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Famars Lama Knife Review! WOW!

Steel Sahlute fellow steel brothers and sistuhs!

Man the battle stations of the Steel Sahlute Enterprise! All hands on deck and accounted for as I introduce this Star Trekky stlye knife. Remember how slick the Star Trek Communicator was? Just a flip, and Captain Kirk was magically connected to his crew? So advanced. So far ahead of it’s time. So futuristic! So dad-gum cool.

Introducing the Famars Lama pinless, double action, sidelock knife, automatic, just squeeze and wuh-tesh, you’ve engaged the blade.

Like you, I had not previously heard of Famars. I had no clue who they were or what they made. Heck, I had no idea they made anything. I promise you though, you won’t soon forget about this knife.

Details:

Made in USA! All parts are produced here in the US and hand assembled!
Model – LAMA
Action: Automatic, pinless sidelock knife
Blades: Satin finish, Standard & Tanto blade, 154CM Steel (Definition taken from Benchmade.com: 154CM: An American made premium grade stainless steel originally developed for tough industrial applications. Known for its best all-around qualities, it offers great corrosion resistance with good toughness and edge quality).
Handle: anodized Aluminum, Maple Burl wood inlay. Hand cut

The TripleF: Fit, Finish & Functionality – 10.0
Smooth. Sleek. Refined. Flawless. Impeccable. Can I find any other words in my Thesaurus for perfect? Not surprisingly, your natural inclination is to press the flush-set button to watch the knife bolt into the open, ready-to-cut position. Oh, that is just too cool you think, so you repeat the process, not once but hundreds and hundreds of times. And that’s just the first day.

As a knife reviewer, my intention was to see if I could make the knife malfunction. Hasn’t happened yet.

My brother in-laws couldn’t get enough either.

Accessibility – 9.9
WOW, I hate to bump this down off of the prefect scale for one-tenth of a demerit, especially when this may very well be the easiest one-hand opening knife ever! All that is required to bring forth the blade is thought….ok, not really, but a medium amount of squeeze from your thumb on the flush-set button and whopa……out comes shoots the blade.

The only drawback as far as scoring the accessibility factor is concerned is it has no clip. That means to access the knife, you have to reach into your front or back pocket to extract it. I understand that’s a personal preference, but you know, when I grade on accessibility I want perfection and ease.

Collectibility – 10.0
As I stated in my last review, anytime you pause and ponder – should I REALLY carry this knife, or should I just put it in the back of the sock drawer, scores the knife an automatic 10 on the Richter scale of collectibles knives. Lest, I forget mentioning that these knives come handled in a variety of exotic materials. No sir, nothing common for Famars knives.

Maybe you’d like your Famars Lama handled in brown fresh water shark, or rust elephant, blue ostrich, or black and white lizard…..or some sort of exotic wood. Those are just small samplings of the offerings from Famars knife creations. And, then, there’s the option of Damascus blades, and engravings. Good lord have mercy!

Combine these options with a top-notch gift case, inside of a specially hand-crafted, made in the USA (putting a half dozen American workers back to work) gift box and a letter of authenticity and…….

Knife collectability has reached a new steel warp speed!

Final Steel Sahlute Score = 9.97 Steel Sahlutes!

Mega Steel Sahlute to Steve “Hog” Hanner at www.iKnifecollector.com for recommending the folks at Famars contact me to review this knife. The marketing dude for www.famars.com , Tim Ross, fired me off an e-mail and here we are.

Scott Rauber

7 members like this

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Seth King on July 7, 2012 at 20:19

Thats just what I was thinking Perry. Definitely a nice knife but I can think of several other knives I would rather buy if I was gonna spend that kinda money......but thats just me.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on July 7, 2012 at 20:23

Some questions coming via email:

Does this knife have USA on its blade or anywhere on the knife.

Interesting no pin bolster knife....would be nice to know the internal molding of the metal that holds the blade in place without the pin...

Is it considered a switch blade as it appears....because many states have mandates against them, or pending right now...

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Permalink Reply by Clint Thompson on July 7, 2012 at 21:20

Steve...

Yes it is a switchblade or auto. California is would be legal....believe it or not....as the blade is under 2" ( it appears). In Oklahoma it is legal but you can't carry unless your law enforcement, firefighter or active military. Kansas the same as Oklahoma. I have been told there are 17 states where they will allow the auto knife if you have a firearms carry permit.

It is illegal to import parts of a knife and then construct or produce an auto or switchblade. In other words the whole knife has to be made in the USA. Many are brought into the USA as a completed knife then converted. My guess this is illegal too but Big Brother has not been too hard on them. Check your local laws.

Clint

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Permalink Reply by Scott Rauber on July 8, 2012 at 9:05

Thanks for the props and respect guys!

Steel Sahlute!

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Permalink Reply by john a shavel on July 8, 2012 at 13:16

Hi guys.After watching the demo,I had a thought.The ease of finding the "button" to open,seems to make the button a little too easy to cause the knife to lose the lock. If your choking on the rather small case ,Mr. finger sure is close to releasing the blade.4 bills buys a lot of knives on the auto sites.

john

perry coleman said:

Sweet, I want one,,,,NOW! Knice Scott!

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Permalink Reply by perry coleman on July 8, 2012 at 18:35

Very true, I thought when I initially saw it that we might have a reasonable price but I was wrong, Just another auto.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Fox on July 8, 2012 at 19:46

WOW!

