Walk around a shooting range, a gun show, your local gun store…anywhere people with guns gather and look in their font pocket. Nine point nine times out of ten, you’ll see a clip for a pocket knife. Gun guys and gals are rarely seen in the wild without a blade in their pocket.
Now Mapul’s getting into the pocket folder business with a limited edition titanium frame lock knife with a 3.4-inch S35VN blade and a sculpted pocket clip. The Rigger also has a locking lever – what they call a secondary locking feature – that’s an unusual feature in a frame lock knife.
The Rigger is a limited edition, precision-engineered cutting tool constructed of premium materials and featuring signature Magpul form and function. This first-ever Limited Edition Frame Lock was designed by the team at Magpul and is an expression of Magpul’s design ethos and commitment to quality and innovation.
The modified Wharncliffe blade is forged from Crucible Particle Metallurgy (CPM) S35VN stainless steel, considered to be one of the finest blade steels in the world, and one of the first designed specifically for knife blades. This CPM stainless steel construction provides improved strength and wear resistance which means the blade holds its edge longer than lesser steels, reducing the need for frequent sharpening.
courtesy mfr
A jimped blade flipper deploys and locks the modified Wharncliffe blade with an audible click. An innovative secondary locking feature (SLF) in the Rigger’s precision-machined frame lock can also be engaged, preventing accidental blade closure, even in the harshest of environments and during demanding use. A flick of the thumb disengages the SLF, allowing quick, controlled blade closure, with or without gloves.
The modified Wharncliffe blade edge has a distinct distal taper and slight belly that enhance ease of sharpening, maintenance, and overall utility. The primary grind / bevel decreases weight while maintaining blade strength and rigidity. The straight dull back curves slightly with an abrupt downward edge near the tip, creating an aggressive point for piercing and detailed work.
The titanium pocket clip features a hollow pocket clip screw for lanyards and can be removed or reversed with a slotted screwdriver for easy disassembly and cleaning. At 7.59 inches open and 4.52 inches closed, it is an ideal size for everyday carry, yet large enough to handle demanding field tasks.
The Rigger also comes with a custom high strength, injection-molded, weather-resistant case that’s internally lined with soft foam. When not housing the Rigger, the crush-resistant case serves as a storage box for small tools, ammo, or anything else that will fit.
The Magpul Limited Edition Frame Lock will be offered in a series of short, serialized production runs, making these unique knives highly collectible. Availability of the first of these runs will be announced in spring 2019.
FEATURES
Blade Design: Modified Wharncliffe with Tapered Dual Bevel Grind
Blade Material: CPM S35VN
Secondary Locking Feature
Titanium Frame: 6Al4V
Titanium Pocket Clip: 6Al4V
Titanium Scales (Model dependent)
Limited Edition: Individually Serialized
Custom high strength, injection-molded, soft foam lined, weather resistant case
Lanyard Hole
Primary Frame Lock
Jimping along blade spine and flipper for increased grip during use
Yeah, I hardly see any offered anywhere any more …
A nice 7 and a half inch Kabar, or a straight razor.
Magpul is leaning towards north of five bills.
Ouch for a first attempt. Not a safe queen. Um, yea, right.
Yeah, for the price I think I’ll wait until the Gen 3 with, “Anti-glare translucent MagLevel windows on both sides of the body along with a painted indicator on the spring allows for easy determination of rounds remaining from 1 to 30” version is released… 😀
Five 10s?
Looks nice, but I would like to take this opportunity to remind Magpul you folks didn’t create the polymer magazine, the Swiss and Austrians beat you by decades……… just saying.
And I like the Lancer’s better.
And I don’t like BS being spewed at me from a company’s CEO, or being lectured down to by them, or being told I am part of the problem because I think another approach is better.
and the Russians beat them… by decades.
Correct my apologies forgot about them.
That’s a load of hype. S35vn is not the new hotness. May not be old and busted, but definately not the new hotness.
I’m a tool steel fan. CRU-WEAR, M4 and REX45 are mo betta.
not a new steel. the ones you mention are more highly rated. properly heat treated (can i get 59-60?) this one is soo much better than more common stainless (440c, aus8, sandvik) that it should serve well. but then my kitchen knife is hand forged 10v (not vg-10).
i’m thinkin’ you’ll have to be a magpul fan to pay what they’ll ask. kind of like the hogue stuff.
i have more wharnies and sheepsfoots than anything. i would describe this rigger as a reverse tonto.
r.i.p. ttak.
You Sir, know your blades and blade steel.
(I happen to own a few too many knives)
learnin’. much of my curve was gleaned from david and h. clay over at the other truth.
VG10 is still a solid performing steel without the downsides of some of the newer super stainless steels.
for sure, right there with hap40. i have a kai in something called vg-10max maybe. it’s a hair popper, but a little chippy. i think it’s more kai’s process than the steel.
