Do you like the G10 scales better than the micarta on these knives? I guess the G10 would be grippier, but thought the micarta might feel more "elegant".
The G10 on the EL01 is excellent and my favourite handle material so far... my micartas (SRM 908, EL02) are still in the mail.
Man... I read so many reviews and watched so many videos... still... it is so hard to guess the 'real' sizes and feel from theoretical infos.... nothing beats having them right in front of you. I have been off with my guesstimates on every single blade that arrived so far.
Agree you can't really judge a knife from only a photo
I am curious about your impressions of the SRM 908, the blade seems almost the same as on the L05-1. (very nice!)
also next on my list are the srm 738 and the 738 in another color/material
My personal preference is G10 since my knives don't tend to be for show, but I could be swayed by a nice chestnut or maroon colored micarta for a gentleman's knife.
Enlan EL02 and SRM 605 arrived from exduct 26 days after initial order. But my second order from exduct overtook my first order. Had to make a PP complaint because of 44 days after initial first order. I hope they will arrive soon, no reaction on an email so far (2 days) from exduct, other than automatised change from "tracked" to "pending". Note to myself ... never order in the first two weeks after Chinese holidays.
Which I also ordered ... 
I am waiting for the other knives to arrive first, before I am going to make a call which ones I like best.
BTW interesting video from CutleryNovice on outsourcing companies for knives.
How do you like that EL-02? Does the micarta feel good or would I be better off waiting for a G10 handle? I thought I read where they were a little heavy with the micarta and un-skeletonized liners.
Heavy is the wrong word... solid is the word that I would use. I am a little bit torn on the EL02, because I thought it would be a little bit smaller. I now know for what the EL in the EL01 and EL02 stands for - Extra Large. These knives are no 'normal' pocket knives, but folding replacements for heavy duty fixed blades. I can get a good full hand grip, even with my winter leather gloves and I have EU-size 10 hands. The EL02 has a deep hollow grind and is my sharpest knife so far.... read arm hair shaving sharp... much sharper than all my other folders. The matte black micarta adds to the classy look of the EL02 and it is much better looking than the EL01 overall imo. The slightly curved surface of the handle is pleasing to the hand. The 'natural' gripping position is somewhat angled with the thumb resting on the jimping of the blade. I think Enlan has had a reason to bring out the micarta version first, it simply fits the style of the knife. With the finger grooves and the jimping I don't miss the rougher surface of the G10 handles. I can open and close the knife by pulling back the axis lock bar and make that centrifugal move. I think, I can do it better than gimepepe in his videos. ;-) But the move is not a flicking motion due to the large mass of the blade, more a half circle. The strong springs make it a bit hard to pull back the axis lock and as gimepepe mentioned in his video, the end pins on the axis lock bar could be a bit smoother. Not a big problem, as long as you don't play with the axis lock mechanism for several minutes non-stop. ;-) Overall fit and finish is great on this knife and it literally begs for heavy use. Blade perfectly centred and solid locking. Thumbstud assisted opening also works smooth. The thing is that I don't think that I have an actual use for such a heavy duty knife and for a 'toy' it is just too big and heavy. I think I would prefer the micarta on the EL-02 and the G10 on the EL-01, each handle material has its pros and cons. G10: rougher, grippier but also more a rubbery feeling , optically not so attractive -- micarta matte: smoother , harder surface but also nicer to hold due to the curved surface and looks way better. The additional grip of G10 may matter on smaller knives or in wet conditions, but in dry conditions on a knife of the size like the EL02 ... it is not needed. But I had the knife a day... so we will see how I like it after my other 4 knives will arrive (L05-1,939,908,909). I plan on doing a big round-up then.
Gimepepe's video review.
BTW the SRM 605 and the Bee L03-2 are absolute no-brainers to me, just buy them... awesome blades.
Went ahead and ordered 2 of the Enlan El02 ...
The Axis lock ...The micarta scales ...
I .... could .... not ...................... resist...
(in my best William Shatner voice)
Thanks Vectrex, I went ahead and ordered one. Same here, no real use since I work in an office, but that is my favorite lock design.....Can't wait for it and the 763 to arrive.
Hehe I am sure you can (be carefull with the gloves, camera and stuff) Did you see the newest vids?
I also LOVE the SRM 605 so small and still very functional (I carry to much knives.. think I already lost it 
) I have to give the Bee L03-2 a try in the future.
can anyone suggest some good low budget fixed blades for outdoor/survival use?
Well in my opinion Mora Clipper is one of the best low budget blades available.
Simple, sturdy, reliable knife.
Mora knives are great, I like my Mora 2000 a lot (see pics above)... but the blade is too thin that I would really consider it a heavy duty survival knife (spine 2.5 mm). Survival knives should withstand 'mild abuse' like prying and wood chopping... most cheap Mora are not suited for that... at least my Mora 2000 isn't.(Hmm... some people seem to have more confidence in the blade thickness 1 ,2 , 3) Despite that ... get a Mora or look for one in your local stores.... great value money-wise for fixed blades for general outdoor and camping use. (Though they seem cheaper in Europe than in the US)
I am thinking about trying out one of those cheap Buck fixed knives, but I haven't found if they are OEM products or copies with lesser quality... does anybody know? For example this one.
@pipopopo: I will add the vid for the L05-1 at the beginning of this thread, I really look forward to receiving mine. Too bad that Navy is a letdown. From reading the forums I always had the impression that Navy and Ganzo are not on the same quality levels as SRM(LAND)/ENLAN(Bee) knives. I hope you find your 605 again, if not discovery bargain has it cheap now.
P.S: 909 and 908 arrived today. Both are great knives. I love the Micarta on the 908 and the really great ergonomics, it seems tailor made for my hands. 909 dual teflon washers make the opening very smooth and the green G10 is also very appealing. 2 more knives until the big round-up.
P.P.S. : The 908 is now making a sqeaky metallic scratching noise when I open and close it. The small metal ball on the liner seems to work it's way into the blade steel... not happy... I was just about to announce it my best liked knife and now this....
Don't do knives.
But very interested in hearing from those who do.
Keep it up folks.
Don't do knives.
But very interested in hearing from those who do.
Keep it up folks.
Cheap survival knife? Get a Mora and and attach a Coghlan's Pocket Saw to the sheath. Under $15 and it'll do just about anything you need in a survival situation from building a shelter to splitting wood for a fire (if you don't believe me, look up "Ray Mears Splitting Wood with a Saw" on Youtube).
One fifth the cost and one fifth the weight of an actual knife that'll split wood reliably.
Or, you can get a used 93MM Swiss Army Knife on eBay with a saw.
The Moras are a lot of knife for the money.
You have to take care not to neglect the carbon steel blades in their lineup, though. They stain easily.
Where can I find these Mora knives? I wouldn't mind another nice fixed blade to use alongside my Buck special :)
There are a couple of online stores in Canada that sell Mora knives, but at a pretty steep markup. Try EDCDepot. Their pricing is very good and their shipping to Canada is pretty fast.
I don't know if it's legal to import fixed blades from the US into Canada or if any special permits are required, but you may also want to check eBay. They used to be hard to get a good while ago but then somebody figured out that they were becoming popular in Europe. You can still pick up the usual suspects (Mora 2000, Clipper) for pretty much what you'd have to pay in Europe, which is pretty neat IMHO since they're made in Sweden.
I have a 'Never Lost Edition' 2000 (which is a 2000 in orange, with no alterations made to the knife or sheath whatsoever other than that) and a Clipper and if I had to describe what their knives are all about in one word, I'd have to say that 'honest' sums it up pretty well. They obviously don't do shelf queens and neither knife is particularly attractive, as far as I am concerned. And they're not supposed to be either: both were designed to be utility knives and even though I don't use them much (heck, I don't even know where my 2000 is; hold on a sec, Alanis Morissette is calling ;)), I still wouldn't hesitate to toss either in a backpack and head out to the woods for a weekend. It's pretty much 'you get what you see'. Nothing fancy but if you're looking for a cheap tool to get the job done, both knives work, well in my experience.
Also, a word of advice: avoid the Glock branded knives like the plague. I happen to be rather fond of their handgun lineup and the G17 and the G19 are some of my favorite firearms. I even like the stock trigger. Yes, I know I have issues. ;) Anyway, I thought I'd give their knives a try and I managed to pick up one in Europe and a couple here in the US. All three turned out to be rather disappointing and I really don't have a whole lot of good to say about them. They're mediocre at best and unless you're looking for a throwing knife or a knife with a built-in bottle opener (perfect combination if you're a mall ninja ;)), I'd recommend you spend your hard earned money on something else.