Bladekeeper wrote:Looked at this aesthetically not keen it could've been great with better more elaborate scales.
I find myself being drawn to the Szabo recently it was a toss up between that and the Butch Vallotton initially .
But since then I keep going back but its like $300 here and idk people have commented the scales are too thin .
I've seen some lighting strike CF on a des horn custom thicker cf works much better .
But congrats on your prize D and nice ink btw
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I'm a bit torn on the elaborate scales thing. It would look 100% better with carbon fiber scales or something flashier, since the design is anything but conservative. But, I do appreciate the thinness of the scales because that's sort of the point, big knife that carries very easily just like the original Police. Ergonomics wise, I'm sure thicker scales would make it fill the hand more, but honestly the more I hold this knife the more the ergonomics win me over. The scales have a really generous bevel around the edge which gives it a rounded feeling despite being so thin overall. The only thing I really notice that stands out in the grip is the clip...which makes me feel like this knife would be a great candidate for sheath carry if you're the type who doesn't mind a sheath on your belt.
I'm also really impressed with the design of the blade. It's a lot more than a "pretty face". It would be easy to throw a recurve edge on any blade and call it versatile, but when you start looking at things like the blade angle, and how the angle works along with the lines of the recurve, and then you see how attention was paid towards centering the point up with the pivot, and the fact that if you hold the handle even with the horizon, the blade is oriented in such a way that you have a nice belly at the front of the blade that makes cutting board style cuts very easy. At the same time, the point is low enough that you don't have to raise the handle way up in order to make a cut with the tip like you would an exacto knife.
I've also come to the conclusion that this Ulize has come with the sharpest factory edge I've ever experienced. It has officially trumped my ZDP Caly 3, which to me is a big deal. This edge rivals the best edges that I've put on myself. It will easily fillet hair, push cut phone book paper, tree top arm hair, you name it. Looking at the bevel, there's a weird machined looking texture to it which really makes me curious about how they cut the bevel on these knives, since they're almost perfectly the same width the length of the blade and on both sides. Whichever factory in Seki did these knives really has it down to a science...I'm super impressed with the overall grind and sharpening of this blade, it is flawless.
As far as fit and finish goes, the only thing I've been able to nit pick and find is something that is pretty much unavoidable with back locks so it's pretty trivial...which is how the lock bar doesn't sit flush with the scales in open position. This of course is due to the amount of wear adjustment that the lock is given to the tang, so over time with wear it will sit more flush with everything else, and it does sit pretty flush when the blade is closed. I will say though, the lines of the back spring and liners are nowhere near as perfect and clean as my Native 5...that knife you can't even see where the liners end and the back spring begins except for a slight difference in the color of the steel itself. On the Ulize you can see some lines between the two pretty easily.
Another little detail that I've noticed that I liked, was how the back spring has been cut out on the inside to mirror the shape of the belly on the tip of the blade, to allow the blade to nest closer inside the handle. It's an insignificant detail really, but to me it shows how even the little insignificant things were considered and well thought out. I get the feeling that every effort was made to allow the blade to close as much into the handle as possible in an effort to make the overall knife as narrow as possible in your pocket.
Overall, this is one of those really unique knives that will get overlooked by most people. That's the nature of things that are very unique...they only appeal to people who appreciate uniqueness. It's right in the same group as the Rock Lobster and other knives that don't fit the cookie cutter mold that most knives fit into these days. It has a real form following function feel to it that gives a quirky look and feel, but it's tough to argue how good it feels in my hand. I still haven't used it for anything yet but I plan to put it to use either today or tomorrow at work. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who's considering buying a Police, as I think it will end up being much more versatile in use than the Police, and it shares a lot of the same qualities like cutting edge length and thinness, while also gaining a 4 way clip (which I'm considering switching to tip down carry, just because it's so dang long).
Oh and thanks jeru! Great pic! I'm not sure if my wallet will fit next to a knife in jeans...they fit just fine in my cargo khakies though.
