- Joined
- Sep 3, 2003
- Messages
- 2,432
Hey gang. If you aren't interested in reading one of my long, blabbering background stories, jump down a few paragraphs.
I was going through my (very small) collection the other day, and thinking back about knives I've owned that I kinda miss. Numerous models have passed through my hands over the years, and I've sold and traded several of them for various reasons. Some because I didn't like them, others because I wanted the money to purchase a more expensive knife. Some, a little of both.
The SOG Twitch II was probably the 3rd or 4th knife I ever bought, back in 2003 or so. I remember thinking that it looked absolutely lovely, really almost a small gentleman's knife but at a cheap price. Once I got it home, I was quite happy with it. I liked the full flat grind, the blade shape, the handles, construction, and yes, even the assisted open feature. Compared to some of the other knives I owned at the time, it was a bit on the small side, but again, I saw it as a sharp-looking, unoffensive knife, perfect for taking along when a larger or more aggressive-looking folder was likely to be frowned upon. I didn't carry it very often, maybe once a week or so, perhaps a bit less. I was still quite new to knives and didn't know too much about steel types, blade play, etc.
One thing I didn't care for was the lockback design; in and of itself it was fine, but by that time, I had grown quite accustomed to closing knives one-handed (necessary at work), even with lockbacks. This one really thwarted that option; the AO prevented me from closing the blade one-handed without a lot of extra caution and force. This, paired with the desire to try a different knife, convinced me to sell it and move on, which I did.
Well, here I am eight years later, and I was hit with the desire to own a Twitch II again. Having previously owned it, I didn't think to do any additional research. I figured, for $35, who cares? Just buy it and be happy. So, I bought one and it arrived today. I immediately loved the look all over again. If you ask me, the Twitch II is a really beautiful knife. The blade, the aluminum handles, the size -- I just find it very elegant and refined. Upon first glance, it appears a lot of care went into its design. The clip is as excellent as ever, and I love how it sits in my pocket; to borrow the oft-used cliche, it pretty much "disappears" once it's clipped on.
I go to flick it open for the first time, and the blade doesn't swing all the way into the locked position. Okay, it's new, maybe a little stiff. I flip it a few more times. Nothing. Every time, it stops just shy of locking all the way out. After applying some decent pressure with my index finger, I am able to get it to lock up consistently. My old Twitch II didn't have this problem out of box, and I'm guessing most of them don't. I still chalk it up to being new, but after playing with it for an hour or two, off and on, it's still very hit-or-miss, even after careful lubrication; sometimes it leaps out of the handles just fine with only the slightest touch. Other times, I'll pump on the flipper with a very fast motion, and it whimpers out at just past 3/4. Very disappointing.
At this point, my next move would be to loosen the pivot screw. However, during my reintroduction to the thing, I'm also painfully aware of some slight, but ever-present blade play, both horizontally and vertically, as well as an off-center blade. I'm not keen on adding to that by loosening the pivot, and I don't want to mess with the knife too much in case I decide to return it. Now, several of you are probably saying to yourselves, "Duh, many of SOGs folders have a bad reputation for loose and off-center blades. If you'd done five minutes of research, you'd know that." And you'd be right, but if I may be forgiven, I was basing this second go-round off the fact that I already owned the Twitch II and thought I was familiar with its strengths and weaknesses. What I wasn't accounting for, was that when I originally owned one, I didn't know a whole heck of a lot about knives, and wasn't savvy about exactly what things to expect from a knife in terms of quality and function. My bad.
==========================
Anyway, that's it. I can't decide if I should just keep it and deal with the flaws and just enjoy that it does look really nice. You know, using it only occasionally or for fun, or whatever. Or perhaps I should send it back because I'll never be completely satisfied with it, and that's reason enough. Either way, whether I keep it or not, I'd like to hear suggestions for similar knives that fill the same role. I care not for the assisted open feature, as to me, that's more of a gimmick or novelty. I adore the aluminum scales on this thing though, and I'd be interested in other folders with a similar look and feel. Is there anything that comes close in terms of materials, style and perhaps even price?
How about this:
- 2.6" to 4" blade (no tanto)
- aluminum or similar handle/scales (no FRN/zytel/etc., but G10 and other higher-end composites are fine)
- relatively easy one-handed open and close (does not need to be AO at all)
- decent grip (SS can be a bit slippery, but who knows?)
- simple, elegant or understated pocket clip
- reasonably lightweight (say, no more than 5 oz)
- classy look (completely subjective, but I'm mostly looking to side-step the tactical look)
- $100 or under
Skip the Kershaw Leek, as I already own one of those, and I just don't think it shares the refined look of the Twitch II. Similarly, I'm guessing some might suggest the Skyline, but that one seems far more utilitarian in design. I'm guessing I'm looking for something from Spyderco or Benchmade, but I don't know if I can hit the above bullet points for under a hundred bucks.
