Hey everyone David C Andersen here coming at you from the KnifeCenter and
it's time to take a look at some of the best new knives to hit our shelves in
February of 2020 from EDC pocket knives to tactical fixed plates let's check
them out
so it's a really competitive time of the year as we're heavy with new
product releases right now a lot of the new model year stuff that was introduced
at SHOT Show is making its way out to dealers now and several of my favorites
from SHOT Show came to us this month the first is the LionSteel Thrill it's a
slip joint but it's unlike any other slip joint out there right now because
it's an integral meaning that the handle and the back spring are all a single
piece of metal it makes for stronger construction but it's certainly more
expensive to produce than a knife that's created with two different sides that
said these aren't unreasonably priced in the realm of premium slip joints now the
aluminum versions come in at about 120 bucks but the titanium does reach a bit
higher and that comes in at about $200 now the blade steel is M390 with the
drop point blade just under three inches long which makes this a pretty high
performance knife but it's short enough that it's not really gonna raise too
many eyebrows and certainly some of the really brighter colors available on the
aluminum handle versions help with that a little bit too and the action is nice
and snappy this is definitely a satisfying knife to operate and for
those of you who love a good operating slip-joint this knife really does the
trick but the other party trick that this
knife has as if the integral mechanism wasn't enough is their HWAY-L pocket
clip which is spring-loaded to pull flush into the handle when you're using
the knife but then it keeps it handy in your pocket so you don't have to fish
around to find it like a lot of old-school slip joints next is the
Kershaw Lucha which is raising the bar in the mid range butterfly knife
category this is a superbly made knife that doesn't have to make any excuses as
to how it flips this is a knife that you're not gonna outgrow it's action
won't hold you back as you get better at flipping that's partly down to the KVT
bearings they use in the pivots on this knife which helps to keep friction to a
minimum as you're moving the knife but it's also down to the solid and
balanced materials that they use throughout the handles are stainless
steel and they keep the weight down by milling out what they don't need and
that adds a little bit of traction in the process too and the blade itself is
really well executed we've got a nice clip point shape using Sandvik's 14C28N
steel with a full flat grind which means that if you're gonna actually use
your bali for cutting tasks - it's gonna work quite well now the Lucha is
not the cheapest balisong you can get it does sit at about $120
right now but it's an absolute bargain for what you're getting the
materials are great it's gonna grow with you as you learn and it's certainly a
lot less expensive than the other top flippers out there
now this next knife has quickly vaulted to be one of my top recommendations for
a survival or tactical knife under $50 it's the Cold Steel SRK Compact priced
just over $45 this knife has a carbon steel SK5 blade five inches long with a
clip point and a sturdy mid height flat grind a great shape for hard use without
being unwieldy now the handle is checkered Kray-Ex over
a full tang with a nice finger guard for good protection but it's still small
enough to mostly stay out of the way and while I tend to prefer a non rubberized
handle this certainly is gonna help you maintain a rock-solid grip and it's
something I'm willing to overlook on a knife that is just such a solid value as
the SRK-C the sheath is even a really good proposition not an afterthought but
actually well thought out - got a nylon belt loop attached to Secure-EX synthetic
and the knife clicks into place with extra security from the snap loop around
the handle and the hole spacings on the sheath should even be tech lock
compatible for even more carry options how about another solid survival knife
or knives actually I've got here a new version of the ESEE-6 representing the
whole core lineup from the brand the 3, 4, 5, and 6 that are now
available with 3D machined handles contoured perfectly for more comfort and
security than the old flat handles they're still made in the USA and still
come with ESEE's famous lifetime warranty and you can get them with more colorful
G10 s and other blade coatings but I'm partial to this more subtle one right
here I've got a black coating on the 1095
carbon steel with a natural micarta handle the up charge over the flat
handled models which are still available is even very reasonable this ESEE-6 in my
hands right now comes in at about $154, less than ten
bucks more than the cheapest 6 on our site right now with this new upgrade I
think these are definitely one of the go-to recommendations for a hard use
American-made survival knife that aren't gonna break the bank alright let's get
back to folders and I'm gonna start with a high-value one from CIVIVI this is
the Chronic flipper a cool new gentleman's pocket knife or office EDC
