- when a detail becomes crucial
This model represents a different type of knife than the ones I previously encountered from Ruike. The last one I wrote about was a heavy-duty multifunction knife. My first contact with the brand was the previously reviewed P128SF. Another model from Ruike that became well known was the P801. It was often referred to as one of the better knives in the budget class some years ago. What characterizes them both is that they are all-steel knives. Ruike also released a successful knife with an actual name, the Hussar. Besides having a name it has G10 scales. However, all the aforementioned models including the Hussar have in common that they are quite large.
That's where today's review object differs from them. It has sides made out of carbon fiber and above all, it's rather small. It also offers some details worth looking into. Here are my thoughts on the Ruike P671-CB.
Ruike P671-CB
This knife is presented on Ruikes web page as a "/../ convenient and practical portable, spare knife" (Sic!). When it comes to measurements it is quite modest truth be told. It remains to be seen if it is both practical, easy to carry and suitable as a "spare knife", whatever they mean by that.
Ruike P671 boasts a rather elegant profile
Twitter version: Ruike P671CB, the knife that feels as confused as the name is designation is hard to remember
This model represents a different type of knife than the ones I previously encountered from Ruike. The last one I wrote about was a heavy-duty multifunction knife. My first contact with the brand was the previously reviewed P128SF. Another model from Ruike that became well known was the P801. It was often referred to as one of the better knives in the budget class some years ago. What characterizes them both is that they are all-steel knives. Ruike also released a successful knife with an actual name, the Hussar. Besides having a name it has G10 scales. However, all the aforementioned models including the Hussar have in common that they are quite large.
That's where today's review object differs from them. It has sides made out of carbon fiber and above all, it's rather small. It also offers some details worth looking into. Here are my thoughts on the Ruike P671-CB.
That's where today's review object differs from them. It has sides made out of carbon fiber and above all, it's rather small. It also offers some details worth looking into. Here are my thoughts on the Ruike P671-CB.
Twitter version: Ruike P671CB, the knife that feels as confused as the name is designation is hard to remember
Blade
This knife has been given a good looking little blade. The shape is a drop-point with a swedge on top. The finish is some sort of bead blast and the steel is the by Ruike often used 14C28N from Sandvik. A so-called "budget steel" which I'm pretty fond of. It does not rust as much as the now otherwise so popular D2 steels. A definite plus for an EDC-oriented knife in my eyes.
The blade has been provided with text in abundance.
The blade length is 70 mm and the thickness 3,5 mm. And here the knife stumbled already on the first hurdle. The blade got a 15 mm high saber ground. That combined with the angle leaves much steel behind the pretty pronounced primary edge. The result is a rather set and cocky knife with an ax-like blade geometry. To what benefit when it is then combined with a handle that makes heavier cutting impossible, one may wonder.
And for those who are pondering about what I mean by "heavier", I refer to materials like thicker rope, carpet, leather but most of all wood.
Of the steel, 14C28N from Sandvik, you, unfortunately, get a little too much.
The knife had gained from having thinner stock and/or a more aggressive grind
What you end up with is a small knife with a blade not really optimized for small tasks. But of course, you can cut the usual stuff like string, cardboard and the like. It is also not a problem to open the box with the latest shipment of knives. The P671 just doesn't excel at it.
That makes me a bit disappointed since based on pictures alone this little knife seems to be an excellent EDC-choice for handling everyday chores. But it is still the next area and not the blade that destroys the preconditions for a successful partnership between me and this knife.
The blade has been provided with text in abundance.
The blade length is 70 mm and the thickness 3,5 mm. And here the knife stumbled already on the first hurdle. The blade got a 15 mm high saber ground. That combined with the angle leaves much steel behind the pretty pronounced primary edge. The result is a rather set and cocky knife with an ax-like blade geometry. To what benefit when it is then combined with a handle that makes heavier cutting impossible, one may wonder.
And for those who are pondering about what I mean by "heavier", I refer to materials like thicker rope, carpet, leather but most of all wood.
