Gear of the Year 2023
Well, its that time again. As always, I want to highlight as much stuff as possible, so there are two rules. First, I am looking at only new stuff that was released this year. “New” however has as loose a definition as possible. If it came with a new emitter or steel, that’s good enough for me. Second, once something wins in a major category, it can’t win again. This prevents a knife that wins Overall Gear of the Year from repeating as winner of another category.
This year’s GOTY list has undergone a lot of revisions. One reason for that was the late release of a few things, but the other reason was the influence the Gear Gremlin has had on my carry choices. He likes gear and gadgets a lot but has very different tastes than I do. He has brought new stuff to my attention and has reminded me why some old stuff is just really good.
Overall Gear of the Year: Dawson Machine Craft Hoku Clicky
This is the light I have been waiting for for years. A high performance 1xAAA clicky that can tailstand. It doesn’t sound like an onerous list of requirements, but for some reason no one has been able to do it. The Twisty is a great light in is own right, but adding the faster UI makes it that much better. They haven’t been drowning the market, so the Clicky might be hard to find, but Dawson Machine Craft is making them at a steady pace, so a calendar alert and some space bucks is about all it takes. This is a stunningly good EDC torch and I would change nothing. If I could change the rules of physics, I’d make this a dual fuel light, but its hard to hold that against a flashlight maker.
Honorable Mentions: Leatherman Arc, Bridgeport Knives 395, ZT 0545, Indiana Knives EDZ
Best Value: Qvist Bladeworks Invert
There is a trend among reviewers, which I have purposely tried to resist, where they review ever more expensive stuff. As a result, I don’t see a lot of discussion about how best to spend design pennies when making a good inexpensive knife. If your blade’s price tag is four figures, you don’t have to worry. The problem is, even among the hardcore, very few people can afford at four figure knife. I am also pretty committed to the idea that value is the final frontier of good design. Hence regularly reviewing sub-$50 blades. Among those that I saw this year, the Invert was the best. This is pretty much exactly how I’d spend my money if I were designing a budget knife from scratch. Its not as good as the Civivi Lumi, which is still my preferred entry level blade, but it is very, very close.
Honorable Mentions: CMB Hydra, Indiana Knives EDZ
Biggest Surprise: ZT 0545
I had given up hope. After a good run in the late aughts, early teens, I thought ZT was going to take over the world. Then they made one terrible or boring knife after another. Then the Chinese brands started ramping up. And finally, Benchmade released the Bugout and kicked off a new wave of knives that focused on being good cutters and easy to carry. And ZT kept making big glitzy folders for Bros. Aside from the ZT 0470, you have to go back years and years to find a new ZT release that was compelling.
Until now.
The 0545 is just excellent. Its ultrathin design and lightweight frame are decidedly better and more on trend than most if not all of the ZT line up. In many ways, this is the knife the 0707 should have been. I had one in for review. It never got reviewed. It just didn’t seem like it was worth the effort to tell everyone that knife was hot garbage (the blade shape was awful and the knife wasn’t all that compelling). But the 0545 is a knife that fixes all that ailed the 0707 and brings ZT into the modern era of high hardness, thin, and light knives. The Bugout Revolution has finally come to ZT and the results are resplendent. The ZT0545 is almost in the Neutron 2 tier. Only its price tag (which is $92 more than the Neutron 2) keeps it from being an S-Tier knife circa 2023. But an A-Tier knife is something ZT hasn’t flirted with in a long time.
What’s weird about this is that the ZT 0545 had no fanfare whatsoever. It was not shown at SHOT or Blade. And aside from a teaser post on Instagram, there was nothing. Then dealers got them and posted them and I couldn’t resist. I am glad I didn’t, this is a superlative knife. One more good design and it might be time to say that ZT is back.
Honorable Mention: Bridgeport Knife Co. 395 v2
Most Innovative: Bridgeport Knife Co. 395 v2
Okay, so this is not an innovative knife. But 2023 wasn’t a year of great innovation. And this is a very good knife. 2023 was a year of very good iteration not innovation. Both are nice, but there wasn’t a new lock or a new flashlight design that warranted attention. So, really, this is just an excuse to talk about how good the clip is on the 395. And technically it is new because the v1 design had a stamped clip. For years I have been complaining about sculpted clips. And for years, they have stunk. Recently, though, they seemed to turned a corner. Here, with the 395, we see a clip that is sculpted AND better than any stamped clip I have seen. So, not the most innovative thing in the world, but its a great design.
