Back in early 2017 I was given this knife by Arthos knives in exchange for a review. Arthos Knives is a husband and wife team out of Indiana. ARTHOS stands for "The ART of Hunting, Outdoors, and Survival." I was completely up front in letting Mr Yates (the husband) know the review with be nothing but honest. He was confident I would be impressed and wanted others to know as well. I wanted to really put a lot into this review so I decided I would use it for at least a year before I could say how I really felt about it.... This is the knife that was sent to me: (Stock Photo) I chose the Black G10 with Orange liners and brushed finish blade. There are quite a handful of different color scales to choose from and you can also get a black coated blade. The price ranges from 60 to 90 dollars depending on options. You can get just the knife (no sheath) for 60-65 depending on blade finish. A leather sheath is only 5 bucks more and the kydex will bring the total up to 85-90, again depending on the blade finish. (Brushed is more) Here are the specs: -Full Tang Fixed Blade -Blade Length: 4.0″ -Overall Length: 8.6″ -Handle Width: 1.4″ -Blade Thickness: 0.136″ -D2 Tool Steel (Semi-Stainless) -Hardness: 60-62 HRC -Multiple Sheath Options ---Black Kydex Sheath now Featuring DCL Combat Loop ---Black or Brown Leather Sheath -Hollow Grind with Secondary Bevel -Ergonomic G10 Scales -Rounded Pommel with Lanyard Hole It is my understanding that the blade is from China, the handle scales are made in Ohio by StonerCNC (they also make many handgun grips) and assembled here in the USA (Indiana if I remember correctly). -First Impression- Upon pulling the knife out of the box I was pleasantly surprised. First it came in a nice burlap drawstring pouch with Arthos logo on it. Second, the fit and finish were very nice. And lastly it felt great in hand. It reminded me of my ESEE 3, but more ergonomic and a little more blade. The only issue I found was the retention in the kydex sheath isn't great, but it works. I used the MOLLE back from my ESEE 3 to make a nice belt-carry setup (the sheath came with a teklok, but I think now it comes with some sort of belt loop). -USAGE- I threw the knife in my edc bag and carried it everywhere with me. It was used to do anything from food prep to more bushcraft related tasks. Food Prep- I cut tons of fruits and veggies as well as chicken and steak (raw and cooked). It did just fine on the meat but struggled on the fruit and veggies because of the blade thickness....But it's an outdoors knife, not a kitchen knife so I wasn't disappointed. Feather Sticks -Because of the knife's compact size it was relatively easy for me to get decent feathersticks. The blade was easy to control and curled the wood with ease. (I use the term "decent" very loosely. These aren't the best feathersticks but that's because of the user not the knife lol) -Wood Processing- I used this knife several times to process firewood...I couldn't use big logs because the blade is only 4" but I dont feel its necessary to use larger diameter wood anyways, so this knife was perfect. The nicely contoured handles made it easy to keep a firm grip while using a baton to split the wood. The handle also absorbed most of the shock so there wasn't any pain or discomfort like some knife handles cause. Carving and Notching-I used this knife to attempt several different notches and carved a few tent stakes. The knife did great but the evidence was far too embarrassing to photograph lol...The drop point really digs deep into wood for boring and drilling. Fire Making- The knife has a 90° spine so it struck a ferro rod quite well. There is a small amount of spine jimping near the handle so you need to position the rod a little further down the blade. I didn't mind and it didnt hinder my fire making, but I may use a small round file to slightly file a ferro rod notch in the center of the jimping just because of the slight amount more control it would give. Overall I am thoroughly impressed with the knife and think it will definitely find it's way into my edc bag for an edc fixed blade. I'm hoping that Arthos eventually comes out with a similar knife with a larger blade. Check them out. You cant beat it for the price... https://arthosknives.com
Do you feel the forefinger area of the handle is too deep? That's one of the things I didn't care for on the tweeners. That, and the handle being too short for my mitts.
I actually like how deep that recess is. It allows for the blade to be in line (or maybe even slightly in front of my fingers.)I like wide bladed knives for that same reason. I like the control and leverage. I think it's called negative blade angle but dont quote me on that lol... And it absolutely would not fit your mitts,Dubz. Sorry.
Most knives don't fit my hands, haha. I guess that's why I don't care for the deep forefinger areas. My hand size, that is. I went to the site, I especially like the OD handles, go figure. Nice review, btw.