The knife had gained from having thinner stock and/or a more aggressive grind
That makes me a bit disappointed since based on pictures alone this little knife seems to be an excellent EDC-choice for handling everyday chores. But it is still the next area and not the blade that destroys the preconditions for a successful partnership between me and this knife.
Handle
Two things immediately strike the viewer when looking at this handle. One is the material on the sides which is some variant of glossy carbon fiber. To be more precise, it is a carbon fiber laminate reminiscent of what for example Ganzo uses. A slippery material. The other is the distinctive piece of steel with a gear pattern on top that constitutes the backspacer and also includes a lanyard hole.
It shouldn't be there. At least not in this format, big and clumsy as it is. The result is a rather unbalanced knife or rather a back heavy one. The balance point is found somewhere at the back of the finger groove. With this design and length of handle that is a third into the handle. Some prefer back heavy knives, but I do not belong to them.
The sides are made of a carbon fiber laminate
Otherwise, the knife is built on a steel frame that has been lightened. But obviously that is not enough to save the balance in this case but it, of course, contributes to less weight overall. In total, 104 grams. That is not a frightening figure but on the other hand, this is a small knife not measuring more than 16 cm opened. So in with that in mind, the weight is not impressively low. For example, that is more than one of the kings in this class, the Spyderco Techno, a knife made entirely of metal.
The massive backspacer contributes to making this knife unbalanced
The real Achilles heel of the handle is not found by looking at the knife or even weighing it though, but gripping it. The design itself is, unfortunately, flawed. Or at least really not made for my hand size.
Firstly, the handle feels strangely round or perhaps more square-ish. That's because of the cross-section. The handle is about 14 mm wide and 20-24 mm high depending on where the measurements are taken. These proportions together with the sides being completely flat and not chamfered in any way, give the slightly clumsy impression. All edges are certainly rounded so they don't feel sharp or so.
But what really messes things up is the way the finger guard is shaped. In front of it, you will find an area that is too big for a standard sharpening choil but too small to fit a finger whereby it turns to partially unused space.
No matter how I grip this knife it's a three-finger handle for me
Even worse is that this is accompanied by a finger groove that is the result of poor design. The backward sweeping line of the finger guard steals too much grip space as it is. And then the angle of the finger groove pushes the hand backward which is something I never appreciate. On this knife, that trait is extremely clear.
That transforms P671CB to a "three-finger knife" for me. And in that category, it is way too big! It belongs to knives such as ZT 0022 and Spyderco Manbug just to name a few.
Such a weak grip makes it impossible to use force at all and as previously stated, the blade geometry is not focused on slicing. So that makes me wonder what the knife is for?
Opening and lock
This knife has multiple opening methods. Or at least two, a front flipper and thumb studs. The front flipper is really good with a decent snap to it due to a lot of leverage and a fine-tuned detent ball. Unfortunately, it is precisely the same properties that make for a less good thumb opener. It is possible to slow-roll the blade open but to do so you must learn to push quite hard downwards instead of the more common out/forward. If you use a more conventional motion nothing happens at first and when you push harder the blade really flyes out. But that's perhaps the intention? If so you have two ways of open your knife really fast.
The thumb studs are unusually large, mostly because they have a ring of G10 around them. They give a decent amount of traction and that is needed to overcome that detent. When the knife is open the thumb studs are a bit too far out on the blade for my taste even if there are worse sinners.
The knife can be opened both with a front flipper and thumb studs. That is one method too many
The blade is held open by a steel liner lock. Simple, well made and just functioning. In that area, Ruike has brought the experience from past successes and not complicated anything. Obviously, they mastered locking mechanisms made of this material. The lock bar falls into place with a distinct sound and the lock keeps the blade in a firm grip. No play whatsoever in any direction. The lock bar is also easy to access as well as to disengage. All boxes can thus be ticked off and the reviewer can breathe a sigh of relief.