Honorable Mention: None, I was scrapping the bottom of the barrel for one.
Best Thing I Missed Until Now: Prometheus Design Werx SAK Scale Replacement
Don’t be fooled—swapping the scales out on a SAK is easy. Only one thing prevents everyone from being able to do it: you really need a bench vise. Without a bench vise it is virtually impossible to get the pressure high enough and even enough to snap the new scales on. I suppose you could use pliers and be very, very careful, but a bench vise and a old t-shirt make the process 100% easier. And really, one thing I have come to realize thanks to the Gear Gremlin is just how good SAKs actually are. Their weakness, if they have one, is their lack of carry options. A good clip goes a long way. There is no classier or easier what to make a SAK both look awesome and be easier to carry than Prometheus Design Werx replacement scales. For $58 or $59 (fullers cost a dollar) you get one hell of a tool. They only fit 91mm designs and they lack the third scale slot and the needle slot (the Ti versions fix half that), but other than those two drawbacks, you won’t find something better out there. If you are curious, the Compact is the model you should get.
Honorable Mentions: Gear Infusion Everrachet
Best Knife: Indiana Knives EDZ
I had the 395 pencilled in as the overall winner for a good long while. When the Lau Lima Hoku Clicky was announced, I bumped it down to the Biggest Surprise. Then the ZT0545 literally startled everyone. At that point it was a lock for Best Knife. Then my Gear Gremlin and I did a massive cut test and the EDZ handedly beat the 395 in cut tests, so I cheated and dropped the 395 in as Most Innovative. The EDZ also bucks a frustrating trend—loose pivots. Virtually all of the high end knives I have been reviewing recently have had loose pivots to make the action feel snappier. The 395 didn’t, but it wasn’t a flipping god. The EDZ does and it is the flippiest, flashiest knife I have ever used. Its so flippy that it is like an eager puppy wanting to go outside, staring at the door while barking. Nothing flips quite like the EDZ. In a normal year I’d be struggling for three truly great knives. In 2023, it wasn’t a problem.
Honorable Mentions: Bridgeport Knife Co. 395 v2, ZT 0545, Kershaw Mini Skyline,
Best Light: oLight Warrior Nano
If you confine yourself to the world of production lights there wasn’t much to get excited about. They are all way too bright, have short runtimes, lackluster beam patterns, and terrible tints. The oLight Warrior Nano is the least worst of the bunch. It is also probably the best iteration, there is that word again, of the oLight form factor. I really like the tail switch with its half and full press activation. But be clear, this is not a great light. Not with the Hoku Clicky hanging around.
Honorable Mentions: Vosteed x Reylight Rook
Best of the Rest: Leatherman Arc
The Free architecture on a toolbox replacement multitool with Magnacut? Yes, please. The price is staggering for a Leatherman that isn’t a special edition, but at $250 you get a tool that has a blade better than 99% of knives out there. That’s hard to match. I think I am probably going to get one and see how it goes, but I have a TTi already and it is hard to justify owning both. Still, FREE+Magnacut has my attention.
Honorable Mentions: Schon Designs Monoc Nib
Community Member of the Year: Sierra Bound
There are two things about this IG account that make it remarkable—the knives and the editorials. He and I may not agree on everything, but he is one of the few people in the knife community willing to voice an opinion that might be unpopular. In many ways, the enthusiast mindset has taught me that it is not so much what your are interested in, but how you approach it that matters. For me, politics and ideas are the same way. I am not so much set on what people believe, but how they believe it and here, there is no question that Sierra Bound brings things into the open in a good faith, forthright way. We need more of that not just in the gear community, but everywhere else. We can shout at each other over a political issue indefinitely, but that doesn’t solve problems.
