Nemesis blade

K

Ken Cox

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I asked about the grip proportions and ergonomics on the ER folders, specifically the Nemesis, in another thread (Let's talk about the grip).
Burchtree posted some remarkable photos of his MPC, which answered all of my questions.

I now have a similar question about the blade of the Nemesis.
I have seen many pictures of it in profile in the various online catalogs, but these types of pictures rarely do a knife justice.

Would someone who has a Nemesis and a digital camera please take a few pictures of the blade from different angles and in different light so that I can get a better feel for it?

The more I see and read about this knife the more it looks like my next knife purchase.
I have a family and I don't make these kinds of purchases lightly, but this Nemesis has started to look too good to let pass.
 
I don't have the pics you require, but I did handle one for a good, long while at a gun & knife show last weekend. I new the owner, so he didn't care that I carried it around for awhile.

First, it's much bigger than I expected. The specs on paper don't really give a good indicator of what to expect. THe action was smooth, yet firm. The lockback design was very secure, and very authoratative upon lockup. The handle is strangly comfortable. The thing that kept me form buying the knife is the edge geometry. The blade was almost half as thick as it was deep! Upon looking at the cross section, point first, it's more of a wedge than a knife. Granted, I have never used one, but I just can't imagine this beast slicing anything well? It would be fun to carry, but for the money, I need something that I can use for everything.

Good luck w/ the pictures.
 
An interesting and valuable response from wire edge.
Thanks.
This tells me a lot of what I want to know.

I have a Persian made by John Greco that has a blade geometry that sounds similar to what wire edge has described.
I really like that knife but, because of its thickness, it does have limitations when it comes to a lot of everyday cutting chores, especially fine chores.

However, this works OK for me.
I have a Spyderco Native for some fine cutting chores (and self-defense in a pinch), and a Leatherman for all sorts of other cutting chores.
I reserve the Greco Persian for extreme self-defense and survival, where I need the most robust and indestructible knife imagineable (the Persian, in A-2 steel, lacks the corrosion resistance of a true survival knife).

It sounds like the Nemesis might give me a folding alternative to my Greco Persian.
I like the profile of the Nemesis because it suggests good penetrating power, and recent studies have led me to place more importance on the point in self-defense.
The thickness suggests that the edge will take side loads well, not in the pry-bar sense but in the Charpy-testing sense, meaning resistance to chipping of the edge due to twisting and turning while cutting.

In terms of survival and self-defense, I'd like to hear more along the lines of what wire edge has shared, and I'd still like to see some photos from different angles and lighting.
Thanks again to wire edge.
 
Here's are some pics:
http://home.att.net/~ktleung/wsb/media/74773/site1117.jpg
http://home.att.net/~ktleung/wsb/media/74773/site1116.jpg

The Nemesis is one tough knife. Lockup is solid and no blade play. Blade is definitely not for fine cutting or slicing tomatoes. Blade is very thick and looks tough enough to penetrate a steel drum and pry lids off if one chooses to do so. The knife is easy to take apart to clean, as I have done so numerous times. It is definitely a great choice for self-defence or any cutting chore that does not require thin slices.
 
Why are the blade so skinny in relation to the handle width?

Overall, I like the ER folders, but I do wish the blades were a bit wider.

Any plans for making a wider bladed version?
 
The blades cut well.

At the recent MBC class in Ohio, I handed Mike Janich my MPC during the demonstration he did with a bunch of other knives on a pork roast on a dowel, covering in clear plastic wrap and denim.

The ER MPC made a slash that made Mike look at the cut, and then look at the knife with consideration.

I cannot say it was the deepest gash, (like the flat ground Ronin did) but other knives simply did not make the grade, while others did well. Considering the blade thickness of MPC, this is an accomplishment and testament.
 
Thanks to Kai for the pictures.
They told me exactly what I needed to know.

Mikemck asked about the narrow blade.
Considering the pictures from Kai and wire edge's observations, I assume Mikemck refers to the height of the blade from edge to spine, and not its thickness.

The MPC and Fulcrum seem to have plenty of blade height, or whatever one wants to call it.
I perceive the Nemesis as having a narrower blade, as Mikemck terms it, in order to maximize penetration in the thrust.
Just as the MPC and Fulcrum blade shapes seem weighted or compromised towards the survival and multi-purpose side of the equation, the Nemesis seems weighted/compromised towards the self-defense or combat side of the equation.

I think any of these three knives would serve well tactically.
How nice that one can choose the emphasis that suits him best.
For myself, I like a blade with more point, such as the Nemesis.
Nothing on the market has quite met my ideas of an appropriate blade shape (favoring self-defense) prior to this Nemesis.

I have liked some of Gene Osborn's folders (www.centercross.com) for their grip and blade shape, but they lacked the overall size and robustness I want in a do-everything knife.
I don't say that to fault Gene, who has made a fixed-blade knife for me in the past that has met and exceeded every item on my wish-list.
Gene and I just have different tastes in folders.

This Nemesis seems absolutely perfect, for me.
I need to get together some money and find the lowest price on the internet.
 
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