- plants and blades
I'm not sure which of the approximately 5,500 species of Cyperaceae serves as a model for this knife. But the name is in any case Sedge and the name belongs in addition to a grassy genus of plants to a knife from Steel Will. The inspiration for the name comes, of course, from the blade shape, which somewhat mimics nature.
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| Steel Will F19M-10 Sedge |
Sedge belongs to what Steel Will refers to as their "Urban series", which gives a clear indication of what they aiming for with this design. Sedge is thus intended as an EDC knife and with that in mind, I probably think that the smaller of the two alternatives is most suitable. The larger size looks the same as this knife but has a blade that passes four inches in length. It entails a knife that I think many people consider too large as a daily companion. Then again I personally prefer the larger versions sometimes because they offer more handle space.
If you do not like this color combination with the blue backspacer, a knife with a black blade, gray handle, and red backspacer is also available.
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| A knife with a blade shape inspired by nature |
Twitter version: Steel Will Sedge, an EDC-knife that don't make a fool of itself around a campsite either
Blade
The blade is, as the name suggests, leaf-shaped. But much longer and narrower than another brand that also named a series of knives with leaf-shaped blades after a plant. The shape is actually a drop point even if it is kind of symmetrical. To arouse the visual interest and underline the overall shape, the blade has a long swedge running along the spine of the blade. This makes the blade look even slimmer than it is. In this embodiment, it measures 86 mm in length and is at most 24 mm high with a stock thickness of 3 mm.
The finish on the knife blade is a transverse satin. The labeling is fairly neutral. Not the most discreet but also not a bulletin board. On one side Steel Wills logo and on the other name, model designation, and steel type.
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| A pointy drop point with a satin finish |
The steel is as often in knives from Steel Will, D2. It is still not my favorite steel. Especially after I got stains on another knife from the same manufacturer which is hard to remove. I prefer my blades without dark spots on them. The problem with D2 is not how long they stay sharp or how hard or tough the blades are. No, it's mainly that it stains. And then I do not even live near an ocean. But as a resident of southern Sweden, it's often humid when I am outdoors and this causes D2 to rust from time to time.
But other than that, I'm pleased with how the blade behaves. Even more than pleased to be honest. Firstly, the factory edge was really good. Sharp enough to shave hair with the slightest of resistance and it slid through a paper with a faint hiss. Secondly, Steel Will has succeeded with a couple of important details. They have a small but good sharpening choil, so that edge lacks the "smile" that can otherwise show up after two sharpening sessions. Also, the blade is a full flat ground and thin behind the edge. If you combine these properties, you get a knife that is very sympathetic to cut with.
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| The slender D2-blade cuts very well |
Sedge is simply put a damn nice knife to work with. And that goes for most materials I might add. So the ability to handle "knife test materials" such as paper and cardboard came as no surprise. But this knife doesn't make a fool of itself cutting wood either. It handles both dry logs and fresh branches without difficulties. Besides, the tip is really sharp. So sharp that it is almost delicate. So I really do not recommend prying with this knife. But when you really want something pointed, it comes in handy.
Steel Will themselves say that they had outdoor food preparation in mind when they designed the knife. I think they have succeeded in that intention. This blade is really good, especially for being attached to a folding knife when it comes to tasks such as slicing tomatoes, halving onions, cutting up a piece of meat, or shredding salad when you are out camping.
Handle
Sedge, like the other knives I have from Steel Will, is very well built. The materials, in this case, are nothing out of the ordinary, a steel frame, sides in G10, bronze bushings, and a backspacer in aluminum. A well-known formula by now. But what distinguishes it is that it has been done very well. The G10 sides, for example, are finely worked as they are nicely 3D-contoured. They are also well polished and the fit to the internal frame is so precise that it clicks into place when assembling the knife.
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| The G10 sides are well machined to fit the hand |
The frame itself is in this case somewhat weight relieved but not so much. On the other hand, there is not very much to work with since it's not very tall anyway. The knife is then screwed in no less than three points in addition to the adjustable pivot screw. The screw heads are small, T6, and T8 respectively and in my opinion a bit too shallow. The backspacer, which is anodized in a bright blue tone, is made of aluminum. At the end of the handle, you find a lanyard hole. The sides are screwed with Chicago bolts through the backspacer which results in 6 of the small screws plus two more for the clip. Also, the knife has double stop pins, one for the blade in the extended position and one that prevents the blade from slamming into the back of the knife when it is closed. All in all, it gives a lot of small parts when you disassemble the knife.
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| The blue back spacer rises slightly above the back. Notice the double stop pins |
The reason I mention the number of screws is that they play a role in how the knife behaves when you put it together after adjustment or cleaning. This is such a knife where the tension on the body screws affects how the blade moves when the knife is opened and closed. I'll talk about that later.
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| The size is enough for all fingers and in saber grip, the handle is very good. Hammer grip, on the other hand, works less well |
The ergonomics are very good and it comes from a combination of well-thought-out choices. Firstly, the handle is long enough even on this smaller model. It has an available grip surface of just over nine centimeters. Besides, the back is slightly arched, which fits the inside of the hand well. However, I do not want more curvature than this as there will be too much "pistol grip" over it. Another thing that contributes to comfort is a well-functioning finger groove for the index finger. When you hold the knife in a saber grip, the thumb also automatically ends up on the grooves found on top of the handle. It gives a very natural and good grip. Of course, it works just as well if you place an index finger there instead of your thumb.
