Knife Review Two Sun TS134 Shockwave

-  mostly good with some imperfections

Two Sun is a brand that is no slouch when it comes to the rate of production. On some occasions, I've said that you should keep an eye on their designations. They have now passed two hundred with a good margin. What they also have done is widened their number of collaborations with different knife designers. Recently, they are also marketed in more places than just Chinese sales sites and their eBay-store. Now you can also buy Two Sun through Amazon or at Whitemountain Knives for instance.

Today we are going to take a look at a knife that is not the most recent from them but still fairly new, number 134. 

Two Sun TS134 Shockwave

With this knife, American designer Shan Hassan, also known as Tepe Designs, continues with his collaborations with Two Sun Knives. The first meeting between them resulted in the model TS128 Dynamo that I previously reviewed. The latest ones are the cigar cutter TS 179 Perfecto and TS180 Vortex.

But in between came this knife called the Shockwave, which we shall now examine more closely. 

A rather elegant beast with a very comfortable handle 

Twitter version: Two Sun Shockwave, a knife for those who like their forward finger choils!

Blade

The blade shape itself is not extraordinary on this knife. But the design offers details that make it quite unique anyway. Basically, it's a drop point that measures 7,6 centimeters or 3 inches in length and is 2,85 centimeters high. No extreme proportions but more pronounced is the blade stock that is as thick as 4 millimeters. As pronounced is the forward finger choil which is quite large compared to the other dimensions.

Also, the blade has a swedge on top and for some unclear reason an elongated whole. Another characteristic of the blade that makes it deviate a bit from most is that the back is almost straight with just a gentle slope which gives a very distinct belly. In the same way that can be found on, for example, many knives designed by Jesper Voxnaes. 

Shockwave offers a drop point with a pronounced belly and a swedge. And, of course, a
giant finger choil

The steel is of top quality in the form of M390 from Böhler/Uddeholm. I have some experience of this steel in Two Sun's version since before. But that is from such a small knife that the benefit of a so-called super steel is not noticed. But in this case, it means that the knife stays sharp for a really long time. The blade also did not develop any rust or staining during the test period. That despite me cutting some salty Christmas ham where I also forgot to clean the blade afterward at some occasion.

So from what I can tell the steel feels well balanced even though it doesn't feel like it is extremely hard. At least that is the impression you got if you use sharpening rods or strop the blade. 

On this side steel type and Tepe Designs logo can be found

The factory edge was more than decent. It passed the initial tests with ease and it's even and symmetrical. Something that is perhaps more important than sharpness since the latter is a detail that is easier to fix. The knife blade has been given a fairly high flat grind that elegantly merges into the swedge and the flat of the blade.

Otherwise, it can be said that this knife has a rather robust tip that works for most tasks. It is positioned quite high in relation to the handle, almost like a skinning blade. As is often the case with knives from Two Sun, they are not the thinnest behind the edge. They seem to aim more towards durable edges than cutting performance in general. I measured this knife to around 0,5 mm behind the edge.

Handle

Softly rounded, sweeping lines and with an elegant bottom. No, I do not describe a Jaguar E-Type but the handle on the Shockwave. Tepe Designs has managed to make a handle that is stylish, personal and comfortable. 

A handle as comfortable as a well-used couch



The handle is softly rounded and fairly wide. The backspacer 
is made of titanium as well

The material is TC4-titanium which is what Two Sun uses the most. On the surface, you find a finely milled pattern and over it some grooves which both are decorative and adds som traction. To make it a bit more luxurious the handle is anodized to a copper tone. The sides are internally weight relieved and put together with two screws in a backspacer also made out of titanium.  

All types of grips work

The good ergonomics come from the uncomplicated shape, vaulted sides and plenty of space. There is room for all of my fingers and the curvy booty excellently supports the little finger. Possibly the edges could be even a bit more rounded around that area. But that is nitpicking.

The clip that I otherwise do not appreciate is out of the way when working with the knife. Perhaps you can feel a little but it's not bothersome. 

Opening and Lock

Almost every knife produced by Two Sun is flipper operated. There are exceptions, however, and more recently they launched more and more slip joints. What I sometimes miss is a thumb opened knife or two. But since they practiced so much at building flipper knives they are now really good at it in their factory in Yangjiang, China. The flipper mechanism on this one is very well made and the result is really snappy action. It's a result of a crisp detent and good placement of the flipper tab. It should be noted that this is a "light switch" flipper only. If you try to push it nothing will happen.

A flipper tab, a very efficient method of opening in this case



What the hole in the blade is for is more unclear. It fooled me
since it can't be used to open the knife

I earlier hinted that the reason for putting a hole in the blade is diffuse. The only reason I can think of is appearance. The resistance of the detent ball is completely adapted for flipper opening and it is therefore impossible to open the blade with the use of the thumb. It annoys me because it looks and is positioned as if it was supposed to work as an alternative opening method. 

