New Knife - Al Mar B-21

Last week I wrote "There was still something missing" regarding the release of new Al Mar models. And what was missing were of course fixed blades. 

It's a knife type that's in the brand's genes and it's where many of their top models were found during their heyday. No new knives of this type were released when they made an overhaul of the existing catalog in 2020. The only thing that has been in the range is a small miniature in the form of a key ring knife called Stinger. Otherwise, they have been conspicuous by their absence.

But the wait is over and a couple of new knives have hit the market of which this model, the B-21 is one. It is a modern interpretation of a Bowie knife with several interesting details.

Al Mar B-21 4.25"

None other than Kirk Rexroat is responsible for the design. He is a master blacksmith from the USA who has collaborated a lot with Al Mar over the years.* This time the result is a very all-round focused knife in a slightly smaller format. By that, I mean that this knife can be used by everyone for various types of work from all kinds of outdoor activities to military and police applications.

The blade measures 4.25", which in understandable terms is just under eleven centimeters. The total length of the knife is 8" or just over twenty centimeters. It's not a giant knife in other words, but first impressions are that it feels very sturdy. That was one of the big questions before the new launches, at least for me. What quality would the new knives hold?

The well-built feel is contributed by the fact that it is a full tang construction with handle sides in G10 that are screwed in place. They are nicely three-dimensionally shaped and the handle feels very nice to hold. The blade with its distinctive cut tip and substantial indentation on the back is made of D2 which is reportedly found in the 59-60HRC range.

The sheath that is included has a quick-release buckle that can be adjusted for different belts or strap widths. It is made in some form of composite plastic and includes a small ceramic sharpener. The "click" that holds the knife in place inspires confidence. What remains to be seen is how both it and the knife perform when in use.

B-21 är designad av Kirk Rexroat

Back in the day, the best Al Mar knives were made in Japan. Manufacturing has moved to another island in roughly the same part of the world in the form of Taiwan. At least the top models are made there and it is immediately noticeable that the B-21 is a quality product both in terms of design and production. Not least as the balance is excellent.

I look forward to a spring with many hours in the forest in the company of, among other things, this knife!

Al Mar

/ J - knifehappy

* He is, for example, behind models such as Fighter, Backup, and previously presented Payara. In addition, he has made custom versions of the knives in the Classic series just to name a few.

Review Zitoon Knives Le Classic XL

  

Introduction

"Le Classic XL" lives up to its name as it is a model that has partly been in Zitoon's catalog for a while and partly has a very classic look. Basically, it's simply a smaller Bowie knife. It is also available in two versions where the original and smaller version without the extension "XL" are for No spin throwing.

Zitoon Knives Le Classic XL

This larger and heavier knife is instead found under the heading traditional throwing knives on Zitoon's website. How traditional it really is, I intend to try to find out here.

Appearance and Dimension

The feeling that this is a Bowie knife comes from two things. One is of course the clip-point blade and the other is the weight. This is a knife that feels extremely compact, almost brutal when you hold it. Most knives for rotary throwing usually stick to a thickness of 5-6 mm. But in return, they are usually somewhat larger, above all longer.

The handle is spacious and extra long to achieve the right balance. Two holes allow you to more easily attach handle sides to the knife if desired

Le Classic XL measures only 28 cm in length. It is matched with a thickness of a full 8 mm, which gives a weight of 360 g! A weight that is well chosen and repeats itself in several knives I have tested and also use, but never one that is shorter than thirty centimeters.* Hence the somewhat brutal feeling. But one thing is pretty sure and that is that this knife will never break.

Le Classic is a full 8 mm thick, not something you break in a hurry

Otherwise, the knife is characterized by a rather long handle for the sake of balance. The surface is brushed steel and on one side of the handle, Zitoon's logo is found laser etched. The handle has two holes so it can be fitted with handle slabs of some kind, preferably leather if desired.

The edges of the handle are rounded, which makes the knife feel pleasant to hold when throwing. No sharp corners are found here.

Material

Zitoon Knives uses steel from Swedish SSAB in the form of Hardox throughout the catalog. It comes with a couple of different additions like "450" and "550" and belongs to the high-strength steel group. This concretely means that they are certainly not very exclusive but in return well chosen. The original applications include areas such as excavator buckets, dumper flatbeds, and dozer blades.

Tough and strong steel in other words and these are excellent properties also for a throwing knife. Scars of various kinds always occur when training with knives. This is especially true if you do not have the perfect training arena with several targets so that you always throw a knife per target and round. But even then mistakes happen and close contact with ground, stones, concrete, or whatever leaves their marks over time. It is an inevitable part of knife-throwing.

Then it is advisable, if possible, to restore one's knife with a file, a sharpener, and a little time. That said, the Le Classic XL has proven to be just as robust as it looks. However, it brings with it both advantages and disadvantages.

To Throw

As I said, this is the rotational version of a knife that was originally designed for no spin-throwing. This means, in addition to the suffix "XL" to the name, that it got 20 millimeters longer and about a hundred grams heavier. Both of those characteristics have a tendency to affect how the knife behaves in flight. 

