I just bought 2 of the best "edc" folders ever. The Ti lizard Atom and the Quiet Carry drift L. Atom is my favorite, by design, blade shape looks, but gotta be honest I pick up the Drift more all because of the action and deployment. The atom thumbstuds and no reverse flick knocks it down a notch.
@stevenw3393 Yeah I know, I've figured out how to get it everytime as well but it's not natural or comfortable. You have to either wedge your nail in which is what I do or use the tip of finger which sure isn't comfortable. My point is the fidget factor is definitely not the Atoms strong point.
I'm curious if you have o-rings on your thumb studs? Those completely eliminate the discomfort for me when flicking with the tip of my finger. On modern Atoms they switched a new style of stud originally introduced on the titanium Shadow which is much more similar to Benchmade's thumb studs. Far more comfortable. But you can't please everyone, and there are plenty of people who complained that they still prefer the older, sharper studs. I don't mind the older studs at all as long as they have o-rings, so my personal opinion is that they should include a pair of o-rings with the knife if they're going to use those sharper studs.
Thanks for the comparison! I pulled the trigger on a Neutron 2 with “Textured” Ti scales direct from one of TRM’s drops this year. I am still pleasantly surprised by how light and sleek the knife is overall. I’m eager to see how their Magnacut blades perform when they are (hopefully) released next year.
Those textured "lizard skin" scales feel great! I don't have any in that texture yet, but I got to feel them in hand a couple times. And yeah! I expect the MagnaCut to be nice, but I also don't anticipate a significant difference over the 20CV for my personal usages. Only time will tell though!
As of yesterday I have all the current models. It was fun inspecting the knives as you were explaining the variations. I now have a new appreciation for the value of a TRM. Thank you!!
Oooo, congrats on acquiring the, uh... quadfecta? Is that a word? Why not. I'm really excited the Atlases are coming back soon, 'cause I can't wait to do a video about Les' brilliant "Integral Frame Slipjoint" approach.
It was inevitable that they'd adopt a similar CQI policy to Spyderco since they've had a fairly long business relationship. It's also what's kept me from buying the initial iteration of the Shadow. There's obviously going to be improvements made, so that's made waiting for a titanium version a bit easier.
Yeah, that's one of the benefits of small-batch production like TRM does -- it's relatively easy to iterate and work changes into the next batch. TRM is also just really, really good about taking customer feedback into consideration and incorporating it into their products. Well, except on them dang thumb studs. I know, I know, a ton of people adore them exactly as they are, but I think they should at least come with a pair of o-rings! As far as the Shadow goes, yeah, I'm sure we'll see some small changes as the knife continues to roll out wider and wider. They've already redone the milling pattern on the Ti versions to further lean in to the radial burst motif. I absolutely adore my Shadow exactly as it is, but that is indeed a silver lining as you sit and wait for a Ti one!
@@KnifeNerdery Have you done a disassembly video of the Shadow? I see that there's a couple on here, but not by anyone that goes so in depth and catches even the tiniest of details. And certainly not by anyone whose opinion I really trust or hasn't shown some degree of favoritism (IMO). I know it's "just" a crossbar lock, but I've always found the overall performance of those (with omega springs) to be the most dependent on the tiniest details. It's also a lock that once you've found a great example of, even what was previously the best feels like quite a step backwards.
Thank you -- that really means a lot! I try to include those bookmarks on all of my "Small Details Reviews" since they tend to be pretty darn long, and people might want to reference just a particular small detail they're interested in. I also try to throw them in to unboxings where I ramble for a while before getting to the knife. 😝 Glad you're enjoying things!
Glad you enjoyed it! And agreed ! They make some of my absolute favorite knives, but they've undoubtedly gotta be my favorite knife _company_ -- they are just such great folks!
I've not, no. I don't know if they produce original knives too (they probably do?), but their clones of high-end knives show up often on the swaps. I generally try to not support companies that do literal clones. Have you tried any of their knives? What's your experience with them been if so?
So glad I finally got the time to watch this! As always an amazing job with all of the details and product history! I ended up selling my Ti atom scales due to the heavier weight but on the Neutron it’s still amazing!
So glad you saw it! Thank you again sooooooo much for lending it my way! And yeah -- I think some people will adore the extra weight, others will always prefer the featherweight feeling they've come to know and love. On the Atom it's on the heavier side of what I tend to carry, but still really well distributed like I mentioned. But like you just said, on the Neutron it's perfect for me!
“Light” in a knife is fine, if a few ounces will make a difference. However, how many men (or women for that matter) are going to be stopped, of even slowed down by a few ounces? I LIKE a little weight in my knives, so although light weight is OK, I don’t seek it out. In fact, I commonly buy copper-scale knives, because of their natural beauty AND their additional weight.
Haha, yeah, there are many for whom lighter is definitely not better. Did you see that TRM is finally reintroducing copper and brass scales this month? They did a very small number (
The problem with changing a set of G-10 scales for titanium is that the basic knife costs a certain amount, and the Ti scales themselves cost a certain amount, and the cost together is more than a titanium model costs new. At secondary market prices, quite a bit more! I did buy a knife with CF scales, even though I thought I might want titanium. Well, I do, but I won’t buy Ti scales. Instead, I will get an entire titanium knife. It’s a better deal.
