Knife review QSP Parrot

- a bird with ambitions

After handling this knife for just a short while I searched the depth of the collection for another knife in the budget class. A knife that this knife reminded me of and almost demanded a comparison with. It was not only the size, the lock, the thumb studs and the green color on my specimens that reminded of each other but also the overall feeling. The knife I thought of was the OKC RAT2 and the knife that reminded me of it was the Parrot from QSP. It is the one I intend to present here. 

QSP QS102-B "Parrot"

This is my second knife from Chinese QSP and it differs quite a bit from the one I presented last time, the larger model "Shark". This knife feels in my view much more EDC-oriented and with a more plain image.

I can initially reveal that I actually like this one better despite being a much simpler and also cheaper knife. A simplicity that strangely enough makes it less anonymous in my eyes. 

A straightforward, simple EDC-knife

 Twitter version: Parrot,  a contender to the budget throne!

Blade

The blade doesn't remind me so much about the aforementioned RAT2 but more of the Zancudo from Essee. That because of the very symmetrical drop point that almost can be called a spear point. The steel is 440C and the finish is a nice satin. The markings on this knife deserve a special mention since the QSP-logo has been shrunk to fit the blade size and the opposite side is almost sterile except blade steel on the ricasso. I think that is a neat and classy touch.

 A droppint made out of 440C. Not the most edge-holding steel in this version 

The thickness of the blade is 3 mm and it is 8 cm lengthwise. The grind is a full flat one which should be a good foundation for a slicer. The factory edge was well executed with an even and symmetrical edge that also was sharp enough to shave hair with just slight pressure.

The blade is as simple as it gets. Basically, it is an overgrown "SAK"-blade in shape. The deviations consist of some jimpings at the base of the spine, which by the way are really good and of course the thumb studs for one hand opening. They are meritoriously placed out of the slicing path when using the knife. Something that is a pet peeve of mine, I really like to be able to use the actual blade length for work without something interfering. That is certainly not the case with all one-handed opening folders no matter price point. 

The blade shape and the execution on the Parrot have both advantages and disadvantages compared with its closest competitors. For one the edge is drawn close to the handle which is a thing I appreciate

Speaking of blade length it can be said that the blade is sharpened almost all the way to the handle. A detail that is important when you want to put some force behind a cut or strive for better control. Personally, I prefer that solution over the other, using "forward choils". Making large cut outs in the blade in order to gain precision also means that they are really getting in the way when not using them. Things have a tendency to get stuck in there. Try to cut a piece of cloth as an example.

Once I started to work with the knife my impressions were a bit twofold. The Parrot does what it is supposed to do and about the way, one can expect. But unfortunately, the knife is a little bit less efficient than I expected. It was surprising and first I couldn't understand why. For instance, it cuts cardboard rather well but the task is slightly heavier than it should be. There is nothing that the material can get stuck on and the handle doesn't have any hotspots or any other obvious shortcomings. So that is not it.

The same goes for fruit and greens. The Parrot works ok especially with the good edge to blade ratio and the thumb studs out of the way. But in this case, the blade feels a tad wedgy. It wants to force the halves apart as much as cut them when you split apples or onions. 

The Parrot could be even better with a thinner blade stock. Here compared with a RAT2

In this case, the stock thickness is the culprit I believe. Three millimeters may not seem much at first glance but the blade isn't very tall and it should be compared with say a monster-blade like the one on Cold Steels Large Voyager with a thickness of just 3,5 mm. This birds rival RAT2 uses only about 2 mm. Certainly, there is a difference in the physical conditions between the two.

In the edge holding department, this version 440C didn't impress me that much. It demands frequent maintenance to work well. I wouldn't mind a bit more endurance from the steel, to be honest. A couple of thicker cardboard boxes and this edge wanted to give up. One must however also balance this drawback with the fact this steel is very easy to sharpen. Since I used to work as a butcher when younger I mostly use free hand sharpening rods and a strop for this and it works fine on this blade.  

Handle

Somewhere I read that these handle slabs are made out of "FRN" which it's not. Both on the homepage and better yet, in reality, it's G10. In this case "military green" I think it's called. The sides are screwed to a steel frame that isn't weight relieved in any way. I strongly suspect that has to do with the price level. This is despite all a budget knife and that entails some limitations. 

A simple, practical and well functioning handle with an excellent finger choil

This knife is surprisingly well built and all edges are rounded and smooth. That also goes for the inside of the frame and lock bar. The frame is held together by two screws beside the pivot. The sizes are T6 for the body screws and T8 for the pivot, rather standard.

The shape of the handle is simple with no fuzz. The medium coarse G10-sides provides grip together with a functional and well-shaped finger choil and some "jimpings" on the spine of the blade. They are good even if the ones on "Shark" was even better, almost on Spyderco level. The jimpings gives traction without chewing on your digits.

