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Review: Vosteed Psyop

By on November 15, 2024 in EDC, Knives, Reviews

The Vosteed Psyop is a design collaboration between Vosteed and Tuffknives. It sits at the premium end of the Vosteed lineup and, to me, is their flagship knife. Its a showcase of the kind of design, materials, and cache that Vosteed can bring at very competitive price.

Specs

Blade Length:3.32″ | 84.40 mm

Overall Length:8.01″ | 203.50mm

Blade Width:1.22″ | 31.00 mm

Blade Thickness:0.138″ | 3.50 mm

Blade Material:Elmax

Blade Grind:Flat

Blade Style:Drop Point

Blade Finish:Stonewash

Hardness:HRC 60±1

Handle Length:4.70″ | 119.40 mm

Handle Width:0.94″ | 24.00 mm

Handle Thickness:0.500″ | 12.70 mm

Handle Material:Titanium

Weight:4.66 oz | 132.00 g

Opener:Thumb Hole | Front Flipper

Lock Type:Top Liner Lock

Pivot Assembly:Caged Ceramic Ball Bearing

Pocket Clip:Non-reversible Titanium

Carry Position:Tip-up

Knife Type:Manual Folding

Backspacer Material:Titanium

Designer:Geoff Blauvelt (Tuffknives)

Observations from Use

If you are familiar with Tuffknives’ work, you can’t miss his influence here. There are also some distinctly Vosteed touches like the well-executed, multiple opening methods and large finger-choil. I think it’s a great-looking knife.

Vosteed’s Top Liner Lock is a great choice here. One, it’s more than strong enough to be a stout knife like this. Two, it has a small footprint that keeps it out of the way of the design. If you haven’t tried one of these locks yet, you need to. It has the crisp detent of something like a liner lock but the ease of use of a button lock. It’s my favorite knife lock right now.

The blade shape that Tuffknives designed for this offering is great. It plenty pointy thanks to a gradual drop at the spine and long swedge grind. The primary flat grind is very tall and renders the sweeping, curved edge very thin behind the secondary grind. Vosteed has a handle on cutting geometry and it shows here.

The titanium handles on the Psyop offer solid grip thanks to their machined checkering pattern. The finish Vosteed uses also has a subtle tacky feel. Speaking of the finish, my review sample has their new subtle purple color that looks amazing. It’s a subdued, almost bronze color that reminds me a little of the Russian plumb furniture found on AKMs.

I’m pretty impressed with the value proposition of this knife. If you are the type who will never spend more than $20 on a knife, skip ahead a bit. For everyone else, check the spec sheet including Ti scales, Elmax steel, and a very well-known design collaboration. It is a very competitively priced knife at $250 if you can find it in stock.

So who won’t like this knife? Well, it isn’t a very light or compact knife so if you wear slacks daily it may not be your first choice. If you don’t like large finger choils, you probably won’t like this.

Wrap Up

The Psyop is a flagship knife for Vosteed and, while it is not cheap, it is an excellent value. It’s comfortable to use, bull-strong, and dripping with premium features. If you are looking for the slimmest, lightest, most compact EDC… it ain’t this. If you are looking for a premium knife with some gravity, the Psyop has to be in contention.

Vosteed.com

Vosteed Store on Amazon.com

Review: Vosteed Hedgehog (Aluminum Scales)

By on August 12, 2024 in EDC, Knives, Reviews

I’ve said before that the Hedgehog is, in my opinion, one of Vosteed’s best knives. So, do the new aluminum-handled versions keep up that high standard? Thanks to Vosteed for the review sample, I found out.

Specs

You can see the full specs at Vosteed.com. The most relevant specs are listed below.

