- "still going strong"
The review object this time is a knife called Kyomi from Viper Knives. The model is one of many collaborations between Italianbased Viper and Jesper Voxnaes. When Kyomi saw the light of day about five years ago, it felt like a natural sequel to the successful Odino. This knife is reminiscent of its predesessor but is larger, has slightly rounder shapes overall and not least it is a flipper-operated knife which the predecessor was not.
Obviously, the Danish-Italian collaboration works well because there have been many more knives after this one. But something I noticed with Kyomi is that it is not easy to find any reviews online, whether written or in video format. I intend to remedy at least one of those shortcomings now!
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| Viper V5940GB Kyomi |
Kyomi is available in three different basic configurations and also weight classes. The first version come with a handle made entirely in titanium. It is also the heaviest at 147g. Kyomi is almost thirty grams lighter with a presentation side in G10 as in this case. This version is then available in three different colors: black, orange or green. The lightest alternative comes with a carbon fiber scale and weighs in at mere 113 grams.
Besides, this model can also be had with two different colors on the back spacer and with blades that are either satin or stone tumbled. It gives a total of 14 different variants to choose from.
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Kyomi with with a presentation side in black G10, blue back spacer and stonewhashed blade |
Twitter version: Kyomi - Viper och Voxnaes in beautiful harmony
Blade
This blade is not unique in any way but is rather one of the shapes that Voxnaes often returns to. This means a wide and rather transverse drop point. The blade measures 78 millimeter in length, is 30 mm high and 3.7 mm thick. A chubby blade in other words. It is emphasized by the shape. The way the belly is designed gives an almost American-tanto feeling as the edge is first straight, followed by a short curve and then a front part that is almost straight as well. The tip gets very strong with this angle but actually not very good. At least not for detailed work.
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| A blade shape that is recognizable from other knives designed by Voxnaes |
The steel is one of Viper's staples, N690Co from Böhler. It feels and behaves essentially like VG10. It may seem a little strange because the latter has become a bit outdated according to some, while those statements do not seem to apply as much for N690. Anyway, this steel gives you a fairly corrosion-resistant steel that is easy to grind and holds an edge reasonably well. Not on par with the best on the market but good enough for an EDC knife.
The blade is flat ground to about three quarters of the height. There are some flats left, enough to attach a fixed angle sharpening system to. Grinding is also facilitated by the fact that there are no thumb studs or discs to consider, while Viper has succeeded with another detail. The forward finger choil also acts as a sharpening choil, so no "smiles" at the termination of the edge.
The thickness behind the edge is about half a millimeter slightly depending on where the measurement is taken. The knife is sharpened so that it is a little thicker towards the tip. Speaking of grinding, the factory edge was so-so. It wasn't impressively sharp. But in return it is centered and fairly even.
The finish is a semi-gloss stone wash that hides scratches fairly well. I don't have much more to say about it. It is rather bland and does not belong to the knife's main selling point in my opinion even though it is very well executed. I almost always prefer a nice satin.
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| The material is N690Co and the finish is a well made stone wash |
Kyomi is a sturdy knife and that begs for a little harder use. For me, it mostly means cutting wood, both fresh and dry. But for the sake of reviewing, cutting pieces of leftover carpet was also added. When performing such tasks, this knife is really sympathetic. The handle that I will come to later is excellent and the blade shape is fairly all-round. In wood, the edge bites quite well, but there is a reason why whittling knives are not flat ground.
It can be added that such a wide blade gives certain specific properties. Of course, it feels sturdy when cutting, but it also makes it difficult to change direction quickly. Something that is especially noticeable in softer materials but also in cardboard. But overall the blade shape is suitable for most tasks and the full flat grind manages to hide a bit of the stock thickness when the knife is used for light food preparation and such.
The tip, on the other hand, I'm not a big fan of at all. Sure, it is "strong", but here it happens at the expense of efficiency. Penetrating thick plastic and cardboard is of course fine, but to remove a splinter from a finger or similar detail work, is out of the question.