I like Hap40 too! Not as tough as M4, but in the thin Delica wharncliffe it’s a fantastic user.
I would have liked to hear more about the “ceramic bearings”, sounded fascinating.
crkt uses their rkbs bearing system to smooth effect. i doubt if you could wear it out but ceramics should be even harder/ more durable.
bearings make for smooth flippers.
you have to find a balance of country of origin and materials at your price point.
Does anyone know what happened to TTAK? I can’t find any news and the posts just stopped coming a few months back. Any info or rumint would be appreciated. Thanks.
search up “ttak” and read.
enjoy the open space(s).
I’m a fan of tool steel as well (and steels in general). I’m something of a metallurgy nerd.
What I see in the knife market is mostly spec one-up-manship. “My steel is higher tech and more obscure than yours!”
I’ve made a bunch of knives and cutting tools out of 440 stainless, O-1 oil hardening flat stock, high speed steel, etc. They all cut. Where some of these new steels come into their own is where we can compare their resistance to abuse, or how long they hold an edge. Other factors might be the ease of the heat treatment protocol, (e.g., air hardening vs. oil or salt quench), things like that.
The one thing I notice about all the knives made of the “new-new-hotness” steels, regardless of which specific alloy we’re talking, is that the knives carry a fairly tidy price to them. My rule is that I won’t carry a pocket knife that costs more than $120, because if I lose it (for whatever reason), I’m not going to cry over it – I’m just going to get another.
“they all cut.”
boutique indeed.
but spend just a bit more for say 154cm or m390 and your past half way to the new leaps and bounds.
the heat treat though. look what buck does with 440hc or whatever.
I don’t follow the knife industry in general real actively. I’m a longtime Benchmade user who “left the fold” when their designs turned all “Batman”. I’d used my 525 for over a decade without keeping up… and was dismayed when I “came back” and found s30v was the default steel. I thought 154cm was a perfectly useful steel, and easy to maintain. S30v was reputedly some new wonder steel, but it’s performance is not earth shattering and it’s ease of mainenance is less than 154cm. By comparison I find M4 no more difficult to maintain than s30v, and it’s far superior in every category except corrosion resistance. So I have to not ignore it. Needs a little tlc from time to time.
Have recently got into spydercos again (first knife I bought myself was a spydie worker) and had to really catch up with all the steels they are using. They offer limited runs of steels from other manufacturing industries to test their feasibility in knives. An interesting approach, and one that has yielded some really good knives in uncommon steels which are <$200 and often around $140 or so. The most expensive I’ve bought was a carbon fiber scaled PM2 in 52100, not a tool steel but a very capable high carbon steel.
It’s all fun.
They do have a lot of S30v these days, but I have a CLA, griptilian with a tanto blade, and a Nimravus all bought last year that are 154cm.
How do you guys figure this out? A lot of places do not tell you what steel is used. For example, I have a Kershaw with a blade made in China that does not hold an edge well, but sharpens up in a jiffy to razor sharp, and a Buck that is so hard it is almost impossible to put a fine edge on it. I have no idea what either is made out of.
Benchmade and Spyderco laser etch it on the blade. Case, Buck, and others don’t usually. YMMV. Their literature often just says “stainless steel” or “chrome vanadium” or similar. Chinese made knives often have nothing at all or a string of characters like 8cr13MoV for the alloy.
Plus SyderCos and other manufacturers make one handed opening much easier.
A flipper is a very silly solution for one handed opening. A hole works much better.
At this price point no way.
Richtig proved in the 1930’s that plain ol’ 1095 high carbon (my favorite blade stock, for forging OR stock removal) can be both razor sharp and hold an edge through terrible abuse. He also demonstrated that with proper polishing, it can be quite corrosion resistant as well. IF you wanna know more, perpetrate some googlage: Frank J. Richtig
Regrettably, you will also learn that no one has yet been able to duplicate his hardening tech.
Interesting, thank you!
However, I duck duck go, g00gle is eeevil.
I make lots of cutting tools out of 1070 or 1095 plain carbon steel. I use 4140 for some other tools, O-1 when I want it to be easy to machine, forge, sharpen and heat treat as well as easy to sharpen, etc, etc.
There are lots of good steels out there, and lots of issues solved by more advanced alloys can be overcome with careful attention in how you heat treat the steel. This is especially true of plain carbon steels like 1095.
Where the specialized alloys came into their own being was when we started seeking tool steels that would hold their edge when they got hot. I don’t mean a “little warm” – I mean like 500 to 800F hot. This is where High Speed Steel came into being a bit over 100 years ago. Machinists use to make their cutting tools out of plain carbon steels, but they had to keep their surface speeds down to a point where the swarf would come off the workpiece without color. 550 to 600F, and the chips coming off the workpiece are blue – and that’s where plain carbon steels will lose their edge very quickly.
