Brownie
03-11-2006, 08:49 AM
My initial impressions were that it sits light in the hand and pocket, had very good ergonomics relative accessing from the pocket and controlling the knife in the hand either closed or open. Though their information does not include the width of the knifes handle, I discovered the handle which sits clipped inside the pocket measures 3/8”overall. Very slim indeed as most folders go. The g-10 scales offer a superb gripping surface which enhances the overall control one has of the knife while being used as would be expected where control is important while the knife is covered in hair and blood while performing it’s intended function in the field.
Upon initial inspection it was observed the PH had a smooth action when opening the blade. There was no lateral [side to side] or vertical [up and down] play in the blade when locked open. Lockup of the liner-lock was solid, the liner engagement moving the full width of the liner onto the blade, which left almost another two liner widths available for wear in the future. I was not able to make the liner fail in spine whack tests to the palm of my hand, nor could I get the lock to fail under steady pressure to the spine of the blade. The thumbhole used for opening the folder is their “V-hole” design. When the blade is closed the V-hole extends far enough from the handle to allow a solid purchase to open the blade with gloves on which one might expect to be wearing while the knife is being used in the field.
The clip came set up for right hand carry in the tip down position though the G-10 scales have been drilled and tapped for tip up as well as left handed carry in either tip up or down carry as well. This certainly make the knife more versatile and can be set up to be carried in the manner the user feels best suited for their needs. This is a feature that few knife makers use presently though we are seeing more and more manufacturers doing this in an attempt to satisfy every customer’s potential needs. Southpaws were not ignored by Blade-tech in this regard and will enjoy the options afforded them here.
The clip is secured to the G-10 handle material by three Phillips head screws that can be removed or tightened without special tools. I like this feature immensely as most makers’ today use screw heads that require special tools other than the normal layperson would have on his workbench. I used my SAK multi-tools Phillips to loc-tite the screws back down upon receiving the knife. Something that could be done in the field if one found the screws were loosened for any reason while away from civilization. Certainly a plus in my mind as I always carry a multi-tool on the belt but would never be carrying a torx wrench for such tasks in the wild.
As the knifes name suggests, it was designed primarily as a hunters folding field knife whose primary use would be to field dress game animals. As such it would follow the blade should be made of steel that will hold an edge well in the field and be good at slicing through deer and bear hide [leathers] as well as muscle. The blades tip would be strong enough to withstand catching bone and not be prone to breakage or bending.
The blades spine has three separate serrated areas along its length. Something not seen on any other knife I have handled in the past. The rear serrations behind the V-hole opener are for controlling the knife with the thumb while the middle serrations and serrations closest to the tip are for ones forefinger and aid immensely in controlling the blade while skinning and caping game. The serrations give a solid purchase but are not so sharp as to be uncomfortable. One thing I did notice however is that the serrations closest the handle will sometimes tend to grab at the pants pockets while extricating it.
Over time this may lead to premature wear of the inside top edge of the pocket. If the knife was configured to be carried tip up, the blades spine serrations would then be positioned directly at the back of the pocket and may further slow the draw of the folder when they grab at the pocket material. In tip up carry as I have this one set up, I discovered if you cant the spine of the knife away from the pocket while drawing it, the serrations will clear the pocket easily and not slow the draw or wear on the inside of the pants pocket. This has become a normal routine for me while deploying the knife now and did not take long to adjust to the technique.
The blades choil also has serrations that are to the rear of the cutting edge. This allows one to choke up on the knife in any grip that may be found necessary in the field and allows for precision and control of the blade at all times. Just another sign of the designer’s forethought as to what may be needed in the field. Tim Wegner, owner of Blade-tech, makes it a habit of hunting dangerous game often. My guess is he has designed this knife around real world use based on his observations of what will enhance a folder used by hunters. In that regard, Tim has certainly thought long and hard in coming up with the characteristics of this folder that enhance its ability to perform as intended.
The flat ground S-30 blade easily slices through cardboard. This knife was made to slice. There is plenty of belly in the design and I found the blade easily controlled in the hand when working with thick cardboard boxes. I was able to redirect the knife with little effort while moving it through that medium and have no doubts it would be even better at slicing animal hides open. The spine keeps it’s mass to within a ˝ inch of the tip where it reduces to the point. This helps in the tips strength, which is stout on such a thinly designed knife. The tip is pointy enough for easy penetration into “tough” materials like animals hides. Again, my guess is that Tim engineered the tip to be able to accomplish penetration with a point that is strong yet is not so “pointy” as to be vulnerable to weakness at the same time as with others designs. I like this attribute on this knife very much.