Yeah, you're absolutely right, and that can be pretty frustrating -- it's notably cheaper to buy the titanium model as a complete knife than it is to buy a standard G10 model and add the Ti scales on separately. It would be even more expensive still to buy a "naked" knife (it's not super common, but TRM from time to time sells the knives without any scales at all, thanks to the folks with huge scale collections asking for standalone knives) and then separately buy both the G10 and titanium scales, even though at the end of the day you're getting the same items. The reason for this, of course, is that TRM subsidizes the cost of the components when you buy them together as a package deal -- you see this same kind of pricing all over the place, where it's cheaper to buy a complete dishware set than it is to buy the same plates, cups, and bowls separately. People don't usually think about "a knife with scales on it" as "a package deal", though, since that's how all knives come. But TRM is in the reasonably uncommon position of selling scales by themselves, too, and thus needing to price them such that it's profitable even if someone just buys the scales. So in the end you're right -- the standalone Ti scales are definitely *not* the cheapest way to get a titanium knife if you're starting from scratch. They're meant for folks who already own the base knife and don't want a second whole knife, just the scales. And if that's what you're after, then it definitely *is* cheaper to buy the standalone scales rather than a second complete knife you don't want/need.
Regarding the pocket clip, my CF model is different, and inferior. It has a surface mounted clip, with protruding round headed screws! Nothing is recessed on mine (the liner is recessed)… I think it’s because these knives are virtually semi-custom made. I bet they vary a bit, with some examples better than others (all would be perfect as far as function is concerned). These knives are very close to perfect in any case! I like mine just fine (but will be getting a titanium model at some point)!
Do you have a Neutron or an Atom? The Neutron has never had a recessed clip. The original V1 Neutron had a shallow-carry clip and the modern V2 has a deep-carry clip, but even on the titanium versions, nothing is recessed. The Ti verions *do* introduce the little flat platform so the clip can mount evenly that you can see in the video, at least, but still neither are recessed. If you buy the titanium Neutron scales separately, they do not come with a clip because you can reuse the one you already had as-is. The Atom, by contrast, has always had the recessed clip, but the screws for the standard Atoms have always been the round-headed kind that aren't countersunk. The titanium Atom uses the clip and screws originally introduced on the Shadow, which finally *do* have the countersunk, flat screws. If you buy the titanium scales separately, they come with the alternate clip/screws because it is different from what you would have otherwise. I wouldn't call TRM knives "virtually semi-custom made" -- they're definitely production knives -- but they *are* made in relatively small batches (compared to the giant companies), usually about 150-250 at a time. That means they can indeed adapt quickly and do indeed make some changes from bath-to-batch, but mostly this is around small fixes and improvements in things like finishing and tuning, not anything that wouldn't be backward compatible. A good example of that is the blade finish on the Neutrons has evolved slightly over time, with differing levels of stonewash vs reflectivity.
I feel like i need to comment and help there fine knives be finer . Forst they need a distinguished company pivot that looks cool , is flush , stays in place d shape or notch , hardly matters but d shape is preferred . Cool hardware and pivots is what sets the knives visually apart easier to people not so familar with them like us , like civivi and others , miguron etc . . I just feel when a knife is 200-$500 they should look like it and work like it when needed with properly hardened steel . There’s too many steel variations and several good ones imo .
So all of the standard TRM lineup _do_ have captive pivots (the kind with a D-shape only on the the end of the barrel, so you don't have a gap running the whole way to collect debris), but you're absolutely right about the pivot being quite plain on the Neutrons and Atoms. They flexed their machining muscle some on the Shadow pivots -- those have a gorgeous radial starburst pattern milled in them, along with a contoured face that sits perfectly flush with the contouring of the handle scale itself. I'd love to see them do something like that for the Neutron and Atom!
I just got an Atom last week, purposely buying the cheapest variant in the Jade G10 model at $210. No textured Ti scales available? I bought Textured Copper scales available @ $230 which i bought then canceled? I wanted textured titanium scales for weight and look, which came in yesterday and I bought! I'm basically in the hole spending $210+230=$440 along with shipping for each order costing $10 each purchase. My total price for textured titanium scales and knife comes to $460 🤦♂️🤣 O'well I got what I wanted, but I just went the hard way about it. These knives are nearly impossible to find imo? 🤷♂️
Hahaha yeah, unfortunately the build-your-own route is always gonna cost more, but it can take a long time to find the exact config you want (in general, especially for Ti) in stock as-is, so often it's the only way to go. But they're always cranking out more, so eventually people will score (or build) the perfect version for them.
You're right, you're right. Can't settle. Did you see the new milling pattern Marianne was showing off? (instagram.com/p/CbGQLKMu3rL/ for reference) They're taking a small number to Blade Show Atlanta this year -- sooooooo gorgeous!
Awesome vid -- thanks for sharing this. I just managed to order a set of the Ti scales for my Neutron 2. Where are those blue spacers, screw and clip from? Those look awesome with the bead blasted finish!
Heheh, thanks Casper! I apologized to Marianne over in the FB group for doing this whole backstory just from memory in case I got any details wrong. She didn't have any specific complaints, but she's also just one of the most supportive folks I've encountered in this community, so that's nothing new!
I absolutely love the Neutron and the Atom! But in Titanium it's a whole new experience I imagine. I really hope they are able to up the production soon! A Titanium Shadow would be so dreamy!
Another great video Kevin. Really love the channel. The history recap is fun on these. Very happy to own my sets. So the goal now is always helping other people that are searching for them. Also amazing to hear about Joe Fl helping you out. 100% one of the best guys going. Offer is still open if you ever get a lull and want to check out some of the stuff i messaged you about. If you ever want me to send something your way to check out, just let me know
Thanks again for all the kind words! And yeah, I'm thrilled to finally have a set for myself -- the fact they came through an incredible act of kindness from Joe is wonderful icing on the cake! And I will, without a doubt, take you up on your offer sooner or later. I really appreciate it!
