Knife Review AKC X-Treme EVO

 -  a rare bird in the EDC-flock

An "OTF" as EDC, is that possible? This review is a first at this blog. A presentation of a spring-driven knife that propels the blade forward, what is commonly called a stiletto. Although "stiletto" is not really correct because that is actually a historical type of blade with a characteristic shape made solely for penetration. But you probably still understand what it's about.

The model, which is fairly new on the market, comes from the Italian brand AKC and their X-treme series and is called the Evo.

AKC X-treme EVO

Despite its modern materials and construction, this knife is well rooted in history. Evo, which of course is an abbreviation of Evolution, is a modern interpretation of a knife Angelo Campolin Sr. made in the seventies for German Solingen-based company Otello. Here, the shape have been modernized, which has given the knife its name.

To clarify, it can be said that AKC stands for Automatic Knives Creations and is a sister company to Maniago-based  A.G.A. Campolin. The production of the, in this context, slightly simpler AKC knives  takes place in Taiwan.

 

Twitter version: AKC X-Treme Evo, not your ordinary EDC-knife

Blade

Blade shapes on this type of knife used to be a very short chapter. They were typically equipped with some sort of dagger like blade with a single- or double edge. A very stabby blade made for penetration in other words. But not nowadays, now there are all kinds of shapes available even for OTF knives, of which Evo is a good example.

This blade is simply a slim spearpoint with a swedge towards the tip. Think big "Victorinox blade" and you end up pretty close. It is longer than you are first led to believe with its 90 millimeters. The height is 15 millimeters and the stock thickness is three millimeters. This is actually a more everyday-oriented blade than you might think at a first glance.

When you push the button a flat ground spear point blade appears

The steel found in this knife is definitely one step up from what you usually associate with these kind of knives. At least at this price point. AKC uses Japanese AUS8 in this model. 

It's not the most exclusive steel by today's standards but fully adequate for an EDC knife. It's not the best when it comes to edge retention but I do not think anyone is going to cut linoleum carpets or do woodcarving with this knife anyway. The factory edge was decent and was usable straight out of box. As per usual I gave it a couple of strokes against a strop just to touch it up. AUS8 isn't that hard so you get quick results when sharpening. 

This particular blade happens to be black, but it is also available in satin depending on which color scheme is chosen for the knife. The coating is made of PVD and is, as it has turned out, quite durable.

The blade is made out of Japanese AUS8 and is PVD-coated in this black version

One interesting thing about this knife is that it is more practical than the first impression suggests. No, I do not claim that it is a Mora knife in wolf clothes, but for what it is, it works well. The blade play always found in OTF knives* is in this case actually very small. Laterally, the tip moves perhaps a millimeter and up and down about half a millimeter more. And if you grip the blade closer to the handle the movement feels even less. It gives a tactile feeling when cutting with the knife but not enough to get annoying.

Evo is doing very well in disciplines like card board cutting for instance

As mentioned, the thickness of the blade is 3 mm, which gives a sturdy blade, but the full flat grind still makes it cut efficiently. But given the slimness, it is not extremely thin behind the edge. Sturdy but not a cutting machine is the verdict. But for everyday chores, this strange beast works rather well. Like cutting pieces of string, ropes and maybe a small cable tie, which I just did on my bike when some needed to be replaced. Package opening is close at hand and not least attacking nasty letters. It's a letter opener after all! Too bad it doesn't work on emails.

A bit surprisingly, this knife happened to be better than the Viper Kyomi at cardboard cutting. That if you can ignore the small click that occurs when the blade moves at the beginning of the cut. It is, after all, an OTF. There was a lot of cardboard to dispose of after a trip to IKEA. 

Handle

The looks of the knife can be a bit dividing. I guess I wasn't too excited to begin with as I in general prefer a bit more of a rounded shape. The advantage of this kind of dated appearance is that it feels genuine and that the knife does not look like everything else. That being said, the looks of OTF-knives has a tendency to go in the same direction. Mostly because of the limitations on design given by the function. The handle must be a box containing a blade and a mechanism. They must also have an opening for the blade and some kind of activation button.  

This particular looks is a legacy from the 70ies as I said at the beginning. 

