alude904
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2012
- Messages
- 546
I must say that it is not every day that I get to write an objective review and more so one that is rarely or possibly never seen before. Both are reasons why I'm excited to write and talk about this recent catch. WARNING: This review is considered "pic heavy".
To be honest, up until a couple weeks ago, this knife was as mysterious and elusive to me as its mentions on the forums currently is. The aim of this review is to not spark a destructive debate or criticism but instead peak interest in many knife enthusiasts such as myself. After all, this is why we're here isn't it?
The knife in question is plastered above depicting only a fraction of its glory. While many other knives intimidate their rivals with a catchy name, this one goes by the simple moniker of RK1508s. Whether it's a lack of imagination or a disregard for trend, that is left to our imagination. This piece of functional art is created by a manufacturer who's company goes by the name of Rike Knife.
I have decided to go ahead and get the controversial part of the review out of the way early on to focus more on the facts and end on a high note. With that being said, I would like to introduce the company and where it possibly stands within the knife community. Rike knife is a Chinese based company who produces top quality knives made from premium materials in China. Whether or not that irks some of you, that certainly has no affect on the quality and performance of the knife in this review. What is questionable and may turn away a portion of the community is the origins of some of their designs. While I'm fairly certain that some of the designs (specifically this one) is not copied, I have done enough research to be convinced that one or more of their designs are. This info does not sway my opinions of this knife specifically but it does disappoint me towards the company as a whole. While there is plenty of time and other places to debate this, I would like to continue with the facts and highlight why this knife stands out to me.
Like all reviews, let's get the dry facts out of the way first but this time, in a hopefully less dry form factor.
Materials:
Now I could be totally wrong or partially biased but as of this writing, today's trend seems to be heavy on the titanium. Regardless of all that trendiness, Rike knife sure likes it's titanium and it couldn't be reflected better than this with an integral 6Al4V titanium frame, pocket clip, and pivot rings/frame lock over travel stop. For those of you who are asking what is an integral frame, you can either jump to the pictures or I can proceed to inform you that it is a solid/single piece of material as opposed to two or more pieces of material that make up the frame of the knife. Not wowed by my explanation? Then perhaps maybe you should jump to the picture. When it comes to the type of steel a blade is made out of, we all tend to go into fan boy mode. I will admit to being guilty of this from time to time but if we look to the elemental make up of Bohler M390 steel, it sure does have a nice rap sheet. To tie this all together and create a functioning mechanism, I believe we have steel hardware and some sort of ceramic ball bearing pivot system.
Shape & Dimensions:
The blade is a simple but tried and true drop point design featuring a full to high flat ground grind. The overall length of the knife is a comfortable 7.7" which is slightly shorter than a large Sebenza 21 but almost a full inch longer than a Mini Griptillian. The blade length accounts for almost half of the overall length and comes in at 3.25" while the thickness of the blade is a modest .159". The basis for the handle/frame design is definitely of the geometric variety with clean cut edges.
Fit & Finish:
This model knife knows no bounds and has been spotted in many disguises ranging from various anodized colors to having blade finishes such as satin, mirror polished, and stone washed. This particular knife's frame and pocket clip is anodized a sort of chartreuse green with the natural titanium edges seeping through that at certain angles appear almost purple. The pivot rings are anodized a blue/purple color to contrast but compliment the rest of the knife. The blade (according to my poor eye sight) appears to be a satin type finish that also compliments the choice of anodizing.
Now let's talk about impressions and the all encompassing aura that this knife gives . Impressions aren't everything but in the knife world they play a huge part. Impressions can influence how popular a knife is, how much it costs, what your friends think of it, or even how easily it sells itself. The impression this knife had on me before the purchase and what it continues to give me are equally as well as increasingly powerful. Anyone who enjoys collecting knives has the "checklist". You know what list I'm talking about. It's the list that contains all the criteria for properties you look for or are currently into in a knife. For me, it's currently a titanium frame lock flipping knife with a reliable steel, somewhat symmetrical, preferably no thumb studs, is appealing to the eyes, has a practical blade shape such as drop point, is not serrated, feels comfortable in the hand, and is built to last. I dare say that this knife meets most or all of the items on my list.
