn S90V seems to understand and scratches on the blade side are, well especially for the clumsy sharpener, something hard to avoid especially when using the stone at a 10° angle to get rid of that secondary bevel. The performance in pushcutting are really enhanced now. I can measure it to the Manly Peak and its thin S90V blade.
I use white ceramic to make the steel shiny but S90V is really a tough cookie in the kindergarden of alloys: it’s a game of patience to obtain a nice finish.
But now on plastic I can enjoy the enhancement of that already very thin edge. It goes easy through.
Someone asked me why using a workhorse knife on tomatoes ? Tomatoes may look like some fragile fruits but they are not: their skin got no pity for any dull knife and their flesh will give in under any pressure. The best tools for tomatoes are serrated and micro serrated knives.
Hence that test on my polished edges. You need a very keen blade to push cut in a tomato and make thin loaves. Plastic and bambou can be used to test the edge stability which often is only due to thermic treatment of steel.
The alignement of the point on the PPT is very different from my Millie and is very close to the experience of the YO2: its makes powerful cuts.
Also the handle makes Icepick/reverse grip very confortable, knowing this is the favorite grip of Philippe Perroti on La Griffe, a grip I have found handy in forcing a door. Just kidding but the confortable reverse grip (à la “griffe de chat” in French) is not a joke.
You get also an excellent blade/handle ratio for a choiled knife compared to my Para3 for example.
And as good as the non-choiled Sliverax !!
My PPT has been used in the kitchen is not easy to clean because the way the hole in the liners are not accessible. This is serious issue if, for example, a piece of raw meat get stuck there and could contaminated the blade. The full Reeve Integral Locks are the best lock for checking your folding for any debris. I would have preferred solid titanium liners without that hidden cheese holes which ask for special maintenance starting by unscrewing the slabs to get full access and complete cleaning.
So in a wrap, the PPT is a compact hard user with very high performances featured by great ergos. It has a really strong character (it feels like it has been done for some Hell’s Angel fan) but once deployed it will pierce and cut with high reliability. Once the PPT is entering the game: this is serious business. For the record being represented to bikers gathering, bikers love La Griffe and various neckknife which are handy on a ride. So it’s easy to understand some DNA in the PPT design.
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