Along comes HSS, which kept its edge keen at 600F – suddenly machinists are turning their lathes up, production increases, etc.
By the 60’s, carbide starts becoming very common, and speeds go up dramatically again. Few machine shops still use HSS, but the lessons of why HSS succeeded are there for people to learn from. I still use lots of HSS in my shop, but then I’m often grinding custom cutting tools for some particular gun job that’s a one/two-off…
I’m pretty sure the average person wouldn’t notice any practical difference between ye olde 440c (or whatever) and all the newer alphabet steels. You pay much more for a tiny performance increase that doesn’t help most people do any task any better.
Buying a $500 limited run magpul pocketknife seems silly. I can’t see how a $500 pocket knife gives any practical advantage over a good/decent mass market knife that costs $50-$100 from brands like Spyderco, Kershaw, etc. Hell, even if the $500 knife is so supercalifragilisticexpialidocious that it never needs sharpening you could just throw away your kershaw when it needs sharpening and buy another and still save money.
Of course, you might convince me otherwise, but i doubt it.
They have offered knives previously. Not impressive and not cheap
A frame lock? What is this, CRKT circa 1998? Hell by 2001 they had advanced to the liner lock!
yeah. a liner can be replaced.
if the tip of the locking lever is properly hardened i prefer a frame lock. it helps if a stop is designed in so you can’t bend it out too far.
which is already taken care of in a liner.
Personally I don’t like either one. A liner lock is also outdated.
IMHO the Benchmade AXIS/SOG Arc-Lock style of locks are the best so far in terms of non-automatic knives.
Spyderco’s Lockback and Power-Lock locks are OK too. A bit old school but lock-back styles locks are, again IMHO, a lot better than a frame or liner lock.
well, fixed knife then. always with the bk24 in d2. nothing wrong with 1095 though.
the folders pick my teeth and clean my nails as much as open letters and boxes. i just refuse to rely on slipjoints beyond whittling or apple slicing.
and i don’t really see much difference between the locks of manual or auto. the nice thing about a minigrip axis is how you can rlieve the tension and flip away. some designs are pretty fidgety. feature, not bug.
meant areleaf, not rlieve. what a rlief to have an edit fnction.
Agreed on the Axis lock, it is my favorite. Aside from strength, it is ambidextrous and self adjusting for wear. I’ve personally never had a lock failure, but I don’t abuse my folders.
Spyderco’s compression lock is working well for me, but it would suck for a left hander. They do make at least one model in a left handed format.
I’m still a fan of the lock back/spine lock. I won’t carry a liner lock or frame lock knife unless it has a secondary lock, as in a reverse grip I’ve accidentally activated those locks before, which sucks.
I carried the same Cold Steel San Mai II Tanto from bout 1988 to 2007. Now my son carries it. From 2008 forward, includes multiple combat tours, I’ve carried a Puma Emperor, made in 1974 (or 76, can’t remember) that was my dad’s. I live on a farm, and I hunt constantly, so my knives get real work. God only knows how many deer and pigs these knives have cleaned.
Both of those knives still perform perfectly. I replaced the degraded kraton handles on the Cold Steel with homemade carbon fiber ones, but other than that, they haven’t required repairs. The lockback style seems to work perfectly, for decades of use.
why don’t you clean critters with a fixed knife?
where was your cold steel made?
i remember those puma’s fondly.
Sometimes I do, but often I just use the knife I have on me, and that’s always pocket knife. I hit 40 deer even for this season on Monday. Although I used a butterfly knife on the last two, which, as it turns out, worked great. Super easy to clean.
All of the original Cold Steel San Mai III Tantos were made in Japan. It has proven to be a great knife, just too thick in the spine.
i met larry bell at a beer tasting. he’s was jerk; i don’t buy his product.
ttak covered the cold steel owners histrionics in depth.
steel from seki city is fine. i’ve seen some really nice taiwan stuff, too. and the chinese have caught up. you have to dig a little for origins; spydies have four possible. i want one of their raffir noble handled blades, but asia. not a deal breaker, but it causes pause at a hondo…
sacrilege! why, everyone knows that steel from the 70s and 80s no longer cuts anything now that the new super-expensive magical alphabet steels came out. if it doesn’t cost at least $500 and have a steel name that reads like a computer generated password then it probably can’t even cut open an MRE pouch. geez, what are you, a luddite still carrying 440c around?
The logo looks too rounded and proportionally off.
I hope this pig sticker doesn’t shatter in subzero weather like their stocks and parts have been known to do.
That being said, the D60 is one of the finest magazines the world has yet seen.
