- Small knife with a scent of titanium
It's never good when a marketing department is allowed to run wild with sales pitches. Then the result can be like in this case, or how about formulations like "ROCK SAPPHIRE pocket knife embodies the perfect blend of groundbreaking materials and ingenious design".
That undeniably sets the bar high. We'll see if this knife from Chinese HX Outdoors can live up to those promises. Is the design as fantastic as claimed, and are the materials really groundbreaking? That last one is a bold claim.
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| HX Outdoors Rock Sapphire |
As if what is quoted above wasn't enough, it is also claimed that "This titanium masterpiece ensures that your everyday carry not only evolves but also remains at the forefront of fashion and functionality". I think that's going a bit far. Especially since it's actually not entirely true. "Fashion", certainly, because it's more about taste and opinion, and I actually think that parts of this knife look really good. Someone else might even think it's fantastic.
But that it would "evolve" my EDC equipment is empty words, and "functionality" is also up for proof. But let's start there!
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| Rock Sapphire offers quite attractive lines |
Short Version: HX Outdoors Rock Sapphire, probably the cheapest knife you can find that contains traces of titanium. But otherwise an acceptable little knife that is sold with a lot of bull
Blade
The first thing I usually talk about is the blade, but in this case, it must be put in relation to what is written about the knife. It has already been claimed that the materials are groundbreaking, and in the headline regarding the blade, it is claimed on the website that the steel is a "Superior Blade Material". In other words, better than anything else. Unclear what, but in any case, in a class of its own.
I claim that it is not at all. It is ordinary D2 or, in this case, perhaps a Chinese derivative thereof. This means a steel that holds its sharpness well, is reasonably tough and rusts if you do not keep it dry. A typical tool steel that is found on a lot of folding knives. Nowadays, in slightly lower price ranges, it can be added. There are better steels for the purpose. Even this model can be obtained in one of them, namely 14C28N, which is at least more rust-resistant. The hardness is stated to be 58-60HRC, which may be correct.
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| The drop point blade is made of D2 |
The steel has been used to make a drop point blade that is 73 mm long, 3.2 mm thick and quite high in relation to the length, 27 mm.
The blade has a very small thumb ramp and a fairly strong false edge that thins the blade out to a very effective tip. But most typical is the fairly large finger choil.
The finish is a glossy satin, and the markings are exemplary small. HX Outdoors' logo can be found on the presentation side, where the steel type on the blade can also be read. On the opposite ricasso is what I think is the designer's logo. Anyway, there are some microscopic Chinese characters. Then the model designation has also been written on the blade, which is completely unnecessary.
But, overall, it is an appealing blade to look at.
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| The length of the blade is 73-84 mm, depending on how it is measured. However, the edge is only 60 mm long |
What's better is that a fairly high flat grind (22mm) thinned the blade to 0.3 mm behind the edge. This gives a geometry that cuts well in most things. What limits this blade is not that bit; on the contrary, this knife cuts well. This applies whether you're cutting thinner ropes, cutting cable ties or shredding cardboard. The latter is described by the author of the text as "this knife can handle tough tasks like cutting ropes or slicing through cardboard." Interesting considering that it's one of the easiest tasks a knife with decent geometry can be faced with, so I don't know what "tough" has to do with it. It's worse with rope, which can actually be a challenge. Especially if it's thick and maybe a little dirty from being outside for a while. It wears down a knife quite quickly.
But I don't want to go that far with this knife for one main reason. It's too small! The blade length is only just over 60 mm. It doesn't give much to work with, and definitely not much that is tough. Rather, this blade is a capable box opener and an EDC knife for all sorts of small tasks that may be relevant.
Then it has another rather severe limitation related to the size.
Handle
A "Titanium Masterpiece" was promised from the start. It's perhaps a stretch, as I have knives that can be described as those where everything except the blade is made of that material. Here, it is rather the case that most of it is made of steel. This applies to the clip, screws, of course, the lock and also the frame! It is also not weight-reduced beyond the small windows made for design reasons. It is the one millimetre-thick steel frame that accounts for most of the weight.