Best Youtube Channel: Outdoor Boys
Luke Nichols does outdoor adventures better than Bear Grylls by a landslide. And he does them with kids. He did a video on hot tent camping in the wilderness at -60 degrees. With a little guy. No celebrities, no camera men. Just a Dad and his son. His simple approach to gear is a breath of fresh air. He has never mentioned a model number or steel chemistry. He gives you practical outdoor tips, like how to install a electric fence to repel bears or when to use crampons while climbing down a 4,000 foot frozen scree field. The scenery is breathtaking and having been out west to the wilderness for the first time myself this year, I can better appreciate what I see in his videos. Also—his Dad Jokes are on point. As a lawyer, I am tremendously envious of his decision to get out of the law and move his family to the wilderness. Not so envious that I want to pack it in and go north, but pretty close.
Stuff I Missed/Stuff I am Looking Forward to in 2024:
Tactile Knife Co Archer
Yo…this looks amazing. Will has consistently punched above his weight with stellar designs and amazing execution, but this design, which is a collab with TJ Schwarz looks really good. I am a few releases behind from TKC, but I feel like I might be catching up on that in 2024. Plus all this stuff is American Made.
TRM Comet
If you follow TRM’s IG account you know that I got to handle the very first Comet in person. It is a knife that so strongly reminds me of the luxe feel of the Mnandi that I want one badly. Imagine if the Mnandi came with a flipper, that’s the Comet. But its not a copy, it has nothing in common other than really great fit and finish. That first one felt and flipped like a custom. When they finally hit the market in real numbers, I am anticipating a geyser of praise. They are really, really good.
Schon Designs Monoc Nib
The vast majority of fountain pens have nibs from one of two companies—Jowo or Bock. A few brands make their own, but for the most part every pen you pick up is running one of those two nibs. The Ian Schon, machinist extraordinaire, did something crazy for a company the size of the one he runs—he made his own friggin’ nib. And it looks AMAZING! They are a LITTLE pricey, $425 each, but that polished blue looks insane. Schon Design is rapidly becoming the Koenigsegg of the Pen World.
WinterBladeCo Knives
The Space Bucks account and availability have yet to match up. Once they do, look for a review.
WE Knives Nefarious
Sierra’s Overall Knife of the Year is a big deal for me, given the knives he has had over the years. I have literally no other reason than that to go look for one. But if he says its good, its good.
Anso Knives Aros
Yummmm….goood design, EDC friendly, realistic size. I am in. And this is a knife that is a microproduction, so I feel like I have a realistic chance of getting one. I can’t wait.
Kilobuck Production Knives
Funny enough, I somehow, keep missing these knives. I am talking about the Oz Machine Co, Koenig, and CKF releases. Rockstead could also be lumped in here, but for reasons I may get to when I finally review one, I think their knives ARE different enough to warrant the price. With these other knives, though, I just can’t see it. Let’s assume all these knives are perfect and they flip like a dream here is the reality: 1) they are not special enough to have value long term as a collectible; 2) they are too expensive to be users. Let’s be clear—you can get a high quality full custom with better fit and finish than these knives for less. They are good, don’t get me wrong, but in many ways these blades are like the Shelby Mustang of the knife world—yes they go fast, but at the end of the day you still bought a Mustang and not a Ferrari. Then there is this problem—there are slew of cheaper knives with just as good fit and finish. They make lack the amount of rainbow trash metal decorations, but they are just as well made. When the TRM N2 costs $180 and made in the US, I can’t see paying $1200 for a Roosevelt when I can get my Thys Meade Dino for the same price.
A Billion Different Self-Published Blades
Okay, let me guess—it is overseas made, right? It has M390 blade steel, correct? There are a choice of handle materials including titanium, green micarta, and carbon fiber? Its a limited release that you put a deposit down on right now and then get 26 months later? And I should buy it because your not sure you will make another run like this? Oh, okay. Yawn. I am finished with this business model. Something like the Aros or the 395 seem like better propositions. Why do I have to put down a deposit AND wait? What part of your business model is my problem? I am just not thrilled with this idea. Design stuff, order a proto, show us that, maybe send it out to reviewers, and then sell them when they come in. Brian Nadeau does this and it works. Why can’t everyone else? Sure, it involves some risk, but everything worthwhile does.
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