Now I’m pretty late to the game on the TRM Atom seen here.
I think noted game streamer bro Nick Shabazz, and Cedric from Cedric and Ada fame have propelled
the Atom into the EDCIG Pocket dump stratosphere.
It’s a hot item all the knife bro basics now want, and I’ll say it’s for pretty
good reason.
Because an influencer said so.
And also, it’s a good knife.
Me on the other hand, I can’t even call it the right knife.
A follower on Instagram sold it to me a few months ago and I’ve repeatedly called it
the Neutron, because I don’t treat this hobby with the respect it deserves.
The big difference is, and I did 2 minutes of research so I hopefully would remember
this time.
Let’s do a mental trick, to help us remember… the Neutron is the smaller knife, because
it’s just part of the Atom.
Get it? science can be fun!
(Guy from off camera “Science is bullshit”) The Atom is a winning combination of high
end blade steel, large neutral grip area… mmmm, fun to collect scales, light as a neutron
dare I say (we have fun), largish blade, Made in USA, and everyone’s favorite, a liner
lock!
Yay!
We still think liner locks are the best right?
Now you might be wondering why I didn’t get in on it, when all the other reviewers
were riding that hype train.
I’m kinda G10ed over liner-ed out.
Since it’s Youtube I’m not required by law to have a better reason other than my
mood which tracks between whimsy and outrage.
But before we go any further let’s look at the best blue lines and numbers final cut
pro 7 can generate.
Like the overall length and weight.
Or Final Cut Pro 7, the reason I can’t update my OS past Sierra.
Blade size and cutting edge.
This seems like a good time to talk about editing software and operating system compatibility.
Handle Size and grip area.
I mean if we can all agree on one thing it’s that Macintosh computers are the best.
Spine thickness and handle thickness.
And that IPAs are the best beer.
And the Tallnesses.
And that we should all wear masks though.
In fact let me just go down and check in the comments to just confirm everyone is agreeing
with me.
Like I think- oh God.
Whether it’s explicitly said or not the Atom is going after the Para Military 2 crowd.
Science vs shooting.
Maybe it isn’t the greatest example- I get the Spyderco has a few more similar looking
knives.
Hey bro have you tried the Native, or shaman, or Manix.
Tweaking that finger groove and or choil was a real game changer.
Ok, I borrowed and reviewed the Manix 2 years ago, and figured I was good.
While It’s more nuanced than that, I get the PM2 is the least visually similar of all
those mentioned, but that’s the closest I have.
One day I’ll make a video of knives I’m aware of but have no interest and here’s
why.
Anyway I digress
TRM’s just asking you to skip the regularly scheduled DLT Trading sprint run this month,
and try this knife instead.
I know you need an 8th variation of flat single color G10 over liners and a different satin
finished steel that will never cut a single thing.
And on paper and in practice the Atom manages to slim down and lighten up it’s relative
size to Spydercos most prolific knife.
But the important thing is, do those things mean much to an every day carry social media
artist like yourself?
Now to me those things don’t.
But let me explain why, while everyone is still fighting about the dimension segment.
Let’s start with the blade.
The TRM has a longer cutting edge by about 2 10th’s of an inch over the PM2.
The blade is made from crucible 20CV steel, known for it’s long wearing edge, and the
blade has a flat ground drop point style in a stonewashed finish.
The Atom is thinner behind the edge and has thinner blade stock by a decent amount than
the PM2, which should translate into a slicier blade for I guess nice shots of you slicing
tomatoes.
Thinner edges in theory are less durable to harder use because their is less material
behind the edge.
The PM2 up front has more finger protection when choking up than the large choil on the
TRM which goes right into the edge.
I found when cutting between the two the atom was a little better at slicing vegetables.
The edge was factory when it got to me with a little light use, and I stropped it up a
bit.
Don’t shoot me, but I wasn’t blown away but the cutting power.
I feel like I get a similar result from my Spyderco Carribean.
I shot the cutting out of order.
The apple and tomato cutting was kind of the first cutting I did… then I cut up the cardboard,
with some stopping here and there- then put it on my sharp maker because it still was
just ok.
I’m not a sharpening shaving porn knife guy, I generally put good working edges on
my knives because they’re general use blades.
