RAIDOPS SOLDIER SPIRIT RD
Review

RAIDOPS Soldier Spirit RD* thick G10 scales and scale bolts flush with the grip, a high sabre flat grind and superb tip.

RAIDOPS 


A Korean company producing some very funky and practical designs. Established in 2005. They manufacture in Korea, Taiwan and Italy. (see my previous article about another great knife from RAIDOPS).
The company ethos encompasses ergonomic but also survival and functional design. In light of this, my observation of this blade is in agreement with that company ethos.

The RAIDOPS Soldier Spirit RD,  a  full tang fixed blade of D2 tool steel, with a listed HRC of 57-59,

As the laser engraving says........

perfect for "survival" "Outdoor" pursuits. At 6mm thickness, this is really the upper limit of sheet thicknesses I'd ever recommend, as a thick blade is a heavy blade. 

6mm thick, chunky but comfortable gimping, chamfered/beveled  edges and a black stone wash treatment form part of the Soldier Spirit RD's defining features.

You know you have this knife in your hands when you put your paws on it!


Initial thoughts

The Soldier Spirit RD came deadly razor sharp out of the box.
The sheath is a horizontal carry only and this totally makes sense as the Soldier Spirit has what could be a vicious butt end and a horizontal carry will avoid any conflict with ones elbows if it was carried vertically. I like this little design thought here too. I also like horizontal carry options.

No, that's not a missing rivet! It is for a small accessory Krab according to the knife manufacturer (I did of course check!).

It's a "Tek Lok-like" belt fastener  and fully adjustable and works just fine.

Various belt widths are easily accommodated although like all of these types of belt locks the standard tactical belt works best and or smaller in size but certainly no bigger.

The "lock" bar (my finger pointing towards it) to prevent accidental release of the clamp. However, you have to  really squeeze these things pretty strongly in order to disengage the catch.

At just over 500 grams (including Kydex scabbard), it's not light for it's size (it is after all 6mm/1/4" spine thickness) BUT the high sabre grind does allow this blade geometry to slice food items well from vegetables to meat.

We do have an appreciable blade angle allowing good transition from the initial cut/bite to follow on through with the remaining cutting stroke-without you having a stroke!

Cutting up meat was no problem for the deadly razor sharp RAIDOPS Soldier Spirit RD 

What about other general food preparation? 

Like I said a field knife is useless if it's only good for hacking down trees at best.

Chopping ginger, garlic and parsley, no problems!

For such a weighty knife it is paramount to provide a grip which is exactly that, grippy! The design here does not fail this aspect. There is NO chance of the Soldier Spirit RD slipping from wet or dry hands, gloves on or off!

Heavy duty camp knife, with the "survival" ethos behind it in design.

 * "RD" stands for Real Dominator!

As there is a a glass breaker (bottle cap opener) at the butt, the weighty grip can only be an advantage for developing momentum for smashing glass. I noted the Box that the Soldier Spirit RD came in was labeled as "RAIDOPS Urban Tactical Knives"

Yes You can open bottle tops with it Or lids or pry objects with it.

The blade finish.

The edge bevel was even along the entire length of the blade and deadly sharp.

Well I'm not hung up on a blades finish as I'm a user not a collector and so my blades soon loose any of the original finish that they came with but I feel I should mention something about this blade's finish.

Stone wash black Finish

Stone washing is essentially the application of abrasive materials (stone) and a chemical reaction to change the surface nature of the steel. 



The RAIDOPS Soldier Spirit RD (433gm) has the weight of a similar sized Becker (422gm) -(the Soldier Spirit is about 10mm longer) but the blade design IMHO (I've used the Becker BK22 enough to know) of the Soldier Spirit is much better as the sabre grind is higher than the Becker. Since the Becker is also a weighty knife, it's smooth grip is not grippy at all once the hands are wet, not so with the Soldier Spirit, you will not loose it from your hands at all.


Not too big not too small

Just a fraction over 5 inches long, the RAIDOPS Soldier Spirit RD, is not too big and not too small!

Chopping open this coconut was no problem at all and the handle was quite comfortable either cutting into it or chopping.

The BCT "Coconut Test" for chopping and cutting through fibrous materials. The RAIDOPS Soldier Spirit RD passed with flying colours!

How about any of that bushcrafty stuff???? Like feathering?
Ok I tried it out on some plum, both the heart wood (the darker material) and the softwood. This was NOT seasoned wood, those tests to follow!

Easy to feather PLUM wood with the Soldier Spirit

Ok this was just a "taster blog" on the RAIDOPS Soldier Spirit RD just to whet your appetite! Stay tuned for the video review on BushCampingTools.

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.

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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