When my father spent a winter at the Arctic Circle courtesy of the US Army (’46-’47), pretty much everything broke in “sub-zero” temperatures (avg -46 degrees), including rifle barrels, artillery barrels, vehicles, tracks, bearings, you name it.
there’s a reason felons can carry a blade 3&1/4 inches long
Man now I feel like a failure…all I carry is a folding knife with a 3″ blade. Made in China. I have more but they’re too big. Including one my pastor gave me. Hallejulah😏
I usually keep Times New Roman in my font pocket. A little boring, but a sensible, easy to read choice…
Quality editors are in short supply. I think they’re trolling the pre schools for their proof readers.
there is only helvetica.
Give ’em Helvetica.
I don’t think I can “meh” any harder.
I believe the word you’re after is “bah”!
I agree with the negative comments on the frame lock design. On a budget blade, maybe. On a high end limited edition? Just seems like the easy way out. One issue I don’t think anyone else has mentioned is the blade to handle ratio. There is roughly 1.5 inches of handle that isn’t covering a cutting surface. That’s a lot of potential blade real estate to leave on the table. On a positive note, I do like the idea of a hollow pocket clip screw.
I think I’ll keep my Marble’s GI knife and my Kobalt box cutter. They serve my everyday cutting, can opening, bottle opening, and general sharp pointy object needs better than a over priced knife from a gun magazine maker. Y’all can scoff all you want but should I carry a knife for fightin it’ll be a fixed blade either a bowie or karambit.
Next month … Magpul releases their new tactical coolers.
Only $1100
Are you telling me you don’t want to be tacticool?
That would be TactiFool. And yes, there are a bunch of them out there.
There will be no shortage of people who will buy this simply because it says Magpul on it. While I appreciate using a new-ER steel, I’m no steel snob, (Al Mar still uses AUS-8 in their beautiful folders – still cuts – still sharpens) but locking levers irritate me to no end. A box showed up at my door yesterday and my wife asked if it was another knife. But no, it was my Harry”s shaving order. I’ve already bought my most expensive knives and have a horrible time deciding what to carry on any given day. I’m not going to haunt Maugpul’s website like a boy band fan, screaming to throw my money at a limited edition, particularly since, if it does well enough, you know they’ll make them standard production. I love their gun stuff. This knife might even be a good one. My counsel would be for them to keep their eye on the ball and stick with that.
I just carry a RAT2 or a CRKT Drifter. If I lose it, I won’t cry too hard.
A prerequisite(s) for owning this knife;
Magpul Stickers on Your vehicle….
Magpul clothes and hat….
At least 1 AR15 but 74 pmags…..
BAD Lever and one finger “weapon systems manipulation” at the range….
Electrical tape on your 6 position stock in order to prevent tactical beard tangles…..
And most of all the mindset that every time you enter a room, you posses an “unfair advantage….”
🤨
“And most of all the mindset that every time you enter a room, you posses an “unfair advantage….””
Kinda like the way the Van’s RV drivers are around Pipers and Cessnas?
*snicker* 😉
(Granted, they do have a right to be. Van designed a fine series of aircraft. Sips gas and goes fast. And looks good doing it…)
Perfect analogy my friend! LOVE my RV6!
200mph all day long, 7-9gph fuel burn and do my own mx… Just started my ads-b in/out upgrade for the 2020 deadline. I sneak up on on cessnas and pipers, wag my wing at em then pass em like they’re standing still. “Unfair advantage” indeed…..
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
You guys at TTAG should start site where you discuss new knives of all kinds and news about knives. It could be TTAK!
Oh, wait…
A crowded field that they are weighing into for sure.
I’ve got a Benchmade automatic. Works just fine for me.
Meh…I’d much rather see them come out with Sig MPX 9mm mags instead….
Knives have major diminishing returns in functionality past the $100 price point. You pay a hell of a lot more for a slightly better performing steel. Plus I’m always afraid to abuse a really expensive knife for fear of damage. You aren’t supposed to use the blade as a screwdriver or for prying, but sometimes you really need to…
Re: sreedriving and prying
AAAAAAUGH NOOOIIIOOOO!
That’s what the Atwood prybaby is for!
I feel inadequate with my 8 year old Gerber.
Must.. get.. more.. operational. 😂
But can it core a apple?
No, but it does have Apple Face ID. Check out the following promo from MagPul:
“Security made simple. Face ID reinvented the way we unlock, log in, and deploy the knife. Some of our most sophisticated technologies — the TrueDepth camera system, the Secure Enclave, and the Neural Engine — make it the most secure facial authentication ever in a “folder.” And even faster and easier to use. No longer do you have to worry about unauthorized persons from accessing your knife and using it against you or your loved ones. No longer do you have to worry about accessing it quickly in an emergency because this knife has been approved by Michael Bloomberg, Mom’s Demand Action, and Everytown for Gun Safety. The Democratic National Convention has endorsed our product and it is legal for sale in all 50-states (including CA, HI, IL, MA, NJ, & NY).”