Yeah absolutely -- it *dramatically* changes the knife in a way that I think will solve a lot of people's problems. Lemme know what you think if you end up with a pair!
I wholeheartedly recommend giving one a try if you ever get the chance! They're still hard to come by compared to your average knife, but it's pretty easy to find one in the FB group if you're ever in the market more seriously.
If you're looking for a slim, light EDC with an emphasis on sliceness, TRMs really are at the top of the market! Hope you get your hands on one some day!
Yeah? Did you get it direct from TRM or from one of the group members? I've seen a couple people in the group request flat-headed screws from TRM to make them sit flush. I think they look better that way, so I'd encourage them to just make that default going forward!
I luv my Atom and Neutron, but I also just scored another brand new Winged Carbon Fiber Atom with a set of the titanium scales for $360 on EBay. Do you now what they charge just for the Ti scales ? Great review BTW 👍🏼
@@KnifeNerdery yes that was the starting bid, so I made my 1st bid planning on going higher, but nobody else bid on them. I very rarely get lucky on EBay and I actually just found the Neutron Ti scales brand new for $230 Obo. I think I’m going to grab them too…
Hahaha, how observant! It's actually an overview and history of the scales themselves, not so much the knives. Perhaps I can change the title to better reflect that. Open to suggestions!
I'm not really sure how they'd design around that, but it definitely bugs me how clips wear little spots where they contact the scales. Happens on nearly all knives, though.
@@KnifeNerdery I have a few - on the high end: Brown FSD mini. The clip is stiff meaning no right/left play and he milled a pocket in the titanium for the clip. TRM is supposed to be known for their CNC skills? Anyhow, IMHO it's a good knife with a poorly designed clip or, maybe a have a defective clip?
@@Chappvid Ah, yeah, milled-Ti clips will have a lot better side-to-side stability than bent-metal clips. Even most of those have some side-to-side flex, though. The FSD in particular has a very wide clip, which further significantly decreases its side-to-side flexibility compared to even other milled-Ti clips. What I've also found is that even if a clip doesn't slide side-to-side much, it invariably leaves a mark underneath the contact point -- not a big deal normally, but matters if you end up changing clips (to something that has a different contact point) or swapping a clip for left/right-hand carry. I don't personally think of the Atom or Neutron clips as "defective" -- they work basically the same as all bent-metal clips -- but I agree that I don't like that characteristic of bent-metal clips. What really bugs me, though, is when a milled-Ti clip is attached in an insecure way that allows it to wiggle side-to-side just from how it is mounted, nothing to do with flex.
It's possible, yes, but not easy. The studs are press-fit in and nearly impossible to remove without damaging them. But if you don't care about damaging them (you're going to replace them, after all), you can definitely pry them out with some pliers. Still difficult, but quite a few people have done it successfully. Most use aftermarket Benchmade studs for the replacement, but I've seen a variety of options swapped in. If you want more specific help, I suggest posting about it in their FB group. Dozens of people in there have done it and can offer tips!
@@KnifeNerdery Thanks, Kevin! Thanks for taking the time to answer. It's good to know that it's at least possible to replace them. I'll do some research on suitable replacements before I take the vice grips to them. :)
Is there any place other then Ebay that has contoured titanium scales for the TRM Adam??. People are charging more then the cost of the actual knife just for T scales. Their literally charging $250 just for the scales!! Are they really that difficult to get ahold of?? Man smh..... I guess I'm just gonna have to wait longer to get my hands on these scales. I blame Shabazz for this insanity lol.
So the Ti Atom scales just *are* very expensive, but they're $210 new from TRM not $250: www.threeriversmfg.com/accessories/ATOM-3D-CONTOURED-TITANIUM-SCALES-p461748532 . (And yes, that's for the scales by themselves.) That's the page they'll be posted to when they drop more, and they're in regular production at this point, so they've been dropping more on the site a couple times a month. These are sometimes done in sync with other announced drops (like of the knives themselves), or sometimes just done randomly as a surprise. If you're in the FB group, sleuthy members always post whenever they see some up for sale. As far as getting some on the secondary market, I'd encourage you to check r/Knife_Swap over on Reddit, Blade Forums, or some of the B/S/T groups on Facebook. eBay is definitely a viable option too, but tends to be pricier than other secondary markers. As far as the price of the scales themselves, well, yeah, they're very expensive, and thus out of a lot of people's price ranges. The 3D, contoured machining and finishing on them is very high end -- they're noticeably nicer and more complicated than many other Ti scales out there. They're also, of course, small batch, made in the US, from US-sourced 6Al4V titanium, which all raises the price. That'll justify the price to some, but not to others. Anyway, best of luck finding some in case you do end up going for a pair!
@@KnifeNerdery yes I only realized that these particular scales were already priced pretty high at $210 on the TRM own website. Initially I didn't know. I only realized this when I visited the TRM home page and saw they were $210 for the contoured titanium scales. I never actually looked at their own site because I just assumed they would more then likely would be out of stock. Now I see why people are selling them upwards of $250 on Ebay now it makes sense. Knowing this makes me feel more inclined to purchase from Ebay if I decide not to wait on TRM themselves. I'll try just going on the site every so often to see if they have them in stock. But you're right they are very beautiful looking, the complexity of the contouring on the titanium scales are done incredibly well. Also like you mentioned they are also a made here in the U.S. only using good quality materials and the fact that they are a smaller sized manufacturing facility adds to this as well. So after taking much more into consideration i have definitely changed my mind about it. But thanks for the information and pointing that out. I figured you would the moment I saw the scales were just that expensive of course I came to understand this hours after I had already made the comment.
