Here are some photos of the TBS Lynx Compact. As you can see I went for the canvas micarta option. Nice and grippy material. It almost feels like it has too much friction sometimes but I expect this will be a benefit when using it with wet or greasy hands so I quite like that.
The knife itself is tiny. A bit smaller than expected but that’s fine as I was after a compact knife. It has a very snug and tight grip even with my small hands but it’s comfortable to hold. I think anyone with average or large sized hands would probably struggle with it though.
The blade is a really nice slicer and came razor sharp. It’s a useful shape. I will need to be extra careful with it though because the knife is so small my forefinger sits right next to the blade just a few millimeters away. While this should be good for fine control it does mean that it's easy to accidentally catch my finger on the edge when changing grip or passing the knife from one hand to the other so extra care and attention is required.
I also bought a Brisa universal belt clip from TBS to go with it as I prefer using a vertical dangler sheath to the horizontal scout style mounting option which it comes with as standard. I needed to add a couple of rubber washer spacers to the clip (not supplied) to get it to sit at a comfortable angle for unsheathing. It works fine now though as it can be adjusted to any angle I want now that it has the rubber spacers.
When experimenting with the different mounting options I discovered that the best way to carry it is to simply leave all of the clips, bands and other bits off and just put the naked sheathed knife in my pocket. It fits perfectly in either trouser or jacket pockets and is small and light enough to feel more comfortable than a phone. It’s also really easy to unsheathe and remove from a pocket with just one hand. Unexpected but perfect! Weight wise the naked sheath and knife without any clips or other bits weighs the same as a Mora Companion with its sheath.
After trying out a few different knives over the years I spent a long time considering options before selecting this knife. Time will tell but I am pleased with it so far and expect it will likely come in very useful. Maybe one day I might get a custom Stuart Mitchell knife made to my own specification but until then this seems to be as close to perfect for me as I am likely to find.
A comparison with the Mora and a SAK for scale.
Don't think there's a wrong choice,
