Extrema Ratio FULCRUM S Review

Ok so here is a quick pre video field preview on  Extrema Ratio's Fulcrum S. I first heard about the Fulcrum model over 8 years ago when it was touted then by knife reviewers in many popular knife magazines, as it is now, as one tough knife being able to withstand large lateral loads before breaking. It's not surprising too with that name either! Extrema Ratio are Italian knife manufacturers whose attention to detail, functionality and design is top notch (see my other posts and comprehensive video reviews here).
Ok so it's 8 years later and the actual knife design has basically remained the same but the carry system has been revamped (see further down this article).

The Fulcrum S is a slightly shorter version of the Fulcrum, with a blade length of 150mm from the base of the top of the hilt to the tip. It's 6.5 mm thick along the spine 

or 0.256 inch and 5.97mm to about 10mm behind the tip. The knife feels weighty without being heavy and there are about 39mm of serrations on the blade. A full tapering tang at 6mm too.

The center of gravity is through the guard, 

so it's very nicely balanced. The grip is  totally ergonomic 

Super secure grip wet or dry hot or cold

featuring ER's composite reinforced FORPRENE (manufactured by S.O.F.T.E.R.) handle

Single handle bolt removed (see below) to keep tang clean if immersed in a corrosive liquid

co-designed with the co-operation of the University of Perugia in Italy. No way are you going to be letting go of this  knife when swinging it or have wet hands and or twisting it (see my other reviews and here and this one). The Fulcrum S has a good feel in the hands when swinging this blade about and I'll be looking at chopping into things in a field review as a follow up to this post.

The blade steel is BÖHLER Uddeholm's N690 Cobalt martensitic stainless steel. Basically this is an excellent knife steel for serious knives. It has many great features such as, good corrosion resistance, toughness, easy to sharpen, edge holding capacity is great. Read the above technical document to find out more! I've got knives made from this alloy and have had them submerged all day working in a river up to my waist in water and not one bit of corrosion was present after over 1 month of this activity.

Knives with similar blade shapes has been described as a "western style tactical tanto design" (not described by Extrema Ratio as such). What the heck does that mean? Well to be honest there is no resemblance of any kind in the western style tanto blade to anything remotely Japanese bearing the name Tanto!  The trouble is US driven marketing and ignorant social media hype has overridden any of the facts. The tip of the FULCRUM S slightly resembles the tip of a Japanese Wakizashi. That's the only (and at a big stretch)  resemblance here to anything Japanese. Basically it's a chisel tip with a non-curving straight main blade. 

Extrema Ratio market the Fulcrum S under the banner of:
"Multi Purpose knives"....."A combination of Combat and Camp knives"

The Fulcrum S is aimed at the Military market. Black anti-reflective coating Mil  C 13924, note that this coating is an oxide coating and as such doesn't confer any real corrosion resistance unlike blades treated via a physical vapour deposition (PVD) eg TiN,TiCN etc. The Fulcrum S is clearly a soldier's tool at first glance.

However, I'll be looking at using this knife in the video field review for civilian activities such as camping and unforeseen events such as in a survival situation. ie the "Multipurpose" role. I'm a big fan of military style knives for hardcore camping as these knives are designed (such as the Fulcrum S) to really take a beating, reliable, easily serviceable (ie can remove handle to clean tang if immersed in saltwater)

Using an item off my keyring to remove the single handle bolt securing the

Forprene handle on the FULCRUM S. Whilst an Allen driver can be used it is not

necessary due to a flat slot that can take a coin or other flat object.

Basically, this means no need to carry special tools with you.

and hence the user can depend on them. For me that's a good thing. Here are the basics:

The carry system

The carry system is fully Molle compatible

There is a rigid composite insert to protect the wearer from accidental puncturing of the scabbard from the knife, in this case hardly possible due to the physical constraints of this insert.

Note drain holes also one at the end (hidden from view here)

Plastic retaining plug. This plug inserts through the outer scabbard
to help retain this insert into scabbard- see below

To remove the Fulcrum S, simply part the lower plastic tab with your thumb (seen below, closest to the nylon sheath- the larger of the two tabs) and the knife will come free.

