Best Budget Knives: HX OUTDOORS D-153 Bastard Halibut: If Strider made a UK legal slipjoint knife!

Thursday, August 3, 2017

HX OUTDOORS D-153 Bastard Halibut: If Strider made a UK legal slipjoint knife!

So I got this knife as well and would like to share my review of it.
It shares a lot of features with the now discontinued CRKT Jorneyer knife (designed by Liong Mah), but couldn't be called a clone IMO because of the many differences from that model - blade shape and grind, handle materials and shape (G10, added millings) and the added crusher in the end of the handle.

First impressions:
The knife came in a beautiful HX Outdoors branded cardboard presentation box.
It arrived shaving sharp, no issues with centering or bladeplay out of the box, and no fit&finish problems out of the box either.

The concept:
The knife essentially functions as a slipjoint - there are 2 liner bars with a detent ball on each side and those create the 2-step fixture of the blade (half-stop and the fully open position).
In addition to that the knife includes a torx key, which is hidden in the back of the knife, which allows to adjust all of the screws, but also could be put through the specifically drilled holes in the blade and handles and by this provide additional security as a 100% fail proof lock with the assumption that the key stays in place - similar concept is used in the Extrema Ratio RAO knife.
In order to keep the key in place while stored at the back of the handle and in the locked position, HX Outdoors added magnets, and it actually works really well (I haven't succeeded to shake the key off in both positions).

Pros:

- The design. The knife is designed really well and smart, especially the overall looks, the shape of the blade, the ergos that will fit most hands and the added features, the unique and functional locking system.
Great job from HX Outdoors.
- The attention to details. The comfortable deep carry pocket clip. The added pommel at the end of the handle that can be used as a glass breaker/scull crusher. The choil that allows the to grab the knife comfortably and securely. Great gimping.
All of those are great features that add to the overall concept. 

- The materials and the structure - blackwashed D2 blade (and I do believe it is real D2), thick G10 scales with nested steel liners - amazing features for the price.
- The overall concept - there aren't lots of slipjoints out there that have that tactical appeal.
This one is definitely one that gives you that feel.
- The price.

Cons:

- Pretty slim tip with a hollow grind - for this kind of knife I would expect a beefier tip.

- Pretty short cutting edge (because of the choil) - 2.5".
- If you put the key in the designated slot in order to lock the knife - it is really hard to get it out without extra tools (usually a push of a pen tip or even a toothpick from the other side helps).
My solution to that was to put the key on the other side if I needed to close the knife right after use (works like a charm).

Summary:
This knife really rocks my boat. From one side it looks and feels tactical, from the other it is a slipjoint and will be legal to carry in places and countries that prohibit carrying locking blades (if you don't bring that key along). It has great materials and quality, much higher than it's price might suggest. Truly makes you think this would be a knife Mick Strider would make if he made slipjoints.

Check out the knife here: HX OUTDOORS D-153 Bastard Halibut

Competitive options:
CRKT Jorneyer
Boker Plus Slack Slip Joint



1 comment:

  1. I don't know why but I found the reviews on knife bit odd.Anyways this knife looks quite sharp specially its edges are so pointed.

    ReplyDelete