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| The handle is well-shaped, but for me, too small |
What is actually made of titanium are the handle sides. In addition to the aforementioned millings, they have two different patterns, one suggesting a bolster and the other pattern, in addition to the visual, also provides some grip. The handle sides are screwed into a single attachment point in the back of the handle, together with the adjustable pivot screw. The rear screw also constitutes the third screw that holds the clip in place. Those screws are T6, and the pivot screw is T8. The latter is D-shaped, which is good as it prevents the screw from spinning when it is to be tightened.
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| The frame is made of steel, and on the outside, there are titanium slabs |
It should be noted that if you take the knife apart, the very small spring that holds the locking bolt in place will pop out. This applies to almost all knives with this type of lock, I might add.
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| To me, this is a three-finger knife, except if you use the indentation in the blade. |
The handle follows a fairly consistent design line with a front part that, together with the flipper tab, forms a finger guard, a small depression for the index finger, and then the handle is fairly straight with a small bulge at the back. A well-shaped handle on paper if it weren't too small!
For me, this is a three-finger knife, at best three and a half fingers in a hammer grip. On such small knives, it's not a brilliant idea to have such a curved front part of the handle and a flipper tab. It takes up space. What remains to grip around on this knife is about 75 mm. That's not enough for most hands that aren't very small.
This means that it is not possible to get a solid grip with the Rock Sapphire. That is what I implied above when I wrote that there was a significant limitation due to the size. Because if I want to fit my hand, I have to use the choil that is available, but then in a sabre grip, where most of the power is lost anyway. In addition, my little finger ends up in almost direct contact with the edge, which never feels completely comfortable. For someone with small hands, however, I can imagine that this grip could work well.
The Rock Sapphire is most comfortable in a regular sabre grip, as the softly rounded back end fits into the palm of the hand, and the little finger ends up behind the knife, and the other three get a good grip while the thumb finds its place on the top of the blade. There are a few grooves for better grip, but they are more of an indexing nature than effective. In addition, the clip slips away, and that is why it is my favourite grip with this knife.
Opening and Lock
The Rock Sapphire is primarily a flipper-opening knife. As such, it works well. The flipper is relatively tall for the size of the knife, which provides good leverage. Then, a nice detail has been sneaked into the design, a small landing area for the index finger. Something that is always appreciated.
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| The flipper is relatively tall, given the size of the knife, and it works very well. |
The flipper can be pulled back or pushed down, depending on preference. It is also provided with patterns so that it does not slip off so easily. The speed is fully approved. HX Outdoors has achieved a fairly well-trimmed detent with the help of the lock. Something that is not entirely easy to do with this type of lock. Good score on that point, in other words.
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| The lock is a button lock and nothing else, and a pretty good one at that. |
Which brings us to the biggest blunder in the entire presentation text on the website. It claims at the time of writing that this knife has a liner lock and then follows with a text about how excellent such locks are.*
As all initiates can see and as I can assure you, the Rock Sapphire has a button lock, sometimes also called a plunge lock, and nothing else. It consists of a button that moves an asymmetrical locking bolt sideways. It is held in place by the aforementioned small spiral spring that is hidden inside the button.
This particular example is well-made. It is easy to access and release, while the button does not stick out too much. The latter is important so that the knife does not open involuntarily in the pocket. In addition, the blade is held in place without play.
However, the small spring creaks sometimes. Probably because it rests directly against the inside of the titanium side. A little grease and use removed most of the noise.
To Carry
The Rock Sapphire is a small knife, so it should fit easily in a pocket. It does, but only almost. The outer dimensions do not suggest a knife that will cause problems, although the height of 35 mm, including the flipper, is quite a lot for a knife that only has 60 mm of available edge. The knife is also quite chubby, on the website they write that it is 11 mm wide, in reality it is 12.2 mm.
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| The clip is not one of my favourites. Furthermore, it is positioned in a way that destroys the decorative element that the milled holes constitute. |
Then this knife feels heavy for its size. That was one of the first things I thought of. Especially since the word "titanium" is used as a mantra and therefore lingered in the back of my mind. On paper, it weighs in under the magical 100-gram limit with its 98 g.
Or does it? I weighed it, of course, and the de facto weight is 117 g, which in percentage is a hell of a lot more. But that explained my feeling.