Blade Length: 2.99″ | 76.00 mm

Overall Length: 7.11″ | 180.60 mm

Blade Thickness: 0.138″ | 3.50 mm

Blade Material: S35VN

Weight: 4.42 oz | 113.90 g

Opener: Back Flipper | Thumb Stud | Fuller

Lock Type: Top Liner Lock 

Handle Material: Aluminum

Observations from Use

Sometimes small changes can make a knife feel completely different. In the case of these new aluminum scales versions of the Hedgehog, I think the rugged new scales make the knife feel even more like it should – a premium knife that is tough enough for hard work and refined enough for the EDC knife crowd.

The aluminum scales add a sturdy feeling to this knife and slightly more heft that feels reassuring. This version makes more solid, metallic sounds when you open it and it seems more rigid or solid in a way that is hard to describe (because the previous version doesn’t feel flimsy in the slightest).

The finish on these aluminum scales feels slightly finer in texture than other Vosteed aluminum scales I have tried. It is slightly grippy and almost doesn’t feel like metal in the hand. This finish, coupled with the frag pattern milling, makes this one of the grippiest aluminum handled knives I have ever owned.

I don’t want to spend a lot of time rehashing what makes the Hedgehog great so I’ll just direct you to the previous review and summarize my thoughts here. It has an incredibly well-executed top liner lock (basically a Compression Lock with a button) that makes this knife both bull-strong and just as fidgety as any button lock. The handle provides MANY options for how to grip the knife and the blade shape perfectly fits the tough, hard-working design of this knife. It’s modern, stylish, and it just works.

Wrap Up

If pocket time is the measure of which version of the Hedgehog I like best, I have been carrying the new aluminum scale version since I received it. This feels, to me, like the best version of one of Vosteed’s best knives. It is just as stylish as previous versions while somehow feeling more refined and even more hefty in a good way.

Vosteed.com

Vosteed Hedgehog on Amazon.com

Review: Vosteed Mini Nightshade Titanium and S35VN

By on July 22, 2024 in EDC, Knives, Reviews

If you have been following JTT for a while, you’ll know that the Mini Nightshade isn’t just one of my favorite Vosteed designs, it is one of my favorite knives. The Nightshade, with its unique and useful Shilin Cutter shape, is what put Vosteed on my radar and I have been carrying one version or another of this knife for a while now. Now, I have my mitts on one of the most premium versions to date.

Specs

Blade Length: 2.60″ | 66.04 mm

Overall Length: 6.32″ | 160.53 mm

Blade Width: 1.13″ | 28.70 mm

Blade Thickness: 0.098″ | 2.49 mm

Blade Material: S35VN

Blade Grind: Flat

Blade Style: Shilin Cutter

Hardness: HRC 60±2

Handle Length: 3.71″ | 94.33 mm

Handle Width: 0.89″ | 22.60 mm

Handle Thickness: 0.437″ | 11.10 mm

Handle Material: Titanium

Weight: 2.59 oz | 73.40 g

Opener: Thumb Stud

Lock Type: Crossbar Lock

Pivot Assembly: Caged Ceramic Ball Bearing

Pocket Clip: Reversible | Stainless Steel

Carry Position: Tip-up

Observations from Use

To me, the Mini Nightshade is all about performance and the performance is all about that blade! Do you want a knife that gives you easy access to a fine, useable tip? It does. Do you want thin blade stock that tapers to a thin, incredibly sharp and slicey edge via a full flat grind? It does. Do you want a shape that holds the material in the cut and has plenty of belly? It does.

These knives CUT!

They also manage to pack that performance into a very compact package. The Mini Nightshade is small enough to pull fifth pocket duty but large enough for a medium size hand to get all four fingers on the grip. It also happens to be a very slim design. It’s a Goldilocks size.

I also want to point out the weight. These knives are incredibly lightweight due to the partial liners and thin blade stock. This is the heaviest version yet and it is still well under 3 ounces at 2.6 ounces. Saying that “you’ll forget you are carrying it is a cliche”, but I genuinely have.