While my decision on this knife was made with haste, I always do my homework before pulling the proverbial trigger and this knife was no exception. As previously stated, there are very little to no reviews on this knife so there was still a certain uncertainty on the final impression this knife would leave me with. There was a short period of time though where I thought I had it pegged along with a specific image in my mind. That image completely went out the window when it arrived in the mail.
So the knife comes shipped in a black zipped pouch lined with cloth and two slots. For the price that this knife goes for, I was surprised at how cheap the pouch is. Alas, that is not/should not be what we pay for so I easily let it slide. Depending on what type of knife and brands you're into, a knife being big or small is a relative term but for the sake of my impression, this knife is smaller than I anticipated. This is neither good or bad but more so surprising despite the pre-purchase comparison I made to other knives I've handled. Regardless of the size, it fits perfectly and comfortably in my hand which I consider to be smaller than most. Due to the full titanium frame, the knife is unsurprisingly light. I generally prefer my knives to have a thick blade and this one seems to be about average. This is also not a bad thing considering the fact that it's a personally smaller knife.
As far as aesthetics, this knife is a beautiful piece of artwork and the anodizing job is amazing. The colors are executed perfectly in my book. I could even go as far as to say that the colors cause the knife to have a positively amazing split personality in the sun and indoors.
The craftsmanship is also amazing but doesn't come without flaws. First I'd like to say that the tolerances are extremely tight. The knife flips very smooth while the blade is perfectly centered and has zero blade play. Lock up is about 30% and works as intended but is a tad bit stickier than I'm used to and prefer. I expect this to work itself out as it gets used more.
Just by looking at a knife's pocket clip, some people might say there isn't much there. I disagree. A knife's pocket clip is so much more. It's what attaches the knife to our pants or other wearables. It's the only thing people see if it is attached to our pants. It could be a fashion statement for some or a functional feature for others. It may or may not be the cause of us scratching our friend's ride if we brush up against it the wrong way. Whatever the reason is, this pocket clip nails it.
The machining of this knife is instantly an eye catcher. The CAD design on this is out of this world, not to mention the fact that it's an integral design. One thing that caught my attention though is the lanyard hole. At first glance I thought the lanyard hole was a good design and I still somewhat think that. However, I have two negative things to say about it. The first is that the holes are pretty small. If you're one to use 550 paracord then you're going to have a rough time feeding some through there. Just be prepared to make an event out of it. The other thing is that looking inside the hole, it appears like it has a sharp edge inside, enough to cut the lanyard. After outfitting the knife with a lanyard, I can say that this probably isn't the case and just appears sharp. These two issues aren't necessarily a lack of skill or an oversight but could be a limitation on the design of the fame along with the way it had to be machined. I do not currently have picture of the lanyard hole but if I remove the lanyard I will include pictures at another time. Another concern I have with the knife is the blade stop pin. It is about average size compared to other stop pins but I feel like the screws are really tiny/fragile and that it could have been executed a little bit better. While these are my issues, they may not be issues at all to others so take this with a grain of salt.
The flipper is designed pretty well as it is the right shape, size, has minor jimping, and flips the blade with ease. The top of the blade also has thumb jimping and is done just well enough to be functional and not so aggressive that it hurts after heavy use. As partially mentioned earlier, the frame is surprisingly ergonomically comfortable despite it's aggressive geometric shape.
Overall, I'm very impressed with the knife and highly recommend it. The current price point of $425-$450 is debatable but comparing it to other knives with the same materials, it comes out to about the right price range not considering custom vs production. Also, let's recall that list I spoke of earlier. How many knives can you name out there with all those features AND being of an integral design?
