Surefire EW-05 Echo

V

Vanguard.45

Joined
Sep 22, 2002
Messages
76
I have been eyeing this knife for a while, but haven't pulled the trigger!

The knife seems to be made of good materials (3V steel and micarta handles), has a reputable designer (Steve Ryan), and a great company backing it (Surefire), but it is hard to find one to handle in advance of purchase! I love the aggressive look of the knife, but looks can be deceiving and sometimes are overshadowed by poor handling/ cutting characteristics!

Anyone have one? How does the "indented" handle feel in your hand for either everyday chores or self-defense maneuvers? How well does the blade profile cut? How are the serrations? How is the sheath? How does 3V perform and is it worth the extra $$?

The knife sells for $225 online, but that's a bit of change to spend on something neither I nor my trusted brothers and sisters on Bladeforums have handled for evaluation!!

What are your thoughts?

Vanguard.45
 
Last edited:
i dont have that one but have had an alpha and liked it a lot, they arent very popular though, imho they are kinda high for what ya get, i havent liked many of the later designs, though like i say i liked the alpha a lot, but my bro-in-law had to have it so its his now, he really likes it too.
 
Probably the biggest obstacle is Surefire doesn't have them in distribution and sitting at dealers waiting to be handled. Added, the price, which some find difficult to justify for a unknown. Surefire may be backing the knife with it's name - but it's exactly that. They don't make it, somebody else does.

If third party makers aren't an issue, then where they are shouldn't be either. Surefire knives may be a lot better than others, but really in the same category of any offshore built knife not made in a Surefire brick and mortar owned factory - like the Tenacious or Vex. Same circumstances.

Surefire is not a knife makers and somewhat a johnny come lately to a business it has no corporate expertise in. I speculate most of these knives are bought by the tactical range crowd to decorate their pockets and appear cool operators. Some of the early Surefire knives were so multipurpose that certain functions were basically useless due to the overlapping compromises.

For the price, I see lots of better rep knives, new or used, available that are made by knifemakers and designed for hard duty. When others make hard duty lights, most don't charge more than the competition and play off the reputation of their name to justify it.
 
tirod3 said:
Probably the biggest obstacle is Surefire doesn't have them in distribution and sitting at dealers waiting to be handled. Added, the price, which some find difficult to justify for a unknown. Surefire may be backing the knife with it's name - but it's exactly that. They don't make it, somebody else does.

If third party makers aren't an issue, then where they are shouldn't be either. Surefire knives may be a lot better than others, but really in the same category of any offshore built knife not made in a Surefire brick and mortar owned factory - like the Tenacious or Vex. Same circumstances.

Surefire is not a knife makers and somewhat a johnny come lately to a business it has no corporate expertise in. I speculate most of these knives are bought by the tactical range crowd to decorate their pockets and appear cool operators. Some of the early Surefire knives were so multipurpose that certain functions were basically useless due to the overlapping compromises.

For the price, I see lots of better rep knives, new or used, available that are made by knifemakers and designed for hard duty. When others make hard duty lights, most don't charge more than the competition and play off the reputation of their name to justify it.
Click to expand...

Sounds like someone is a bit upset at Surefire. :rolleyes:

Every SF product I have owned has far exceeded my expectations of it. I had an Echo at one point, and it was a nice knife. I didn't care for the serrations so I sold it off.

Considering you're getting a 3V blade with micarta handles, it's not a bad price. It's a tough knife, and well designed.
 
Surefire is name that is connected to lamps and torches, not knives. That is tough obstacle to overcome when you try to fight with market with some big names like Buck, CRKT, Spyderco, Benchmade etc...
 
I appreciate all of the info thus far. For those of you who have owned them, how is the handle??? Does it feel very ergonomic in the hand? That indent makes me wonder. Often handles flare out in the middle to fill the hand, rather than thin out in the middle.

Also, Josh K, you said you didn't like the serrations on the Echo. Was it that type of serrations in particular, or just the fact that it HAD serrations (some people prefer plain blades, obviously)? How did the serrations cut?

Thanks again, and please keep the info coming.

Vanguard.45
 
Vanguard.45 said:
I appreciate all of the info thus far. For those of you who have owned them, how is the handle??? Does it feel very ergonomic in the hand? That indent makes me wonder. Often handles flare out in the middle to fill the hand, rather than thin out in the middle.

Also, Josh K, you said you didn't like the serrations on the Echo. Was it that type of serrations in particular, or just the fact that it HAD serrations (some people prefer plain blades, obviously)? How did the serrations cut?

Thanks again, and please keep the info coming.

Vanguard.45
Click to expand...

I just don't like combo edge knives in general. They cut, but I prefer a plain edge for all kinds of cutting, even rope and fibers.
 
Was it too short, too narrow, too. . . ????

Again, I wonder how the handle will feel in the hand? Do the indentations cause the knife to feel more comfortable/ maneuverable or less so?

I will use the blade predominantly for self defense carry, but will also use it for daily chores (i.e. opening boxes, cutting ties, etc.).

Thanks in advance.

This is not a knife which gets a lot of attention and I am curious what the general consensus is.

Thanks,

Vanguard.45
 
Last edited:
I have an EW-06. not the same obviously but I can say it is a great knife. Fit and finish is perfect and the overall design is good. It is in my pack always.
 
Vanguard.45 said:
Was it too short, too narrow, too. . . ????

Again, I wonder how the handle will feel in the hand? Do the indentations cause the knife to feel more comfortable/ maneuverable or less so?

I will use the blade predominantly for self defense carry, but will also use it for daily chores (i.e. opening boxes, cutting ties, etc..

Thanks in advance.

This is not a knife which gets a lot of attention and I am curious what the general consensus is.

Thanks,

Vanguard.45
Click to expand...

The handle was ergonomic and comfortable, it worked well. :thumbup:
 
i liked the ergo's of the alpha, i intend to get another some day when i find one for the right price.
 
What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...

tirod3 pretty much nailed it. I believe (speculation) that Surefire stumbled into the knifebusiness because they had an employee designing and making highly sought after custom knives in his spare time. I have only handled one of those and it was the best folder I have ever seen, design wise at least.

I did some research because I wanted a Surefire fixed blade but couldn´t get around the fact that some custom makers out there will make you a knife exactly to your specifications for the same price.

It is a buyers market right now.

/C.
 
The Surefire Echo is going for about $225 on Ebay, but like you said, there are customs out there which can be had for the same or less!

I love the look for the Echo, and probably will go with it since there is no wait and it will do what I need a knife to do (i.e. cut things and, in bad situations, bad guys).

I appreciate the info, and feel free to keep it coming. I have heard that the Striders and the RAT knives are comparable in quality and stylings. I may have to give them a looksie!

Thanks again!

Vanguard.45
 
I must say, I like the knife. The handle works very well in both forward and reverse grips. The blade is INCREDIBLY sharp and, if the hype is true about CPM 3V, it should keep that edge for a good long time. The Micarta handles almost seem like they are made out of a burlap sack, as they feel soft on the surface, but hard underneath. Very interesting.

The sheath is very nice, and I am currently wearing it for a reverse draw with the handle forward and diagonally angled. Very quick on the draw.

I am very happy with the purchase, and appreciate everyone's input!

I paid $235 shipped on the eBay so I think it's a lot of knife for the money.

Thanks again,

Vanguard.45
 
Last edited:
I should've bought one when I had the chance (a few times) I even saw it on sale a few places online and didn't pull the trigger. I regret it now because I'd like to get one and they are at least $250 for a used one. Did anyone ever get info on who actually made this particular blade for Surefire?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top