Two things immediately strike the viewer when looking at this handle. One is the material on the sides which is some variant of glossy carbon fiber. To be more precise, it is a carbon fiber laminate reminiscent of what for example Ganzo uses. A slippery material. The other is the distinctive piece of steel with a gear pattern on top that constitutes the backspacer and also includes a lanyard hole.
It shouldn't be there. At least not in this format, big and clumsy as it is. The result is a rather unbalanced knife or rather a back heavy one. The balance point is found somewhere at the back of the finger groove. With this design and length of handle that is a third into the handle. Some prefer back heavy knives, but I do not belong to them.
Otherwise, the knife is built on a steel frame that has been lightened. But obviously that is not enough to save the balance in this case but it, of course, contributes to less weight overall. In total, 104 grams. That is not a frightening figure but on the other hand, this is a small knife not measuring more than 16 cm opened. So in with that in mind, the weight is not impressively low. For example, that is more than one of the kings in this class, the Spyderco Techno, a knife made entirely of metal.
The real Achilles heel of the handle is not found by looking at the knife or even weighing it though, but gripping it. The design itself is, unfortunately, flawed. Or at least really not made for my hand size.
Firstly, the handle feels strangely round or perhaps more square-ish. That's because of the cross-section. The handle is about 14 mm wide and 20-24 mm high depending on where the measurements are taken. These proportions together with the sides being completely flat and not chamfered in any way, give the slightly clumsy impression. All edges are certainly rounded so they don't feel sharp or so.
But what really messes things up is the way the finger guard is shaped. In front of it, you will find an area that is too big for a standard sharpening choil but too small to fit a finger whereby it turns to partially unused space.
No matter how I grip this knife it's a three-finger handle for me
Even worse is that this is accompanied by a finger groove that is the result of poor design. The backward sweeping line of the finger guard steals too much grip space as it is. And then the angle of the finger groove pushes the hand backward which is something I never appreciate. On this knife, that trait is extremely clear.
That transforms P671CB to a "three-finger knife" for me. And in that category, it is way too big! It belongs to knives such as ZT 0022 and Spyderco Manbug just to name a few.
Such a weak grip makes it impossible to use force at all and as previously stated, the blade geometry is not focused on slicing. So that makes me wonder what the knife is for?
Opening and lock
This knife has multiple opening methods. Or at least two, a front flipper and thumb studs. The front flipper is really good with a decent snap to it due to a lot of leverage and a fine-tuned detent ball. Unfortunately, it is precisely the same properties that make for a less good thumb opener. It is possible to slow-roll the blade open but to do so you must learn to push quite hard downwards instead of the more common out/forward. If you use a more conventional motion nothing happens at first and when you push harder the blade really flyes out. But that's perhaps the intention? If so you have two ways of open your knife really fast.
The thumb studs are unusually large, mostly because they have a ring of G10 around them. They give a decent amount of traction and that is needed to overcome that detent. When the knife is open the thumb studs are a bit too far out on the blade for my taste even if there are worse sinners.
The knife can be opened both with a front flipper and thumb studs. That is one method too many
The blade is held open by a steel liner lock. Simple, well made and just functioning. In that area, Ruike has brought the experience from past successes and not complicated anything. Obviously, they mastered locking mechanisms made of this material. The lock bar falls into place with a distinct sound and the lock keeps the blade in a firm grip. No play whatsoever in any direction. The lock bar is also easy to access as well as to disengage. All boxes can thus be ticked off and the reviewer can breathe a sigh of relief.
The liner lock is very well made and quite sturdy
It can be said that the life span of locks made with steel on steel can be expected to be long-lasting. And that the 2 mm thickness of the frame makes for a strong lock especially since Ruike has chosen not to thin out the lock bar at all. Instead, they have prolonged the cut for the lock bar to make it longer and thereby flex.
The liner lock is very well made and quite sturdy
It can be said that the life span of locks made with steel on steel can be expected to be long-lasting. And that the 2 mm thickness of the frame makes for a strong lock especially since Ruike has chosen not to thin out the lock bar at all. Instead, they have prolonged the cut for the lock bar to make it longer and thereby flex.
