Review QSP Hamster

The Hamster from Chinese QSP is something of a departure from their regular range. They have mainly focused on EDC-oriented folding knives. As a complement to that range, there are also a couple of fixed blades of different types. Of course, the Hamster is also an everyday companion. What is different in this case is the format. The knife belongs to the category sometimes called "Little Big Knives" or maybe it is just small in this case?

QSP QS138-C Hamster 

In addition to the format, this model is also a veritable orgy in titanium, which is not entirely common. That material is found in handle sides as well as in the backspacer and clip. It is then supplemented with fine blade steel, which together gives a knife in QSP's premium range. Titanium is not their most frequently used material, although the models Woodpecker, Songbird, and Kylin were quite early. It has since been followed up with a few more such as Puffin, Falcon, and Legatus and most recently a new edition of Penguin in this metal.

But they have all been a bit bigger knives and it is mainly at this point that Hamster stands out as previously mentioned. The knife is a small praline and especially this variant with green-blue shimmering sides. If a more neutral color scheme is desired, it is also available with handles in black or gray.

The Hamster is perhaps a "Little Big Knife"?

Twitter version: QSP Hamster, a knife with material and workmanship of top quality and with a very nice look, on the verge of being cute as the animal it is named after.

Blade

Hamsters have large broad teeth to gnaw on things. This also applies to this critter. The blade is a wide drop point that gives a non-aggressive impression. This is even though the back first rises slightly from the thumb ramp before it dives down towards the tip in a "harpoon-like" way. A look that is underlined by a swedge. But the chubby shape and the relatively blunt tip make for a friendlier appearance. That and the size. The blade is only 5 cm long. The height is more generous measuring 2.5 cm and the stock thickness is 3 mm.

The blade is a wide drop point with a total length of 5 cm

The steel is S35VN, which is American quality steel. It is a very well-established material by now. It is a development of the S30V which in turn was the result of a collaboration between Crucible and Chris Reeve Knives. In this case, it is almost overkill for a knife of this size. By that, I mean that the inherent capacity of steel is not necessary for such a small blade. But now it is here and that means well-balanced steel that both takes and holds an edge really well. Nevertheless, it is not impossible to grind. Especially not on such a small knife with a short edge, of course.

The finish on this knife blade is something extra as QSP here offers a very nice two-tone satin. It feels luxurious. Here it is also nicely done with longitudinal sanding on the flat parts and a vertical on the primary edge. 

The blade material is 3 mm and it is thinned out via a high flat grind to about 0.5 mm behind the edge. An edge that is nicely done and fairly sharp. Possibly a hint of a little "smile" can be detected towards the ricasso. But you have to look very close to see that. The sharpening choil that exists could have been just a little bigger to fix it.

The steel is S35VN and the finish is a two-tone satin

Once at work, the little pet is not too bad. The low tip and the modest belly provide a knife that is good for tasks such as cutting tape and opening boxes. Typical tasks for such small knives. However, the fact that it is solidly built means that people, at least me, don't hesitate to do somewhat heavier chores. Then tougher packaging materials such as plastic straps, cable ties, and silver tape (not the reinforced type) are being attacked. A sturdy blade in quality steel and a confidence-inspiring lock makes it feel like a suitable task.

For some other detail work, I would have liked to have seen a little more pronounced tip. This is an objection I have to most knives that look like this. This can, for example, be said of half of Voxnae's total production. But the available tip is relatively sharp and not fragile. So it's no problem to run it into a plastic bottle or cut a piece of thicker plastic into a stencil for painting throwing knife boards to name a few.

Then the blade is very short but it is quite obvious from the beginning of course. But it always entails certain limitations, so it makes the Hamster the name despite not being the best friend with vegetables of various kinds. Read "like a picnic knife". It cuts well but with a short reach to put it simply. Then I probably think that the blade could have been a bit thinner. It's high enough to be sturdy anyway.*

Handle

Titanium, I initially said that you get a lot of. This applies to the percentage though and not the absolute numbers. This is a very small knife. The handle is 8 cm long, 1.1 cm thick and just over 2 cm high. In addition, since the sides are both bevelled and lightened on the inside, the weight is a meager 65 grams. It is good for an all-metal knife with a blade that is, after all, quite strong.

