Nick! I love this review so much. Thank you. I genuinely believe that constructive feedback makes the world a better, more functional place. And I'm stoked that you like the Creative Commons side of the knife. Now, a few notes for the interested: - QC: what a ride I've been on! It would take much longer than a YT comment to discuss everything I've learned about QC and manufacturing the last 4 months. I'm bummed you got a bad one (absolutely my fault), but I think it really exposes the challenge of OEM work. Despite QSP working to manufacture quality goods, and my on-site QC team here in the U.S. looking at every. single. knife., we missed it. We've got work to to do to improve-- a fact I'm keenly aware of. Thanks for not sugar-coating it. -Parts and files: screws have been challenging. We're working on improving them. STP file: I've found different filaments shrink in odd ways when 3D printing. There's definitely a lot I'm still learning in that realm too. My hope is to eventually have a Github or FB or Reddit community that is better able to collaborate on this sort of stuff. Any volunteers? - Origin of the scale swap idea: there's a fun story I'll have to tell publicly another day. Suffice it to say, I've done a lot of thinking on free enterprise, legal vs. ethical, relationships, and how I want to approach these topics personally and as a business. I'll have to give a TED talk one day. On the Lander, I chatted with lots of folks, did my homework, then decided if the world is large enough for everyone to make an Axis lock, the world is large enough for multiple companies to do swappable scales. And lastly, thanks for being part of this journey I'm on. I see so many ways I can improve my products, and I'm grateful for folks like you that push me to reach higher. Cheers! -Ben
We've talked a little before and I think with my software engineering job and various other time commitments I have I could offer to do some community management stuff on github (triaging issues, making sure contribution guidelines are followed, etc). After our previous conversation about the open source nature of the files I did play with the CAD files some and can say with confidence I'm out of my depth for contributing on that front
Seriously, what an amazing individual who can take the criticism, acknowledge some struggles, and just keep marching on. Also, good for you Nick for just being honest about this rather than burying the review.
I absolutely don’t think that he needed to ask TRM, unless he copied specific non-obvious design details. Removable scales shouldn’t be a proprietary idea. Period.
qsp makes cool knives but their qc can be really shoddy sometimes. i have 2 penguins which are great and 2 hawks which have badly off blades (one of them with a concerning rattle sound when the blade gets deployed).
Great response Ben. In contrast, my kickstarter lander arrived running smoothly and centered perfectly. I live in a swampy part of the country and the blade hasn't shown any rust spots like some of my other d2 knives. Quality control is ALWAYS an issue, and exponentially more so for new makers/small companies. When you compare this response to responses by some ego-maniac-run companies and I'll keep sending my money your way.
good friends don't let their friends make bad knives. So I am glad that you were as brutally honest as you were. I think if you can work out all these little kinks you could have a community for this knife. Very similar to the bugout modding community, but even better because it's cheaper than the bugout
And smaller, and it has scale swapping. The Bugout was my go-to for quite a while, but I feel I’ve graduated to a lot of other great knives. The problem I always had with the Bugout was that I think of it as relatively clumsy visually. If we’ll forgive the term, it’s plain-jane, but worse than that, it’s not even pretty. I cringe a bit every time I see one. It’s not that it’s ugly, it’s just that it’s not… graceful. It just doesn’t have that elusive “I don’t know what!” Yet it was my go-to knife for years, it’s that good! As for my Lander, it is of the fat carbon variety, which is currently my favorite material, so I don’t even plan to swap scales anytime soon. Among my smaller knives, the KNAFS is one of my favorites.
Thank you for your honesty as always. The review is not about Ben (yes he's a nice guy), but reviews are about the quality and performance of knives in this case. So, impecable review Nicolás 👏👏👏👌👍
I’m not a knife expert, I’ve never done a knife review, and I absolutely love this channel and watch as many reviews as I can squeeze in between reading old Mad Magazines and Fyodor Dostoevsky. I had, and I’m having a much different experience… I have two Landers and each came just about perfect, no QC issues at all. I have three sets of scales and have swapped them a few times, and the screws have held up just fine. I have another set on the way from a third-party, Chroma Scales, and look forward to Ben and his crazy creativity producing some puppy scales as well. I’m in control and can stop anytime. Thanks for the Full Shabazz and thanks Ben!
@@NickShabazz yes, “Brothers” for sure. I haven’t tackled his work that couldl be a biography of my early life, “the idiot“ but I’ve heard it’s interesting.
I appreciate your honesty in your review. FWIW, I happened to get a gem, with extremely smooth action, better than most of the more premium knives in my collection. If only every sample was like the one I happened to get. I’m excited to see how things develop over time, possibly with different blade shapes available. It seems like it might be relatively easy to add a front-flipper deployment option, along with the thumb stud.
I like my Lander. Have multiple scales for it. But, definitely have had problems with the screws being too soft. Had to order extras from the website. They weren’t expensive or anything, but they shouldn’t be necessary.
Watching metal complex's review after this one really makes me appreciate your reviewing process, Nick. I love MC, but it definitely feels like you spent a bit more time thinking about the knife.
I love Ben’s approach to a knife brand and the way he engages with the knife community. I’m excited to see how Knafs matures with future iterations and new models. I’m adding the Lander to my short list for scales for 2023 thanks to Ben’s willingness to open source files.
