- tactical folding knife with vintage vibes
There was a time when this knife was a semi-holy grail for me. It was sometime in the nineties and the internet was not yet a source for knives. Back then you had to browse and buy magazines that were very expensive over here like "Blade" and "Tactical Knives" which were found in a well-sorted newsstand in town. The sought-after four-leaf clover at the time when it comes to "tactical knives", excluding custom knives, was the Spyderco Starmate, Gerber CF, Benchmade AFCK, and then the original version of this knife, the Camillus CUDA .*
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| The four-leaf clover had more leaves. The big five in the category "tactical folders" from the 90s, Al Mar S.E.R.E, Camillus C.U.D.A, Gerber CF, Benchmade AFCK, and Spyderco Starmate |
However, that was a different era and a lot has happened to the Camillus brand since then. It should therefore be pointed out that this is a simpler new edition of that knife. But the model is the same. And since I have the others, I had to have this one too!
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| Camillus C.U.D.A. 9" |
Incidentally, "C.U.D.A" stands for Camillus Ultra Design Advantage and referred, among other things, to the completely unique opening system. As I said, this was before flipper tabs and ball bearings were associated with folding knives or at least found on production knives.
The original was, therefore, one of the fastest opening knives available, along with stilettos and so-called "gravity knives". What I appreciate most about it is the innovative spirit it exudes more than the functionality which is not at all ultimate, to be honest.
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| CUDA 9", a retro-stylish knife with a unique opening system |
Short version: Camillus C.U.D.A., is a retro-chic knife with innovative technology that is left behind by time
Blade
CUDA boasts a, in my opinion, quite a nice blade. Possibly it can be characterized as a drop point although I think it is probably a spear point with its almost symmetrical appearance and its pronounced swedge. However, it cannot be sharpened as it protrudes from the handle when the knife is folded.*
Then you can't miss that the blade is blackened. In this case, it is mostly to make the knife look more brutal, as the steel is not particularly prone to rust. Namely, AUS8 is used. The question is why, not because it's a lousy steel, it's not. But it is Japanese steel and the knife is made in China and they have other steels that are actually at least as good and probably cheaper. And if you want to import steel to China you can better ones.
About the steel, it can otherwise be said that it is as dated as the design and that it is not used very frequently anymore. It is fairly resistant to corrosion, easy to grind, doesn't hold an edge very well, and has decent impact resistance for being stainless steel. That pretty much sums it up. Possibly the steel choice can be traced back to the original that had blades in ATS-34 if I'm not mistaken. That is also a Japanese steel.
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| The blade is just under a decimeter/4" long and blackened |
It is a fairly substantial blade with a length of 9.7 cm and a height of 2.4 cm. If you want a shorter blade, the knife can be found in a smaller version, by the way.
It radiates power as the stock thickness is a generous 4 mm. The grind is a fairly low saber and thus it can be feared that this knife will be absolutely terrible to cut with.
But on that point, Camillus has saved the properties by providing the blade with a hollow grind. Something that is not entirely easy to see in all the dark, but which is one of the few ways to get a good edge on a thick and not very tall blade.
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| Japanese AUS8 steel is found in the blade. Not bad but almost as dated as the knife design |
However, the factory edge is not much to brag about. It was not particularly sharp, but rather semi-sharp in parts. It was possible to cut paper with it with some difficulty, so you know roughly what I mean. In addition, right from the beginning, the knife has a tendency to smile", i.e. that the edge is not straight towards the ricasso. Then it can be added that the edge is not completely symmetrical when viewed from below either. The same can be said about the swedge which does not have the same angle on both sides. A typical example of something gone wrong in production. Or that the quality control is simply not top-notch.
Once put to work, the knife performs as it looks. Not very efficient in other words. The exception is that penetration cuts are good. It is a pointy blade. It of course cuts cardboard and similar materials but not without effort due to the geometry. It simply requires more power than many other knives. The same of course applies to nylon rope, which I also usually test edges on.
This is not a knife I would get myself to carve with, so I haven't even given it a go. The Camillus CUDA is far from an outdoor knife despite its size.
Handle
The construction of this knife can be summed up as being based on an internal steel frame that is open at the back and clad with G10 handle sides that are bolted in place. Distances of the simplest kind are found in the back. They aren't even barrel-shaped but just straight tubes. Whether it should be considered miserly or simple but straightforward is open to discussion. You know the "form follows function" argument.