Plastic retaining system and gimping* on the upper handle region

These next two images show the protective flap closed over the handle and knife release. This flap reduces the chances of this knife (if carried by a paratrooper) from getting entangled in his or her equipment during a jump. As for civilian function, I can think of many activities: Abseiling, climbing, working at height with ropes etc. 
Also this scabbard in civilian life doesn't make this knife look aggressive when carried this way......at least not to me!
Plus it protects your arms from damage should you happen to fall on this scabbard provided it is closed as seen below.

The composite nylon hard liner, which is easily removable, as you can see below. Simply take out the plastic plug 

at the bottom of the sheath and squeeze the sheath and you will be able to pull the sheath inner for cleaning etc.

This type of carry system is very safe and totally encloses the business end of the Fulcrum S.

Testing the Fulcrum S

I'm not so keen on the handle/grip gimping which is pretty much standard on several of Extrema Ratio's knives. Any added "grip" would, I feel be outweighed by an uncomfortable surface under hard use. I used the Fulcrum S to remove the skin from a very hard gourd*. 

Camp duties means sometimes prepping food. 

This type of skin is difficult to remove even with a vegetable peeler and requires a very sharp instrument and great force as the skin is not flexible at all and this vegetable* is very hard. I found this ridged surface, despite the ridges being quite rounded, tended to dig into the region just below my first knuckle (palm side of course). Now I wasn't wearing gloves but I don't like to wear gloves and maybe you have lost your gung-ho tactical gloves, and you have to use this knife to prep some food such as this. Ok just a thought Extrema Ratio, maybe you guys could mill these ridges off, like they are not present on the ONTOS or the Dobermann IV and these are both very comfortable knives to use under hard use. The lack of these ridges may not effect any strength loss and the lose of that little extra grip in this region may not be a problem in practical terms.
* Note on why I chose this vegetable: It can be found on both hemispheres from the tropics, Mediterranean, arid and semi arid regions. It stores well and everything can be eaten, yes even the seeds.

I also hacked into a coconut just to see how easy it was if one didn't have a machete or a Parang.

Hacking the end off a green coconut for water using the Fulcrum S

This wasn't a problem and quite comfortable letting the weight of the knife do the work for me. In this instance the handle gimping did not rub on my hand at all. The Fulcrum S swings quite nicely due to the balance of weight.

The same went for peeling a sweet potato.

Peeling a sweet potato was easy as the Fulcrum S was deadly sharp and just the right
angle of the edge.

I also cut up apples and carrots, that is, some hard fruit and vegetables. The blade of course is not like the Extrema Ratio TASK, which is as Extrema say good for all day cutting tasks, and certainly, all of my field testing showed this to be the case. Yes that gimping is present on the TASK too but in the case of the TASK, there is no upper guard and you can put your fingers/thumb onto the finger gimping on the spine. Ok so how did the Fulcrum S go? Well of course this is NOT a knife to be chopping up vegetables with in camp, military or not. Yes you can do it but due to the short blade angle and the overall blade thickness it tends to half cut half fracture open what you are cutting. But of course it is a knife and it does have a razor sharp edge so of course you are going to be able to cut things with it.  

How about cutting up sugarcane? Yes, that's right the stuff sugar is made from (at least in the tropics) and it's a tough job for a knife.

Normally a job for a machete or a Parang but it is possible to cut through
Sugarcane with the Fulcrum S by applying lots of hand pressure over the spine.

Is there a place for this type of blade shape in camping?

Easy to sharpen (see explanation below).
Can pry mollusks from the rocks to eat such as Abalone (can be used a dive knife if need be as handle can be removed and washed). Abalone is almost impossible to be removed by hand and usually required a special "Ab pryer" for the job. Often I've been coastal camping and found abs in shallow water and they make good eating if you know how to prepare and cook them but first you have to extricate one off the rocks and for that you don't want any woosy blades!

Can bust open logs (or dig in the soil-last resort better to use a digging stick so as not to damage your blade!) looking for grubs/insect larvae to eat.

Cicada larvae. In this instance I put it back as these things live for about 17 years!
I had food no sense in killing it but you have to know how to find your food if necessary!

The blade of this knife is very very strong. 

Non aggressive looking carrying system (you can't see there is a knife in the sheath)
This can be a good thing amongst other campers who might otherwise freak out when they see people carrying large fixed blades, it doesn't attract attention. (See above).

