Hard Point Equipment has introduced a number of new variations of their MantiCuda knife including a new no-frills, budget version called the MantiCuda Mountain Man. This version has all the same dimensions and functionality of the MantiCuda SRT including the G-10 handle slabs and 80CrV2 steel but it lacks the coating. It comes with a more affordable parkerized finish instead.
You can check out the MantiCuda Mountain Man along with the other MantiCuda variants at FistKnife.com.
Welcome to Bargain or Just Cheap? This series will review budget friendly knives for a variety of uses in a short format. All of the knives will cost less than $50 (in most cases, much less) and will be purchased out of my own pocket. I’ll buy them, carry them, and use them in an attempt to determine if the knife is a bargain or just cheap.
I have always been very leery of Chinese knife manufacturers due to their historically poor quality and penchant for knock-off designs. A friend cautioned me about throwing the baby out with the bath water and introduced me to a several Chinese knife manufacturers that are worth a look. One such manufacturer is Real Steel and their H6-S1 is the subject of today’s edition of Bargain or Just Cheap?.
Real Steel offers several variants of the H6 but there is one that I believe really stands out – the H6-S1. This knife floored me with how good it is for the price.
Specs:
Lock: Frame Lock
Pocket Clip: Right pocket, Tip up only
Steel: Sandvik 14C28N
Handle: Textured G-10 front, steel back
Blade length: 3.39 in.
Blade thickness: .12 in.
Open length: 7.76 in.
Weight: 3.8 oz.
This knife is exceedingly likeable. It is at the upper end of our $50 price limit but it is dripping with great features, hallmarks of quality, and functional design.
The 14C28N is a step up from the blade steel found on many Chinese knives or any budget knife for that matter. This Sandvik steel is easy to sharpen, takes a polished edge VERY well, and holds it well enough for EDC tasks. I was very happy to see a Sandvik steel being used here. The drop point, slightly recurve blade has plenty of spine and features a full flat primary grind. It cuts and slices very well.
The handle is well contoured and comfortable with more than enough room for all your fingers. Both the G-10 and the steel lock side of the knife are thick and sturdy but overall the knife feels and carries very slim. Speaking of G-10, the thumb studs are actually machined G-10 that matches that handle color. They are large and easy to operate. The knife opens easily and smoothly with a flick of the thumb without even having to use your wrist.
The lock on my example is excellent. It looks up with about 60% engagement so it is very sturdy with room to wear in over time. The lock bar features a very unique and very cool feature. It has a disk that at first glance looks like any Hinderer style lock bar stabilizer (a small stop designed to prevent lock bar over travel). Closer inspection reveals the fact that it can be pushed forward into a second position that actually blocks the lock bar from moving completely! In this position, the knife can not close on your hand without some kind of catastrophic breakage. The disk locks in each position with strong detent action so it is extremely unlikely that you will accidentally activate or deactivate it.
This knife is impressively light for a knife of these dimensions. There is some milling on the inside of the steel handle scale to remove weight. A full height flat grind also reduces weight as does a liner-less G-10 handle scale. It is larger in every dimension than the previously reviewed Kershaw Emerson CQC-4K yet it weighs less!
The pocket clip isn’t a true deep carry clip but it does place the knife very low in the pocket which is nice for professional settings. It is very stout and holds the knife securely.
The fit and finish of this knife is very good. It has better than average steel, better than average materials, clever features, and a very functional design. It also happens to look great! It gives the impression of quality. I’ve seen them as low as $40 but they usually average around $45 for most variants of the H6. Honestly, I would feel good about this knife at twice the price.
There is nothing cheap about this knife other than the price. The Real Steel H6-S1 is most certainly a Bargain.
I will be using Amazon as the price base line for this series. All knives were purchased by me from Amazon: Real Steel H6-S1
Note: There are a number of H6 variants and colors available. The features vary significantly from variant to variant. Be sure you are buying the H6-S1 if want the features shown in this review.
Our goal is to represent knives for a variety of uses from EDC, to outdoor, to tactical knives. Do you have a favorite affordable knife? Let us know about it in the comments!
Welcome to Bargain or Just Cheap? This series will review budget friendly knives in a short format. All of the knives will cost less than $50 (in most cases, much less) and will be purchased out of my own pocket. I’ll buy them, carry them, and use them in an attempt to determine if the knife is a bargain or just cheap.
I’ve been carrying and using a Kershaw Emerson CQC-4K mostly because I was able to purchase it for $15. The ultra-low price was my initial attraction to it. It is one of the lowest priced options in the already very budget friendly line of Emerson designed Kershaw produced knives.
Specs:
Lock: Frame Lock
Pocket Clip: Reversible, Tip up only
Steel: 8Cr14MoV
Handle: Textured G-10 front, 410 steel back
Blade length: 3.25 in.
