Just want to throw out that Bill has been on record saying he purposefully left that unsharpened portion of blade there intentionally as part of the design. I don't necessarily love it myself but he stands firm with the choice. I also agree with the ugly. Those last finishing steps take a knife from eh to amazing very quickly.
I love this knife! It's a solid little laser after having the blade reground to a thinner, hollow grind with a small sharpening choil. It has superb, silky action and feels great in my hand. I also nicked up the thumb studs while sharpening and Spartan replaced them for free. I just paid for shipping. I never regret buying this knife.
I'm glad you reviewed this. I bought their Horkos made in S45VN and I love it. Was considering their folder but after this I definitely think their price is a rip off. No cut out for your thumb to get to the lock bar, no lock bar insert, sharp lasering and gimping. Definitely not worth $450. I appreciate your review.
I 100% agree with everything you have said in this video. I brought it all to their attention a little bit after release. They just told me, "it is, how it was designed to be". Harsey even decided to give me his 2 cents. He wasn't nice about it. Came across very full of himself. The Spartan guys were trained by CRK. One of the reasons the action is very inkosi like. This knife was very close to being great. But the finish just 100% isn't there at all. They could just blast the handles and make the knife far more comfortable. When I was in the military, noone carried $400 or $300 folding knives. Most people had Benchmades...(most didn't carry a folding knife, plenty of leathermen's). Why? Because they are cheapish. If it breaks, they fix it for free. More likely to loose it before it breaks though. I lost 3 of them. Fixed blades, is a different story. Plenty of expensive fixed blades. Anywho, great review and I agree.
I have a full size plague doctor with the damascus blade and I agree 100% with the review. It's a beautiful and well built knife but definitely not a casual edc sort of thing for most people.
Thank you for this lol I have been DYING for the full size purple plague, I don't need the Damascus but it's definitely my top grail right now! I feel a lot less of a rush and need for it knowing it's not a casual edc friendly knife... still gorgeous and staying on my list though hahaha
Nick, I watch your videos in the eventing (from Europe) because your voice is soothing. I also enjoy the content very much indeed, but you should not underestimate the fact that it makes me fall asleep like a baby. I also like to mention that ….. ….. zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Plague doctor will always represent the time I got back into knives and in some ways the first time I got into modern knives. Really like Spartan blades.
The Kizer trademark and other blade markings are, frequently if not always as deep, if not deeper, than the markings on this blade (one of which I have in hand)… I like them deep. I know they will never wear off!
I had one. Lock stick due to no insert or carbadizing, no sharpening choil, sharp inner scales around the edges, gap between lock bar that scale it’s milled from is too wide, not well sharpened, tab sticks up being only 1 screw. I did like the clip and jimping, internal lock bar relief, pivot acting as overtravel stop.
I bought the big and the small SHFs because the RHK XM-24 and RHK XM-18 were hard to get. Don't regret either purchase. Even after got a RHK XM-24 the next week. Got a Stitch the week after. Now, I have too many favorites!
when I cut plastic the sharpening choil stops me. when I cut paper the sharpening choil messes it up. when I'm cutting cardboard that sharpening soil messes it up.
This is one of my favorite styles of knife, I glad I bought a few Fantoni Harsey Knives when Fantoni was around. The Spartan Blades Harsey missed the mark IMO. They left too many sharp edges and no excuse to not have a chole on the blade, also I don't like the reversible pocket clip (as I'm right handed) it's just extra junk on the knife but lefties rejoice I guess.And no lock bar insert big mistake. I just found out about the Spartan Blades Hersey today May 11 2023 and was ready to pull the trigger on one of the "customs" with engraved handles but before I did I thought to do a little research...glad I did, this knife and it's big brother (4.25" blade and 9" OAL 5.9oz.a beast) have just enough issues for me to put my wallet away.