The design of the flipper tab allows the entire handle to be gripped

The sides of this version have been anodized to a green-blue shimmering hue. They are also quite elaborated. As I said, the inside has had its compartments milled out to reduce weight. But even the outside has received several rounds of a CNC machine. The sides are elegantly curved and in addition, the curved handle has a solid beveled edge. In addition, the surfaces have different finishes. The domed middle part has a nice pattern of transverse stripes, which in addition to being nice gives increased friction and thus better grip.

Then all edges and corners have been rounded off. Nothing but the blade is sharp on this knife. Possibly except for the corner that is formed when the lock bar falls into place. But because the Hamster is so small, it does not pose a practical problem at all.

The construction is mostly open. The inside of the titanium sides are milled out to reduce weight

Everything is well beveled, rounded, and sanded on this knife, including the protruding backspacer

The handle is put together with very small screws. My advice is therefore not to disassemble the knife too often and with caution. The largest dimension is found as it should be in the pivot screw which has a T8 head. The rest are T6 screws. They are two in number, one of which also acts as an attachment point for the clip. The screws are then retracted into a softly rounded gray backspacer in titanium.

The stop pin on this model is integrated with the blade, whereupon it is invisible when studying the knife from above.

For me, a hamster is a three-finger knife with the index finger curved around the flipper tab (picture 1,2). If the fingers are placed behind it, the knife becomes a less than optimal two-finger knife

Manufacturers often use a "50-50 choil", ie a recess for the finger or similar to "cheat" the dimensions of such short knives **. That has not been done here. Instead, the designer has chosen to use a flipper tab whose top is so wide that you can put a finger over it. This means that even though it is a flipper knife, the entire length of the handle can be used. Through the angle of the back end with the incorporated lanyard hole, the pinky gets somewhere to rest. Or almost, despite the efforts, this is just a "three-finger knife" for me. There is no more space with my hand size. 

Opening and Lock

Hamster is a flipper-operated knife that can also be opened with two hands if desired. This is because the resistance from the detent isn't the hardest and that a lot of blade is visible in the closed position.

But the resistance is enough to accelerate the small blade to a decent speed. The flipper tab is large and wide and you can therefore be tempted to think that it is possible to push it down, but then you'll be wrong. Or rather, if you put your finger on the front edge before pressing it might work. This is where the force is to be applied and also backward. The flat surface has another function that I have previously touched on.

A low but wide flipper tab that works well after a short learning period

Since the Hamster has fine ceramic ball bearings and very tight tolerances, the opening is safe and fast once the code has been solved with how the pressure is to be distributed. But, luckily, this knife comes with a clip, otherwise, I do not know what my fingers would push against when the knife is to be opened. In addition, because it is so long, the clip nullifies a problem that can otherwise occur with small knives. Here it is not possible to press the lock bar by mistake and thereby prevent the opening of the blade. The placement of the clip is therefore very good.

The frame lock on this knife is very sturdy 

The blade is secured by a frame lock in titanium with the now standardized add ons lockbar insert and overtravel stop. Both functions are handled by the same piece of metal that is screwed in place and thus can be replaced if necessary.

The function is perfect on this particular knife. No movement in the blade in any direction can be detected even by hard provocation. There is also no tendency for the lock bar to slide from a negative load on the blade. The lock-up is around 40 percent. 

The lock bar is reasonably easy to access and the lock is therefore easy to disengage. Especially as the tension of the bar is well-modulated for the size. The only objection is that there is not much room for a thumb but it's the nature of things. It's a small knife. 