I like the tiny and ultra-light pocket lock-backs with plastic handles. I’ve got an old Buck, but the handle is not substantial. I picked up the Cold Steel micro Recon-1 and the handle is much tougher. At $20 I can easily afford to lose it too.
handle profile sucks but a nice looking knife none the less
I got a drawer full of knives, not in the kitchen. Couple of folks up stream have remark about the pain of losing an expensive knife. And I am budget minded.
My normal edc is a Kershaw assisted opening knife. I’ve been also known to Carry a SAK. My favorite fixed blade knife to carry is a Mora Companion.
I was on my dailey walk some time back and there on the ground was a new looking, freshly oiled Leatherman Wave. Somebody felt the pain of that loss. Just not me.
that’s how i came to the ps4 squirt. but i miss the sak corkscrew.
your kershaw spring will weaken… they will send you free replacements but you gotta ask.
500 clams and no telling who actually makes it for Magpul, AND pocketknives are easily lost…
Even if it is a good quality knife it is still an expensive fashion accessory.
I just do not have the money or the interest in fashion accessories.
On the other hand, their 30 round AR mags with the side window and the retaining clip/dust cover? Love ’em, got a bunch.
Well, knife options are pretty limited…
Yeah, I hardly see any offered anywhere any more …
A nice 7 and a half inch Kabar, or a straight razor.
Magpul is leaning towards north of five bills.
Ouch for a first attempt. Not a safe queen. Um, yea, right.
Yeah, for the price I think I’ll wait until the Gen 3 with, “Anti-glare translucent MagLevel windows on both sides of the body along with a painted indicator on the spring allows for easy determination of rounds remaining from 1 to 30” version is released… 😀
Five 10s?
Looks nice, but I would like to take this opportunity to remind Magpul you folks didn’t create the polymer magazine, the Swiss and Austrians beat you by decades……… just saying.
And I like the Lancer’s better.
And I don’t like BS being spewed at me from a company’s CEO, or being lectured down to by them, or being told I am part of the problem because I think another approach is better.
and the Russians beat them… by decades.
Correct my apologies forgot about them.
That’s a load of hype. S35vn is not the new hotness. May not be old and busted, but definately not the new hotness.
I’m a tool steel fan. CRU-WEAR, M4 and REX45 are mo betta.
not a new steel. the ones you mention are more highly rated. properly heat treated (can i get 59-60?) this one is soo much better than more common stainless (440c, aus8, sandvik) that it should serve well. but then my kitchen knife is hand forged 10v (not vg-10).
i’m thinkin’ you’ll have to be a magpul fan to pay what they’ll ask. kind of like the hogue stuff.
i have more wharnies and sheepsfoots than anything. i would describe this rigger as a reverse tonto.
r.i.p. ttak.
You Sir, know your blades and blade steel.
(I happen to own a few too many knives)
learnin’. much of my curve was gleaned from david and h. clay over at the other truth.
VG10 is still a solid performing steel without the downsides of some of the newer super stainless steels.
for sure, right there with hap40. i have a kai in something called vg-10max maybe. it’s a hair popper, but a little chippy. i think it’s more kai’s process than the steel.
I like Hap40 too! Not as tough as M4, but in the thin Delica wharncliffe it’s a fantastic user.
I would have liked to hear more about the “ceramic bearings”, sounded fascinating.
crkt uses their rkbs bearing system to smooth effect. i doubt if you could wear it out but ceramics should be even harder/ more durable.
bearings make for smooth flippers.
you have to find a balance of country of origin and materials at your price point.
Does anyone know what happened to TTAK? I can’t find any news and the posts just stopped coming a few months back. Any info or rumint would be appreciated. Thanks.
search up “ttak” and read.
enjoy the open space(s).
I’m a fan of tool steel as well (and steels in general). I’m something of a metallurgy nerd.
What I see in the knife market is mostly spec one-up-manship. “My steel is higher tech and more obscure than yours!”
I’ve made a bunch of knives and cutting tools out of 440 stainless, O-1 oil hardening flat stock, high speed steel, etc. They all cut. Where some of these new steels come into their own is where we can compare their resistance to abuse, or how long they hold an edge. Other factors might be the ease of the heat treatment protocol, (e.g., air hardening vs. oil or salt quench), things like that.
The one thing I notice about all the knives made of the “new-new-hotness” steels, regardless of which specific alloy we’re talking, is that the knives carry a fairly tidy price to them. My rule is that I won’t carry a pocket knife that costs more than $120, because if I lose it (for whatever reason), I’m not going to cry over it – I’m just going to get another.