I bought the Lander just to make some scales for it. I'm growing some in DMLS aluminum. I just got it for the tinker factor. I would say it's a canvas for knife nerds to play with and not really a stand alone knife. I didn't have any quality problems on mine. Bottom line is it's cheap enough to play with, but not a piece of junk like most cheaper knives. It's not unobtainium like TRM either. Thanks Ben!
This is a perfect way to look at it, and you've encapsulated a lot of my design ideas. A knife design shouldn't just be the lines and curves and physical. It's the design around price point, market position, and how it lives or dies via sales.
Thanks, Nick. Really appreciate the honesty in this review. I like the open source approach and do agree on the negative points you shared. I definitely do not care for the clip and the soft screws. Also would like options for stonewash thumb-stud, clip, pivot, and screws.
Been on the fence about these since they were announced. Was super excited SMKW got a version in S35VN and fat carbon scales until I saw the $175 price tag (seems steep for what it is). I’d love for there to be a middle ground version for around $100 with the QC and material flaws fixed/upgraded (better steel, hardened screws, better QC, etc.).
I picked up a used one in a trade just because I thought it was neat design and I like to have a few small knives. I will admit the idea of it, with built in modularity and aftermarket support and ease of maintenance, is more appealing than the knife itself, but I didn't think the knife was bad. I would have liked a relief cut on both sides for easier reverse opening. I think the scale swap system is fine if you only swap them once or twice but if you're seriously supposed to be able to do that daily, either larger screws or some kind of CRKT like tool-less mechanism should have been used. In any event if the initial offering was this good, even with the problems, I look forward to future offerings.
It's a good thought, and one I've considered deeply the last few months. There are pretty significant hurdles with all sorts of fun inputs, but we're cooking up fun over here. -Ben
This review is so refreshing. CLEARLY the knife is over priced for what it is Even if the QC was good. Thanks VERY MUCH for an honest take on this knife. Zac was bought and that hurts pretty bad. Glad to see you kept your integrity. AND I LOVE BEN, but this knife is not even a 45$ knife and to have Zac sellout on this thing??? Ouch.
It seems like it could be a useful stumble along the way that Ben's team could learn from along the way to get good. When you're still figuring things out, having the interesting and fun design elements down first and then learning how to get the details down can be a good stop in a "one step back, two steps forward" kind of way... I hope they're open to taking constructive criticism and move forward onto really cool things. Maybe I'm just a pragmatic optimist?
My first thought at seeing this knife was that it looks an awful lot like the Civivi Elementum, which I quite like. If they release a V2 addressing the issues Nick called out, I'd definitely consider it, especially since it's ambidextrous, while the Elementum is not.
Regarding the name of that Sencut knife - it's named after a little town on the outskirts of Dallas - I'm from the area. It's pronounced "Sax-y" like "sexy", but with a large reed instrument.
Regarding ergos- I really like carrying this one without the pocket clip. It’s light enough it works fine free in the pocket, and I like that you can just plug up the pocket clip vacancy with an additional clip insert
I personally love that we are starting to see knife companies sending extra hardware with the knives!!!!I wish they all did!!!!! But you are starting to see it more than you used to!
I'm all for affordable 'budget' knives, but these seem like they have quite a few kinks to be worked out. When people get something 'on a budget', they might understand that it's not going to be the most premium thing available, but they're also not necessarily looking to buy something that just has some glaring issues. In the knife world, sometimes you buy a 'budget knife' like the RAT2, experience it, and think "Wow, this is much better than I expected it to be." That's a good feeling. And while You can't expect to feel this way about every knife, it IS disappointing when you buy a budget knife and your first thought it "Well... this is DEFINITELY a budget knife..."
I wanted to like this knife, but can't get over the overall shape of both the blade and the handle. I get this is very Ben-styled, but a more traditional drop-point and "generic" handle shape might have drawn in more buyers. Also D2 is fine, but for this pricepoint and market audience, something stainless but still budget-oriented like Nitro-V could be a welcome alternative.
Ordered one of these with moderate expectations and I was a little disappointed. I knew going in this knife would not be as solid as some of my others, but I do own a baby Banter and I am VERY pleased with by baby. I did not see the quality control issues you saw. However, I did order scales to swap out to try out the swappable scales feature. The screws are weak feeling. I totally agree with the quality of the screws. I ended up leaving it stormtrooper themed (black DLC and all white scales) and threw it in with a gift for a gift exchange as a friend's first pocket knife for Christmas. I let my buddy know, if anything is wrong with it, I'll fix it after he lets me know.
Honest review, Nick. Kudos. This knife represents a great concept and I respect the reasoning and the effort behind it. Trust me, I want to buy a knife from Ben. But, I want to buy an American made knife with quality components. Not some Chi-Com yuk. I'd gladly pay the difference in price. Ben, love you, guy. But, your Knaf needs some work. I look forward to version 2.0. As a sidenote, those biohazard neon skull scales are EPIC.
Well.....unfortunately a rising tide raises all ships!!!!! Thanks for the honest review!!!!I love Ben too.... but the lander i just don't think is for me.... but good on him!!!I hope all the best for him and his wife!!!
