Tag Archives: Knives

Spyderco Native Chief: HELLBOY 2 – The Kitchen Army

26/05/2024 nemosandman 5 Comments

Since the reception of my Chief Native I have found that he was a sole survivor from a Xmas Mystery Box bought in Spyderco’s plant in Golden in December.
In that box were different items and a rare Sprint Run Second Factory which was destined to end in my pocket and considered by myself IMHO as the perfect realisation of Sal and Eric ideas about pocket knives. In fact I think it is my favorite Spyderco ever.
I have written a first review here.
And now it is time for a second approach of Hellboy which has succeeded in kicking other knives from my pocket and quench my thirst for novelty.

So why ?

First the Native family feature an absence of hump on the blade making them very slick and beautiful.

Even the Shaman benefits from that.

The Chief is on the left and the Shaman on the right.

As you can notice the design of the Native Chief is really close to one of my favorite design: the AFCK.
Sal Glesser was no stranger in the Benchmade BM800 AFCK back in the 90’s. He helped Les De Asis founder of Benchmade on it. They had both learned how to make Michael Walker’s linerlocks at Bob Terzuola shop.
Both company were accelerating on the tactical lane in close formation.

As you can notice, my AFCKs (Advanced Folding Combat Knife) which was also designed by Chris Caracci a former Navy SEaL have been used a lot. The first version got a Spydiehole and the second version got an oval hole and an axislock.
This design was one of my favorite for a big folding knife as EDC.
And back then I was really in love with concept of tool highspeed steel on a modern plateform.

The same happend with that special Native Chief which got a very special alloy for its blade: CPM-4V.
With that steel, the edge is strong and the thin blade is very solid.
It gives a lot of confidence when cutting on a plate made of ceramic of glass. No chipping can happen.
Hellboy has been used a lot for cutting pies and cake on glass plates and the edge behavior was not disappointing. When I have noticed a little shiny spot, some white ceramic was able to put everything back on line but it was really minor.

Now CPM4V is not stainless. It will form a patina or, worst, rust very quick and easily when used in acidic matters like cutting lemons and being used on a salad with vinegar.
DLC coating is really welcome for that kind of behavior. Back in the 90’s Benchmade was offering only PVD coating which is really inferior to Diamond Like Coating. So far the blade of my Chief is not marked and scar by it various cutting tasks even when cutting.
My previous Chief was a naked Rex45 blade and it was another story told here.

Even strawberries can darken the edge of CPM 4V.

But cheese is a great way to notice how DLC is making the surface of the blade less sticky but more stinky.

The Chief was not always used on gentle medium like wood.

It was also used on plate with vinegar salsa. Here it is basamic vinegar from Modena.

In the kitchen the knife is really behaving like an paring knife. It is really handy on fruits and vegetables. Its very pointy blade is great to carve.
.The mechanism has never suffered from being wet and rinsed under water. The knife was smooth through and through its various wet works.

Now I like to have chamfered and smooth handles and blade spine. The Chief is known to be very square everywhere. The G10 has been easy to smooth with sandpaper used wet to avoid toxical dust.
Now the blade spine is DLC coated and it was my esthetic choice to remove the coating on all the length of its spine.

I love the result.

It has been done with some diamond rods.
Now the spine is much more confortable for my thumb in case of push cuts.

CPM 4V on that Native Chief platform is really the bread and butter for a strong thin folder. I’m not afraid to use hard on wood and plastic.
And it is a must in the kitchen various missions.
It has been also test on different hard wood and compared (geometry speaking) with many other knives I got.
One of my champion is the Swayback in term of smooth pushcuts.
But also the Wolfspyder and the Yojimbo.

My Chief needed more convexing and thinning to go to the level I was expecting. Again diamonds has been used handfree to remove the shoulder of the edge.
CPM 4V keeps a very very crispy edge and bites in the wood very aggressively.

CPM M4 is a stunning alloy which is prefered on fixed blade but it is a gem on a long and thin folder. It makes it super solid with a very permissive edge.

Quoting Larrin Thomas Phd:

Some will argue that toughness is not important in folders or fine slicing knives and feel that only edge retention matters in that case because they don’t use their knives in aggressive ways which are likely to lead to chipping. However, broken tips are still common on small knives and kitchen knives. And with higher toughness, the knives are better able to handle thin, low angle edges without chipping. And they can be heat treated to higher hardness to help prevent edge rolling and deformation, while still maintaining good toughness. This means that, indirectly, higher toughness can lead to better cutting performance because of the possibility of thinner edges.

