Any news from the Benchmade/Aeormedix camps on the status of Doug's knife?

(...OK, call me a kid on Christmas eve...) <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I justed called them and they say the knives will probably ship next week.

I just received my shipping notice from Aeromedix. Should have them in my hands on Monday.

I received my three RSK1s last night. One for me plus one each for Father's Day and birthday gifts for my dad and brother. Very nice.

The handle shape is quite comfortable, much more so than my CUDA Dominator. The thumb rest gives a great feeling of control. I haven't tried any heavy cutting, but the blade shape looks very useful. The mechanism has a good solid feel and the blade finish is excellent.

Received mine in the UK on Monday morning. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I thought lock blade knives were illegal for private citizen possesion in the UK!?

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Locking folders are considered fixed blade knives in the U.K. and fall under their carry laws. If you are engaged in an appropriate activity or trade for using a knife it is legal. If your dressed like a droog from Clockwork Orange the constable is going to ask you to "come along now, thats a good lad."

Just got mine.

Very pleased.

Very sharp.

...............#!%$^& Going to E.R. now.

I hope you are not going to use it on the neighbors two chubby kids you posted about earlier.

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Chris:

I do believe you are stereotyping the "Bobbies".

The last time I saw a "Cops" segment in England, it seemed more like "Move again and you're going (Insert appropriate angry peace officer verbage who just chased you in fear for their and public's life.) so that your own mum won't recognize you".

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

One of my friends in the Coast Guard immigrated from Liverpool and was a former constable. We were guarding a recently siezed drug boat. I had a .45 and Derrick, being non rated yet a nightstick. An officer made a crack about brits not carrying firearms and walked off with his rather loathsome dog ( pets reflect their owners <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />.) Derrick waited until they were nearly halfway down the pier and the officer in deep conversation. With one flick of the wrist I watched that stick describe arcs a ballerina would envy ,pop the dog in the rear and thankfully slide under a dumpster as it 's master turned around in suprise. Thats why I am always amused when gun owners take our brit associates to task over ownership.

the only legal EDC in the UK is a non-locking folding blade of less than 3". However if you have good reason to be carrying it then almost anything goes as Chris said. You just have to be able to justify it.

There isnt actually anything that it is illegal for a private citizen to POSSESS in the way of knives. There are some banned items autos, gravity knives, butterfly knives - which cannot be carried, sold, lent, given away, bought, imported etc. but possession isnt illegal. If you have one at home already it isnt actually illegal for you to possess it , you just cant leave home with it.

The other weird thing about UK knife laws is that it is illegal to advertise any knife based on its use in combat.

As an American, I have to apologize for making your Government so scared of another revolution that you have to put up with some really silly laws.

Britain does seem to have established a foothold in California.

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

LOL
Actually rather than revolution our laws are being made silly due to two other imports from America - excessive spin doctoring of politics and fear of litigation. Each ban tends to be introduced since the government cannot stand up to the PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. in hysteria after a single criminal incident. One lunatic comits a sensational enough crime with a weapon to make it to the media, the PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. are up in arms, and the govt bans another weapon rather than lose any votes. Anyone who tries to defend legitimate use of said weapon/tool/art object then branded as a child murderer in the press for daring to speak out.
Sad. litigation due to the least common denominator.

Spin-doctoring and politicians over reacting are nothing new here.

"PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER."; we have tons of them here in the states.

Litigation; hells bells, I understand we have more lawyers than toilets in America, and the lawyers actuallly process more manure in paper form than the toilets do in bodily waste.

Criminal elements are practically a sub-culture in all age groups and I understand that we have more per capita people in jails than any other country.

We also have the NAACP, ACLU, AFL-CIO, AARP, NRA and many other strong organizations that press the demands of thier members.

I believe the best lesson in people politics can be learned from the Smith & Wesson fiasco. They became partners with the Bill Clinton administration in a little matter that did not affect the majority and catered to the fears of "sheeples". The result was a corporate destruction by common citizens which to my knowledge has not been done since the grape boycott by the United Farm Workers during Mr. Chavez's reign. The backlash against Smith & Wesson was so overwhelming that they backed out of thier agreement with the Clinton administration, sold the company to new owners (No more British company ties.) and apologized in print and press throughout the United States, and in the process caused one of the largest backlashes against Democrats in the United States.

It was in my mind, too little too late and personally, Smith & Wesson no longer exists as an option for me and !MILLIONS! of others. I buy TAURUS firearms if I want anything that resembles Smith & Wesson and I am very happy with the excellent quality and selection of TAURUS products.

