Knife review Two Sun TS128 Dynamo

- the competition better watch out

This knife is a splendid example of how Two Sun steadily expands and broaden their catalog. The basics are easily recognizable since it is a flipper knife with a frame lock in titanium and a blade that runs on bearings. Nothing out of the ordinary so far, not to the market nor to Two Suns production. But besides that, this knife isn't that typical for them. The blade steel is neither their go to D2 nor the luxury choice M390 and the presentation side of this knife is made of carbon fiber instead of the much more common titanium or simpler G10. For sure they have made some models in this material before but they are not many. 

The knife in question and today's focus has got number 128 and is named "Dynamo".

Two Sun TS128 "Dynamo"

Besides using some materials outside their box Two Sun also looked elsewhere for the design. Most of the models are from the minds of either "Night Morning Design" or "Wong Design". But the Dynamo is the result of a cooperation with Tepe Designs. 

Not the usual suspects when it comes to materials

Twitter version: A small but powerful Dynamo in the solar power plant

Blade

The blade shape is something as unusual as what in knife nomenclature is described as "straight". It's not a drop point but the back of this blade lacks curvature. That results in a lot of belly to work with despite being a small blade. The drawback of this type of shape is that the tip ends up rather high in relation to the handle. And the tip isn't as....eh....eh pointy! You basically end up with a very small skinning blade. Good for sweeping cuts and less focused on penetration. That is the theory anyhow.

The spine of the blade is completely straight which gives a lot of belly for a small blade

As mentioned above Two Sun has chosen to depart from their most commonly used steels. Normally they stick to D2 in the simpler knives and Böhler/Uddeholms M390 in their more exclusive offerings. But with this knife they opted for another "super steel" and that is Crucibles advanced powder steel S90V. That is a steel with a solid reputation in the knife community but is actually new to me.

From that steel, they crafted a blade that measures 63 mm in length. The blade is 22 mm high and 3,5 mm thick. The grind is almost totally flat. The factory edge was by the way rather good, really sharp, even and symmetrical. On this knife, the maker has also got the heel right. The sharpening choil extends outside the plunge-line.

Besides going for somewhat unusual steel they also highlighted this by using a dark tumbled finish instead of their normal polished satin. It gives the blade a darker grayish look. To match the simplicity of the rest of the design they have also shrunk the logo which is hardly visible on this blade. On the opposite side, you find Tepe Designs wings in the same small format. All in all a very nice looking blade.

The knife had a good factory edge and here I managed to nick it

This little blade is a joy to work with. So much so that I even found myself whittling some smaller stuff with it. The blade shape combined with the edge close to the handle gives good control and also power when cutting into harder stuff like wood. But of course, such a short and small handle don't give enough leverage to really push hard. But that ain't what small folders are for anyway so I just consider it a bonus that you are able to.

In less demanding more "EDC"-like materials like thick paper, cardboard and plastics there are no problems at all. The relative thin blade stock paired with a good edge geometry (the blade measures ?? behind the edge) makes for a good cutter that makes these kinds of tasks a breeze. The same can be said about harder plastics, zip-ties and the like. But of course, sometimes you can't help noticing that Dynamo is a small knife with a short blade. Where a slightly bigger knife could have done with one cut you have to make two.

Penetration is decent. The tip isn't acute and not centered in relation to the handle but sharp enough and you can get some power behind by putting the rounded back end of the handle in your palm and then push.

Handle

This knife is a typical example of how it looks when a folding knife has a distinct presentation side and a back/lock side. In general, I'm not too keen on that solution. Personally, I much prefer when both sides kind of remind of each other. But in this case, the combination works unusually well. Probably because the designer gave it some thought and added some details that make the two sides look more cohesive. Things that enhance that impression is the chamfering which is the same on both sides and the two attachment points of this knife. The screws are through bolts which of course makes for the same position for the screw heads on both sides. That gives the knife a more harmonic appearance despite different materials and colors.

A "candy bar handle". It almost always works 

What defines this knife is simplicity. Paradoxically that is not always easy to accomplish when it comes to making folding knives. In this case that has been done by just using two attachment points for the entire knife. One pivot screw and one bolt at the back of the handle. The latter is a through-bolt and acts as an anchor point both for the titanium back spacer and the clip. A smart solution that allows for only three screws in total for the entire knife if you count the one holding the lock bar reinforcement.

This kind of construction requires high precision in a knife build. That also makes for a knife that is very easy to disassemble and more importantly re-assemble again. The screw heads are standard T8s and deep enough to not become round when adjusting your knife.