The good news is that CPM Magnacut has been copied on CPM 4V behavior.

Folders, Review

Delica K390 with Lynch Titanium Scales – A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing !

17/04/2024 nemosandman Leave a comment

I got the chance to get that customized Delica through Henri Ramsey, a Spydiefriend from the Facebook French Spyderco Fan Club.

The K390 Delica has always been a monster of pocket knife (click on the name to go to my old review of the Delica with buffed sprint alloy). The thin blade mixed with the super tool steel allow (K390) alloy has proven to be amazing for hardchore.
From their Seki Japan plant, Spyderco is producing many different K390 model, folders and fixed blades. The Stretch 2 being highly regarded as one of their best design.

The Blue Pingo has been made in Golden though.

So here you got an incredibly tough, strong and wear resistant blade on scales produced by Lynch. A typical Sal Glesser design: performance first !

But Lynchnw has taken that game to another league with their scale:

“A few years ago Casey put out a very limited run of the LynchNW MOD 1 Delica 4 and some scale sets. This is our newest Delica MOD 2 Titanium Scale Kit, modifying your choice of Delica 4 Knife with a set of Custom Titanium scales, featuring a forward finger choil, blade profiled scale holes, smooth bellied profile, a custom titanium back-spacer, enlarged lanyard hole, and a custom designed deep carry titanium clip. ” To quote Lynchnw.com site.”

What bring these new scales apart of adding titanium for the pure neo industrial look of it ?
It bring many things:

A finger choil. A real one.

A longer handle and your pinkie will thank you for that.

A slim package which is soft on your pocket trousers.

Seven holes which are showing the edge of your knife when it’s closed.

See how cute is it ?

So here we got a very friendly city pocket knife which is not screaming “I’m a sword from Hell !!” like my new beloved Hellboy Chief or this AFCK in M2.

It looks like a lady and gentleman knife.
But beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

This one share the same core engine as a Police 4: K390 at 65HRC in a thin geometry ! It is a Metropolice knife.

Review

Deadpool’s choice: the C244GRDBK Spyderco Native Chief in CPM 4V.

12/04/2024 nemosandman 5 Comments

This is my second Native Chief, and it is a Factory Second bought in a 2023 Mystery Box:
“This limited-edition Exclusive version of the Native Chief™ was specially manufactured for St. Nick’s Knife Factory (stnicksknives.com) and is only offered through their sales channels.…
…Our Red & Black Holiday Sale starts December 1st at 9:00AM MST! This online-only event will feature deep discounts on select factory-second knives, two different Mystery Boxes containing seconds of special high-value models, Sprint Runs, and Exclusives.“
Red and Black? This one was definitely made for that box! 🙂

Which means it has some cosmetic flaw I was not able to spot.
The action is rock solid — in fact, much more solid than my previous Chief, the Mighty Rex 45 Orange Sprint Run: the Joker.

I have heard that CPM Magnacut could be a stainless CPM 4V.
What I have heard over the years is how CPM 4V is tough and strong. The toughest steel used in Spyderco was CPM 3V used in the Tuff by Ed Schempp.
4V is used in cutting competitions alongside CPM M4. It is tougher than A2 or D2, and also tougher than M4.

What is the advantage in a folder like the Chief?
Simply look at the blade shape:

The Chief’s blade is more pointy than the PM2.
To quote Spyderco:
“This advanced alloy was specifically developed for demanding industrial applications requiring high degrees of both toughness and wear resistance. The PlainEdge™ blade is full-flat ground for a superior balance of strength, edge geometry, and point utility, and features a stealthy black Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating that also helps protect it from corrosion.“

Yes, this is a good thing because with only 5% chromium, CPM 4V can rust.
DLC helps eliminate that concern for this folder.

There is also some reminiscence of the Benchmade AFCK in M2HSS.
It was 25 years ago that this co-designed folder with Chris Caracci and Sal Glesser introduced a rust-prone tool steel on a modern “tactical” knife, protected by a black coating.

So peace of mind is a real advantage in a workhorse knife.
In the signature theme of St. Nick’s Exclusives, the linerless handle of this knife is constructed with vibrant red peel-ply-textured G-10 scales. To complement the blade’s low-profile DLC coating, the four-position pocket clip, lock bar, and all other handle hardware also have durable black coatings.

So what do we have with this Hellboy’s blade of choice?
A long folder with no hump on the blade — very slick.
A tough, pointy design you can use hard.
A very strong lock — backlocks are among the strongest locking systems around.