You have to be willing to fight the Government officials as viciously as legally possible and show your displeasure by removing from governing positions anyone who displeases you. It takes committed individuals and not necessarily a large group to upset elected governments at the ballot box. The "PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER." will shy away from strength and you can destroy bad press by refusing to buy thier products and notifying those who advertise with them why you will not deal with them or thier advertisers. You can buy one paper and share it with 10 like thinking friends and reduce thier coverage by 90%. Since revenue is made by the advertisements which pay according to numbers of paid subscribers, you can cancel your subscriptions, buy from a vendor with cash and reduce the amount of income they earn because they can not show advertisers quarantied numbers of readers.

Commitment, strength, and legal deviousness is what counts, not just numbers of believers.

Good luck!

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

(P.S. If we can swing it, would you be willing to come over and jump up & down on the San Andreus fault line? We gotta do something about that British colony. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> )

"In response to the Smith and Wesson fiasco" Reminds me of the K-Mart fiasco involving Ms. Rosie O' Donnell. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The tone and thread is changing, please let us take it to the Campfire.

Bountyhunter

I don't think I've posted here before, so let me start by saying "Hello" to everyone, and thank you for all the wonderful advice, information, and anecdotes that you have shared on this website. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

A few have posted here and in other forums that their knives have arrived, but I thought I would share my experience nonetheless, if for no other reason than as a Canadian buyer.

My un-numbered RSK MK1 arrived today quite unexpectedly -- Aeromedix had said in the invoice that they would notify me when the knife shipped, but I didn't receive a note. So I was pleasantly surprised and puzzled to come home to a note from the delivery person that there would be a package waiting for me at the depot since I wasn't home when he (or she) came. After a quick supper, I drove to retrieve the package, and lo, there it was.

My EDC folder for the past 10 or more years has been a Spyderco Delica, so my observations on the RSK MK1 are strongly coloured by that. I'm not a frequent knife buyer or reviewer by any measure, so pardon my simpleness.

Having said that, let's get the most obvious thing out of the way: the RSK is heavier and larger than the Delica. Handling the knife, it is apparent that there is a substantial amount of steel in the blade. The knife feels blade-heavy, and yet, surprisingly, it has a balance point somewhere along the finger guard. Looking at my limited collection, I can compare this against my 9cm Wustof paring knife and my 8-inch Henckels chef's knife. The paring knife is handle heavy, and "falls" into my palm. Same with my Delica. The chef's knife balances on my fore-finger, just like the RSK. When I first handled the RSK, I was kind of surprised that the blade was not longer. Such are the limits of my experiences.

From a tactile point of view, the next thing I noticed was how quiet the Axis lock is. Compared to the Delica's backlock, which makes a loud "thwack" when I open it even at moderate speeds, the Axis lock is more like a gentle "thwip". I won't say it's luxurious sounding because you can still hear the plastic in the handle at the end. But it's probably quiet enough to go unnoticed in a cube-farm office environment.

I haven't had any problems getting used to opening the knife with the thumb stud, which is nicely finished with no burrs.

I like the shape of the blade, which is less "pointy" than the Delica and I think less threatening. I can't explain it, but I've always felt that the Delica's blade looks like it's made for stabbing. When I was younger, I chose the Delica because it looked wicked cool. The RSK blade's shape reminds me of the Sebenza, and of my Cold Steel Master Hunter, which I think are more outdoorsy looking, and hopefully less scary. I guess these days that matters to me. The stone-tumbled finish puts a nice random-scratch pattern on the RSK's blade. I'm not sure if the logos and other markings are laser etched, I guess time will tell how well they wear, not that it matters much to me.

The lock pin slides smoothly, and there is no blade play as far as I could tell. But then my Delica doesn't show any play either. There was some discussion on Blade Forum (I think) about whether the Axis lock pin could be slid with just the thumb on one side, or whether you need to put both thumb and fore-finger on both sides of the pin. Well I can slide the pin with just my thumb, but prefer to use both thumb and finger because the omega springs are pretty stiff. And besides, the lock pin just slides smoother this way.

The handle has nicely rounded contours, and I love the way it fits my hand. I particulary like the way the handle drops down at the tail end, just like my Delica. The longer, wider handle and the rounded-pyramid pattern provide an improved grip over the Delica's narrow shape and "volcano" pattern, which seem slippery by comparison. The RSK's plastic handle is louder when I rub it and clack my engineer's pinky ring against it. I'm used to having a thumb ramp on my Delica, and the RSK's does feel very comfortable.

The metal clip is stiff, and presses against the handle very well. I lost my first (of two) Delica's because of its relatively weak moulded-in clip, so I think the RSK's clip is a definite improvement. I've seen my Delica half-way out of my right front jeans pocket after physical activity, but I suspect the RSK will stay put.

And now for the Canadian content part of this post. The package was shipped USPS Global Express, and arrived via Purolator (the Canadian Postal Service owns Purolator, so I guess they use it for deliveries like this.) I didn't have to pay any duty or taxes when I picked up the package, but there is an orange sticker that says I may yet receive one in the mail. The package was shipped from WY on Jun 12, and arrived today, the 16, so that makes 4 days in transit to my Toronto home.

In summary, I think this is a good knife and I'm glad I bought it. At least, that's the case so far. Time will tell, eh? I plan to EDC it from now on. Thank you, Doug (and everyone else involved, sorry if I don't name names), for the effort you put into producing this knife. I hope it sells well, and that it gets into the usual distribution channels so I can easily buy more of them to stash in my kits and give away as gifts.

I just picked up my knife today and I have to say I am quite impressed right off. First of all, the many good points of the Griptilian design have not been changed at all, but the blade shape is just the right change IMHO. This is also the first knife that I have not had to sharpen to correct for poor sharpening from the factory!

I have but one thing to get used to though; I am not a fan of tip up knife carry but axis lock design precludes tip down. Now I have to learn my knife draw technique again so it comes naturally because I will be carrying this everyday in place of my previous favorite, the Outdoor Edge Paragee. It was/is a great balance of size and PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. friendliness but sometimes was a little small for my hands.

Now as far as the blade steel, I will have to wait to see how long it takes to need sharpening.

One word to those looking to buy the sheath offered by Aeromedix to go with this knife. It is not a custom fit sheath, but a universal type that fits the knife fairly well. I would prefer velcro for the flap, but the snaps it uses seem strong enough. The sheath is a little big if the clip is removed from the knife scales, so you can get the idea how much added bulk the sheath adds to the total carry package. I would not buy the sheath personally again now that I know more about it.

My RitterGrip arrived yesterday. Great knife. Smooth axis operation, great blade profile, scary-sharp - very nice.

I bought the Bianchi sheath too but find that it is a poor fit. Why was snap closure chosen???
Neither of the snaps are in the right place for the RitterGrip.
I will hopefully be returning the Bianchi sheath and my Grip will get carried in my Benchmade large soft pouch.

I just received (this morning) the package from Aeromedix.

Apparently, everything is alright : nothing damaged, during the trip from the USA to France.
A (very) small error in the declared value, increased (but just a bit) the customs taxes.
It's nothing compared to the total fees : shipping (via Fedex ; I guess US Postal is cheaper and a bit longer) and various taxes add a 46,6% markup to the items value. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

About the products :

Who said the RSK is sharp ???? No sir, it's extra sharp <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> !
Watch your fingers !!!

I also ordered the Bianchi sheath (that was before the comments re: that sheath on this forum). I will find a way to use it anyway.

Re: the PSK, I just have to add a red Photon III, a mini-BIC lighter and translate the survival instructions, before giving those PSK as gifts for Xmas.

I'm amazed by the accuracy of the compas : it seems much better than everything I have found up to now (including small Sylva compass - 50% of those are off target and don't show North !!)

Contents list : yes, as previously mentionned by another forum's member, the list is not correctly positionned in the pouch and is not visible from the outside, as stated on the commercial flyer.
I do like the warning : " Our lawyers tell us to warn you the (scalpel) blade is very sharp, so be careful" <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

And the commercial notice itself, inside the blister, is also very informative : it lists what each item is used for and what should be added to make a full survival kit, with Dougs comments.


All in all, I can only second what has already been said by other members on this forum : outstandingly good work, Doug and thanks again.
<img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Yup. I agree. Just took mine out of the box. It's bigger than I expected. And shaving sharp. One thing I was pleasantly surprised to find... the edge is more uniform than the factory edge my 710 had. This one's going straight in the BOB.

Thanks for making this happen Doug. It's a nice knife.

Delivered...very nice!

If you were to EDC with the case, I think that the Snap would last a LOT longer than the Velcro...
In my experence, Velcro will not last even a year if you have to use it once or twice a day.

jamesraykenny:

HERE! HERE!, I'm a snap & strap sort of guy (To those of you out there who are way too frisky, we are talking about pouches and pockets, so calm down. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />)

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

The trouble is that neither of the snaps are in the right place for the knife. When the pouch is closed there is a big gap between the knife and the flap of the pouch.
I contacted Aeromedix weeks ago about returning the pouch, but have not heard anything back.

