TBS non locking folder

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Iambosscat

Nomad
Mar 11, 2013
326
0
Ipswichville
Hi guys and gals, I've been searching on BCUK and BB for a review on TBS Non locking folder, I'm sure it must have had a mention somewhere, but I can find anything about it for love nor money.

If someone could point me in the right direction of a review or have any comments about it, it would be most appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
 

welchyd1

Full Member
Jan 4, 2011
1,204
3
42
Wirral, Merseyside
I've just got one but haven't had a chance to use it yet. All I can say is build quality is spot on and the its by far the sharpest knife I have ever taken out of a box. I'm frightened to strop it incase I loose a finger when closing it. The back spring is solid and there is no movement at all in the blade. I would get one mate, you won't be disappointed. One thing I would say is don't take the sheath option as it is a terrible fit. The sheath is far too big for the knife. Oh and the only other niggle is the lack of a nail groove or any other way of opening it. If you had wet or blooded hands I don't think you would be able to open it. I used a tiny cutting disk in a dremmel and added a nail groove. I also trimmed the flap on the sheath and moved the press stud higher so it holds the knife better. Now it is perfect.



 
Last edited:
N

Nomad

Guest
Not aware of a review, but general discussion of it here...

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=107896

And a mod that I did...

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=113236

My thoughts...

Chunky blade for an EDC-legal knife. Good at staying open due to the strong spring. Comfy handle suited to a variety of grips. Solid, robust feel. Mine came very sharp out of the box. On close examination, the scandi grind was slightly convex over the surface of the grind, so I reground it flat on the assumption that it would end up that way eventually anyway. Takes a very good edge, but I suspect the change in angle due to my flattening of the grind has made it a bit fragile - I sometimes got a little bit of rolling when cutting stiff plug tobacco with the blade coming down fast onto a little chopping board, across the grain. Can be fixed with a dry strop and maybe a skim on the fine side of a Spyderco Double Stuff ceramic stone (I switched to an Opinel, which is a much better slicer). So, maybe avoid heavier cuts across the grain of seasoned wood. I might regrind it with a better angle one day.

Good for general cutting and finer woodworking stuff - easy to shave off thin slivers. Not so good for slicing due to the scandi grind and thickish blade, but not bad, as such. I wouldn't use it for heavier stuff, but am much happier using this for a lot of things than my SAK. Good blade length for doing little jobs with the tip. The main criticism for me is the difficulty in opening with wet hands due to the lack of a slot for the thumbnail or a proper fixed stud - mentioned a few times in the first thread above. The second thread shows my solution of a milled slot, which works a treat (I'm not a fan of studs).

Would I buy another? Yes I would, and I'd do the milled slot again. I'd also regrind it again if the scandi had that slightly convex profile, but maybe with a slightly more obtuse angle than I did the first time.
 

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