The blades steel holds its edge for a long time. S-30 is one of the newer super steels developed specifically for knives and edge holding ability in mind. After making redundant slices into heavy cardboard, the edge was still sharp. I was able to put the hair popping edge it came with back on the knife in short order with the Spyderco sharpmaker using only the white polishing stones after hundreds of cuts into the heavy cardboard boxes. A positive attribute that will be of benefit to the user if the knife becomes dull in the field for any reason.
The pivot pin is hidden from access in the tip down position. It will be necessary to take the clip off the handle if one carries it set up for right handed tip down carry. The pivot screw would be accessible if the knife were set up for left hand carry or either side tip up carry were utilized. I mention it only as an observation and not a failing in its design. It has been brought to my attention by others that there is some concern relative the knife being stout enough as designed for the handle to not flex during use. I tested this potential for this review by holding the knife blade in a gloved hand and putting lateral stresses on the opened blade. I could not detect any lateral movement at all with hand strength. The lock did not disengage or move at all during this testing. My impression is that the knife is stout enough to not worry about flexing which could disengage the liner-lock as posed as a potential problem by others.
The Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game Hunter Information and Training Program endorses the PH as well as “utilizes it in their field dressing and meat care” clinics. It also recommends the PH “for field dressing big game” in Alaska as of 2/26/03 having tested the knife in these venues. That would lead me to believe if the knife has performed well at skinning big dangerous game animals without failing, it should be considered strong enough to withstand your utilitarian or defensive needs.
I believe the design parameters make it an efficient self-defense knife. In that venue, some of the things I look for are tip strength relative stabbing, blade profile relative slicing ability during slashes, and overall ergonomics where handle design/shape are conducive to various grips one might use in defense of themselves. If we look at the PH in that regard, we see it has excellent slicing capabilities due to the blade being flat ground, good tip strength where it may catch a rib and not break, and a handle design that secures the knife in the hand either in saber or reverse grip due in large part to the knifes ergonomics. This knife is made to be used in various grips and is a success in and of itself in that regard. One would be hard pressed to drop the knife during use due to the overall shape of the handle, the gripping ability of the G-10 scales and the serrations found on the spine and choil of the PH.
Though the knife is marketed as a hunter’s folder to be used in field dressing and caping game, it easily transcends itself to either a great everyday utility knife or self-defense folder due to the above noted attributes of design, ergonomics and materials. A person could do a lot worse carrying some of the folding knives specifically designed for defense than the PH.
Upon initial inspection it was observed the PH had a smooth action when opening the blade. There was no lateral [side to side] or vertical [up and down] play in the blade when locked open. Lockup of the liner-lock was solid, the liner engagement moving the full width of the liner onto the blade, which left almost another two liner widths available for wear in the future. I was not able to make the liner fail in spine whack tests to the palm of my hand, nor could I get the lock to fail under steady pressure to the spine of the blade. The thumbhole used for opening the folder is their “V-hole” design. When the blade is closed the V-hole extends far enough from the handle to allow a solid purchase to open the blade with gloves on which one might expect to be wearing while the knife is being used in the field.
The clip came set up for right hand carry in the tip down position though the G-10 scales have been drilled and tapped for tip up as well as left handed carry in either tip up or down carry as well. This certainly make the knife more versatile and can be set up to be carried in the manner the user feels best suited for their needs. This is a feature that few knife makers use presently though we are seeing more and more manufacturers doing this in an attempt to satisfy every customer’s potential needs. Southpaws were not ignored by Blade-tech in this regard and will enjoy the options afforded them here.
The clip is secured to the G-10 handle material by three Phillips head screws that can be removed or tightened without special tools. I like this feature immensely as most makers’ today use screw heads that require special tools other than the normal layperson would have on his workbench. I used my SAK multi-tools Phillips to loc-tite the screws back down upon receiving the knife. Something that could be done in the field if one found the screws were loosened for any reason while away from civilization. Certainly a plus in my mind as I always carry a multi-tool on the belt but would never be carrying a torx wrench for such tasks in the wild.
As the knifes name suggests, it was designed primarily as a hunters folding field knife whose primary use would be to field dress game animals. As such it would follow the blade should be made of steel that will hold an edge well in the field and be good at slicing through deer and bear hide [leathers] as well as muscle. The blades tip would be strong enough to withstand catching bone and not be prone to breakage or bending.
