The Hamster from Chinese QSP is something of a departure from their regular range. They have mainly focused on EDC-oriented folding knives. As a complement to that range, there are also a couple of fixed blades of different types. Of course, the Hamster is also an everyday companion. What is different in this case is the format. The knife belongs to the category sometimes called "Little Big Knives" or maybe it is just small in this case?
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| QSP QS138-C Hamster |
In addition to the format, this model is also a veritable orgy in titanium, which is not entirely common. That material is found in handle sides as well as in the backspacer and clip. It is then supplemented with fine blade steel, which together gives a knife in QSP's premium range. Titanium is not their most frequently used material, although the models Woodpecker, Songbird, and Kylin were quite early. It has since been followed up with a few more such as Puffin, Falcon, and Legatus and most recently a new edition of Penguin in this metal.
But they have all been a bit bigger knives and it is mainly at this point that Hamster stands out as previously mentioned. The knife is a small praline and especially this variant with green-blue shimmering sides. If a more neutral color scheme is desired, it is also available with handles in black or gray.
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| The Hamster is perhaps a "Little Big Knife"? |
Twitter version: QSP Hamster, a knife with material and workmanship of top quality and with a very nice look, on the verge of being cute as the animal it is named after.
Blade
Hamsters have large broad teeth to gnaw on things. This also applies to this critter. The blade is a wide drop point that gives a non-aggressive impression. This is even though the back first rises slightly from the thumb ramp before it dives down towards the tip in a "harpoon-like" way. A look that is underlined by a swedge. But the chubby shape and the relatively blunt tip make for a friendlier appearance. That and the size. The blade is only 5 cm long. The height is more generous measuring 2.5 cm and the stock thickness is 3 mm.
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| The blade is a wide drop point with a total length of 5 cm |
The steel is S35VN, which is American quality steel. It is a very well-established material by now. It is a development of the S30V which in turn was the result of a collaboration between Crucible and Chris Reeve Knives. In this case, it is almost overkill for a knife of this size. By that, I mean that the inherent capacity of steel is not necessary for such a small blade. But now it is here and that means well-balanced steel that both takes and holds an edge really well. Nevertheless, it is not impossible to grind. Especially not on such a small knife with a short edge, of course.
The finish on this knife blade is something extra as QSP here offers a very nice two-tone satin. It feels luxurious. Here it is also nicely done with longitudinal sanding on the flat parts and a vertical on the primary edge.
The blade material is 3 mm and it is thinned out via a high flat grind to about 0.5 mm behind the edge. An edge that is nicely done and fairly sharp. Possibly a hint of a little "smile" can be detected towards the ricasso. But you have to look very close to see that. The sharpening choil that exists could have been just a little bigger to fix it.
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| The steel is S35VN and the finish is a two-tone satin |
Once at work, the little pet is not too bad. The low tip and the modest belly provide a knife that is good for tasks such as cutting tape and opening boxes. Typical tasks for such small knives. However, the fact that it is solidly built means that people, at least me, don't hesitate to do somewhat heavier chores. Then tougher packaging materials such as plastic straps, cable ties, and silver tape (not the reinforced type) are being attacked. A sturdy blade in quality steel and a confidence-inspiring lock makes it feel like a suitable task.
For some other detail work, I would have liked to have seen a little more pronounced tip. This is an objection I have to most knives that look like this. This can, for example, be said of half of Voxnae's total production. But the available tip is relatively sharp and not fragile. So it's no problem to run it into a plastic bottle or cut a piece of thicker plastic into a stencil for painting throwing knife boards to name a few.
Then the blade is very short but it is quite obvious from the beginning of course. But it always entails certain limitations, so it makes the Hamster the name despite not being the best friend with vegetables of various kinds. Read "like a picnic knife". It cuts well but with a short reach to put it simply. Then I probably think that the blade could have been a bit thinner. It's high enough to be sturdy anyway.*
Handle
Titanium, I initially said that you get a lot of. This applies to the percentage though and not the absolute numbers. This is a very small knife. The handle is 8 cm long, 1.1 cm thick and just over 2 cm high. In addition, since the sides are both bevelled and lightened on the inside, the weight is a meager 65 grams. It is good for an all-metal knife with a blade that is, after all, quite strong.