The materials are TC4 titanium for the lock side and the presentation side is made out of one piece of massive carbon fiber. The CF is characterized by very high quality totally free of voids. At least on this specimen. Actually, among the better carbon fiber, I've seen in parity with models from more well-known makers as Fox TUR or Spyderco Kapara. 

With the fingers behind the flipper tab, this becomes
a three finger knife



But a finger can easily be placed over the flipper
and then there is room for the entire hand



With a full grip, it's possible to put some force behind
the cuts despite Dynamo being a small knife

The shape of the handle is kept simple too. It is a "candy bar"-type but with a waist. If you place your index finger behind the flipper tab Dynamo becomes a "three finger knife" and a capable one at that. But a quirky detail can be found in the shape of the flipper tab, something I will discuss later. But it's so rounded that you can put a finger on top of it. If so it provides increased traction and as a bonus, you get more space for your hand. Enough to accommodate all four fingers. The usable space including the flipper tab is 9 cm and without a tad under 7,5 cm. A phenomenon that is very common on flipper knives. Traditional flipper fins are space thieves.

Once you figured that out all grips works just fine due to the basic shape. This becomes especially obvious since the edge is kept close to the handle which combined with the shape and grind of the blade makes it possible to put some force behind the cuts given the modest format. The Dynamo is a good cutter.

I'm not that fond of one thing however and that is how close the edge is to the back of the handle when the knife is closed. There ain't much space between the very sharp edge and the semi-open back of the handle. I suspect that slimmer fingertips than mine can be nicked if not careful.

Opening and lock

The opening method is hardly unique since Dynamo is what is often called a "TFF" - Titanium Frame lock Flipper among others in that regard. But the shape of the flipper tab itself is all the more different and therefore interesting. It is almost completely rounded and forms a semicircle. This shape gives a couple of advantages but also some limitation. The latter is mostly that you can't use the "push button method" but have to pull back on the flipper tab to activate the blade. But when you do there is nothing wrong with the speed of this knife. It might not be the fastest on the market but good enough. The notches on the flipper tab give ample traction so there is no imminent risk of slipping. The rounded shape is also nice to your fingertip.

A rather friendly flipper fin, especially when the knife is pocketed

Then it was the benefits that this shape provides. The first is noticed when the knife is resting in a pocket. Since the knife lacks that proud and aggressively protruding flipper fin most folders of this type have it is very amicable and friendly. The rounded look also harmonizes with the shape of the handle.

The second advantage this shape gives is discovered once you get to hold and use the knife. Instead of stealing space needed for the hand you can, as mentioned before, hold Dynamo with a finger on top of the flipper tab. This makes for a sturdy hammer grip and a good saber grip.

A minor detail that was a bit annoying initially was that the power of the blade combined with how the knife is constructed made the pivot unscrew itself rather promptly and repeatedly. This gave rise to a bit of sideways blade play. However, this was effectively put to an end by a small drop of thread locking.

A sturdy lock with no remarks

If the flipper tab was a bit deviant, the lock is all the more streamlined. It is a frame lock in titanium with the almost mandatory additions of a replaceable lock bar insert in steel and an overtravel stop. I don't mind the lock being standardized since Two Sun both on this model and most others have succeeded both with the looks and the function of their locks. Simply put, they know how to make a proper frame lock by now.

I don't always find an overtravel stop necessary but in this case and with other similar sized knives they fulfill a function. Without it, the diminutive format actually makes it possible to bend the lock bar out of shape if you are careless when closing the knife

And speaking of closing knives, doing so with the Dynamo isn't impossible but not the most pleasant experience either. In order to keep the overall lines of this knife intact, there is nothing done to facilitate easier access to the lock bar. Instead, you have to fiddle with the soft parts of your thumb and get it into the frame and push in a forty-five-degree angle outwards and away to release the blade. The procedure is somewhat eased by the lock bar not being so strong. But it could be easier for sure.

In all other aspects, the lock is doing exactly what is supposed to. It never fails to engage, it locks with at a sturdy 50 percent, doesn't slip or slide during use and have no play in any direction. The function itself is thereby flawless.

The ball bearings make the blade fall into place rather nicely but initially, the knife felt kind of gritty. Both the bearings and the detent ball needed cleaning and some proper oil. Some wear and usage also contributed to "tame" the knife. The action is getting smoother and smoother. I suspect that it is the detent ball against the blade that needs some breaking in.

To carry

Dynamo weighs in at 80 grams which is light. Add to that modest dimensions with a handle under four inches that is all rounded corners and smooth surfaces and you got a really discreet pocket carry. The knife is hardly noted where it sits.