The blades spine has three separate serrated areas along its length. Something not seen on any other knife I have handled in the past. The rear serrations behind the V-hole opener are for controlling the knife with the thumb while the middle serrations and serrations closest to the tip are for ones forefinger and aid immensely in controlling the blade while skinning and caping game. The serrations give a solid purchase but are not so sharp as to be uncomfortable. One thing I did notice however is that the serrations closest the handle will sometimes tend to grab at the pants pockets while extricating it.
Over time this may lead to premature wear of the inside top edge of the pocket. If the knife was configured to be carried tip up, the blades spine serrations would then be positioned directly at the back of the pocket and may further slow the draw of the folder when they grab at the pocket material. In tip up carry as I have this one set up, I discovered if you cant the spine of the knife away from the pocket while drawing it, the serrations will clear the pocket easily and not slow the draw or wear on the inside of the pants pocket. This has become a normal routine for me while deploying the knife now and did not take long to adjust to the technique.
The blades choil also has serrations that are to the rear of the cutting edge. This allows one to choke up on the knife in any grip that may be found necessary in the field and allows for precision and control of the blade at all times. Just another sign of the designer’s forethought as to what may be needed in the field. Tim Wegner, owner of Blade-tech, makes it a habit of hunting dangerous game often. My guess is he has designed this knife around real world use based on his observations of what will enhance a folder used by hunters. In that regard, Tim has certainly thought long and hard in coming up with the characteristics of this folder that enhance its ability to perform as intended.
The flat ground S-30 blade easily slices through cardboard. This knife was made to slice. There is plenty of belly in the design and I found the blade easily controlled in the hand when working with thick cardboard boxes. I was able to redirect the knife with little effort while moving it through that medium and have no doubts it would be even better at slicing animal hides open. The spine keeps it’s mass to within a ˝ inch of the tip where it reduces to the point. This helps in the tips strength, which is stout on such a thinly designed knife. The tip is pointy enough for easy penetration into “tough” materials like animals hides. Again, my guess is that Tim engineered the tip to be able to accomplish penetration with a point that is strong yet is not so “pointy” as to be vulnerable to weakness at the same time as with others designs. I like this attribute on this knife very much.
The blades steel holds its edge for a long time. S-30 is one of the newer super steels developed specifically for knives and edge holding ability in mind. After making redundant slices into heavy cardboard, the edge was still sharp. I was able to put the hair popping edge it came with back on the knife in short order with the Spyderco sharpmaker using only the white polishing stones after hundreds of cuts into the heavy cardboard boxes. A positive attribute that will be of benefit to the user if the knife becomes dull in the field for any reason.
The pivot pin is hidden from access in the tip down position. It will be necessary to take the clip off the handle if one carries it set up for right handed tip down carry. The pivot screw would be accessible if the knife were set up for left hand carry or either side tip up carry were utilized. I mention it only as an observation and not a failing in its design. It has been brought to my attention by others that there is some concern relative the knife being stout enough as designed for the handle to not flex during use. I tested this potential for this review by holding the knife blade in a gloved hand and putting lateral stresses on the opened blade. I could not detect any lateral movement at all with hand strength. The lock did not disengage or move at all during this testing. My impression is that the knife is stout enough to not worry about flexing which could disengage the liner-lock as posed as a potential problem by others.
The Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game Hunter Information and Training Program endorses the PH as well as “utilizes it in their field dressing and meat care” clinics. It also recommends the PH “for field dressing big game” in Alaska as of 2/26/03 having tested the knife in these venues. That would lead me to believe if the knife has performed well at skinning big dangerous game animals without failing, it should be considered strong enough to withstand your utilitarian or defensive needs.
I believe the design parameters make it an efficient self-defense knife. In that venue, some of the things I look for are tip strength relative stabbing, blade profile relative slicing ability during slashes, and overall ergonomics where handle design/shape are conducive to various grips one might use in defense of themselves. If we look at the PH in that regard, we see it has excellent slicing capabilities due to the blade being flat ground, good tip strength where it may catch a rib and not break, and a handle design that secures the knife in the hand either in saber or reverse grip due in large part to the knifes ergonomics. This knife is made to be used in various grips and is a success in and of itself in that regard. One would be hard pressed to drop the knife during use due to the overall shape of the handle, the gripping ability of the G-10 scales and the serrations found on the spine and choil of the PH.
Though the knife is marketed as a hunter’s folder to be used in field dressing and caping game, it easily transcends itself to either a great everyday utility knife or self-defense folder due to the above noted attributes of design, ergonomics and materials. A person could do a lot worse carrying some of the folding knives specifically designed for defense than the PH.