Recoil Offgrid – August-September 2019

Pocket PREPS

Part of Nite Ize’s

DoohicKey keychain

tool line, the aptly

named Key Chain

Knife offers a design

as straightforward

as its title. The 2-inch

420J2 stainless

blade features a clas-

sic drop-point shape

and lightweight hol-

low grind with a fine-

edge bevel. There’s a

nail nick for opening,

and a sturdy back

lock to keep the knife

from closing unex-

pectedly. The knife’s

aluminum handle of-

fers some visual flair,

with hexagonal holes

for weight reduction

and your choice

of blue, green, or

orange anodized fin-

ish. Nite Ize includes

a S-Biner MicroLock

mini-carabiner to

quickly and securely

clip your knife to

your keys.

Pros:

Traditional, back-to-

basics design at an

affordable price

Included S-Biner

lets you detach

your knife easily

when it’s needed.

Cons:

Thin spine and

aggressive hollow

grind keep weight

down, but leave us

concerned about

long-term durability

Only available in

colorful finishes

Nite Ize

DoohicKey

Key Chain Knife

Knife laws, like gun

laws, are often

convoluted. Several

cities — Boston,

Cleveland, and

Chicago, to name a

few — have restricted

the carry of blades

longer than 2.

inches. As its name

implies, the Chicago

was designed within

these limitations. It

features a leaf-

shaped, flat-ground

blade made from

CTS BD1N steel.

This nitrogen-

enriched material

is durable and

corrosion-resistant.

The combination of

Spyderco’s iconic

round hole, a very

sturdy liner lock, and

a large, reversible

pocket clip make

this feel like a full-

featured EDC knife.

The handle is large

enough for a four-

finger grip, and clad

in black G10 scales.

Pros:

Feels like a full-size

Spyderco knife in

every way except

its dimensions

Thick blade, high-

quality steel, and

strong liner lock

inspire confidence

regarding long-

term durability.

Cons:

Small lanyard hole

limits attachment

options, although

it’s too big for a

keychain anyway.

Its size pushes the

limits of what we’d

consider a true

micro knife.

Spyderco

Chicago

The initialism P.E.C.K.

stands for Precision

Engineered Compact

Knife, but it’s also

a play on words.

Designer Ed Halligan

also created CRKT’s

K.I.S.S. (Keep It Super

Simple) folder, featur-

ing slightly larger

overall dimensions

and a longer tanto

blade. Appropriately,

the P.E.C.K. is a little

less than a K.I.S.S.

This knife features a

chisel-ground Wharn-

cliffe blade and

one-piece handle

with integrated frame

lock. Both are made

from the same stain-

less steel, although

CRKT’s site isn’t clear

on the variety — the

spec box says 3Cr13;

the description says

420J2. When closed,

the blade sits flush

against the handle,

which also features a

slim pocket clip and

lanyard hole.

Pros:

The exposed blade

looks unsettling,

but a tight fit

against the handle

protects the edge.

Strong frame lock

and ball-bearing

detent keep the

blade secure.

Cons:

The single-sided

handle, tight pivot,

and sharply pointed

tip make it tricky to

open one-handed.

This entry-level

stainless steel will

require frequent

sharpening.

CRKT

Delilah’s P.E.C.K.

It’s not often that

we come across a

knife with a blade

that’s wider than it

is long, and that’s

probably for good

reason. There’s

no denying that

the Key Note is an

extremely unusual

design — we found

it a better chisel or

scraper than a knife.

The 5Cr steel blade’s

spine is as thick as

a full-size knife, with

a 0.6-inch belly that

terminates in a steep

1-inch front edge.

The blade can be

opened via a nail

nick or flipper nub,

though the latter is

short and awkwardly

positioned. This

knife also features

a liner lock, strong

pocket clip, and

matching key ring.

(Note: The finish on

this pre-production

sample may differ at

retail release.)

Pros:

Wide pocket clip

works well for

retaining money or

cards.

We like the look

of the anodized,

textured handles

and black hardware.

Cons:

Blade is too short

for slicing, too

stubby for piercing,

and too sharp to be

used as a pry bar.

Flipper is nearly

impossible to use.

Gerber

Key Note

This intricate micro

knife is the brainchild

of bladesmith Rick

Hinderer, and was

designed as a

keychain accessory

you can carry almost

anywhere. It features

an upswept 3Cr

stainless blade with

a small thumb stud

and liner lock. The

copper handle scales

are new for 2019 — if

they’re not your style,

you can save $18 (or

more) by choosing

the standard model

instead. Either way,

you get a knife that

slices smoothly and

fits comfortably in

a three-finger grip.

It even includes a

bottle opener, so

that’s one less item

to worry about fitting

on your keychain.

Pros:

The contoured

handle allows

a much more

secure grip than

most knives in this

category.

Smooth pivot and

well-placed thumb

stud make it easy to

open one-handed.

Cons:

The original Cinder

can be found for

less than $7 on

Amazon. Copper

comes at a cost.

The liner lock

material is a bit

thinner than we’d

like, considering its

skeletonized design.

Kershaw

Cinder Copper

The Ti Microblade

was originally

launched on Kick-

starter, where it

received a staggering

1,800 percent of the

requested funding,

officially cement-

ing WESN as a new

knife brand. This tiny

folder was designed

by founder Billy

Chester, and consists

of a slim Grade 5

titanium handle and

AUS-8 stainless steel

blade. The blade

opens via the flipper

or thumb stud, and

is secured in place

by a frame lock cut

into the titanium. It

features a traditional

drop-point shape,

with polished flats

contrasting against a

satin-finished primary

bevel and swedge. A

removable (but not

reversible) pocket

clip is attached in

tip-up position atop a

lanyard hole.

Pros:

The minimalist

design is classy and

understated.

Easy to open and

close, with a promi-

nent flipper, smooth

pivot, and secure

frame lock

Cons:

Our sample had

a slightly uneven

grind.

Over time, rubbing

titanium against

steel can lead to

sticky lockup. Many

Ti frame-locks have

a stainless insert for

this reason.

WESN

Ti Microblade

No, that MSRP is not

a typo. This Tim-

Galyean-designed,

high-end micro knife

costs as much as

everything else in

this guide combined

— and then some.

Although it’s the

smallest knife ZT has

ever made, it’s also

clearly a ZT, with the

top-shelf materials

and quality we’ve

come to expect from

the brand. The blade

is made from CPM

20CV steel with a

sharp, upswept tip. It

flips open smoothly

on KVT ball bearings,

and locks with a sat-

isfying click against

the titanium frame

lock with hardened

steel insert. The

front of the handle

is solid carbon fiber,

with a blue anodized

pivot ring and thread

inserts for the revers-

ible pocket clip.

Pros:

The build quality,

finish, and

materials are truly

outstanding.

Sculpted handle

and spine jimping

produces a very

secure two-finger

grip.

Cons:

Micro knife with a

macro price tag — if

this is your backup,

your primary knife

is probably a sight

to behold.

Zero Tolerance

0022

018

ISSUE 32