I won’t be splitting hairs or trying for paper thin cuts on vegetables because none
of that has a practical application for me.
Sorry I’m sensing a blowback here from the you’re using your pocket knife wrong crowd.
Lockup and deployment.
I know I sound like an a-hole when I say this, but the Atom just isn’t as fidgety as a
PM2.
I mean don’t get me wrong there are some sweet ass titanium thumb studs, that blow
standard steel studs out of the water.
That said liner locks are functional but not as exciting when compared to the easy flipping
of a well broken in compression lock.
Compression locks are a patented spyderco thing, so it’s not like the Atom could use
one.
You have to dig your finger in that area to deploy, and not just flick the spyderco.
I mean it’s not bad at all, just not hard flicking pechow.
The compression lock also keeps your fingers out of the way when closing too, because to
it’s design.
And to close just flick back.
There isn’t much of a speed advantage, and in the scheme of things who really cares.
Detent is ok, slightly weaker than the PM2, it is possible to fling it open.
The handle.
The handle on both is G10 over liners.
TRM has a whole separate side hustle of making scales to put on this knife.
Don’t like the jade G10, buy blue G10 really spice things up.
Maybe even a red if you’re feeling naughty.
So many people make them for the Para Military 2, too.
There’s just a lot of G10 and micarta and carbon fiber for both, so it’s really an
exciting time to be alive.
The sky’s the limit, and I really mean this knock yourself out.
The handle on the Para Military kind is restricting to much larger and more tactical hands than
myself, but it’s really fine for a lot of people even with people who have no problem
in the hand department.
The TRM is more neutral-er, and thinner in the hand.
The grip goes all the way from the edge to the ass of the knife.
It just doesn’t quit.
The liners on the TRM save wait over steel by being titanium.
One of the things that must be noted is that it’s thin, and the handle is bendable.
As in if you just hold and bend like this, you can fix blade centering or make it worse.
You can sort of do it on the PM2 too, but it take a lot more force.
Someone had mentioned to me in DMs when they notice my centering was off that I could take
off the scales and bend it.
Well I fixed it without doing this.
The liners are nested and not skeletonized.
Skeletonized liners can become goo traps.
So I guess the spyderco loses that one.
Bring the Atom along if you’re gonna swirl it in a bucket of fish guts.
Pocket clip is deep carry and titanium.
No complaints on it being nice and snappy, with a great tension.
Slides in the pants very nicely until you want to remove it from your pants.
Comparisons.
First the TRM Atom.
This retails for about $200.
You get a lighter knife, with a better steel than the PM2 here, and titanium parts that
are more expensive than the Spyderco.
Does it make a knife better.
It’s thinness and lightness are depfinfelty quantifiable.
Is the 4 ounces of the PM2 a huge disadvantage to you over the 3 ounce Atom?
Maybe the thinness in the hand and the less defined more neutral grip is better for you.
These are all subjective to the user and I prefer the looks and the locking system of
the PM2 to the Neutron.
I could buy a deep carry pocket clip too… but again I haven’t so it’s not that important
to me either.
Also the PM2 seen here is about $50 cheaper and easy to buy.
Now the Cold steel broken skull, only about 4 grams heavier Than the atom, because it’s
linerless.
Got a longer cutting edge to.
The Broken skull has one of the best weight to blade length ratio out there.
Lighter than the PM2 as well, and a good steel.
Locking system is a little clunky vs the PM2 and the Atom, but with a bit of pivot adjustment
and some flicks it’s doable to open and close with one hand.
It’s about $90, and has the thinnest handle of the three.
Now the Civivi Asticus Nice hollow grind, pretty sharp and an nice big grip.
It has a cheap steel, and cost about $60.
Nice G10 scales with skeletonize liners that are goo traps for fish guts Friday.
Wrapping it up.
TRM makes these and they sell out fast.
It’s a very good knife that does a lot of things well.
It slices well and stops up very easily.
All the knives shown here do things better than the TRM depending on what you’re looking
for.
The TRM does some stuff better than all of them too.
I prefer the broken skull and Para Military 2, they’re both a bit more affordable and
easy to get.
The TRM has a pretty big fan base now, and it’s great those people found something
to latch on to that they like as the world burns.
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