I invite anyone with comments or questions to chime in. Let me know what you think of my review. If anyone has this knife I would like to encourage you to start a thread in the proper subform so that we can get a proper fan base going for it. Thanks for looking.
To be honest, up until a couple weeks ago, this knife was as mysterious and elusive to me as its mentions on the forums currently is. The aim of this review is to not spark a destructive debate or criticism but instead peak interest in many knife enthusiasts such as myself. After all, this is why we're here isn't it?
The knife in question is plastered above depicting only a fraction of its glory. While many other knives intimidate their rivals with a catchy name, this one goes by the simple moniker of RK1508s. Whether it's a lack of imagination or a disregard for trend, that is left to our imagination. This piece of functional art is created by a manufacturer who's company goes by the name of Rike Knife.
I have decided to go ahead and get the controversial part of the review out of the way early on to focus more on the facts and end on a high note. With that being said, I would like to introduce the company and where it possibly stands within the knife community. Rike knife is a Chinese based company who produces top quality knives made from premium materials in China. Whether or not that irks some of you, that certainly has no affect on the quality and performance of the knife in this review. What is questionable and may turn away a portion of the community is the origins of some of their designs. While I'm fairly certain that some of the designs (specifically this one) is not copied, I have done enough research to be convinced that one or more of their designs are. This info does not sway my opinions of this knife specifically but it does disappoint me towards the company as a whole. While there is plenty of time and other places to debate this, I would like to continue with the facts and highlight why this knife stands out to me.
Like all reviews, let's get the dry facts out of the way first but this time, in a hopefully less dry form factor.
Materials:
Now I could be totally wrong or partially biased but as of this writing, today's trend seems to be heavy on the titanium. Regardless of all that trendiness, Rike knife sure likes it's titanium and it couldn't be reflected better than this with an integral 6Al4V titanium frame, pocket clip, and pivot rings/frame lock over travel stop. For those of you who are asking what is an integral frame, you can either jump to the pictures or I can proceed to inform you that it is a solid/single piece of material as opposed to two or more pieces of material that make up the frame of the knife. Not wowed by my explanation? Then perhaps maybe you should jump to the picture. When it comes to the type of steel a blade is made out of, we all tend to go into fan boy mode. I will admit to being guilty of this from time to time but if we look to the elemental make up of Bohler M390 steel, it sure does have a nice rap sheet. To tie this all together and create a functioning mechanism, I believe we have steel hardware and some sort of ceramic ball bearing pivot system.
Shape & Dimensions:
The blade is a simple but tried and true drop point design featuring a full to high flat ground grind. The overall length of the knife is a comfortable 7.7" which is slightly shorter than a large Sebenza 21 but almost a full inch longer than a Mini Griptillian. The blade length accounts for almost half of the overall length and comes in at 3.25" while the thickness of the blade is a modest .159". The basis for the handle/frame design is definitely of the geometric variety with clean cut edges.
Fit & Finish:
This model knife knows no bounds and has been spotted in many disguises ranging from various anodized colors to having blade finishes such as satin, mirror polished, and stone washed. This particular knife's frame and pocket clip is anodized a sort of chartreuse green with the natural titanium edges seeping through that at certain angles appear almost purple. The pivot rings are anodized a blue/purple color to contrast but compliment the rest of the knife. The blade (according to my poor eye sight) appears to be a satin type finish that also compliments the choice of anodizing.
Now let's talk about impressions and the all encompassing aura that this knife gives . Impressions aren't everything but in the knife world they play a huge part. Impressions can influence how popular a knife is, how much it costs, what your friends think of it, or even how easily it sells itself. The impression this knife had on me before the purchase and what it continues to give me are equally as well as increasingly powerful. Anyone who enjoys collecting knives has the "checklist". You know what list I'm talking about. It's the list that contains all the criteria for properties you look for or are currently into in a knife. For me, it's currently a titanium frame lock flipping knife with a reliable steel, somewhat symmetrical, preferably no thumb studs, is appealing to the eyes, has a practical blade shape such as drop point, is not serrated, feels comfortable in the hand, and is built to last. I dare say that this knife meets most or all of the items on my list.