Quoting Sal in my previous Chief review:
“Actually Eric and Tom went over this model with the engineers for quite a while before making the decision to make it liner-less. We’ve done a lot of experimenting lately and you can see a lot in the many different designs and options. It surprises me that some would think to make decisions on values without any experience. If we screwed it up, we’ll fix it, but we don’t screw up often considering the many envelopes we’re willing to push.”

Now that Spyderco is promoting a lightweight FRN version of the Chief in CPM Magnacut, this is a good opportunity to step back in time and enjoy this incredibly slick and tough piece of equipment from a few years ago.

For my own adjustment, I have sanded the G10 so it is less harsh on my trousers.

The edge is already de-shouldered with diamond stones, and now I will tune it further to my preferences, as CPM 4V is not only tough but also strong.

I also replaced the original clip with a deep-carry Chinese clone.

And off we go!

Edit: I am back on the OEM black matte clip, which keeps less of the knife in the pocket. Deep carry is not mandatory on this one.
The Chief needs to be proud to be red!

Review

The Amphibian Milestone in CPM Magnacut : the Paramillie 2 Salt has landed !

30/03/2024 nemosandman 5 Comments

The Amphibian Milestone in CPM Magnacut iq PARA MILITARY® 2 SALT® BLACK G-10 CPM MAGNACUT® BLACK BLADE – C81GMCBK2, which is much too long to fit in a title.

This is not my first Paramillie 2. I usually wear the 52100 carbon fiber version, but I have used many versions in S90V, CPM Cruwear, and S30V. The 52100 is actually the exact opposite of this new version.
Announced at the 2023 Amsterdam Minimeet, a Paramillie impervious to the elements. Better: a nautical version ready to stand tall in front of the salty waves of the ocean’s breakers.
Then the wait began.

And here it is, in all its glory!
Delivered with Larrin Thomas’ dreamlike alloy: the CPM Magnacut!
A steel that hits a lot of sweet spots. Like a sort of totally rust-free CPM M4: strong, resilient, and able to withstand thin edges without chipping.
So why add a DLC on that alloy? Overkill can be fun, can’t it?

Here are 3 versions. The 52100, the CPM Cruwear, and CPM Magnacut from right to left. Three excellences in their own way, all designed by Sal and Eric Glesser.
CPM Magnacut is a story of love.
Quoting its metallurgist and designer:
“The carbide structure of MagnaCut is much finer than the common powder metallurgy stainless steels such as CPM-154, M390, Elmax, S35VN, etc. The only stainless PM steel I have imaged which is competitive in terms of carbide/nitride size is Vanax. MagnaCut is even somewhat finer than CPM-4V and Vanadis 4 Extra, the non-stainless steels that MagnaCut was modeled after. This is an excellent result and should lead to excellent properties.”

Quoting Spyderco:
“This tour-de-force expression of the Para Military 2 showcases a full-flat-ground blade crafted from CPM MagnaCut—a state-of-the-art particle metallurgy steel that offers an exceptional balance of edge retention, toughness, and superior corrosion resistance. Cloaked in a non-reflective Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating, the PlainEdge blade is housed in a handle featuring peel-ply-textured black G-10 scales machined with the signature Caribbean Bi-Directional Texture pattern of Spyderco’s US-made Salt Series knives. To complement its blade steel and finish, the knife’s nested stainless steel liners, four-position pocket clip, and all other hardware are also made from ultra-corrosion-resistant materials and black coated.”

That new Salty Paramillie is destined to be an amphibian workhorse, a hippocampus!!
All hardware is black coated except the stop pin, which is silver and made of “fearlessly corrosion-resistant marine-grade materials“.
The handle (as efficient as it is in being non-slip) is destined to be a pocket shredder, as it is carved to be used with wet, oily hands. Your trousers will suffer!!
Unless, like myself, you are a compulsive user of sandpaper. Even then, it will be hard on pocket lips.

The Diamond-Like Coating is not only protecting a blade that doesn’t need any protection; it also gives a strong Mall Ninja vibe.
Usually, coatings bring some kind of lubrication to material separation. I’m not impressed so far, even on sausages.
The geometry is perfect on my PM Salty—thin as a razor though.

One thing I had to change was the clip. It was replaced by a Flytanium Universal Titanium Clip, which is short and deep-carry.
Also, I moved the clip for a tip-up carry, which suits the Paramillie better in my book.

Of course, de-shouldering the edge is the first step before convexing, which I do on new knives. Especially since I have read that Magnacut loves leather stropping.