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| The design of the flipper tab allows the entire handle to be gripped |
The sides of this version have been anodized to a green-blue shimmering hue. They are also quite elaborated. As I said, the inside has had its compartments milled out to reduce weight. But even the outside has received several rounds of a CNC machine. The sides are elegantly curved and in addition, the curved handle has a solid beveled edge. In addition, the surfaces have different finishes. The domed middle part has a nice pattern of transverse stripes, which in addition to being nice gives increased friction and thus better grip.
Then all edges and corners have been rounded off. Nothing but the blade is sharp on this knife. Possibly except for the corner that is formed when the lock bar falls into place. But because the Hamster is so small, it does not pose a practical problem at all.
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| The construction is mostly open. The inside of the titanium sides are milled out to reduce weight |
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| Everything is well beveled, rounded, and sanded on this knife, including the protruding backspacer |
The handle is put together with very small screws. My advice is therefore not to disassemble the knife too often and with caution. The largest dimension is found as it should be in the pivot screw which has a T8 head. The rest are T6 screws. They are two in number, one of which also acts as an attachment point for the clip. The screws are then retracted into a softly rounded gray backspacer in titanium.
The stop pin on this model is integrated with the blade, whereupon it is invisible when studying the knife from above.
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| For me, a hamster is a three-finger knife with the index finger curved around the flipper tab (picture 1,2). If the fingers are placed behind it, the knife becomes a less than optimal two-finger knife |
Manufacturers often use a "50-50 choil", ie a recess for the finger or similar to "cheat" the dimensions of such short knives **. That has not been done here. Instead, the designer has chosen to use a flipper tab whose top is so wide that you can put a finger over it. This means that even though it is a flipper knife, the entire length of the handle can be used. Through the angle of the back end with the incorporated lanyard hole, the pinky gets somewhere to rest. Or almost, despite the efforts, this is just a "three-finger knife" for me. There is no more space with my hand size.
Opening and Lock
Hamster is a flipper-operated knife that can also be opened with two hands if desired. This is because the resistance from the detent isn't the hardest and that a lot of blade is visible in the closed position.
But the resistance is enough to accelerate the small blade to a decent speed. The flipper tab is large and wide and you can therefore be tempted to think that it is possible to push it down, but then you'll be wrong. Or rather, if you put your finger on the front edge before pressing it might work. This is where the force is to be applied and also backward. The flat surface has another function that I have previously touched on.
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| A low but wide flipper tab that works well after a short learning period |
Since the Hamster has fine ceramic ball bearings and very tight tolerances, the opening is safe and fast once the code has been solved with how the pressure is to be distributed. But, luckily, this knife comes with a clip, otherwise, I do not know what my fingers would push against when the knife is to be opened. In addition, because it is so long, the clip nullifies a problem that can otherwise occur with small knives. Here it is not possible to press the lock bar by mistake and thereby prevent the opening of the blade. The placement of the clip is therefore very good.
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| The frame lock on this knife is very sturdy |
The blade is secured by a frame lock in titanium with the now standardized add ons lockbar insert and overtravel stop. Both functions are handled by the same piece of metal that is screwed in place and thus can be replaced if necessary.
The function is perfect on this particular knife. No movement in the blade in any direction can be detected even by hard provocation. There is also no tendency for the lock bar to slide from a negative load on the blade. The lock-up is around 40 percent.
The lock bar is reasonably easy to access and the lock is therefore easy to disengage. Especially as the tension of the bar is well-modulated for the size. The only objection is that there is not much room for a thumb but it's the nature of things. It's a small knife.
To Carry
Small and chubby without sharp corners and weighing just over sixty grams. It is a good recipe for a knife that is easy to put in your pocket. Or rather, it would be a failure not to achieve a good pocket knife when the measurements are so modest. But here it has been done damn well. Examples of this are how the edges of the blade spine have been broken so as not to be perceived as sharp and how the corners of the flipper tab have been rounded. Not even the protruding backspacer that could actually have been too pointed has been forgotten. It is also rounded.