In general, longer knives give a slower rotation and more weight also contributes to that, as well as more authority once the knife hits the board. The latter means that you do not need to use as much force to make the knife stick. 

A knife this massive takes its toll on the targets

On the other hand, the increased weight and not least the fact that the knife is thick mean that you need substantial and preferably soft targets. Otherwise, the risk of the knife not sticking is high. Hard targets can work but require you to really hit with the knife at the right angle or it will want to fall down due to the weight. The tip is also very sturdy. Penetration is therefore not exceptionally good in hard materials.

Once you succeed, however, you are rewarded with a very satisfying sound. A small warning can be issued as this knife eats small boards for breakfast.

- Rotational Throwing

In general, it can be said that the Le Classic XL rotates with confidence and quite easily. At the same time, even so, it's not the most easily thrown knife I own. The reason for that is to be found in the length. Twenty-eight centimeters is short for a knife intended for rotational throwing, which means that once it starts rotating, it spins fast. Or rather, it rotates faster than a long knife, which is quite obvious. 

But at the same time, a certain start-up phase is required to get this chunky knife to start spinning.

Example of a basic throw from 3m with grip in the handle

From the first distance, 3m, I hold the knife fairly neutral. The back end is against the inside of the hand in a normal handshake grip. I hold quite far out on the handle in order to "extend" the knife, or rather the feeling. The shape of the handle helps with both that and the right angle which is almost 45 degrees in relation to the forearm. Quite forward angled in other words. It is, of course, to slow down the rotation speed.

In the same way, the throw should feel like it is striving forward. As I said, the knife is compact and that means that once the rotation has started, it goes quickly. If the throw is started too early, the risk of over-rotation is palpable. 

A few throws from the blade

The other basic grip, throwing from the blade, of course, requires the same approach. A firm grip on the blade with all four fingers for me and I let the cut part of the blade guide the angle of the knife. Then you just have to throw calmly and controlled and the knife will do the rest.

From a distance of five and six meters, there are no big surprises. Same grip and method as on the shorter distances. It may be necessary to correct the distances by a few decimetres backward depending on the throwing technique.

However, at seven meters, the longest competition distance in Walk Back, I have a bit of a problem with this knife. Or I just threw a little too little with it. But in any case, it's a bit too short for my taste. I'm having trouble getting a reliable throwing technique for some reason, so there are quite a few misses from this distance.

- Half Spin

For me and my throwing technique, this is not a completely successful half-rotation knife. It may be because I throw the "Military half spin" from a distance of two to four meters. Then I switch to "Instinctive half spin" instead with an index finger on the spine of the blade. I just don't throw "Conventional half spin" where the knife is held by the blade with a pinch grip. The knife might be excellent for that. I just can't tell.

- No Spin

As with its smaller relative, you can throw no spin with the Le Classic XL, I just don't like it. For my liking and taste, it is too heavy for that. As I said, the shape is a scaled-up shape of a no-spin knife, so it is perhaps not so strange that the basic technique works. But the weight makes it feel unwieldy.

Conclusion

Le Classic XL feels like a "Bowie knife" although the real candidate for that epithet in Zitoon's catalog is the Iron Mistress I previously reviewed. But some of the classic basic features are there, which means that the knife is not unpleasant to look at. Maybe it will be even nicer with a couple of handle sides. I'm thinking of making a pair.

Otherwise, I have to say that this knife is not my absolute favorite in Zitoon's lineup. Not because it's a bad knife but because I've come to the conclusion that I prefer around 6mm thickness on my rotational knives. Knives for no spin can be a few millimeters thicker. 

Here the feeling becomes somewhat too compact to fully appeal to me. I don't mind the weight, but I would like to see it spread over a little more surface or rather length. Maybe 30-32 cm instead and the same thickness as little brother Le Classic. But all that is a personal preference. So if you know that you like a solid knife with weight in it, this is something for you. 

A piece of French craftsmanship signed by Olivier Feret

But I would probably argue that this knife requires its thrower and thus is not the ultimate beginner's knife. There are others from Zitoon that are more suitable for that and I then unsolicitedly think of a knife that I will review here a little later called "Spinner" for short. I experience it as significantly easier to throw.

However, they have in common that they radiate quality. These are mostly handmade knives from France. They are designed and manufactured by Olivier Feret and can thus be considered "semi-custom" depending on how one chooses to define the term as machines are of course used. Mr. Feret is a man who places great importance on a good product can be stated. Something that is noticeable in the finish and is reflected in important details such as well-rounded corners and soft edges. This applies consistently to all the knives I have from Zitoon Knives and this one as well

Le Classic XL is the knife for those who like compact rotational knives and Bowie knife aesthetics

Le Classic XL is a throwing knife for those looking for a tank in knife format. It doesn't get much more robust than this and you will NEVER break it. For that guarantees 8 mm thick high-strength steel. But you also get a knife with a fairly traditional look and stable throwing characteristics. In addition, you also get a good portion of French craftsmanship and maybe a knife that not everyone else has?