Hey, not sure if you'll see this in time or if you already found an option elsewhere, but there are currently 10 sets up on the TRM website right now! www.threeriversmfg.com/accessories/ATOM-3D-CONTOURED-TITANIUM-SCALES-p461748532
@@KnifeNerdery yes I been checking out the website daily. The 28th as you probably already know they'll be releasing the atlas aka " the at-last" and some atoms as well if I'm not mistaken.... between 6:45- 8:15 EST. I had also ordered some G10 royal blue scales for the atom( unfortunately no contoured fish- like pattern available) but nonetheless requested if they could also email me whenever they'd be releasing anything as far as knives or titanium scales and by God they certainly did. Thank you for remembering me, I greatly appreciate your time and courtesy.
@@KnifeNerdery wow I just read my previous unintelligible message. If ever that happens it's because I'm probably chemically altered from sleep inducing meds. Just giving you a heads up for future reference. Thanks again for reaching out.
Honest question; do you ever actually try to find the knife, or just complain on UA-cam? I have zero interest in the Atom or Neutron, so I've never actively sought them out, but I've had the chance to buy either one multiple times. I have to assume you're putting less effort into trying to find one than you are complaining that you can't find one. If youre talking about the titanium scales specifically, I think Kevin has done an excellent job of explaining why they've been so elusive.
@@davidwamsley7864 These knives *are* a lot easier to get than the used to be, but it's still way, way harder than your typical knife you can just buy over at your favorite online or local retailer, so I definitely understand that frustration! I have three main recommendations: 1) Check the TRM FAQ page often (www.threeriversmfg.com/faqs). They always keeps the first question up to date with details on when the next drop will be, and these days there are 1-2 drops per month for the main knives, with quarterly drops for things like the Nerd. They'll start with a general time ("Late April" or something), and then update it to something more specific ("The week of April 17" or something) when they have it nailed down closer, and then finally give an exact date and time window for the drop once they have it all locked in. If you're on Facebook, you can join their group and turn notifications on closer to the drop window -- members of the community always post a "Knives are up!" alert there within a few seconds of it going live. 2) If you're worried about price gouging on the secondary markets, you can try to buy one off a member in the Facebook Group. They have a strict +20% ceiling, so you can be sure you're never going to get wildly gouged. I see knives listed there (even in NIB state) at retail pretty regularly, though. Folks post knives for sale there daily, and a quick search in the group will likely find you one. If you don't see any listed right now, there's an official B/S/T post, or you can post a new "In search of" post if you're looking for something rare. 3) If you don't have Facebook, your next best shot would probably be Reddit, over on r/Knife_Swap. I see Atoms and Newtrons posted there pretty regularly, and you can search (and sort by posting date) to see what's around. They don't have a price cap there, obviously, but these days I see things (in new or gently used condition) listed at pretty close to retail fairly often. There are other secondary markets (Blade Forum, even Instagram with tagged knife sale posts, and of course there's a ton of B/S/T groups on FB), but I'm on those less frequently, so can't give much of a current market price sense over there.
Those are little rubber o-rings! They're often used to seal gaskets or provide a compression fit between two pieces. There's lots of places you can get o-rings, including big-box hardware stores like Home Depot, but you'll often only find black at shops like that. TRM themselves sell a pack of o-rings on their site that fit the Atom and Shadow, but are a bit too big for the Neutron. For the Newtron, you're looking for 5-6mm o-rings, and for Atom you'll want 6-7mm. It's super important to note that those measurements are outer diameter (OD). And FWIW, most people tend to go for the smaller/snugger ends of those spectrums (so 5mm for Newtron, 6mm for Atom). There's a great shop on etsy that sells high-quality o-rings in a variety of colors and sizes and at great prices, in both single-color and mixed color sets: www.etsy.com/listing/162565628/rubber-orings-5mm-for-industrial-crafts www.etsy.com/listing/175422113/rubber-orings-6mm-for-industrial-crafts www.etsy.com/listing/887596454/725mm-oring-hand-picked-mix-pkg-of-100 The big thing about ordering through her is that she tends to list them only in large quantities at a time (50+) all of the same size, and if you get a mixed set, you don't really have any say in what colors you get. But it's great bang-for-your-buck if you're willing to get a bunch.
Amazing video my friend! Really appreciate all the insights! 💯🙌🏼
Glad you enjoyed it! Do you have one of these titanium ones? Or perhaps their newer "lizard skin" texture?
Thanks for the in-depth review.
Love TRM! Got the Atom and Neutron in contoured lizard skin Ti 👌 Both are keepers 😎
The lizard skin milling feels so cool in hand!
I just bought 2 of the best "edc" folders ever. The Ti lizard Atom and the Quiet Carry drift L. Atom is my favorite, by design, blade shape looks, but gotta be honest I pick up the Drift more all because of the action and deployment. The atom thumbstuds and no reverse flick knocks it down a notch.
No reverse flick as in no middle finger flick? If so, it can be done reliably, but takes practice.
@stevenw3393 Yeah I know, I've figured out how to get it everytime as well but it's not natural or comfortable. You have to either wedge your nail in which is what I do or use the tip of finger which sure isn't comfortable. My point is the fidget factor is definitely not the Atoms strong point.
Agree, not fidgety, but it is rewarding in a way because it is difficult I guess.
I'm curious if you have o-rings on your thumb studs? Those completely eliminate the discomfort for me when flicking with the tip of my finger. On modern Atoms they switched a new style of stud originally introduced on the titanium Shadow which is much more similar to Benchmade's thumb studs. Far more comfortable. But you can't please everyone, and there are plenty of people who complained that they still prefer the older, sharper studs. I don't mind the older studs at all as long as they have o-rings, so my personal opinion is that they should include a pair of o-rings with the knife if they're going to use those sharper studs.
