Experience the wood-paneled future with this delightfully retro blade.
Remember when pocket knives have been enjoyable? At the chance of sounding like an previous man, it feels as if the EDC (on a regular basis carry) group is mired in a little bit of a lull.
Spyderco, Benchmade, and most of the stalwart manufacturers are releasing uninspired or minor revisions, main reviewers, myself included, to the next conclusion: At least for now, sensible knife innovation has moved about so far as it will probably go.
So as a substitute, what if we took a glance backward? That’s precisely what Finch Knives, a small firm out of Stilwell, Kansas, is aiming to do. Its marriage of conventional designs and present tech is a supply of curiosity in a sea of boring, framelock flippers.
I discovered about Finch throughout my overview of the Raven Airfield, as a number of the similar individuals work behind the scenes. So highly effective was the Airfield’s retro-future attraction that, after a fast alternate of emails, I used to be capable of line up a overview pattern of Finch’s Model 1929 ($135). It arrived quickly after, bearing the next motto:
“Inspire Your Sense of Wonder, And Keep Life From Getting Dull.”
Well, that seems like simply the ticket.
In quick: Do you just like the look of conventional pocket knives, however get pleasure from trendy touches like pocket clips and flipper tabs? Then do your self a favor and choose up a Model 1929 from Finch. It’s completely sized, superbly wrought, and as succesful as it’s beautiful.
Finch Knives Model 1929 Review
Specs
- Overall size – 6.0″
- Blade size – 2.5”
- Blade thickness: 0.119”
- Knife weight – 3.1 oz.
- Blade metal – 154CM
- Lock sort – Liner Lock
“Welcome,” reads Finch’s product description, “to 1929, the year Grand Teton National Park was founded. Model 1929 is inspired by the magnitude of the Tetons and the virtue of the park rangers who protect them. It will scale 14,000 feet, explore 310,000 acres, and even kayak down the Snake River.”
This kind of journey would certainly be nothing new for the knife, as each is well-traveled by the point it reaches the shopper. Finch’s designs could originate in Kansas, however the knives themselves are manufactured on the alternative facet of the Pacific, the place QSP handles fabrication and meeting earlier than delivery them again to the states.
Now, if you understand a lot about high-end Chinese knife makers, you’ll possible know QSP. The firm does good work and produces blades for a number of in style manufacturers within the hobbyist knife group.
Design and Details Carry the Day
Let’s hold the efficiency a part of this straightforward — the 1929 cuts. The blade slices paper, cardboard, tape, and tomatoes like the two.5-inch dream that it’s. Things get a bit dicier when attempting to cut an entire onion, but when this Finch can attain by way of the medium, it’ll half it.
I’m going to credit score QSP for its blade ending right here. The 154CM metal is splendidly polished, and the manufacturing unit edge gleams alongside all the size of its stomach.
To the aft of the blade sit a pair of bolstered olive wooden inlays. These present a contact of heat atop the total stainless liners however, should you’re not a fan of wooden, there are many different slabs obtainable. Whatever your desire, try that recessed brand on the present facet. That, my associates, is fairly candy.
Operationally, all the items come collectively to type a knife that’s greater than the sum of its elements. Deployment is clean, the lockup is stable, and the blade centering is ideal.
And see these two strains simply above the place the place the wooden meets the metal? They’re positioned within the precise spot the place your thumb tends to relaxation, providing you with a pleasing little bit of traction when keying the flipper tab.
What Doesn’t Work
Honestly, I’m at a little bit of a loss for negatives. Nothing on the Model 1929 strikes me as essentially “bad.” The pocket clip isn’t precisely the deep-carry sort, however it nonetheless rides properly. And actually, it’s good with the knife’s general aesthetic.
You may argue that the blade inventory is maybe a millimeter too huge, however its curve, peak, and glorious grind go a good distance towards making certain slicing efficiency. Check out the job it did on the steaks at an out of doors Halloween celebration.
Those are some tasty cuts. I suppose my solely actual nitpick can be the sharp-ish surfaces across the lockbar. But it’s nothing that hinders operation, and so they’re not terribly aggressive. Oh, and the woodworking close to the emblem is a tad tough. But hey, it glows in the dead of night!
Conclusion: Finch Knives Model 1929 Review
Just a few months again, I used to be fairly certain that the Urban EDC Supply LC was going to wind up as my favourite pocket knife of 2022. And whereas that’s nonetheless an amazing blade, the Finch Model 1929 has taken the throne.
For my private style, this knife is nearly good. The design is flawless, the manufacturing is on level, and the sound it makes once I press the flipper tab is sort of annoyingly addicting. Multiple instances whereas penning this overview, I needed to drive myself to set the rattling factor down and hold typing.
The Model 1929 isn’t the one knife obtainable from Finch. The Buffalo Tooth, Model 1934, and Chernobyl Ant are just some of the eye-catching entries within the firm’s eclectic catalog.
So, should you’re searching for a knife with an amazing mix of character and efficiency, try the Model 1929. Finch has factor going right here, with designs that really feel like a breath of contemporary air.
Check Price at Finch Knife Co.