I'll add something just because I haven't seen it elsewhere in the comments. I have a Penguin and Neckmuk from QSP and in both cases the D2 stared tarnishing almost immediately. The Neckmuk rusted in it's kydex sheath after being put away dry. Maybe I just have had back luck but I think it might be QSP's approach to D2 at issue
I mostly use my knives in a pinch grip and I find my lander with the clip still on it to have really good ergos. I have thought about getting one of my parents one and taking the clip off for them since neither of them like clips on their knives
After spending some time with the three Landers I purchased I came close to buying a fourth to be sent to you. Before I watched this video I honestly thought "action" would be in your Great category. All three of my Knafs Landers were on par - maybe better, but it's hard to tell with less metal swinging - with my Microtech Socom Elite. I would love to see a "Made in USA" option with premium steel. The other things you point out - choil, screw quality, hardness and rust - should be sorted even on the base version. I will admit the only one of these annoyances I've noticed thus far is the choil.
It looks extremely basic, but it feels well in the hand, it has a nice belly for great slicing, and the drop point meets the tip about midway down the blade and scales, this makes it easier to point down tip cut, apart from looking basic, is actually a great utility knife, many great feeling great utility knives look basic because the shape is basic, timeless, it is a small knife in my hands but still performs extremely well
Thanks for this review. I agree 100%. The price feels too high, the knife is OK, but there are much better knives for the money out there. Action is great, steel isn’t. I would not have bought it if it was only another normal compact G10-knife, perhaps for 39€ Or 49€ but not for 70€ that we have to pay here in Germany. BUT: I willingly paid that money and bought it just to support this open community idea. I hope that there will more to come (and that you can get some scales for less than 32€ that we pay here). But then, I‘m pretty happy with the lunar surface scales. ;)
In my opinion , bit of a harsh review. Us knife junkies are getting a bit out of hand. People on Reddit legitimately putting knives under a microscope saying “should I return this”. I work at a military jet engine manufacturer and we have higher tolerances for imperfections than knife customers at this point.
I get that. I think this knife is more competing for the attention of the $30-40 knives with the user paying a premium for the scales feature. Whether or not that's worth it to you is your decision and if its not, I 100% understand that. It's very much an unnecessary nicety that doesn't impact performance at all
Great review. I’ll never ever understand why some knife designers keep making the thumb stud soooo close to the scale, leaving very little room to get your thumb in there or spidy flick etc. He did the same thing on the banters.
It's a fun game of design tradeoffs. Thinner blades require thumbstuds closer to the scales. For instance, the 940 is nearly touching the scale. The CRKT CEO is nested into the scale. It's tradeoffs.
Nick, I love your stuff. But removable scales are not exactly some sort of special TRM exclusive thing. It has been done by e.g. Hinderer long before TRM came in the scene. You didn't expect TRM to ask Hinderer, so why should anyone ask TRM?
Words really are hard. I wish we would switch to one of those languages that don't have words, like they use in other countries. Like switching to the metric system.
Il love what Ben has done here but at $80 CAD it's just not up to snuff. 14c28n, 154cm even 9cr18 for a stainless option.T8 hardware and under $90CAD It would be the perfect gift knife and a great way to introduce non-knifers into our world. Hopefully Ben has a Lander 2.0 in the works and I'm confident he does. My wallet is open Ben get to work.
to be honest i was really excited when it's first revealed mainly because it's from ben and i LOVE the baby banter. now that it's released and I'm over the hype i do think it's a little overrated. too expensive in my country for what it is especially knowing it's made by qsp.
It may not be 'the best budget knife' but i still love it! Yes, you can take every knife apart and a quick google search will show you many people on Etsy or other platforms, selling scales for almost 'every knife imaginable'.. BUT i love Ben and his Idea and he is such an awesome part of the 'knife community'. I was in love with the Banter and Baby Banter (still use the WE Banter every day) - So i had to buy a Lander just to support him, the idea and his Company. i guess i was 'lucky' - because my Lander looks fine - but i had the same problem that it was very 'stiff' at the beginning but in NO WAY as extrem as yours. 10-15 flips and it opens smooth as butter. The screws on the other hand are not the best... but at least it's easy and kinda 'cheap' to get some fresh new ones. I also hope some day we can buy/choose the color of the screws for a full on customization of our Lander! :p I'm already stoked for the Lander 2! (with Kizers Clutch lock, baby!!)
I believe that even without the swapable scales, this knife is still compelling: It is one hand openable/closable knife that won't scare non-knife people. No tactical cues, no flipper tabs, no death threats, no ninja influence... just a pocket tool. I do have great dislike for the pocket clip while using the knife...
Why does nobody in the knife world seem to understand what a stress riser is, all these pocket clips, with giant holes placed precisely at the point of highest stress...
The smile is an artifact from sharpening the blade, where the portion nearest the handle or scales isn't ground properly, and it extends out from the edge immediately in front of it.
I am a budget knife guy mostly, but gotta say this one just hasn't appealed to me at all. I like my Banter, I love my Baby Banter, but nothing about this one interests me. I really don't care about scale swapping or printing at all, so the one potential plus of this is a moot point for me. Plus, the use of D2 was a big wtf moment. I live where it's humid all the time, so I just don't like that steel. It's really surprising that Ben would choose that, since his vibe is very much a "knives for the everyman" kind of thing. Uncoated D2 is only non-problematic for people who live in the more dry parts of the country/world; for the rest of us, it's something we groan at and occasionally accept when the design is cool enough to make it worth dealing with--which sadly this one is not. Oh well, plenty of other knives in the sea! But I will continue to keep an eye out for what Knafs Co comes up with in the future.