While my decision on this knife was made with haste, I always do my homework before pulling the proverbial trigger and this knife was no exception. As previously stated, there are very little to no reviews on this knife so there was still a certain uncertainty on the final impression this knife would leave me with. There was a short period of time though where I thought I had it pegged along with a specific image in my mind. That image completely went out the window when it arrived in the mail.
So the knife comes shipped in a black zipped pouch lined with cloth and two slots. For the price that this knife goes for, I was surprised at how cheap the pouch is. Alas, that is not/should not be what we pay for so I easily let it slide. Depending on what type of knife and brands you're into, a knife being big or small is a relative term but for the sake of my impression, this knife is smaller than I anticipated. This is neither good or bad but more so surprising despite the pre-purchase comparison I made to other knives I've handled. Regardless of the size, it fits perfectly and comfortably in my hand which I consider to be smaller than most. Due to the full titanium frame, the knife is unsurprisingly light. I generally prefer my knives to have a thick blade and this one seems to be about average. This is also not a bad thing considering the fact that it's a personally smaller knife.
As far as aesthetics, this knife is a beautiful piece of artwork and the anodizing job is amazing. The colors are executed perfectly in my book. I could even go as far as to say that the colors cause the knife to have a positively amazing split personality in the sun and indoors.
The craftsmanship is also amazing but doesn't come without flaws. First I'd like to say that the tolerances are extremely tight. The knife flips very smooth while the blade is perfectly centered and has zero blade play. Lock up is about 30% and works as intended but is a tad bit stickier than I'm used to and prefer. I expect this to work itself out as it gets used more.
Just by looking at a knife's pocket clip, some people might say there isn't much there. I disagree. A knife's pocket clip is so much more. It's what attaches the knife to our pants or other wearables. It's the only thing people see if it is attached to our pants. It could be a fashion statement for some or a functional feature for others. It may or may not be the cause of us scratching our friend's ride if we brush up against it the wrong way. Whatever the reason is, this pocket clip nails it.
The machining of this knife is instantly an eye catcher. The CAD design on this is out of this world, not to mention the fact that it's an integral design. One thing that caught my attention though is the lanyard hole. At first glance I thought the lanyard hole was a good design and I still somewhat think that. However, I have two negative things to say about it. The first is that the holes are pretty small. If you're one to use 550 paracord then you're going to have a rough time feeding some through there. Just be prepared to make an event out of it. The other thing is that looking inside the hole, it appears like it has a sharp edge inside, enough to cut the lanyard. After outfitting the knife with a lanyard, I can say that this probably isn't the case and just appears sharp. These two issues aren't necessarily a lack of skill or an oversight but could be a limitation on the design of the fame along with the way it had to be machined. I do not currently have picture of the lanyard hole but if I remove the lanyard I will include pictures at another time. Another concern I have with the knife is the blade stop pin. It is about average size compared to other stop pins but I feel like the screws are really tiny/fragile and that it could have been executed a little bit better. While these are my issues, they may not be issues at all to others so take this with a grain of salt.
The flipper is designed pretty well as it is the right shape, size, has minor jimping, and flips the blade with ease. The top of the blade also has thumb jimping and is done just well enough to be functional and not so aggressive that it hurts after heavy use. As partially mentioned earlier, the frame is surprisingly ergonomically comfortable despite it's aggressive geometric shape.
Overall, I'm very impressed with the knife and highly recommend it. The current price point of $425-$450 is debatable but comparing it to other knives with the same materials, it comes out to about the right price range not considering custom vs production. Also, let's recall that list I spoke of earlier. How many knives can you name out there with all those features AND being of an integral design?
I invite anyone with comments or questions to chime in. Let me know what you think of my review. If anyone has this knife I would like to encourage you to start a thread in the proper subform so that we can get a proper fan base going for it. Thanks for looking.
