- a foldable lightweight puukko
I blamed the previous SRM knife reviewed for being good-looking but anonymous. The same cannot be said for this one. Model 401L as it is called, on the contrary, has a very distinct look. One that reminds me of Scandinavian simplicity and purity. Especially as the blade almost completely disappears in the handle when the knife is closed and the knife has a so-called "Scandi grind".
It is simply a folding Puukko. Now it remains to decide if it is a good one.
 |
| What do we have here? |
SRM is a brand that is growing in my eyes. From the beginning, they mostly devoted themselves to making tiny knives, mainly for the Chinese domestic market, while also being an OEM manufacturer. Then they launched a new old brand, "SRM," but instead of standing for "SanRenMu," it now stands for "Stay Ready for More." The name sounds much better as an abbreviation than when it is spelled out.
Fortunately, the knives are better than the name. SRM has some real workhorses in the program such as the 7228L Rubik, 168L, and 9201. In addition to that, there are also slightly more exclusive models such as Unicorn and Asika which are knives with titanium handles. Then they also have knives in the Bug-Out class such as the 255 I reviewed to name a few.
But among these knives, this model still stands out, and it's the appearance that makes it so.
 |
| SRM 401L |
Short Version: SRM 401L, the elegant beauty with Nordic features that is feather-light and efficient but with a downside
Blade
Initially, the blade is very difficult to see as it is completely hidden in the handle. When it pops out, it turns out to be a drop-point, albeit one that most closely resembles a straight blade. However, the shape is accentuated by a very nicely executed swedge or rather chamfering on the back side.
Otherwise, the look is dominated by two things, the finish which is a fairly glossy stone wash, and then of course the grind which is more shiny. It is a typical "scandi grind" as it is called nowadays. A low saber grind with just one bevel if you prefer. This one has a micro bevel but nothing more.
Then there is quite a lot of text on the knife blade, but it is written in such a microscopic size that it is barely visible. But on one side there is SRM's logo and on the other, you will find both the model designation, some form of serial number, and steel type.
 |
| A quite elegant blade where the lines are emphasized by a finely executed finish and a sleek swedge or rather beveled back |
The steel used is Chinese but of good quality. It's 10Cr15MoV. It should not be confused with simple "letter steels" such as 3Cr or even 8Cr steel where the first is a sink steel and the second a budget steel. On the contrary, this steel behaves much like a finely treated VG10.
That is to say, it can be extremely sharp, it stays sharp for a reasonable amount of time and it is fairly resistant to rust. In addition, it shouldn't be too bad to re-sharpen either. The latter I don't know much about as I haven't had to do it yet. However, the steel responds very quickly to being stropped with leather and some paste. This is how I prefer to maintain my knives. If that's not enough, there will be a couple of strokes on a honing rod or a stone.
The blade is 83 mm long, which is matched by a height of 20 mm and a thickness of 2.5 mm.
 | |
|
It is the latter in combination with the grind and the excellent factory edge that makes the 401L a knife that cuts really well in all types of material. Here, the manufacturer has understood that if you want to get the most out of a Scandi grind, you must have a thin blade. If not, you get a wedge instead.
The factory edge was a joy to use as it shaved arm hair without pressure straight out of the box. Another plus on SRM's account as it shows that they spend some time on their products. Knives always need maintenance and resharpening but I don't want to have to do it right after unpacking.
The simple blade shape means that all occurring tasks are solved easily. The tip is both sharp and at the same time strong, an effect that this type of low saber grind has. It therefore penetrates excellently in, for example, hard plastic. Something I often do with 10l cooking oil cans as an example. However, you have to be careful as this type of handle lacks finger protection. But that is in the nature of things.
Then the 401L cuts much better in cardboard than similar knives usually do and this is due to the thin blade stock. The material is not forced apart as much as a thicker blade with the same grind would have done.
Then I like the rather gradual belly which means that you don't have to break your wrist if it is to be used against a flat surface such as a plank or cutting board.
The knife is also not bad for carving. Something that I tried the other day when I needed more stakes to wedge my distance markers with on the knife throwing range. The edge bites excellently in both fresh wood, and everything else would be surprising, but also in the dry wood that I used. What sets the limitations here is more that the knife feels a bit fragile even though it is not, but above all the handle is slim.
