New Models Dropped: Advocate, Rubicon 2, JM2, Junction (PICS)

[dplafoll]

Saw these today in person. Same as last time; here's a link to an album with all the pics, with a couple below.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/57770516@N06/Qx4399

EDIT: Whoops! I forgot to mention that I saw and handled these at the best place for knives in the Birmingham area, and probably in all of Alabama: Mark's Outdoors in Vestavia Hills. Thanks to Randy and Chris for letting me bug them on a regular basis and letting me fondle all the knives I could want. :D

Untitled by dplafoll, on Flickr

Advocate:
This thing is really nice. I handled it at Blade, but only briefly. The handle texture seems less pronounced than I remember, but it's definitely there. It adds some interesting grip to the handle, and I think I like it. The handle feels good in hand, and there is a cutout for the lock that also acts almost like a scallop. Lock access is improved from the GB/GB2. The blade is really nice; the grind is excellent, and I really like the shape. For some reason it seemed not as wide a blade as I remember, but I have no issues with it. And I especially like M4, so that had my interest from the beginning all by itself. The flipping is pretty good. This is one of those flippers that isn't "so smooth the blade falls down and cuts you" but very snappy to open and still can fall closed. I suspect it may have the same type of bearings+washers as the Mantra given how it felt to me, so here's hoping that's either untrue or much improved. The price is a bit prohibitive but it's definitely more on my radar now than before. Overall a great piece.

Untitled by dplafoll, on Flickr

Untitled by dplafoll, on Flickr

Untitled by dplafoll, on Flickr

Untitled by dplafoll, on Flickr

Rubicon 2:
It's very well-made, the handle feels good, the flipping is still good, the liners are still Ti with the orange backspacer. It really is as if they took the old CF handle scales off of the liners and put these on. I can see how if you liked the original this would be not as good, and I can also see that if you liked the blade shape and overall design but didn't want smooth shiny CF handles and wanted a lower price this could appeal to you. What I don't understand is why they didn't go a bit further with lowering that cost. Surely it could've helped to switch to steel liners to save weight and cost. As it is, it's still $200+ and I think that getting it down to maybe $180 might have been a good idea. Still doesn't appeal to me, as I don't care for the blade shape. But if they had a demand for a less-expensive version that doesn't suck, this should do it.

Untitled by dplafoll, on Flickr

Untitled by dplafoll, on Flickr

Untitled by dplafoll, on Flickr

Disclaimer: I don't have much need or use for fixed blades, and don't carry or use them almost ever. So my thoughts are brief here.

Untitled by dplafoll, on Flickr

Junction:
It feels nice build-wise, but it's also very thin. I can see how for maybe an EDC or light-use FB this would be ok, and perhaps ideal given the weight and space savings, but it's also not as comfortable in the hand as a more traditional handle shape with more palm swell/coke bottling.

Untitled by dplafoll, on Flickr

Jumpmaster 2:
It feels very light for that much blade, and it's fairly comfortable and grippy in the hand. With the pronounced guard and parrot's beak, you're also pretty locked in with no worry about sliding.

Untitled by dplafoll, on Flickr

[abbazaba]

Great post! Thanks for the Advocate GB2 pick!

[SG89]

You even took videos thanks man

[Horizon]

After seeing your video, I went ahead and pre-ordered the Advocate from knifecenter. I'm last in line, but hopefully one comes soon.

[SF Native]

Is the liner lock any easier to access on the rubicon2? That is my one grip about the Rubicon.

[animportant]

I wonder if the Junctions ergos are similar to that of the Wilson SF or Sprig.

Thanks for the pics, I'm most interested in the Junction but I feel like I'd really like to see one in person before buying.

I'm going to look at which Spyderco folder has the same handle thickness as the Junction.

[dplafoll]

Is the liner lock any easier to access on the rubicon2? That is my one grip about the Rubicon.

I'd say it's pretty similar. They have four of the original Rubicons in stock and I doubt they sell all of them super fast so I'll compare directly next time I'm in there. I meant to take a pic with both but forgot. Disclaimer: I've never had any trouble with the liner lock access on the Rubicon or the GB folders; the pad of my thumb gets in there pretty naturally. So someone who did have trouble might have noticed an improvement immediately, whereas I wouldn't.

You even took videos thanks man

You're welcome! I know you can't really get a true feeling of a knife's action from the internet, but videos are certainly better than pics for that.

Great post! Thanks for the Advocate GB2 pick!

Thanks, and you're welcome! I like family shots when I do these. I need to do a pic with all four Peter Carey folders and I need to take a pic with the Junction and Bradley Bowie. I was in a bit of a rush yesterday (hooray work meeting right after lunch) but I'll be back this week.

[animportant]

hooray work meeting right after lunch

Literally the worst. I especially like attending meetings about meetings. /end sarcasm

[dplafoll]

hooray work meeting right after lunch

Literally the worst. I especially like attending meetings about meetings. /end sarcasm

Eh. The meeting itself wasn't bad; took maybe 10 minutes with a great boss. The only thing that sucked was that it was at 2:00PM and limited my lunch timing options. :D

[dj moonbat]

Seems like the two big holes in the Junction's handle would make it easy to fill out the grip with paracord if one were so inclined.

