- a more elaborate Alfaro design this time
I've heard that you're supposed to keep promises, and since I said the other day that another QSP knife from the same designer was to be reviewed, here comes Turtle Punk. If the previous knife was mostly geared towards being a tool with little or no room for the extravagant, this one is a much more intricate design when it comes to the handle, for example.
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| QSP Turtle Punk |
In addition to brand and design, these two models share many other features. For starters, they are exactly the same length, as reflected in the blades, which are also identical in length. Then they have the same type of blade steel and handle material. In addition, they have the same size standard clip from QSP and are assembled with the same type and size of screws. Yes, that's right, they both open with thumb studs, too.
The question is, has Keanu Alfaro, the designer behind these two models, been lazy and copied himself? I wouldn't say so. Rather, this is a study in how different two knives can be despite sharing so many similarities.
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| Turtle Punk, a Keanu Alfaro design with a tanto blade and two-tone G10 handle |
Short version: QSP Turtle Punk, a knife with a distinctive appearance and likeable features
Blade
The first significant difference between the Turtle Punk and its cousin, Ripley, is that it features a blade with a tanto tip. The blade tip is also reinforced by a different angle of the grind, which is otherwise completely flat. Another similarity to its relative. But unlike it, the Turtle has a small swedge, which enhances the pointed appearance and improves an already good penetration ability.
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| The blade is a kind of modified tanto with a reinforced tip, false edge, and a slightly curved edge. |
Closest to the handle, there are grooves for better grip, and they can be said to be medium coarse. Not an extreme grip, so they tear the skin off the finger, but not soapy either. They serve their purpose.
The blade is stone-washed, a surface treatment that QSP and, for that matter, other manufacturers often return to. It is easy to manufacture, and it hides scratch marks well.
The marking is now very discreet on QSP's part. A response to several years of requests from customers, I suspect. On the presentation side, you can find the logo in small format, and on the opposite side, you can read the steel type if you have very good eyesight. Otherwise, the blade is clean.
The steel is the 14C28N often used by QSP, a Swedish steel that is absolutely excellent for the price range. It is nothing extraordinary, but it is very rust-resistant, relatively tough for that type, and holds its sharpness relatively well. And when it needs to be maintained, which I do with a strop, the steel is easy to handle.
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| The steel in the flat-ground blade is 14C28N |
Something you might not immediately think of when looking at the knife is that the edge is actually curved. It does two things. First, it makes the knife much easier to handle against flat surfaces, something I often point out because I frequently use it when cutting things. The second thing it does is "soften" the second point that occurs on tanto blades. This is for better or worse, as it makes the appearance less pure while at the same time giving the Turtle Punk a kind of belly after all. One that will probably become more pronounced the first time you resharpen your knife.
Combine these properties with a full flat grind with a capable factory edge and a competent steel, and you get a surprisingly practical knife. Especially as the point is excellent for puncturing annoying plastic and other things that need to be pierced.
The "second" point can also be used, where you, for example, cut open taped boxes. Although I usually turn the knife over and do it with the back of the point so as not to damage what is inside.
Overall, I am very happy with how this knife performs. This also applies out in the forest. The knife is indeed flat-ground, but a full 0.5 mm thick behind the edge. Actually, too much to be optimal, but it also makes the blade feel more stable when cutting wood. It doesn't bend at first. Not even when you pry the blade free from a gnarled root. The edge is good in both dry wood and fresh branches, by the way.
Turtle Punk is also decent at cutting ropes of various types. But after a while, you need to resharpen the knife if you cut nylon rope or dirty anchor twine. As I said, the edge doesn't last extremely long.
Handle
In the beginning was a lightened steel frame. That's how the creation story of many knives can begin. So does this one. On the outside, however, you will find properly worked sides in G10. It is available in three colorways, of which this one is apparently black and white. Elsewhere, there is a multi-colored and green theme.
The handle is then anchored in two attachment points in addition to the adjustable pivot screw. On the latter, by the way, you will find QSP's other logo, a triangle. The screw is, as usual, D-shaped, which prevents it from spinning when it is to be released. Something QSP does excellently.
As mentioned, the screws are the same as on the Ripley in terms of dimensions, which means that the spacers found in the open back are screwed from two directions with T6 screws. In the Pivot screw, you will find a T8. The rearmost screw for the spacers is extended, as it also helps to hold the clip in place.
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| A comfortable handle with a three-dimensional turtle pattern |
The material in the sides is, as mentioned, G10, which is two-tone and patterned, which gives it a special look that is, if not unique, then unusual. That and the surface that has the same dented structure as a turtle shell are the main design elements and thus give the knife its character and name.
The grip in the handle of the Turtle Punk does not come as much from the structure and pattern as with, for example, Ripley. Here, the G10 material is much smoother, but in return, the surface and its pits provide a little extra friction. But mainly the grip comes from a more pronounced depression for the index finger in combination with a slight one for the thumb on the top of the blade.
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| Turtle Punk is open at the back, revealing a polished steel frame and two hourglass-shaped spacers. The large blade stop bolt is also visible. |
The handle is 115 mm long, 14.5 mm thick, and 27.4 mm high at most. This makes it easy to get a full four-finger grip. In fact, I prefer this grip to the one on the Ripley. It is softer on the hand, a few millimeters thick, and above all, the finger groove is better designed. Here, the index finger is placed, and then the other fingers follow nicely and end up where they should, without a hump that risks ending up in the wrong place if your hand is not exactly the right size.