Handle
Which brings us to the next point, the handle. In this version, it is a material called Ivory-G10. Which of course is the G10 with ivory color. No synthetic elephants died for this handle. But I chose the color because I have a weakness for white bone and horn handles and this reminds me a bit of them. If a more discreet color is desired, the knife can also be had with a black handle.
 |
| The handle appears simple but hides some subtleties |
The advantage of the material is that it is almost indestructible, it is strong and light and it can also withstand oil and the like without being damaged.
Here, the sides have been worked on a bit as they have two patterns. One with very finely milled squares on the upper part of the handle and longitudinal grooves on the lower part. It is also beveled, which rounds off the handle. That in combination with the fact that the sides are certainly flat but not uniformly thick. They are about a millimeter thicker at the top than at the bottom.
 |
| The sides are made of ivory G10 which are subtly shaped and patterned |
 |
| The inside is more complicated than the outside. Here you can see, among other things, the single-sided frame and how the clip is attached to the inside of the handle |
In other words, SRM has not chosen to make it completely easy for themselves with this knife. It is also noticeable in the way the knife is assembled. Despite the simple appearance, it hides a number of parts and is quite advanced inside.
To begin with, we are talking about a "nested liner lock", that is, the knife has a one-sided frame on the side where the lock is found. It is also recessed into the handle side. In addition to that, they rely on the material for strength. Among other things, this is what makes the knife so light. To strengthen the knife, you have a back spacer in the same material as the sides. Behind it is a bolt where you can attach a lanyard. It is also the point that, in addition to the pivot screw, forms the two attachment points that hold the knife together.
Incidentally, the pivot screw is recessed in the side of the handle. And despite the one-sided steel frame, one side has been made D-shaped so that it does not spin when it is to be adjusted.
 |
Finding a good grip on the 401L is easy, the handle is almost a straight stick |
In terms of comfort, it is noticeable that it is a small knife and that the handle is a straight stick. It means in plain language that this is not something you do bushcraft with for an extended time, although as I said I tried it too. The handle is too narrow and angular to be perfect in this regard.
The same applies if you hold the knife in a saber grip with a thumb on the blade, then the clip and the upper rear corner of the handle are felt against the hand. But this only applies if you work for a while or use a lot of power.
For any use of a lighter nature and where you are really cutting things, this is an excellent handle. One of the great advantages of the shape is also that it is very easy to change grips. There is simply nothing that stands in the way. For the same reason, it is also easy to slip forward on the handle for detail work. An area in which this knife excels.
Opening and Lock
There is only one way to open this knife. Or just a way that it is intended should be added. Namely, you cannot get the blade out with two hands. Hardly one-handed by the way if you are not used to knives as the main opening method is not obvious at first glance.
SRM has managed the feat of creating one of the smallest flipper tabs I've seen. From the side, it is barely visible at all. But when you use it, it turns out just superb. The opening is quick and almost impossible to miss. You just drag your finger towards the front of the handle and the blade is out.
 |
| One of the world's smallest front flippers that actually works |
But of course, the downside is that you can't push it down or use any other technique. Or that's not really true, because now we come to the Achilles heel of this knife. To achieve the quick opening with a minimal flipper tab, two things are required in addition to good geometry of course. The first is ball bearings, that box is ticked. The second is to reduce resistance. In this case, it has been done by having a less forceful "detent". Unfortunately, it is too light in this case. The opening is quick, but you can also easily open the knife by shaking it.
This is therefore also an involuntary "Gravity knife". If you snap your wrist or move your arm quickly, the knife opens. The same can apply to a pocket if, for example, you jump, something I have experienced. So placing the knife far back in the pocket is my recommendation. The edge of the pocket adds security and prevents the knife from being opened accidentally.
 |
| A liner lock with excellent function |
 | |
|
As I said above, the knife has a liner lock that is hidden in one of the handle slabs. The function is not bad at all. At least as long as we're talking about keeping the blade in place. There isn't a hint of play in any direction despite the steel being thin, we're talking about a millimeter here. It also doesn't slip under load and locks every time the knife opens without a problem.