You still could, if you felt up to it. Tell ‘em you didn’t know any better, then, but that you do now! A Lander would be an outstanding gift to the groomsmen in your wedding party! That would especially be true if you got them the SMKW special, with far carbon and S35VN, though that WOULD triple the cost…
I’ve got the fat carbon version (which makes it a little more “remarkable”), a special edition by SMKW, which also substitutes S35VN for the D2. I’ve started liking bigger knives more than I used to, so this KNAFs runs in the opposite direction! However, it is very well put together, and it works. It is conservative-looking, so I can take it out in company, without scaring anybody. I prefer thumb studs, and this knife opens with the best! It also fits extremely well in the pocket. Given all that and the much better blade steel, MY KNAFS knife is a keeper! NOT BTW an inexpensive knife in this form however, at $175.00 from SMKW.
Which knife do you refer to? MY KNAFS LANDER (fat carbon AND S35VN) is SPECTACULAR. If all I needed was a 2.75” blade, the LANDER would fill the bill nicely, and be beautiful doing it.
When I saw the Banter in your latest permanent collection and the Chaparral frn seemingly missing, I got a bit worried about you. But this is a fair review. The open source files for the 3D printers is in principle a great idea (I had no idea another company had the swappable scales idea beforehand). I love creativity and innovation but if the dress doesn't fit properly then it won't look good. Frankly, I'd rather pay 10 bucks more and not have the issues you've highlighted (the screws especially being so counterproductive).
@@NickShabazz if you think about it tho, it’s pretty obvious this wouldn’t be the same quality as sencut/civivi, those 2 brands produce thousands and thousands at a time, bringing the price per knife way down.. with Ben he’s getting a smaller amount made all by himself.. so that leaves people who just really want to support Ben being okay with the quality/price difference. And people who just want a knife and don’t know Ben being upset
Nick! I love this review so much. Thank you. I genuinely believe that constructive feedback makes the world a better, more functional place. And I'm stoked that you like the Creative Commons side of the knife. Now, a few notes for the interested:
- QC: what a ride I've been on! It would take much longer than a YT comment to discuss everything I've learned about QC and manufacturing the last 4 months. I'm bummed you got a bad one (absolutely my fault), but I think it really exposes the challenge of OEM work. Despite QSP working to manufacture quality goods, and my on-site QC team here in the U.S. looking at every. single. knife., we missed it. We've got work to to do to improve-- a fact I'm keenly aware of. Thanks for not sugar-coating it.
-Parts and files: screws have been challenging. We're working on improving them. STP file: I've found different filaments shrink in odd ways when 3D printing. There's definitely a lot I'm still learning in that realm too. My hope is to eventually have a Github or FB or Reddit community that is better able to collaborate on this sort of stuff. Any volunteers?
- Origin of the scale swap idea: there's a fun story I'll have to tell publicly another day. Suffice it to say, I've done a lot of thinking on free enterprise, legal vs. ethical, relationships, and how I want to approach these topics personally and as a business. I'll have to give a TED talk one day. On the Lander, I chatted with lots of folks, did my homework, then decided if the world is large enough for everyone to make an Axis lock, the world is large enough for multiple companies to do swappable scales.
And lastly, thanks for being part of this journey I'm on. I see so many ways I can improve my products, and I'm grateful for folks like you that push me to reach higher. Cheers!
-Ben
👍🏼
We've talked a little before and I think with my software engineering job and various other time commitments I have I could offer to do some community management stuff on github (triaging issues, making sure contribution guidelines are followed, etc). After our previous conversation about the open source nature of the files I did play with the CAD files some and can say with confidence I'm out of my depth for contributing on that front
Very classy response Ben, very impressive, love your knives!
Seriously, what an amazing individual who can take the criticism, acknowledge some struggles, and just keep marching on. Also, good for you Nick for just being honest about this rather than burying the review.
I absolutely don’t think that he needed to ask TRM, unless he copied specific non-obvious design details.
Removable scales shouldn’t be a proprietary idea. Period.
It would have been easy to gloss this over because of the designers nice guy rep. Glad you maintained your integrity Nick.
Looks like you got a bad one Nick. Mine did not have a sharpening choil like that at all. I would ask for a new one
qsp makes cool knives but their qc can be really shoddy sometimes.
i have 2 penguins which are great and 2 hawks which have badly off blades (one of them with a concerning rattle sound when the blade gets deployed).
