Non-Firearm Weapon Purchase Review Thread

[maskedman504]

The design of this thread is to create a log of THR member's opinions and reviews of Non-Firearms Weapons. Reviews should not be limited to production pieces: custom and one-off work is encouraged to be reviewed also. Often it seems the same information is regurgitated over and over on the internet. "X" is great! "Y" is a company that makes horrible products! People usually fail to provide any insight into their opinions. Please do not offer those type of opinions here.

Here are some basic questions I would like to be answered:

-MSRP?

-Price you actually paid?

-Where did you buy it?

-How is the fit and finish?

-Is this a utility piece, self defense piece or a show piece?

-Have you had to contact customer service about this piece?

-If so, what was the outcome?

These are only to get started- please share anything and everything!

I encourage you to use pictures- being able to see what you see will allow us to understand the reason behind your opinion. If you do not know how to post pictures, send ME and instant message and I would absolutely help you! The free photo hosting website I use is Photobucket.

If this thread turns out to be worthwhile, maybe we can get it stickied.

 

[maskedman504]

I figured I should offer the first review!

Well, I have always been into swords and last week I decided to make my first purchase of 2009- a Colt Steel Naval Dirk. I am pretty happy with the Dirk- it came razor sharp; I definitely wouldn't want someone to stick me with one. The blade was smeared with grease and wrapped in plastic; scabard was wrapped in tissue paper and plastic and the whole thing was fixed with a Cold Steel tag that made it apparent that the retailer had not modified the state from the manufacturer.

-MSRP? $189.99

-Price you actually paid? $119.xx shipped.

-Where did you buy it? Manventure Outpost

-How is the fit and finish? satisfactory - one blemish on the hilt as seen below

Blade Specs:

Blade Length: 16 1/2"
Blade Thick: 1/4"
Handle: 5 3/8”
Overall length: 21 7/8"
Weight: 16.4 oz
Steel: 1055 Carbon






The scabard fittings were secured- and no epoxy was oozing out- that would have bothered me.





Can you see the lady in the blade?





This is where there are a couple of white markings on the hilt. I have not tried to buff them off, save for with a cloth. I wish they weren't there, but it is only noticeable under severe scrutiny.



Dirks were mainly used for thrusting and parrying, but I wouln't want anyone to whack me with this one.





So, this is my first Cold Steel purchase and I would definitely buy again; actually, I already have- I have one of their magnum blowguns on the way- should be here tomorrow or Wednesday. You can find about anything they make through an independant stockist via a web search for about 60% of the retail cost. At the $120 price point, I don't know if I could find a similar product with as much value. Thanks.

 

[maskedman504]

Alright- I was feeling a little adventurous. This is about 25-30 swings at about 75%. Zero damage to the dirk; running my finger along edge I can pickup no variance.

 

[conw]

Blackthorn walking stick

-MSRP? 40

-Price you actually paid? 40

-Where did you buy it? lollysmith.com

-How is the fit and finish? Fit is perfect for cane, but I prefer 2-4" longer than "perfect cane fit" for strolling purposes. Only real complaint (and I should have known) is that the black epoxy finish isn't as nice as an authentic black stain or peat bog cure and chips here and there. I also had some checking around the top of the cane, suggesting they skimped the drying process.

-Is this a utility piece, self defense piece or a show piece? Mostly self-defense

-Have you had to contact customer service about this piece? No, it's okay for what it is.

I've taken to making my own sticks, but I still appreciate the dense wood and unique look/feel

Orion K2 Caper/Orion Drop Point Hunter (two-for-one)

-MSRP? Roughly 85/95

-Price you actually paid? 70 shipped from factory/exchanged for drop point

-Where did you buy it? Factory, via internet

-How is the fit and finish? Finish of Caper needed some additional work with fine grit sandpaper to remove machine marks. Drop point hunter is flawless. Both are great looking knives.

-Is this a utility piece, self defense piece or a show piece? Utility (One is a 3"/6.5" OAL knife, the other is a 3.5"/8" OAL knife)

-Have you had to contact customer service about this piece? Yes, had to return the K2 Caper because it was a total lemon - heat treat sucked despite numerous tries on my part to do my part. The drop point hunter came very dull, so I am having it professionally sharpened/reprofiled.

-If so, what was the outcome? They gladly replaced the K2 Caper, and I'll write that off as a lemon. But as a new company trying to makea good impression, they ought to send out reaasonably sharp knives. The Drop Point Hunter is 52100 steel and after *hours* of various stones and sandpaper, still the bevels do not meet well enough to make the knife sharp. Granted, the spine is *thick*, but this is like buying a brand new car and not being able to drive it off the lot because the tires are flat and decaying. I will report back when I get it professionally sharpened, as I suspect it will become a favorite knife. But come on Orion, get it together.

