Extrema Ratio HF1T A Heavy Duty Folder Review

 Extrema Ratio HF1T A Heavy Duty Folder Review and maintenance hacks and tips.

This is my Extrema Ratio Desert Warfare HF1T. The "T" obviously stands for TANTO, the Desert Warfare model sports Extrema Ratio's signature desert colouration anodizing of the T6082 scales. Extrema Ratio call the aluminium scales "anticorodal" as in anti corrosion and in fact are manufactured in the 6000 series structural aluminium alloy 6082. More correctly, T6082 has excellent corrosion resistance and is the highest strength of the 6000 series of heat treatable Aluminium structural alloys. As a side note T6082 alloys can be found in many rock climbing parts which may have to endure severe stress. 

"HF" stands for Heavy Folder" and this series of folders encompasses Extrema Ratio's safety pin feature, the function of which I will discuss below.

The folded size of the Extrema Ratio HF1T is approximately 6", so not too big to fit into a regular trouser pocket. Any bigger (as in longer) like the HF2 series, then one needs a BIG deep pocket.

The pocket clip is very strong and it helps if one's pants feature a reinforced pocket section, such as seen here in my Helikon Tex tactical trousers (reviewed already on BushCampingTools), plus I'm only wearing these types of trousers (because I think they are great) as can be seen in the numerous videos on BCT. 

The Extrema Ratio HF1T isn't really meant for the civilian's trouser pockets or suit pockets LOL! As with all flipper folders, they should be carried either using the pocket clip inside a trouser pocket or inside of a small pouch or at worst confined within a trouser pocket but never "floating" around a rucksack or bag and certainly never ever clipped to a belt via the pocket clip of the knife. The reason for carrying them in such tight quarters is to prevent the accidental release of the blade, which could either happen from undue pressure placed upon the flipper or undue forces placed upon the knife (see below).

Sometimes the allen bolts on the pocket clips can be hard to remove. I can suggest to use a quality Torx head driver T8X60 362. I use a German made Wiha brand, this will fit perfectly into both allen bolts used in the rear of the knife and also into the actual Torx socket heads in the frame. 

Other brands, I'm sure can be used but u must try them first to make sure the fit is perfect. I have found that even very stubborn bolts can be removed especially slightly damaged heads of allen socket heads. 

BUT be Careful! The responsibility is upon you. as I'm not in favour of continually stripping down any folding knife. better not to drop it in the mud or sand and better to use say a mountain biking lubricant which will not serve to attract dirt into the pivot area.

I would caution removing any of these bolts however unless absolutely necessary to replace some internal washer/bush. Also another quick hack is to use nail polish instead of Loctite to secure the socket heads against vibration. This works perfectly well and costs a fraction, just buy some el cheapo nail polish or steal your wife's or girl friend's nail polish LOL or your sister's LOL!

(See below)

The blade length is listed as 91mm or 3.58", and closely resembles a miniature version of the FULCRUM fixed blade. The extrema ratio HF1T blade is certainly a hefty design. 

Carving hard seasoned Birch wood, no problems despite a full metal grip. I found to carve it was better used in the "safety grip" ie knife held close to the body, rather than to strike away at the wood with the knife. Used in the safety grip, the wood was being cut down close to the body of the knife.

Gimping is present upon the scales and spine of the blade and the thumb or forefinger can comfortably rest here, or not as seen below.

What makes this liner lock flipper stand apart from other brands?

What distinguishes the HF series of folders is the capacity for these folders to be used "outside" of the range of "normal tasks" generally encountered by a folding knife. This is realized by the fact that there are several safety factors incorporated into the design of the HF1T:

Figure A White arrow indicates the ridge on the tang which acts as a secondary stop  to prevent closure of the blade in the event the stop pin fails (redundancy, typical of military equipment). A rotational force upon the blade when locked open but failure of the stop in, the liner would want to move vertically upwards and out of the frame (as viewed in the above photo), this movement could only happen if the liner was to deform. I have never seen this feature (ie the milled ridge) on any of the liner lock folders I own from other manufacturers. Clearly it is but one more machining step in the production of this knife blade.

A large thick stop pin is actually "enclosed" once the blade is open.

Safety pin engaged and locked as seen by the word "Locked" appearing next to the red lever when in this position. (the safety pin Dark object under the pivot bolt) can be seen slightly protruding through the main body of the folder).