Great response Ben. In contrast, my kickstarter lander arrived running smoothly and centered perfectly. I live in a swampy part of the country and the blade hasn't shown any rust spots like some of my other d2 knives. Quality control is ALWAYS an issue, and exponentially more so for new makers/small companies. When you compare this response to responses by some ego-maniac-run companies and I'll keep sending my money your way.
good friends don't let their friends make bad knives. So I am glad that you were as brutally honest as you were. I think if you can work out all these little kinks you could have a community for this knife. Very similar to the bugout modding community, but even better because it's cheaper than the bugout
And smaller, and it has scale swapping. The Bugout was my go-to for quite a while, but I feel I’ve graduated to a lot of other great knives. The problem I always had with the Bugout was that I think of it as relatively clumsy visually. If we’ll forgive the term, it’s plain-jane, but worse than that, it’s not even pretty. I cringe a bit every time I see one. It’s not that it’s ugly, it’s just that it’s not… graceful. It just doesn’t have that elusive “I don’t know what!” Yet it was my go-to knife for years, it’s that good! As for my Lander, it is of the fat carbon variety, which is currently my favorite material, so I don’t even plan to swap scales anytime soon. Among my smaller knives, the KNAFS is one of my favorites.
Thank you for your honesty as always. The review is not about Ben (yes he's a nice guy), but reviews are about the quality and performance of knives in this case. So, impecable review Nicolás 👏👏👏👌👍
I’m not a knife expert, I’ve never done a knife review, and I absolutely love this channel and watch as many reviews as I can squeeze in between reading old Mad Magazines and Fyodor Dostoevsky. I had, and I’m having a much different experience… I have two Landers and each came just about perfect, no QC issues at all. I have three sets of scales and have swapped them a few times, and the screws have held up just fine. I have another set on the way from a third-party, Chroma Scales, and look forward to Ben and his crazy creativity producing some puppy scales as well. I’m in control and can stop anytime. Thanks for the Full Shabazz and thanks Ben!
What's your favorite Dostoevsky? I'm probably 'Brothers Karamazov', but 'A Gentle Creature' is also quite good.
@@NickShabazz yes, “Brothers” for sure. I haven’t tackled his work that couldl be a biography of my early life, “the idiot“ but I’ve heard it’s interesting.
Honesty and openness. That's how everything gets better. This knife, humble as it is, represents a step in the right direction.
Absolutely appreciate the honesty here. I’m sure this was a difficult review to post.
I appreciate your honesty in your review. FWIW, I happened to get a gem, with extremely smooth action, better than most of the more premium knives in my collection. If only every sample was like the one I happened to get. I’m excited to see how things develop over time, possibly with different blade shapes available. It seems like it might be relatively easy to add a front-flipper deployment option, along with the thumb stud.
I like my Lander. Have multiple scales for it. But, definitely have had problems with the screws being too soft. Had to order extras from the website. They weren’t expensive or anything, but they shouldn’t be necessary.
Agreed. And definitely something we're working on. -Ben
Watching metal complex's review after this one really makes me appreciate your reviewing process, Nick. I love MC, but it definitely feels like you spent a bit more time thinking about the knife.
MC is the worst. I'm still amazed he got so popular.
I love Ben’s approach to a knife brand and the way he engages with the knife community. I’m excited to see how Knafs matures with future iterations and new models. I’m adding the Lander to my short list for scales for 2023 thanks to Ben’s willingness to open source files.
I bought the Lander just to make some scales for it. I'm growing some in DMLS aluminum. I just got it for the tinker factor. I would say it's a canvas for knife nerds to play with and not really a stand alone knife. I didn't have any quality problems on mine. Bottom line is it's cheap enough to play with, but not a piece of junk like most cheaper knives. It's not unobtainium like TRM either. Thanks Ben!
This is a perfect way to look at it, and you've encapsulated a lot of my design ideas. A knife design shouldn't just be the lines and curves and physical. It's the design around price point, market position, and how it lives or dies via sales.
@@knafs_co What is up Ben! I'm excited to buy more cool stuff from you.
Thanks, Nick. Really appreciate the honesty in this review. I like the open source approach and do agree on the negative points you shared. I definitely do not care for the clip and the soft screws. Also would like options for stonewash thumb-stud, clip, pivot, and screws.
Been on the fence about these since they were announced. Was super excited SMKW got a version in S35VN and fat carbon scales until I saw the $175 price tag (seems steep for what it is). I’d love for there to be a middle ground version for around $100 with the QC and material flaws fixed/upgraded (better steel, hardened screws, better QC, etc.).
I picked up a used one in a trade just because I thought it was neat design and I like to have a few small knives. I will admit the idea of it, with built in modularity and aftermarket support and ease of maintenance, is more appealing than the knife itself, but I didn't think the knife was bad.
I would have liked a relief cut on both sides for easier reverse opening. I think the scale swap system is fine if you only swap them once or twice but if you're seriously supposed to be able to do that daily, either larger screws or some kind of CRKT like tool-less mechanism should have been used.
In any event if the initial offering was this good, even with the problems, I look forward to future offerings.
The world isn’t ready for that Z-Lander 😂
I want that.
@@knafs_co The STL file is up on thingiverse 🙂
Lander 2.0 at the same price with most of the negatives corrected could be a real home run for Ben.
It's a good thought, and one I've considered deeply the last few months. There are pretty significant hurdles with all sorts of fun inputs, but we're cooking up fun over here. -Ben
@@knafs_co Keep grinding, man. All your knafs stuff is a breath of fresh air for the knife community and makes it more fun.
This review is so refreshing. CLEARLY the knife is over priced for what it is Even if the QC was good. Thanks VERY MUCH for an honest take on this knife. Zac was bought and that hurts pretty bad. Glad to see you kept your integrity. AND I LOVE BEN, but this knife is not even a 45$ knife and to have Zac sellout on this thing??? Ouch.