Zitoon Knives

Specification:

Steel: Hardox 450

Length: 280 mm

Height: Blade 31 mm, Handle 26 mm

Thickness: 8 mm

Weight: 360 g

Point of Balance: 13/15 cm from end/tip 

/ J 

* For example Zitoon Knives Spinner Dagger with a weight/length ratio of 370g/32cm and WL Custom Blade Patriot Dagger with 365g/32.5cm.

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New knife - Zitoon Knives The Iron Mistress

If you think "classic knife", it can generate images of several different models in the head of the knife enthusiast. It could be a Morakniv with a red wooden handle if you're Swedish, an Opinel or maybe a Douk Douk if you're French, a Buck 110 or a Ka-Bar for the American, an Okapif for the South African or maybe it's a "Swiss Army Knife" for the common man.

But among all the most classic knives, one name stands out, of course, and that is the "Bowie knife". A type of knife whose origin is somewhat shrouded in obscurity regarding what it looked like exactly and what role models it had. However, that is a topic for its own discussion.

However, it is popular and that also applies in knife-throwing society. A very faithful interpretation of the knife type comes from  Zitoon Knives in France and it has been named  The Iron Mistress.

The Iron Mistress from Zitoon Knives

The knife is said to be a reasonably faithful version of the knife that a certain Jim Bowie once ordered from the knife smith James Black. It may or may not be the case, but it's pretty anyway. It is the result of a collaboration between the man behind Zitoon, Olivier Feret, and Pascal Boucreux who is a prominent French knife thrower mainly in rotational technique.

This resulted in the Iron Mistress, which incidentally got its name from the classic film from 1952 with Alan Ladd in the lead role as Jim Bowie.

The inspiration results in a fairly sturdy knife that measures 35 cm in length and has a thickness of 5 mm. That gives a total weight of 420g. That makes it my second heaviest throwing knife so far. Right from the start, the handle has been fitted with sides of leather that are glued and riveted in place. A traditional way of making handles for throwing knives. Handles made of other materials simply do not last and are often more difficult and or more expensive to replace. In addition, the leather gives a good feeling when the knife leaves the hand.

The material in the knife, Hardox 450, comes from Swedish SSAB. It doesn't get much tougher than that as it is one of their high-strength steels. Or simply put, you find it, for example, in the teeth of excavator buckets and in dozer blades for Bulldozers and the like.

What distinguishes all knives from Zitoon Knives is that they are handmade in France by one person. No mass-produced knives here. With it comes the charm and personality that such an approach brings.

I'm really looking forward to inaugurating this beauty at the throwing range!

/ J

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New Knives - Graf Knives T2 Bowie

I have to admit that I have had these knives for a couple of weeks by now and have had time to throw a few thousand throws with them already. It so happened that they were in the mailbox when I came home from the Swedish Championships in Sport Throwing in Arboga some weeks ago. The knives were of course ordered a few weeks earlier. But they take some time to arrive since they are what is often referred to as "semi-custom" or "mid-tech" when talking about folding knives. But when it comes to folders the term is often used to make the knives more expensive, it feels like. Throwing knives on the other hand are mostly manufactured in this way, in small batches. In any case, that means that there are not limitless quantities laying around waiting for an order. 

As far as I know,  Graf Knives is a small (one-man?) Company from Poland run by Michał Prądzyński. If I understood correctly, he is also the man behind the design of the knives. Then they are made by Melon Tools who seems to be a friend of his who runs a mechanical workshop. But I may have misunderstood that so take it with a grain of salt. 

Speaking of design, this model is of course inspired by and in the same tradition as the classic Tru Balance.

Graf Knives T2 Bowie

The model is called the T2 Bowie. It is significantly larger than my first Graf knives, T1XL. T2 measures a full 35cm in length and weighs in at 390 grams / pc. They are thus the second largest model that Graf Knives has in the range.

Otherwise, the material and approach are recognizable. The finish is the same with a layer of zinc that gives a shiny surface that is intended to prevent corrosion. It's also somewhat "self-healing". That is, when there is a notch in the surface, it is so soft that it becomes a dent rather than something sharp. The thickness is also the same, which means 5 mm. The blade material is spring steel, 4140. An extremely durable and rugged material. I have already managed to damage the tip of one of these knives but it was no problem to bend back and resharpen. 

The balance in these knives is completely neutral, which means that the balance point is found exactly in the middle. They are also ingeniously indexed. That's why they have a couple of small holes in the handle, but above all the "double clip" towards the tip. It facilitates throwing when you hold the blade. It is very easy to feel how you have gripped the blade.

Without precedoing the review it can be said that I am very happy with these knives. It is my first set with a little weight and length to them. It gives a different feeling in the air with a calmer flight and predictable rotation. Then they force me to a new and better technique with a shorter and rounder arm movement so that they can make a full spin at three meters. They are therefore very educational for me. I learned that there are disadvantages to learning to throw with smaller and lighter knives.

/ J - aiming at the stars, or at least better and better

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