The clip is both good looking and almost invisible in hand. It is also totally hopeless

As excellent as the knife feels in the pocket as hard it is to get there. I have heard others say that Two Sun mixes highs and lows when it comes to clips. In general, I think they are doing better than average even with their sculpted titanium clip or rather especially with them. It is one of the spring clips I really dislike. But this is certainly not the case here.

The clip is good looking alright. It fits the knife's theme with its chamfered edges and centered placement. And the size I don't recognize as a drawback per se, especially since that means it's very discreet when using the knife. No hot spots here. But the tiny format brings some severe limitations as well.

One is that the lip that is supposed to glide over the edges of fabrics is very tight and that goes for the space below the clip as well. Luckily it has been mostly warm weather around here during the testing period which means cargo shorts and the like for me. But even those rather thin materials is a challenge for this little clip.

Once the knife is in place the clip works just fine. 
To get it there is a struggle though

Most of the time you have to use two hands and coax the knife sideways and thus get the clip over the fabric. Not satisfying at all. Sure, you can get the knife into jeans pockets as well but it takes some effort.

For the same reasons, this knife is not easy to get out of the pocket. The clip wants to linger at the edge of the pocket and calls for a little jerk to free it. This has lead to that I most often carry the knife lose in a pocket instead. But I strongly suspect that is not the idea behind the clip.

To conclude

Two Sun is a company with a very high production rate and they do experiment a lot with blade types and handle shapes. Lately, they also added more slip joints to their catalog. Since before Two Sun have some very advanced knives put together without screws and also integrals in their line-up. They also continue to mix sizes which I really like. Partly because not all knives have to be huge and partly it better matches different jurisdictions around the world.

With Dynamo they have taken another step towards a more diverse catalog. More designers are involved and new steel types are added. We welcome Tepe Designs and CPM S90V to the family. 

A small but hot knife from Tepe Designs and Two Sun

Two Sun has done a rather good job with the steel from what I experienced so far. It keeps its sharpness for a long time which suggests that hardening and heat treatment are done correctly. But I want to emphasize that I'm no expert in steels**. I look at them from a pure user- and a practical perspective. That is daily use (EDC), camping and other outdoor activities. I don't do specific steel tests in order to test their limits.

Everything is not sunshine even with Two Suns around though. There are some small details that could be better. The bearings needed some cleaning and breaking in in order to work smoothly and the lock bar could be more accessible. But mostly the negative critique I have is aiming at the clip. It isn't good. There is no polite way to say it. It is the epitome of bad sculpted titanium clips. The short version is that it's very good looking but not properly functioning. Another detail that could be improved is how deep the blade sits in the handle. The distance between the sharpened edge and the partly open back is too small and thin fingers can touch the blade. Not very likely but possible.

Except for that, the Dynamo is a very pleasant acquaintance. I really like the looks that are clean and consistent with nice harmony between the blade and handle. In general I prefer satin finished blades but in this case, it's nice with some variety.

Less is more they say and that certainly goes for this model. The elements of decoration are sparse and the labeling discreet which contributes to an air of elegance. Some extra flare is instead added through the use of high-class materials. The carbon fiber has a nice deep shine to it and is well shaped and finished.

Dynamo, a flipper knife for the carbon fiber connaisseur

The materials also reflect on how the knife feels and behaves. This little knife actually begs for some work. You can even do some carving without the Dynamo making a fool of itself even if it is, of course, against the EDC-segment it is targeted. The candy bar of a handle functions well despite being modest.

I have noticed recently that the prices on Two Suns main sales channel, auctions on eBay, are steadily on the rise. It's not only me that appreciate this brand it seems. If you don't like bidding and waiting you can buy them at fixed prices on Amazon*** and on some Chinese web sites.

Dynamo from Two Sun is a knife I recommend for those who like modern "TFF"-knives in top-notch materials but won't or can't pay a fortune for them. What you get besides super steel, carbon fiber and titanium is very clean aesthetics and really good function. When it comes to everything but the clip that is. 

Specifications:

Length overall: 6,1" (155 mm)

Length folded: 3,6" (91 mm)

Weight: 80 g

Blade length: 2,5" (63,5 mm)

Blade thickness: 3,5 mm

Blade Steel: CPM S90V

Handle: Kolfiber/TC4-titan

Lock: Frame lock with overtravel stop and steel insert 

Produced by: Two Sun, made in China

/ J -testing a little power plant


* The steels used by Two Sun have been tested both for composition and hardness and they deliver what is promised. 
** When it comes to "hardcore" steel testing there are entire YouTube-channels and Instagram accounts that are wholeheartedly devoted to this mission. 
*** Found on Amazon for 145$ when I wrote this. 

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