for under fifty bucks you can get it in this blue G10 that I have here or a
selection of other colors are available to the clip is deep carry and reversible
for both left and right carry which keeps the knife nice and out of the way
until you need it and the blade itself hides almost completely in the handle
when closed giving this knife a nice clean look with only the flipper tab
really sticking out fires out cleanly thanks to a ball bearing pivot and the
hollow ground clip point profile is ready to get cutting the steel is 9Cr18MoV
which is a step-up in edge retention from the more common 8Cr13MoV
that you see all over the place these days although a stainless Damascus
blade is also available as an upgrade and that version comes with a g10 and
carbon fiber laminate for the handle as opposed to the standard g10 if you want
a fancier version and this next knife is on the opposite end of the spectrum from
the Chronic this is a dramatic return to form for Zero Tolerance knives this is
ZT0308 heralds the relaunch of the 300 series which put them on the map
poetically coming in at 300 bucks we've got big beefy construction with this
knife made right here in America with the handles a combination of g10 on the
front and titanium on the back and both have been contoured and milled with a
subtle and attractive pattern that gives you a good amount of grip when you're
using the blade that blade is about a three and three-quarter inch drop point
and has a bit of a harpoon tip and it uses CPM-20CV steel for world class
performance the magic is in the pivot though we've got a really cool look with
a handle pass through and KVT ball bearings ensure that it flips as good as
it looks and the pivot hardware itself is a solid quarter inch thick and can be
adjusted with a standard half inch wrench rather than a Torx bit makes
me think this would be a good if not cheap knife at the worksite or anywhere
that tough jobs need to get done next is the new version of the Benchmade
Presidio - a knife with just about as much blade length as the ZT but with a
narrower profile overall it's cheaper - coming in at just over 130 bucks and it
uses S30V blade steel and a versatile drop point shape and the action on this
knife is fast and smooth with Benchmade's AXIS lock in fact out of the box this
is one of the smoothest access mechanisms I've ever felt the weight
of the blade helps out here a bit but flicking the blade in and out on this
knife is really addictive now the new handle material used on this knife is
called CF Elite which uses carbon fiber to reinforce the nylon material making
it strong and light and lets them equip this knife with a fairly thick grip
you've got a very hand filling profile without weighing things down too much it
makes this a workhorse that's ready to get down and dirty and in terms of the
hierarchy of the Benchmade brand it makes a nice step up from the base
models of the Benchmade Griptilian now the biggest surprise for me this month
is how much I liked one of the new Boker releases the Gulo Pro price just under a
hundred bucks some out there have complained that the materials aren't
quite up to the price tag we've got steel handles and a D2 blade but as soon
as I held one and started operating it I was impressed by the premium feel and
impressive action thanks to the ball bearing pivot even though this is a
thumb stud folder there's no flipper here this really is a knife that feels
more special than anything else out there I can think of for the same money
it even feels nicer than some of the high-end Chinese imports that cost up to
200 bucks granted you'll be getting quote-unquote better materials there but
you won't exceed the fit and finish and tight tolerances that you can find with
the Gulo Pro but if you want that higher-end stuff my favorite premium
flipper this month is the Bestech Kamoza this knife offers a fresh take
on the kwaiken style with a broad and dramatic upswept tanto with a large
front bevel that mirrors and inverts the shape of the handle it reminds me of a
wing in flight and it's very very graceful in hand the materials are up to
par with the design and its price which starts around $250 for some versions and
go up to about $270 this gold anodized titanium version
blade steel is M390 with a hand rubbed style horizontal satin finish and behind
the flipper tab is a set of ceramic bearings in the pivots that makes
deployment a snap with a unique shape like this if you've been looking for
something different in the sea of titanium frame lock flipper is out there
the Kamoza would be a great choice so that's the selection of my favorite
stuff that I've seen in the last month but what were your favorites have you
been watching our new items videos if so you've seen a lot more than just this
make sure to let us know in the comments your favorite things from February of
2020 in the meantime if you want to get your hands on any of these we'll leave
links in the description below to take you over to KnifeCenter.com and I'll
say it again make sure you signed up for a knifeRewards program so that you can
earn some money towards buying some future knives I'm
David C Andersen from the KnifeCenter signing off see you next time