Nick, as you know x-mass will be here before we all know it. Can you do a review maybe of good folders around $100 or below of what is available now as possible gifts....a gift knife series perhaps ?
Nick your coming over to the dark side feel free to just start calling me for all your new knife recomendations next you'll be complaining about any blade under 3.5"
Hey Nick. Have you had an opportunity to try the new Cold Steel version of the AD15? If so do you feel it's worth picking up for someone looking to get there first hard use "beater knife" ?
Nice video nick. I have the ad15 in full Ti handle with 20cv blade. Payed 950$ for it,I'm not rich nor even well off but I'll never regret getting this beast by Demko. Andrew talked about the lock strength in an knife forum saying it has comparable strength to the tri ad lock of the ad10,the ad10 being the strongest one obviously..the ad15 imo is a trade off of the lock strength for fidget factor(can 1hand open and close with speed like an axis lock) Andrew has done some testing with the cold steel weight hang,I believe some where around 600lbs of static weight is the limit for the full Ti and around 400lbs for the G10+ti liner models and the ad10 being the king holding more than 800lbs. If you like and care about the lock strength on a folder go cold steel man. Any folding knife can slice and dice with a master sharpener but not any folding knife can withstand the abuse a well made locking mechanism can provide.
What do you think of the new cs ad15 and ad10 for that matter. Do u feel the need to handle one now that ya bought the real deal. Do you still have this knife Nicky? Or did u trade it away?
I like the idea of the scorpion lock. It functions like a frame lock in comparison to a liner lock, with the exception, that it is basically the evolution of the back lock mechanism. Oh, and it takes less space from the blade when it's closed.
Been waiting for a newer video to comment this on, but teflon washers have the advantage of not being bound up by grit nearly as much as bronze and with them being self lubricating they're ideal for the kind of person that doesn't want to lube up their pivots. Neroknives has a great video demonstrating this.
If you're on the fence about one of these, just go for it. It's crazy and has one of the smoothest actions you'll find on washers. It's the frame lock version of a back lock which is just cool.
Glad you’re liking it Nick, Demko knives are really something special. I have this and an AD10 custom in M390 from Demko, the AD10 is the best knife I’ve ever held period, no contest at all. People who complain about teflon washers might be a bit uninformed on them. Yes they both work, but in your head pb washers feel stronger and give you that piece of mind because metal vs teflon etc.. Do people actually think Demko cut corners and saved 15c on washers by using teflon? Do people think they know knife hardware better than Demko? Seriously guys. No, there’s a reason, just like Hinderer does. Teflon will never oxidise in any way, they don’t permanently dent and bend and get ruined by accident, they generally just press straight back into place. They need no oils and have lower friction also. They dont wear at all basically, and there is literally no difference in structural integrity because they perform a minimum function to the action on the knife with the surrounding structural strength. Even AD-10’s which are arguably the strongest and most well built knives on the planet use teflon, there’s reasons :) Cheers
All the good Coldsteel's are probably from Andrew. And in XHP as well. Woah. That kind of makes up for the steep pricepoint.. Although, I've had 3 double whiskeys so I shouldn't be making purchasing decisions right now..
After following you for some time I'm still not convinced you aren't Seth MacFarlane that has taken on a knife and gear nut alter ego. All jokes aside I really enjoy your content!
I was lucky enough to get to try one of these AD-15s at blade show this year. I’m really regretting not buying it then because of how crazy it really is. If you get the chance to buy one, don’t pass it up, jump on it. You won’t regret it.
These were andrew's exact words i copied and pasted here from blade forum. hi guys, The AD-15 is proving to be a great knife, in some tests the blades break before the handle or lock. However this all depends on the frame, for example the all ti frame holds more weight than the g10/liner model. The thickness of the ti liner also makes a difference in total strength. I tested a knife with .053" ti liner and it held about 275-300 pounds (weight 4" from pivot). The failure was the lower g10/ti it spread (under compression) and eventually buckled. Also the ALLTI went to about 400 pounds 4" from pivot and the blade broke,like a triad does. I have now modified the heat treatment to the same as I do on triads, so I do expect even higher numbers in my next round of testing.
I just review the SBD Micro Typhoon. It's like the exact opposite of this knife. A high end custom designer who made a very small inexpensive knife with Reate knives. Where this is a cheap knives designer who went custom. It's great that they are both Gems and totally different.