To Carry

Small and chubby without sharp corners and weighing just over sixty grams. It is a good recipe for a knife that is easy to put in your pocket. Or rather, it would be a failure not to achieve a good pocket knife when the measurements are so modest. But here it has been done damn well. Examples of this are how the edges of the blade spine have been broken so as not to be perceived as sharp and how the corners of the flipper tab have been rounded. Not even the protruding backspacer that could actually have been too pointed has been forgotten. It is also rounded.

The look of the titanium clip matches the rest of the knife

A strong contributing factor to the knife being easy to carry is the clip. Although it is a "sculpted" titanium clip, it works great. The quotation marks come from the fact that it's a bad expression. The clip is not "sculpted" but machine milled from a piece of titanium instead of punched out of a plate. In this case to the shape of a spring clip. That means thin enough to have good tension. In addition, there is space underneath to host some fabric.

The clip's ramp is modest but works for trousers and jeans. I have not tested the knife on thicker trousers than that. Then the tip is not pointing outwards, which is a big plus in my book. The material under the clip is also not so patterned that it causes any troubles when the knife is pulled or put away.

This much of the knife is visible in a pocket

A big advantage of this clip is that it does not cause any hotspots but rather helps when the knife is used. Partly when the blade is to be opened and partly it makes the handle fill the hand a little better.

A small piece of the handle protrudes and is visible when carrying the knife. That and the lanyard hole, so if you want to attach a piece of paracord it will work great. 

To Conclude

Hamster is a small gold nugget that offers most of what a modern folding knife can possibly do. In concrete terms, this means that a flipper acts as an opening mechanism and that the blade is held in place with a titanium frame lock with a replaceable steel insert and overtravel stop. The blade runs on ceramic bearings and the same material is found in the detent ball. The package includes lots of titanium as that material makes up most of the knife. The internally milled sides, the small rounded backspacer, and the CNC-milled clip are all made of titanium.

In addition, we are offered treats as a two-tone satin finish on the blade, which by the way is made of S35VN, which is very fine steel. The handle is also lavish with both anodizing and worked sides that include two different structures.

The overall fit and finish are also exemplary. Nothing negative to comment on there either. Especially not as all the basics like smooth flipper action, solid lockup, centered blade, and a well-sharpened edge were in place. What I have to object to is rather the result of a mixture of design choices and the size of my hands.

QSP Hamster, small but sweet as a cookie!

In terms of design, the knife is a chubby little thing. With an emphasis on small. The knife measures only 8 cm folded and 13 cm open and the Hamster thus gives a blade of five centimeters. It's not much, but the robust construction still provides a knife that can be used. Had it been just slightly larger, I would have placed it in the same category as Spyderco Techno, CRKT Pilar, and CS Mini Tuff Lite. In fact, the measurements are fairly close to, for example, Lil 'Native. But here is missing a Glesser behind the design. 

QSP Hamster in size comparison with the larger Spyderco Techno and the smaller Two Sun Firefly, two other knives with hi end steel and titanium handles

It feels like they have mainly chosen to go for a knife that looks, for lack of better expression, "cute". The slightly chubby shape is appealing and disarming in public contexts but a little too small for at least my hands. This means that it is perceived as a more luxurious variant of Böker Nano for me. A knife with a similar aesthetic basis. Because even though a very wide flipper tab that is more intended to put a forefinger over or maybe around than behind, I have a hard time finding a really good grip on the knife. If the finger is placed behind the tab, the Hamster turns into a bad two-finger knife for me and if the knife is gripped as I think it's primarily intended, It's a three-finger knife, although a better one. But, a three-finger knife where it is almost only the thumb on the blade spine and the index finger that holds the knife.

QSP Hamster is a visually appealing knife

But that aspect is highly personal and with smaller hands, I think it is a non-existing problem. Then it should be added that not all knives are made to work for hours. This is a small knife for the fifth pocket. A good thing about the Hamster is that it's socially acceptable even with other people nearby. Both appearance and size are disarming.