Got one when they first came out. Had tiny amount of stick but that cleared after a few open and closes. Smooth as glass that puts a sebenza to shame, nice and snappy opening. Only thing about it that's ugly to me was the initial sharpening, looked like they did it with their eyes closed, other then that I love mine
It isn't shaming the Sebenza my brother Soul Dude. The Sebenza is not a flipper. I will post this everywhere the Sebenza is referenced for its horrible action of which I agree it is horrible. Also, the lock on this knife is the Reeve Integral Lock™
Fwiw, Bill purposefully excludes a choil so as not to introduce point of potential steel failure (would say these are optimized for hard use). Whether this is worth it (and certainly on the smaller 3.25), is up for debate, but that’s the reason. Nothing to do with avoiding things getting caught in the choil.
@@Cutecumball it’s what’s Bill himself said on multiple occasions. Google and you’ll find. It is true that the talos (his budget shf 3.25) has a choil, though he’d say that this knife isn’t built to withstand the load of his elite grade SHFs.
@@Cutecumball As I mention above, whether it is worth it is up for debate, but but that's the reason a legendary knifemarker doesn't put a choil on his signature SHFs (and does on his other knives). For most, including myself, it would make no difference, but a blade without a sharpening choil has more structural integrity than one with a horizontal cut taken out. You seem interested in this topic, so would suggest you google for 2 minutes.
@@kreed4 first of all, having a choil doesn't make a knife any weaker. Most fixed blade makers skeletonized their knife tangs to reduce weight and i bet that effects the knife intergrity way more than putting on a choil, yet they still feel confident doing it and still add a choil. Also, i could care less about whether hes a legendary knife maker. Hes selling a product, im either gonna buy it or not. Nothing is gonna change the fact that he's overcharging you and hes gonna make you feel proud (made in USA) when raw dogging you
First off love your channel! Just bought a harshey full size spartan babe special edition. I payed 570 for it and did not notice until watching this that It doesn't have a frigging sharpening choil! Ima have to trade it for a hinderer now damnit! Lol keep up the hard work ur amazing
Not a fan of how they done the plunge grind on the blade. Probably end up looking really strange towards the heel and potentially getting a recurve after a bit of sharpening.
Fun fact before production spartan consulted the legend himself Mr Chris reeves....and I think alot of the elements are there....is it a sebenza? no not by a longshot .....but the quality and recipe is there
Agree on the Ugly - that’s exactly how I feel about my SHF compared to my CRKs and Hinderer. I still like the knife a _lot_. But to the argument that it doesn’t matter: cool, but then charge less than the people who go the extra mile.
exactly!! i have the full size SHF, and i like the knife. but it just doesnt have the kind of attention to detail that other knives in that price range have. i feel like this 3.25" knife would be a great buy in the $325-$350 range....but for close to $450 after taxes, i think i will pass.
agree. the only knife i returned... the very same day i bought it. brilliant design (except for that unsharpened bit that should've really bean a choil... major wtf there). but all those sharp edges, the meh action out of the box, and mine was also verrrry unevenly ground (never had one this bad, not from CRK, not from Civivi, not even some "aliexpress specials")... no thanks at that price.
had the big one, sold it 2 days later. detent was too soft, action was gritty, no chamfered edges on the ti, felt really underdone and completely overpriced. if you price your knives like chris reeve, you need to deliver, this didn't feel nearly as good as most $150 chinese ti-folders.
The little "Christmas Tree" is to symbolize their joining with Pineland Cutlery a few years ago. Text taken from one of their posts a while back: "What’s the deal with the little pine tree on my knife? Now that Spartan Blades is part of Pineland Cutlery, all new knives made after 18 July 2019 will have a small pine tree next to the logo. Basically, you will now have pre and post Pineland Knives. This is a way of marking a new beginning with our family at KA-BAR while honoring the past."
