Comeuppance
Fixed Blade EDC Emisssary
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2013
- Messages
- 4,765
If you're not familiar with Hogue, they were initially a gun accessory company that recently (if 2010 is recent) began to produce knives designed by renowned knifemaker Allen Elishewitz, who was the youngest member to join the American Knifemaker's Guild and is currently the director of the board. I have owned some of his custom knives and they are of incredible quality, and I have even been in (brief) contact with him and my impression is that he is a genuinely exceptional person in both character and exploits.
I mention his customs and dedication to high-quality knives because Hogue has done an excellent job of reproducing that same feeling with their production knives. Every single one I have held has had flawless lockup and centering, and they even come from the factory with a screaming sharp polished edge.
I've owned a representative sample of Hogue knives, and I’ve probably owned a higher percentage of the company’s catalog than any other company:
- EX-01 3.5" and 4" tanto and drop point
- EX-02 tanto and spear-point and a limited-edition EX-02 with blue G10 handles
- EX-A01 4" tanto
- both blade styles of EX-04 (that were tragically tip-down only)
While all were mechanically and practically perfect, I've since traded, sold, or given away all of those knives due to ever-changing interests - never due to dis-satisfaction. In fact, the EX-01 Drop Point 3.5” that I gave to a friend was the crystallizing moment that led him to becoming a true knifebro who is, as I type this, trying to convince his wife that a Spyderco Smock is a justifiable purchase.
Recently, within just a few days time, I purchased a BNIB Wharncliffe X5 and a used Spearpoint X5 from two different individuals. Both have 4" blackout CPM154 blades, and black aluminum handles with G-Mascus inserts.
The Spearpoint X5 I purchased was not just heavily used, but the previous owner was also exceptionally neglectful of the knife, with a disproportionate amount of wear on the flipper tab, loads of of debris in the pivot and handle, and a pretty notable ding on the spine of the knife (which was all frustrating given the “93%” condition rating by the eBay seller). I did a full takedown of the knife to give it a much-needed deep clean… and was blown away by the quality and design of the knife.
This knife is an absolute marvel of engineering and design. It's assisted but doesn't have a spring, which they accomplished by milling a sloped track for the detent ball into the pivot area of the blade. It has no washers but flies open with ease because of the low-friction nature of a button lock and the tight manufacturing tolerances (adjusting the pivot did not change the centering or introduce blade play)
It seems closer to a $400 mid-tech than a ~$200 production knife. I have handled multiple bearing pivot knives with action inferior to this washer-less knife. That both knives were dead center and flew open to perfect lockup despite being in drastically different conditions is a testament to the quality of Hogue’s manufacturing and Elishewitz’s design.
So, that’s a long-form way of saying Hogue knives are well-made and I wish their catalog was larger. The prices may seem high, but (1) a little bit of shopping around on the secondary market makes them a lot more affordable and (2) they’re worth list price anyway just due to the quality.
I mention his customs and dedication to high-quality knives because Hogue has done an excellent job of reproducing that same feeling with their production knives. Every single one I have held has had flawless lockup and centering, and they even come from the factory with a screaming sharp polished edge.
I've owned a representative sample of Hogue knives, and I’ve probably owned a higher percentage of the company’s catalog than any other company:
- EX-01 3.5" and 4" tanto and drop point
- EX-02 tanto and spear-point and a limited-edition EX-02 with blue G10 handles
- EX-A01 4" tanto
- both blade styles of EX-04 (that were tragically tip-down only)
While all were mechanically and practically perfect, I've since traded, sold, or given away all of those knives due to ever-changing interests - never due to dis-satisfaction. In fact, the EX-01 Drop Point 3.5” that I gave to a friend was the crystallizing moment that led him to becoming a true knifebro who is, as I type this, trying to convince his wife that a Spyderco Smock is a justifiable purchase.
Recently, within just a few days time, I purchased a BNIB Wharncliffe X5 and a used Spearpoint X5 from two different individuals. Both have 4" blackout CPM154 blades, and black aluminum handles with G-Mascus inserts.
The Spearpoint X5 I purchased was not just heavily used, but the previous owner was also exceptionally neglectful of the knife, with a disproportionate amount of wear on the flipper tab, loads of of debris in the pivot and handle, and a pretty notable ding on the spine of the knife (which was all frustrating given the “93%” condition rating by the eBay seller). I did a full takedown of the knife to give it a much-needed deep clean… and was blown away by the quality and design of the knife.
This knife is an absolute marvel of engineering and design. It's assisted but doesn't have a spring, which they accomplished by milling a sloped track for the detent ball into the pivot area of the blade. It has no washers but flies open with ease because of the low-friction nature of a button lock and the tight manufacturing tolerances (adjusting the pivot did not change the centering or introduce blade play)
It seems closer to a $400 mid-tech than a ~$200 production knife. I have handled multiple bearing pivot knives with action inferior to this washer-less knife. That both knives were dead center and flew open to perfect lockup despite being in drastically different conditions is a testament to the quality of Hogue’s manufacturing and Elishewitz’s design.
So, that’s a long-form way of saying Hogue knives are well-made and I wish their catalog was larger. The prices may seem high, but (1) a little bit of shopping around on the secondary market makes them a lot more affordable and (2) they’re worth list price anyway just due to the quality.