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| The balance is found behind the finger guard |
As with many knives, the clip is a bit of a hot spot if you squeeze the handle tightly. Something that, of course, disappears if you change hands. So if you know that you will be using folding knives for longer periods of time, I actually recommend removing the clip. But if you are only going to cut for a short time, it doesn't matter.
The same applies to the favorite grip on this knife, the saber grip. Even then, the back end of the clip is felt against the inside of the hand. Something that frequently occurs on knives with clips of this type. But again, it is only felt if you squeeze so hard that your knuckles almost turn white. Otherwise, this is a comfortable handle where all grips work properly.
If you want to get really close to the edge for better control when doing small jobs, you can even sneak an index finger up onto the finger guard.
Opening and Lock
In an emergency, the Turtle Punk can be opened with two hands, but it doesn't work very well as the blade is mostly hidden in the handle when the knife is closed. This is a pure thumb-operated knife. But in return, it is very good in that area.
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| Tumknopparna är mycket väl placerade för optimal effekt |
Both Alfaro and QSP know what they are doing at this point. The thumb studs are located exactly where they should be to be easy to access, give a good push to the blade, while not being in the way when working with the knife.
The double-sided studs are of a barrel-shaped model, which makes them comfortable. If you want to flick the blade out, you do it with your thumb or index finger on the back behind the thumb stud, and then just press, and the blade explodes out. If you want to make it softer, place your thumb a little more on top of the thumb stud, then just stroke the blade out.
The fact that there is some weight in the blade, in combination with the fine ceramic ball bearings, makes the action silky smooth.
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| A solid liner lock ensures safety |
In addition to the blade tip and handle shape, the lock is the third point where Turtle differs from Ripley. On this knife, you will find a regular liner lock. Maybe not the latest and coolest on the market, but well executed.
The lock bar is 1.5mm thick and quite high, so there is a lot of steel to rely on. Then the geometry is correctly executed. This means that the lock is reliable, i.e., it locks every time the blade is opened. After that, the blade is held without movement in any direction.
The shape of the handle, with a finger recess that is slightly deeper on the opposite side in relation to the lock bar, makes it easy to reach. The grooves on it prevent the finger from slipping, making the lock easy to disengage. All in all, this is an excellent example of a well-functioning liner lock.
To Carry
In this area, this model is both worse and better than its comparison object, the Ripley. Better because the material is significantly smoother against fabric, which makes the knife easy to pull and put back in the pocket again.
Worse, because it is actually heavier. The Turtle Punk weighs 126 g, which is not extremely much, especially not for a knife with a blade of almost nine centimeters. But it is not a lightweight either.
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| The clip is one of QSP's standard variants |
Then it is also slightly thicker, as mentioned. But it is about millimeters. Overall, however, this turtle is relatively easy to carry.
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| A shiny steel clip is all that is visible |
The clip is, as previously mentioned, one of QSP's generic ones. A simple steel clip of the "deep ride" type that works excellently. A little shiny, I think, but in return, the frame is also polished on this knife, so it matches the rest of the look.
The tension is good, and the space under the clip is ample to accommodate most fabric thicknesses. The ramp is also substantial, in fact, so much so that it could be a little smaller. Because the clip is parallel to the handle and doesn't slope, it's quite tall. A slope would have made it feel smaller in the hand.
But now it is the rear end that is the biggest culprit in causing hot spots, but that, in turn, is because it allows the knife to sit as deep as it does. That is the disadvantage of that kind of clip.
To Conclude
I have to admit that this knife surprised me a bit. Mostly because it was more practical than I first thought. It can sometimes be difficult to fully grasp the character of a knife from pictures, if they have any. In particular, I still have a bit of a prejudice against tanto blades. It's not my personal favorite type of blade. After all, I'm Swedish, and the classic Scandinavian straight blade is what applies. You can possibly stretch it to a drop point, but hardly any further. I'm a bit ironic, as you might notice, but there's some truth to that.
But here, Keanu Alfaro, has tricked us a bit. By letting the back of the blade drop and also the edge form a curve, suddenly the disadvantages of an angular American tanto with its straight lines are gone. What remains is the reinforced and aggressively effective tip. The only disadvantage I can see is that the appearance may be difficult to maintain during future resharpening. The risk of that secondary tip disappearing is big.
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| QSP och Alfaros samarbete har resulterat i en riktigt bra EDC-kniv |
In addition to these features, the handle of the Turtle Punk is also quite striking. I preferred black and white so that the pattern would stand out as clearly as possible. But even there, the pictures are a bit misleading as you don't fully see that the sides are not completely flat, but that there is a bumpy pattern that imitates the shell of the knife's namesake.
Even better is that the knife is nice to work with. Unless you do it a lot and for a long time, it is best to remove or replace the clip with something that doesn't stick out at the back.
Turtle Punk is a surprisingly practical knife in most contexts, even outdoors
Overall, however, the Turtle Punk is a surprisingly nice acquaintance. Especially since it is not one of the most expensive. The MSRP on QSP's website is $88, which translates to around €80 in Europe at the time of writing. However, I have seen it sometimes on sale.
But if you like fairly practical folding knives with a tanto tip in the slightly larger format, but still want a little flair, this is certainly not a bad candidate.
Specifications:
Length Overall: 203 mm
Length Folded: 115 mm
Weight:126 g (weighed by me, stated 126g)
Blade Length: 88 mm
Blade Thickness: 3,5 mm
Blade Steel: 14C28N
Handle: Two-colored G10
Lock: Liner lock
Produced by: QSP, made in China
/ J - somewhat surprised
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