Thanks for the kind words. Fair criticism, but I don't think Zac was bought. But I can text him and ask if you'd like. ;)
@@benbanters I know where to find him friend! Keep doing what your doing, but keep it on the up and up. GL
It seems like it could be a useful stumble along the way that Ben's team could learn from along the way to get good. When you're still figuring things out, having the interesting and fun design elements down first and then learning how to get the details down can be a good stop in a "one step back, two steps forward" kind of way... I hope they're open to taking constructive criticism and move forward onto really cool things. Maybe I'm just a pragmatic optimist?
A 30 dollar knife selling for 60. I got one along with the rainbow trout scales. Paid the price, but I like it.
My first thought at seeing this knife was that it looks an awful lot like the Civivi Elementum, which I quite like. If they release a V2 addressing the issues Nick called out, I'd definitely consider it, especially since it's ambidextrous, while the Elementum is not.
I clicked on the this vid because I thought it actually was the Civivi Elementum.
Nick, you made my day with the 3D-printed skull scale! I cracked up laughing. :)
Great, honest review! Truth benefits the entire community.
As always, thanks for your honesty Nick 😊
This was also my exact experience and opinion of this knife. Great review!
Haha, i liked all three final conclusions. And yeah, a USA higher-end version would be great.
Regarding the name of that Sencut knife - it's named after a little town on the outskirts of Dallas - I'm from the area. It's pronounced "Sax-y" like "sexy", but with a large reed instrument.
stripped one of my handle screws when swapping the scales, good news is the replacement screw shipped quickly
How did you end up getting the stripped screw out?
Just found your channel better late than never . 👍🏻
i really love the looks of this knife. thanks for the review Nick !
Great idea with the files. Deserves a round of applause!
Love the reviews Shabazz! You are the MAN!
I have the original banter and I got the Knaf lander from the Kickstarter. I love them both.
Regarding ergos- I really like carrying this one without the pocket clip. It’s light enough it works fine free in the pocket, and I like that you can just plug up the pocket clip vacancy with an additional clip insert
I personally love that we are starting to see knife companies sending extra hardware with the knives!!!!I wish they all did!!!!! But you are starting to see it more than you used to!
Thank you for the honest review.
I'm all for affordable 'budget' knives, but these seem like they have quite a few kinks to be worked out. When people get something 'on a budget', they might understand that it's not going to be the most premium thing available, but they're also not necessarily looking to buy something that just has some glaring issues.
In the knife world, sometimes you buy a 'budget knife' like the RAT2, experience it, and think "Wow, this is much better than I expected it to be." That's a good feeling. And while You can't expect to feel this way about every knife, it IS disappointing when you buy a budget knife and your first thought it "Well... this is DEFINITELY a budget knife..."
I wanted to like this knife, but can't get over the overall shape of both the blade and the handle. I get this is very Ben-styled, but a more traditional drop-point and "generic" handle shape might have drawn in more buyers. Also D2 is fine, but for this pricepoint and market audience, something stainless but still budget-oriented like Nitro-V could be a welcome alternative.
Thanks for the honest review, Nick.
Ordered one of these with moderate expectations and I was a little disappointed. I knew going in this knife would not be as solid as some of my others, but I do own a baby Banter and I am VERY pleased with by baby. I did not see the quality control issues you saw. However, I did order scales to swap out to try out the swappable scales feature. The screws are weak feeling. I totally agree with the quality of the screws. I ended up leaving it stormtrooper themed (black DLC and all white scales) and threw it in with a gift for a gift exchange as a friend's first pocket knife for Christmas. I let my buddy know, if anything is wrong with it, I'll fix it after he lets me know.
Love the idea of a high end version
Honest review, Nick. Kudos. This knife represents a great concept and I respect the reasoning and the effort behind it. Trust me, I want to buy a knife from Ben. But, I want to buy an American made knife with quality components. Not some Chi-Com yuk. I'd gladly pay the difference in price. Ben, love you, guy. But, your Knaf needs some work. I look forward to version 2.0. As a sidenote, those biohazard neon skull scales are EPIC.
Well.....unfortunately a rising tide raises all ships!!!!! Thanks for the honest review!!!!I love Ben too.... but the lander i just don't think is for me.... but good on him!!!I hope all the best for him and his wife!!!
Thanks Nick! You know the knife game has reached full stagnation when easily swappable scales become a talking point…
An honest review, thanks batman
I'll add something just because I haven't seen it elsewhere in the comments.
I have a Penguin and Neckmuk from QSP and in both cases the D2 stared tarnishing almost immediately. The Neckmuk rusted in it's kydex sheath after being put away dry. Maybe I just have had back luck but I think it might be QSP's approach to D2 at issue
I just want some Ti scales for the Baby Banter. Flytanium....?
I have one coming in tomorrow, we’ll see what we get
can you review the new civivi elementum button lock 2 please
I have two and have had zero problem. centered and smooth. I bought them to be a fifth pocket knife so I took off the clips so can't speak to that
I mostly use my knives in a pinch grip and I find my lander with the clip still on it to have really good ergos. I have thought about getting one of my parents one and taking the clip off for them since neither of them like clips on their knives
@@traviswrigg5158 I love how it fits in my fifth pocket highly recommend
Wish more reviewers were as good as nick!
