spine of the blade provides a thumb
rest, which is dehorned enough to allow
for some traction without being grating
on the thumb.
The blade is well-centered when
closed and the opening mechanism is
by means of a flipper, which is easily
activated with the index finger of either
hand. Blade markings are discrete and
tasteful with a simple KA-BAR logo on
the left blade flat, and the Jarosz logo,
along with the knife logo and model,
and country of origin on the right.
The handles of the Flippers are made
from textured, desert tan G-10, fitting
opposite of the titanium frame lock.
Top: The 7508 Flipper
uses a Wharncli
e
blade, and the 7509 has
a spear point blade giv-
ing the buyer a couple
of options depending
on their needs.Bottom: The Jarosz
Flippers use a titanium
frame lock design with
a textured G-10 scale on
the opposite side.The frame lock engages securely and
the left grip scale is recessed slightly
to make disengaging the lock easy.
A long slot is provided along the
backside of the handle, for both an
aesthetic touch as well as providing a
place for a lanyard.A broad pocket clip, adorned with the
Jarosz logo, is fitted to the knife. It can
be set up for tip-up or tip-down right-
hand carry. I generally prefer tip-down
carry but left it tip up as it comes from
the factory and didn’t have any issues.The Jarosz Flippers have an overall
length of 8.5 inches open and weigh
a quite reasonable 4.8 ounces. Thefolders are made in Taiwan and exhibit
the same high-quality fit and finish
that you’d expect from a KA-BAR knife.
MSRP is $98.93 on either model and a
quick look at street prices shows that
you’ll save a bit over that with some
shopping aroundFolding Fieldcraft
While I typically prefer a fixed blade
for camping and bushcraft use, I’ve
done my fair share of woods time
with a folder as well. I’ve done specific
folder-only trips to test whether I had
any limitations using a folding knife
in the woods. I’ve also done a number
of Scout-related trips where either
troop or camp policies forbid fixed
blades, under the delusional theory
that folders are somehow safer than
a fixed-blade knife. Regardless, both
types of trips have given me a chance
to see what a folder can do in the
woods. Being that this is our bushcraft
issue, I figured it was only appropriate
to give the Jarosz folders a go in this
arena as well.I did give the Jarosz folders the regular
EDC run since that’s what Jesse told me
was his primary goal with these knives —
carrying the Wharnclie model at work,
and the spear point o duty. The low
profile carry clips worked equally well in
the front pocket of my blue jeans or the
thigh pockets of my uniform trousers.
They carried the knives deeply, discretely,
and securely, with just enough tension to
keep them in place, but not so much as
to make the knife hard to draw.The titanium frame made them
comfortable to carry — even for a
fair-sized knife — and the flat profile
kept them unobtrusive in the pocket.
Upon drawing, the blades were easily
opened with either hand with just a
snap of my index finger on the flipper.
My day-to-day chores consisted of the
typical things we all use knives for —
opening boxes and packages, cutting
loose strings o my uniform, cutting
tape, and pretty mundane things like
that. None of that was a tough test
for the blades, but they’re things we
all do, and the Jarosz did them all
quickly and e¢ciently.Contact
KA-BAR KNIVES, INC.
(716) 372-5952
KaBar.comknivesillustrated.com JULY/AUGUST 2019 • KNIVES ILLUSTRATED 35