RAIDOPS

Preliminary Review of the RAIDOPS AQUILO SRN Frame Lock Folder

RAIDOPS 

Presentation box (outer pictured here and inner heavy cardboard box pictured below)

is a company that I've had my eye on for a number of years. Established  only about 13 years ago in South Korea by Nam Deuk Kim, otherwise known as Andy Kim, who is also the Director of the company.  The current Key people are:
Daniel Noh (Designer and Engineer), Lino Min (Marketing Manager) and Jack Jeon (Designer).

Design takes place in Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) and products are currently being manufactured in: Korea, Taiwan and Italy at present.


What attracted me to this company was the simply great design of their products.

RAIDOPS products are not only funky but well designed and practical. The company emphasis is on survival and tactical ethos.
That means if one is going to follow that ethos, the products need to reflect this in practical use. Full stop.

On top of that, Original knives made during the early days are now much sought after collectors items. It's easy to understand why once you lay eyes on the said knives, and they are like any sought after items commanding very high prices too!
RAIDOPS products are manufactured in: KOREA, TAIWAN and ITALY.

Some basics about Frame locking knives

Firstly if the frame lock is made from a titanium alloy (and many are done this way) then it is totally wrong from an engineering perspective to have the titanium frame directly contacting the knife tang. Once wear and tear has set in, slop will develop in the locking mechanism and the frame would need to be replaced. Look at one (there are others) popular brand, very poorly made (poorly mated surfaces and lack of precision engineering), frame locks suffering innumerable problems, with stories abounding about customers having to return them to get their brand new out of the box knife repaired!

In order to avoid this situation, a different material (but a separate piece) with proper hardness and proper mating surface and angles must be incorporated into the frame lock. This means extra work (extra parts) and of course means more production costs. But this is in my mind the only way to properly construct a frame locking knife system. Plus a frame lock really has to have exacting tolerances, not to rely on all this after sales manipulations. The titanium alloy must be correctly machined and heat treated in order to obtain a proper "spring" characteristic of the alloy. You simply can't bend a bit of titanium and expect it to act like a spring!

 RAIDOPS AQUILO SRN. Frame locking EDC folder

WOW!!!

My first impressions out of the box and a day outside with the RAIDOPS Aquilo SRN.

Number 1
Expertly engineered, with exacting tolerances.

Number 2
Pivot point

Using  washers on the blade pivot.

Number 3
Construction materials

Grade 5 Titanium alloy (T 6Al-4V ) used for the frame lock- a good alloy of Ti for making springs and it is also very strong.
See here for general information regarding Grade 5 Titanium.

The precision mating surface bolted to the Grade 5 Titanium spring frame is 420 stainless. 

Precision engineering for a precise fit of the mating surfaces from the tang and the 420 surface attached to the titanium frame.

The proper way to produce a frame locking knife is to use a separate piece of metal to engage the knife tang as in the RAIDOPS AQUILO SRN, seen here and in the above image.

Note: Perfectly flush surfaces in the lock (and below image)

This type of construction is a must for a precision lockup on a frame lock knife. The RAIDOPS Aquilo SRN locks up perfectly with a confident sounding large "click". There is ZERO slop unlike in a certain brand i alluded to above lacking this proper design feature.

A chunky but lightweight G10 composite plate for the opposing frame. Learn more about the physical and chemical characteristics of G10 here. Suffice it to say a chunk of G10 this thick is strong!
G10 is a very strong and rigid composite material. 

The Business End

The blade alloy

S30V a CPM (powder metallurgical) martensitic steel alloy with high Vanadium carbide content from Crucible LLC. This is a very good knife alloy. In this case, I have the serrated (SRN) version as I prefer partly serrated blades. Crucible LLC know what they are doing with alloy chemistry, it's in their company blood!

Deadly serrations in the CPM S30V blade make short work of cutting ropes and cordage (note optical illusion of the serrations: are they facing out or in???!)

Crucible Metals Powder metallurgy stainless alloy S30V

1.45% C  14% Cr  4%V   2% Mo yields a high percentage of tough wear resistant vanadium carbides with good corrosion resistance. HRC listed as 59-61

At just a little over 4 inches in folded length, the RAIDOPS AQUILO SRN fits easily in the hand.