Safety pin has been inserted. This enables the knife to be thus used as one might use a fix blade in that the blade can not close unless the knife was destroyed, as it is held in the open position via the safety pin, the main pivot and the ridge at the back of the tang as seen in image 

The grip is excellent and the flipper bar also forms a good guard to prevent accidental hand slippage under tremendous force, wet or muddy hands etc.

During cold weather

As a side note here, these folders, because of their all metal construction can get quite cold to hold in bare hands (and really not practical for long time use unless wearing gloves in the cold) if working in sub zero temperatures. Just because it's called 'Desert Warfare" does not mean or imply this folder is only for use in desert conditions LOL!

Here we can see in the above image, the safety pin has been inserted and locked in place via the "red" colored lever, there is also a visual check as the presence of the word "locked"is shown only when the locking lever is engaged.

The Extrema Ratio HF1T is a partially closed back design. IMHO this type of design (I have several folders from different manufactures that feature this sort of back design, is far  superior to the simple use of standoffs alone. The semi close design allows for maximum rigidity of the frame whilst not compromising the capacity to effectively clean the inner sections of the knife.

The Extrema Ratio HF1T also features a blunt region for striking. The safety pin is held in place via a small piece of shock cord attached to the lanyard hole. I usually replace this shock cord as for me it is the first thing which will fail under great stress and activity. I also replace the split ring, for whilst it is of adequate strength, I like to exchange it for a stainless steel split ring of 90Kg breaking strength (blogged about and made short video about on BCT) and also replace the shock cord with climbing cord. Call that overkill, that's just me. 

Pictured above is the 90Kg breaking strength stainless steel split ring from OWNER USA/JAPAN, I have used to replace the supplied split ring. The supplied ring is just too woosy for the job, for if this pin was to be lost then it could be a problem. Unlike the pin for the RAOII, it can be replaced by any 1/4" 20 bolt thread, eg a camera tripod bolt etc. The pin in the HF series knives is not easily replaced, don't lose it!

Pictured above, I have replaced the thin shock cord with 100Kg breaking strength USA made paracord (knot not shown here is an Overhand knot.

I don't believe for one minute Extrema Ratio expect anyone to keep the pin as it arrives attached to the knife. One other thing, the pin was covered with a small piece of silicone tubing, a simple nice addition (and functional) to prevent the hardened pin from scratching up the knife scales and or making any noises by "clanking' upon the scales in a delicate moment!

Good handle gimping to help provide a solid grip when hands are wet.

The included carry pouch made from high denier nylon is simple and well-stitched. I would have like to have seen some capacity for Molle carrying (a much longer set of Molle straps or even Malice straps but I guess this would increase the cost) however, it does provide safe carrying of the knife while folded and easy to add to a tactical belt or on Molle webbing.

This is a folder which is better off to carry in the pouch for safety, however unlike it's bigger brother the HF2 series, which IMHO must be carried inside of it's pouch as the blade due to it's size and weight can, under some circumstances exit the handle if subjected to extraneous forces, even though there is a bearing indent to help retain the blade in a closed position. 

The HF1T does not suffer from this and it's retention within the handle is good and one really has to subject it to great force (I do not mean using the flipper-I mean a force moving in the direction of the edge (when it is closed obviously) in order for the blade to slightly exit the handle. Of course this all depends upon the blade tension, which like most of their folders in these "upper ranges" can be fine tuned via carefully removing the locking screw to the main pivot and then adjusting the tension of the main pivot bolt, carefully applying the CORRECT LOCTITE* to the locking screw, and reassembling it.

A simple velcro flap closes over the inserted knife.

All in all the Extrema Ratio HF1T is a relatively "compact" super beefy folder which can handle the paces (when using the safety pin) but sits below (as in length) the big beast of the HF2 series (just too big for the pocket despite a pocket clip although can be used in a confined pouch of some sort other than the pouch it comes with)and of course below the super beast of the RAO series knives. 

For me, I like the Fulcrum -like blade design. I'd have to agree with Extrema Ratio, that for most tasks of cutting and general activities within the range for a folding knife, the liner lock mechanism works more than well enough for safety; engage the red lever without the safety pin and the knife is even more safe from accidental closure. Insert the safety pin and it is impossible for the blade to accidentally close whilst the pin is locked in place.