Handle
The handle of this knife is even more typical Voxnaes than the blade is. This entails a large portion of the ergonomics for which he has received recognition. It simply means that every grip I can think of works on this knife and works good too. This applies to more powerful grips such as hammer and saber grips where the rather wide handle fills the hand well at the same time as the index finger naturally finds itself in the groove made for that purpose. But also reversed grips, as in doing draw cuts works great as do an ice pick grip if you want to hold the knife that way. Then there is the possibility of placing a finger in the forward choil for more control of the blade. And of course you can place your indexfinger on the back of the blade that lacks grooves or "jimpings" as they are sometimes called. Safety is ensured by the fact that the flipper tab acts as finger guard.
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| A handle with a clear front and back. The presentation side is made of G10 |
What gives the comfortable handle is partly the width of almost 14 mm but also the fact that all edges are properly bevelled. That rounding has also been supplemented with something that is sometimes missed by some manufacturers and that is to soften all edges and corners, for example on the inside of the handle and in the open parts of the back. The partially open back in this case. There is a small, shall we call it a quarter or even fifth, back spacer. It is available in two different colors and here it is blue. It is extremely cleverly constructed. In addition to adding some color to the design, it fulfills several functions. It hides a lanyardhole which thus becomes an integral part of the handle and not an ugly after thought. But more intelligent is that it also thanks to its shape, which is reminiscent of Spyderco's lanyardtube on eg PM2, makes the sides of the knife sturdier. It simply acts as a guide rod to keep the sides parallel to each other.
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| A back spacer that fulfills several functions |
It's not only the backspacer that is in titanium, the lock side is too. I'm not entirely fond of that kind of construction on knives. It makes the knife a bit unbalanced, heavier on one side, but mainly I do not like it from an aesthetic point of view. However, the lock side is very well made in this case. Details such as a well sanded cut-out for the lock bar and that it is thinned out on the inside is examples of that.
The finish is a hefty dose of the same thing that hit the blade. This makes this side...gray. However, it hides scratches well. The same as I said about the blade is applicable here as well.
The opposite side is made of black G10 in this case. A G10 that can be one of the smoothest I have experienced. For those who prefer a more textured sandpapery feel to their handle, look elsewhere. This surface feels almost like a plastic material. It could have been a bit more textured at the same time as the well-shaped handle provides enough grip for most jobs anyway.
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| A hallmark of the knife is its good ergonomics no matter how it is held |
Otherwise, the Kyomi is a standard screwed construction where you can tighten the pivot screw using a T8 driver. The same size is also found for the only fastening screw for the clip. Besides the pivot, two small T6s hold the knife together. But thanks to the previously described backspacer, they don't feel undersized, even though I prefer a step up in size both for screws and heads.
Opening and Lock
Kyomi is mainly a flipper-knife but can be opened two ways.
The flipper tab is located quite far back in relation to the pivot point. It has got some grooves on the top which indicate that it works best pushed straight down. And that's actually the method that works, less bad, I unfortenately have to say. This is because both methods, a push button and a light switch motion have great chances of failure. That is especially true if you're not familiar with the knife. in order to make it work you have to "pre-load" your finger a bit and then let go. With that motion there is no problem with gettting the blade out.
On top of the handle, behind the flipper tab, there is a small but still "landing area" for the index finger after said motion. It must be said that it is needed because you have to put some force and determination behind this flipper tab to make it work.
I have to modify the "less bad" statement somewhat. It requires muscle memory and some experience with the knife to get it to work. Or that you use the wrist. After that it goes better.
The reason is partly found in the geometry with the placement of the flipper tab behind the pivot and partly because the detent are too weak.
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| The flipper tab is not the most effective I've used |
A not too strong detent, on the other hand, is required for opening method number two to work, the blade hole. But even that method is a bit tricky. If you happen to put a finger on the lock bar, it is basically impossible or at least very difficult to open the blade. The detent that was on the verge of being too weak for the flipperaction is now almost too strong for a thumb hole opening. Especially as it is quite small and placed close to the handle. And sometimes the detent just get stuck and then you can't use the blade hole at all but have to switch to the flipper tab.