“they all cut.”
boutique indeed.
but spend just a bit more for say 154cm or m390 and your past half way to the new leaps and bounds.
the heat treat though. look what buck does with 440hc or whatever.
I don’t follow the knife industry in general real actively. I’m a longtime Benchmade user who “left the fold” when their designs turned all “Batman”. I’d used my 525 for over a decade without keeping up… and was dismayed when I “came back” and found s30v was the default steel. I thought 154cm was a perfectly useful steel, and easy to maintain. S30v was reputedly some new wonder steel, but it’s performance is not earth shattering and it’s ease of mainenance is less than 154cm. By comparison I find M4 no more difficult to maintain than s30v, and it’s far superior in every category except corrosion resistance. So I have to not ignore it. Needs a little tlc from time to time.
Have recently got into spydercos again (first knife I bought myself was a spydie worker) and had to really catch up with all the steels they are using. They offer limited runs of steels from other manufacturing industries to test their feasibility in knives. An interesting approach, and one that has yielded some really good knives in uncommon steels which are <$200 and often around $140 or so. The most expensive I’ve bought was a carbon fiber scaled PM2 in 52100, not a tool steel but a very capable high carbon steel.
It’s all fun.
They do have a lot of S30v these days, but I have a CLA, griptilian with a tanto blade, and a Nimravus all bought last year that are 154cm.
How do you guys figure this out? A lot of places do not tell you what steel is used. For example, I have a Kershaw with a blade made in China that does not hold an edge well, but sharpens up in a jiffy to razor sharp, and a Buck that is so hard it is almost impossible to put a fine edge on it. I have no idea what either is made out of.
Benchmade and Spyderco laser etch it on the blade. Case, Buck, and others don’t usually. YMMV. Their literature often just says “stainless steel” or “chrome vanadium” or similar. Chinese made knives often have nothing at all or a string of characters like 8cr13MoV for the alloy.
Plus SyderCos and other manufacturers make one handed opening much easier.
A flipper is a very silly solution for one handed opening. A hole works much better.
At this price point no way.
Richtig proved in the 1930’s that plain ol’ 1095 high carbon (my favorite blade stock, for forging OR stock removal) can be both razor sharp and hold an edge through terrible abuse. He also demonstrated that with proper polishing, it can be quite corrosion resistant as well. IF you wanna know more, perpetrate some googlage: Frank J. Richtig
Regrettably, you will also learn that no one has yet been able to duplicate his hardening tech.
Interesting, thank you!
However, I duck duck go, g00gle is eeevil.
I make lots of cutting tools out of 1070 or 1095 plain carbon steel. I use 4140 for some other tools, O-1 when I want it to be easy to machine, forge, sharpen and heat treat as well as easy to sharpen, etc, etc.
There are lots of good steels out there, and lots of issues solved by more advanced alloys can be overcome with careful attention in how you heat treat the steel. This is especially true of plain carbon steels like 1095.
Where the specialized alloys came into their own being was when we started seeking tool steels that would hold their edge when they got hot. I don’t mean a “little warm” – I mean like 500 to 800F hot. This is where High Speed Steel came into being a bit over 100 years ago. Machinists use to make their cutting tools out of plain carbon steels, but they had to keep their surface speeds down to a point where the swarf would come off the workpiece without color. 550 to 600F, and the chips coming off the workpiece are blue – and that’s where plain carbon steels will lose their edge very quickly.
Along comes HSS, which kept its edge keen at 600F – suddenly machinists are turning their lathes up, production increases, etc.
By the 60’s, carbide starts becoming very common, and speeds go up dramatically again. Few machine shops still use HSS, but the lessons of why HSS succeeded are there for people to learn from. I still use lots of HSS in my shop, but then I’m often grinding custom cutting tools for some particular gun job that’s a one/two-off…
I’m pretty sure the average person wouldn’t notice any practical difference between ye olde 440c (or whatever) and all the newer alphabet steels. You pay much more for a tiny performance increase that doesn’t help most people do any task any better.
Buying a $500 limited run magpul pocketknife seems silly. I can’t see how a $500 pocket knife gives any practical advantage over a good/decent mass market knife that costs $50-$100 from brands like Spyderco, Kershaw, etc. Hell, even if the $500 knife is so supercalifragilisticexpialidocious that it never needs sharpening you could just throw away your kershaw when it needs sharpening and buy another and still save money.
Of course, you might convince me otherwise, but i doubt it.
They have offered knives previously. Not impressive and not cheap
A frame lock? What is this, CRKT circa 1998? Hell by 2001 they had advanced to the liner lock!
yeah. a liner can be replaced.
if the tip of the locking lever is properly hardened i prefer a frame lock. it helps if a stop is designed in so you can’t bend it out too far.
which is already taken care of in a liner.
