- Joined
- Dec 25, 2009
- Messages
- 953
I haven't posted on this forum in a very long time (more than I year, I'll warrant), but I think this is worth sharing.
I recently put together an online order containing three new knives: A standard Mercator, which requires no introduction; Marttiini's Black Lumberjack, a small Scandinavian-style puukko knife with a carbon steel blade; and a ring-lock knife from the Spanish company of Cudeman. I knew I'd be satisfied with the first two, but the Cudeman was something of a gamble. What little I could find online regarding their knives was encouraging, but this piece was less than $30 and I was praying it would be worth my money and time.
Based on first impressions, this knife is worth every penny.
The horn handles are smooth and well-polished and beautiful, and all the metal parts seem well done. No snags or sharp edges that I've found yet. All of the metalwork except the blade has a high-polish finish; the blade is a nice satin. Fit and finish isn't perfect, and there are some small nicks or cracks in the horn scales at the pins, but it's all just character.
For the thickness of the handle, the whole knife is very light and lively in hand. The blade is *extremely* thin, and with the flat grind should be a wicked slicer. I haven't yet cut anything, but the blade came with a hair-shaving edge out of the box, unlike my Mercator. That needed some work before it would cut.
The ring lock is easy to actuate and feels quite solid. There's a tiny bit of up-and-down play, but that's to be expected. It works exactly the same way as an Okapi knife or the Cold Steel Kudu knives.
As for cons, the centering is slightly off.
As with many traditional knives of this type, the blade contacts the metal backspring when the knife is closed, so I have to be conscious of that and not swing the blade shut. Finally, the joint, backspring, and inner channel of the knife are full of gunk and polishing compound and will need some cleaning to get rid of. All very minor things.
In essence, this is a very nice knife for a very inexpensive price. I'm very pleased. It is very like a navaja, I imagine. The knife goes well with the horn comb I got on my first-ever trip to the UK, and a Spanish-made bandana my brother brought home from a trip many years ago. I'll be back again when I have spent some time with this little blade and update my opinions.
I recently put together an online order containing three new knives: A standard Mercator, which requires no introduction; Marttiini's Black Lumberjack, a small Scandinavian-style puukko knife with a carbon steel blade; and a ring-lock knife from the Spanish company of Cudeman. I knew I'd be satisfied with the first two, but the Cudeman was something of a gamble. What little I could find online regarding their knives was encouraging, but this piece was less than $30 and I was praying it would be worth my money and time.
Based on first impressions, this knife is worth every penny.
The horn handles are smooth and well-polished and beautiful, and all the metal parts seem well done. No snags or sharp edges that I've found yet. All of the metalwork except the blade has a high-polish finish; the blade is a nice satin. Fit and finish isn't perfect, and there are some small nicks or cracks in the horn scales at the pins, but it's all just character.
For the thickness of the handle, the whole knife is very light and lively in hand. The blade is *extremely* thin, and with the flat grind should be a wicked slicer. I haven't yet cut anything, but the blade came with a hair-shaving edge out of the box, unlike my Mercator. That needed some work before it would cut.
The ring lock is easy to actuate and feels quite solid. There's a tiny bit of up-and-down play, but that's to be expected. It works exactly the same way as an Okapi knife or the Cold Steel Kudu knives.
As for cons, the centering is slightly off.
As with many traditional knives of this type, the blade contacts the metal backspring when the knife is closed, so I have to be conscious of that and not swing the blade shut. Finally, the joint, backspring, and inner channel of the knife are full of gunk and polishing compound and will need some cleaning to get rid of. All very minor things.
In essence, this is a very nice knife for a very inexpensive price. I'm very pleased. It is very like a navaja, I imagine. The knife goes well with the horn comb I got on my first-ever trip to the UK, and a Spanish-made bandana my brother brought home from a trip many years ago. I'll be back again when I have spent some time with this little blade and update my opinions.