The G10 material is medium coarse to fine which gives some grip. Especially when combined with a recess for the index finger and a thumb ramp on the blade. But it is also the only thing that gives extra grip. Otherwise, the handle is as straight as it seems.
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| Handle sides in fairly smooth G10 |
The shape of the handle, like the entire knife, is an excursion into the retro world. Everything about it is not good. The basic shape itself is capable in all its simplicity, but the execution is not. In part, Camillus has chosen to have a thick blade which then has a lot of air around it. There is a considerable distance between the base of the blade and the inside of the frame. It gives a very wide opening in the handle and when it is then combined with a very thin frame for the size of the knife and equally slender sides G10, the result looks cheap.
It doesn't have to mean bad but there is a disadvantage or rather a couple with that way of doing things.
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| The knife is open in the back and here you can also see the somewhat strange proportions between the thickness of the handle and the sides |
The first and biggest objection I have is practical. The handle is simply not very comfortable to hold, at least if you have to do some heavy work which a larger knife will attract. That's because thin sides provide sparingly with material that rests against the hand both in the crease of the thumb and against the little finger. That creates hot spots if you put some power behind the cuts. But in fairness, this knife is not designed for bushcraft or outdoor life. So, that it is not brilliant in that area and may not be used as an objection to the design. Possibly a pair of gloves can help, but I don't think it should be necessary.
For lighter tasks and with the knife in a saber grip, however, the simple handle shape is surprisingly comfortable.
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| Most grips work but don't try to hold the knife in a pinch grip for detailed work, it won't work at all as the disc is in the way |
The size of the handle is generous. The total length of the handle amounts to 12.8 cm, which is matched by a height of 2.7 cm. The available grip surface behind the finger guard is eleven centimeters. But the design of the guard allows you to place an index finger there if you want to creep closer to the edge with your hand. The thickness is measured at 1.34 cm according to my caliper.
The size gives plenty of room for the whole hand and there is even some left over. As the shape is uncomplicated, it is no problem to either use all grips or switch between them. That way the handle is good.
Opening and Lock
In addition to the look overall, it is under this heading that the great innovation, or the one that was once upon a time, can be found. The C.U.D.A system itself.
It consists of a disk that slides in a v-shaped groove. The actual opening of the knife is done by pressing with the thumb on the disc and bringing it forward and outwards and then only forward, whereupon the blade opens. Quite ingenious it may seem. Yes, until someone invented the flipper tab, of course.
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| The unique disc is easy to access but not so easy to use |
The problem with this method is that it requires great accuracy. You can't push the "button" or the disk down/in because then nothing or at least very little happens. It has to be pushed forward and slightly outwards to follow the track but also slightly downwards to maintain the pressure/friction. The last bit should go straight ahead. The entire opening motion is helped by a small flick of the wrist, whereupon you can get a good speed on the blade.
Without that flick, the opening won't be quite as fast. In addition, the blade is too heavy, and above all the lever is small. This is because the disc itself moves very close to the pivot screw. It is for the same reason that thumb studs are more effective if they sit further from their point of rotation on a broad-bladed knife. Simply put more leverage. It is missing here.
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| The disk runs in a v-shaped groove that must be followed when opening the knife |
It can also be said that this motion can be strengthened and if you want, you can throw the blade out completely without using the disk at all. It's also the fastest way to open the knife, even if it's not on purpose that this function emerged. It exists because the resistance from the detent ball is a bit too weak. Not that it's dangerous in the pocket. The saving grace is that the knife sits in the "wrong" direction with the point downwards.
Another problem with this solution is that the disk itself is loose in order to slide freely. This means that regardless of the position of the blade, it makes a sound, it rattles if you shake the knife. It is also something that makes the knife feel cheaper than it is. It's not a practical problem but something that most knife enthusiasts don't appreciate.
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| A fairly thin liner lock |
The lock is not much to talk about. Or well, a little actually. It is certainly a simple and straightforward liner lock but there is still something to be said. One thing is that it is thin! The frame is not thick and therefore the lock bar is not either. In addition, it engages quite late, which indicates that the geometry between the lock and blade base is not completely perfect. I have heard of others who had problems with the function, but this does not apply to this particular knife. The lock engages properly in this case and there is no play in the blade. Not in any direction, and I'm grateful for that.