I own one (plague doctor, 3.25), and I can not agree more......i like mine as a collector, but if I make myself be honest....it simply lacks the fit and finish of many knives I've bought in the past year at half the cost
wow another great review of a knife I cant afford , it seems of late to me most of your reviews are of higher end models , which is great I love to see them , it just reminds me of how poor I am , can you try to do more models around the £100 mark or there abouts , I really like your reviews have done for years , when i come to check your new stuff out I think , is this one for me or another one of Nicks high end folders, .as far as price goes here in the UK nice pocket knives are pricey and my top end tends to be £250, my taste is for hand built slip joints , I do have all the usual suspects , spyderco Kershaw's rats and more I'm a collector after all, keep up the good work I'm not having a go at you , just reminding you little people buy knives too
Why do "high speed low drag" tools get a pass on poor fit and finish yet get to be priced as a more high end better finished knife? I see this same thing with many other knives namely emersons. I'm not saying this is bad knife, or Emerson's are either. Just that if you're going to price it like it's a higher end knife, it should be finished like one. Also Military guys aren't walking around with 400+ dollar folding knives.
Thank Winkler and his clones like Stroup et al. His knives are basic but charges a premium because he once upon a time provided ceremonial axes to Red Team that were used in war crimes. LARPers saw that and ate his stuff up. Whole tac bro industry followed suit. Minimal effort, maximum profit.
I just received a copy of this knife, and it has an issue. While moving the blade through its range of motion manually, and slowly, I noticed that it felt ROUGH through part if it. First I thought it must be a bad bearing (it feels like tiny “bump, bump, bump,” like a bad bearing), but then realized it has washers. Finally, I used a bright light to see inside as I operated the blade. What I saw is that the detent ball runs in a track on the very edge of the heel of the blade (which may be a factor), a track which is conspicuously rough. I feel it only when I move the blade manually and slowly. It still flicks open perfectly well… Is this a defect? The fact that to me, there seems to be a problem (I never encountered this issue on any other knife, including some very cheap ones), suggests to me that there IS a problem! It’s too bad, because I LIKE this knife otherwise…
Everything you complain about is why I also haven't pulled the trigger on one. They are down my preference alley, but they seem just not as well finished as any competitor.
@@regan.8077 Not limited at all. It's a great knife and a good value for the quality you get, plus if you want there is lots of aftermarket options if you want to customize. Quality wise Spyderco is at the front of the pack.
@@charlesdudek7713 yeah okay. Whatever makes you feel better. Almost 200 for plastic scales with stand offs and shitty s30v steel? No. You can get a titanium frame lock with a titanium backspacer and 20cv from WE knives.
I'm glad it's American made because only Americans would punt up their hard earned cash to add this piece to their collection of overpriced knives they never use. (I'm mainly taking the Mickey here)
I agree with you. I love the full size but the 3.25 felt very cheap to me. I don’t really like lockbar inserts though, just adds another failure point to a very simply done. I will say, that Spartan has some of the best customer service in the business. I received quite literally next day turnaround for a blade replacement. Sent it on Monday, got it back Saturday
Just want to throw out that Bill has been on record saying he purposefully left that unsharpened portion of blade there intentionally as part of the design. I don't necessarily love it myself but he stands firm with the choice.
I also agree with the ugly. Those last finishing steps take a knife from eh to amazing very quickly.
He's as welcome to prefer that as I am to disprefer it :D
Another great presentation from The Shabazz. I always have to check that my playback speed is set to 1.0 and not 1.25 with Nick!
This is such a well built knife. It's one of my absolute favorite EDCs!
I love this knife! It's a solid little laser after having the blade reground to a thinner, hollow grind with a small sharpening choil. It has superb, silky action and feels great in my hand. I also nicked up the thumb studs while sharpening and Spartan replaced them for free. I just paid for shipping. I never regret buying this knife.
I'm glad you reviewed this. I bought their Horkos made in S45VN and I love it. Was considering their folder but after this I definitely think their price is a rip off. No cut out for your thumb to get to the lock bar, no lock bar insert, sharp lasering and gimping. Definitely not worth $450. I appreciate your review.
I 100% agree with everything you have said in this video. I brought it all to their attention a little bit after release. They just told me, "it is, how it was designed to be". Harsey even decided to give me his 2 cents. He wasn't nice about it. Came across very full of himself.
The Spartan guys were trained by CRK. One of the reasons the action is very inkosi like.
This knife was very close to being great. But the finish just 100% isn't there at all.
They could just blast the handles and make the knife far more comfortable.