But, and it's a big but, it is obvious that the knife is meant to be held that way. If you try to hold Sedge in an ordinary hammer grip it just feels strange. There is a long distance from the hand to the blade, which can be seen in the picture above. It gives too much leverage which decreases the amount of force you can apply when cutting.
Opening and Lock
Obviously, Sedge is not a flipper-operated knife. It also does not have ball bearings. Two otherwise common themes for knives from Steel Will. I appreciate that they have departed from that concept in favor of a blade hole not only for the sake of variation but also because flipper fins can be in the way sometimes.
The blade hole is oval and works very well. It is large enough and is in the right place to be effective. Especially as the edges are crisp, almost too sharp. But it gives a good grip to the thumb so you do not slip.
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| The oval opening hole works well |
However, initially opening and closing of this knife wasn't very smooth at all. Not on this specimen anyway. At first, I let it go because I thought it would wear in naturally. When it did not happen fast enough, I helped the knife with a drop of oil. Nor was lubrication enough to achieve the feeling I was striving for, so I disassembled the knife. Once I was going to put it back together, I discovered what was mentioned above, that the knife is sensitive to how much the screws in the handle are tightened. Too much tension and it becomes difficult to close the blade.
This applies not only to the smaller screws but also to the pivot itself, by the way. Thankfully, it is a female-male construction and it is D-shaped so it does not spin freely. But it's extremely sensitive. Just a bit too much tension and you got a blade without any movement for sure, but then again, you can barely open the knife. If you back the screw ever so little and the blade flies out but you also have a lateral movement in the blade.
The "walk", however, is soft as the blade runs on thick bronze bushings.
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| For safety, there is a liner lock |
The locking mechanism, on the other hand, is good plain and simple. A well-tuned liner lock made of steel that is both easy to access and disengage. The lock bar is not too thin and it has been fitted with grooves for better grip. The opposite handle slab side is also countersunk to increase accessibility.
To Carry
Sedge is consistently a civilized knife and it is also noticeable when carried in a pocket. A rather long handle of eleven centimeters is compensated with a height of only 33 mm and a thickness of 13 mm. Fairly normal dimensions for a pocket knife in other words. In addition, it is light with its 84 grams.
What makes it relatively easy to carry is that the sides are both smooth and arched. Also, the knife has no sharp edges or anything else that interferes, like a flipper tab.
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| The curvature of the handle means that two clips are included, one for the right side and one for the left |
Sedge belongs to those knives that come with two clips. One for the right side and one for the left. Since the handle is very slim and the attachment is constructed as is, the clip must curve slightly to follow the shape of the handle, and then two of them are needed.
The clip is a good one. Proper tension and a ramp that is large enough at the same time as it is parallel to the surface of the handle. It also fits in fairly well with the look of the rest of the knife.
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| The clip is good but the narrow end of the handle leads to tandem-mounted mounting screws which leads to a quite visible knife |
The only thing I am not completely happy with is how much knife is visible when carried. That along with a bright blue backspacer is hard to miss.
With that said, however, Sedge is easy to both pull and put away after the work is done. To that extent, the clip does its job.
To Conclude
By releasing the Sedge Steel Will has ventured into somewhat unfamiliar terrain. Not in unexplored as in terra incognita but still. Usually, they mostly make modern flipper-knives of different varieties. That range has been punctured by some occasional thumb stud on a blade. But usually not. Seeing a blade that opens via a hole was therefore both surprising and liberating.
But most of all, I got hooked by the look. I liked the overall harmonious lines. Now I know no manufacturers want to hear comparisons but I still think this knife is reminiscent of Spyderco's Native Chief. Nothing wrong in that, I like the look of that knife as well.
What they have in common beyond a hole in the blade are the overall lines and a long and pointed drop-point blade.
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| Sedge is an overall very nice EDC-knife |
And this particular blade happens to be a hell of a good blade when it comes to cutting stuff. Relatively thin with a high grind and thin behind the edge with good sharpness. That is the recipe for a good knife blade.
Overall, the build quality is also very high. It is reflected in details such as the blade finish, a good sharpening choil, that the blade is centered, and not least how the G10 is machined. The fit to the frame is extremely good and the sides are arched, beveled, and sanded. The lock also feels solid and matches the rest of the impression.
Unfortunately, the feeling of opening and closing did not initially match. It has required both one and two disassemblies and a lot of lubrication and usage to get the knife to where it is today. But it will never be a knife where the blade falls by its own weight.
But it is one of the few areas where this knife is not on top. In addition to cutting well, it is also quite ergonomic. I wrote quite depending on the user's attitude to choose how the knife should be held when it is used.
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| Steel Will Sedge doesn't make a fool of itself outdoors either |
In addition to the purely practical, it has one more thing going for it. In my opinion, this is a really good looking knife.
Slim, elegant, and with the curves in the right place. If you are looking for a pocket knife with ambitions to be a good EDC-tool but manage just fine on a hike or when it's time for outdoor cooking, this may be a candidate for you. Especially as it is easy to carry.
The price for this knife is around 75 dollars at the time of writing.
Specifications:
Length Overall: 196 mm
Length Folded: 110 mm
Weight: 84 g
Blade Length: 86 mm
Blade Thickness: 3 mm
Blade Steel: D2
Handle: G10
Lock: Liner lock
Produced by: Steel Will, made in China
/ J
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