 Now as a final point, this does not mean the knife can be hammered away upon. Yes one could do this but there is always the chance of damaging a folding knife with such abuse. The safety pin feature would work well in situations where the blade is thrust deep into objects and maybe a rocking motion set up or twisting; plastic barrels, tyres, metal drums, etc. ie vigorous usage, usage which may cause a regular folder's locking mechanism to disengage under severe (out of the ordinary) loads.

BCT

As a side note: The Extrema Ratio RAOII can be hammered upon (I have done this many, many times with no ill effect upon the workings of the knife-although do not recommend it at all) due to a design feature that when locked open with the safety pin, there is ZERO mechanical slop between blade and body and hence the knife will sustain such forces as being struck with a small 5-6cm diameter baton. 

For those that are into collecting, the Extrema Ratio HF1T comes in a very well made "desert warfare" colored cardboard box, with warranty card, maintenance instructions (multilingual), left hand carry pocket clip and Allen wrench, and sticker indicating the model number (on end of outside of box) all packed with some silica gel; plus the inspection card and production year and batch number. This is a partially hand written card. Many fakes abound, so make sure you only buy from an authorised dealer or directly from Extrema Ratio in Italy. In fact 99% of ER products come like this (exceptions are limited edition models in special presentation boxes and documentation).

* a Loctite product which is not permanent and is suitable for securing stainless steel to Aluminium, for example Loctite 242

Addendum: Just a bit to "Tactical Elegance" LOL!

Nieto Ranger XXL

Check this video preview of Nieto Knives Ranger XXL

Nieto Knives RANGER XXL Lock Back Folder in N695 and G10 construction and XLNT folder.

Types of folding knives

Slip joint (non locking) folding knives are a very old design but appear to be coming back into vogue (in certain European countries) due to increased media hype surrounding the so called "knife crime"- which BTW is mainly orchestrated by hands attached to afflicted minds whereby those persons are certainly not using 100 buck plus hunting knives for their primeval doings but mainly home made devices and hardware tools of the carpenter! The authorities are of the opinion that a small slip joint knife is somehow less dangerous in such hands than a similar or even bigger sized locking knife. Funny that, as I distinctly remember being attacked by such a person during high school years who was a mere half metre or so from me, playing with a small slip joint knife and then lunging at me with intent to do bodily harm. Of course I remember it, especially how the Pang Gai Noon grip upon his thrusting arm resulted in all cessation of any idea of sticking it to me in the guts. Slip joints cut and stab just as well as any knife, period.

I digress and one can write volumes on the existence of knife crime and who are the key perpetrators of such violence. 

The slip joint, while a favourite amongst many, is not the best choice for the outdoor enthusiast except for the traveller where a Swiss Army type knife would be a lot handier than any of the knives discussed below.

Lock back knives have been used by just about everyone who says: "Ive been using knives for ages"! In fact I would argue that anyone over the age of 45-50 in 2020 will fit into this category. So that means all of you "young'ns" had better listen up.

Stockmen, farmers, hunters, campers, soldiers, hikers etc. etc. have been using lock back knives for donkey's years!

Along comes the Liner lock, a weaker locking mechanism (there are exceptions of course, however, these are modified locking systems and still by definition are a "Liner lock") compared to a lock back. Whoa! Who says so? I do! (if we have to go down this ridiculous "strong Vs weal route"). The stop pin for example of the liner lock undergoes a bending and shear force when large forces are placed upon the blade because the blade is acting as lever upon the fulcrum (being the pivot) in attempting to move the immovable, ie the stop pin. 

In order not to shear the stop pin, it must be thick enough and constructed with quality engineering in mind. The  contact surface of the liner against the back of what could be considered the "knife tang" is small  (Pressure = Force divided by Area) compared with that of the actual tang width. That is not ideal and for the liner to correctly "lock up" both liner surface and tang surface must be perfectly aligned and machined/ground in such a way s to form two "wedges" if you like. However, pressure against this wedge will only cause possible movement away from the lock position, hence the advent of the LAWKS system and variations of this (also see below).

Also when a force is applied to the liner lock (there are some exceptions (eg the treated tangs and end of the liner in some FKMD knives, which greatly improve the friction between the two mating surfaces) and the liner locks within the HF1 and HF2 series folders of Extrema Ratio, where a "safety locking pin" can be inserted into both frame and knife tang to bolster the blade and turn it into a "semi" (my words) fixed blade knife. Here the main forces are only acting upon the main pivot and the "safety locking pin". Other manufacturers such as J and V (Spanish company) utilise a safety locking pin on some liner lock folding models and so does the Italian company Wanderer (although the locking pin is used on a Roller lock mechanism and not a liner lock). I'm sure I have left many out here of this brief discussion. But I digress.