The Fulcrum S has a serrated section near the hilt. I think that serrations are a good thing to have. You can easily cut synthetic ropes found as flotsam and jetsam on beaches and rocky foreshores during coastal camping/hiking. 

Hardness Rockwell of 58 is great for giving the optimum corrosion resistance in N690 (BÖHLER technical staff told me this personally) but still allowing for a very hard blade with tough characteristics.

The tip of the blade is exactly that, a tip and a good pointed one at that! Perfect for sticking into the vent of fish to gut it or to cone out a piece of wood to make a depression for a fire drill/simply make holes. A tip such as this is pretty good at doing this task compared to a clip point or drop point.

Serrations can be used to scale your catch!

Chisel type tips good for pushing strokes into food items like fungi in trees, bees nests to obtain honey.

Guess what? Chisel style tips are great for doing exactly that chiseling away into timber to make things like spoons and bowls-if that's your thing but I prefer super simple when in the bush.

Can you strike a steel with it? of course you can do this with any knife via the blade and if fire is paramount to your survival then you won't be too worried about dulling a small section of your precious knife! Let's get serious here eh? You can use a freshly broken rock or waste glass as a striker if you have to, no worries!

Lanyard hole, totally necessary for any knife that you take into the wilds with you. Without a lanyard it can be difficult to secure your precious instrument from loss down a deep deep hole! Common sense here.


Ok what knife can't you do all of the above with? Well I guess this comes down to personal preference and of course more importantly ones outdoor skills which need to be sharper and stronger than any knife blade.
It's what you might be used to using.

For me comfort is paramount then practicality. Some of you are saying, hey you can't skin with this knife. Well let me tell you, you can as long a you can penetrate the hide, skin with your hands (at least I've done this with medium sized game- yep just used the knife to start the  ventral and leg incisions etc and there you need some sort of good sharp point. Butchering is a different matter. Remember there is NO SUPER ONE KNIFE ALL DOES THE JOB!

Some people hate these somewhat antiquated guards on the upper and lower hilt of military style knives. Let's face it, they don't really protrude enough to catch a blade or protect your hands against a blade.  But let me tell you it is not impossible to carve small things here and of course if that is what you are primarily doing all day long out and about in the wilds then the FULCRUM S may not be the knife for you because your ungloved thumb will tend to rest right on top of the FULLER as the upper guard prevents you from putting your thumb close to the spine,

Unlike many manufacturers Extrema Ratio do things differently, their FULLER
is milled from the top down not your regular Slot FULLER/blood groove

which is as you can see from the above  image, this area of the spine is thinner than the rest of the spine, albeit not having a sharp angled edge and I didn't find this uncomfortable in an ungloved hand.

Let's look at more heavy duty use:

The serrations are ok to cut through woody vines but in all honesty, these vines are really really woody and best chopped, either against something or not.

 

       2 month old (seasoned) Clematis species vines. Very tough and difficult to

 Use as a pry bar!  Re using washed up pallets/wooden boxes/crates on the coast. Recycling wood for other purposes when you don't have a pry bar!

Busting up a Eucalyptus hardwood pallet with the Fulcrum S

No way this knife was going to bust !

let's talk about maintenance of the blade:

Sharpening: Nothing could be easier than to sharpen the Fulcrum S from either a beginner standpoint or that of the experienced as the blade has none of these popular funky curves in it (ok let's talk about those serrations later), therefore it's easy to keep the bevel angles by hand. BTW  the Fulcrum S like all ER blades is hand sharpened to almost a mirror polish with few grind marks visible even examining at X10 magnification.

It's no good owning a knife if you are unable to effectively sharpen it eh? Let's be honest here and a straight bladed knife will be the easiest to sharpen, followed by a drop point, clip point, then any type of recurve. Why do I say this? Because recurved blade designs require some skill to sharpen properly, to maintain the correct angle throughout the curving shape of the blade.

Camp kitchen?

How many times do I have to say that if you take a knife out into the wilds with you then you have to be able to use it to prepare food around the camp. If you are like me and like to really hike away from anywhere that could remotely be called civilized, then you won't want to be carrying any unnecessary gear with you and that means carrying dozens of knives. It is of course TOTALLY dependent on the environment one is going to venture out into. That is, tropics verses non-tropics (very broadly speaking). A couple of nights in a non tropical terrain you might easily get away with a Swiss Army style knife but now you are in the tropics and you need to dismember a coconut for some fresh water and you are about to break that small pen knife blade. You get my point I hope.