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| The ramp is way too small to work smoothly. |
Then the carrying experience is ruined by a downright bad clip. It's a simple bent steel clip, and the tension is good, maybe a little too good. That is to say, it's very difficult to get over a trouser hem. Especially since the ramp is way too small and the space underneath is tight. But if you manage to get the small ramp over the edge of the pocket, it slides easily into place thanks to the smooth surface underneath.
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| The Rock Sapphire is quite chubby in the pocket, and a lot of the handle is visible |
The clip can be removed but not switched, as no holes have been made on the other side, probably for cost reasons.
To Conclude
Unfortunately, I can't ignore all the qualified nonsense that is found on the website. I am a reviewer and not a salesperson, even though I have worked as such at some point in my life. This means that I can easily see through a fog of empty platitudes.
I can only state that one should be careful of claiming "brilliant" design when one has chosen a clip that doesn't even fit the model, but, on the contrary, ruins parts of the lines the designer has tried to achieve. I think about how the hole in the clip doesn't match the ones in the handle at all. But by all means, the basic shape isn't too bad.
If that were the only thing that wasn't good, I would have let it pass.
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| Rock Sapphire is a pretty capable EDC knife, given the price point |
You can argue a lot about D2 as a steel, but in any case, it is anything but extraordinary. On the contrary, here it is completely ordinary, which means it is capable, and the geometry even gets a plus. Here, the sales text obscures the reality. Instead of the land of milk and honey, you actually get a good blade.
Then there are some signs that this is a budget knife. The most obvious is, of course, that they chant "titanium" when it only makes up a small part of the knife. Other signs are that the fit is not the best, there is a height difference between the frame and sides, for example. In addition, the inner edge of the frame is not ground, and the right side of my knife is almost sharp.
Worse is that they don't tell the truth about the blade length on the website. It is stated there as 60 mm (although they also state 2.8", which is 71 mm), both under specifications and in the text, which means that it is not just a mistake in one place. But it is under three inches, which is a limitation many jurisdictions have around the world, which is probably the reason why it is stated. But the blade is actually 72-82 mm, depending on how you measure. At the front of the handle or at the bottom of the handle to the tip of the blade. That is not the only wrong thing, unfortunately.
The knife is thicker than stated, and the weight is also not correct, as the 117 grams my two household scales say is quite far from the stated 98 g. Unfortunately, it is not a calculation error as HX Outdoors also states the weight as 3.46oz, which is 97g. That would have been good, but the actual weight is not particularly light for such a small knife.
However, it is most comical when the sales copywriter happily goes into explaining how fantastic a liner lock is when the knife is not equipped with one. It reveals that the person or people who actually designed this knife have nothing to do with the rest.
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| HX Outdoors Rock Sapphire on an early spring excursion |
So the conclusion is that you should ignore everything that is written about the knife on the website, as it is not true. There you will find everything from exaggerations, through incorrect measurements and weights, to outright factual errors. It gives a slightly comical impression and does not seem particularly serious. Has no one proofread what they actually write?
If you ignore everything that is written, you are left with a small, with an emphasis on small, EDC knife that is quite useful with a decent lock, a quick and good flipper and a rather appealing exterior in my opinion. In addition, the blade geometry is good, which makes the Rock Sapphire cut well. In addition, it may actually be one of the cheapest on the market, with a handle that is at least partly made of titanium. The recommended price on the website is 287 SEK.
Specifications:
Length Overall: 170 mm
Length Closed: 98 mm
Weight: 117 g (weighed by me, stated 98g)
Blade Length: 73 mm
Blade Thickness: 3,2 mm
Blade Steel: D2
Handle: Handle slabs in titanium on a steel frame
Lock: Button lock
Produced by: HX Outdoorsco, made in China
/ J - funderar på att bli textgranskare
* "Reliable Liner Lock Mechanism
A liner lock system provides secure blade deployment and easy closing when not in use. This feature makes the knife safer and more convenient compared to traditional folding knives. Because of its simplicity and effectiveness, the liner lock has become a favourite among outdoor enthusiasts. But remember, always store your Pocket Knife in a safe place to protect others from accidental injury."
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