What about the  LOCK BACK FOLDER????

Not so with the lock back folder where the tang of the blade usually matches in width the large slab of steel which undergoes compressive forces, (not bending forces as in a lock back design). Note, equivalent sized lock back knives are usually heavier than  liner lock counterparts (but we are talking nothing really in weigh differences, differences which only matter to the weight junkies out there).

When it comes to reliability and longevity the Lock back design is king at present (ok liner locks and frame locks just haven't been around for that long yet, so maybe the jury is still out?)

When properly designed, the lock back knife is a very strong and safe design. It is virtually impossible for the blade to become accidentally released when subject to strong forces, unlike many modern designed liner and frame lock knives where the emphasis appears to be on the ease of opening. This latter aspect carries a disadvantage requiring the knife when folded to be carried either confined within a trouser pocket using the clip provided or within a small pouch (sometimes supplied), especially flipper folders of any description. A ball indent on both frame and the liner of liner lock and frame lock knives, can if properly engineered will help to restrain the blade from accidental release when subjected to mild forces (far under the forces required to release a traditional back locking folder, however these knives should IMHO NEVER be carried loose in a bag or rucksack for safety.

Reduction of pivot friction can also be achieved by substituting either plastic or bronze phosphor washers with thrust bearings at the expense of overall manufacturing costs and also increasing the frequency of maintenance over time due to contamination and or breakdown of the thrust/ball/roller bearing cassettes. 

The lock back design folder has a much greater surface area of blade tang in contact with the actual structural part of the knife frame, whereas in a liner lock, frame lock, roller lock; all of these designs the only point of contact with the knife frame is via the friction reducing washers or bearings, which in most cases never cover the entire frame area. 

A con with the lock back design is that they generally require more attention to lubrication and cleaning around the pivot because there are no washers or bearings and for the knife blade to exit and close smoothly the interface (sub millimetre) MUST be well lubricated and kept clean of foreign debris, especially extremely fine silt/dust, animal guts and oils, all of which if left to dry can impede the operation of the blade. 

Because there is basically no "space" between blade and structural liners there is of course little chance for debris to become lodged within however, this does not, as mentioned, preclude liquids entering and congealing within the mechanism (although one would have to be very sloppy in knife maintenance.

The force from the heavy spring in the lock back knife helps to retain the blade in a closed form even if the blade was to become partially open, most good* designs will in fact return the blade to its closed position. Many "modern designs" of locking knives, once the blade exits the frame, it can move effortlessly and this is IMHO a big mistake with knife design for knives intended for outdoor usage. 

* It must be a good design and not incorporate some woosy spring system!

What about Frame Locking knives?

Frame lock, another weaker design than the lock back for the same reasons stated above. It's funny how people are fixated upon "weaknesses" in fixed bladed knives but have totally been  brainwashed to ignore any weaknesses in the frame lock. Of course though for general usage the frame lock is more than good enough to be safe. To mention CS's triad lock, a reinvention of the "lock back wheel" is neither a frame lock nor a liner lock nor a roller lock and hence it really achieves (supposedly) great strength in the locking mechanism. I say supposedly as I do not own one and CS would never dream in a thousand years of sending me one for review (that's a long story). The achieved strength is of little consequence as the probability of exerting the forces to close a knife as they demonstrate are highly unlikely but that's CS. Now don't get me wrong CS makes some great products, if not kings of showmanship!

Auto assisted liner locks in another article

Roller type lock Already discussed in previous articles here on this blog.

Now to use as an example of a classic design in locking knives,  I present the following:

Nieto Knives RANGER XXL R011 G10 Lock back Survival Folder fully made in Spain featuring Böhler's N695 (their version of 440C) stainless steel with a HRC of XX? LOL, they don't say what the HRC is, which is quite strange. In fact the HRC is not mentioned on any of their social media sites, nor on any written material provided with the knife or their official web site. My guess is that they are covering themselves to be able to modify this ant any time in the future. When the Nieto Ranger XXL first came out in 2019, only red liners were offered, not the "toxic green" ones like in the one I just bought.

The Nieto engraving is now featuring an improved font that gives an air of modern design and the old Nieto font was exactly that, it just looked "OLD"!