Personally I don’t like either one. A liner lock is also outdated.
IMHO the Benchmade AXIS/SOG Arc-Lock style of locks are the best so far in terms of non-automatic knives.
Spyderco’s Lockback and Power-Lock locks are OK too. A bit old school but lock-back styles locks are, again IMHO, a lot better than a frame or liner lock.
well, fixed knife then. always with the bk24 in d2. nothing wrong with 1095 though.
the folders pick my teeth and clean my nails as much as open letters and boxes. i just refuse to rely on slipjoints beyond whittling or apple slicing.
and i don’t really see much difference between the locks of manual or auto. the nice thing about a minigrip axis is how you can rlieve the tension and flip away. some designs are pretty fidgety. feature, not bug.
meant areleaf, not rlieve. what a rlief to have an edit fnction.
Agreed on the Axis lock, it is my favorite. Aside from strength, it is ambidextrous and self adjusting for wear. I’ve personally never had a lock failure, but I don’t abuse my folders.
Spyderco’s compression lock is working well for me, but it would suck for a left hander. They do make at least one model in a left handed format.
I’m still a fan of the lock back/spine lock. I won’t carry a liner lock or frame lock knife unless it has a secondary lock, as in a reverse grip I’ve accidentally activated those locks before, which sucks.
I carried the same Cold Steel San Mai II Tanto from bout 1988 to 2007. Now my son carries it. From 2008 forward, includes multiple combat tours, I’ve carried a Puma Emperor, made in 1974 (or 76, can’t remember) that was my dad’s. I live on a farm, and I hunt constantly, so my knives get real work. God only knows how many deer and pigs these knives have cleaned.
Both of those knives still perform perfectly. I replaced the degraded kraton handles on the Cold Steel with homemade carbon fiber ones, but other than that, they haven’t required repairs. The lockback style seems to work perfectly, for decades of use.
why don’t you clean critters with a fixed knife?
where was your cold steel made?
i remember those puma’s fondly.
Sometimes I do, but often I just use the knife I have on me, and that’s always pocket knife. I hit 40 deer even for this season on Monday. Although I used a butterfly knife on the last two, which, as it turns out, worked great. Super easy to clean.
All of the original Cold Steel San Mai III Tantos were made in Japan. It has proven to be a great knife, just too thick in the spine.
i met larry bell at a beer tasting. he’s was jerk; i don’t buy his product.
ttak covered the cold steel owners histrionics in depth.
http://www.thetruthaboutknives.com/2016/05/cold-steel-engaging-in-lawfare-again-sends-cd-letters-to-knifemakers-over-san-mai-trademark/
steel from seki city is fine. i’ve seen some really nice taiwan stuff, too. and the chinese have caught up. you have to dig a little for origins; spydies have four possible. i want one of their raffir noble handled blades, but asia. not a deal breaker, but it causes pause at a hondo…
sacrilege! why, everyone knows that steel from the 70s and 80s no longer cuts anything now that the new super-expensive magical alphabet steels came out. if it doesn’t cost at least $500 and have a steel name that reads like a computer generated password then it probably can’t even cut open an MRE pouch. geez, what are you, a luddite still carrying 440c around?
The logo looks too rounded and proportionally off.
I hope this pig sticker doesn’t shatter in subzero weather like their stocks and parts have been known to do.
That being said, the D60 is one of the finest magazines the world has yet seen.
When my father spent a winter at the Arctic Circle courtesy of the US Army (’46-’47), pretty much everything broke in “sub-zero” temperatures (avg -46 degrees), including rifle barrels, artillery barrels, vehicles, tracks, bearings, you name it.
there’s a reason felons can carry a blade 3&1/4 inches long
Man now I feel like a failure…all I carry is a folding knife with a 3″ blade. Made in China. I have more but they’re too big. Including one my pastor gave me. Hallejulah😏
I usually keep Times New Roman in my font pocket. A little boring, but a sensible, easy to read choice…
Quality editors are in short supply. I think they’re trolling the pre schools for their proof readers.
there is only helvetica.
Give ’em Helvetica.
I don’t think I can “meh” any harder.
I believe the word you’re after is “bah”!
I agree with the negative comments on the frame lock design. On a budget blade, maybe. On a high end limited edition? Just seems like the easy way out. One issue I don’t think anyone else has mentioned is the blade to handle ratio. There is roughly 1.5 inches of handle that isn’t covering a cutting surface. That’s a lot of potential blade real estate to leave on the table. On a positive note, I do like the idea of a hollow pocket clip screw.
I think I’ll keep my Marble’s GI knife and my Kobalt box cutter. They serve my everyday cutting, can opening, bottle opening, and general sharp pointy object needs better than a over priced knife from a gun magazine maker. Y’all can scoff all you want but should I carry a knife for fightin it’ll be a fixed blade either a bowie or karambit.