To Carry
As said earlier Ruike P671CB is a little chubby knife. It's the thickness of the handle sides, the fact that the frame is not recessed in them and the blade stock that contributes to that. This means that the knife measures almost one and a half centimeters across the back distributed over nine centimeters in length.
That is however not noticeable when carrying the knife. Nor is there anything else protruding and causes discomfort.
The weight is not much to talk about. Around a hundred grams is rather normal for a pocket knife. Or even on the lower end of things. It's more about how that particular weight is distributed that is of importance. In this case, back heavy. But that is nothing that is noted in a pocket. On the contrary, the knife carries rather well actually.
Ruike's version of a "deep carry clip" is good but very visible
Much of that merit can be attributed to Ruike's somewhat standardized deep carry clip. It is well designed and the smooth material beneath allows the knife to slide both in and out of pocket with ease.
The knife rides so deep that nothing of the handle is visible. But to compensate for this, the clip has been highly polished and provided with a logotype. So, by that, all attempts at being discreet went out the window. However, you don't drop your knife once in place.
Another good thing is that the clip is not felt while working with the knife. But that is just because the knife basically only can be held in one grip. If I really try and grip the knife in an awkward hammer grip the clip is actually a hotspot. But that is more of a theoretical question so I won't critique that.
That is however not noticeable when carrying the knife. Nor is there anything else protruding and causes discomfort.
The weight is not much to talk about. Around a hundred grams is rather normal for a pocket knife. Or even on the lower end of things. It's more about how that particular weight is distributed that is of importance. In this case, back heavy. But that is nothing that is noted in a pocket. On the contrary, the knife carries rather well actually.
The knife rides so deep that nothing of the handle is visible. But to compensate for this, the clip has been highly polished and provided with a logotype. So, by that, all attempts at being discreet went out the window. However, you don't drop your knife once in place.
Another good thing is that the clip is not felt while working with the knife. But that is just because the knife basically only can be held in one grip. If I really try and grip the knife in an awkward hammer grip the clip is actually a hotspot. But that is more of a theoretical question so I won't critique that.
To Conclude
When I first saw this knife online it looked quite compelling. After all, it looks pretty good. That is especially true for the P671 in profile. And that is how you most often see knives in pictures. It looked rather slim and simplistic in a way I can appreciate sometimes. But as you know, appearances can be deceiving. What is not as apparent is that this is a chubby little rascal. That's why it is so valuable to able to handle knives before buying them.
But since most people, at least around where I live, don't have that opportunity it's good if you as knife owner share your experiences with others. That makes for a more solid foundation when considering which knives to buy. That's actually why I once started to write reviews.
In fact, this knife feels nothing in hand as it looks in pictures. With a height of two and a half centimeters at the highest and a width of one and a half centimeters, the handle is relatively squarish in cross-section. That is not proportions I'm a big friend of. What is worse though, is that both the finger guard and the wrongly designed finger choil push the whole hand backward on an already short handle. What happens then is that this becomes a three-finger knife. Compare that with say a Spyderco Techno which is actually a centimeter shorter in total than the P671 but still accommodates my entire hand.
A little three-finger knife doesn't have to be this thick and robust. It makes it unnecessarily clumsy. Also, I'm not a big fan of the handle material. It is very slippery and honestly looks rather cheap whether it is or not. It looks better in photos than reality in my opinion. It glitters ingratiating on a distance, nothing more. On the positive side, Ruike is honest on their website and tells us that this is G10 with a glued-on carbon fiber sticker.
One of the smaller knives in Ruikes growing range
Another confusing detail or perhaps solution is the double opening methods. Please, make up your mind! Now, Ruike is not the only culprit when it comes to this sin but it's no good idea to include both a flipper and thumb studs in the same knife. The problem is that to work optimally they require different resistance from the detent ball. So no matter what you do, one of the variants will suffer. It rarely ends up working as intended. In this case, the P671 is a good front flipper but a so so thumb opener.