The lock bar is very easy to access thanks to a more than generous recess on the opposite side of the handle.
To Carry
CUDA is a lump in the pocket. That's the easiest way to describe it. As previously mentioned, it is quite thick even though the sides are thin. If you add to that a mammoth length and a lovely outdated clip, the result is not the best on this parameter.
The knife is also quite heavy, although 149 grams is not extreme for the size. But that doesn't make it lightweight either.
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| A clip that can only be mounted on the "wrong" end of the handle |
The clip is not quite the latest, as I wrote above, and by that, I mean appearance as well as function. Square clips are not often seen these days especially not one that cannot be moved at all. If you add the fact that the knife can only be carried tip-down, you have, as I said, a clip from the past.
Otherwise, it can be said that it is an ordinary steel clip screwed in place with three small T6 screws.
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| Both the clip and the knife are clearly visible when carried in a pocket |
The function is decent but not more. The ramp is big enough and the tension is actually satisfactory. However, much of the knife sticks out according to the old motto that if it doesn't, you can't draw your knife. Something I do not agree with but that is the subject of another discussion.
Having said that, it doesn't have to be completely wrong that this particular knife is carried the way it does. The opening mechanism itself means that it still cannot be used with the left hand, and it is also easier to access if you first pull the knife and then spin it half a turn in your hand before opening the blade.
To Conclude
Initially, I wrote that the Camillus CUDA was almost a trophy for me. The question is, does it live up to the expectations that come with it? The answer is probably both yes and no. It depends on which shoes it must fulfill and what role it plays. In my mind, it's still pretty awesome and thus fills its place in the collection or possibly the knife pile. That's not to say it's necessarily a "good" knife. Rather, it represents something else, an era in this case.
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| Camillus Titanium series times two, Tyrant and C.U.D.A. 9" |
If you disregard that, it is perhaps after all that the time left this knife behind. Much of what was once both new and unique today feels quite dated and a bit overcomplicated. Not least that applies to the opening system. A major objection is that the "CUDA" solution with the disk requires fairly good fine motor skills, which is terrible when you are, for example, stressed or your fingers are cold. Thus, both the "tactical" and purely practical use are compromised in everything but heat and sunshine. It is an objection already at the design stage.
The solution is also not very smart compared to what is available on the market today. Then the disc rattles which is not a plus either, although it's not decisive in itself.
Then I think the construction of the handle itself looks cheap but that's not solely Camillus's fault but more the zeitgeist from which CUDA originates I suspect. That's because the Spyderco Starmate, whose design is roughly contemporary, has the same slightly odd relationship between handle sides and void. But it somehow results in a handle that is both thin and thick at the same time, which is an achievement in itself.
It also looks cheap with a large gap between the blade and frame. It is also not practical as it gives less support to the blade and allows dirt to get in there. In fact, you can feel the knife being thin. If you grab the blade and pry sideways, the knife flexes the same way the Benchmade Bugout does.
It would also be something that could easily be fixed on a version 2 like this. It doesn't feel like the manufacturer bothered to improve the model when the chance was given, which is a minus.
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| Camillus C.U.D.A is a nostalgia knife for me, the question is what is it to you? |
After spending time with the Camillus CUDA 9" for a long time, the halo hasn't completely gone astray but the glow has faded a bit, one might say. It's not a very practical knife and the question is whether it looks "cool" enough for the one that doesn't have any memories attached to it? That's a question I have a little difficulty answering. Because even though I probably don't think it's a good or even a particularly well-built knife, it's not bad either and I think it's a bit charming in a somewhat perverse way. It is unique after all!
Specification:
Length Overall: 225 mm
Length Folded: 128 mm
Weight: 149 g (weighed by me)
Blade Length: 97 mm
Blade Thickness: 4 mm
Blade Steel: AUS8
Handle: G10
Lock: liner lock
Produced by: Camillus, made in China
/ J - looking for oldies but goldies
* Since before there were also a couple more, partly the first custom knives from Terzuola but also Spyderco Police of course.
** Something that does not apply to another "combat knife" from the same era, namely the Gerber CF which can be made double-edged.
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