Preface: I like kitschy, odd, unique, fun, and weird things, even if they're "cheap" and I break them immediately. Transformers was my jam as a kid. Now, it is also great if they don't break immediately and also serve a function in my life – aside from saying "ooh, neat" or pushing it to the limit and trying to break it to see just how much I can trust it, just for fun (foreshadowing!). Also, pardon the verbosity; brevity has never been my thing.
Funny part about all of these is that I ordered them weeks and months apart, and they all arrived on the same day. The tracking info never even updated on the Falcilux, and the ETA was 1 – 2 weeks out, so that made for a extra pleasant surprise.
So here are my initial thoughts on them after fiddling with them for a bit:
Roxon Flex – I got this after getting the Flex Shears (which I love) and Companion, and really like the modular nature of. For the Flex multitool I have some design concerns – can't put the knife where I want it for easy pocket deployment due to length (shoulda bought the short blade, I'll probably just modify the long blade to make it fit), the tool release switches rattle a bit and one is awkward to use one handed while in knife mode as a result, and it's not very grippy. Beyond that, it all feels nice enough, and having only the tools I want and use with regularity is neat.
SPARK Spin – wheeeeeeeeee, twirly-clicky boi! This turned out way better than I expected in most ways. The action is crisp, the opening is super smooth; it's my first front flipper, and I only had one failed partial opening in several minutes of fidgeting, playing with different opening methods. Zero blade play when deployed. Zero. The clicky/spinny wheel is just fun and has a nice tactile vibe. The blade itself came very sharp, and became hair whittling after some passes on a strop. Noice. Wish the blade was stamped, at least to ID the steel (m390, I think?), and the finish on the blade is slightly inconsistent, though not obviously so. Could have better blade geometry, but it works. Only real critique so far is that my hands are kind of big for it (XL gloves) so it's not super comfy, really only affordable a three finger grip, and would get uncomfortable to cut with for extended periods – which is not what it is designed for, so whatever, I'll probably just fidget with it and cut cardboard up.
Now the Holy Grail of ridiculous silly impulse purchases [I was tempted to just send one of these to Joe X to destroy for me]:
HX Outdoors FALCILUX folding hatchet – It's 1/3 the price of the CRKT folding hatchet, and … that's mostly why I bought it. This thing is heavy. The ergos are iffy and probably best suited to a gloved hand (major hot spot on the rear butt of the handle while swinging it in the air), and is a split design all the way through. The shape does allow for several different grips and ways to choke up on the handle, so it might just be a matter of learning the right way to grip it.
The folding mechanism is shockingly solid (at least until I hack up some hard wood). I mean it; it feels like a fixed head when it is opened all the way and I can get no visible or felt flex when cranking on it.
The head itself is … unique. This thing is smaller than I expected, and the head especially so. It has a 1.25" cutting edge and came very dull, with a crooked and unevenly ground edge. The hammer has a large strike face, and the ergos are not good for hammer use, but should be fine for hammering in tent spikes and light work, lest the hot spots get you. The weight makes me think it will chop, though, with the balance point about 1/4" below the axis lock. When folded it has a decently small profile, no rattle (slight head movement, less than 0.5mm rotationally, almost none side to side). Flicking it open feels cool, and also really highlights some uncomfortable hot spots because it weighs so freaking much.
My main concern is the head to handle geometry. The main bevel angle lines up with the handle, just under the bevel cuts. This makes me think it won't be able to be batoned without the frame getting caught or smashed, but maybe the head will split the wood wider than it looks.
I am going to split some firewood with it this weekend (including some smaller pieces of hardwood that my double-bit axe has trouble with), baton with it (if you can't use it wrong, what is the point?) and I'll probably chop and hammer some other stuff to test it's overall toughness and see if it falls apart or holds sturdy (dealer's choice, but I bet I know what some commenters will guess, if anyone actually reads this far in). Also curious to see if it can be use to featherstick or carve, as it can be fairly comfortably choked up to the head. After I sharpen it and add a wrist lanyard, anyway. I'll probably post an update after abusing it a bit.
by NoneUpsmanship