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| The titanium frame lock has both overtravelstop and a steel reinforced lock bar |
The lock on the Kyomi is a frame lock in titanium with the almost mandatory steel insert in the lock bar. In this case, it also doubles as an overtravelstop. The lock itself is really solid. No hints of movement in any direction. There is also quite good tension in the lock bar so it stays put even under negative pressure. No tendencies to lock slip that is. That certainly makes it a little harder to disengage. But I take that over an unsecure lock any day. Viper have also chamfered the edge of the titanium well and lowered the opposite G10 side to facilitate access. Overall a very good lock.
To Carry
I early stated that Kyomi is a chubby and that goes in the pocket as well. The rather tall handle means that the knife leaves an impression of almost four centimeters, 37 mm. This in combination with a thickness of just over 13 mm gives a lot of volume. The length is not much to talk about as the handle measures 10 centimeters. The weight of 120 grams makes the knife a middleweight in my eyes. Not extremely light but definitely not heavy either.
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| The clip is improved compared to the first generation Kyomi |
The clip is a really pleasant surprise. I had actually read somewhere that it would be awful for a number of reasons. It's not bad at all, not in this embodiment anyway. On the contrary, Kyomi offers a very thin and springy milled titanium clip. For the sake of appearance, it has been anodized in the same shade as the small back spacer.
In addition to springtension, Viper has also changed the angle of the ramp which makes for a smoother operation when pocketing the knife. All in all, it makes the clip work very well. Especially as the smooth titanium side does not cause any friction against the fabric in the pocket and the locking bar is thinned on the inside instead of the outside. The latter is an important detail as fabric can get stuck there otherwise.
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| About half an inch of knife is visible when in a pocket |
The clip is attached with a single screw but the attachment works well because it sits in a flower-shaped recession in the G10. Unfortunately, it has been left open on the side that is not used and that don't look good on an otherwise very attractive knife. A small detail to keep in mind for the next model with the same solution. A cover plate solves it all.
About 15 millimeters of the knife can be seen looking up from the pocket. Not the most deep diving knife in the sea of pockets in other words. But enough for the knife to sit securely.
To Conclude
It feels like this knife has somehow passed under the radar among knife enthusiasts. The reason to why I say so is that when "Pilarge" came, there were many who wanted that knife in better materials and execution than what CRKT can or rather usually offers.
But it already exists and is called Kyomi and comes from Viper Knives. Of course, the blade shape differ, but in everything else, including the eminent ergonomics, this is a better version of that knife. Also a predecessor as this is older.
Before this model even was out on the market, there were some concerns regarding two things. One was how the knife would feel in the pocket since the predecessor "Odino" was perceived by some as a bit bulky. The second was that the detent was going to be too weak. Especially as Kyomi is a flipper knife. To some extent, there are grounds for those concerns, it must be admitted. This knife is not the best flipper-knife in the world, nor does it get top score for the blade hole as an opening method. Quite often the detent ball settles so hard when you close it that you can't get the blade out with your thumb at all. This is despite the fact that the resistance is not the toughest in general.
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| This knife does not make a fool of itself on a hike either |
Another thing to know is that Kyomi is actually a bit chubby in the pocket. It's a fat boy quite simply. That's the price to pay for the excellent ergonomics. But it also means that you can take this knife and work for quite a while if you feel like or need it. The same applies to the blade design and the strong lock. Everything provides a knife that strives for use.
Then it can be stated that Viper has carried out improvement work because the clip does not suffer at all from the stiffness and the steep ramp that the first batches supposedly had. Apparently they were very difficult to get into a pocket at all. This does not apply to this knife. On the contrary, this is a very good clip for being a milled titanium clip
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| Viper Kyomi is a very good EDC-knife of the more sturdier variety |
Kyomi is easy to recommend even if the target group feels obvious. It's a knife for those who are looking for a robust knife to use rather hard and who like Voxnae's design language. It is also an advantage if you like flipper operated knives but are not obsessed with playing with them. On top of that, you get decent materials in a build quality that is really high.
If that sounds like you, just hit the "buy"-button even if the knife as a few years under the belt by now.
Specification:
Length Overall: 182 mm
Lenght Folded: 102 mm
Weight: 118 g
Blade Length: 80 mm
Blade Thickness: mm
Blade Steel: N690Co, HRC 57-59
Handle: G10/Titan
Lock: Frame Lock
Produced by: Viper Knives by Tecnocut, made in Italy
/ J
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