After I loosened the pivot and centered my blades, all my qsp knives are almost perfect. Can't believe this was put out like this. I am saddened.
After spending some time with the three Landers I purchased I came close to buying a fourth to be sent to you.
Before I watched this video I honestly thought "action" would be in your Great category. All three of my Knafs Landers were on par - maybe better, but it's hard to tell with less metal swinging - with my Microtech Socom Elite.
I would love to see a "Made in USA" option with premium steel. The other things you point out - choil, screw quality, hardness and rust - should be sorted even on the base version. I will admit the only one of these annoyances I've noticed thus far is the choil.
Looks similar to a lot of things but my wife would like the purple
Love Ben, love Nick more due to his 100% honesty
The Zombie thing has really taken on a life of its own. What a hooot.
I like this purple banter
It looks extremely basic, but it feels well in the hand, it has a nice belly for great slicing, and the drop point meets the tip about midway down the blade and scales, this makes it easier to point down tip cut, apart from looking basic, is actually a great utility knife, many great feeling great utility knives look basic because the shape is basic, timeless, it is a small knife in my hands but still performs extremely well
Highly ashamed to say…I’d actually buy the knife just to wear the ZHunter scales…
So if your friend is looking to make a buck…
Mine was prefect right out of the box
That's excellent to hear, and that's the cruel part of bad QC: Different experiences can be massively different.
@@NickShabazzNo doubt,
So has every 25 dollar ganzo I have bought.
saw a recent video where spyderco 8cr13mov had a 60 rockwell hardness.
*My Winterblade Factor arriving today !*
D2 is overrated “budget” steel. Give me 14C28N any day.
Thanks for this review. I agree 100%. The price feels too high, the knife is OK, but there are much better knives for the money out there. Action is great, steel isn’t. I would not have bought it if it was only another normal compact G10-knife, perhaps for 39€ Or 49€ but not for 70€ that we have to pay here in Germany. BUT: I willingly paid that money and bought it just to support this open community idea. I hope that there will more to come (and that you can get some scales for less than 32€ that we pay here). But then, I‘m pretty happy with the lunar surface scales. ;)
In my opinion , bit of a harsh review. Us knife junkies are getting a bit out of hand. People on Reddit legitimately putting knives under a microscope saying “should I return this”. I work at a military jet engine manufacturer and we have higher tolerances for imperfections than knife customers at this point.
the k.o.-criteria for me is the d2, qsp uses 14c28n on some pretty nice 50-60$ knives, there's no reason to use a semi stainless steel.
I get that. I think this knife is more competing for the attention of the $30-40 knives with the user paying a premium for the scales feature. Whether or not that's worth it to you is your decision and if its not, I 100% understand that. It's very much an unnecessary nicety that doesn't impact performance at all
Great review. I’ll never ever understand why some knife designers keep making the thumb stud soooo close to the scale, leaving very little room to get your thumb in there or spidy flick etc. He did the same thing on the banters.
It's a fun game of design tradeoffs. Thinner blades require thumbstuds closer to the scales. For instance, the 940 is nearly touching the scale. The CRKT CEO is nested into the scale. It's tradeoffs.
@@benbanters fair enough.
It also keeps it out of the way when cutting or sharpening
@@nick_t7467 I mean making the scale smaller where the thumbstud is to give more room. The thumb stud can remain right where it is.
First time I “attempted” to take the screws out, they stripped. Definitely on the cheap side
Nick, I love your stuff. But removable scales are not exactly some sort of special TRM exclusive thing. It has been done by e.g. Hinderer long before TRM came in the scene. You didn't expect TRM to ask Hinderer, so why should anyone ask TRM?
Did you see that they are doing an S35vn version with Smokey mountain?
Words really are hard. I wish we would switch to one of those languages that don't have words, like they use in other countries. Like switching to the metric system.
Will wait for 2.0!
Sasche. Think of the old song “Sa-shay, Shawn-tay”. It’s saw-shay. 😎👍🏼🙏🏼🖖🏻
Looks like sencut scepter
Nice looking knife 👍.
Il love what Ben has done here but at $80 CAD it's just not up to snuff. 14c28n, 154cm even 9cr18 for a stainless option.T8 hardware and under $90CAD It would be the perfect gift knife and a great way to introduce non-knifers into our world. Hopefully Ben has a Lander 2.0 in the works and I'm confident he does. My wallet is open Ben get to work.
Insta buy. Any product/company that supports creatives and after market stuff is always going to get my vote.
kinda looks like an elongated baby banter. especially with the purple scales
to be honest i was really excited when it's first revealed mainly because it's from ben and i LOVE the baby banter. now that it's released and I'm over the hype i do think it's a little overrated. too expensive in my country for what it is especially knowing it's made by qsp.
It may not be 'the best budget knife' but i still love it!
Yes, you can take every knife apart and a quick google search will show you many people on Etsy or other platforms, selling scales for almost 'every knife imaginable'.. BUT i love Ben and his Idea and he is such an awesome part of the 'knife community'.