To add to my long blah blah..Andrew commented saying the blade snapped before the lock can fail and he later heat treated the blade steel for more strength so the final version might even be stronger. The washer thing I do wish to have some phosphor bronze washers but really not a big deal for me,maybe Andrew felt that the Teflons have a smoother feel idk lol but as you can already tell I absolutely love the ad15! love your vids Nick keep em coming!
I've asked the Demko family - I sincerely believe that a smaller version may make this a perfect EDC. His brother laughed and said every time they've tried....the drawings just seem to get bigger as they talk.
I made a video called I have a problem, witch explained how my knife addiction has grown and how it got to where it is now. I just wanted to put out a challenge to you, how did it start for you , and what have you bought that you never thought you would?
I want one but I could never justify the price. If any of the major manufacturers picked up the design they could offer the same materials at half the price.
Cold Steel just posted today a list of 2019 products. The AD15 in S35VN is among them. MSRP $270, will likely retail somewhere between $150 and $180 if I had to guess.
Someone who claims to hunt Gem's has yet to find the American Lawman or holdout 3... yet has reviewed the espada XL and 4 max... That just seems wrong to me.
On the ugly side, if you dropped it in the closed position, it could cause serious damage to the smoothness if the protruding radius of the blade hit the ground. Ouch!!
This is the ONLY good reason I've heard as a negative for the scorpion lock with the exposed radius. It is very smooth, but yes a nick in that and the knife becomes far less smooth - you would "feel" the nick when you opened it. The stop pin rides 100% on the radius through the whole pivot of the blade. FYI - one of the things I love about this knife is how Andrew D. figured out that a "oblong" shape to the end of the radius would act just like a detent. the blade "springs" back into position if you don't get it past the oblong part, and just like a detent - the blade gets sucked into the scales when closing the knife. A known feeling without the mechanical component behind it.
I can see the attraction of larger knives (Endura beats Delica every time) and weird/cool locks (still loving that Buck Marksman) but I'm picking this one will join the Planet Ocean as being just too damn heavy for real life. A brick in the pocket is as bad as a brick on your wrist. But have fun with it for a while.
FlamQ Dbltap yeah my pants would head south too. The Marksman is far from perfect but mine flips really well, the lock is cool and real different, the free fall close is neat (I have no axis lock knives) and it cuts well. In titanium with a nice ano finish not black and with some smoother edges it would be even better😎. What don’t you like about yourself?
I haven’t been able to get mine out of my pocket since I got it honestly. I was bored with the flipper framelock of every knife I came across. It’s a breath of crash air for sure.
I have one. Actually, the wife took it so I kind-of have one. This is an odd knife I should not like as much as I do. I generally carry a Native 5 or Chaparral. I'm fine carrying this thing. No idea how or why that is. Carries well and feels great in the hand. Many qualities of this knife should be repellent to me and aren't. And yes, it's expensive and may be overpriced.
Hey Nick. Lotsa knives use some form Nylatron, thats a nylon with a solid lube mixed in. Prolly what you have there, no lube needed. Tons of info on the internet, very durable, maintenance free. Prolly not quite a smooth as phosphorus bronze, but plenty durable. Its not a cheap down, no worries.
@FlamQ Dbltap I am not sure what's Hindered uses, but if you call them he can tell you. I am a retired technician and many times one of the high tech Teflon are the correct choice. Some Teflon is more expensive than phosphorous bronze. Some slick actions use Teflon. Very little maintenance
There is good and bad phosphorus bronze as well. The one that works best is called "oilite". Its micro porus, prelubed also maintenance free. When they finally go dry, you lube them with turbine oil, as its the oil thin enough to rempregnate the bearing. The correct thing to do is simply replace them. Most of the phosphorous bronze knife washers are are not porus so you lube them when the action gets sluggish. So pick your poison, no free lunch as they say.
