http://www.redflarekits.com/mm5/graphics/00000002/images/7103.jpgI purchased one of these from Redflare a week or so ago. Now that I have had the chance to play with it, here is a review for anyone that is interested.
Rather than give a detail by detail description that won't actually tell you anything, please look at the link above.
Ok, this is what I think of the knife:
1) Build quality - The usual Victorinox high standard. Absolutely nothing to complain about.
2) Shaving sharp out of the box - Good.
3) The blade is about 3" long, with a 2/3 serrated & 1/3 straight edge. Liner lock. One handed ambidextrous opening. The serrations occupy the front 2/3 of the blade, unlike the conventional 1/3 serrated, 2/3 straight. This is a very sensible arrangement that is superior to a conventional lay out. With a normal knife, you have to get most of the blade under the item that you want to saw through. With the Trekker, you don't. The survival and rescue advantages of that are too obvious to need reiterating here.
4) It has a 3" saw. The saw is a draw saw. That is to say that all the cutting is done on the draw stroke. This is a very efficient saw. It is actually better than the one on the Leatherman Wave.
The saw does not lock. I did think that this would make the cutting of reasonable sized branches quite difficult. I expected that the saw would try to fold up when I used it. I was pleasently surprised when it took every thing than I threw at it. The saw is quite thin with a little flex in it. That seems to make it easier to use. I sawed through a 4" thick branch is about a minute. It took two cuts. One from either side. Effort was minimal. I would own one of these just for the saw.
Other impressions:
This knife has a place in any survival kit or E.D.C.. In terms of cost, usability and size it is very reasonably priced, well designed and it's light enough to carry all day.
It does, ofcourse, have the inherent limitations of any folding knife. Respect them and this is a very good little lifesaver.
There is a cautionary tale in the Survival Tales section of the Home Page. Had the poor soul, who died of hypothermia a couple of days after his plane crash, one of these in his pocket, along with a Ritter PSK or even a book of matches he would have lived.
Recommended. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
***** Sorry. There seems to be a technical problem with the link Reflare sent me. If you access his site, you will see both models. The review holds good for either of the one hander's****
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