Steel Will Druid 290 Linerlock Drop Point

This is an amazing folding outdoors knife. I must make that point very clear, this is an OUTDOORS knife, this is not an EDC carry, unless you are ok with using the included (and extremely well fitted and good looking) leather pouch. The reason that this would not be an Urban Carry every day knife is its quite large and robust, its part of Steel Will's Druid Outdoors knife line and it is very clear that this was made to be banged around. I'll get into the why below, but first let me throw the specs out there: Blade Steel: N690Co Hardness: 58-60 HRC Blade Thickness: 0.14” Blade Style: Drop Point Finish: Satin Handle Material: Nylon & Fiberglass Lock Type: Liner Lock Pocket Clip: Tip-Down, Right Carry Folded Length: 5.2″ Full Length: 8.94″ Blade Length: 3.74″ Weight: 6.28oz Sheath Material: Leather Made in Italy Starting with the steel, its comparative more to VG10 than any other steel, you are getting good rust resistance and excellent edge retention while also allowing you to sharpen it without much difficulty say compared to harder steels. The heat treat so far on the knife that I own is impeccable. I also love the shape of the blade, it has a large belly which makes slicing super easy, and since it is a full flat I can use it for food prep and breaking down wood (I.E.: Feather sticks, shavings, and the like). Talking about fine control, there is a disk or plate on the back of the knife for your thumb; its the first time I've ever used that kind of design and I must say it makes it super easy for fine control and applying more pressure in some push cuts, like when you are making grooves in wood for traps or pegs. There are also thumb grooves/gimping that is very subtle and allows for power cuts without the need for so much control as you are further back on the blade. When deploying the blade, the thumb disk also provides a great place for left or right handed users to open the knife one handed, and honestly the action is buttery smooth with the bronze bushings that are in the handle. With a little flick of the wrist the blade flies open and has a very satisfying audible click when it locks in place. (LOVE IT) Moving on the the ergonomics of it, its covered in a rubbery feeling nylon and fiberglass handle, honestly I have never used a knife with such a grippy feeling, honestly it feels more akin to some gun handles, it even feel like the handlebars on my bicycle. Its SUPER grippy, even if your hands are wet or slick with mud its not going to slip, what helps even more is they added a wavy design on it that promotes water shedding, much like the tracks on a tire. The shape of the handle also fits perfectly into your hand and accommodates many different cutting techniques. I thought the clip would screw up the handle and make it a hot spot when cutting for a long time, but nope, it just melts into your hand, however if you do take it off, it does make a difference. The clip is a nice to have, but going back to the handle being so grippy, its nigh on impossible to get it out of your pants pocket without using both hands, which is why they included that super effective leather pouch, which honestly is the best way to carry such a beefy knife. I use this knife for woodscraft, food processing, and as my "always on my person" blade when I am out in the bush. It handles anything I throw at it, I've even batoned with it once as I had forgotten my larger fixed blade. Did I mention that it also scrapes firesteel (after you grind off the protective paint) without an issue? Yep, I use this one to light all my fires and is my constant companion. Its money well spent, try it and I'm sure you wont have any complaints, and compared to other folding knives in this category, there are no heat treat, soft blade issues, nor does it break the bank. Cheers!