On the other hand, releasing the lock is not as pleasurable. Here they have sacrificed a little function on the altar of appearance. The lock is not visible from the side and this means that you have to wedge your thumb in the slot and then move the lock bar to the side. It is not strong, so if you get that far, there are no problems. But it's not easy with my hand size and it requires fine motor skills, so your hands must not be cold and wet either.
To Carry
Now we have managed the two points where model 401L leaves little to be desired. But now we come to another area where it excels. That's because it doesn't get any better than this when we are talking about carrying a knife in a pocket.
The knife weighs in at under seventy grams, 68g to be exact. The handle is 11 centimeters long but as thin as 10.5 mm. Not much to carry around.
 |
| SRM's excellent Ambi Clip |
 |
| Here you can see how the clip attaches to the inside of the handle. It is released by pinching it together, whereupon the two lugs release their grip, and it can be pulled straight back |
This applies especially as the G10 material has not been given a particularly rough surface, on which the knife both slips down and out of a pocket with ease.
Thanks to the compact format and lightweight, the 401L fits perfectly in a pocket even without the clip.
 |
| Hardly any of the knife is visible here and if you have a straight pant pocket, nothing is visible at all |
But most people probably want to use the clip and then we have one of the best on the market here. It's not the prettiest but the function is really good. The ramp is decent, and the tension is as well, but the advantage is found in how it is attached. For one thing, it means that this is a "deep ride" clip that makes the knife completely invisible in a pocket. But because the back end of it is rounded and it doesn't stick out very far, it's not as nasty to the hand as some similar clips can be.
But the biggest advantage is how it can be detached and shifted or removed without tools. That is what is unique about SRM's Ambi-Clip.
To Conclude
From the moment I saw this knife, it reminded me of another knife. The one I have in mind is Spyderco's contribution to the folding Puukko genre Nilakka*. They have a couple of details in common. Mainly it is the clean and frugal design, of course. But also the material in the handle and the ridge found along the side of the handle. But they don't resemble each other at all beyond that.
The SRM 401L is a smaller and slimmer variant of this knife type. More suited for EDC use than being an outdoor knife. It is not least noticeable that it is extremely lightweight. As said, it weighs under seventy grams. That's around 2.5 oz by the way.
 |
| In the 401L, SRM has created a really nice knife with a scandi grind, something that is not too common on folding knives |
Besides being light, it's a damn good-looking knife, at least I think so. To achieve that, SRM has been very consistent. The design is emphasized by the way the knife is put together with few visible screws, no lanyard hole, and not least a front flipper that is basically invisible.
I have mentioned the simplicity but it is accompanied by details here and there like the blue bolt for the lanyard attachment hidden in the handle.
However, two of the knife's less good features follow from the clean lines. Despite its size, the minimal flipper has an excellent function. But to get there, the knife has a very light detent. The Detent ball is trimmed so that the knife can be easily shaken out and unfortunately fall out if you jump, for example. Therefore, the knife must sit at the back of a pocket to prevent it from opening. It has happened to me once. I disassembled the knife to try to increase the pressure on the blade by bending the lock bar slightly but it only partially helped.
The other minor drawback is that it is very difficult to access the lock bar. To accomplish a clean look, the lock is completely hidden from the side. It either requires you to use a fingernail or drive the soft parts of your thumb into the blade slot which is not comfortable at all.
 |
| SRM 401L proves that the saying "even the sun has its spots" is true |
So all in all I love everything about this knife except for those two things. It is extremely light, among the easiest you can carry, cuts very well, and is quite comfortable in the hand given the small format. And as I said, it is gorgeous looking too.
With the 401L, SRM has succeeded in making a very attractive knife that also works great on almost all parameters. If they just trim that little ceramic ball as well, the knife is almost perfect.
Specifications:
Length Overall: 191 mm
Length Folded: mm
Weight: 68 g
Blade Length: 83 mm
Blade Thickness: 2,5 mm
Blade Steel: 10Cr15MoV
Handle: G10
Lock: Liner lock
Produced by: SRM, made in China
/ J - likes what he sees
* This is a knife designed by Finnish Pekka Tuominen.
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar