Indiana Knives EDZ Review
There are few knives more “on trend” than this one—an overseas made knife with a button lock and Magnacut blade steel. That, right there, is a good start. Throw in a tall slicey blade and some brilliant flipping action and you have the start of a very, very good knife. I believe this is Indiana Knives’ first design, too. But there are some things that made me wander away from it a bit when deciding what to carry everyday. Its one of those “big little knives” with a 3 inch blade and a carry profile of a Cold Steel. It just seems way bigger in the pocket than it actually is. I am also not thrilled with the handle. Its good, but not great. And so it is with a knife from a new designer. But unlike the recently reviewed Big I Designs Ti Pocket Knife, there are few, if any, unforced errors.
Here is the product page. The EDZ costs $235. They are currently out of stock. There are no written reviews, but here is a video review. Finally, here is my review sample (purchased with my own money):
Design: 1
The EDZ is a flowing, curvy design that catches the eye. It many ways it reminds me of a Ferrari 330 P4, with swooping lines and clean drops. And that is a very good thing—few objects are ugly when they are comparable to a late 60s Ferrari. In that regard I like it quite a bit. But the decision to make this a front flipper with jimping around the entire outside of the front end of the knife and the very tall blade makes this knife exceptionally bulky for its blade length. If Spyderco scored design hits with “Little Big” knives like the Techno, this is a swing and miss as a Big Little knife. It feels much bulkier than, say, the PM2, which is a knife I have loved for being big but feeling little. A less tall blade would have fixed this problem, as would a redesigned pivot area. The jimping on the outside really has no place though. It is the primary culprit in making this knife feel way bigger than it actually is. There is just a massive amount of metal swinging around the pivot resulting in a very massive knife for the blade length.
Fit and Finish: 2
Bestech is the OEM for the EDZ and, as I have been saying for a while now, they are among the best in the business. If Reate and CRK is the top tier for production knives then Bestech has got to be only a small step behind those two. I have been repeatedly impressed with how good Besetech’s stuff is and the EDZ, while a simple design, is really, really well done. The clip, for example is both blind and ramped at the back end making for one of the most comfortable clips ont the market. The lock is solid, and the detent is perfect. This is a really well made tool.
Grip: 1
I really like having a knife with some kind of notch, hump, or bird’s beak at the tail end of the blade. Years of using Spyderco’s have trained me to look for such a design. Alas, this knife has nothing at the back end. That, coupled with the slick titanium, makes this knife not as grippy as I would want. I understand it would break up the knife’s clean, curvy aesthetic, but form must follow function.
Carry: 1
A big of a pocket pendulum thanks to the extra beefy pivot, the EDZ doesn’t carry like a knife with a 3” blade. Its pretty bulky. But the knife is nicely made and slips in and out of the pocket thanks to a good clip and a smooth handle.
Steel: 2
This knife comes in either Magnacut or Vanax. You can’t go wrong. This is the first REALLY tall blade I have had on a Magnacut knife and boy does it slice. This knife really did well in the Cutting Olympics the Gear Gremlin and I did just after Christmas. Very few materials slowed it down and only some of the best cutters in the world bested it and even when they did, they didn’t do so consistently. You are going to be hard-pressed to find a knife that is always better than the EDZ at cutting.
Blade Shape: 2
I am not a huge fan of blades without bellies, as they tend to be pretty aggressive. They also tend to look aggressive. And finally, I always feel like I lose where track of the tip of the blade. But here, the blade is pretty useful and thanks to the curves in the handle, not terribly aggressive. The clicking and clacking of the opening mechanism is aggressive as all get out, but the blade doesn’t hurt on that account.
Grind: 2
EDZ knew what the assignment was—make a demon slicer. And he nailed it. Thanks to a thin blade, a hard steel, and a tall blade the cutting edge here is amazing. This knife crushed the competition in our recent “Cutting Olympics” falling behind only a few all time greats. If you like knives, you will love using this blade. The grind is elite.
Deployment Method: 2
If this knife didn’t cut a single thing, but it would still be work owning. It is an excellent fidget toy. Each opening method is a good one, from the thumb hole to the front flipper—they are all good enough to be the only way to open the knife. There are, of course, tradeoffs—the front flipper design here as a lot of bulk around the pivot, but it seems clear that the design here was to make a knife that was fun to open and Indiana Knives 100% succeeded on that account.
Retention Method: 2
This clip is basically identical to the clip on my beloved Small Shamwari, so naturally I am going to like it. The state of the art in sculpted clips is leaps and bounds beyond where it was a few years ago and this is one of best out there.
Lock: 2
If you want an elite level flipper, a button lock is the best way to do it. This knife has kinetic deployment and still rock solid lock up. That’s a sign that things were done right here. I detected not even the smallest bit of up and down or side to side blade play. It snaps into place with alacrity and authority and it stays there.
Other Considerations
Fidget Factor: Peak
Get ready for an addicting experience. This knife is just so fun to play with and hard to put down.
Fett Effect: Very Low
Aluminum and ultra corrosion resistant stainless steel show about as much wear and tear as a rock.
Value: Very High
For a unique design, amazing action, and elite cutting ability, the EDZ at $235 is a stunningly good deal.
Overall Score: 17 of 20
The EDZ is quite good knife, much better than the score would indicate. I really, really like it despite is bulky frame and the wharncliffe blade shape. This is a perfect example of just trying things. My preconceived notions would have warned me away from this knife, but having used and carried the EDZ I can say definitively that this is one of the better midsized EDC knives out there, despite scoring only a 17. Try it, you’ll like it.
Competition
There are a lot of good knives in this size and price range. Here is my price bracket breakdown. I think this knife is behind the TRM N2 and a smidge behind the Bridgeport Knife Co. 395. I also think that the knife is not better than something like the PM2. But it is better than something like the Bugout or the Native 5. It is better than a bunch of random framelock flippers out there. I am really impressed with this knife as first offering from Indiana Knives.
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