I wonder if this knife’s daddy is also responsible for that over the top course texturing found on Cold Steel’s medium Espada handles? I’m partial to that $66.00 knife, it really lands hard into my whimsy zone, however, I’ll wager the unpleasantness of shoving a shark into your pocket is somewhat akin to all the wrangling necessary to get that Espada clipped in. As for Demco’s Tri Ad lock contribution to Cold Steel, the $66 verson doesnt work too well apparently.....however i suspect it is more a matter of casting pearls before swine. I sent my one and only one forever Cold Steel out to get civilized to the tune of a couple hundred dollars extra. Not my best knive investment, however, this AD-15 looks and sounds absolutely cool to me....not so much the $675 though.
It's unusual to see at knife with two pivots. A very interesting knife, but not at that price. It's strange to see teflon washers on a knife this expensive.
I wonder if Andrew Demko has done one of his famous lock strength destruction tests between this and, say, the Recon 1....? And whichever of the two failed first..how would he justify it..? Wouldn't THAT be nice to watch..? .... Lol ... ;)
He has. this lock is much stronger. the Triad Lock however is the strongest lock in the world -- go look at his tests on the AD10 (not coldsteel - AD10).
Nick I think you found your match! This knife has you saying words and sentences that sounds like their the 1st time they left your mouth! Spiritual Connection
I actually Wouldn’t want the secondary lock. I wouldn’t have got mine if it had it. It’s an unnecessary additional lock. The scorpion lock is strong enough for my purposes.
Teflon is slick and tough, will never oxidize, malleable meaning if you take it apart and bend a washer who cares it bends back perfectly flat. Also if it's 675 dollars, there's no point in trying to save 15 cents by going Teflon
they did that shit because they think many americans and owners are ignorant. not buying it is the best way too send the message and tell them why. even if those issues were done it's not worth the price imho.
True, but you can't always keep them oiled. If you used the knife and need to wash it because of blood, dirt, chemicals, salt, paint, acid, etc. It's easier with teflon washers.
Man the coldsteel version of this might be better lol which is always sad to see. The biggest thing that pisses me off is not including an option like the second lock BUT STILL LEAVING IN THE MACHINING FOR IT?? that is an unforgivable sin. You know how easy it is to omit a couple tool paths in your machine to make it without this? 100% freaking EASY. We do things like that commercially on $5 aluminum parts all the time!!! Yea no. Just no. No
I believe my ears have failed! I thought for sure you would hate the crap out of it! It looks like a Cold Steel with a weird lock up. I was waiting for the I hate it!
@@johobo2038 Well I'm looking forward to the day (one of my friends have one as far as I know) But 675 is still a crazy price for such a plain knife like that.
Tamás Horváth there is so much to it though. I know it’s expensive. Not anymore than the hoback kwaiback it almost any shiro. I fully understand that most people will never buy knives that expensive. Once you’re in that realm it’s one of the best I’ve had honestly.
I've got an all TI custom AD15 with the secondary lock, that I really like - but I've talked to the Demkos and compared the "machine ground" to the customs -- they really aren't distinguisable. the custom AD15 have the secondary lock FYI. the customs are 800. I don't agree on the secondary lock arguement. Teflon washers are fine on hard use knives, in fact they're recommended. The "machine ground" are made by a few people - they're very close to custom - it's basically Andrew and his brother. 675 for a custom knife isn't much when you think about what people get paid to work. Demko made the AD15 because the AD10 is much harder to make. you love the knife because it may be the perfect EDC (if it was a tad smaller).
Some people prefer teflon washers especially on hard use knives, hence why you frequently see them on Hinderers. There are claims on the forums that, among other things, they run better without lube and don't wear out the metal they run against as easily. You can take those claims for what they are worth.
JohnFrumFromAmerica it's simply a much softer metal, so it will not wear hardened steel down at all. Hence why we switched from using bronze for weapons to steel
The washers could also run against aluminum, titanium, or non metals such as g10, FRN, and carbon fiber. In the AD-15, the washers run against the blade and the liners which are advertised as titanium. Could PB washers wear out titanium or other materials? I really don't have the expertise to say but titanium tends to have a much lower HRC than steel.
Andy Seal see I thought that until I tried a lot of the knives in the same price category. The ad15 kicked all of them out of pocket. The shiro the f3 the arius the kwiaback. Ad15 trumps them all.
Andy Seal, could be. I've tried a few and returned them. This one I've kept (so far). For example the Norseman is a better knife all the way around based on quality and machining. I didn't keep it. Maybe because this doesn't look like a safe queen? Not sure way.