On first examination of this folder I found ALL components to be perfectly aligned and functioning as expected. The knife itself came very well oiled in a plastic bag in their typical silver colored cardboard boxes. The only literature included was a publicity brochure, which BTW did feature also a picture of said knife.

I have many Nieto folders and why not, they are all constructed perfectly as far as I'm concerned. In fact a fine attention to detail is an absolute must for creating a folder which will be firstly, safe to use and secondly last for the following generations (IMHO). Their folders to date deliver such philosophy to a reality.

The only disagreement with the website data was certainly no one metre of paracord was included, more like 50cm! Ok that's more than enough and for me it adds ZERO value to the knife. I want to see a great product and a matching great scabbard. In the latter case the heavy Denier Nylon scabbard was well constructed and no lose stitching, frayed ends of webbing or clumsy stitching was noted.

General Characteristics:

Sabre ground

Semi tanto tip

Lock back folder

The spine of the Nieto Ranger XXL is also nicely rounded and it bears a distinct resemblance to other knives in the line up because this knife has been designed by Manuel De Le Torre.

The thick N695 stainless steel blade of the Nieto Ranger XXL (Ro11 G10-ie 10cm long blade; there is another version with an 8cm long blade) features a double sided Fuller which has been milled using EDM. This is a process which can be seen on several of their larger fixed blade models. EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) process creates a defined plasma, which erodes/mills hardened materials without changing their temper and can be utilized as shown above to mill out tricky shapes which a regular milling tool would not be capable of.  This is a sort of "coarse EDM as one can easily see the semi rough surface within the Fuller but I think it looks pretty cool too as well as slightly lightening the blade from an engineering perspective. In fact my son commented that one could strike a non safety match in the groove LOL!

Closed length of the Nieto Ranger XXL is approximately: 13.5cmm or 5 1/8" long, therefore making it easy too carry inside the pocket as well, instead of using the pouch if desired. Note the G10 composite is made in Spain, they make a point of this on their web site, although I have no problem with G10 from Asia. I guess they are saying all the raw materials for the knife originate in Europe.

The overall length of the Nieto Ranger XXL is: 23.5cm. The grip is very comfortable whilst doing hard work upon the blade.

An excellent fully Molle compatible Nylon webbing pouch is supplied as standard and it can also be worn (as seen above) on a regular tactical belt. (note the accessory cord was also supplied and I found that it was just enough for me to tie an overhand knot into one end and place the knife around my neck.

The Nieto Ranger XXL has a blade thickness of approx 4.5mm! There is also a small section of thumb/finger gimping present.

The Nieto Ranger XXL features a hefty spring to hold the knife closed and actuate the back lock.

The scales of the Nieto XXL Ranger are made from the composite G10. The liners are very thick stainless steel at approx 1.5mm thick. Although not shown in this image, the liners are partially milled to lighten the knife.

Perfect match between tang and locking mechanism. No surprise there, Nieto make excellent folders!

The rear tang of the Nieto Ranger XXL features a well designed locking notch set at an angle less than 90 degrees for an optimal lock up and this also prevents any backwards pressure from disengaging the knife, should it be subjected to such forces (outside of normal operation). Note here also the beautiful green liners above the actual stainless steel liners of the main frame. 

Nieto Ranger XXL (sounds like a Kebab! "I'll have one XXL please"!) Seriously, this is one hardcore lock back folder.

The strong Tanto tip was easily plunged into (I hate to say it) living Birch tree.

There is also a hefty glass breaker and Lanyard hole.

Unlike totally traditional Lock back folders which are generally opened via two hands, this Nieto Ranger XXL can be opened via the thumb studs.

Well machined and finished in every area of construction, the Nieto Ranger XXL will be a knife you can hand down in the family, or present to a family member or friend with no fear of disappointment. 

The steel of choice here is Böhler's N695, which is basically 440C.

No binding with the Nieto Ranger XXL in vegetables such as potatoes (Ok strictly speaking-tubers LOL).

All in all I think Nieto RANGER XXL is one of  Nieto's best largish folders to date. It is well presented and the design looks cool as well as functional, opens smoothly with no adjustments needed, straight out of the box, plus it cuts like no tomorrow (ok I've only cut up dirty birch bark and after that cooked pig so far so good!).

Stick around for the full field review, coming to a YouTube theatre near you soon! LOL

BCT