In addition to top material and a very high finish, the package includes solid construction quality and flowing and clean lines. A nice knife quite simply. If that sounds like something you want to invest in, the QSP Hamster costs around 175€ in Europe and 140$ in the US. 

Specification:

Length Overall: 130 mm

Length Folded: 80 mm

Weight: 65 g (weighted by me, stated +/- 63 g)

Blade Length: 50 mm

Blade Thickness: 3 mm

Blade Steel: S35VN

Handle: Titanium, anodized

Lock: Frame lock

Produced by: QSP, made in China

/ J 

* Compared to, for example, an EKA Swede 88 which actually has a slightly longer blade but a thickness of only 1.7 mm! It cuts exceptionally well without breaking despite the thin blade. 

** Typical examples are Spyderco Lil 'Native and Civivi Odium.

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New Knife - QSP Hamster

Most folding knives that come from Chinese QSP are named after birds. There is nothing wrong with that as there are many to choose from and you avoid the nuisance with only a number designation. A few times they have deviated from this principle. I can immediately recall the Worker and Leopard from previous reviews. Not even with the best of intentions can those names be derived from the bird kingdom. Of course, there is also a Locust but it is at least one creature that can fly. But then I realize that the range also includes an exotic anteater (Pangolin) and snakes (Copperhead, Mamba), a crocodilian (Gavial), and a little pig (Piglet) so I may have to rethink. Animals may be more a more accurate theme than birds alone.  

In any case, today's knife also deviates from the bird theme as it is called Hamster. Small and chubby, the name may not be so misleading after all. Besides the name, it also differs in terms of the format. This is the smallest knife that QSP has made to date I believe.

QSP QS138-C Hamster

QSP Hamster is a knife that actually measures as little as 13 cm opened. Something that places it in the minimum class when it comes to EDC knives. Or knives that in this case go down into the fifth jeans pocket. The one that was originally invented for watches. The teeth or blade of the Hamster measure 5 cm and the material is S35VN. Steel that QSP previously worked with on some of its finer knives. Here they have also given it a nice two-tone satin finish.

The rest of the animal is well built as well. A flipper opening in combination with ceramic ball bearings sharp tongue and the coat is nicely green shimmering titanium. The same material is also found in the backspacer and in the clip. The backspacer only covers a small part of the back that is otherwise open. A small trap line hole is also found in it. For safety, there is a frame lock in titanium. In true hamster fashion, it is lightweight. In this case, the weight is 63 grams.

A review will come at a later time.

/ J 

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Review - QSP Legatus

  

-  when only the best is good enough

Certainly, this is not QSP's first foray into the higher realm beyond the simplest of knives. Fresh in my mind are models such as Hamster and Puffin. Knives that I previously reviewed here on the blog. Those knives, along with the older models Kylin and Songbird, are built with titanium handles and S35VN in the blades, which together with QSP's high level of quality form a solid foundation.

But the very highest levels have only been visited with Woodpecker and Mustang before. They both boast M390 steel in the blades and Mustang with Raffir-treated wood and mammoth molar in the handle. Fairly exclusive materials, in other words.

Such exotic elements are not found in this knife, but the craftsmanship is on the same level, the same fine blade steel is used, and not least you get a sophisticated design. The knife I'm talking about is, as the title says, the QSP Legatus.

QSP 136-B Legatus

QSP belongs to the companies that mostly sell "in-house" designed knives, which has the consequence that the person or the design team behind the design thus remains anonymous to most.

That is not the case this time. Legatus has been lent muscle from DBW or Dutch Blade Works as it should be read. The person who sets the tone when it comes to the actual design work on their knives is the knife maker Toni Oostendorp. In this particular case, he collaborated with Cees Kaan and the result was this knife that they made specifically for QSP.

Legatus is a result of collaboration between QSP and DBW

Twitter version: When QSP flexes muscles by pairing high production quality and the best materials with a DBW design, the result is as spectacular as the Legatus!

