Post by Lobster on Feb 14, 2016 11:39:32 GMT 3
I bought the Ganzo G704 in July 2015 from Fasttech for under 17$.
The 704 is a copy of a discontinued Benchmade model and the H&K 14205. Having never used any knife with an axis lock, I ordered 3 axis locking Ganzo models to see for myself what they are like.
For its weight, at 12mm the knife is quite slim, the handles are 2 textured plastic slabs on stainless steel liners. The plastic scratches quite easy. The thumb ramp has ample jimping and together with the finger choil below the pivot the handle provides a very secure grip and ergonomics in any position, there are no hot spots. Fit and finish of the handle is impeccable. The pocket clip is tip up only, left & right side carry, clipped inside a pocket, about 14mm of the knife protrude from the seam. There is no lanyard hole.
The 4mm thick drop point blade is advertised as 440C steel, is flat ground and has a false edge on the spine. Out of the box it was quite sharp. The ambidextrous studs are nicely machined but for my taste they should have been fitted slightly more forward, when closed they sit right on the edge of the finger choil, making it harder to reach. The blade opens smoothly, has no play in any direction but is slightly off center without touching the liner. The axis lock is a very solid locking mechanism and truly ambidextrous. The axis pin is machined just like the thumb studs, I wish the bevel on the plastic slabs around the hole was made wider and deeper allowing for better purchase for the finger tips when disengaging the lock. The spring tension of the lock also keeps the blade firmly closed. I’ll be the first to admit that I suck at sharpening and i find this blade almost impossible to take a decent edge and it doesn’t keep the edge well. But this is most certainly not the knife's fault. I use the G704 at work for cutting materials like thick rubber and plastic hoses, rope, stripping wires, slicing open cement bags, scraping metal surfaces, light prying and similar tasks.
The Ganzo G704 is an amazing knife, not just at that price point, it is an amazing knife, period. However, for reasons that have nothing to do with the knife but everything with my preferences and habits, it did not gel with me. I would not buy it again but neither would I buy any of the other axis locking knives I bought that day. And I don’t regret buying it at all, I still use it occasionally and in doing so I learn a lot about how I actually use knives.
The 704 is a copy of a discontinued Benchmade model and the H&K 14205. Having never used any knife with an axis lock, I ordered 3 axis locking Ganzo models to see for myself what they are like.
For its weight, at 12mm the knife is quite slim, the handles are 2 textured plastic slabs on stainless steel liners. The plastic scratches quite easy. The thumb ramp has ample jimping and together with the finger choil below the pivot the handle provides a very secure grip and ergonomics in any position, there are no hot spots. Fit and finish of the handle is impeccable. The pocket clip is tip up only, left & right side carry, clipped inside a pocket, about 14mm of the knife protrude from the seam. There is no lanyard hole.
The 4mm thick drop point blade is advertised as 440C steel, is flat ground and has a false edge on the spine. Out of the box it was quite sharp. The ambidextrous studs are nicely machined but for my taste they should have been fitted slightly more forward, when closed they sit right on the edge of the finger choil, making it harder to reach. The blade opens smoothly, has no play in any direction but is slightly off center without touching the liner. The axis lock is a very solid locking mechanism and truly ambidextrous. The axis pin is machined just like the thumb studs, I wish the bevel on the plastic slabs around the hole was made wider and deeper allowing for better purchase for the finger tips when disengaging the lock. The spring tension of the lock also keeps the blade firmly closed. I’ll be the first to admit that I suck at sharpening and i find this blade almost impossible to take a decent edge and it doesn’t keep the edge well. But this is most certainly not the knife's fault. I use the G704 at work for cutting materials like thick rubber and plastic hoses, rope, stripping wires, slicing open cement bags, scraping metal surfaces, light prying and similar tasks.
The Ganzo G704 is an amazing knife, not just at that price point, it is an amazing knife, period. However, for reasons that have nothing to do with the knife but everything with my preferences and habits, it did not gel with me. I would not buy it again but neither would I buy any of the other axis locking knives I bought that day. And I don’t regret buying it at all, I still use it occasionally and in doing so I learn a lot about how I actually use knives.