Carried it while doing some chores around the house, then took it out to some woods and cut up some wood shavings etc. for a fire.
Here are my first impressions.
Right away I noticed it felt lighter than the G10 version. I weighed mine and got 4.4oz for the LW and 4.9oz for the G10.
Not a huge difference, but 4.5oz is about as heavy as I like for an EDC. Heavier than that and I find I reach for the knife less. So this should see more carry time than the G10 version.
Compared to the G10 model again, the feel in the hand is much better in my opinion.
I've always liked the roomy, neutral handle on this model. It feels just right for my hand size.
Here it is next to my Yojumbo. I've carried it every day since I got it. Both are these knives feel like the perfect size for me.
The FRN version, as expected, has more rounded edges and superior contouring around the lock release area, making it even more ergonomic:
I had briefly considered the idea of putting the G10 scales on this knife and keeping everything else the same, but after handling the FRN scales I changed my mind immediately. These feel really, really good.
Lock-up is secure with no play, just like my G10 example. The lock-up is about 50%, which is later than my G10:
The action initially felt pretty rough.
Seems like there's a lot of silicone grease in the pivot. Looked like a set of plastic washers at first glance.
It's gotten better cycling the action and using the knife throughout the day, but out of the box it was not nearly as smooth as the G10 model.
This is expected to a degree when compared coated vs uncoated blades, but it felt like the difference was larger than that alone would account for. I have not played with the pivot yet, so maybe it'll feel better after adjustment.
Centering is good.
One issue I've run into is like the Police 4 the clip snags a bit when set to tip up:
I've been carrying the Yojumbo the last 3 weeks and even with the extra coarse G10 it doesn't snag on my pocket as much.
Not a huge deal, but I wish they'd extend the smooth part of the scales further down the handle on these large FRN models.
Out of box sharpness was ok. Scrape shaving sharp on the PE part with a pretty polished apex. Not very grabby when slicing plastic tubing and cardboard. The serrated part came very sharp, sharper than the PE. Between the high initial sharpness and the very acute geometry the SE portion glides through anything I've cut.
The edge is a little uneven, both with respect to each side of the PE portion, and how even the bevels are ground on a given side. Not a big deal as I'll reprofile it this weekend anyways, but not the best edge I've seen even compared to Cara Cara's.
I sliced up some cardboard, plastic tubing, shrink wrap, carved wood, and some other odd jobs throughout the day.
The knife carries well and cuts efficiently. That half ounce weight loss makes a big difference for me at least, and the more rounded scales feel much nicer in my hand.
I think combo edge will work well with the blade length. There are enough serrations to bite into any material, and a sweeping PE belly that'll do all the food prep and fine slicing I need. Only question is which degree of polish to give each part of the edge?
I see this becoming a regular part of my rotation. I liked the original Resilience, but it's heavier and a little less comfortable in my hand. I also like the option of teeth. Hopefully someday down the road, the SE version can be reconsidered.
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