Blade

A knife blade is, of course, the heart of a knife in some way. The part that determines the attitude of the knife and not least what it is good for. In this case, almost everything. To achieve that, a flexible blade shape is needed and then a proper drop point is always close at hand. Here, the appearance has been tweaked a bit through a thumb ramp that makes the blade almost appear to have a "harpoon shape". An element reinforced by a long swedge. Then the blade is distinguished by the fact that it is fairly wide at 3.2 centimeters.

The drop point blade is made from M390 and you get generous amounts of it as the blade is 86mm long and 3.8mm thick and relatively tall

It is a measurement that must be set in relation to the length, which in turn is 86 mm. The ratio makes the blade look slightly larger than it actually is. The stock thickness is 3.8 mm. It gives a very sturdy blade. The finish is a very well-done two-tone satin. The marking consists of the QSP logo on one side along with the steel type and on the opposite side DBW's double triangle marking is found.

The flat-ground blade thins to 0.5 mm behind the edge. It produces a blade that is strong and cuts well. But in fairness, it could be even thinner as M390 is a steel that can withstand it. But in these eras, manufacturers often use both braces and belts. They are more afraid of getting a bad reputation because a product does not hold up to the treatment they are subjected to in extreme tests on Youtube than they are to slice optimally. That said, the Legatus cuts well. It's just that it could have been even better!

The factory edge also gets approved for that.* Sharp and relatively smooth I might add considering the asterisk. To facilitate future maintenance, the blade has a substantial combined finger/sharpening choil, i.e. a recess at the transition between ricasso and blade. In this case, the good thing is that any tendency towards a recurve is avoided. It is also an advantage for future sharpening. But considering the steel, that will not happen very often.

DBW's logo is found on the back of the blade

The Legatus is a very nice knife to work with. Namely, it behaves as it looks, i.e. simple but sophisticated. Translated into work, this means you don't have to think much. Everything just works. An example of this is that the tip is exactly where you expect it to be when you need to poke something.

The edge consists of a fairly long curve, which facilitates both sweeping cuts and uses where you cut against a flat surface. Many knife reviewers today advocate Wharncliffe blades for what they call "utility cuts" or cuts where only the tip is used as on a Stanley knife. Personally, I'm not quite as fond of that technique, especially since it's only the tip that gets dull because it's basically only the part that's used. A trick when, for example opening properly taped boxes is to turn the knife upside down and use the back of the tip instead when needed.

This is a more flexible blade shape in my opinion. You can use it in the same way, but you can also cut against, for example, a piece of a plank or a cutting board, which is very difficult with a straight edge. Then the sturdy proportions of the blade together with the solid handle and the strong lock invite you to use the knife a little harder than its fine exterior suggests it can handle. The M390 steel bites well in both thinner cords via rope up to a thicker tamp. The same applies to denim and jute, which I tested the knife on.

For the same reason, the knife is not at all unsuitable for cutting wood. Now, full metal blades may not be my first choice for outdoor life, but the Legatus is solid enough and the edge bites well even in dry, hardwood. In addition, the knife has proven to be durable.

Handle

The handle on the Legatus is characterized by being large and spacious, it feels generous in some way. The construction is straightforward and follows the template for this type of knife. The material is titanium, and in addition, we are talking about a couple of substantial pieces. The thickness of the sides is a full 4 mm and they are not lightened in any way. No milled compartments or drilled sections on the inside but well on the outside where a couple of inlays are found.

They, in turn, are found on both sides, which is not always the case regardless of the price range of the knife. They are made of a material I have not come across before. It is a combination of colored G10 interspersed with carbon fiber into a marble-like pattern. If you don't like those sides, the knife is also available with regular black carbon fiber. The inserts are made so that they rise one millimeter above the rest of the handle side. Incidentally, it is the only rounding available. The sides are otherwise flat. However, all edges are exemplary and well done. There is not a single sharp edge on this knife. Yes, except for the edge then.

