Knife Review QSP Bison

- QSP expands the catalog

This model called Bison is my second fixed blade from QSP. The first, Erised 1, was a completely different type of knife. More of a hunting knife with outdoor potential, while Bison certainly can be used in that role as well, it is a more all-round outdoor knife. With its robust construction and its advanced sheath, it can quite favorable be compared to more survival types of knives such as Fällkniven F1 and Cold Steel SRK.

QSP QS134-B Bison 

I do not know who is behind this knife as it is a typical example of what is usually called "in house design". Of course, someone must have designed the knife or maybe some if it is a design team. In any case, they have probably looked at other knives in this category and borrowed known elements from them. Bison is thus a full tang knife with sides of micarta that are screwed in place. The blade is a sturdy clip-point in steel that can withstand some abuse and the package is completed with a Kydex sheath with both a traditional belt loop and a modern mount á la Tec-Lock.

Bison is a well-made knife in materials like D2, Micarta, and Kydex

Twitter version: QSP Bison, a sturdy companion for all outdoors activities

Blade

The basis for a good knife is of course found in a blade with a shape suitable for its intended area of use. If you do not know exactly what tasks lay ahead, you should safeguard yourself with a classic drop point or clip point. Here, the latter option has been chosen. The clipped part of the blade is rather subtle in this case but it is reinforced by a swedge to highlight the look. The shape gives a versatile blade with a piece of straight edge, an effective belly, and a fairly strong tip that is still pointy and capable.

The finish on the knife blade is a shiny satin and QSP has really shown restraint when it comes to marking it. A small logo on one side and steel type on the other in small font, very tasteful. 

The clip point blade is 115 mm long

The steel is the fairly common D2. But in this case, I'm not at all as averse to it as I can sometimes be when found in folding knives. This is a sturdy and solid piece for outdoor use with completely different requirements than a small pocket knife. D2 is a metal composition that can vary within certain given limits, but what you get is a steel that can be kept fairly hard and therefore is good at edge holding. It also takes a keen edge. This is of course broad generalizations. 

The big disadvantage is that it can also be prone to rust. But here, QSP has remedied much of that problem by polishing the surface. The worst thing you can do is, for example, blast the steel so that pores open up on the surface. When I think about it, there is another potential weakness and that is that D2 can be brittle in comparison with, for example, carbon steel often used in these contexts such as 1095.

Bison is otherwise flat ground up to almost the entire height of the blade. According to my measurement, the blade stock ends up at a somewhat odd measurement of 4,3 mm. The length of the blade is 115 mm and the height is 32 mm. And speaking of grinds, two good things can be said about this edge. One is that it was good straight out of the box, centered, even in height and sharp. Possibly it could have been less steep. Here they have chosen to go for strength more than performance, so to speak. The other is that the sharpening choil is really well executed. This helps to ensure that the transition between edge and ricasso is nice and that it is possible to sharpen the knife without forming a big smile at the end and an unwanted recurve after a while. 

The steel is Chinese D2 in a satin finish

My concern that the blade will be brittle has at least not been manifested so far by the edge chipping. This even though I used the knife quite frequently to prepare firewood, including batoning. The knife has been tested during October and November and sometimes it has been really damp and to reach the inner and drier part of wood requires some work. Given the length of the blade of the Bison, I haven't exactly split logs but mostly thicker branches from dead trees. For that type of work, this knife is very good.

A reinforced garden hose is not the easiest material to cut through
not even for this knife. Here you can tell it's a sturdy blade

But for fire preparation and miscellaneous chores around 
the campsite the Bison is excellent

The same goes for carving woodshavings for a fire. In doing this I am grateful that QSP didn't put giant ricasso or large forward finger choil on this knife. This allows the edge to be drawn closer to the handle, which gives better control. Speaking of control, I also appreciate the more gentle variant of clip point found here. This means that the tip does not point "upwards", which can be the case with more elaborate variants. The fact that the tip looks like this makes it easier to control and that you do not have to angle the wrist so much when it is used.

Overall, Bison cuts well in most materials, possibly except for a tough rubber hose. Doing this task it is noticeable that the blade is strong with and rather thick behind the edge. It takes strength to push through that material. 

Bison is decent at handling food given the circumstances. It is, after all, more of a "survival" type of knife and thus strongly built. This means that it is not optimized for food handling, but with that said, it does not make a fool of itself around the campsite either. Slicing a sausage or tomato, coarsely chopping an onion, and slicing a carrot is absolutely no problem. Then you can baton some more wood for the fire which would have cracked any chef's knife.

Speaking of chefs, Bison is quite good at handling meat, fish, and poultry. Although I prefer a fillet knife for the fish. But for cutting a chicken, deboning a cutlet row or dicing meat it is really good. Thus, it can also act as a hunting knife, although I suspect that many probably want a little more belly for skinning.

Handle

Bison looks balanced and part of it stems from the fact that the handle is almost as long as the blade but not really. In this case 111 mm. The thickness is 20 mm and the height at most 28 mm. It is enough to fill the hand if you do not have huge paws of course. For most people, the handle accommodates the whole hand. The construction is simple as this is a full tang knife with sides attached on the outside. The tang is not tapered in any way, but the balance is still completely neutral with the balance point just where the handle begins. 

There is also a small finger guard that is well rounded and chamfered, so it is possible to place a finger on top of it if the need arises.

The sides made om denim micarta is attached with well-sized screws

The sides are made in micarta but not just any micarta but a denim micarta. It gives a special look. It can be said that micarta ages and changes color over time, which makes the material feel more alive. If you want to make the knife even more personal with, for example, some kind of wood in the handle, at least the swap is easily done since the sides are screwed in place. They are fastened with three strong through bolts with T10 heads.

Bison is a full tang construction and the handle swells slightly in the middle

In hand, Bison is really comfortable. Much because it is a contoured handle that is not extreme in any way. It is wider at the front and then narrows slightly before it swells in the middle. Then it is, once again a bit wider and taller at the back end. But as can be seen in the picture above the shape is rather subtle. That makes all hold work and it is easy to change between them, which is a big plus on this type of knife.

Another advantage of the handle is that it does not give rise to chafing or blisters when working for a longer period. As in carving or engaging in various fire preparations. Overall, it is a comfortable grip and even if the blade is a bit too pointy and the belly is not that big, I think it would be ready for moose hunting season as well.

Bison offers a really comfortable handle that works in all grips

The handle is reasonably secure even with wet and cold hands but does not provide extreme friction. Such is the nature of micarta if you don't file grooves in the handle. If you want to increase safety, there is a lanyard hole that makes it easy to attach a lanyard. The hole is large enough to house a standard 550 paracord.

Sheath

To complete the package, a modern Kydex sheath is included. For being a rather early example of such a sheath from QSP side, it is very good. To start with, the tension is good. The knife is held securely in place without rattling or making other noises. It is so tight that the sheath actually can be attached upside down. But to carry the knife that way and feel safe, I would have wanted a complementary fastener of some sort. 

The fastening options are very flexible with both adjustable and detachable belt loop and a variant of a Tec-Lock

However, the tension is not so hard that you can't pull the knife. The easiest way to do this is to place your thumb against the edge of the sheath and press and out comes the knife with a confidence-inspiring snapping sound.  

Kydex is a very sympathetic material in that it is extremely durable. It can handle most temperatures and it takes a lot before it breaks. However, it can be shaped if you heat it up properly.  So if you want to fine-tune the tension with which the knife is held in place, it is possible.

The dangler in nylon can be adjusted in height and also removed

The other thing that is good about this sheath is that it comes with alternative mounts. There are holes for cords if needed, but above all, there is both a traditional dangler for the belt combined with a variant of a Tec-Lock. The dangler is made of strong nylon and swallows basically any belt (up to eight centimeters wide). It is also screwed in place and can thus be removed if not in use. The way it is attached also allows the loop to be adjusted in height.

The Tec-Lock bracket can be attached both vertically and horizontally in a so-called "scout carry" - that is, across the small of the back. It's not something I prefer, but this type of system is also extremely handy when you want to attach a knife to, for example, your backpack. A simple push of a button and the sheath can be removed. The push-button that is located on the underside features a safety so the risk of accidentally dropping the knife is almost non-existent. It is on the backpack that I prefer this type of mount by the way as I think they can end up a little too high when they sit on the belt. One less good detail is that it only swallows fairly thin belts.

Conclusion

With Bison,  QSP  enters a class of knives where we find greats such as the Swedish Fällkniven F1, Italian Lionsteel M5, and Cold Steel SRK just to name a few. Tough opposition in other words. However, I believe that Bison can compete rather well. It certainly has less advanced steel than Lionsteel, but it is on par with CS and Fällniven*. In return, Bison has a more advanced sheath than all the others. Handle material and build quality are also fully comparable. On second thought, I keep denim micarta over both the F1's and SRK's synthetic handle materials.

Possibly it can be argued that D2 would be a bit too brittle steel for the area of use, but for me, it will be more of a theoretical than practical discussion, especially as it is a proven material that many** use whereupon the knowledge of it is extensive. It has decent edge holding capabilities and at the same time being fairly easy to grind. Properties that are not always compatible.

It is in this sort of company Bison thrives. Ready to embark on new adventures!

Overall, Bison has been and is a very positive acquaintance. The absolute first impression was that it looked good, much more is hard to tell based on pictures alone. Well, maybe also that the specification seemed well composed. The formula with a clip point, full tang construction, and well-balanced size combined with materials such as D2, Micarta, and Kydex sound nice on paper. As it turned out it was good in real life as well. 

That it looks good not only means that it is something to rest your eyes on but also that the proportions work. The ratio between blade length and handle is thus balanced and this leads to a good size for this type of knife. It provides a versatile outdoor knife that handles most tasks with brilliance. But it is not something to split large logs with or use to clear bushes. For that, larger blades are needed or why not an ax and/or a saw. In return, the knife becomes lighter and, above all, easier to carry.

If there is any real objection against Bison as a knife, it is that it would be even better for me if it were a tad larger. Maybe around ten percent or so. That is another one or two centimeters of handle paired with the same amount of extra blade so as not to disturb the harmonious proportions. But that opinion is completely tied to hand size. My hand fit but barely and it is troublesome if I wear gloves. For someone with slightly narrower hands than me, I think it is perfect as it is.

With Bison, QSP has established itself on the map of manufacturers that offer a really good outdoor knife

A not unimportant component in this context is of course price. With that factor involved in the equation, Bison becomes a really serious competitor that others have to watch out for. It costs around 88 € *** in Europe. For that, you get a very sturdy and competent companion in the forest, in the mountains, or in the archipelago. A knife that you can rely on in all situations wherever you are. 

Specification:

Length Overall: 225 mm
Blade Length: 115 mm
Blade Thickness: 4,3 mm
Steel: D2
Weight: 202 g knife only, 284 g with sheath
Handle: Denim Micarta
Sheath: Kydex, Tec-Lock

Produced by QSP, made in China


/ J - rather delighted

* In the basic version it comes with VG10 steel. The alternatives with laminated CoS and 3G in the blades are significantly more advanced but even more expensive.

** As an example, you can get a Ka-Bar in the same material

***  Knifestore.nl https://www.knifestore.nl/en/product/qsp-knife-bison-grijs/