And this is true! The edge turned quickly into a über-razor state.

It zipped through meat like a lightsaber into bantha meat.

So now the game is on. The Salty Magnacut Paramillie is ready to kick all other knives from my pockets and be used long term.
Let’s see what this cutlery apogee-era knife has to propose in the long run!

Folders

Zero Tolerance ZT0770CF – Fast and Furious.

07/02/2017 nemosandman 3 Comments

I love my Spyderco mantra 2.
Great engineering, ergos and materials. An attention to details and a signature: Eric Glesser. He is a perfectionist and a clever one. But I do hate one thing: the trademark “little” hole. A place to catch grim and hard to clean on the field.

Why don’t you just print a circle instead to drill into the blade ? The trademark hole is even on my Spyderco fixed blades…
Anyway, the Des Horn was a first step. A second step is the ST0770CF.

I was in need of a “blind” folder. I mean a folder without any hole or thumbstub or disk.
The Real Steal Megalodon was on my list: with its beautiful lines like a Sukhoi 27, M390 steel….
But then the Zero Tolerance caught my eye through all its great reviews.

ZT knives were always synonym of heavy fat ground knives à la Strider. Not something I would enjoy as EDC.
Unless I start to follow a special project around the ZT0770in M390 and especially a version in CPM M4 (ended with 69 dollars of international shipping fees).

So I went to “La Coutelerie Tourangelle” famous for their good prices, great shipping fees (5.9 euros with tracking in France) and total absence of communication…. 😉 Just kidding, even if they are mute like a brick wall, they delivered a great service world wide.

The ZT0770CF got no name. Its blade is beadblasted. This is a user not a safe queen.
The assisted opening is strong and seems reliable. I have found some people were able to remove the spring easily and even order another bronze washer. But my idea was to have a spring making my flipping secure and complete.
Many times my flipping was not 100% on my Southard on my Domino…. and it was frustrating.
So no ball bearing on the ZT but a strong spring. Again if you don’t like it, you can remove it.
I love it.
It is positive and definitive. SCHLAKK !! It’s open.

Now if you don’t want to be noticed you can open it against your leg, halfway and with a gentle flick it is open.
All is silent.

Balance wise, the ZT is perfect: the Carbon Fibers handle is so light. There is a black spacer, beautiful and very scifi. But the point of balance is just behind the pivot ! Perfect.
The knife is “alive” in your hands.
The texture of the carbonfiber is smooth but matte. Just like my sanded G10 handles. There is enough blade to open the knife like a gentleman folder. It won’t jump from your hands, the spring is not “that” strong.
There is a detent you can also feel at the end of the blade course.
The action is smooth, enough smooth to have the gravity works fine when unlocked.
This is a beautiful knife with a great attention to details.

The liner lock is thick and nested. Easy to operate. The detent ball is visible. Everything is in place.
The jimping on the blade is not to aggressive. The jimping on the flipper is more aggressive but do not come in contact with finger once open.

The guard is very cleverly thought. The position of the pin and the jimping on the flipper. It’s a clockwork !
Closed or open, there is no hot spot on the ZT0770CF, all lines flush together: very impressive.

The pivot screw is beautiful and despite its exotic look just need a torx to be unscrew. You can rest your thumb on it, it works like my Calypso’s screw guard.
The CF handle is renforced by nested liners and despite being light the construction is very solid.

Ergos are great. I mean they suit my four fingers. I already loved on my Mantra how the flipper served as guard once the blade open. Here on the ZT the guard in integrated with flipper like on the Domino but more pronounced. I really love that configuration.

The ZT got a particular blade: high flat thinly ground with a kind of sheepfoot shape. It works.
You got some belly near the pivot and a straight edge near the point, something between a Spyderco Positron a stretch Cricket.

It cuts aggressively and pass my plastic bottle bottom with force and ease. Eventually I find the ZT’s blade is simply gorgeous, all in curves… The belly near the pivot will give a lot of power for pushcuts into wood.

I love Elmax since my Lionspy. I remember beating the crap out of it and it was really forgiving: no chipping and great sharpness.
Also I’m in love with a Squeak in Elmax with titanium handles for a year now and this pure little Italian wonder will be review soon.

Elmax is such a great knife steel. No chipping, edge stability, ease of maintaining. What not to love ?

The black clip is short but made for deep carry. This is a very low profil configuration which leave almost zero print. The knife can find a nest into the watch pocket too. We got here a very compact package and very light: a true EDC.