The spacious handle is made of titanium with inserts of a G10/carbon fiber material

The sides are screwed with two T6 screws in addition to an adjustable pivot screw with a T8 head. Dimensions that have almost become standard on knives today. In the back, a partial backspacer is found, in which a lanyard attachment is ingeniously hidden. By the way, the inserts are screwed on and fixed from the inside, which gives a cleaner look.

The sides are a full 4 mm thick. The back is partially open

As I said, the handle is substantial, and translated into measurements it means a height of 23-28 mm and a thickness of 13 mm across the back. The length is 12 cm for the knife in the folded position. Of that, just under ten centimeters is available space for the hand.

A large and comfortable handle to both hold and work with

Then it can quickly be established that Oostendorp knows what he is doing. The curved back of the handle follows the curvature of the hand in a distinguished way and the knife lies very well in the hand. A saber grip works perfectly, of course, with the thumb on the intended ramp. It is also good to sneak forward with an index finger in the recess in the blade for detail work or to move the hand behind for a firm hammer grip. The only problem with the latter is that as with all knives with some form of "choil" or depressions in the blade, there is a long distance between the hand and the edge. In this case 2.7 cm. It gives slightly less control.

The rounded shapes also allow reverse grips such as when carving towards you or holding the knife like an ice pick. The strong handle sides also provide a lot of surface area against the hand which reduces pressure when you apply force to the cuts.

Opening and Lock

The Legatus is a flipper-opening knife and that function is simply excellent. Easy to "find" in the sense that the finger does not need to be at any particular angle for the movement to work. You also don't have to think about whether to pull your finger back or push it downwards. It is also large enough that you don't slip off, which is facilitated by the transverse grooves.

Legatus offers a very well-functioning flipper opening

The speed of the blade also gets approved. Especially considering that the blade is relatively heavy due to its width and thickness. But fine ceramic ball bearings and a detent ball in the same material are a good help. The resistance is also well-balanced. This means that it is impossible to misfire at the same time as the speed, as said, is good enough.

The frame lock is very solid and well made

At first glance, it looks like the lock would be difficult to release but it is not

The frame lock that this knife is equipped with is extremely stable. There is not the slightest hint of movement in the blade when it falls into place, either vertically or laterally. And just like screw sizes, there are two lock features that are almost standard for this type of knife today and they are an overtravel stop and a steel lock bar reinforcement. Both are found on Legatus and both are well done.

Disengaging the lock is easier than you might think at first glance. Namely, there are no grooves, chamfers, or recesses to facilitate the procedure. Instead, they have relied on blade thickness, which gives more room for the thumb. Then the tension is well-tuned at the same time that the lock bar rises ever so slightly above the opposite side. It provides good comfort and ergonomics when working with the knife while being sufficient to access the lock.

To Carry

"A benevolent beast" Legatus could be described as in the pocket. Much has been done right to make carrying this knife easier. This applies, for example, to the soft outer contours apart from the flipper tab. An example of this is how the blade in the retracted position completely merges with the front end of the handle. Another and the more important thing is how rounded the rear end is, which means that it does not feel uncomfortable when the hand thumps the knife, as it sometimes does.

Then the relatively smooth sides make the knife easy to both pull and put away. They also don't wear the clothing they are sitting against.

The clip is titanium and matches the look of the knife well but what's better, it works well too

Then the Legatus is not very heavy for being big and fat. But the 148 grams the scale shows does not make it lightweight either.

That, along with the actual dimensions, makes it a beast. After all, the handle is 12 centimeters long and closer to 1.5 cm wide. It's not something that can be ignored. Especially not as the clip makes a piece of the handle stick out of a pocket.

You can't entirely make a knife this large go away

In this case, it is actually a positive detail. Not because the knife will be "easier to draw", which I consider to be a pseudo-argument, but because it depends on the clip being well-shaped and the placement serving a purpose.