But to your original comment, yeah, those really are some of the best EDC knives ever made!
Thanks for the comparison! I pulled the trigger on a Neutron 2 with “Textured” Ti scales direct from one of TRM’s drops this year. I am still pleasantly surprised by how light and sleek the knife is overall. I’m eager to see how their Magnacut blades perform when they are (hopefully) released next year.
Those textured "lizard skin" scales feel great! I don't have any in that texture yet, but I got to feel them in hand a couple times. And yeah! I expect the MagnaCut to be nice, but I also don't anticipate a significant difference over the 20CV for my personal usages. Only time will tell though!
“Just over an ounce more (for titanium over Micarta)?” I don’t know if I can manage it!
As of yesterday I have all the current models. It was fun inspecting the knives as you were explaining the variations. I now have a new appreciation for the value of a TRM. Thank you!!
Oooo, congrats on acquiring the, uh... quadfecta? Is that a word? Why not. I'm really excited the Atlases are coming back soon, 'cause I can't wait to do a video about Les' brilliant "Integral Frame Slipjoint" approach.
Great information. Appreciate it. Maybe you could slow down a bit. It would be a big help to the listeners.
Haha, yeah? Any time I have to watch one of my own videos, I always put it on 2x speed 'cause it feels like I talk way too slow.
Love all these quality of life changes and small changes to make the best knives that they can!
It was inevitable that they'd adopt a similar CQI policy to Spyderco since they've had a fairly long business relationship.
It's also what's kept me from buying the initial iteration of the Shadow. There's obviously going to be improvements made, so that's made waiting for a titanium version a bit easier.
Yeah, that's one of the benefits of small-batch production like TRM does -- it's relatively easy to iterate and work changes into the next batch. TRM is also just really, really good about taking customer feedback into consideration and incorporating it into their products. Well, except on them dang thumb studs. I know, I know, a ton of people adore them exactly as they are, but I think they should at least come with a pair of o-rings!
As far as the Shadow goes, yeah, I'm sure we'll see some small changes as the knife continues to roll out wider and wider. They've already redone the milling pattern on the Ti versions to further lean in to the radial burst motif. I absolutely adore my Shadow exactly as it is, but that is indeed a silver lining as you sit and wait for a Ti one!
@@KnifeNerdery
Have you done a disassembly video of the Shadow?
I see that there's a couple on here, but not by anyone that goes so in depth and catches even the tiniest of details. And certainly not by anyone whose opinion I really trust or hasn't shown some degree of favoritism (IMO).
I know it's "just" a crossbar lock, but I've always found the overall performance of those (with omega springs) to be the most dependent on the tiniest details. It's also a lock that once you've found a great example of, even what was previously the best feels like quite a step backwards.
Well another well informed review. I love your diction and delivery, in other words great job.
Haha I do sincerely care about diction and enunciation, so that means a lot! Glad it's working.
Love your content, you put a lot of work into it and I appreciate the details. The bookmarks in the video are very well done. Thanks again.
Thank you -- that really means a lot! I try to include those bookmarks on all of my "Small Details Reviews" since they tend to be pretty darn long, and people might want to reference just a particular small detail they're interested in. I also try to throw them in to unboxings where I ramble for a while before getting to the knife. 😝 Glad you're enjoying things!
Love...LOVE... TRMS! nice review!
Glad you enjoyed it! And agreed ! They make some of my absolute favorite knives, but they've undoubtedly gotta be my favorite knife _company_ -- they are just such great folks!
Fantastic review! Those knifes are spectacular! Thanks for the great reviews.
Thanks for the kind words!
Have you checked out any green thorn knives ?
I've not, no. I don't know if they produce original knives too (they probably do?), but their clones of high-end knives show up often on the swaps. I generally try to not support companies that do literal clones. Have you tried any of their knives? What's your experience with them been if so?
So glad I finally got the time to watch this! As always an amazing job with all of the details and product history! I ended up selling my Ti atom scales due to the heavier weight but on the Neutron it’s still amazing!
So glad you saw it! Thank you again sooooooo much for lending it my way! And yeah -- I think some people will adore the extra weight, others will always prefer the featherweight feeling they've come to know and love. On the Atom it's on the heavier side of what I tend to carry, but still really well distributed like I mentioned. But like you just said, on the Neutron it's perfect for me!
“Light” in a knife is fine, if a few ounces will make a difference. However, how many men (or women for that matter) are going to be stopped, of even slowed down by a few ounces? I LIKE a little weight in my knives, so although light weight is OK, I don’t seek it out. In fact, I commonly buy copper-scale knives, because of their natural beauty AND their additional weight.
Haha, yeah, there are many for whom lighter is definitely not better. Did you see that TRM is finally reintroducing copper and brass scales this month? They did a very small number (
The problem with changing a set of G-10 scales for titanium is that the basic knife costs a certain amount, and the Ti scales themselves cost a certain amount, and the cost together is more than a titanium model costs new. At secondary market prices, quite a bit more! I did buy a knife with CF scales, even though I thought I might want titanium. Well, I do, but I won’t buy Ti scales. Instead, I will get an entire titanium knife. It’s a better deal.