This is also the most premium version of this knife to date. It features sculpted titanium scales that are radiused for comfort and have a very attractive scalloped texture pattern. Vosteed also went premium with the blade steel. CPM S35VN is a great choice here as it can take a fine edge and has solid toughness to support the thin cutting geometry. It’s a great premium, powdered metallurgy option for this knife. While it isn’t a heavy knife by any stretch, it has a solid heft in the hand for such a compact knife.

Wrap Up

This is my favorite version of one of my favorite knives. The most important thing a knife must do is cut… and Vosteed goes all out with cutting performance on these knives. Secondly, you want a knife that is easy to live with and this is definitely that with it’s slim, lightweight design.

See full specs and all available colors: Vosteed.com

See all of the Nightshade family on the Vosteed Amazon Store with 20% off options: Amazon.com

Previous reviews of the Mini Nightshade including more budget-oriented options: Mini Nightshade Reviews on JTT

Review: Vosteed Mink

By on July 10, 2024 in EDC, Knives, Outdoor Gear, Preparedness, Reviews

The Mink is Vosteed’s first fixed blade but, based on the attention to detail, you would think they have been making them for years. Let’s dive in.

Specs

Blade Length: 3.33″ | 83.90 mm

Overall Length: 7.13″ | 181.00 mm

Blade Width: 1.10″ | 27.92 mm

Blade Thickness: 0.118″ | 3.00 mm

Blade Material: Nitro-V

Blade Grind: Flat

Blade Style: Clip Point

Hardness: HRC 60±2

Handle Length: 3.82″ | 97.10 mm

Handle Width: 0.85″ | 21.63 mm

Handle Thickness: 0.46″ | 11.60 mm

Handle Material: Micarta

Weight: 5.12 oz | 145.10 g (Sheath included)

Carry Position: Adjustable Belt Clip

Knife Type: Fixed Blade

Sheath: Kydex

Designer: Yue

Observations from Use

I have been using the Mink as an EDC fixed blade and it excels in that role. Vosteed designed and sized this knife to be well suited to a number of roles from EDC to outdoors. The shallow clip point renders a splinter-pickingly sharp point. The thin blade stock and tall flat grind terminates at a very thin, slicey edge. The handle provides plenty of grip. It has everything you want from an all-around tool.

The pancake-style kydex sheath comes with a small Tek-lok-like clip that works well for basic belt carry or for attaching to a backpack strap. However, I swapped that clip almost immediately for a Ulti-clip Slim 3.3 which allowed me to clip the sheath into my pocket. This setup worked very well. I also tried the Mink in an older leather pocket sheath that I already own and found that to be a VERY comfortable way to carry this knife.

There are three very subtle design elements on the Mink that I think take it to another level and really showcase the attention to detail that went into this design. First, the handle features a choil that works as a guard but does nothing to hinder a variety of grips or impede the user from getting their grip right behind the edge. Second, there is a very slight swedge grind that makes the tip of this knife even more useful. Finally, the addition of a second section of jimping out near the tip of the knife helps give the user tremendous control of that useful tip. It’s very cool to see how Vosteed uses the ergonomics of this knife to enhance the cutting performance.

The use of Nitro-V steel is a great option here. It is plenty tough enough to support the aggressive cutting geometry on this knife, corrosion-resistant enough to shrug off any conditions this knife might find itself in, and also affordable enough to ensure that the Mink is a great value.

There is one thing I would change. I was a little annoyed with the width of the sheath. Vosteed designed a slim, EDC-friendly fixed blade but then saddled it with a wide sheath. I want to be clear, this sheath is not the throw-away garbage that many makers provide with their fixed-blades. It will work for most people. The sheath’s quality is great… it’s just wide. I would love to see them switch to a slimmer, fold-over style sheath for future runs of this knife.

Wrap Up

The Mink is a lot of things. It is an impressive performer with great cutting geometry and the ergonomics to help you get the most out of that cutting geometry. It is a flexible design that can fill various roles from EDC to outdoors. It is an incredible value for these materials and this level of attention to detail.