Thoughts?
I was going through my (very small) collection the other day, and thinking back about knives I've owned that I kinda miss. Numerous models have passed through my hands over the years, and I've sold and traded several of them for various reasons. Some because I didn't like them, others because I wanted the money to purchase a more expensive knife. Some, a little of both.
The SOG Twitch II was probably the 3rd or 4th knife I ever bought, back in 2003 or so. I remember thinking that it looked absolutely lovely, really almost a small gentleman's knife but at a cheap price. Once I got it home, I was quite happy with it. I liked the full flat grind, the blade shape, the handles, construction, and yes, even the assisted open feature. Compared to some of the other knives I owned at the time, it was a bit on the small side, but again, I saw it as a sharp-looking, unoffensive knife, perfect for taking along when a larger or more aggressive-looking folder was likely to be frowned upon. I didn't carry it very often, maybe once a week or so, perhaps a bit less. I was still quite new to knives and didn't know too much about steel types, blade play, etc.
One thing I didn't care for was the lockback design; in and of itself it was fine, but by that time, I had grown quite accustomed to closing knives one-handed (necessary at work), even with lockbacks. This one really thwarted that option; the AO prevented me from closing the blade one-handed without a lot of extra caution and force. This, paired with the desire to try a different knife, convinced me to sell it and move on, which I did.
Well, here I am eight years later, and I was hit with the desire to own a Twitch II again. Having previously owned it, I didn't think to do any additional research. I figured, for $35, who cares? Just buy it and be happy. So, I bought one and it arrived today. I immediately loved the look all over again. If you ask me, the Twitch II is a really beautiful knife. The blade, the aluminum handles, the size -- I just find it very elegant and refined. Upon first glance, it appears a lot of care went into its design. The clip is as excellent as ever, and I love how it sits in my pocket; to borrow the oft-used cliche, it pretty much "disappears" once it's clipped on.
I go to flick it open for the first time, and the blade doesn't swing all the way into the locked position. Okay, it's new, maybe a little stiff. I flip it a few more times. Nothing. Every time, it stops just shy of locking all the way out. After applying some decent pressure with my index finger, I am able to get it to lock up consistently. My old Twitch II didn't have this problem out of box, and I'm guessing most of them don't. I still chalk it up to being new, but after playing with it for an hour or two, off and on, it's still very hit-or-miss, even after careful lubrication; sometimes it leaps out of the handles just fine with only the slightest touch. Other times, I'll pump on the flipper with a very fast motion, and it whimpers out at just past 3/4. Very disappointing.
At this point, my next move would be to loosen the pivot screw. However, during my reintroduction to the thing, I'm also painfully aware of some slight, but ever-present blade play, both horizontally and vertically, as well as an off-center blade. I'm not keen on adding to that by loosening the pivot, and I don't want to mess with the knife too much in case I decide to return it. Now, several of you are probably saying to yourselves, "Duh, many of SOGs folders have a bad reputation for loose and off-center blades. If you'd done five minutes of research, you'd know that." And you'd be right, but if I may be forgiven, I was basing this second go-round off the fact that I already owned the Twitch II and thought I was familiar with its strengths and weaknesses. What I wasn't accounting for, was that when I originally owned one, I didn't know a whole heck of a lot about knives, and wasn't savvy about exactly what things to expect from a knife in terms of quality and function. My bad.
==========================
Anyway, that's it. I can't decide if I should just keep it and deal with the flaws and just enjoy that it does look really nice. You know, using it only occasionally or for fun, or whatever. Or perhaps I should send it back because I'll never be completely satisfied with it, and that's reason enough. Either way, whether I keep it or not, I'd like to hear suggestions for similar knives that fill the same role. I care not for the assisted open feature, as to me, that's more of a gimmick or novelty. I adore the aluminum scales on this thing though, and I'd be interested in other folders with a similar look and feel. Is there anything that comes close in terms of materials, style and perhaps even price?
How about this:
- 2.6" to 4" blade (no tanto)
- aluminum or similar handle/scales (no FRN/zytel/etc., but G10 and other higher-end composites are fine)
- relatively easy one-handed open and close (does not need to be AO at all)
- decent grip (SS can be a bit slippery, but who knows?)
- simple, elegant or understated pocket clip
- reasonably lightweight (say, no more than 5 oz)
- classy look (completely subjective, but I'm mostly looking to side-step the tactical look)
- $100 or under
Skip the Kershaw Leek, as I already own one of those, and I just don't think it shares the refined look of the Twitch II. Similarly, I'm guessing some might suggest the Skyline, but that one seems far more utilitarian in design. I'm guessing I'm looking for something from Spyderco or Benchmade, but I don't know if I can hit the above bullet points for under a hundred bucks.
Thoughts?