[SpeedHoles]

Nice comparison shot of the Advocate and GB2. I was picturing the Advocate as slightly larger in my head...

Is the Advocate handle thicker than the GB/GB2? Since it is 3d machined with a bit of contour?

[Popsickle]

How is the detention?

[Zen]

:spyder: Jumpmaster 2 :o I think its love on the first sight.

[dplafoll]

Nice comparison shot of the Advocate and GB2. I was picturing the Advocate as slightly larger in my head...

Is the Advocate handle thicker than the GB/GB2? Since it is 3d machined with a bit of contour?

The Advocate is definitely thinner, but I didn't particularly notice that it was contoured. If it was, it didn't grab my attention. I would say that the Advocate is not quite as good ergonomically if you want to do harder use, but I'm not saying the Advocate is worse in the hand in general, if that makes sense. I wouldn't hesitate to carry the Advocate, and I actually have it higher on my to-buy list than the GB now (barring price considerations).

How is the detention?

Rubicon 2: Like the Rubicon; it's a looser detent and pivot with a thick blade so it's snaps open pretty nicely. But when I did the detent drop test (hold in hand with blade unobstructed, thrust knife downward and stop quickly; a stronger detent keeps the blade in but most tend to let the blade loose, usually enough to open it up entirely) the Rubicon and Rubicon 2 both open. It's the same flipper tab as the Rubicon, which isn't awful but I don't care for tabs that rely on jimping so much.
Advocate: Much better detent and flipping action IMO; the detent passes the detent drop test. The flipper tab is pretty good for light-switch and push-button flipping. My only complaint with it is that it's a longer tab, like Hinderer knives. But honestly that's probably the only thing I can point to that might be an objective complaint about the knife in general. It's a bit on the shiny side and that may be a subjective aesthetics-type problem but otherwise I think the Advocate is fantastic.

[SpeedHoles]

Nice comparison shot of the Advocate and GB2. I was picturing the Advocate as slightly larger in my head...

Is the Advocate handle thicker than the GB/GB2? Since it is 3d machined with a bit of contour?

The Advocate is definitely thinner, but I didn't particularly notice that it was contoured. If it was, it didn't grab my attention. I would say that the Advocate is not quite as good ergonomically if you want to do harder use, but I'm not saying the Advocate is worse in the hand in general, if that makes sense. I wouldn't hesitate to carry the Advocate, and I actually have it higher on my to-buy list than the GB now (barring price considerations).

Thanks for the reply.
I thought I recall reading in the description for the Advocate, a mention of 3D machining for handle contour, but maybe I was remembering wrong, or they toned that down alone with losing the bronz'ish coloring...
I was just looking at one on the New Graham site, and almost pulled the trigger, but hesitated a day and they were gone.


Maybe too late to ask, but do you happen to have any photos of the Advocate closed, from the side and from the edge, which you just didn't upload?

[Sharp Guy]

Thanks for the reply.
I thought I recall reading in the description for the Advocate, a mention of 3D machining for handle contour, but maybe I was remembering wrong, or they toned that down alone with losing the bronz'ish coloring...

You're not remembering wrong. The description for the Advocate in the 2016 Mid-Year Product Guide and the description used on the dealer's websites mentions "the handle features radiused, 3-D machined, solid titanium scales...". From the pics I've seen (including top and bottom) the handles don't look very 3-D to me. Maybe it's just very subtle?

[SpeedHoles]

Thanks for the reply.
I thought I recall reading in the description for the Advocate, a mention of 3D machining for handle contour, but maybe I was remembering wrong, or they toned that down alone with losing the bronz'ish coloring...

You're not remembering wrong. The description for the Advocate in the 2016 Mid-Year Product Guide and the description used on the dealer's websites mentions "the handle features radiused, 3-D machined, solid titanium scales...". From the pics I've seen (including top and bottom) the handles don't look very 3-D to me. Maybe it's just very subtle?

Ha, so I'm not nuts! :p

But yeah, that's why I was second guessing, because of the feedback here from dplafoll, and in the photos look quite flat, like a Mantra... maybe the edges are a bit softer and radiused more...?

But why is it about about 55 dollars more than a Mantra that uses the same blade steel, construction, and bearings?

Orange peel texture is really neat, but is it over 30% more neat?

[Sharp Guy]

Ha, so I'm not nuts! :p

But yeah, that's why I was second guessing, because of the feedback here from dplafoll, and in the photos look quite flat, like a Mantra... maybe the edges are a bit softer and radiused more...?

But why is it about about 55 dollars more than a Mantra that uses the same blade steel, construction, and bearings?

Orange peel texture is really neat, but is it over 30% more neat?

I was really wanting the Advocate but from the description I was envisioning more of a contoured handle. I'm really starting to like M4 and I may still end up with one at some point but for now I think I'll enjoy my Mantra, GB1s, and all other great models I have.

[RadioactiveSpyder]

I keep seeing references to proto pics of the Advocate scales showing it as bronze. Never seen them, Wouter's pics look like what's out now. What are you guys talking about?

[ThePeacent]

Any other thoughts on the JM2? Waiting for reviews and first impressions on that one.
I had the original Jumpmaster, want more of it. Any resemblances? Comparisons?
Other things to notice or say about this beauty? Thx!

Thanks much and thanks for the pics!