The aluminum handle is symmetrical and rather ergonomic

The material in this box happens to be aluminum of good quality. The handle is milled from 6061-T6 aluminum. It gives a relatively light knife that weighs in at 120 grams despite all the metal on the inside in the form of springs and rails.

The construction is reminiscent of a coffin where the box itself contains the blade and the spring that drives it. A lid is then screwed on top of it. In this case fasten with six T6-screws. This means you can disassemble it, but I only recommend those who are used to the procedure to do so because it is slightly more complicated than with other types of folding knives. **

The thickness of the body is thirteen millimeter not including the button

Held this way the handle forms a finger guard, a palm swell, and a small duck tail at the end

The curvy handle is surprisingly comfortable in the hand. It's definitely large enough to accomodate the whole hand. The symmetrical front provides double finger guards no matter how you hold the knife. The clip hides in the palm of your hand without causing any hot spots. The thumb ends up in front of the button in a natural way when the knife is held in a hammer grip. 

The handle offers a generous eleven centimeters of grip space

Overall, this is a fairly sympathetic handle, almost ergonomic. BUT and it's a pretty big but, that is the case first after I sanded the whole handle. When the knife arrived, all the outer edges were extremely distinct, almost sharp. It was not comfortable at all! This was especially true of the corners. But it could be fixed with sandpaper. But that's only possible because of the naked aluminum on this variation. With a black or orange anodised surface, for example, I think it will look rathers scuffed if you don't like your Boba Fett patina. 

After some work, however, the handle is very comfortable. Especially as I modified it every so slightly. The upper back corner was rounded more since it comes in contact with your hand in some grips. I did also make the recess where the index finger sits  a bit wider and smoother. 

Opening and Lock

The Evo differs a bit from other knives I have reviewed in the past regarding how it is opened and closed. By now you have understood that it is an "OTF" - Out The Front. The blade simply protrudes forward instead of opening sideways. In addition, it is a so-called "double-action" OTF which in all simplicity means that the blade can both be pushed out and pulled in with the same button. "Single-action" knives require the spring to be tensioned in advance with some form of charging handle. Only then can they be opened.

The button that handles this function is excellent. Like the rest of the knife, it is made of milled aluminum and has been fitted with a distinctive step pattern that prevents you from slipping with your thumb. One detail that elevates Evo and reveals that the knife is well built is how solid it is. No play in any direction. 

The CNC-machined button is both sturdy and easy to operate 

The force needed to activate the blade is somewhere in the middle of the pack when it comes to OTF knives. Not the strongest I've encountered but definitely not flimsy. The spring itself has some power to it and propels the blade with decent speed and it produces a satisfactory sound. In this case, a rather muffled "tschaaaklack".

Retracting the blade is just as easy. Just pull the button backwards, which of course requires the same force as the spring inside the handle acts in both directions.

The lock on this type of knife is actually a fairly thin variant of liner lock. Inside the handle there is a springy metal plate behind the blade in the open position that prevents it from going into the handle again. In this case, it works great. As previously stated, the blade feels fairly solid. Although it has more to do with the tolerances in the rails and the handle than the lock. It contributes, however, and in this case it is enough for the knife to be stabbed into wood without breaking. Nota bene, I have not pushed Evo to the limit of what the lock can withstand and do not intend to do so either. For everyday use, however, the lock works well.

To Carry

There is a distinct "before and after" when it comes to how this knife behaves in a pocket. As new, it was not much to brag about with its almost sharp corners and a clip that was something extra. Not in a good sense though. 

But after the edges have been softened and the clip has been fixed, it's decent in a pocket. However, it is not small. Evo measures 12.5 cm in length and even though it is relatively thin for what it is, measuring 14 mm, the button adds another 6 mm to that for a total of 20 mm. The width is 30 mm, which is quite normal for a folding knife. But the volume thus becomes noticeable. The weight is a fairly low at 120 g.

The clip is made out of painted steel and was initally extremely tight  

What then needed to be fixed with the clip? There is nothing wrong with the shape. The ramp is not too small, it is big enough to handle even thick jeans pockets. Nor does the tip point outwards. The look is neutral even if the clip is quite large. No, the problem lay in the spring tension. The clip was so strong that once the knife was in place it was almost fixed to the fabric. The knife had no further desire to leave the warm and comfortable pocket. If you tried to pull the knife, both the pocket and pants wanted to accompoany it and it took two hands and a bit of wrestling to loosen and get the knife out.