I was in love with the Banter and Baby Banter (still use the WE Banter every day) - So i had to buy a Lander just to support him, the idea and his Company.
i guess i was 'lucky' - because my Lander looks fine - but i had the same problem that it was very 'stiff' at the beginning but in NO WAY as extrem as yours.
10-15 flips and it opens smooth as butter.
The screws on the other hand are not the best... but at least it's easy and kinda 'cheap' to get some fresh new ones.
I also hope some day we can buy/choose the color of the screws for a full on customization of our Lander! :p
I'm already stoked for the Lander 2! (with Kizers Clutch lock, baby!!)
I'm giving you a like just for Gromal party. The English language is hard. haha
I believe that even without the swapable scales, this knife is still compelling: It is one hand openable/closable knife that won't scare non-knife people. No tactical cues, no flipper tabs, no death threats, no ninja influence... just a pocket tool. I do have great dislike for the pocket clip while using the knife...
You can't justify the cost of this when a QSP Parrot in D2 with micarta scales is such a good little knife for almost half the price.
Agreed. I have two Parrots in micarta and other than the soft screws I think they're a fantastic deal at around $30 US.
Sachse is German for 'Saxon'.
Mine is super hard to open. My WE Banter flies open, but my lander likes to stay put. Should I just loosen the pivot screw?
Did you solve it ?
I just got Lander 1 few days ago and have the same problem.
Is it bead blasted? I can't tell from the video... if it's bead blasted that's exactly why your having the little rust issues.
Civivi elementum look alike?
Idk but that stippled background is makin me go cross eyed. 😂
Why does nobody in the knife world seem to understand what a stress riser is, all these pocket clips, with giant holes placed precisely at the point of highest stress...
Can someone explain to me what people mean by the smile at the choil? I just can’t get my head around it or see it
The smile is an artifact from sharpening the blade, where the portion nearest the handle or scales isn't ground properly, and it extends out from the edge immediately in front of it.
@@bigaspaulo thanks Paulo! You don’t know where I could find a good picture example? I just can’t quite see the bit that reflects a smile
The 1992 Toyota Corolla of knives
I am a budget knife guy mostly, but gotta say this one just hasn't appealed to me at all. I like my Banter, I love my Baby Banter, but nothing about this one interests me. I really don't care about scale swapping or printing at all, so the one potential plus of this is a moot point for me. Plus, the use of D2 was a big wtf moment. I live where it's humid all the time, so I just don't like that steel. It's really surprising that Ben would choose that, since his vibe is very much a "knives for the everyman" kind of thing. Uncoated D2 is only non-problematic for people who live in the more dry parts of the country/world; for the rest of us, it's something we groan at and occasionally accept when the design is cool enough to make it worth dealing with--which sadly this one is not. Oh well, plenty of other knives in the sea!
But I will continue to keep an eye out for what Knafs Co comes up with in the future.
I got knives for my “groomal” party back in the day, but they were junk. I wish I followed Nick back then so I could have gotten them gems.
You still could, if you felt up to it. Tell ‘em you didn’t know any better, then, but that you do now! A Lander would be an outstanding gift to the groomsmen in your wedding party! That would especially be true if you got them the SMKW special, with far carbon and S35VN, though that WOULD triple the cost…
I’ve got the fat carbon version (which makes it a little more “remarkable”), a special edition by SMKW, which also substitutes S35VN for the D2. I’ve started liking bigger knives more than I used to, so this KNAFs runs in the opposite direction! However, it is very well put together, and it works. It is conservative-looking, so I can take it out in company, without scaring anybody. I prefer thumb studs, and this knife opens with the best! It also fits extremely well in the pocket. Given all that and the much better blade steel, MY KNAFS knife is a keeper! NOT BTW an inexpensive knife in this form however, at $175.00 from SMKW.
Hmmm, kabar dozier for $20 comes to mind
We made you a movie: ua-cam.com/video/CaUSS2rj4A4/v-deo.html
It's unfortunate that a manufacturer (QSP) known for huge value at low prices did so poorly on a knife nearly twice the price of the Penguin.
Which knife do you refer to? MY KNAFS LANDER (fat carbon AND S35VN) is SPECTACULAR. If all I needed was a 2.75” blade, the LANDER would fill the bill nicely, and be beautiful doing it.
When I saw the Banter in your latest permanent collection and the Chaparral frn seemingly missing, I got a bit worried about you.
But this is a fair review. The open source files for the 3D printers is in principle a great idea (I had no idea another company had the swappable scales idea beforehand).
I love creativity and innovation but if the dress doesn't fit properly then it won't look good.
Frankly, I'd rather pay 10 bucks more and not have the issues you've highlighted (the screws especially being so counterproductive).
How did u make a 25 min review about this knife?
... with vigor?
@@NickShabazz i commented that before watching the whole thing… after watching the whole thing I now understand
@@NickShabazz if you think about it tho, it’s pretty obvious this wouldn’t be the same quality as sencut/civivi, those 2 brands produce thousands and thousands at a time, bringing the price per knife way down.. with Ben he’s getting a smaller amount made all by himself.. so that leaves people who just really want to support Ben being okay with the quality/price difference. And people who just want a knife and don’t know Ben being upset
I question the official narrative.
This will not land in my pocket. I'll stick with my Baby Banter and it's Unlocked Composites scales.