Closed length: 4.2 in.
Open length: 7.4 in.
Weight: 4.1 oz.
There is a lot to like here. The size is great for EDC – plenty of blade for most EDC tasks, a long enough handle to support four fingers without crowding, and its very pocketable. The Emerson designed Wave Opening Feature works and is a great feature to have. The spear point blade has some belly, plenty of straight edge, and a useful point. The handle is comfortable in the hand. I find that it is also a good looking knife.
8Cr14MoV steel is a budget steel. It performs similarly to AUS-8. It is a stainless steel that sharpens easily. It lacks the edge holding ability of super steels but I find it completely acceptable. It is a solid, budget friendly steel and Kershaw seems to do well with it.
The lock on my example is very good. It locks up somewhat early so there is room for it to wear in and it does pass a spine whack test. The lock bar doesn’t stick and the detent is fairly strong and positive.
Unfortunately, there are some things about this knife that I don’t like. It is heavy for its size due to it’s thick 410 steel lock bar side and a full steel liner under the G-10 handle scale. The thumb disk doesn’t line up well with the relief cut in the handle making it difficult to access. Finally, the primary grind on this knife is a short, hollow grind that leaves the edge fairly thick. It cuts reasonably well but not as well as it could with a higher primary grind.
If you like Emerson Wave Openers like me, you won’t find a cheaper one, especially with real G-10 handle scales. Unfortunately, the strange spacial relationship between the relief cut in the handle and the thumb disk strikes me as an avoidable design flaw with a very noticeable impact on how easy you can open the knife.
This knife might be a bargain when it can be found around $15-$18 but other than that I’ll say… Just Cheap. If you are going to spend over $20, I would pass unless you are drawn to its smaller size in relation to other Kershaw Emerson models. I think there are better, but larger, options in the Kershaw Emerson line like the CQC-6K which I will review at a later date.
All of the knives for this series will be purchased by me on Amazon: Kershaw Emerson CQC-4K
Do you have a favorite affordable knife? Let us know about it in the comments!
The new Missile Strike from TOPS Knives is now available. This combat knife was initially shown at SHOT Show earlier this year and has been teased a few times since.
From TOPS Knives:
Kelly McCulley spent seven and a half years in the US Army. During his time in the service, he searched for the right knife to meet his needs as a combat tool that could do the duty of a utility knife, too. In all his time in the service, he never quite found the one that would fit what he wanted in a combat knife. Sound familiar? It’s one of the same reasons that TOPS Knives was founded and one of the reasons that TOPS produces such a variety of models. Around 2010, Kelly started designing knives that his fellow servicemen and women could rely on as they were deployed. He has been making those knives since and has some smart designs under his belt.
The Missile Strike is a great combination of combat and utility. Its narrow blade with long swedge allows for great penetrating stabs (the swedge can be sharpened upon request). The 1/4” thickness provides enough weight to add some power in stabbing, slashing, and when smashing using the pointed pommel. There is a very generous finger guard to ensure that your hand will not slip onto the blade.
Given that the knife will likely be used as a utility tool more often than not, there are features that were included to facilitate that use. The comfortable Micarta handle scales will stand up to use and provide excellent grip. There is a choil so you can choke up for finer tasks, and it’s made from 1095 steel, which holds a great edge, and is easy to re-sharpen in the field (a must for those who don’t always have a proper sharpening system handy). It comes with a tan Kydex sheath that has great retention, but still allows for a solid grip from the moment it’s drawn.
Check out the Missile Strike at TOPS Knives.
| nife Type | Fixed Blade |
|---|---|
| Overall Length | 11.34″ |
| Blade Length | 6.00″ |
| Cutting Edge | 4.75″ |
| Blade Thickness | 0.250″ |
| Blade Shape | Spear Point |
| Blade Steel | 1095 RC 56-58 |
| Blade Finish | Coyote Tan Coating |
| Handle Material | Black Linen Micarta |
| Knife Weight | 11.5oz |
| Weight w/ Sheath | 14.1oz |
| Sheath Included | Yes |
| Sheath Material | Coyote Tan Kydex |
| Sheath Clip | Nylon Belt |
| Designer | Kelly McCulley |
You may not know the work of knife maker Knife2meetyou but you should! He posts his work on Instagram where he describes himself as a “knifemaker wannabe”. If he keeps innovating non-metallic knives the way he has so far, he will be able to drop the “wannebe” from that title.
He has produced a number of non-metallic designs from G-10. While the blade shapes vary, many of his design incorporate similar randomly textured handles and an ingenious integral clip. As you can see from the photos below, this clip allows for some interesting carry and concealment possibilities.
You can get in touch with Knife2meetyou via Instagram.
knife2meetyou G-10 knife shown with Sosby Blades Spike