When I was in the military, noone carried $400 or $300 folding knives. Most people had Benchmades...(most didn't carry a folding knife, plenty of leathermen's). Why? Because they are cheapish. If it breaks, they fix it for free. More likely to loose it before it breaks though. I lost 3 of them. Fixed blades, is a different story. Plenty of expensive fixed blades.
Anywho, great review and I agree.
Build'em cheap, sell'em high. "It's how it's designed to be".
I have a full size plague doctor with the damascus blade and I agree 100% with the review. It's a beautiful and well built knife but definitely not a casual edc sort of thing for most people.
Thank you for this lol I have been DYING for the full size purple plague, I don't need the Damascus but it's definitely my top grail right now! I feel a lot less of a rush and need for it knowing it's not a casual edc friendly knife... still gorgeous and staying on my list though hahaha
Nick, I watch your videos in the eventing (from Europe) because your voice is soothing. I also enjoy the content very much indeed, but you should not underestimate the fact that it makes me fall asleep like a baby. I also like to mention that ….. ….. zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Plague doctor will always represent the time I got back into knives and in some ways the first time I got into modern knives. Really like Spartan blades.
I would only own this just to appreciate my Sebenza more lol
The Kizer trademark and other blade markings are, frequently if not always as deep, if not deeper, than the markings on this blade (one of which I have in hand)… I like them deep. I know they will never wear off!
Hey Nick, awesome review as always, I feel like you’ve been “picking my pocket” for years.
You should give the American Blade Works Full Ti Framelock flipper a try
I had one. Lock stick due to no insert or carbadizing, no sharpening choil, sharp inner scales around the edges, gap between lock bar that scale it’s milled from is too wide, not well sharpened, tab sticks up being only 1 screw. I did like the clip and jimping, internal lock bar relief, pivot acting as overtravel stop.
the lock bar is carbadized
@@PlankGFX I just assumed it wasn’t because of the insane lock stick my 3.25 had.
I bought the big and the small SHFs because the RHK XM-24 and RHK XM-18 were hard to get. Don't regret either purchase. Even after got a RHK XM-24 the next week. Got a Stitch the week after. Now, I have too many favorites!
any plans on reviewing the full size? I just ordered the join or die DLT version which I am pretty excited for
when I cut plastic the sharpening choil stops me. when I cut paper the sharpening choil messes it up. when I'm cutting cardboard that sharpening soil messes it up.
15:09 Perhaps the knife being designed by "high speed low drag"dudes is why it so spartan? 17:25 saves it! The Shabazz rules.
This is one of my favorite styles of knife, I glad I bought a few Fantoni Harsey Knives when Fantoni was around. The Spartan Blades Harsey missed the mark IMO. They left too many sharp edges and no excuse to not have a chole on the blade, also I don't like the reversible pocket clip (as I'm right handed) it's just extra junk on the knife but lefties rejoice I guess.And no lock bar insert big mistake. I just found out about the Spartan Blades Hersey today May 11 2023 and was ready to pull the trigger on one of the "customs" with engraved handles but before I did I thought to do a little research...glad I did, this knife and it's big brother (4.25" blade and 9" OAL 5.9oz.a beast) have just enough issues for me to put my wallet away.
Got one when they first came out. Had tiny amount of stick but that cleared after a few open and closes. Smooth as glass that puts a sebenza to shame, nice and snappy opening. Only thing about it that's ugly to me was the initial sharpening, looked like they did it with their eyes closed, other then that I love mine
It isn't shaming the Sebenza my brother Soul Dude. The Sebenza is not a flipper. I will post this everywhere the Sebenza is referenced for its horrible action of which I agree it is horrible. Also, the lock on this knife is the Reeve Integral Lock™
Fwiw, Bill purposefully excludes a choil so as not to introduce point of potential steel failure (would say these are optimized for hard use). Whether this is worth it (and certainly on the smaller 3.25), is up for debate, but that’s the reason. Nothing to do with avoiding things getting caught in the choil.
i call it bs. Hes other knives look similar to harsey folder have choils. Many of his knives for hard use have a choil
@@Cutecumball it’s what’s Bill himself said on multiple occasions. Google and you’ll find. It is true that the talos (his budget shf 3.25) has a choil, though he’d say that this knife isn’t built to withstand the load of his elite grade SHFs.
@@kreed4 the choil won't make much difference. He's just bs you
@@Cutecumball As I mention above, whether it is worth it is up for debate, but but that's the reason a legendary knifemarker doesn't put a choil on his signature SHFs (and does on his other knives). For most, including myself, it would make no difference, but a blade without a sharpening choil has more structural integrity than one with a horizontal cut taken out.
You seem interested in this topic, so would suggest you google for 2 minutes.
@@kreed4 first of all, having a choil doesn't make a knife any weaker. Most fixed blade makers skeletonized their knife tangs to reduce weight and i bet that effects the knife intergrity way more than putting on a choil, yet they still feel confident doing it and still add a choil. Also, i could care less about whether hes a legendary knife maker. Hes selling a product, im either gonna buy it or not. Nothing is gonna change the fact that he's overcharging you and hes gonna make you feel proud (made in USA) when raw dogging you
I'm with you on all your points.
It's pleasant when you talk me out of considering a purchase. (My wallet takes a deep breath and relaxes.)
First off love your channel! Just bought a harshey full size spartan babe special edition. I payed 570 for it and did not notice until watching this that It doesn't have a frigging sharpening choil! Ima have to trade it for a hinderer now damnit! Lol keep up the hard work ur amazing
Not a fan of how they done the plunge grind on the blade. Probably end up looking really strange towards the heel and potentially getting a recurve after a bit of sharpening.
Fun fact before production spartan consulted the legend himself Mr Chris reeves....and I think alot of the elements are there....is it a sebenza? no not by a longshot .....but the quality and recipe is there
Agree on the Ugly - that’s exactly how I feel about my SHF compared to my CRKs and Hinderer. I still like the knife a _lot_. But to the argument that it doesn’t matter: cool, but then charge less than the people who go the extra mile.
exactly!! i have the full size SHF, and i like the knife. but it just doesnt have the kind of attention to detail that other knives in that price range have. i feel like this 3.25" knife would be a great buy in the $325-$350 range....but for close to $450 after taxes, i think i will pass.
agree. the only knife i returned... the very same day i bought it. brilliant design (except for that unsharpened bit that should've really bean a choil... major wtf there). but all those sharp edges, the meh action out of the box, and mine was also verrrry unevenly ground (never had one this bad, not from CRK, not from Civivi, not even some "aliexpress specials")... no thanks at that price.
A good one for work at the Vaseline factory.
had the big one, sold it 2 days later. detent was too soft, action was gritty, no chamfered edges on the ti, felt really underdone and completely overpriced.
if you price your knives like chris reeve, you need to deliver, this didn't feel nearly as good as most $150 chinese ti-folders.
I did the same thing.
for real. The we knife esprit and mini buster feels way more premium tha nthe harsey folder. Talking about made in USA yet raw dog American.
The little "Christmas Tree" is to symbolize their joining with Pineland Cutlery a few years ago.
Text taken from one of their posts a while back:
"What’s the deal with the little pine tree on my knife?
Now that Spartan Blades is part of Pineland Cutlery, all new knives made after 18 July 2019 will have a small pine tree next to the logo.
Basically, you will now have pre and post Pineland Knives. This is a way of marking a new beginning with our family at KA-BAR while honoring the past."
Is their a quality difference +/-, or different collectors market for pre and post KA-BAR ownership? TIA
Doesn't seem to be!! So far Build Quality hasn't taken a hit!!
Great review.
I own one (plague doctor, 3.25), and I can not agree more......i like mine as a collector, but if I make myself be honest....it simply lacks the fit and finish of many knives I've bought in the past year at half the cost
All excellent points. I also don't care for the lanyard hole.
wow another great review of a knife I cant afford , it seems of late to me most of your reviews are of higher end models , which is great I love to see them , it just reminds me of how poor I am , can you try to do more models around the £100 mark or there abouts , I really like your reviews have done for years , when i come to check your new stuff out I think , is this one for me or another one of Nicks high end folders, .as far as price goes here in the UK nice pocket knives are pricey and my top end tends to be £250, my taste is for hand built slip joints , I do have all the usual suspects , spyderco Kershaw's rats and more I'm a collector after all, keep up the good work I'm not having a go at you , just reminding you little people buy knives too
Was looking forward to this one! But a touch disappointing for the full $$$....