Yeah, you're absolutely right, and that can be pretty frustrating -- it's notably cheaper to buy the titanium model as a complete knife than it is to buy a standard G10 model and add the Ti scales on separately. It would be even more expensive still to buy a "naked" knife (it's not super common, but TRM from time to time sells the knives without any scales at all, thanks to the folks with huge scale collections asking for standalone knives) and then separately buy both the G10 and titanium scales, even though at the end of the day you're getting the same items. The reason for this, of course, is that TRM subsidizes the cost of the components when you buy them together as a package deal -- you see this same kind of pricing all over the place, where it's cheaper to buy a complete dishware set than it is to buy the same plates, cups, and bowls separately. People don't usually think about "a knife with scales on it" as "a package deal", though, since that's how all knives come. But TRM is in the reasonably uncommon position of selling scales by themselves, too, and thus needing to price them such that it's profitable even if someone just buys the scales. So in the end you're right -- the standalone Ti scales are definitely *not* the cheapest way to get a titanium knife if you're starting from scratch. They're meant for folks who already own the base knife and don't want a second whole knife, just the scales. And if that's what you're after, then it definitely *is* cheaper to buy the standalone scales rather than a second complete knife you don't want/need.
Regarding the pocket clip, my CF model is different, and inferior. It has a surface mounted clip, with protruding round headed screws! Nothing is recessed on mine (the liner is recessed)… I think it’s because these knives are virtually semi-custom made. I bet they vary a bit, with some examples better than others (all would be perfect as far as function is concerned). These knives are very close to perfect in any case! I like mine just fine (but will be getting a titanium model at some point)!
Do you have a Neutron or an Atom?
The Neutron has never had a recessed clip. The original V1 Neutron had a shallow-carry clip and the modern V2 has a deep-carry clip, but even on the titanium versions, nothing is recessed. The Ti verions *do* introduce the little flat platform so the clip can mount evenly that you can see in the video, at least, but still neither are recessed. If you buy the titanium Neutron scales separately, they do not come with a clip because you can reuse the one you already had as-is.
The Atom, by contrast, has always had the recessed clip, but the screws for the standard Atoms have always been the round-headed kind that aren't countersunk. The titanium Atom uses the clip and screws originally introduced on the Shadow, which finally *do* have the countersunk, flat screws. If you buy the titanium scales separately, they come with the alternate clip/screws because it is different from what you would have otherwise.
I wouldn't call TRM knives "virtually semi-custom made" -- they're definitely production knives -- but they *are* made in relatively small batches (compared to the giant companies), usually about 150-250 at a time. That means they can indeed adapt quickly and do indeed make some changes from bath-to-batch, but mostly this is around small fixes and improvements in things like finishing and tuning, not anything that wouldn't be backward compatible. A good example of that is the blade finish on the Neutrons has evolved slightly over time, with differing levels of stonewash vs reflectivity.
I feel like i need to comment and help there fine knives be finer . Forst they need a distinguished company pivot that looks cool , is flush , stays in place d shape or notch , hardly matters but d shape is preferred . Cool hardware and pivots is what sets the knives visually apart easier to people not so familar with them like us , like civivi and others , miguron etc . . I just feel when a knife is 200-$500 they should look like it and work like it when needed with properly hardened steel . There’s too many steel variations and several good ones imo .
So all of the standard TRM lineup _do_ have captive pivots (the kind with a D-shape only on the the end of the barrel, so you don't have a gap running the whole way to collect debris), but you're absolutely right about the pivot being quite plain on the Neutrons and Atoms. They flexed their machining muscle some on the Shadow pivots -- those have a gorgeous radial starburst pattern milled in them, along with a contoured face that sits perfectly flush with the contouring of the handle scale itself. I'd love to see them do something like that for the Neutron and Atom!
I like plain hardware and how simple the knife is.
I just got an Atom last week, purposely buying the cheapest variant in the Jade G10 model at $210. No textured Ti scales available? I bought Textured Copper scales available @ $230 which i bought then canceled? I wanted textured titanium scales for weight and look, which came in yesterday and I bought!
I'm basically in the hole spending $210+230=$440 along with shipping for each order costing $10 each purchase.
My total price for textured titanium scales and knife comes to $460 🤦♂️🤣
O'well I got what I wanted, but I just went the hard way about it.
These knives are nearly impossible to find imo? 🤷♂️
Hahaha yeah, unfortunately the build-your-own route is always gonna cost more, but it can take a long time to find the exact config you want (in general, especially for Ti) in stock as-is, so often it's the only way to go. But they're always cranking out more, so eventually people will score (or build) the perfect version for them.
Kevin, we discussed this, full TI Shadow!
You're right, you're right. Can't settle. Did you see the new milling pattern Marianne was showing off? (instagram.com/p/CbGQLKMu3rL/ for reference) They're taking a small number to Blade Show Atlanta this year -- sooooooo gorgeous!
Awesome vid -- thanks for sharing this. I just managed to order a set of the Ti scales for my Neutron 2. Where are those blue spacers, screw and clip from? Those look awesome with the bead blasted finish!
I'm 90% sure Corey had those anodized blue by one of the other members of the TRM group. Hit him up (on IG maybe?) and ask!
Marvelous! And so well informed💕
Heheh, thanks Casper! I apologized to Marianne over in the FB group for doing this whole backstory just from memory in case I got any details wrong. She didn't have any specific complaints, but she's also just one of the most supportive folks I've encountered in this community, so that's nothing new!
I absolutely love the Neutron and the Atom! But in Titanium it's a whole new experience I imagine. I really hope they are able to up the production soon! A Titanium Shadow would be so dreamy!
If you're in the FB group, have you seen the new milling pattern for the small batch of Ti Shadows they're bringing to Blade Show this year? 😍🤤🤩
Another great video Kevin. Really love the channel. The history recap is fun on these. Very happy to own my sets. So the goal now is always helping other people that are searching for them.
