Szabo Folder

[BAL]

What do you guys think of the new Black Szabo. I am on the fence. I like the "steel"
look of the original blade and the way that the light reflects off of it when you slowly
turn it. I do like the new handle and the overall look is nice, but I am not sold totally.

I like the Szabo quite a bit and the thought of getting another one is tempting though.
Naturally the price jumped quite a bit.

[Michael Janich]

Mechanically, the black Szabo will be the same as the current version. The differences are the handle material and the TICN blade coating.

The "enhanced self-close" feature is my wording to describe the separate mechanism that was developed specifically for this knife to ensure that the blade stays closed when carried in the pocket. It is not "spin"--it is a term intended to distinguish a purpose-designed mechanical feature from an ordinary compression lock detent, which only offers a self-close function in the last few degrees of the blade's arc.

What most people misunderstand about the Szabo--and big folders in general--is that you need to reposition your hand before opening to ensure that you have enough leverage and enough thumb extension to open the blade. Because the handle is longer, when the knife is drawn from tip-up carry your hand is positioned too far from the blade hole to initiate an opening. Because of the weight of the blade and the pressure of the self-close mechanism, you'll actually want to choke up tighter than a smaller folder to give the thumb more leverage.

Until you've had a folder with an inadequate self-close or detent open accidentally in your pocket, you won't appreciate the effort that went into the Szabo's self-close mechanism or the safety it provides. If you want maximum deployment speed out of a Szabo, I recommend tip-down carry and a Spyder-Drop Opening.

I hope this helps.

Stay safe,

Mike

[KBar666]

Mechanically, the black Szabo will be the same as the current version. The differences are the handle material and the TICN blade coating.

The "enhanced self-close" feature is my wording to describe the separate mechanism that was developed specifically for this knife to ensure that the blade stays closed when carried in the pocket. It is not "spin"--it is a term intended to distinguish a purpose-designed mechanical feature from an ordinary compression lock detent, which only offers a self-close function in the last few degrees of the blade's arc.

What most people misunderstand about the Szabo--and big folders in general--is that you need to reposition your hand before opening to ensure that you have enough leverage and enough thumb extension to open the blade. Because the handle is longer, when the knife is drawn from tip-up carry your hand is positioned too far from the blade hole to initiate an opening. Because of the weight of the blade and the pressure of the self-close mechanism, you'll actually want to choke up tighter than a smaller folder to give the thumb more leverage.

Until you've had a folder with an inadequate self-close or detent open accidentally in your pocket, you won't appreciate the effort that went into the Szabo's self-close mechanism or the safety it provides. If you want maximum deployment speed out of a Szabo, I recommend tip-down carry and a Spyder-Drop Opening.

I hope this helps.

Stay safe,

Mike

Thanks.