Hey, everyone. David C. Andersen here coming at you from the KnifeCenter, and today we’re
taking a look at the new Steel Will Chatbot: a great new EDC folding knife.
Let’s check it out.
For the initial release, the Chatbot’s gonna
be available in two different handle colors and two different blade finishes. They come
in either black or OD green G10, each with a satin or a black stonewashed blade. That
blade itself is made out of D2, and it’s made with precision with a a really nice thin
edge. Let’s talk a little bit about D2’s reputation
for a minute: Now, it’s a good solid steel, and it’s been finding its way into more
budget-oriented knives lately, which I think is a good thing, because it can hold a good
edge, but it can be slightly more difficult to sharpen than some other steels. But, because
the Chatbot has a nice thin edge, that’s actually going to make it easier to keep sharp,
because you’re having to deal with less material on your stone. We also get a small
sharpening choil at the back that, as the name suggests, actually makes it easier to
keep that knife sharp as well, because there’s not going to be any shoulders behind the edge
that is gonna hit your stone when you try to get all the way back on the heel.
Overall, the drop point profile makes this a very easy knife for me to recommend, because
that shape works well for just about anything. Whether you’re opening boxes or letters,
doing heavier cutting, or even things like food prep or hunting. The point is fine enough
for piercing without giving up too much strength either. We’ve got a flat grind for good
slicing behavior, and a full-length swedge that removes some drag along the spine. Overall
it’s just a great cutter. One more thing to note about that D2 steel is that it is
a semi-stainless steel, so it can patina if you’re not careful. That said, it should
be very easy to keep in tip top shape, but if you are a little more concerned, then you
can always go with that black stonewashed finish, because that blackened finish is essentially
a forced patina already which is gonna help protect the surface of the steel just a little
bit more. As far as deployment, we get a nice strong
flipper, and we actually get bearings in the pivot, which is great to see at this price.
There’s no washers here. On to the handles, as I said we’ve got two different colors
available, and they kind of have this crosshatched pattern that does add a little bit of extra
grip, especially when you’re holding tightly; it feels very comfortable overall. We get
a liner lock to keep the blade secure, and it’s nice and easy to use, and the way they’ve
done these handles and that liner lock makes it clear that they’ve designed the Chatbot
for lightweight carry. The liner on the back side doesn’t take up the full width of the
scale; only just enough width to accomodate the lock, and it extends all the way to the
back. But on the front side, there’s no liner at all, which removes a bit of weight,
and there’s still plenty of strength in that G10 for what you’re gonna need.
It’s also open-backed, so there’s no added weight from a backspacer, and as a plus it’s
easier to keep clean as well. The flipper forms a nice finger guard for your index finger,
and we’ve got a thumb ramp integrated into the handle as well for optimal grip positioning.
As for carry, we’ve got a satin deep-carry pocket clip, and that is reversible for left
or right side carry in a tip up configuration. The clip itself has inset screws as well,
which is a really nice touch. Since they don’t stick up, they’re not going to catch on
your hem and slow things down when you take it in and out of your pocket. And then when
it is in your pocket, the lightweight and slim construction is going to help keep it
out of the way until you need it. It’s really going to carry really easily.
There’s not a lanyard hole on these knives, but if you were looking to do something like
that, if you look at the back there are a couple of posts here that may not have been
designed for it, but it would be a fairly easy place to add your lanyard. Behind those
two posts on this OD green model, you can see we have a black backspacer, and on the
outside where that hardware screws in, we have a satin finished piece that matches the
pivot. But if you’re hoping for a little more color back there, the black version is
the way to go, because we actually get an orange barrel spacer.
Overall, I’m very impressed with these knives. Although it feels light, it doesn’t feel
flimsy, and that edge geometry of this model, I’ve gottta say that really sets it a apart
from some of its competitors. It’s not quite as cheap as some of the knives out there,
but it is still very affordable, and I think the Steel Will Chatbot is gonna make my short
list of inexpensive EDC recommendations. Be sure to let us know what you think of these
knives down in the comments, and to get your hands on one yourself, click the link in the
description below to head over to KnifeCenter.com.
It’s been finding its way into more budget oriented- ...bleeh…
What do you think, good?
You all right buddy? Apparently not.
And when it is your pocket… When it IS your pocket…
Hey, Mister Pocket!
Will you be my pocket?