Totally hypnotizing!

Great looking knife seems a little pricey but not sure as I have'nt bought many autos.

Thanks Scott

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Permalink Reply by Mike Fox on July 8, 2012 at 19:50

Steve, Missouri is one of THOSE states that it is a Class B Felony for possesion of "any" spring or assisted knife but?? It's no fun to have no fun..

Mike

Steve"Hog"Hanner said:

Some questions coming via email:

Does this knife have USA on its blade or anywhere on the knife.

Interesting no pin bolster knife....would be nice to know the internal molding of the metal that holds the blade in place without the pin...

Is it considered a switch blade as it appears....because many states have mandates against them, or pending right now...

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Alexander Noot on July 9, 2012 at 1:46

It looks like an interesting knife.....but at that price I'm pretty sure you could do a LOT better.

From what I understand the brand also sells high end shotguns? Looks to me like they're just trying to make an extra buck through knife sales.

Also, the "no pin bolsters"....I'm not impressed. They'll either be hidden pin. A system I'm not a fan of due to the fact that you can't peen a hidden pin.

Or indeed "no pin" in which case they'll be glued on....something I'm not a fan of either when it's the only thing holding them on.

My opinion might be different if I were to be able to hold them in hand....but I doubt it.

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Permalink Reply by Shlomo ben Maved on July 9, 2012 at 3:13

Firstly, I don't think this knife is intended for the American market since the laws (from the 1930s onward) make this a very selected knife to own.

Ownership of and the use of switchblades (like brass knuckles & butterfly/Balisong knives) is illegal would be the easiest thing to say but that's not quite, 100%, correct...While, it applies in the vast majority of jurisdictions within the USA, in some places you are permitted to own them but it is illegal to carry them and in other locales it is legal to own them AND carry them—although, mostly with a size limit to the blade e.g. under three inches...There are also considerations for handicapped people which also supersede it.

I'll not use states in this case as some cities within states make up their own damn laws and the Hell with the rest of you, including SCOTUS—New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C. come to mind who, after Supreme Court decisions (note the plural), carried on with their, now, illegal restrictions to and/or ownership of weapons.

I added the brass knuckles as the US Civil War D Guard Bowie or the WW1 Trench Knife fall under the same laws as above just with fewer states allowing ownership and carry and more with ownership.

I’ve posted this before and they’re fairly up to date*:

Knife Laws — Specific

Switchblade Laws

Switchblades

Knife Laws — General

Bernard Levine's Knife Laws

Knife Laws Online

International & USA Knife Laws

AR has done away with size limits for knives.

Knife Laws — Advocates

Knife Rights.org — we all should be members and supporters of

AKTI -- American Knife & Toll Institute

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Permalink Reply by Shlomo ben Maved on July 9, 2012 at 3:41

The gunmaker FAMARS (Fabbrica Armi Mario Abbiatico e Remo Salvinelli) make a pinless, sidelock shotgun action, which, this is supposed to emulate to some degree.

FAMARS patented [in 1976] a pin less sidelocks giving the engravers an uninterrupted canvas to exhibit their work.

Other bespoke makers like Holland and Holland, Purdey, Westley Richards etc. do as well.

As to making an "extra buck", why not especially if they can do it in-house unlike Smith & Wesson etc. who just allow their names to be put on the side of, for a large part, crap.

Then again this is a "Gentleman's" knife, the kind that was kept in a waistcoat pocket to open a letter or cut off a stray thread not something to take on a gang of hooligans with.

Alexander Noot said:

It looks like an interesting knife.....but at that price I'm pretty sure you could do a LOT better.

From what I understand the brand also sells high end shotguns? Looks to me like they're just trying to make an extra buck through knife sales.

Also, the "no pin bolsters"....I'm not impressed. They'll either be hidden pin. A system I'm not a fan of due to the fact that you can't peen a hidden pin.

Or indeed "no pin" in which case they'll be glued on....something I'm not a fan of either when it's the only thing holding them on.

My opinion might be different if I were to be able to hold them in hand....but I doubt it.

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Permalink Reply by Alexander Noot on July 9, 2012 at 6:34

Something doesn't have to be used in a gunfight to break. Simple age might take care of that. Glues have a half life....simple as that.

I'm not bashing the knife really I'm not. All I'm saying is that you're paying a LOT of money for something that seems structurally inferior. It's one of those things that I'm sure is lovely for the shotgun lover with a lot of cash to blow....but for the knife-only lover this piece is a little gimmicky. Mr. A.G. Russell summed it up pretty well. Considering the review that was given (9,97 points overall!!) I'd also expect a little more than what was shown and what I could find out.

Then again.....if you spend a lot of money on a shotgun....maybe you don't mind spending a lot of money on a matching knife.

"Gentleman's knife" is no excuse for a shoddy build....especially not at that price point. Take a look at William Henry knives. Same kinds of price point, probably aimed towards the same audiences. Yet the construction and materials are top of the line. As they should be. Not that I'm saying that the build IS shoddy or that it won't hold up. I'm just speculating based on the info I have. I might be very wrong and that they use some kind of highly innovative system to pin the stuff that still allows it to have excellent strength whilst not showing anything. What do I know? I've only seen pictures.

Also, I'm not condemning the company for wanting to make an extra buck. Merely stating that knives aren't their known expertise. But maybe knives are simple after building guns for so many years.