New Knife - HX Outdoors Rock Sapphire

Sometimes, you find new companies that you didn't know about. In this case, I have to admit that they found me through my Instagram account. That's how it is.

The brand is HX Outdoors, and judging by the website, they have a fairly extensive model range. However, I must admit that I was a bit skeptical about some of the models based on the specifications, as there are knives with not only 5Cr but even 3Cr steel in the blades. It's not much to brag about, and it makes me wonder about the priorities in production.

But in the range, I saw this knife, called Rock Sapphire, as a candidate for a review. A knife that, in my eyes, has a really nice appearance. Add to that a low price tag, and the basis for an affordable knife is there.

I can agree with the slogan on the box, that everyone deserves an exceptional knife. The question is, is this one? That remains to be seen.

The model designation is ZD 114-S, which means that the handle is made of titanium. Or not really. This means that the knife has a simple steel frame but elements of titanium, to be precise. It contributes to a "Symphony in titanium," according to the website. To be honest, it's mostly the sides that are made of that material* Nothing else. Maybe nothing you should expect from a budget knife either, but the sales jargon promises more. It's always a danger when marketing people get their hands on products they don't know much about.

The model has a sibling, 113-S, which mostly means a different blade finish. In addition, there is also a cousin who is a bit more angular in expression.

HX Outdoors Rock Sapphire

Rock Sapphire is a considerably smaller knife than I thought, 170 mm in total. Of that, the handle length is 97 mm, which at first sounds decent, but then I discover that the flipper/finger guard steals a good chunk of it. This means that this is not a full-size knife for me, but a "three-finger knife", which changes the conditions for what it can be used for.

The blade is 60 mm long with a thickness of 3.2 mm, which is solid for such a small knife. The material used is D2, which is approved but often has a tendency to rust. It remains to be seen how it will cope with the upcoming, hopefully warm spring and summer months.

You should be careful with terms like "budget brand", as it can have bad connotations. But that's a bit of what this is. If nothing else, it's revealed by the price tag as this knife costs around 284 SEK plus shipping at the time of writing. That's equivalent to about 26 euros/dollar.

However, it remains to be seen whether it is a good budget brand. That is, whether you get value for the money you actually pay. It's not enough to have a low price. If something, regardless of type, is to be worth the effort, the products must maintain a certain level.

My first impression of HX Outdoors is that they do. The Rock Sapphire feels solid, and the materials in this version are not bad. However, there are details in both the design and finish that immediately reveal that the knife does not belong to the highest levels of knife making. Especially where some elements "clash".

But I think that what remains is good enough for me to call the knife worth the price. However, that remains to be seen, and I intend to return to it in a review in the future.

HX Outdoors

 

/ J - trying new things

* Compare, for example, with the Ferramonster Glideman which has titanium screws, titanium sides, titanium lock, titanium back spacer and titanium clip. There we are talking about both a symphony of materials, but of course, also a considerably higher price tag. 

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