My order of knives came in today (much to my surprise, since the tracking site said it was still in Hong Kong just a few hours before it showed up). The order included a black SRM 733, SRM 710, SRM 711, and a half-serrated Enlan/Bee EL-01.
The SRM 711 is a slightly larger clone of the CRKT K.I.S.S., 6.25” open as compared to 5.75” open. It also uses a harder steel than the original. I got it mostly because I always kinda wanted one (despite its inherently-unsafe design) and this was only $5. It’s unsafe because: if the blade opens even slightly, which isn’t very hard to do, it could easily catch on almost anything and cause damage or deep injuries. And while in use, it can only be held in one specific way to avoid letting the lock slip, so it’s risky to use. A friend of mine learned this first-hand and ended up with permanent nerve damage. However, it’s still a neat item even though (for safety reasons) I’ll only be using it to open postal mail.
The SRM 710 is exactly what reviews said it is — well-designed, well-built, sharp, effective, ergonomic, and boring. Its boring-factor is actually a good thing, since it doesn’t look like anything special and therefore shouldn’t attract negative attention. It simply looks like a generic knife… however, it is also a deceptively good generic knife. I don’t have a specific use in mind for it yet, but I may end up carrying it if the SRM 733 attracts too much attention.
The Enlan/Bee EL-01 (half-serrated) is just a tad bit too long to be legal for carrying in public where I live, and is too large for my EDC tastes anyway. However, it seems like it’ll be very nice for my intended use, which is a workhorse knife for heavy-duty tasks around the house and garage. I’ve already got a pile of boxes waiting for its attention, to be broken down for recycling. It’s large, but that’s a good thing in this case. It also seems to have the strongest locking mechanism, with the far edge of the frame lock naturally sliding slightly past the edge of the blade, so 100% of the lock is in contact with the butt of the blade. It’s a very grippy and well-built knife, and my only complaint is that its blade is a little off-center when closed. Its weight and flipper make it fun to fidget with, too, since it’s easy to open even with just inertia.
The black SRM 733 is my favorite, though. It’s slim, small, fun to fidget with, opens easily in two different ways, is just the right size for my keychain or purse clip ring, and is black so it won’t draw the eye. It looks a bit more threatening than the SRM 710 though, which might be bad in public. In any case, it has a terrific grip with a good finger guard, gripping it holds the lock closed, and it’s sharp and attractive and comfortable to use.
All four items are tight and solid, with absolutely no blade play or loose screws or significant imperfections (aside from the off-center EL-01 blade). All four easily slice through paper, cardboard, or even an entire magazine. I’m pretty happy with the purchase, especially since it all cost less than a single entry-level Spyderco would cost locally.
Also, by coincidence, I received a ceramic medium-grit sharpening stick today… so I should have no trouble keeping these knives sharp. (Lansky 8” Sharp Stick, recommended in another BLF thread)