Steven Andrews:

That is an easy fix and I used something to modify an ET pouch for a cell phone thusly:

Glue some heavy weight foam to the underside of the flap so that it is pushing on the knife when the flap is closed.

If the knife sits too low in the pouch, drop in a piece of wood in the bottom of the pouch to hold the knife higher.

If the pouch is too wide either front to back, or side to side, make a "U" shaped filler to put in the pouch to take up side to side motion and bring the knife up a little higher in the pouch.

For controlling front to back excess, glue a wood spacer to the inside back of the pouch.

Good luck!

Bountyhunter

Spending money on a pouch/sheath that is supposed to be matched to the knife, only to have to spend time modifying, doesn't make any sense to me. Unfortunately it will cost me more time and money to return the sheath that Aeromedix reccommended than it is worth. The sheath is too big for the knife with the clip on, and far too big with the clip removed. IMHO, Aeromedix hurts their own reputation by supplying such an ill fitting sheath, that also is not that inexpensive. The sheath should fit the knife without the clip, you don't need a clip if you are putting it in a sheath. For me the money spent on it was a total waste and detracted from the value of my purchase. The sheath sits all by itself unused but hopefully I will find a use for it someday.

I am totally happy with the knife and that is the only reason I have not made a big issue of it.

Alright, I'm sitting here with Doug's knife and the Bianchi sheath.

With the clip in place, there is no noticable gap on any of the sides of the knife, though I suppose it would be a little loose if the clip were removed.

To test this I placed the knife w/ clip inside the sheath in all four possible orientations and turned the sheath upside down, each time holding the flap back out of the way (so it wasn't holding the knife in). The knife never fell out, though in all orientations, a few shakes of varying degrees would certainly result in the knife falling out. Hinge down/clip toward snap was the loosest and would fall out with a simple shake. My preferred orientation is with the hinge up/clip toward the belt loop, and took a few mild shakes to fall out. My point is that the knife is fairly snug in the sheath pocket. Of course I have no plans to carry the sheath upside down with the flap open.

Using the second snap - the one that produces the smallest gap between the top of the knife and the top of the sheath - there is indeed a gap. But I measure that gap to be only 1/8" to 3/16". Is that even enough to worry about? Yes the knife will move inside the sheath top to bottom when shaken up and down, but I'm not planning to do jumping jacks while wearing it. Considering the sheath isn't custom-made for Doug's knife, I think it fits pretty well.

My biggest concern with the sheath was the propensity of the sheath's snap to accidently come unfastened while being brushed with my arm or a pack. It seemed to me that a strong velcro fastener might be more "brush-proff". Time will tell.

If interested, here is how I measured the gap: With the knife inserted with the hinge end toward the folded top, I placed a piece of tape on the side of the knife exactly where it lined up with the top edge of the knife pocket and then pushed the knife as far as it would go toward the fold until it stoped. I then measured the distance (shift) from the pocket top to the edge of the tape. I repeated this with the hinge end down (inside the pocket), and the shift was 3/16" - that's 1/6" more.

Aldebaran:

I agree it is disconcerting to have an ill fit for the knife when the product is sold as an accessory for that specific knife.

The reality is that in this modern mass market arena, they often give you function with compromises in appearance or fit. The choice once you have the item is to make it work as best as possible, not use it, or return it for a refund. The last two choices cost more than making it work.

Years ago, I ordered one of those head coverings that had like 7 different configurations and uses. It was advertised as "one size fits all" and I felt confident because it was being sold by "US CAVALRY" which had a good reputation at that time. I have a rather large head (I say a result of excess brain power, my friends say it's my ego.), so that the product was an uncomfortable fit. I returned it to "US CAVALRY" with a request for a unit that fit or a full refund including their shipping costs to me and my shipping costs to them. They refused and simply refunded my purchase price for the unit. For this reason alone which happened more than 25 years ago, I have never purchased anything from "US CAVALRY" again.

By the way, soon after that the head covering was advertised as "one size fits most".

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

KenK:

You may be able to make the snap less likely to come open if you try the following.

If you have a punch with a rounded tip slightly smaller than the lip on the male portion of the snap, but bigger than the center hole of the male portion of the snap, give the male portion of the snap a couple of hits to try and splay the lip out a little bit. You can also use a small mechanics socket for the same purpose, but hold the socket with a pliers to protect your fingers. Don't hit it too hard, or the lip may splay so far as to make mating with the female portion of the snap impossible (The female part is usually on the flap and has a tensioned spring clip in it.).

Good luck!

Bountyhunter

I have modified the Aeromedix-recommended Bianchi sheath by putting it in a drawer and using a Benchmade large soft sheath instead.
It is now a perfect fit.