 

[maskedman504]

conwict, thank you for the reviews; I had never heard of Orion Knives before- they have several that I find quite interesting. I am considering a Michigan Toothpick is bird's eye maple. Can you post any pictures of your purchases? Also, can you elaborate on your problems with the heat treat? How did you notice you were having issues? I don't know if I would be able to spot such a problem.

 

[conw]

The K2 was in Tiger Eye Maple, absolutely gorgeous knife. It came with a typical factory edge, which I reground to a much lower angle. The original edge was nothing special. This is my standard operating procedure for me. Well, got a burr on one side, got a burr on the other, stropped, and it took a nice shaving edge...until I had carried it a day or two and used it 5-6 times. This is CPM 154 we're talking about here, not 420hc. It had very little edge retention. I tried other grinds, etc, and all would take a beautiful sharp edge until they had any amount of serious work to do. Generally this indicates a poor heat treat, as heat treat is necessary to bring out the qualities of the steel we desire. In fact, as a rule of thumb, blade geometry heat treat and then steel type are listed in order of importance. That's why I have a cheap Swiss Army pocket pal that will outperform most high dollar knives: the mediocre steel has an amazing profile and great heat treat.

So, to recap on the whole dull Drop Point Hunter b****fest, it's just the straw that broke the camel's back. I like their satisfaction policy, but it makes me feel like a jerk to ask to send back their knife that they sent me as a replacement. I'm tired of bothering with it honestly.

The K2 Caper in general got good reviews, and they still have some on KnivesShipFree. The owner endorses it. I would consider buying from KSF, as they bought limited stock and most likely the QC was tighter.

Seriously, assuming the K2 Caper I got was truly the exception, these knives are probably one of the best deals out there on a handmade, exotic wood, supersteel fixed blade. And if they come sharp most of the time they definitely are the best deal of that type. I wanted to like the product out of the box though, not have to wait 6-7 months for satisfaction between experimenting with different bevels, grinds, shipping back, getting a dull knife and attempting to regrind it, and then finally sending it off to a pro and waiting for it to come back.

If you want a similar knife but don't want to take the slight gamble with Orion, Queen's D2 fixed blades look like a similarly good deal in production knives.

 

[maskedman504]

I just got my package in the mail- a Cold Steel Magnum Blow gun and 40 razor tip broadhead darts! It is going to take me a few days to practice and put this piece through the paces; I will get back to you guys soon!

 

[maskedman504]

Ok. I said it would take a few days. Ahahaha.

This is my very first impression: Wowow weewa. I likey. I took the blowgun outside and setup the cardboard box the my extra darts came in at 35 ft. In the picture below, when firing, I am standing where the towel rack is. The box is about 12in x 8 in. The first style of dart I fired was the 'mini broadhead' shown below next to a Sharpie. So, I took aim and 'blow'. I see the dart impact the box and make a 'ting' noise. The dart and orange stabilizer cone seperate and bounce off the cardboard box.

......

So I go scoop up the cone and look for the dart and then I pickup the box. It has a hole in the front; I turn the box over and there is an exit hole as well. It hits me- the dart didn't bounce off it went through and through and sheared off the stabilizer.

So I find the dart behind the target instead of in front of it and pop the stabilizer back on. Give me a week, and I will be the bane of all squirrels and birds!

 

[maskedman504]

Hi guys~

I went outside and shot about 30 more darts. Aiming is kind of tricky because you are aiming down a pipe stuck to the middle of your face- I haven't figured out if I am supposed to aim with both eyes or dominant eye. So, after about 30-40 practice darts, I got this grouping.

This thing is fun!

 

[3pairs12]

Looks like its a good thing you got the bulk pack of darts.

 

[conw]

glad it's fun. I bet you could aim by squaring your body to the target. Just look straight ahead and point both toes at it.

ps, very nice house...but what the heck is riceyland?

 

[maskedman504]

.but what the heck is riceyland?

Haha. Riceyland.

A family friend works for a county operation that makes roadsigns. It says:

"Welcome to Rickeyland" like Welcome to Disneyland- the sign was actually made for a 5 acre property that I used to have alot of toys garaged at; jetboat, couple of 4-wheelers, motorcycle, 383 stroker IROC- I moved the sign to my less conspicous abode since I got rid of most of my power toys.