AG Russell Skorpion
AG Russell is an unusual fellow in the knife world. He makes knives, sure. He also has a website where he sells knives, his own and those made by others. Finally, he sells used knives through Cutting Edge.com. All of these grow out of his catalog business and show a willingness to invest and embrace new technology, an impressive trait for a company as well-established as AG Russell's.
As a knife maker, I think AG Russell is a bit underrated. Part of this has to do with his style. He has a distinctive, non-tactical style as seen in his many traditional blades, those with Amber Stag handles and nail knick openers. But he does other blades as well and I think quite a few of them look very appealing. The Acies2 is a knife I am trying, desperately, to get my hands on. I want to review that knife for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which is to complete a trio of Ti framelocks for a Shootout (the small Sebenza and the Alias II are the other two blades). His Button Lock looks likes a winner, melding the convenience of a modern folder with the materials of a traditional one. But it is the Skorpion that really attracted my attention. This will be the first AG Russell knife I review.
Even non-enthusiast press has latched on to just how groundbreaking this knife could be. Here is the product page. Here is an image of the knife from AG's site:
The big deal, for me, at least, is the knife's numbers. This is a metal handled 3" folder with a clip that weighs less than 2 ounces (1.8 ounces to be exact). AG has always had an eye for good ratios, take a look at his FeatherLite knives, but the Skorpion raises the ante significantly.
This is a framelock. It uses a thumb oval opener. It comes with a choice of pocket clips (deep carry or normal). Finally, the blade:handle is a stunning .80, just shy of the record Al Mar Hawk (which had a blade:handle of .82). This is a lot of blade for the size. It is also a lot of knife for the money, as this knife will come in at $65. The steel is the Chinese 8Cr13MoV which is not my favorite, but given all of the other things this knife has going for it, I am willing to overlook the steel choice. Keep an eye out for the Skorpion review. It will be up as soon as I can get one and test it out. I am very excited.
NOTE: After corresponding with Mr. Russell, who is super nice, he wants me to make sure everyone knows that there has been a production delay for the Skorpion. This happens when you are pushing the envelope. And remember what the wise Shigeru Miyamoto said: "a late knife is late only until it ships, a bad knife is bad forever. " Well, okay, so he was talking about video games, but it works for knives as well. Looks like the knife may ship in May some time.
As a knife maker, I think AG Russell is a bit underrated. Part of this has to do with his style. He has a distinctive, non-tactical style as seen in his many traditional blades, those with Amber Stag handles and nail knick openers. But he does other blades as well and I think quite a few of them look very appealing. The Acies2 is a knife I am trying, desperately, to get my hands on. I want to review that knife for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which is to complete a trio of Ti framelocks for a Shootout (the small Sebenza and the Alias II are the other two blades). His Button Lock looks likes a winner, melding the convenience of a modern folder with the materials of a traditional one. But it is the Skorpion that really attracted my attention. This will be the first AG Russell knife I review.
Even non-enthusiast press has latched on to just how groundbreaking this knife could be. Here is the product page. Here is an image of the knife from AG's site:
The big deal, for me, at least, is the knife's numbers. This is a metal handled 3" folder with a clip that weighs less than 2 ounces (1.8 ounces to be exact). AG has always had an eye for good ratios, take a look at his FeatherLite knives, but the Skorpion raises the ante significantly.
This is a framelock. It uses a thumb oval opener. It comes with a choice of pocket clips (deep carry or normal). Finally, the blade:handle is a stunning .80, just shy of the record Al Mar Hawk (which had a blade:handle of .82). This is a lot of blade for the size. It is also a lot of knife for the money, as this knife will come in at $65. The steel is the Chinese 8Cr13MoV which is not my favorite, but given all of the other things this knife has going for it, I am willing to overlook the steel choice. Keep an eye out for the Skorpion review. It will be up as soon as I can get one and test it out. I am very excited.
NOTE: After corresponding with Mr. Russell, who is super nice, he wants me to make sure everyone knows that there has been a production delay for the Skorpion. This happens when you are pushing the envelope. And remember what the wise Shigeru Miyamoto said: "a late knife is late only until it ships, a bad knife is bad forever. " Well, okay, so he was talking about video games, but it works for knives as well. Looks like the knife may ship in May some time.