The PITS Folder - Unexpected Greatness

[sal]

Hi Gbelleh,

Thanx for the great review and pics.

sal

[ManixFan]

Wow! That PITS is really a beautiful looking knife.......and your photos certainly have captured the attractiveness of this knife very well.

I'm not sure if I will be picking one up myself........but that would only be as a result of the pricing. Even if I didn't pick one up........I would still be lusting after it. :D

Kind of like knowing that although you would love to have her on your arm.........that gorgeous, 25 year old hottie who just got out of the passenger door of that Ferrari is just not going to be interested in riding in your 8 year old Acura. :p

High quality knives certainly don't come cheap.......better go check my lottery tickets. :D

[gbelleh]

Tonight I ground the little nub off the blade guard, and IMO, the PITS is even better! I also smoothed out any sharp edges on the handle. It's nice and sleek now, smooth all the way around. This knife is now about as perfect for me as any slipjoint could be. :D

[Liquid Cobra]

Looks good. Any safety concerns not having the guard? You've gone this far, you should stone wash it

[gbelleh]

Looks good. Any safety concerns not having the guard? You've gone this far, you should stone wash it

No real safety concerns. Yes, you have to be a bit more careful with the smaller guard, but when using it normally, this shouldn't be an issue.

I actually like how it's looking, it's getting a lot of light scratches from normal use. I still might stonewash it, but I'll give it a while first.

[RadioactiveSpyder]

Very nice mod, I like it a lot! Did you take the blade off to grind the nub off, and what did you use to do it? It makes it look even more like a Slysz Bowie!

It certainly does pick up light scratches, and the clip on mine has worn its little groove into the handle, but that's to be expected if you actually use it for it's intended purpose. It also literally sucks the oil right off your fingertips onto itself! Saying it's a fingerprint magnet is an understatement. I'd love to see someone stonewash theirs to see the result. I really love the finish on the stonewashed Taichung Spydies (Domino, Dice, Slysz Bowie) since they're already so nicely scratched up! Cheers, Radioactive :)

[RadioactiveSpyder]

Hi Gbelleh,

Thanx for the great review and pics.

sal

HUGE thanks and cheers to you Sal for hooking us up with such a fantastic knife maker (yet again!!) with Mike Read and his PITS folder, it's really a fantastic design as Gino has so eloquently pointed out in this thread. It truly is worthy of being crowned the Emperor of the Spyderco Slipits! Please keep these absolutely awesome string of recent offerings with these great makers going strong! All the best, Radioactive :)

[gbelleh]

No, I left the blade in for the mod. I just marked the area to remove with a sharpie, and slowly and carefully ground it off with a Dremel drum attachment. It was pretty easy.

[mekidear]

There are a few pics of them tumbled over on British Blades.

Here is one of them - not my picture but I am sure he wont mind. http://ianatkinson.net/files/bbsales/IMG_2306_ed.jpg" target="_blank

I have been waiting for someone to grind down the finger guard - you will loose a little protection but its no big deal. We did sketch some designs with it like that but decided to keep it as is for the extra protection and to retain a little of the character of the original knife. And you can grind it off, but you cant grind it on :)

Mike

[Jazz]

Wow, that even makes the whole knife look better too. Nice job. Hey, do you find it still easy to open with the hole partly covered by the scale? If I buy one it'll probably be ground down like this...







...because it usually bugs me when they're obscured. And, do you find it heavy?

[gbelleh]

The partially covered hole is not a problem for me at all. But you could contour the scale if it bothers you.

As far as weight, it's 3.4 oz. the same as an FRN Stretch or FRN Endura 4. The skeletonized titanium really helps keep it light. It actually seems lighter than it should be to me.

[Jazz]

Thanks. :cool:

[bh49]

Thank you for review and sharing the pictures. It is very attractive knife, but absence of the lock is a big disadvantage for me. Still if one day i will find an extra $200 may be I will get it.

[RadioactiveSpyder]

There are a few pics of them tumbled over on British Blades.

Here is one of them - not my picture but I am sure he wont mind. http://ianatkinson.net/files/bbsales/IMG_2306_ed.jpg" target="_blank

I have been waiting for someone to grind down the finger guard - you will loose a little protection but its no big deal. We did sketch some designs with it like that but decided to keep it as is for the extra protection and to retain a little of the character of the original knife. And you can grind it off, but you cant grind it on :)

Mike

Thanks for the great insights and link to that beautiful pic, Mr. Read, and you've earned a new loyal following this side of the pond! The PITS folder is just beautiful and a perfect example of what a 21st century Slipit should look and operate like. I'm sure I speak for many here when I say a big cheers to you for collaborating with Sal and co. to make this possible. Best, Radioactive :)

[mekidear]

Much appreciated thankyou Mr Radioactive. It wouldn't have happened but for the support over on British Blades and the trust of Sal and Co.

[PSquared]

This thread needed to get back on page 1 - I picked up my PITS from customs yesterday and have to say that it is a magnificent piece of cutlery.

I have been looking forward to this knife since it was announced and my first impressions are very, very good. It's a bit bigger than I anticipated (think Sage 2 size both open and closed) but the ergos work very well for me and it is incredibly comfortable in hand. I like the lack of jimping and the flow of the handle. The belly is more defined that I usually need but it can work for me. "Lock up" is good (think a bit stiffer than a SAK and that suits for the larger blade).

Photo not nearly as good as gbelleh's photos but I'm working from home this morning and the PITS did some quick work in the kitchen on ingredients for an omelette.



I intend to carry this around for a few days at least before making any definite conclusions but this has the potential to make a regular appearance in my office knife rotation.

[RamZar]

I must say the PITS looks great while it has the best slip joint I've encountered. With the thumb just right on the spine it won't budge!

Does anyone know which Maniago, Italy knifemaker makes the PITS? I'm thinking Fox or Viper...

[Joris Mo]

Gorgeous blade! Feels great as well, I handled it last year at the Amsterdam meet and have been having a hard time trying to get it off my mind.
Maybe I should start planning a trip to the UK so I have a better excuse.. :D
Just think it's a shame the edge doesn't go a bit 'further', I like to carve and use the first part of a blade quite a bit but the edge seems to be set quite far away from the handle.

[J D Wijbenga]

Does anyone know which Maniago, Italy knifemaker makes the PITS? I'm thinking Fox or Viper...

I think they are made by Lion Steel

[- SpyderMan -]

I'm really liking the looks of this knife! :cool: