- a likable EDC-knife
I continue on the same path here on the blog. The one with reviewing knives that are around two years old at this point. Surely no one can accuse me of always being the first with the last. And besides being out of date in that way, I felt even older after holding this knife called Empoleon.
The name sounded like someone fused "Napoleon" with "Emperor" or something like that. I believe it's close to the truth. Anyway, it's also the name of a damn Pokemon again. Something I found out when I Googled the name.
That made me suspicious. Yep, the brand name "Shieldon" is also a fantasy character from the same game. Even my wife knew but not me.
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| Shieldon Empoleon |
If we ignore the game aspects and concentrate on the knife, like the last one I reviewed from the same company, it is an in-house design by something nicknamed Django. If the previous review item was big, green, and bold with a shiny leaf-shaped blade, the Empoleon is a much more restrained design. Especially as the two color options available both include black handles and dark blades.
The Empoleon belongs to what Shieldon calls the "Bard segment" which is their simplest line of knives. The question is how much it affects the knife in general. That and other little things are what I intend to find out here.
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| A relatively long and slender knife hides behind the Pokémon name |
Short version: Shieldon Empoleon, a really good EDC knife in dark tones with a strange peculiar name
Blade
Sometimes "budget thinking" can lead to simplification and refinement. Something that doesn't always have to be a bad thing, as unnecessary details might be peeled off. This applies, for example, to this blade. It's a very slim drop point, no more no less. The only thing that deviates in the slightest is that the spine of the blade curves slightly before it turns toward the tip.
The blade is slightly longer than you might think as the whole knife is slim, which can deceive the eye somewhat. The length is 83 mm, which means that the Empoleon is not a very small knife. The height of the blade is around 19 mm and the thickness is a well-chosen 3 mm.
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| Empoleon offers an essential drop point made in D2 steel |
Furthermore, it can be said about the blade that it has some form of titanium coating, which in this version gives an anthracite gray tone. On the presentation side of the knife, the Shieldon brand is printed along with the logo and blade steel on the ricasso. On the other side, the model name, designer, and some form of serial number are found close to the handle.
The material is D2 with a stated hardness of 58-60HRC. The blade is flat ground to an edge that starts with a thickness of 0.5 mm. I actually don't understand what you need with so much steel behind the edge on a slim knife obviously aimed at EDC use. Durable yes, but otherwise nothing to brag about.
The situation is improved by a sharp factory edge. However, I must say that it did not last quite as long as I have come to expect from at least slightly harder steel of this type. A few solid boxes at work later and most of the sharpness was gone. Especially towards the tip.
The positive thing was that the edge reacted quickly to being stropped. Thus, there were no problems with getting the sharpness back again. Regarding maintenance, it can also be said that this type of blade and steel I choose to hone and strop frequently. It will be more work if you let them become so dull that they have to be completely re-sharpen.
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| The name escapes no one |
It is not excessively hard cutting I was talking about above, but a frequently occurring element in my work. It is opening boxes, dividing said cartons into slightly smaller pieces, cutting nylon straps around packages, etc. In addition, the knife has been used for some rough work in the kitchen just to get more usage. Things like cutting away the outer part of celeriac and other things you don't use fine knives for. It happens against plastic cutting boards and the D2 should handle that.
Then, for the sake of it, I've used this knife for some whittling, and for that, Empoleon is actually not as bad as you might think. It's a knife, it's sharp and the handle is straightforward. Then I would not have chosen this type of edge to be used for general camping and outdoor life. But maybe after all that's what they had in mind when they let the blade be so thick behind the edge?
It also means that this blade has a little more resistance in materials such as plastic and paper than should be the case with a flat-ground blade as thin as three millimeters. But on the other hand, it's about nuances. Empoleon can handle most things it is put in front of. It's just not the best at anything.
One thing that the blade coating takes care of is the rust problems that can otherwise occur on D2 steel as they are sometimes referred to as "semi-stainless". But no spots on the blade or even the edge during the test period could be observed.
Handle
A stick, that's what we have before us. A very straight handle with a substantial length of 116mm, a height of 20mm, and a thickness of 12.6mm. It is a very comfortable stick though. That thickness is only found in the middle of the handle sides, which are nicely shaped. The same can be said about both the rear and front end. It provides a comfortable handle without troublesome corners.
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| The handle is a softly rounded stick with G10 sides |
The material in the handle sides is black G10 which has a natural, almost wood grain appearance when polished this way. To increase the visual tension, there is another pattern milled into the edges of the sides, a crater-like surface or rock pattern.
The sides are attached with two (too) small T6 screws in a steel frame. The frame is also covered in the same PVD that is found on both the blade and the clip. This gives the knife a coherent color scale. A color scale that is accentuated in the black back-spacer that has some grooves milled into it. It gives some traction but is most there for looks.
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| The knife is half open in the back |
The pivot screw gets mixed reviews from me. The good thing is that it's a T8. Much less good is that there are two of them and that they spin! This means that if you want to take the knife apart or just adjust the pivot, you need to have access to two torx keys of the right size.
The gray collar around the screw head ends up in the plus account. It gives a luxurious touch.
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| The straight, simple handle makes it easy to switch between different grips. It is also comfortable |
Because the handle is so simple, reverse grips also work great. Well, one more thing can be said and that is that the location of the clip, which is otherwise bad, means that it does not create a hotspot in the hand. I'm lucky with my hand size so that the tip of the clip ends up between the fingers and not against them when holding the knife in a saber grip. This is a relatively long clip. In a hammer grip, it ends up right in the crease between the fingers and the rest of the hand, so it's not in the way either. But I'm not sure that goes for every hand size.
Opening and Lock
All knives must be good at something. Empoleon's main strength is found here. Although this model belongs to Shieldon's budget range, there is nothing that even hints in that direction when it comes to how this knife feels when opening and closing. This knife can basically only be opened in one way and that is via a flipper.
But what a flipper, no matter how you approach it, the blade flashes out. This knife or possibly just this specimen is extremely easy to open. On the one hand, from Django/Shieldon's side, they have got the geometry right so that the flipper tab is found in the right place, and on the other hand, they have ceramic ball bearings that help.
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| The flipper tab is effective and very tangible |
When I think about it, there are a couple more reasons. One is, of course, that the blade is light. It is thin, slim, and flat ground so there is not much steel left to be accelerated. Another reason is a well-tuned detent ball with just the right resistance that releases when it should and does so distinctly. Well done!
The last point is not quite as positive and it is that modern trends have gone towards smaller and more discreet flipper tabs. Here, Empoleon boasts something that could have belonged to an orca. It is perhaps an exaggeration, but it measures between 6-7 mm, which is a height that must be set to the entire height of the handle, which is 22 mm when the knife is closed.
That lever gives extra speed to the blade and is felt when the knife is to be carried. One positive thing, however, is that the height, shape, and the fact that there are a couple of small grooves make it hard to miss with your finger. The blade always comes out.
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| A well-functioning liner lock |
As easy as Empoleon is to open, it is just as easy to close. The ball bearings mean that the blade, despite its lightweight, falls by itself when the lock is released. The lock is also very easy to access thanks to a recess on the opposite side of the handle. Despite the lack of grooves, the lock bar is both simple and convenient to handle.
In between, the lock does what it's supposed to, holding the blade in place without any movement.
To Carry
Empoleon could have been a joy in the pocket. But there are clouds on the otherwise clear horizon. The light comes from a low weight of less than 100 grams, a slender soft-shaped handle, and sides that are not rough in any way.