The frame isn't drilled out and the blade runs on a mix between nylon- and bronze bushings

The balance of this bird is decent but not perfect due to the massive frame. If it had been made lighter the point of balance had been shifted slightly forward which had resulted in a neutral knife, something I prefer.

Otherwise, the knife feels rather lively in hand and is comfortable to grip. Much of that is because the fingers naturally find their way, the lack of sharp corners anywhere and the well rounded back of the handle. That feature is extra important on small to medium sized knives since the back end of the handle often ends up in the palm when in use. 

The handle is quite a hand filler for its size due to to the thickness of 13 millimeters. Since the handle is basically a stick with a finger choil it works in all grips and doesn't tell you how to hold it. That's the way I want it in an EDC-knife. Handles shouldn't have "opinions" and tell you what to do. 

Opening and lock

Parrot opens via thumb studs that functions really well. They are of a classical pyramid shape and provides good traction but feels somewhat pointy after a while. They could have been rounded off a tiny bit more. A good thing about them is that they don't protrude so much so that they end up getting caught on everything. They are also easy to find without having to fumble.

As mentioned before they are also out of the slicing path when working with the knife. Good job there QSP.

The thumb studs are easy to get to and function well but could be more rounded 

To begin with, the knife was a bit sticky to open and didn't bring any joy as a fidget toy. I, therefore, disassembled it and wiped out the factory grease and replaced it with a drop of oil. Now the knife is lightning fast. It is almost hard not to flick open once the detent let go. 

The lock isn't this knife's absolute strength. There is a minute tendency
to lock rock under some circumstances. But the lock is very secure

The Parrot is equipped with a liner lock made out of steel. It is hands down one of mine favorite lock types on budget knives. Much because simpler frame locks usually mean steel handles which spells "heavy".

The lock works and does so without major remarks. The lock bar doesn't slide under load and there is no blade play on this knife. Or to be more precise almost no blad play. IF you open the knife in a very slow fashion there is a tendency to play up and down if you provoke the blade. The spring tension simply doesn't let the lock bar travel far enough up the base of the blade. But the lock doesn't fail even during a blade whack. And if you open the knife a bit more speedy this problem doesn't occur.

To carry

In pocket, this knife has it's pros and cons. The Parrot stays in place and it's not impossible to pull out and put away. The G10 is slick enough not to interfere. The handle is not high but is rather bulky which sometimes makes it feel like you are carrying a much larger knife in your pocket. The weight is below 100 grams and that is decent for a knife with an 8 cm blade. The angle of the clip makes the knife sit rather upright in the pocket and that combined with a soft back of the handle prevents it from chewing on your hand when it searches for keys and stuff in the same pocket.

A functional but  very visible clip

The clip is decent. It keeps the knife in place and works with most fabrics. A small drawback is that the tip of the clip is slightly angled outwards which I'm not a great believer in. It can, therefore, feel a bit sharp if your hand come into contact with it. But in this case, the clip is saved by having a rather low profile so that it doesn't stick out too much. It also makes it comfortable in the hand when using the knife.

A little less good is the choice of having a double row of screws holding the clip. It makes for a lot of knife sticking out of the pocket. Good for those that feel that is necessary for a good grip when pulling the knife. Not as good for the rest of us that don't need that and don't want our knives to be seen as much.

The clip can be moved from right to left side but tip up only. Most people prefer it that way anyhow it seems. 

To conclude

As I said already to begin with this is a knife that ends up in the same category as it's more well-known rival the RAT2 from OKC. All in all, I think it can take that comparison rather well and in some areas the Parrot even surpasses the competition I must say.

QSP Parrot -  a very practical little knife with a high potential in its price category

What we have here is a simple and straightforward EDC-knife so the Parrot is not hard to classify. Both shape and materials scream usage and in this case, that's a good thing. I do what it is supposed to do and do so well and with that price tag you don't cry your heart out if you happen to lose it or hard use it.

The Parrot has landed. I think I got a new pet

But sure you can argue that this is the equivalent of a Hyundai Getz or Toyota Corolla of the knife world. It isn't provocative in any way. The design is hardly extreme and the materials are simple. But despite that I really like it. The ergonomics are good and it have an versatile blade shape which together forms a practical little fellow. Actually I much prefer the handle of this knife over the RAT2. All this is of course necessary traits for a knife not made to show off. Then I would have liked to see a small drop in blade stock thickness down to 2,5 or even 2 mm for a more cut efficient knife. But already as is the Parrots beak bites hard.

QSP Parrot is definitely a candidate for the one who seeks a simple, well-built pocket knife for EDC-usage. I you add price to the equation it is all of a sudden a serious contender in the budget class. It costs around $21 in most places as I write this.  

Link to the product page.


Specification:

Total Length: 185 mm
Folded Length: 102 mm
Weight: 90 g
Blade Length: 80 mm
Blade Thickness: mm
Blade steel: 440C, 58-60 HRC
Handle: G10 over a steel frame
Lock: Linerlock

Produced by: QSP, manufactured in China.


/ J - the birdwatcher

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