A. Purvis Progeny MR Review
Designer-produced blades are the new hotness circa 2020. The space that was dominated by midtechs has been cleared for this new way of making and selling knives. The contrast between the two is huge.
Frankly, midtechs were, by in large, garbage. They were neutered versions of custom designs that had neither the panache or the materials that make customs special. It was as if the custom maker saddled up to a copy machine and just churned out a thousand or so blades made by some faceless company and then “finished” by the maker. The opacity of the process made it very hard to distinguish between what was done in the factory and what was done by the maker. Were the locks fitted by the custom maker? Were the edges ground? What was done by whom was never clear. What was clear was the massive profit margins. I, like many people, was guilty of shelling out $400 or $500 for a midtech. They were titanium frame lock flippers that were so basic they seemed like shop prototypes. Of the ones I had or handled, the Graham midtech was the best, but today its not significantly nicer than a $120 Kizer. Fortunately, midtechs have run their course and only the most ardent supporters of the form still make them.
In that space we now get designer-produced blades like the truly phenomenal Sharp by Designs Micro Evo v.2. The knife is designed by the maker, produced by a company of the maker’s choosing, and then sold by the maker. By eliminating the need for broad market support and a collab company, the maker gets to choose exactly what materials they want to offer their knife in without concern from marketing folks that it will be “too expensive” or “too hard to make.” Thanks to Chinese producers like WE, Reate, and Bestech, we get custom designs with high end materials and vastly improved availability. Because the level of fit and finish is so high from these makers, the knives themselves aren’t that far off from the custom originals.
But designer-produced blades have a few drawbacks. They tend to have very little in the way of consistent availability. They are not iterated on and improved like typical production knives. And they are pretty expensive. The Micro Evo was almost $400. Its without question worth the price, but that is still a lot for a production knife. The Adam Purvis (“A. Purvis” on the blade and for marketing purposes) Progeny MR fixes every single one of those problems and delivers a knife to market that is unlike anything else—a value priced designer-produced blade. That alone would warrant a review, but the knife itself is quirky and very good. Let’s get into it.
Here is the product page. The Progeny MR (joke is that the “MR” stands for “More Reasonable”) costs $138. There are three versions: the micarta version seen here, a black G10 version, and an orange G10 version. There is also the full priced Progeny with a slew of variants. It is significantly more money with the price based on the handle materials and whether or not the steel is the base M390 or damasteel. I would happily pay more for better steel, but the regular Progeny is significantly larger than the 3.25 inch blade length found on the MR and that difference made the choice simple. If I were to have a series of t-shirts for the site (no worries…that will not happen) one would certainly say: “Avoid Big Folders.” There is no written review. Here is a video review. Here is my video overview. Finally, here is my review sample (purchased with my own money):
Twitter Review Summary: One of many knives that is making 2020 as good a year for new blades as we have ever seen.
Design: 2
The Progeny MR is a design tour de force with all sorts of ideas and touches that reveal just how good Adam Purvis is at designing knives. From the single steel liner (which, like on the Skyline, saves quite a bit of weight) to the “landing strip” for your finger found on the spine of the handle, every inch and function of the knife is thought out. The big design coup is the handle and blade configuration which places the cutting edge BELOW your knuckles when you hold the knife. This design is just excellent, having seen it before on the Spydiechef (which, not coincidentally, is still my favorite large folder).
Given the thoughtfulness of the design, it should come as no surprise that the performance ratios are good. The blade:handle is .76, which is pretty good and not a ratio often seen on “bigger” knives. The blade:weight is 1.10.
Fit and Finish: 2
This is my first Bestech and I have to say that I am impressed. They are every bit as nice as a WE or Civivi blade and only a smidge below what you find in a Reate.
This isn’t a slight—Reate operates in a space perhaps no other production company does. Think of fit and finish like diving—you get a score for execution and the difficulty of the attempt. Reate consistently pulls of amazing fit and finish regardless of what they are making. CRK, well, let’s just say the Sebenza isn’t a masterwork of intricacy.
Bestech falls into that next rung on the fit and finish scale. This isn’t as challenging as an integral, but what is here is absolutely fantastic—the handles are sculpted nicely, the micarta is perfectly textured, and the metal surfaces are uniformly finished and nicely edged. You won’t think this is a midpriced knife when you handle it.
Grip: 1
Okay, here is a flaw. Its a small one. The rear of the knife comes to a point—that’s not a problem per se, but the point here is a sharp one and it was actually sharp enough to dig into my hand. I had to end up taking a bit off with some light stropping. Now is great. I am okay with a knife needing a bit of out of the box work—pivot tightening, sharpening, that kind of stuff. But handles need to be in a final form when shipped and here mine were a smidge pokey. I do have “lawyer hands” and by that I mean they type on a keyboard and wave around in court to make a living (What? Did you think I meant oily and slimey? I am not that kind of lawyer).
Carry: 2
Adam started out as a custom knife maker then he transitioned in to mods and accessories, including aftermarket clips. With that background he know what makes for a good carry and here, he nailed it. The clip is excellent, more on that later, but its the weight that really makes the MR a dream. With only one full steel scale the MR seems impossibly light for its size and the sculpted handles are great.
Steel: 2
154CM. It is the very bottom of the 2 range, but that’s really not fair as it is a pretty good all around steel. If this is how a maker wants to hit a price point, fine with me. No, its not 10V or REX 45, but then again, I am sure everyone that has a knife with either of those steels would be hard pressed to tell the difference in use.