Some muscle power and a couple of steady bends outwards and that detail was fixed. But be careful, you can ruin a clip that way!

Otherwise, the clip is an ordinary spring clip made of black painted steel. It is fastened with three screws and can not be moved, which is a given because the button for the opening needs the space on the other side. The space below is completely smooth aluminum and with more balanced tension it works well. Like many painted clips, it is sensitive to chafing and after a while it can be seen that the knife has been used.

Once in place about half an inch is visible

When pocketed some of the knife is visible but not too much I think. Thanks to the grooves found on the top of the handle, you get a good grip and can pull the knife. When you do this, the thumb also ends up in a natural position to activate the blade.

To Conclude

An OTF as an EDC? If we read the abbreviations, the question is, can a stiletto type knife be used as an everyday cutting tool? It can, is the short answer even though a couple of general limitations often are associated with this type of knife. One such is blade shape. They often have dagger like blades which is quite natural given the format. But when they, as in this case, are provided with a full flat ground spear point instead we are talking about a different beast. This blade, which also has a capable steel, is quite practical as it resembles an overgrown Swiss Army knife, even if it is a little thicker than they usually are.

Then OTFs in general are not for "hard use". It is not a knife for the craftsmen or the ones who is going to butcher a moose or are planning to carve walking sticks to the entire family. Now I have been clear about that.

But speaking of such activities, I can let you know that pine resin is not good for OTF-knives at all. All for the review, I actually carved for a while with this knife and cut some fresh twigs and pryed away some bark from dead trees in the forest. Some of those activities happened to involve pines, hence the resin.

AKC X-Treme Evo is a surprisingly good EDC knife even though it perhaps need to be complemented with something more socially acceptable

Then it can be added that this type of knife is not even a bit socially accepted. In those contexts, you better stick to small red folding knives with crosses on them. OTF knives are also heavily regulated in most places so check your local laws before carrying one. 

But once you have one at home, the sound is not entirely unimportant to the true connoisseur. What in the world does that mean? Well, that reveals a lot about how well made the knife is. The sound is pretty subdued in this case. Something that is actually important. A lingering ringing sound or clicking indicates simpler construction and poor precision in manufacturing. That's not the case here. The knife is also fast both in and out.

The main quality factor for an OTF in addition to the usual ones for knives such as material and build quality is how sturdy the blade is perceived in the open position. I have to say that detail is very good for being in this price range. A small play in the blade is almost inevitable with this construction. But here AKC has managed to reduce it to a minimum. It is one of the knife's main selling points in my opinion.

An OTF is perhaps not the ultimate camping knive but X-Treme Evo doesn't make a fool of itself in an EDC role

AKC X-Treme EVO is a knife for those who are looking for a fun knife, yes I wrote "fun", but actually works well as an EDC knife despite being an OTF. Another thing that can make you smile is the price. The goal when making this model was to create a knife with good quality that didn't cost an arm and a leg. EVO costs around hundred dollars or euros or a few cents below to be exact. That means that it ends up in a price category between the more expensive brands that usually costs three or maybe four times as much and the really cheap "No Name" knives that have a quality to match their lack of names.

It is perhaps not the most practical knife of all times but it sure doesn't make a fool of itself either and it is one of the knives that puts a smile on your face. Especially when it is found at a price level where it basically lacks competition. 

Specification:

• Length Overall: 215 mm
• Handle Length: mm
• Weight: 120 g
• Blade Length: 90 mm
• Blade Thickness: 3 mm
• Blade Steel: AUS8, HRC 58-59
• Handle Material: Aluminium
• Lock: OTF Liner Lock

Produced by: AKC, made in Taiwan

/ J 

 Possibly with the exception of Gant and Gavin Hawks' patented Deadlock. But that knife comes with a hefty price tag because of it.

** I've done this before to fix a spring that broke. A new loop was constructed from the existing spring. It is also a way to "tune" this type of knife as a shorter spring becomes more tense and thus the blade shoots out more quickly. But you also risk a knife that ending up ringing like a bell when opened and closed.

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