The lock is very secure and sturdy. Perhaps a tad bit difficult
to release

Locks are something else Two Sun is good at. In this case, it is not as luxurious as they can be as they often make the cut out for the lock bar on the inside. Here it is found on the outside. But otherwise, it is very nicely done. The milled grooves on the handle extend all the way over the lock bar and the cut is thin and made with precision. As usual, the knife comes with an elegantly executed combination of overtravel stop and lock bar steel re-inforcement. Both guarantee a long service life.

The function itself is exemplary with one exception. The lock is not entirely easy to release. For the sake of symmetry, there is no recess in the handle-side opposite the lock bar. In return, there are smaller recesses on the inside of the handle to give more room for the thumb. But it is a very sturdy lock up. No blade play in any direction and the sound it makes when engaging is very satisfying.

To Carry

Shockwave is so-so to carry. Not completely hopeless but not the most pocket-friendly either. Not too heavy but no lightweight. The shape is quite rounded as mentioned before but it is quite thick measuring 14 millimeters in that dimension. This is especially noticeable as the width is found at the back of the handle. This is also the highest part with over three centimeters. 

The clip is quite good looking but a bit of a miss anyway

But the most annoying is the clip. It is, simply put, not good. It's a little straight clip of the "sculpted titanium" type. These designs can offer both highs and lows. In this case, I feel it should have been tested a little more in real life and not just in a CAD-program. One of the problems is that the lip is too small for it to be easily passed over the edge of a pocket. The spring tension doesn't impress either, but what really makes things worse is the pattern beneath the clip.

The milled grooves have very distinct edges which makes them look good but they are relatively sharp. In combination with a stiff clip that really rubs hard on fabric and makes it unnecessarily hard to get the knife in place. 

The lip of the clip is small and the edge falls right into the pattern below, 
which is unfortunate

Once in place, quite a bit of the knife is visible, as is often the case with these kinds of clips. Not extremely so in this case but on the other hand, it is the widest part of the handle that shows. The clip itself is otherwise very subtle in appearance.

To Conclude

There are plenty of good things to say about Shockwave. It is as usual from Two Sun a very well built knife. It is also made from really high-quality materials and shows a clear design language. You can see that this is a creation from Tepe Designs. Add to that a very ergonomic handle that is also good looking with that anodized bronze tone.

Shockwave, a stylish knife with its own design language made of excellent materials

But there are a few details and choices I don't fully appreciate. First, the clip is less good. It is a bit carelessly designed with too small a ramp, not enough springiness, and above all with a sharp pattern where it makes contact with the handle. It makes it difficult to pull and put away the knife. It needs an overhaul.

However, the main problem is found elsewhere. I realize that making such a big forward finger choil is a conscious design choice and not a mistake, but it is not one I appreciate for several reasons.

The problem for me is mainly that it is not needed at all because the handle is large enough to accommodate my entire hand anyway. On really small knives it is otherwise as a well-known way of making short handles feel bigger. Another argument that is often emphasized is that it is easier to do detail work with this feature. That would not have been a problem in the first place if you made the edge go all the way to the handle instead of this giant void in the blade.

The consequence is twofold with this solution. For one, you get a very inefficient use of space since the edge length is short compared to the overall length of the knife. Secondly and more important you have to use the finger choil when performing certain tasks, whether you like it or not. With such a crater at the base of the blade most risk getting stuck in there while cutting. Not fun at all when cutting cardboard or fabric for instance.

What happens now is that the knife suffers from the same phenomenon as early Striders. A large knife with a very little edge. I'm simply not a friend of those proportions. 

A Tepe Designs from Two Sun. An alternative for those who appreciate a finger choil

For these reasons, my opinion of this knife is mixed, both good and bad. For those who can ignore the clip and appreciate this type of design with a pronounced forward finger choil, this is a really good knife. After all, the blade cuts well and the handle is extremely comfortable. Everything is pretty well done in top materials so no negatives in that department. It is also an elaborated knife. For example, Two Sun has chosen to make the side vaulted, they are well chamfered and fitted with two different mill patterns as well as bronze anodization.

It's also a good looking knife having harmonious lines and a look of its own. The price of this knife is around 120$ but the price can vary if you buy it at auctions, of course.

Specification:

Length, Overall: 183 mm

Length, Folded: 110 mm

Weight: 134 g

Blade Length: 67 mm

Blade Thickness: 4 mm

Blade Steel: Böhler/Uddeholm M390

Handle: TC4-titanium

Lock: titanium frame lock with overtravel stop and lock bar re-inforcement

Produced by: Two Sun, made in China

/ J - barely missed by a Shockwave

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