New Kapara compression lock action is great

[ZrowsN1s]

So I just got my new Kapara in hand today. I can see why it won a best in show award. A very nice knife. Scales look great, red backspacer a nice touch. Unique blade shape, good geometry. I think I'm going to enjoy this knife.

What had concerned me was the opening closing action. This is my second compression lock folder from Taiwan. The action on the first knife I got from there (which will remain nameless) was always disappointing. But my fears were put to rest upon taking this knife out of the box. Flawless open and close action. Just great. My faith has been restored :D

[JonLeBlanc]

That's great to hear, the Kapara is definitely one on my list, of course that might be in five years, but anyway lol...

[Cambertree]

Excellent! Yeah it's a really handsome knife, pretty much flawlessly rendered by the Taichung knifemakers.

My compression lock from the first run is perfect.

If I was to make a minor design suggestion, I'd love to see a future version with a swedged blade, like the Gayle Bradley.

[Lodestar]

Seconded on the CQI version (never handled the original).

Action is very smooth. Highly impressed.

Looks better in person, very nice unique non uniform look to the carbon fiber pattern due to the curvature of the handle.

Drop free without blade play out of the box, if that's your thing.

The compression lock does take noticeably more effort or force than a PM2. Not sure if it is actually harder from a measured force required perspective (feels like it), or if it forces my grip/fingers into a less leveraged or comfortable position. Probably a bit of both. Either way it feels harder to depress (it is less fidget friendly because of this imo, if that is your thing). Dont really care much, perfectly fine in actual use.

Also digging the ergos.

[FullFlatMind]

I just received my Kapara yesterday as well. This is the best action on a compression lock I have seen yet. Super smooth to open and drops shut like butter. The detent is about perfect to me. Very different from my Caribbean.

The scales are gorgeous and the handle is very comfortable. I have only used it for food prep so far. Very sharp out of box as usual. I would have liked some jimping on thumb ramp but there isn't much steel around the Spydie hole so it would be tough to add any grooves.

The weird thing I'm experiencing with this knife is that every time I take it out of the pocket I instinctively go for a flipper tab that isn't there. I haven't carried a flipper in months but the shape of this knife or something is making me automatically think it's a flipper. So strange. I'm not saying this should have been a flipper knife but it feels like it could have been.

[Cambertree]

The weird thing I'm experiencing with this knife is that every time I take it out of the pocket I instinctively go for a flipper tab that isn't there. I haven't carried a flipper in months but the shape of this knife or something is making me automatically think it's a flipper. So strange. I'm not saying this should have been a flipper knife but it feels like it could have been.

Good review and that’s an interesting observation.

From what I remember, I think Alistair previously carried a flipper of his own design, and got sick of how the tab got in the way when cutting food at work on a board. So he designed the Kapara (or the slipjoint predecessor to the Kapara, to be exact).

[DSH007]

I am very impressed with my Kapara as well. Ergos are fantastic.. very well thought out, comfortable in a number of grips, etc. The carbon fiber scales are gorgeous.. they look shiny in some pictures, depending on lighting, but in person, they have more of a matte appearance, which I really like. The blade was very sharp out of the box and the blade shape seems like it will be very useful for a number of EDC tasks. As mentioned by others, the action on my knife was perfect, drop-shut smooth right out of the box. I've never handled the non-CQI'd Kapara, so I don't really know how it compares, but the fit and finish on this version are unimpeachable. Excellent work from the Taichung factory!

As FullFlatMind suggested, I would have liked to have seen some jimping on the thumb ramp as well. That said, I don't think it really needs it.. the ergos are such that the knife can be gripped very securely without it.

Overall, this is a really, really nice knife. Honestly, it's so nice in person, that I don't think pictures even do it justice. I figured I'd like it (hence, why I bought it haha), but I can see this easily becoming an all-time favorite. It's just a great knife all-around.

[ZrowsN1s]

I don't know that it actually needs jimping, but I notice it's not there. And the handle and blade shape do allow some grip choice. In particular I like that you can hold it with your index finger along the spine. Great for precision cutting. Love the deep carry clip, very discrete. Although it makes getting the knife out of your pocket quickly/easily a little more of a challenge. I'll probably give it a lanyard fob, I've been using those more lately anyways.

[Lodestar]

Just a follow up, since a couple of people mentioned it. Jimping was intentionally omitted as a design choice due to this knife being intended to be useable for food prep, so as to not trap things.

[carrot]

Just putting it out there: I have the first Kapara and it’s flawless also.

What a great knife. I hope we see more collabs from Alistair Philips. I’d love a smaller one too.

[Wartstein]

Just putting it out there: I have the first Kapara and it’s flawless also.

I second that. Had the pre-cqi Kapara and it was perfect fit-, finish- and actionwise. Great design.
Still I recall the comp.lock. was a bit "harder", or "trickier" to use, but just due to the general design: Handle very slim, so less surface to pinch, and I think quite small cutout for the locktab.

[mugwump867]

I just got one too and am impressed with the action and overall design as well. It took me a while to figure out why it felt so familiar in the hand -- the design and blade shape remind me of the Centofante 3 & 4 (still kicking myself for trading away my 4 years ago before I understood that knife designs could just go away forever). I realize the Kapara is an original design but it feels like an old favorite upgraded with better materials -- S30V, Carbon Fiber, Compression Lock, wire clip, and that awesome red backspacer. Almost makes me miss the Centofante 4 less...almost.

[Austrofinn]

Mine arrived today. I'd just missed the first run and waited months for the second. So let's just say my expectations were extremely high... But the Kapara did not disappoint! I don't own any custom folders but the fit and finish and overall quality of the Kapara way surpassed everything I've seen so far in production knives. And yes, the action is great! Drop shutty out of the box, no play, perfectly centered, razor sharp even grind, flawless CF scales... close to perfection really.