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A strong contributing factor to the knife being easy to carry is the clip. Although it is a "sculpted" titanium clip, it works great. The quotation marks come from the fact that it's a bad expression. The clip is not "sculpted" but machine milled from a piece of titanium instead of punched out of a plate. In this case to the shape of a spring clip. That means thin enough to have good tension. In addition, there is space underneath to host some fabric.
The clip's ramp is modest but works for trousers and jeans. I have not tested the knife on thicker trousers than that. Then the tip is not pointing outwards, which is a big plus in my book. The material under the clip is also not so patterned that it causes any troubles when the knife is pulled or put away.
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| This much of the knife is visible in a pocket |
A big advantage of this clip is that it does not cause any hotspots but rather helps when the knife is used. Partly when the blade is to be opened and partly it makes the handle fill the hand a little better.
A small piece of the handle protrudes and is visible when carrying the knife. That and the lanyard hole, so if you want to attach a piece of paracord it will work great.
To Conclude
Hamster is a small gold nugget that offers most of what a modern folding knife can possibly do. In concrete terms, this means that a flipper acts as an opening mechanism and that the blade is held in place with a titanium frame lock with a replaceable steel insert and overtravel stop. The blade runs on ceramic bearings and the same material is found in the detent ball. The package includes lots of titanium as that material makes up most of the knife. The internally milled sides, the small rounded backspacer, and the CNC-milled clip are all made of titanium.
In addition, we are offered treats as a two-tone satin finish on the blade, which by the way is made of S35VN, which is very fine steel. The handle is also lavish with both anodizing and worked sides that include two different structures.
The overall fit and finish are also exemplary. Nothing negative to comment on there either. Especially not as all the basics like smooth flipper action, solid lockup, centered blade, and a well-sharpened edge were in place. What I have to object to is rather the result of a mixture of design choices and the size of my hands.
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| QSP Hamster, small but sweet as a cookie! |
In terms of design, the knife is a chubby little thing. With an emphasis on small. The knife measures only 8 cm folded and 13 cm open and the Hamster thus gives a blade of five centimeters. It's not much, but the robust construction still provides a knife that can be used. Had it been just slightly larger, I would have placed it in the same category as Spyderco Techno, CRKT Pilar, and CS Mini Tuff Lite. In fact, the measurements are fairly close to, for example, Lil 'Native. But here is missing a Glesser behind the design.
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| QSP Hamster in size comparison with the larger Spyderco Techno and the smaller Two Sun Firefly, two other knives with hi end steel and titanium handles |
It feels like they have mainly chosen to go for a knife that looks, for lack of better expression, "cute". The slightly chubby shape is appealing and disarming in public contexts but a little too small for at least my hands. This means that it is perceived as a more luxurious variant of Böker Nano for me. A knife with a similar aesthetic basis. Because even though a very wide flipper tab that is more intended to put a forefinger over or maybe around than behind, I have a hard time finding a really good grip on the knife. If the finger is placed behind the tab, the Hamster turns into a bad two-finger knife for me and if the knife is gripped as I think it's primarily intended, It's a three-finger knife, although a better one. But, a three-finger knife where it is almost only the thumb on the blade spine and the index finger that holds the knife.
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| QSP Hamster is a visually appealing knife |
But that aspect is highly personal and with smaller hands, I think it is a non-existing problem. Then it should be added that not all knives are made to work for hours. This is a small knife for the fifth pocket. A good thing about the Hamster is that it's socially acceptable even with other people nearby. Both appearance and size are disarming.
In addition to top material and a very high finish, the package includes solid construction quality and flowing and clean lines. A nice knife quite simply. If that sounds like something you want to invest in, the QSP Hamster costs around 175€ in Europe and 140$ in the US.
Specification:
Length Overall: 130 mm
Length Folded: 80 mm
Weight: 65 g (weighted by me, stated +/- 63 g)
Blade Length: 50 mm
Blade Thickness: 3 mm
Blade Steel: S35VN
Handle: Titanium, anodized
Lock: Frame lock
Produced by: QSP, made in China
/ J
* Compared to, for example, an EKA Swede 88 which actually has a slightly longer blade but a thickness of only 1.7 mm! It cuts exceptionally well without breaking despite the thin blade.
** Typical examples are Spyderco Lil 'Native and Civivi Odium.
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