The Mink is so good that I am very excited to see what Vosteed’s next fixed blade release will be… a fixed blade in the Nightshade line, perhaps? We can dream.

Vosteed.com

Vosteed Store on Amazon.com

Review: Vosteed Raccoon Cub

By on June 28, 2024 in Bargain or Just Cheap?, EDC, Knives, Reviews

One of the more exciting new knives to be shown at this year’s Blade Show was the Vosteed Raccoon Cub. The design was instantly recognizable as a scaled-down Raccoon (the model that Vosteed may be most known for) but it was also clear that this knife was going to take on established designs in the fifth pocket or little-big-knife space.

Now that I have spent time with a review sample and pricing has been released, I can say it delivers. In fact, I’ll say that I think this is best-in-class.

Specs

Blade Length: 2.34″ | 59.50 mm

Overall Length: 5.57″ | 141.60 mm

Blade Width: 0.98″ | 25.00 mm

Blade Thickness: 0.098″ | 2.50 mm

Blade Material: 14C28N

Blade Grind: Flat

Blade Style: Drop Point

Hardness: HRC 60±2

Handle Length: 3.23″ | 82.10 mm

Handle Width: 1.00″ | 25.50 mm

Handle Thickness: 0.41″ | 10.50 mm

Handle Material: G10

Weight: 2.04 oz | 58.00 g

Opener: Thumb Stud | Front Flipper

Lock Type: Liner Lock

Pivot Assembly: Caged Ceramic Ball Bearing

Pocket Clip: Reversible | Stainless Steel

Carry Position: Tip-up

Knife Type: Manual Folding

Thumbstud Material: Aluminum

Designer: Yue

Observations from Use

I am a big fan of this type of knife. I usually carry a fixed blade knife so it is nice to have a compact folding knife that is small enough not to be burdensome but large enough to be useful. This little-big-knife or fifth pocket knife segment is growing and competitive. That is good for me because I am fully on board.

The Raccoon Cub has exactly the sort of ergonomics you want in a knife like this. It has a large, useable finger choil in the blade to allow a full and comfortable four-finger grip if you choke up while also remaining very compact when it is folded. It is a well-established formula that is well executed in this design.

The Raccoon Cub will inevitably draw comparisons to the Civivi Baby Banter – a knife that I own and that really stands out in this segment. The two knives are similar in many ways but differ in some key ways:

  • I prefer the blade shape of the Raccoon Cub with its more acute tip, something I find especially useful on a small knife.
  • The Racoon Cub also offers jumping on the spine out near that point to make it even easier to control for fine tasks.
  • The Raccoon Cub is VERY SLIGHTLY heavier but, for that weight, you get skeletonized and nested steel liners which is nice.
  • The Raccoon Cub’s handle is a little less cramped thanks to the taper at the butt and it is also easier to open thanks to better action and the addition of a front flipper.
  • The Raccoon Cub is a full $10-12 cheaper than the base Baby Banter options.

Speaking of the front flipper. I just want to mention that I normally don’t really care about them and rarely use them. However, in the case of the Raccoon Cub, it is so well executed, snappy, and easy to use that I find that it is actually useful instead of just fidgety. Some users with larger hands, may even prefer it.

The action on my review sample is extremely smooth with a very crispy detent. In fact, I can deploy the blade with just pressure from the pad of my middle finger. The detent holds rock steady until you apply enough pressure to overcome it and then the blade rockets open. It’s very satisfying.

Wrap Up

When this knife was shown at Blade Show, I recognized the potential. When I spent time with it, I fell in love. When it finally went up for sale and I saw the price, I became convinced that the Raccoon Cub is best-in-class.

This is now the best fifth pocket knife available. The value is great. The ergonomics are great. The cutting performance is great. It’s just a stellar knife.

The Raccoon Cub is initially only available Amazon: Vosteed Raccoon Cub at Amazon.com

It will be available direct from Vosteed at a later date: Vosteed.com

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