MBK - Laconico Minpin or EZC ?



Ordered this Friday and came in Saturday but only had the chance to open it today since I was out of town. Luckily I have neighbors who gladly secured the package for me. My first impressions are very positive and already used it to open more packages (of knives :D).

If I were to nit pick, I would only wish that my version had the satin bevels. Either way, I’m really impressed so far.

R RBid thanks for pointing me in this direction.
 
Jaydud said:


Ordered this Friday and came in Saturday but only had the chance to open it today since I was out of town. Luckily I have neighbors who gladly secured the package for me. My first impressions are very positive and already used it to open more packages (of knives :D).

If I were to nit pick, I would only wish that my version had the satin bevels. Either way, I’m really impressed so far.

R RBid thanks for pointing me in this direction.
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Posts like that give me warm fuzzies. I’m glad you’re loving it!
 
Got my EZC today. I'm pretty happy with it. I knew I liked the design, and am pleased with the execution (fit & finish). I'd prefer the detent to be a tad stronger. It opens fine and plenty snappily if you "push button" it. It's less certain with a "light-switch" flip. All in all, it's certainly worth the cost and I expect to carry it a good bit.:thumbsup:
 
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[/IMG] Look what I found in the mail today!
I don't see anything that I don't like. This EZC is not fussy about lockbar pressure.
Very smooth flip.
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It will make a great carry knife for me.
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Got mine today, I’ve been carrying it, using it and flipping it since this morning. My thoughts are that this is a good knife at the price point. It is on the smaller side for my XL hands but still very much useable. The action is perfect in my opinion especially if you are used to flipping a Keen as it alters your hand position to not put pressure on the lock bar. All in all I like the knife however I am going to make some changes to improve it for my use. I must say that I was not wowed from the get go as I was with both my Keens which makes me appreciate the value in them so much more, especially at $40 less than the EZC. I’ll report back after some more time with it.
 
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Daniel said:
I went to the MBK website very early, after checking several times to see if it was open to order, and 1:40am PT, I ordered the EZC to go along with my Min Pin. I was surprised that it allowed me to place the order. But, I was not even the first one to order!! I was 4th.

I have already received shipping notice from MBK early this afternoon. I look forward to adding to my Laconico herd!
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Were you on the wait list?
 
You guys are killing me! Mine is being delivered today and my mail usually doesn't come until around 4 or 5pm PCT. Baaaaah!
 
marchone said:
Were you on the wait list?
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I think that I was on the notification list. I received an email right before the release time, but way after I had visited the website and ordered the knife.

I received my EZC today and I really like it.

I especially like that the clip is contoured. My Min Pin has some slightly sharp edges that irritate my thumb joint since I am a lefty. The EZC does not do this. In fact, the position of the clip is out of the way of my thumb. Generally, I don't like clips, but this one is unobtrusive to me.

It really flips nicely-the detente is just right on mine.

The only issue with the knife in my OCD mentality is two small marks on the presentation side of the handle where it appears to have been scratched. They are very small on not very noticeable-except to me!
 
Mine came. Really pleased. It's nearly the same size as a small Inkosi, though it feels thinner. My favorite size. Also, the clip is wonderful... and I always prefer spring clips. If this were a spring clip, I wouldn't complain, but as of now.... also zero complaints. Thin, nice grind, everything is contoured and smooth (except the edge).

2 gripes: One) There's a TINY discoloration on the spine, 1/2" from the tip. Doesn't really matter, but it's a there. Two) Detent could be stronger to my preference. I can easily fail to flip with a light switch. But with a hybrid switch/push, it's second nature to open. It's really fine, just a subjective note.

Note: It weighs 3.05 oz vs the 2.8 list. Doesn’t matter to me and isn’t noticeable.

I would not have minded a CF backspace like the minpin, but I do appreciate the titanium as-is also.

I'm not a good reviewer. tl;dr review is, I really like it.
 
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Got my EZC and Min Pin last night. Found the Min Pin LNIB on the secondary market. They came crazy late due to the PO getting caught up from MLK day. I haven't had much time to play around with them but I can say I'm impressed by both knives.
EZC - Great size and just looks beautiful. F&F is pretty nice. There are a couple tiny sharp spots on the back end of the scales near the backspacer but they're really minor. Flipping action is pretty average. You can definitely fail on the flip if you don't put a little effort into it. The blade will drop shut down to where the tab hits your thumb but then takes a couple/few bumps to seat the blade. I'm not in the "it has to free fall" camp so this is fine. It could maybe use a slightly stronger detent but it's not bad. I'm thinking to action on this will break in with some time.

