SixLeaf Knives

 My friend Derrick introduced me to SixLeaf Knives.  After handling and opening the knife, the question, "Where did you buy that cutie?" was not politeness.  I really wanted one.

Actually, I ended up buying three!

He found it on eBay.  You have to win your auction, and SixLeaf will ship you one from Yangjiang, China.  Yangjiang, I am told, is moderately famous for making knives, scissors, swords — anything that cuts.

I won my auction, and despite the warning of how long it could take (46 business days!), it arrived in a couple weeks.  I liked it so much that I bid and won a second one.  It arrived just as quickly.

Prices can vary because you're bidding against someone who thinks they want it more than you. 

Let’s take a look at it.  The matte blade is 3.25 inches long and 0.125 inches thick at the spine.  The blade is a drop point with, for all practical purposes, a flat grind.  The steel is D2, hardened to Rockwell C 60.

Good looking knives.

I like D2 steel.  It is seeing a resurgence in the knife world.  It’s almost stainless, so it takes a little care to prevent rust formation.

The 4-inch handle is titanium with linen Micarta scales.  This keeps the weight of the knife under 2.9 ounces.  The lock mechanism is a frame lock, and to compensate for titanium's softness, a small steel insert makes contact with the back of the steel blade.

The knife is designed to open with a flipper, and the blade flies open on KVT ceramic ball bearings.  These are used by companies like ZT and others. 

A 3.25 inch blade is, for most parts, a perfect size for EDC.

Is it perfect?

No.  The clip isn't reversible.  The knife arrives set up for right-hand, tip-up carry.  That's my preferred carry mode, but it is not a universal standard. 

Closed, there is a little height difference where the frame lock meets the frame.  Just enough of a difference you can feel it when you rub your thumb over it. 

The frame lock engages very nice, with quite a bit of contact with back of the blade

And if I’m picky enough, I would point out that when open, the frame lock separates slightly from the Micarta scales.

I like the linen Micarta scales.  They look and feel nice.

Frankly, for an under $50 knife (It's an auction.  Your price may differ.) you can't beat a SixLeaf.  I like them so much, I gave my wife one!