Also amazing to hear about Joe Fl helping you out. 100% one of the best guys going. Offer is still open if you ever get a lull and want to check out some of the stuff i messaged you about. If you ever want me to send something your way to check out, just let me know
Thanks again for all the kind words! And yeah, I'm thrilled to finally have a set for myself -- the fact they came through an incredible act of kindness from Joe is wonderful icing on the cake! And I will, without a doubt, take you up on your offer sooner or later. I really appreciate it!
Great deep dive. Having a ti options is a real gamechanger imo. Maybe someday I’ll get a chance to try one since non-ti just wasn’t for me. Congrats!
Yeah absolutely -- it *dramatically* changes the knife in a way that I think will solve a lot of people's problems. Lemme know what you think if you end up with a pair!
Trm make some cool designs. I'd like an atom. Great video 👍
I wholeheartedly recommend giving one a try if you ever get the chance! They're still hard to come by compared to your average knife, but it's pretty easy to find one in the FB group if you're ever in the market more seriously.
I’ve never owned a TRM, but the various reviews make me want to try one knife.
If you're looking for a slim, light EDC with an emphasis on sliceness, TRMs really are at the top of the market! Hope you get your hands on one some day!
Interesting. My Atom has flat screws.
Yeah? Did you get it direct from TRM or from one of the group members? I've seen a couple people in the group request flat-headed screws from TRM to make them sit flush. I think they look better that way, so I'd encourage them to just make that default going forward!
I luv my Atom and Neutron, but I also just scored another brand new Winged Carbon Fiber Atom with a set of the titanium scales for $360 on EBay. Do you now what they charge just for the Ti scales ?
Great review BTW 👍🏼
The Ti Atom scales are $210 on their own. You got an Atom, CF Wing, AND Ti scales all for $360?! That's a hell of a steal! Nicely done!
@@KnifeNerdery yes that was the starting bid, so I made my 1st bid planning on going higher, but nobody else bid on them. I very rarely get lucky on EBay and I actually just found the Neutron Ti scales brand new for $230 Obo. I think I’m going to grab them too…
Sorry, but did you realize how little you operated these knives during this very long overview of them?
Hahaha, how observant! It's actually an overview and history of the scales themselves, not so much the knives. Perhaps I can change the title to better reflect that. Open to suggestions!
In depth - I like it! That said, am I the only one bothered by the clip marring the beautiful titanium finish? Bad design!
I'm not really sure how they'd design around that, but it definitely bugs me how clips wear little spots where they contact the scales. Happens on nearly all knives, though.
@@KnifeNerdery I have a few - on the high end: Brown FSD mini. The clip is stiff meaning no right/left play and he milled a pocket in the titanium for the clip. TRM is supposed to be known for their CNC skills? Anyhow, IMHO it's a good knife with a poorly designed clip or, maybe a have a defective clip?
@@Chappvid Ah, yeah, milled-Ti clips will have a lot better side-to-side stability than bent-metal clips. Even most of those have some side-to-side flex, though. The FSD in particular has a very wide clip, which further significantly decreases its side-to-side flexibility compared to even other milled-Ti clips. What I've also found is that even if a clip doesn't slide side-to-side much, it invariably leaves a mark underneath the contact point -- not a big deal normally, but matters if you end up changing clips (to something that has a different contact point) or swapping a clip for left/right-hand carry.
I don't personally think of the Atom or Neutron clips as "defective" -- they work basically the same as all bent-metal clips -- but I agree that I don't like that characteristic of bent-metal clips. What really bugs me, though, is when a milled-Ti clip is attached in an insecure way that allows it to wiggle side-to-side just from how it is mounted, nothing to do with flex.
Does anyone know if it's possible to change out the thumb studs on the Atom? I find it difficult to spydie flick with those low-profile studs.
It's possible, yes, but not easy. The studs are press-fit in and nearly impossible to remove without damaging them. But if you don't care about damaging them (you're going to replace them, after all), you can definitely pry them out with some pliers. Still difficult, but quite a few people have done it successfully. Most use aftermarket Benchmade studs for the replacement, but I've seen a variety of options swapped in.
If you want more specific help, I suggest posting about it in their FB group. Dozens of people in there have done it and can offer tips!
@@KnifeNerdery Thanks, Kevin! Thanks for taking the time to answer. It's good to know that it's at least possible to replace them. I'll do some research on suitable replacements before I take the vice grips to them. :)
Is there any place other then Ebay that has contoured titanium scales for the TRM Adam??. People are charging more then the cost of the actual knife just for T scales. Their literally charging $250 just for the scales!! Are they really that difficult to get ahold of?? Man smh..... I guess I'm just gonna have to wait longer to get my hands on these scales. I blame Shabazz for this insanity lol.
So the Ti Atom scales just *are* very expensive, but they're $210 new from TRM not $250: www.threeriversmfg.com/accessories/ATOM-3D-CONTOURED-TITANIUM-SCALES-p461748532 . (And yes, that's for the scales by themselves.)
That's the page they'll be posted to when they drop more, and they're in regular production at this point, so they've been dropping more on the site a couple times a month. These are sometimes done in sync with other announced drops (like of the knives themselves), or sometimes just done randomly as a surprise. If you're in the FB group, sleuthy members always post whenever they see some up for sale.
As far as getting some on the secondary market, I'd encourage you to check r/Knife_Swap over on Reddit, Blade Forums, or some of the B/S/T groups on Facebook. eBay is definitely a viable option too, but tends to be pricier than other secondary markers.
As far as the price of the scales themselves, well, yeah, they're very expensive, and thus out of a lot of people's price ranges. The 3D, contoured machining and finishing on them is very high end -- they're noticeably nicer and more complicated than many other Ti scales out there. They're also, of course, small batch, made in the US, from US-sourced 6Al4V titanium, which all raises the price. That'll justify the price to some, but not to others.