Next month … Magpul releases their new tactical coolers.
Only $1100
Are you telling me you don’t want to be tacticool?
That would be TactiFool. And yes, there are a bunch of them out there.
There will be no shortage of people who will buy this simply because it says Magpul on it. While I appreciate using a new-ER steel, I’m no steel snob, (Al Mar still uses AUS-8 in their beautiful folders – still cuts – still sharpens) but locking levers irritate me to no end. A box showed up at my door yesterday and my wife asked if it was another knife. But no, it was my Harry”s shaving order. I’ve already bought my most expensive knives and have a horrible time deciding what to carry on any given day. I’m not going to haunt Maugpul’s website like a boy band fan, screaming to throw my money at a limited edition, particularly since, if it does well enough, you know they’ll make them standard production. I love their gun stuff. This knife might even be a good one. My counsel would be for them to keep their eye on the ball and stick with that.
I just carry a RAT2 or a CRKT Drifter. If I lose it, I won’t cry too hard.
A prerequisite(s) for owning this knife;
Magpul Stickers on Your vehicle….
Magpul clothes and hat….
At least 1 AR15 but 74 pmags…..
BAD Lever and one finger “weapon systems manipulation” at the range….
Electrical tape on your 6 position stock in order to prevent tactical beard tangles…..
And most of all the mindset that every time you enter a room, you posses an “unfair advantage….”
🤨
“And most of all the mindset that every time you enter a room, you posses an “unfair advantage….””
Kinda like the way the Van’s RV drivers are around Pipers and Cessnas?
*snicker* 😉
(Granted, they do have a right to be. Van designed a fine series of aircraft. Sips gas and goes fast. And looks good doing it…)
Perfect analogy my friend! LOVE my RV6!
200mph all day long, 7-9gph fuel burn and do my own mx… Just started my ads-b in/out upgrade for the 2020 deadline. I sneak up on on cessnas and pipers, wag my wing at em then pass em like they’re standing still. “Unfair advantage” indeed…..
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
You guys at TTAG should start site where you discuss new knives of all kinds and news about knives. It could be TTAK!
Oh, wait…
A crowded field that they are weighing into for sure.
I’ve got a Benchmade automatic. Works just fine for me.
Meh…I’d much rather see them come out with Sig MPX 9mm mags instead….
Knives have major diminishing returns in functionality past the $100 price point. You pay a hell of a lot more for a slightly better performing steel. Plus I’m always afraid to abuse a really expensive knife for fear of damage. You aren’t supposed to use the blade as a screwdriver or for prying, but sometimes you really need to…
Re: sreedriving and prying
AAAAAAUGH NOOOIIIOOOO!
That’s what the Atwood prybaby is for!
I feel inadequate with my 8 year old Gerber.
Must.. get.. more.. operational. 😂
But can it core a apple?
No, but it does have Apple Face ID. Check out the following promo from MagPul:
“Security made simple. Face ID reinvented the way we unlock, log in, and deploy the knife. Some of our most sophisticated technologies — the TrueDepth camera system, the Secure Enclave, and the Neural Engine — make it the most secure facial authentication ever in a “folder.” And even faster and easier to use. No longer do you have to worry about unauthorized persons from accessing your knife and using it against you or your loved ones. No longer do you have to worry about accessing it quickly in an emergency because this knife has been approved by Michael Bloomberg, Mom’s Demand Action, and Everytown for Gun Safety. The Democratic National Convention has endorsed our product and it is legal for sale in all 50-states (including CA, HI, IL, MA, NJ, & NY).”
I like the tiny and ultra-light pocket lock-backs with plastic handles. I’ve got an old Buck, but the handle is not substantial. I picked up the Cold Steel micro Recon-1 and the handle is much tougher. At $20 I can easily afford to lose it too.
handle profile sucks but a nice looking knife none the less
I got a drawer full of knives, not in the kitchen. Couple of folks up stream have remark about the pain of losing an expensive knife. And I am budget minded.
My normal edc is a Kershaw assisted opening knife. I’ve been also known to Carry a SAK. My favorite fixed blade knife to carry is a Mora Companion.
I was on my dailey walk some time back and there on the ground was a new looking, freshly oiled Leatherman Wave. Somebody felt the pain of that loss. Just not me.
that’s how i came to the ps4 squirt. but i miss the sak corkscrew.
your kershaw spring will weaken… they will send you free replacements but you gotta ask.
500 clams and no telling who actually makes it for Magpul, AND pocketknives are easily lost…
Even if it is a good quality knife it is still an expensive fashion accessory.
I just do not have the money or the interest in fashion accessories.
On the other hand, their 30 round AR mags with the side window and the retaining clip/dust cover? Love ’em, got a bunch.
Would like to buy one
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