Ok this is too much information. I'll be more thorough in a following video field review here on this channel.

Extrema Ratio have a Life time warranty against manufacturers defects.

6 years warranty on the scabbard.

Hand ground edges, came deadly surgically sharp out of the box, no clumsy finish to this product.

All knives can be tracked as they are serial numbered and come with separate lot numbers.

You be the judge.

If you like the feel of military style knives for outdoor/field purposes then the Extrema Ratio Fulcrum S could be good for you.

EXTREMA RATIO RAO II

(BAD ASS FOLDER/FIXED BLADE)
an in depth review

Extrema Ratio's RAOII is a heavy duty folder using a spring loaded sliding bolt action to lock the blade open (Figure 1). This bolt is ambidextrous. It is a kind of axis lock but in this case the axis is perpendicular to the major axis of the knife, so unlike a typical axis lock which is quite good, it is possible that your fingers can actuate the release of the lock under some circumstances since the axis of the "axis lock" runs in the same direction as "slipping fingers" might move. Here on the RAO II however, if your fingers moved slipping forwards or backwards and pressed against the locking bolt then nothing would happen as the axis is in the vertical plane (and under spring tension too). Smart design improvement I'd say! 

Figure 1. The locking bolt is the one seen on the far right with the Torx head

It is not necessary to touch this bolt in order to open the blade but it is necessary to lift the bolt against it's spring action in order to close the knife.

This is no woosy folder! and is marketed under Extrema Ratio's "Molto Pesanti" line of folders which roughly translated in context into very heavy duty folder!  The RAO II weighs in at 322gm or 11.36 Oz. The spine at it's thickest part was measured at 6.12mm or about 0.240 of an inch, 

Closed view of the knife spine

basically a 1/4 inch thick! The blade is a drop point and runs at about full thickness to within about 17mm from the tip, so this makes the blade very strong in this area. A fuller sits just below thumb/finger gimping and aids blade opening.

Drop point blade geometry with swedge (Note fuller machined below the thumb gimping)

How does the RAO II Feel?

Ok as all of you know I don't like to test knives of any sorts wearing gloves. But to recap why...... If you have to wear gloves to  use a knife, fixed or folder then the designer has failed. Yes sure, gloves can be worn in cold to sub-zero temperatures or where the ambient rises to the 30's plus ie 86F or above and you've left the knife in the sun for a bit, then it's going to get hot as!

So do I need to wear gloves with this knife? No, is my simple answer. 

The surface of any knife handle which needs to be comfortable in the grip is the UPPER surface in the first instance. WHY? Because the upper surface is in direct contact with where the user pressure is focused from the palm, and the lower part is where your fingers are applying pressure for gripping and of course opposing pressure to retain the handle in place. As the handle region of the RAOII presents a flat profile with  generous radiuses on all surfaces, twisting motion is not going to happen. 

The RAO II does not operate on a liner lock system but as stated above on a vertical locking sliding bolt action, this makes for a very strong locking system. 

Construction Materials

Extrema Ratio use Böhler’s N690 Cobalt martensitic stainless alloy for the blade at HRC 58. The handle scales are machined from the 6000 series aluminium alloys, 6082. 6082 has the highest strength in the 6000 series of alloys and excellent corrosion resistance (Reference). Now this 6082 must be tough. 6065 has been routinely used in producing super strong and tough downhill mountain biking frames and rock climbing gear both of which  you have to trust your life with. All other parts in the knife construction such as screws etc are according to Extrema Ratio very corrosion resistant.

The main pivot is stainless steel. Brass washers are used, NOT Teflon. This will give the best possible characteristics and is usually done on the best folding knives.

Non reflective mil spec Mil C 13924 on the blade and black anodized for the handle scales to a thickness of 20 microns.
The material where RAOII appears is also made from N690 with the same characteristics to that of the blade.

 Where are forces applied?

Opening and closing there is a reassuring engagement of the locking mechanism unlike some liner lock systems where the spring tensioned liner must engage with the base of the blade. In the liner lock, if not super precise engagement then it is possible for the liner to either travel: almost past the width of the blade, not cover it enough, sit correctly in the middle or not engage properly at all and require some "tweaking". Sometimes manufacturers state there is a "wearing in period"  or the need to push the liner into position on a new knife. 
The mechanism of the RAO II doesn't require such a wearing in period and the user can easily visualize at first glance (there is an audible click too) correct engagement of the blade, as it will be sitting flush against the back spine.

