SOG Kiku XR 4 in. Knife

I love this style. The handles are nice but too expensive .. yet I still bought it

I absolutely love this knife. It has high quality steel (3V) and the finish is beautiful. The action is silky smooth and operates without any resistance at all. Most importantly the Micarta handle feels good in the hand. I especially love the shape of the blade. So much so that I also bought the fixed blade version. I am not too keen on a knife made in Taiwan but made an exception for this beauty.

I wrote a prior review based on initial assessment and I wanted to edit it as I’ve had a little over a week with a knife now. I think the handle is very ergonomic and easy to hold. The jimping on the spine of it for your thumb gives a good traction. The blade is very sharp and quite robust. The blade is not overly heavy or uncomfortable to carry in your pocket. I still believe the blade action is quite slow to open if you are relying on using your index finger to flick the blade open. I have found that if you pull down on both tabs and snap your wrist the blade opens quite quickly. It would be nice to have a secondary thumb stud on the blade.

This is (very nearly) the knife I have been waiting for: compound grind tanto with a strong lock, micarta and 3V with a .15" spine. Smooth action, good ergonomics - great design and materials well executed. My only complaint? This is advertised as a 4" blade. There is no ruler on the planet that can make it 4". It's a 3.5 " blade - period. Also, I would have appreciated thumb studs in addition to a flipper for additional opening options. So close to perfect. All that said, it's a terrific tactical, EDC, hard use folding knife.