On this knife, someone also got a bit creative on the thumb studs adding a ring of G10. I really don't see why. It does not improve function but makes them thick and cumbersome.
Ruike P671, a knife for the one who appreciates chubby cutting utensils
Unfortunately, this knife is not a favorite of mine, which may be clear by now. What do speak to me is the price which is about 40$, give or take. For that money, you get good Swedish steel, a decent handle material, a small finesse with the double opening systems, and a thumb-stud with G10 inlays and a look that is not too bad. At least not in profile. The knife is also very well built with a strong and reliable lock.
What you also get is a knife that is thicker than it needs to be and that suffers from identity problems. Should it be a front flipper or a thumb-stud opener? Then I really wonder if nobody tested the handle before release? If it is a knife aiming at the "Little Big Knife" category the handle needs to be redesigned so it can accommodate the entire hand. The alternative is making the entire knife significantly smaller.
However, Ruike has recently released a completely different knife of approximately the same size that appears to be free of the problems that his knife presents, namely the model P661/662. Roughly the same length but with G10 in the handle, thinner blade stock but the same steel, thumb studs only and no awkwardly shaped finger groove. There are also two blade types to choose from. Buy it instead!
Specification:
Length, Overall: 164 mm
Length, Folded: 94 mm
Weight: 104 g
Blade Length: 70 mm
Blade Thickness: 3,5 mm
Blade Material: 14C28N
Handle: Carbon fiber laminate over a steel frame
Lock: Liner lock
Produced by: Ruike, made in China
/ J
But since most people, at least around where I live, don't have that opportunity it's good if you as knife owner share your experiences with others. That makes for a more solid foundation when considering which knives to buy. That's actually why I once started to write reviews.
In fact, this knife feels nothing in hand as it looks in pictures. With a height of two and a half centimeters at the highest and a width of one and a half centimeters, the handle is relatively squarish in cross-section. That is not proportions I'm a big friend of. What is worse though, is that both the finger guard and the wrongly designed finger choil push the whole hand backward on an already short handle. What happens then is that this becomes a three-finger knife. Compare that with say a Spyderco Techno which is actually a centimeter shorter in total than the P671 but still accommodates my entire hand.
A little three-finger knife doesn't have to be this thick and robust. It makes it unnecessarily clumsy. Also, I'm not a big fan of the handle material. It is very slippery and honestly looks rather cheap whether it is or not. It looks better in photos than reality in my opinion. It glitters ingratiating on a distance, nothing more. On the positive side, Ruike is honest on their website and tells us that this is G10 with a glued-on carbon fiber sticker.
Another confusing detail or perhaps solution is the double opening methods. Please, make up your mind! Now, Ruike is not the only culprit when it comes to this sin but it's no good idea to include both a flipper and thumb studs in the same knife. The problem is that to work optimally they require different resistance from the detent ball. So no matter what you do, one of the variants will suffer. It rarely ends up working as intended. In this case, the P671 is a good front flipper but a so so thumb opener.
On this knife, someone also got a bit creative on the thumb studs adding a ring of G10. I really don't see why. It does not improve function but makes them thick and cumbersome.
What you also get is a knife that is thicker than it needs to be and that suffers from identity problems. Should it be a front flipper or a thumb-stud opener? Then I really wonder if nobody tested the handle before release? If it is a knife aiming at the "Little Big Knife" category the handle needs to be redesigned so it can accommodate the entire hand. The alternative is making the entire knife significantly smaller.
However, Ruike has recently released a completely different knife of approximately the same size that appears to be free of the problems that his knife presents, namely the model P661/662. Roughly the same length but with G10 in the handle, thinner blade stock but the same steel, thumb studs only and no awkwardly shaped finger groove. There are also two blade types to choose from. Buy it instead!
Specification:
Length, Overall: 164 mm
Length, Folded: 94 mm
Weight: 104 g
Blade Length: 70 mm
Blade Thickness: 3,5 mm
Blade Material: 14C28N
Handle: Carbon fiber laminate over a steel frame
Lock: Liner lock
Produced by: Ruike, made in China
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