Locking bolt (Torx head) in bottom position (fully locked) and lower safety pin for Fixed blade operation in place

Downward pressure on the spine, as applied by a cutting or pressing motion via gripping the handle is countered by the immovable tang back (The part where you see RAO II laser engraved on the above image of the handle) Therefore, it is impossible for the knife blade to move in upwards direction past this stop.

Forces applied in the opposite direction will tend to want to make the locking bolt (Figure 1.) 

Figure 1. Locking bolt and view of locking bolt spring mechanism

move in a direction towards the knife tip. This is of course impossible too, as the bolt has no where to travel in this direction. A small spring (seen here within the lock mechanism) keeps pressure against the locking bolt  (Figure 5a and 5b.) Finally there is a slight angle on the blade notch

Blade locking notch, note a slight acute angle (less than 90 degrees)

which will also force the locking bolt to only want to move in a forward and NOT a vertical direction.

Figure 5a side view from bolt head

Figure 5b end view

Further as a failsafe, a separate safety pin 

 can be screwed into one side of the 6082 alloy handles. Once this pin is inserted the RAOII essentially functions a "fixed blade knife" image required!

Pros

The RAO II's construction  appears to be very good and that's what I'd expect from a company such as Extrema Ratio. The tolerances are tight as. No lateral or vertical wobble of the blade either closed or open.

Out of the box the Extrema Ratio RAO II came surgically deadly sharp with little evidence of grind marks on what was almost a polished edge. As I've said in previous blogs, this is testament to a company of skilled workers.

 They have in place a small set screw to lock the main  pivot bolt after small adjustments.

Small set/locking screw stops the main pivot bolt from becoming loose

 Both this screw and the main bolt have flat head screw driver slots. This latter point from a field maintenance issue is better than using Torx head or Allen (socket head) bolts. WHY?? Because you can improvise if necessary to loosen these screws. It is virtually impossible to improvise on Torx head or Allen socket heads unless you have the actual tool. Just try it and see what happens.

When closed but without the locking pin inserted, the blade does not want to come out of the handle. This is a very important point if carrying this knife out of the supplied pouch/sheath for obvious safety aspects. Of course in the closed position and safety pin inserted then even under a rough and tumble situation the blade is going to be staying put and not injuring the user.

Metal to Metal

The contact surfaces, that is the back of the tang and the roller/axis lock pin (not to be confused with the supplementary locking pin) are not of two vastly different metal alloys. For example, when you have Titanium liner lock rubbing against the much hardened back end part of the tang then the softer metal ( the Ti) will tend to wear and this wear will depend on the abuse the knife mechanism sees over time and cause slop or hysteresis (the technical term for a sloppy mechanism) to occur. Not the case in this mechanism used in the RAOII.

The blade has a simple but great design. A Drop point, measuring 6.01mm across it's thickest section where the finger thumb gimping occurs.

The blade fuller has dual role, it is also used to open the knife via the thumb.

You can do all the fancy pants flicking this knife open business, if you have only one hand in operation. I'm not a big fan of this action, (with this particular knife) unless you are trained in knife fighting or using this knife in some action movie then  usually this operation is limited to  the  "show offs" out there. Also this simply puts unnecessary wear and tear on the mechanism plus makes a lot of noise.

The RAOII can be carried in the locked position closed simply by inserting the locking  pin. This makes carrying this knife in the folded position very safe as it is impossible for the blade  becoming "accidentally" open.

Portability

The RAO II is, after all a heavily built folder, without a belt clip. Something that you would expect on an EDC folder BUT you can carry this knife in your pocket as long as it's not in its carry system. I've done it no problems and you don't need ginormous pockets to do so!

The carry system is just great. Molle compatible, comes with a diamond plate sharpener for field sharpening (personally I'd use a finer grade to sharpen this blade when back at base). No uneven or loose stitching was present and tough ballistic nylon

Since the RAO II can be safely locked in the fixed position, the sheath accommodates carrying this knife as standard fixed blade. This also means that if by chance you were unable to close the blade, then transportation would be no problems from a functional and more importantly a safety issue.