Min Pin - Also a great size and just a tad bigger than the EZC. F&F on this one is spotless. Very nicely done. Action is very nice as well. Flips with authority due to a fairly strong detent. Falls shut with just a little bump. When depressing the lock bar, there is a slight bit of a gritty feeling when the blade first starts to close. I think it's the detent ball maybe? Guessing this will smooth out with some time and flipping.

Between the two, the Min Pin is definitely the superior knife IMO but not by that much. I general, I like the looks of the EZC more but prefer the handling of the Min Pin. But, I just got them and haven't spent much time with them yet so my opinions could change.

Overall, very happy with both knives.

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My detent was pretty weak out of the box too. I was actually going to give it a little more lock bar tension, but when I took the torx to the pivot I could tell it was pretty loose and not snug. Snugged up the pivot and wow made a big difference. Maybe give it a try. Turned the screw lightly until it stopped then just a smidge more.
 
Never had either in my hands, but from the pics I much prefer the looks of the lockbar cut on the MinPin over the EZC - looks more Laconico-authentic to my eyes.
 
My EZC arrived yesterday. Only flipped and fondled not yet carried. Detent is dialed in nicely, well centered, and locks up tight at about 45-50%. I'm really digging the size.

Nicely contoured pocket clip gives me no discernible hot spots when holding the knife in hammer, sabre, or pinch grips (my 3 most common holds). Can't yet comment on its feel and performance during cutting tasks, though.
 
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My MBK EZC just arrived. Faster opening and less detent pressure than reports have had some examples. Centering is perfect. I have wanted one since I discovered Ray's customs but wouldn't pay $1000 for a user nor could I get on a wait list. This fills my desire perfectly. Sweet little thing. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Comparison shot with two Keens.

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So I've has the EZC and Min Pin for a few days now and have been playing around with them quite a bit and have cut a few things. Both are great slicers with the edge going to the EZC mainly due to the blade design/geometry. The Min Pin is still a good slicer though.

The actions are breaking in nicely. I haven't made any adjustments yet. The EZC is flipping a little better with some break in and tt still won't fall shut but that's fine with me. I actually prefer knives that need a little bump or two to seat the blade. While the action is not in the league of say some of the ZT's or other great flippers, it's still a good flipper. The blade is very light and I think that might have to do with the overall flipping performance.

The Min Pin is also breaking in nicely. The detent is pretty strong on this one and as I mentioned above in my previous post, there was a little grittyness when depressing the lock bar. That has turned into a bit of lock stick. You definitely have to "click" the lock bar off the blade. A little lock stick has never really bothered me but I did want to mention it. Other than that, the knife is perfect.

So a few days in now, I'm not so sure I still prefer the Min Pin as I mentioned in my previous post. The EZC is really growing on me and I just like the feel of it a little better I think. Yes, the action is not as good as the Min Pin but the size, shape, feel in hand and cutting performance seem to be giving it an edge for me. Again, the Min Pin is still a great knife though.

Things I would change on the EZC? Mainly just the action. A little better flipping action would be nice. I need to try and adjust the pivot as @knifebro mentioned above. Also, if the EZC were just a slight bit bigger, that would be perfection. Something between the EZC and the Keen. The Keen was just a little big and heavy for my tastes.

Things I would change on the Min Pin? I would give it the EZC's pocket clip. The Min Pin's clip is good but the EZC's pocket is a thing of beauty. I would also obviously get rid of the lock stick but guessing that might just be specific to my individual knife. I also might want just a slightly larger version of the Min Pin as well. Although, it's pretty darn good at it's size now. The little extra bump at the back end really makes a difference.

Anyway, there's a bit of an update. At this point, I'm starting to think hard about a Custom EZC in Ti or maybe CF or maybe a Beagle if I can find one. Is a custom worth the extra money? Hard to say. The Monteray Bay examples are pretty outstanding.
 
Sent my EZC off to get a bronze anodizing and tumbling to closely match the bronze Massdrop Keen. I don't particularly care for plain Ti, and something about the finish on the EZC made it seem kind of cheap looking to me (not sure why, but...). I very much like the finish on the Keen and it'll be cool to have it and the EZC in similar finishes, I think.
 
HappyDaddy said:
Sent my EZC off to get a bronze anodizing and tumbling to closely match the bronze Massdrop Keen. I don't particularly care for plain Ti, and something about the finish on the EZC made it seem kind of cheap looking to me (not sure why, but...). I very much like the finish on the Keen and it'll be cool to have it and the EZC in similar finishes, I think.
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I've actually been thinking about doing a light Scotch Brite Pad finish on mine. Give the finish some depth. I'm the same way with Ti in general. If it's too clean and uniform, it just doesn't look quite right. The EZC finish is great but I think it scream for some customization.
 
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