Knife Review - Viper Novis

 -  Italian smartness and elegance

The name of this knife, Novis, suggests that it would be brand new or at least a beginner. That's not entirely true. This model has been on the market for around a year and as far as the properties are concerned, it is certainly not ashamed of itself so it seems quite mature in that area as well. Today's knife has its origins in Maniago, Italy.

Viper V 5972 CM Novis

Viper by Tecnocut or just  Viper for short is behind this knife designed by Fabrizio "Silvester" Silvestrelli. He is an Italian knife maker who has a long-standing collaboration with Viper.

As usual with knives from this Italian maker, Novis is also available in several different variations. In this case, seven. First, it is available with or without bolsters. If you choose the latter, there are carbon fiber sides or three different types of wood to choose from. Besides, there are versions without bolsters and in addition to the brown Micarta seen here, there is also a green nuance and, of course, a carbon fiber version. 

Viper Novis is a knife with that little extra that makes you pay attention 

Twitter version: Viper Novis, Italian design at its best. The knife that offers both elegance and muscle

Blade

The shape of this blade is quite striking and one of the things that made me take a second look at this knife. It can be described as a modified Wharncliffe. The modified part consists of the edge not being completely straight but having a slight curvature. The blade is almost exactly three inches long, which is probably not a coincidence as it is a common legal limit in many countries. Translated into "correct" measurements that equal 76 mm. It is then matched with a rather stout thickness of 4 mm. The height of the blade measures at most 29 mm.

Novis offers a modified Wharncliffe blade in hight quality M390

The finish is a very nicely made satin. This is something I have come to expect from Viper. Together with the rounded and polished spine of the blade, it is a hallmark of their knives. The marking is their usual with logo and name as well as steel sort written on the ricasso on one side and Silvestrelli's logo on the opposite side. Someone said they thought it was too much but I do not agree. It is small and tastefully done and the logo is designed so that it is barely visible in most angles.

The steel is extraordinarily good as it is one of the best available. It is M390 from Böhler / Uddeholm. The only downside to this steel is that it can be a bit difficult to grind. Or it's really not, more like it takes a long time, especially when it like in this case is hardened to 60-61 HRC.

The finish on the almost full flat grind blade is an extremely well-made satin

The factory edge on this knife was excellent, smooth, centered, and very sharp. I have no objections at all actually. Incidentally, the knife is completely flat ground from a rather sturdy thickness of four millimeters, as mentioned. However, it measures a more reasonable 0,7 mm behind the edge so it cuts decent after all. But I wouldn't mind it being even a little bit thinner. 

Though we'll start at the other end, the pointed one, when it comes to how it behaves. The tip is very strong and more focused on tough work than finesse. This makes it excellent, above all, for opening everything plastic. It is simply an excellent knife to penetrate things with. It also means that it works well to dig into a piece of wood without having to be afraid that the tip will snap off if you have to loosen the blade by bending slightly sideways. When carving that is not uncommon. 

This applies to the entire knife, by the way. It is excellent for powerful cuts even though it has more of a pocket knife appearance so to speak. Much of it derives from the fact that the edge extends all the way to the handle where you get the most power in a hammer grip. If you instead want the tip to bite hard in what is being cut, the rounded blade spine is an excellent place to place your thumb.

Handle

The design of this knife reflects quite well how knives from Viper usually are built. This, amongst other things, means a fairly thin frame of 1.5 mm. Which also gives a thin lock bar, which is something they sometimes get criticized for. The frame is then luxuriously treated as it is both well-rounded and polished. Significantly more rounded than the average pocket knife. However, it is not weight relieved in any way. But that also makes it strong even though it is not overly thick.

This knife is dressed in screwed on Micarta scales. I suspect that it is for reasons of appearance that they stick to tiny T6-heads on the screws. Now, I do not see it as a problem as the load on them is almost non-existent so they will not break for that reason. But if you belong to those who like to disassemble knives for "maintenance" at regular intervals, they will probably not last for very long. 

The well-shaped handle has sides made of Micarta

Something that is a bit uncommon is that the pivot screw is hidden under the sides of the handle. If you want to adjust it, it works fine, but only after the sides have been removed. A little more cumbersome than normal but nothing I have had to do during the test period.

The Micarta is of good quality but not very coarse. This means that it provides medium grip, which after some usage and wear becomes a bit slippery. But for the same reason, it is very soft and comfortable to hold. Especially as the sides are curved to fit the hand better.

The backspacer is made of titanium and as rounded as everything else

It is not just the handle sides that are shaped. Everything is very nicely rounded and polished including the blade spine, backspacer, and all frame parts. By the way, the backspacer is extra luxurious as it is made of titanium.

In length, this handle measures just over ten centimeters in total, but since nine of them are accessible grip surface, it accomodates all four fingers. In addition, the knife is a small chunk that, in addition to having a fairly thick blade, measures a full 15 millimeters across the back. This means that the handle fills up the hand fairly well. This, combined with the fact that the edge is drawn almost all the way to the handle, means that you can put some force behind the cuts if needed. 

Once in hand, the Novis is really comfortable and easy to control

The thickness of the handle in combination with the material, the rounded corners, and the fact that the knife lacks a clip give excellent ergonomics. This is a very well-thought-out handle that holds your hand in place without much fuss. A modest little beak means that you do not slip backward and an equally discreet fingerguard prevents you from sliding forwards. Provided you do not use the knife for  stabbing of course. But it's not that kind of knife.

Opening and Lock

In terms of opening, the Novis is a dedicated front flipper knife. Or yes, you can of course pinch the blade and open it with two hands if desired. As a flipper, it works excellently, but only after some getting used to. The very discreet flipper tab means that you need to put the knife on the side and pull at the right angle to be able to open the knife. If you do, however, you get paid for the effort. The knife is actually extremely fast when you learn how to do it. In order to prevent slippage, the tab has some fine but effective grooves which are really needed in this case.

The knife opens with a very small but effective front flipper

However, my specimen needed to be worn in a bit. It was not stiff or gritty from the beginning but the action still got significantly smoother after a while. Otherwise, the blade runs easily due to ball bearings.

The lock bar looks thin but works great as long you open the blade with some authority

The lock is a liner lock and as previously stated, the lock bar is quite thin. But on the other hand, it is not drilled in any way and another important measure that is not always talked about is the height, where this lock bar is adequate. So overall, the lock is strong enough. 

However, it's an early lock up and it means that on my knife you have to open the knife quite firmly for it to engage. If you slow-roll the blade, the lock actually doesn't activate! But when it does, the function itself is impeccable. No play in any direction can be detected and it is also easy to find and release the lock. Just let the thumb naturally slide along the recess on the opposite side to find the lock bar. Some finely cut grooves prevent the thumb from slipping off.

To Carry

In the pocket, the Novis is quite compact. As mentioned before, it is a bit chubby with a length of just over a decimeter with a thickness of one and a half centimeters. The height is at most 32 mm. But softly rounded details and no flipper tab or sharp ricasso that protrude make the knife appears as civilized in the pocket as it looks. 

Novis lacks a clip or rather it's not missing the clip at all. Instead, a leather case is offered

One thing that distinguishes this knife is that it lacks clip. It is a detail that many take for granted today with a modern folding knife. For the most part, I also want one on most of my knives, but I think it's refreshing from time to time not to have a clip. Casually adding clips just for the sake of it has ruined more than one design. As it happens, there are benefits to be gained by excluding it. One is of course purely visual. Most knives look better without anything that stands out and makes the knife asymmetrical. But the biggest benefit is of course that almost all knife models become more ergonomic without a clip. So does this one.

This much can be seen of the knife when pocketed. That is, nothing at all

The knife comes with a small leather case. As a result, for the first time in world history, I have left the original lanyard or leather cord in this case. It's actually handy when you have to fish the knife out of the pouch. The alternative of leaving the knife loose in the pocket also works well as Micarta is a very scratch-resistant material. It's another story with the models with bolsters and wooden sides, I suspect.

The weight isn't cumbersome as the knife weighs 115 grams. Given the blade length, it is not very light but the weight is still not dissuasive.

To Conclude

With Novis, Viper Knives and Silvestrelli have achieved something important, especially in today's almost overheated knife market. They have made a knife that is personal and that has a unique look. The combination of the special blade shape, the subtle but well-shaped handle, and the materials make this both an elegant and exciting knife. The fact that it cuts well, including penetrating cuts doesn't make matters worse. Especially not since you can put some force behind the cuts if needed.  

Novis is as practical as it is elegant, a hit from Maniago-based Viper

There are details on this knife that elevate it above the crowd even visually. One such is the fine satin finish they achieve at their factory in Maniago. In this embodiment, it is one of my favorite ways to treat a knife blade. Then the rounded corners and polished surfaces contribute to a sense of luxury. The back of the blade is rounded, the frame is rounded and so is the backspacer.

The materials also help to make the knife feeling luxurious. They are simply among the best. The Micarta is of top quality with a smooth surface where you can see the grain as on a piece of wood. It also means that it will age in an appealing way. It gets patina more than wear. In addition, M390 is found in the blade and titanium in the backspacer. Only the best as I said.

Viper Novis, a Silvestrelli design that is as hot as a habanero

But none of it would have been of interest if it were not for the fact that this is a knife that cuts well and has a handle that offers good ergonomics. There are knives that survive only on their appearance but this does not belong to one of them. Novis is therefore not only stylish and personal but a damn good EDC knife. I really like it and recommend it provided you can do without the clip and do not prefer a more traditional blade shape.

Specification:

Length Overall: 178 mm

Length Folded: 102 mm

Weight: 115 g

Blade Length: 76 mm

Blade Thickness: 4 mm

Blade Steel: Böhler/Uddeholm M390, HRC 60-61

Handle: Micarta

Lock: Liner lock

Produced by: Viper by Tecnocut, made in Italy

/ J 

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