iKnife Collector
A Sharper Review Group
A group to be used for discussion of standards, suggested knives to review, submission of known attributes for a knife and general discussion regarding planned knife reviews. Formal knife review results will be posted in Forum/Sharper Review
In Memoriam
Diminutive Dog Tag Knife
I recently came across a Dog Tag Knife that intrigued me. It’s diminutive size was actually one of the attracting features. Simplicity was another. The possibility of good blade steel was a plus. A price of <$10.oo cinched it. I ordered one.
It arrived sharp ..but.. I got it sharper.
The ease of disassembly enhanced that process.
There’s a thrust bearing on the top side of the blade. There’s a circular cavity machined into the blade that the thrust bearing nests into. That was also a selling feature for me.
Its diminutive size allows pocket carry .. in the watch pocket of my jeans. Very convenient.
It would also reside quite nicely on a keychain.
The blade does not lock ..however.. it is held quite firmly in place with the framelock’s detent ball.
I’ve found .. it’s like carrying around a single edge razor blade .. with an enclosing handle. Rather nice.
Its construction is .. simple & sturdy. The blade steel is good. The ease of disassembly .. a plus.
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The downside. The domed washer is mild steel ..&.. was in direct contact with the thrust bearing. The thrust bearing immediately cut a groove in the mild steel & was the source of a “rough” opening & closing. Just like the feeling when a bearing starts going bad. The resultant “drag” forces caused the pivot screw to turn & loosen itself in short order. It's not that visible now because I resurfaced the domed washer ..but.. there was a deep groove cut into the washer apparent upon initial disassembly.
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I added a 0.5” OD oilite washer between the thrust bearing & the domed mild steel washer. The ID of the oilite washer is such that it is a press fit over the pivot pin. The OD is such that the thrust bearing is completely covered & just enough of the washer is visible to enhance the knife’s aesthetic value. Adding the oilite washer eliminated the pivot screw loosening & eliminated the “rough” feeling when opening & closing the blade. End of problem.
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Most would likely find this knife too small to be useful. I ..however.. draw an analogy with a single edge razor blade .. it’s really nice having access to one ALL the time. And .. it fits in my watch pocket.
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!! . All good .. for me . !!
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Enjoy
D ale
Jan Carter
funny, such a small knife and fairly simple build, with so many different variables
Jan 28, 2017
In Memoriam
D ale
Some of the "fun" of purchasing sight unseen direct from China. One REALLY has to read the fine print.
Buying knives .. I've not been cheated. *
A few occasions .. I've been disappointed.
... BUT ...
When I went back & reread the original sales listing .. I'd received what they stated.
A good rule of thumb is the basic .. "If it seems too good to be true .. it probably is."
... AND ...
I've learned to pay attn when reviewing the listing.
Re: Knives. Very good quality can be had ..as can.. very poor quality. Scrutinize the sales pics. Read EVERY word of the listing. Keep you wits about you. There exist very few listings for traditional slipjoints. As expected .. the prices are great.
I just accept a ..realistically.. no warranty policy. i.e. I'm not going to return it to China .. really. And .. go into it knowing that. Prices vary ..so.. I compare. Then .. I get a single unit for evaluation.
I've experienced very consistent quality. If I find a unit that I consider good quality for the $ .. I'm inclined to purchase more of the same for friends & family. When I receive one that's bad .. I check the orig sales listing & write it off to experience. Note: most knife purchases are in the $ 10 ~ 40 range .. $20 being nominal.
Would you believe .. it all started because autos were so hard to acquire for the longest time ..but.. not direct from China.
* I no longer purchase ANY electronics.
Jan Carter said:
Jan 30, 2017
Jan Carter
seems fair and reasonable advise regardless of where you are purchasing from
Jan 30, 2017