The SOG Fusion Fixation Bowie knife achieves quite a lot for its reasonable price and will connect with a lot of knife enthuisasts. SOG has wisely answered the trend of high value, high quality blades with their Chinese-produced “Fusion” line of blades. The Fixation Bowie is a favorite of mine in the series. Measuring out at the same as a KaBar Combat knife (7″ blade), the Fixation looks to be a good choice as a deployment, light survival, or all-around outdoor blade. The 8Cr13Mov steel, similar to AUS-8, should hold an edge adequately (like the Spyderco “Byrd” models do), be easy to sharpen, and offer some rust resistance. Other upsides include: a hammer-capable pommel (love those!), nice long handle, excellent jimping on the thumb ramp, good quality Cordura nylon sheath with a sharpener pocket, and excellent fit and finish throughout. All this weighs in at a very packable 12.8 ounces… great job SOG! Downsides might include a delicate tip, less-than-sharp factory edge, and a handle material that is reminiscent of vinyl (but has sharp checkering). Nevertheless, the SOG Fixations -ish pricetag makes it a steal and it will attract cash-strapped knife addicts like Rosie ODonnel to free donuts. ////////////////////Nutnfancy Likeability Scale: 9 out of 10 (price considered)

Pending

A visit with Anthony Marfione Jr., son of Microtech owner and founder. We talk about the Microtech history, their different models, the passion of knifemaking, design, 2nd type of cool, their no-compromise philosophy, the MSAR STG-556, and about the best Christmas movie ever. It was lots of fun and Anthony does a good job of giving TNPrs an inside look to the Microtech vision and product line. Many thanks to Microtech.

The Benchmade Pika II is difficult to open handed due to its overly strong back spring. That with some other minor issues resulted in my low likability and a tepid review previously. Enter the Pika G10 model, marketed under the BM Harley Davidson banner for now. It fixes some of the “Pinkachu” issues and is really a different knife. First, the Pika G10 deploys much quicker since it has a well-balanced back spring; not too strong, not too weak (it amazes me when a company gets this simplest …

Previously reviewed by me, the Pika II has some issues which do not endear the knife to me. One of the most serious was the lack of grip the spine jimping lacks. Here is a quick fix you might want to try that fixed the problem. Tools? Just a Dremel tool with a thin cut off wheel and some 400 grit sandpaper on a small wood block. Knife becomes a lot more useful with this mod!

In the field of daily carry knives, the SOG FLASH 1 is a fast, lightweight, well-built, and securely carried companion. I have many of these knives and have used them extensively for both duty and personal use. As my VIDEO shows, the FLASH 1′s size is perfect as is the deep carry clip. Add its good quality AUS8 steel and most importantly it’s feathery 1.2 oz weight (not 1.4 oz ike I said in video) and you have the near-perfect daily carry knife. For a knife you’ll have on your person at ALL …

A quick look and observation on the Satin finished SOG Aegis tactical folder. Still a great knife in any coloration but the jimping on this version, due to the polishing process, is not as sharp as the black TiNi coated blades. Some careful block sanding with some 400 to 600 grit auto sandpaper (to square the edges) might make the jimping have some “bite” again. But as it comes from the factory, the jimping kind of sucks on this version and SOG should fix that….

It’s no picnic finding high quality blades that impress me for around . Yes the variety and quality of all blades has expanded exponentially in the last few years. But I still don’t like making compromises on the big things: steel, deployment speed, lockup, ergonomics, and looks. Few make the cut at this restrictive price point. I also, just like you, I have my preferences. But here’s two that make the list: the Benchmade H&K (BM) Ascender Mdl 14352BT and its smaller brother the H&K Mini …

The Benchmade Mini Barrage 585 is a great EDC choice. I love the assisted opening Axis lock mechanism. It’s fast, strong, durable, and locks up securely with no movement. The Zytel handle offers unimpressive traction but shows interesting styling. I would much prefer a high traction G10 or Micarta scaled version of these knives, especially since the Model 585 hovers around the price point. However, even as is, the handle ergos are good and the 585 places well in hand in either forward or …

The planets have aligned in the SOG Aegis and a nearly perfect lightweight tactical and larger sized EDC blade has been created by SOG. It is no secret that I advocate LIGHTWEIGHT, well-built, fast deploying, solid folders that use good materials. Oh yeah, I want these knives to look cool, have a deep, tip-up pocket clip, and have an affordable price. It sounds like a lot to ask for but it really isn’t. In this quest to promote these design criteria I haven’t relented and indeed my high …