Cons

ALL folding knives, full stop, are subject to dirt ingress no matter what the design. This is  simply a consequence of a folding mechanism and numerous moving parts capable of trapping dirt and possibly retaining this dirt, which may or may not compromise the function of the knife. Using a folding knife requires one to understand the maintenance requirements for such a knife. Once these things are understood then the user can enjoy many years of trouble free usage. Failure to do so can lead to malfunction and premature wearing of parts with the worst case scenario leading to personal injury.

What about Lubrication?
ER recommend good quality gun oils. Yep no problems there, however, I have been using top quality mountain biking lubricants on folding knives I own for many many years. WHY? Because these lubricants are designed not to attract dust and dirt; repel water; provide lubrication under extreme stress; not cake up and form a gooey mess, help prevent corrosion and my folders have never undergone the punishment my Free Ride bike took.

Now all that being said, how does the RAOII stack up? To be honest right now the blade is about to undergo vigorous field testing, so all I can present at this moment is opinion based on my experience in using this knife for a day on seasoned wood.

Dirt being allowed to sit between the handle scales, will, like any folder, introduce mater into moving parts. Simply keeping this area clean, will, like any folder, allow normal operation. Because the RAOII's handle width is much greater than a "regular  (EDC) folder", it should be easier to remove such "dirt".

Blade locking notch top view

Blade notch end view

Blade locking notch side view

I found the slightest of slightest movement under locked situation in the vertical plane and absolutely no movement laterally at all. 
After using the RAOII for a day on fully seasoned ELM ( a hardwood) I was confident in the locking mechanism (without the safety pin in use) and using the safety pin, well this just instills total confidence in this folder/fixed blade.

If and I say if, the small spring should break or become inoperable then the RAO II could only safely be used as a fixed blade with the locking pin inserted. As this is a new model and I have no data on the springs lifetime ( I will be asking ER about this) I can't say anymore. I only mention this as any locking folder from any manufacturer, if the locking mechanism becomes unusable then the safe use of the knife may not be possible. In the case of the design of the RAOII, it could be safely used without noticing any difference simply by using it in it's dual role as a fixed blade provided that locking pin is screwed in.

The stainless steel locking pin

Stainless Steel locking pin

could get lost if the elastic was to break. NO big deal, many things could be inserted into the hole as improvisation dictated. Some people might say the twisting of the shock cord is a big pain, 

Twisted Shock cord jointing safety locking pin to lanyard hole

well one thing, it aids undoing this pin in a hurry as the reverse twisting motion aids removal. IF you don't like it then you could simply put a good quality stainless alloy fishing swivel in place and hey presto! No more twisting of the shock cord but then you have to tediously undo the pin.

A full on Video Field Review is coming up shortly so stay tuned to Bushcampingtools.

This post is in part  inspired by Richard Basehart's character, Admiral Nelson in Irwin Allen's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, where he takes his service pen knife and: cuts down large palm fronds to make a splint for a comrades broken leg, cuts and makes a flag pole to attract attention; parachute cord and canopy material and uses it to build a signal fire (by cutting down more green palm fronds. In other words he uses a pen knife for a survival (albeit fictional) situation but not unrealistic work for pen knife/Folder.

EXTREMA RATIO ONTOS Survival Knife

THE BEST STAINLESS STEEL SURVIVAL KNIFE?


Is there such a thing? Of course not! But I reckon after actually testing this knife, ie yes, that's right, actually using it for some weeks on end, not simply bashing some wood with it, that the ONTOS really rocks in this department. I mean why shouldn't it? Simple blade geometry, nice and thick but not cumbersome to handle and very very comfortable in the ungloved hand/s. Having a Western style Tanto shaped blade is also good when having to push down onto the tip of the blade to cut something, like I did in the review to cut giant bamboo shoots for food.

Wild mushrooms and sandpaper figs. The figs were eddible

Well after one month of using this knife as EDC in the jungle/rain forest, using the Ontos for chopping, cutting, food gathering, felling trees, yes trees, I reckon it's a damn good knife and I'll tell you why in the video link below.

I used it for cutting roots to obtain drinking water and as a tool to prepare other tools such as digging sticks and cooking pots made from giant bamboo. The blade weight feels just right for a knife of this size, seriously, not to heavy not to light.