Why do "high speed low drag" tools get a pass on poor fit and finish yet get to be priced as a more high end better finished knife? I see this same thing with many other knives namely emersons.
I'm not saying this is bad knife, or Emerson's are either. Just that if you're going to price it like it's a higher end knife, it should be finished like one.
Also Military guys aren't walking around with 400+ dollar folding knives.
Thank Winkler and his clones like Stroup et al. His knives are basic but charges a premium because he once upon a time provided ceremonial axes to Red Team that were used in war crimes. LARPers saw that and ate his stuff up. Whole tac bro industry followed suit. Minimal effort, maximum profit.
Love my SHF’S!!
TRM or Spartan?
I love the graphic, but I’d rather have a small sebenza in this knife’s size.
I just received a copy of this knife, and it has an issue. While moving the blade through its range of motion manually, and slowly, I noticed that it felt ROUGH through part if it. First I thought it must be a bad bearing (it feels like tiny “bump, bump, bump,” like a bad bearing), but then realized it has washers. Finally, I used a bright light to see inside as I operated the blade. What I saw is that the detent ball runs in a track on the very edge of the heel of the blade (which may be a factor), a track which is conspicuously rough. I feel it only when I move the blade manually and slowly. It still flicks open perfectly well… Is this a defect?
The fact that to me, there seems to be a problem (I never encountered this issue on any other knife, including some very cheap ones), suggests to me that there IS a problem! It’s too bad, because I LIKE this knife otherwise…
Everything you complain about is why I also haven't pulled the trigger on one. They are down my preference alley, but they seem just not as well finished as any competitor.
The pine tree is there to represent their partnership with kabar
I had a Pallas and had mostly the same feelings. Good design but ugly detent and lock stick. Would love to see them step their game up
Chamfering Fairy lol nice review.
My initial thoughts are that it looks like one of those Olamic knives. Except boring-er
I’ll buy one just for the sticker
American made knives have fallen behind big time in the value vs quality and intrigue market. It's unfortunate.
I'll take something like a PM2 over any Chinese made knife and be more satisfied with it.
@@charlesdudek7713 . If you want to limit yourself to knives that are just "okay" because of nationality then good for you.
@@regan.8077 Not limited at all. It's a great knife and a good value for the quality you get, plus if you want there is lots of aftermarket options if you want to customize. Quality wise Spyderco is at the front of the pack.
@@charlesdudek7713 yeah okay. Whatever makes you feel better. Almost 200 for plastic scales with stand offs and shitty s30v steel? No. You can get a titanium frame lock with a titanium backspacer and 20cv from WE knives.
@@regan.8077 Sorry what, THAT PRICE FOR PLASTIC SCALES?????
Dang.... Not much else to be said. I feel you brother. Would of, should of, could of...🤷♂️😮💨
Looks like a Spartan helmet with arrows.
You might expect some of these issues from a hunerd dollar Twosun, maybe.
Cowabunga NS.!
sharpering choils make real using of the knife impossible
For the price no choil ?
🤙🏻👊🏻🇺🇲
Thank you Nick!! I’ve been trying to tell my wife 3.25 inches is plenty! Just sent her this video to confirm!
I'm glad it's American made because only Americans would punt up their hard earned cash to add this piece to their collection of overpriced knives they never use.
(I'm mainly taking the Mickey here)
I agree with you. I love the full size but the 3.25 felt very cheap to me. I don’t really like lockbar inserts though, just adds another failure point to a very simply done.
I will say, that Spartan has some of the best customer service in the business. I received quite literally next day turnaround for a blade replacement. Sent it on Monday, got it back Saturday
What accent is this
Illinois accent
To expensive 😭
spartan folders are not so great will never buy new