To match the rest of the knife's luxurious theme, it comes with a milled titanium clip. But they have chosen to let the rear end of the bracket be angled in relation to the outside. What it does is it creates a gradual transition to the handle whereupon the clip completely blends into it. Et voilá, no "hotspot" when using the knife, the clip is not felt in the hand at all unless you really really try to squeeze the handle and twist at the same time. Simply a good design.

The other criteria for a good clip are also met, the tip is not angled outwards, tension is strong enough to hold the knife in place but not so that you have to wrestle with it when it comes up and the ramp to get the knife in place is good. It's not perfect because it's quite low and the same goes for the space under the clip. So they don't fit the thickest winter jackets and work trousers, but everything else.

However, a note can be made that the clip cannot be shifted to the left side. It stays where it is unless you remove it completely. 

To Conclude

The Legatus is a rather special knife. Not least in QSP's catalog. It is one of the largest folding knives they have in the range and also one of the most luxurious. The materials are consistently top-notch, which can be seen in the blade steel, handle, inserts, and clip.

But the luxury is noticeable not least in the quality, both in the execution and in the design itself. There are plenty of details here that together form a kind of positive critical mass. It is in this way that a unit can become larger than the individual parts.

The Legatus is a good EDC knife, albeit a large one

Examples of such details are many, but the handling itself, the feeling when the knife is opened and closed is one such. The flipper just works and the same goes for the lock. No getting used to and no break-in period is required, everything is done right from the start. Then there are smaller details such as that the rear end of the clip has been chamfered just right, that the blade merges with the front end of the handle in the folded position, that all edges and corners are softly rounded, that the inserts are extremely well made and screwed into place from the inside. Further examples are a fine factory edge, a well-executed sharpening choil, and excellent blade centering.

In addition, consistently good ergonomics must be added. The knife is both comfortable to hold for short moments and to work with for a slightly longer time. Equally important is that a knife cuts well, and it does. This applies whether you use the Legatus as an EDC knife or actually drag it out into the woods on an adventure. Despite its nice suit, it is not afraid to get dirty.

Possibly two things can be objected to. One is that the blade could be thinner. But it's 3.8 mm thick and there the 0.2 mm up to even four actually matter. The blade will be thick enough to feel sturdy, even if 3.5 mm was enough. The final tenths are a design element and not a feature. The other is when we're still talking about dimensions, that the knife could have been a little thinner behind the edge. It's a shortcoming it shares with basically every knife on the market with a few exceptions.** As it stands, the Legatus cuts very well but it could excel!

The labeling deserves extra praise. On one side the QSP logo is found along with blade steel and on the other DBW's logo. However, the information is proportional to the size of the leaf. Something that was perhaps neglected in the beginning, but now both that detail and the placement are nicely executed. In addition, I am weak for a nice two-tone satin-like in this case.

Legatus is a luxury knife that also delivers good performance

Finally, it can be said that this is a knife I like a lot. One of my favorites among the QSP knives I have. And that's not saying a little because at this point I have quite a few. But of course, if it tastes good, it costs money. Legatus is not their cheapest model and it costs around 280€/$.

But for the money, you get both a functional tool and an orgy in luxury and not least a very appealing appearance.

Specifications:

Length Overall: 206 mm

Length Folded: 120 mm

Weight: 148 g

Blade Length: 86 mm

Blade Thickness: 3,8 mm

Blade Steel: M390, HRC 59-61

Handle: Titanium with inlays made of carbon fiber/G10

Lock: Frame lock

Produced by: QSP, made in China

/ J 

* Then I am not in the habit of measuring whether the edge angles are one hundred percent consistent. A topic recently addressed by a YouTube channel called Canadian Cutting Edge, CCE. The subject is interesting, but if you have sharpened knives without a system with fixed angles, you know that it is almost impossible to maintain an exact angle all the time. You find the link to the video here!

** Personally, I think that a large part of the explanation is found in how quickly news, especially bad news, spreads on the internet. If a knife model is associated with something negative, it is difficult to alter the reputation afterward.

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