Here is the  video link:


The only drawback I saw with this knife was actually not with the knife but with the excellent scabbard/carry system. I would put a retaining clip like Extrema Ratio's Dobermann IV (another great knife),  press stud, to be easily replaced and plastic reinforced to prevent the blade from cutting into it.

Rain hail or shine the ONTOS was being used

Preparing the end of giant bamboo ready for steaming rice

Part 2 BCB survival stuff is not that good, here's why:

Ok so you can see from the above picture, this is what happened after a dozen or so strikes with the included striker from BCB's Ultimate Survival Kit. Yes that's right, the ferro rod came right out of the plastic holder. Ok these products are made in CHINA and there was only about 5-6mm of rod inserted into the plastic molding, not enough to hold the rod properly. Because the rod is so short to begin with it could not be used now, not good if you really need to depend on it not failing.

Just go out and buy either a USA made Sparkie or a Swedish fire steel (made in Sweden) MY Swedish fire steel I inherited from my dad, and it's still got tonnes of life left in it after 35 years of careful use. (the rod BTW goes all the way into the plastic handle).


Overall I found the contents of BCB's Ultimate Survival kit, quite worrying if I really had to rely on it and the cost is not a little either. The best survival kits are the ones you carefully put together yourself with quality contents. I wouldn't even rely on this kit if I was in combat either. V disappointed!

Kizlyar Supreme Survivalist X Hollow Handle Survival Knife

Hollow handle type knives are here to stay whether you hate them or love them and the trick is if you are one who likes them then who makes a good one? Well here I review Kizlyar Supreme's Survivalist X. I put this knife through the paces trying to see if that blade was going to come loose etc. No chance! See the video and you be the judge.

Just what makes a knife "Tactical".

 Bizillions of knife manufacturers are labeling their products with the word "Tactical". What does this really mean? IS this just marketing hype that sells knives to "would be if I could be's"?

AND if my knife is not a tactical knife, then what does it look like? I hope to explore this word, which has become a marketing prerequisite for selling all sorts of products. "Get the new Tactical stapler"! "It will give you the added advantage against your office companions"!

For (good) example:

Extrema Ratio's Dobermann IV comes under a banner of "Tactical" Let's have a look at this.

So if your tactics require sneaking up on your quarry under the cover of darkness then a non reflective blade coating would be wise. Or if you needed to pull this big knife out during the daylight hours and not have it reflecting any light.  If your tactics require you to use a knife all day then having one eveningly balanced would go a long way for hand and arm comfort, helping to reduce fatigue. If your tactics require a good non slip anti twist grip, then YES this knife, the Dobermann IV can definitely carry the banner of being a tactical knife!

BTW Extrema Ratio also market a non tactical version of the same blade shape. Ok why is it non tactical?

The blade is polished- there is absolutely no need of an anti-refelctive coating if you don't intend on sneaking up on someone/or something, with your knife drawn.

The scabbard is not Molle compatible and made of leather. If you don't intend of getting it wet all of the time/exposed to the elements (nylon is not going to get  all rotten with fungus/swell if wet). Nor carry it on a Molle style military pack/harness (ie you are not a soldier) ie you are a civilian. The balance of the non Tactical version is the same, so in regards to reducing user fatigue Extrema Ratio have not made any compromises here.

What makes a knife tactical soley depends on users tactics! For example this knife will not be of tactical advantage if your tactics require you to cut lots of ropes in the course of events as there are no serrations and a properly serrated blade will always cut ropes faster, that's physics. AND to use the non tactical version of the Dobermann IV as an example, a polished blade may well be of tactical advantage if you need something shiny and polished to attract attention if you require rescuing/being found.

Tactics don't have to relate to military or law enforcement applications although the word certainly conjures up this idea in most peoples minds. Can you have a tactical hunting knife, yes and no but now we are starting to get really crazy with this overuse of the word tactical! 

Unfortunately the word "Tactical" has become a key marketing weapon (no pun intended) for manufacturers wishing to increase their market share.

So the next time you take out your "tactical serrated zombie killing, ten inch jungle chopping, stealth, anti-radar paint, super stainless fishing knife out in front of your companions fishing knife; just see at the end of the day who had the tactical advantages and then think back and see if you were suckered by marketing hype!

Extrema Ratio TASK Knife

Hi all here is Extrema Ratio's TASK knife. A great knife for bushcraft! Check it out!