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| The long thin clip on Empoleon is not one of my favorites |
By the way, the knife comes with a substantial and oversized nylon sheath designed to be worn in a belt or similar. Most similar, I think, as a push button makes it easy to remove and attach to a carrying strap on a backpack, for example. But why include one with this knife? The knife is not so heavy that it needs one, it has a clip and the focus is certainly not outdoor life.
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| About two and a half centimeters or an inch of the handle protrudes from the pocket |
Looking at size and weight alone, the Shieldon Empoleon should be excellent to carry. It is, but only partially. One thing I don't like is the recently discussed whale dorsal fin. It is possible to avoid contact with it, but only if the right front pocket of my trousers is completely devoted to the knife and nothing else. Something that feels a bit boring with an otherwise very slim knife.
Then there was the clip. I have mentioned that it is long, 6 cm to be exact. However, it is not mainly that but the bad placement that is annoying. Admittedly, it makes the clip feel less against the hand, but it also makes an inch of the knife sticking out of the pocket. Why Some say it's easier to grip the knife. I totally disagree and wonder how the heck they pull a knife. However, that is the subject of another post.The clip cannot be shifted from the right to the left side, which does not annoy me personally, but anyone who happens to be left-handed. The positive thing about the clip is that the tension is good and that the color makes it fairly discreet. Although the latter is pointless as half the knife peeks out of the pocket anyway.
The ramp is ok although the tip likes to get caught in things. The bracket is also sufficient, the two screws sitting in tandem and in a recess in the side of the handle means that the clip does not move sideways even though it is quite thin.
To Conclude
My second encounter with Shieldon Knives and Tools was a little more relaxed than the first. At least if it's appearance you're going for. Empoleon does not belong to those knives that stand out significantly in terms of design. However, it is also not always desirable or necessary. Sometimes it's enough to put together a simple and capable product, and I think Shieldon has succeeded in that.
The Empoleon belongs to those fairly long, slim folding knives where the blade almost disappears into the handle when folded. It gives an elegant impression.
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| Empoleon looks quite elegant |
Something that definitely increases that feeling is the very nice action. This knife has an excellent opening and a lock that is both solid and easy to release. It shows that there is capacity at the manufacturer.
There are also a couple of details that enhance the general impression. One is that the knife is well put together and another is that the color scheme is consistent on the blade, pivot collar, frame, and clip. It would have been even better if the screws holding the knife together had received the same treatment. They are of a simpler kind and a typical example of what reveals that this is a less exclusive knife.
While I'm still on the subject of suggestions, I would like to point out that the nylon sheath is completely superfluous for this type of knife and can be skipped. Possibly I can understand it from an advertising point of view as the name "Shieldon" is written in large light blue letters across. Maybe it can be used for other things than knives because it doesn't fit Empoleon at all.
Rather, it costs money to manufacture, money that could be spent on other things. Better screws, for example. A pivot screw with a D-shaped bolt would have been better than the double free-spinning screws that are now there.
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| Shieldon Empoleon is a sympathetic knife for those who like slim knives with a relatively long blade |
Overall though, the Empoleon is a very likable knife that works great as an "EDC". It deals with all the small tasks of everyday life where a knife can be handy to have. The materials are well-chosen for the price range and the knife is, as I said, well-built. Besides, it doesn't look too bad.
The price point of this knife gets a little strange as the MSRP from the manufacturer is usually $42 and at the moment $19.90 on their website. On American Amazon, you can get the knife for around $23 right now. At that price, it's a bargain! The cheapest you normally can get this knife here in Europe is 57€. That is more than double the price and makes it compete in a totally different category. But it is also possible to find it at sales sometimes and if you do I recommend you buy it.
Specifications:
Length Overall: 204 mm
Length Folded: 116 mm
Weight: 95 g
Blade Length: 83 mm
Blade Thickness: 3 mm
Blade Steel: D2, HRC 58-60
Handle: G10
Lock: Liner Lock
Produced by: Shieldon, made in China
/ J - continues his somewhat odd Pokémon hunt