Anyway, best of luck finding some in case you do end up going for a pair!
@@KnifeNerdery yes I only realized that these particular scales were already priced pretty high at $210 on the TRM own website. Initially I didn't know. I only realized this when I visited the TRM home page and saw they were $210 for the contoured titanium scales. I never actually looked at their own site because I just assumed they would more then likely would be out of stock. Now I see why people are selling them upwards of $250 on Ebay now it makes sense. Knowing this makes me feel more inclined to purchase from Ebay if I decide not to wait on TRM themselves. I'll try just going on the site every so often to see if they have them in stock. But you're right they are very beautiful looking, the complexity of the contouring on the titanium scales are done incredibly well. Also like you mentioned they are also a made here in the U.S. only using good quality materials and the fact that they are a smaller sized manufacturing facility adds to this as well. So after taking much more into consideration i have definitely changed my mind about it. But thanks for the information and pointing that out. I figured you would the moment I saw the scales were just that expensive of course I came to understand this hours after I had already made the comment.
Hey, not sure if you'll see this in time or if you already found an option elsewhere, but there are currently 10 sets up on the TRM website right now!
www.threeriversmfg.com/accessories/ATOM-3D-CONTOURED-TITANIUM-SCALES-p461748532
@@KnifeNerdery yes I been checking out the website daily. The 28th as you probably already know they'll be releasing the atlas aka " the at-last" and some atoms as well if I'm not mistaken.... between 6:45- 8:15 EST. I had also ordered some G10 royal blue scales for the atom( unfortunately no contoured fish- like pattern available) but nonetheless requested if they could also email me whenever they'd be releasing anything as far as knives or titanium scales and by God they certainly did. Thank you for remembering me, I greatly appreciate your time and courtesy.
@@KnifeNerdery wow I just read my previous unintelligible message. If ever that happens it's because I'm probably chemically altered from sleep inducing meds. Just giving you a heads up for future reference. Thanks again for reaching out.
No it's not more accessible because you can't ever get the knife
Honest question; do you ever actually try to find the knife, or just complain on UA-cam?
I have zero interest in the Atom or Neutron, so I've never actively sought them out, but I've had the chance to buy either one multiple times. I have to assume you're putting less effort into trying to find one than you are complaining that you can't find one.
If youre talking about the titanium scales specifically, I think Kevin has done an excellent job of explaining why they've been so elusive.
Actually I have tried to get a few of them but I can never find them or if you do it's someone trying to get way more than that knife costs new
@@davidwamsley7864 These knives *are* a lot easier to get than the used to be, but it's still way, way harder than your typical knife you can just buy over at your favorite online or local retailer, so I definitely understand that frustration! I have three main recommendations:
1) Check the TRM FAQ page often (www.threeriversmfg.com/faqs). They always keeps the first question up to date with details on when the next drop will be, and these days there are 1-2 drops per month for the main knives, with quarterly drops for things like the Nerd. They'll start with a general time ("Late April" or something), and then update it to something more specific ("The week of April 17" or something) when they have it nailed down closer, and then finally give an exact date and time window for the drop once they have it all locked in. If you're on Facebook, you can join their group and turn notifications on closer to the drop window -- members of the community always post a "Knives are up!" alert there within a few seconds of it going live.
2) If you're worried about price gouging on the secondary markets, you can try to buy one off a member in the Facebook Group. They have a strict +20% ceiling, so you can be sure you're never going to get wildly gouged. I see knives listed there (even in NIB state) at retail pretty regularly, though. Folks post knives for sale there daily, and a quick search in the group will likely find you one. If you don't see any listed right now, there's an official B/S/T post, or you can post a new "In search of" post if you're looking for something rare.
3) If you don't have Facebook, your next best shot would probably be Reddit, over on r/Knife_Swap. I see Atoms and Newtrons posted there pretty regularly, and you can search (and sort by posting date) to see what's around. They don't have a price cap there, obviously, but these days I see things (in new or gently used condition) listed at pretty close to retail fairly often. There are other secondary markets (Blade Forum, even Instagram with tagged knife sale posts, and of course there's a ton of B/S/T groups on FB), but I'm on those less frequently, so can't give much of a current market price sense over there.
Where did you get the rubber coating over the thumb studs?
Those are little rubber o-rings! They're often used to seal gaskets or provide a compression fit between two pieces.
There's lots of places you can get o-rings, including big-box hardware stores like Home Depot, but you'll often only find black at shops like that. TRM themselves sell a pack of o-rings on their site that fit the Atom and Shadow, but are a bit too big for the Neutron.
For the Newtron, you're looking for 5-6mm o-rings, and for Atom you'll want 6-7mm. It's super important to note that those measurements are outer diameter (OD). And FWIW, most people tend to go for the smaller/snugger ends of those spectrums (so 5mm for Newtron, 6mm for Atom).
There's a great shop on etsy that sells high-quality o-rings in a variety of colors and sizes and at great prices, in both single-color and mixed color sets:
www.etsy.com/listing/162565628/rubber-orings-5mm-for-industrial-crafts
www.etsy.com/listing/175422113/rubber-orings-6mm-for-industrial-crafts
www.etsy.com/listing/887596454/725mm-oring-hand-picked-mix-pkg-of-100
The big thing about ordering through her is that she tends to list them only in large quantities at a time (50+) all of the same size, and if you get a mixed set, you don't really have any say in what colors you get. But it's great bang-for-your-buck if you're willing to get a bunch.