Using S30V in  an EDC type knife like the RAIDOPS Aquilo SRN is a smart choice. As this type of knife is likely to get used heavily and the last thing you want to do is to having to keep sharpening it.

Main pivot bolt sits flush with the the frame, a very nice addition to the design to this knife and adds to it's "slickness" despite a chunky looking folder.

Generous Lanyard hole

Notice the blade alignment, perfectly centred

Nice tough looking, chunky but light compact folder the RAIDOPS Aquilo SRN Frame Lock Folder.

I love the versatile blade shape. I've used many folders on the job (aerial rope access) where I needed to routinely cut climbing ropes and or dirty carpets, reinforced PVC materials etc and having a small folder with serrations simply gets the job done asap. I don't want to be sawing away, I want the material I am cutting to be cut immediately.

The pocket clip is made from 420 stainless.

The opening action was a bit stiff to begin with but as they indicate in their literature this is done on purpose and the action will become fluid once the knife is opened several times. I found this to be exactly as described and for me too I don't want a folder whoose blade can easily come out and injure  me. (ie without me having to flick it open). The RAIDOPS Aquilo SRN is not such a blade and the ball retention works perfectly with little chance under normal circumstances or even trying to force the blade open by appying an accelerating force to the folded knife, it remains safely within the frame. That's what I want to see in a well made folder like the RAIDOPS Aquilo SRN.

The RAIDOPS AQUILO SRN designed in KOREA and manufactured in Taiwan. I can't fault this knife in my initial observations and basic tests.

I attempted to twist the blade to see if there was any signs of lateral slop: negative.

I attempted to rock the blade back and forwads to see if "Rock lock" is present (pointless test as this only really occurs when a knife is poorly desinged and made and the AQUILO SRN is NOT in this category.

The blade locks up (perfectly every time) with a reassuring loud click! That's how it should be with any locking knife.

The overall construction appears to be very good, flush surfaces, good torsional stability ( I tried to twist the frame- pointless really as it simply doesn't twist!)

So far, I've only cut plastics and cardboard boxes with it but I will be doing my usual full on field testing of the RAIDOPS AQUILO SRN and producing the video results and summary for all to see on BushCampingTools. Very excited about this very cool little knife.

Kizlyar Supreme Survivalist X Fixed Blade Survival Knife WOW!

 Kizlyar Supreme's Survivalist X! Fixed Blade!

High humidity, raging waterfalls, tropical jungles, the Kizlyar Supreme Survivalist X Fixed blade Survival knife is totally at home in this environment.

AUS8 (my model) but available also in D2 tool steel; G10 scales in green (this model), Desert Tan and Natural dark Walnut root.

190mm long blade of which 180mm of cutting edge. That's 7.4 inches and 7 inches respectively.

G10 -Olive green (my version) scales. Also available in  top quality natural walnut scales and Desert tan G-10 as well!

AUS8 blade comes in D2 as well, with a "tactical wash" anti-reflective surface finish (without the need for coating).

5mm blade thickness 
Lanyard holes
Life time warranty.

The usual excellent Kizlyar Supreme scabbard with hard plastic insert (fully removable); camouflage pattern  ballistic nylon, fully Molle compatible; double press stud closure and grommeted for a generous amount of easily carried accessory cord. 

Well to begin with I was really impressed and still am with the Kizlyar Supreme Hollow handle Survivalist knife as the blade  really is of practical design and this knife can take a beating where other hollow handled knives give up! The fixed blade version of the Survivalist X, long awaited and asked about from many of my subscribers and viewers in response to an absolute liking of the blade shape but the desire for a fixed blade version after seeing the hollow handle version (which if you don't know is as tough as- see my video reviews). The thing about management at Kizlyar Supreme, they really listen to what their customers want in a knife. Whilst the hollow handle  Survivalist series fits a particular market, so does the fixed blade version and in fact gives a perfect range to suit everyone.
The fixed blade fits my definition of what a good "survival knife" should embody and since I love the original blade design there was nothing more for me to like other than the fact that it is now a fixed blade.