Blade Shape: 2
I have given up on the taxonomy of blade shapes. Instead, let’s just say this: it is an effective shape.
Grind: 1
My parents recently moved and we helped them unpack. Moving is to knife knuts what skate parks are to skaters. There were so many opportunities to use a knife that I carefully planned my carry each of the four days we went to help. I even laid out the tools for everyone else. The MR was one of my carries but it ended up being used by my wife. About an hour after we started she told me that the blade was dull. That seemed strange so I took a look at when we go home and while it was still sharp enough to cut paper it wasn’t hair popping sharp. After playing around with the blade a bit I realized that it wasn’t that the blade was dull, it was just that the blade wasn’t all that finely ground. The actual cutting bevel is pretty narrow and the blade stock is quite thick. This is exactly the opposite of most of my knives and my wife’s feedback was an indication of the power of thin, high grinds. Compared to the other knife she had used, the TRM Neutron, this thing was like trying to push a cutting board through cardboard. This kind of grind is quite good for something like a fixed blade, where durability trumps slicing, but for a folder, I would strongly prefer something thinner.
Deployment Method: 2
With a heavy blade, a fine pivot, and a good geometry to the flipper tab, the MR flips like a custom. Its action is so good, that the blade can fall closed just by rotating the knife. Its one of the better flippers I have and probably only second to a Nadeau flipper in terms of production blades. Its amazingly good. Note that this puts the lie to the notion that good action can only be found on pricey knives. This is as good as any non-Nadeau Reate and it was $138.
Retention Method: 2
Ah the clip. This is, simply put, the best sculpted clip I have ever used. Adam Purvis started out making full custom knives and then moved into modding and upgrading production knives. One of his best upgrades is his aftermarket clip. And the clip on this knife exhibits all of that expertise in spades. It has virtually no impact on the grip, it is perfectly tensioned, and it looks very nice. Great job here.
Lock: 2
The lock is easy to engage thanks to superior action and easy to disengage thanks to superior design. This is a perfect example of how greatness in one aspect of knife design can impact other aspects of knife design. It is really phenomenal.
Other Considerations
Fidget Factor: Very High
With a wonderful, textured micarta handle and a flipping action that ranks up there with the best in the world, this thing is as fidget friendly as a yo-yo.
Fett Effect: Low
Green micarta wears exceptionally well, as does a bright satin finish, so if you want that battle scarred look, this isn’t your knife.
Value: High
Exclusivity, gracefully smooth flipping action, and a boatload of brilliant design ideas all make the MR a great blade. The price of $138 is nuts, especially with the noted and recent across-the-board price jumps in the knife market. This is now clearly a midpriced blade and a cheaper one at that. In this price scheme, the MR is nothing short of a steal. If you like the look, you won’t find a better blade anywhere for the money. I am still a curmudgeon and think that midpriced knives are blades more than $75, so its not getting a “Very High,” but in the current market, I wouldn’t argue if you thought it was one of the best values out there. Someone still hasn’t explained why high performance lights are getting cheaper and more feature rich, while knives are getting more expensive for the same level of materials and performance.
Overall Score: 18 of 20
This is one of the more interesting knives available for a host of different reasons. But its design and its pricing and its place in the market are all ancillary to this simple fact—this is a good knife. The handle was a bit pokey and the blade is too thick, but neither of those are even close to deal breakers. The startlingly good flipping action, the blade-below-knuckles design, and the superlative pocket clip make the Progeny MR a design tour de force and a joy to slip into the pocket. In fact, it has made reviewing other knives that came in around the same time very difficult.
Competition
Design-wise this knife reminds me a lot of the amazing Spydiechef, with its blade-below-the-knuckles design. The Spydiechef is a better knife, but it is also costs about $100 more than the MR. The Texel (not to be confused with the Bestech Tercel…entirely different knife NOT designed by Adam Purvis), another knife designed by Adam Purvis and produced by Bestech, is very similar to this knife, costs about $52 but sports D2. Personally I like the look and size of this knife better. When you look at the other knives in the price range—the Delica and the S30V Mini Grip—the MR still looks like a viable choice. The Delica is cheaper but has worse steel and none of the luxe touches like the micarta scale or the superior action. This knife is also a half inch longer but not that much heavier. Much of that applies to the MR v. Mini Grip. Astute readers will point out that the FRN Chaparral is a better knife for less money and that is true. The FRN Chap is a truly astounding knife and but for the fetishists that adore the PM2 and Para3, it would be the siren’s song of the Spyderco line up. The problem for the MR is that if you have just $21 more you can get the TRM Neutron, which just happens to be one of the best EDC knives in the world right now. You get a slimmer build, a better steel, a variety of handle scales, and an edge that is two or three times slicier. The “best knife under X” is always a bit arbitrary as the $150 limit would include the MR but exclude the Neutron (by $9). The MR is still a very good knife and losing out to the Neutron is like being the second fastest production car in the world—your still driving a four wheeled rocket. One comparison that would I love to make would be this knife versus the Civivi McKenna. They both have similar shapes, the McKenna is even lighter, and it has a front flipper. I strongly prefer 154CM to D2, but the McKenna is about half the cost of the MR. This is just another indication of how good the Civivi line is right now.
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