Haven't been able to find any recent updates here about this fixed blade tanto, so thought I'd give my first impressions. I was looking to find an inexpensive yet well made tactical knife and came across the CS Kobun selling for under $35. Read a bunch of online reviews that gave it high praise for its quality & value. Ordered one up and was very pleasantly surprised with what arrived at my door today.
The Kobun is lightweight and has thin profile, but feels great in the hand. The textured grip is very tacky and the palm swell provides for a better grasp. The 5.5" spec'd AUS-8 blade has an 1/8" spine almost all the way to the tip and full tang making it a very strong design. There is also a lanyard hole if you like adding paracord. The blade arrived oiled, gleaming, shaving sharp and flawlessly honed. While some may prefer a bead blasted look, the Kobun comes with a satin finish that looks amazing in person. I ran it through a newspaper and some cardboard like slicing thru air.
Mine also came with the new Secure-Ex sheath that is very well made. This newer version only has lashing holes on the blade edge side and tip, and comes with a reversible silver metal belt/boot clip. The clip secures with 2 fasteners & a folded lip and can be adjusted to ride low or high depending on your needs. The only drawback is that the clip is smooth and can allow the entire sheath to pull out when the knife is drawn. To solve this I may drill a small hole and use a short flathead screw as a grip-stop. The knife seats in the sheath with a click and is very secure. I discovered that you can easily extract it one-handed by grasping the handle and using just a simple thumb press on the sheath. There have been reports of the sheath dulling the blade, but I can't attest to that (at least not yet), but using the method I mentioned above will allow upward force on the spine and downward on the sheath keeping the sheath from pressing against the blade edge. The sheath also has a good size weep hole on the bottom to allow water to drain.
The knife is very concealable and comfortable for a 5.5" blade. I think this is a great knife for anyone on a budget or just looking for a high value tactical fixed blade at a low cost.
The Kobun is lightweight and has thin profile, but feels great in the hand. The textured grip is very tacky and the palm swell provides for a better grasp. The 5.5" spec'd AUS-8 blade has an 1/8" spine almost all the way to the tip and full tang making it a very strong design. There is also a lanyard hole if you like adding paracord. The blade arrived oiled, gleaming, shaving sharp and flawlessly honed. While some may prefer a bead blasted look, the Kobun comes with a satin finish that looks amazing in person. I ran it through a newspaper and some cardboard like slicing thru air.
Mine also came with the new Secure-Ex sheath that is very well made. This newer version only has lashing holes on the blade edge side and tip, and comes with a reversible silver metal belt/boot clip. The clip secures with 2 fasteners & a folded lip and can be adjusted to ride low or high depending on your needs. The only drawback is that the clip is smooth and can allow the entire sheath to pull out when the knife is drawn. To solve this I may drill a small hole and use a short flathead screw as a grip-stop. The knife seats in the sheath with a click and is very secure. I discovered that you can easily extract it one-handed by grasping the handle and using just a simple thumb press on the sheath. There have been reports of the sheath dulling the blade, but I can't attest to that (at least not yet), but using the method I mentioned above will allow upward force on the spine and downward on the sheath keeping the sheath from pressing against the blade edge. The sheath also has a good size weep hole on the bottom to allow water to drain.
The knife is very concealable and comfortable for a 5.5" blade. I think this is a great knife for anyone on a budget or just looking for a high value tactical fixed blade at a low cost.
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