Add caption

The overall blade design, just looks like what a good knife should be if you know what I mean. Drop point with swedge, partial wedged spine for bashing off dead branches/rough hacking coconuts open (this feature I really like as it preserves the main blade for cutting tasks). No upper guard for best control; 2 lashing points for attaching the knife to a pole in order to cut things out of reach. Cutting edge basically extends all the way to the hilt. 
The swinging balance is very good along with comfort with accommodation for a range of hand sizes. Smooth but positive gimping on the upper spine. Finally a big long straight edge for easy sharpening. On that note of course it came razor sharp out of the bag. Yes that's right, "bag" not box. Now this latter feature, a ballistic nylon draw string bag is such a great idea. Why? Well these days with such crazy knife paranoia being whipped up from the media, the need to carry such large knives in ones pack to the trail head is most important. Having the knife in a bag which can easily be extracted without any problems (ie no knife parts to catch on other gear makes total sense!). Also the bag is quality stitched with webbing over the seams to help prevent abrasion and the seams ultimately coming undone. This drawstring  bag is water resistant too!

Digital camouflage nylon carry bag

Quality Stitching on the knife bag and water resistant ballistic nylon used in the cord locked carry bag.

We see not one but 2 retention straps on this Survivalist X Fixed blade model, which totally securely holds the knife safely within it's scabbard.

5mm thick spine with "dead branch" chopping swedge! I have found this very useful and a great idea.  

The blade is simply finished via a stone wash as coating is unnecessary and only really wears off anyway if you use your knives like me. (As an aside here a shiny blade of course can be used to signal for help- try doing that with your black coated blade!).

Despite the full tang construction, the Survivalist X fixed blade isn't too heavy either (weight is 13.4 Oz.) as it's not made with a 6mm slab of steel, 5mm is more than good enough. Also 5mm gives one a better angle for carving as it can be made less steep than 6mm sheet used to make knives. I don't think we can really say that AUS8 is crap either. It has long since proven itself and some of my best knives are in fact made with AUS8. I like it as it has better corrosion resistance than equivalent hardened N690 (I still love N690 of course) but AUS8 working in and around salt water (thats for me) is my choice there.

On a deserted beach in Australia, me and the Kizlyar Supreme Survivalist X after hacking open a washed up coconut. (see upcoming video review). Zero corrosion after being exposed to saltwater spray and immersion most of the day.

Basically there isn't much more to say about this knife. I've been waiting for ages for it to go into production and now it's here!



Attention! Latest update!Here it is my video field review at BushCampingTools

QSP Quality Service Price Tactical Folder Liner Lock

Field test of the QSP ball bearing, liner locking D2 G10 folder

This company calling themselves QSP contacted me wanting to know if I wanted to review this knife of theirs. 

Simply labelled "QSP". I checked out the photos they sent me and it looked ok and also on paper sounded good. Why not eh?

Well, it was damn good!

Here are my specs:

Non-reversible pocket clip-works well.

HRC 58-60

G10 scales

Liner lock

Ball bearing mechanism, flipper folder.

D2 tool steel blade

Perfect lock up every time out of the box

BTW the knife was well presented in a good box featuring a magnetic catch. 

The brand name sounds somewhat tacky but certainly this model lived up to the name.

The knife came well oiled too.

Approximately 3.5mm thick blade, 215mm total open length and 95mm blade length.

There is a "Tip up" carry pocket clip which works just fine. it is not reversible.

Torx head bolts are used everywhere, no signs of corrosion on these fittings after a day of staying wet in the rain forest.

The QSP was very easy to flip open with the ball bearing mechanism.

There are nicely machined grooves in the G10 scales to aid grip in wet conditions. I felt that the handle was gripping anyway and not at all uncomfortable to use.

I gave the QSP a real dunking in this river. The D2 blade (which isn't corrosion resistant) held up well. It was easy to grip the G10 scaled handle with wet hands.

I couldn't fault this Chinese made knife (it is not branded made in China). Everything fitted together perfectly and the lockup was perfect, plus there was zero lateral play before and after working on tough materials in this jungle environment.

The blade was perfectly aligned in the centre of the liners too.

Immediately I wanted to test the edge retention of this coated (painted?) D2 blade by cutting into very dry seasoned Eucalyptus wood. I worked the wood very hard (and later wet huge palm fronds-dead). The blade really held an edge and there was no blunting whatsoever.

Retail cost about 40 US Dollars on Amazon.

Stay tuned for the full video field review of the QSP folder!

Extrema Ratio AMF Survival Knife Big and Versatile

 EXTREMA RATIO AMF SURVIVAL KNIFE
BIG AND VERSATILE

I could only show so much in the video review so now you can see more of the stuff which I was and am doing with the AMF Survival knife.

Also, I want to talk more in detail about the design of this blade and especially one simple feature which you may or may not even think about when looking for a good outdoors knife.

The importance** of having the cutting edge coming as close to the hilt/ricasso as possible. Here in this above example, there is no real choil but the blade finishes at the ricasso. This area on my knives I always keep as deadly sharp as possible along with the tip. If any regions could be "less sharp" it would be somewhere along the mid part of my blade.
The item in this image is the seed and husk from the world's biggest pine cone! The Bunya Pine, Araucaria bidwillii., which can easily weigh over 6Kg! These seeds are delicious eaten raw, boiled, BBQed etc. Now in order to extract such a seed you can not easily cut through the seed coat. It must be pierced (where a sharp and strong tip comes in handy) and then essentially busted apart to extract the tasty large seed.

I easily de-boned this leg with Just several strokes of the AMF knife. The knife can be easily pulled apart/stripped in order to clean it properly. Hot water no problems for the Forprene either as it can withstand temperatures up o 130C!

No coating on the blade of this Desert AMF makes it perfectly food safe too and very easy to wipe clean. The burnished finish also is not so reflective (if this is a feature/requirement for end use).

BBQ meat and tropical grown sweet potato cooked on the fire and cut up on a palm bract (lower part of the palm frond, which wraps around the trunk).

The Extrema Ratio AMF easily cut up the cooked meat too. needless to say the meat didn't last too long before it was readily gulped down!


Survival Knives

Mr Mors Kochanski, whoever doesn't know this name regardless of what country you come from, has yet to learn from what this guys has to say about "survival knives"(at least while he is still alive-at the time of this article he is indeed still alive).
Polish/Canadian born Kochanski made/makes, a living from teaching and instructing no BS survival skills to government bodies, and the public. Some may laugh, but those who do are clearly not listening to what he has to say or simply think they know it all, or are of course the typical "armchair survivalist" spruiking  about this that and the other and essentially talking loud and saying nothing. Why to I even mention this guys name here? Well for one thing, about what he says about knife edges. Put here in my words: You want to maximise your cutting edge for several reasons:
1) Simply that, you have more cutting surface.

2)Having the cutting surface as close to the hilt/ricasso as possible, allows better ergonomics in knife usage, whether that knife has a long or short blade, as power will be decreased due to leverage effects the further the object is away from your hand. That's physics and at least in this universe, can not be undone at present!

3) Knives that place a finger choil next to the hilt only extend this "Levering effect" and hence educe the deliverable power to whatever one is trying to cut or carve. Now fact is, if you design a knife with a choil, this only necessitates the need to use the choil in order, once again, to be able to place the hands as close to the blade as possible. 

No matter how good the choil is, our fingers are now dangerously close to the cutting edge, instead of being behind a guard. Now if that choil is not so comfortable and it will be like this especially if milled with acute angles, basically necessitate the use of gloves, just one further extra piece of equipment needed in order to use that knife in an effective way as possible. You loose your gloves??? Or you simply don't have any? Then what?? OR slip and cut your finger, becoming possibly an instant LIABILITY!

From a manufacturing point of view, placing a choil means less work to: hand sharpen edges; no need for a guard/s (ie less material required for the blade);  Milled material is sold as scrap;

Choils can of course be milled in order to place a greater weight distribution towards the tip of the knife, so that knife, if hefty enough could be used to chop with. Having a choil in this case I believe is secondary to the primary aim of this type of design. 

Even if you haven't been to Australia or even have a desire to come here, I would highly recommend the reading of tis book by A. B. and J. W. Cribb published in 175 by Collins and then in 1976 by Fontana, if you are serious about survival.

No need for a finger choil to be present on the AMF Survival knife. 

These days many manufacturers tend to over state the blade lengths or rather we have become complacent when we read about blade lengths and too many definitions of where the blade starts from. So we have then manufacturers stating the actual "cutting surface".  The Extrema Ratio AMF Survival knife definitely is sporting a good 8 inches of "cutting surface" LOL!