GANZO KNIVES, 6&7-SERIES

I’m so used to the heavy Axis lock that when I use a “normal” one they feel loose. I have just carried a Ganzo most every day for a year or so, so I’m just acclimated to the strength of the springs. Some (but not all) of my newer Ganzo’s are noticeably lighter. My G739 is on the lighter end, so maybe yours will be light as well. If not here is a video showing how to change the spring tension on Gonzo Axis locks.

We must be on the same wave length for knives, I also have a ENlan EL-04 G10 and I really like everything about it (except the uncomfortable thumb studs). I purchased it to test the waters on a Spiderco Maix, the knife it is a clone of. I really liked the EL-04 so I spent the money on a real Manix. I never carry the Manix because the Ball-Barring lock is very heavy and unergonomic. Plus, IMO 50/50 choils are superfluous on medium sized knives.

I’m a hard core Axis lock fan. I use my knife ever day at work, often on a ladder. In my hands an Axis lock is the easiest to close one handed and it keeps my fingers out of the path of the blade. Its win win for how I use knives (all to often distracted by being clumsy and/or not falling off something) . Truth be told the heavy springs also give me a sense of confidence the knife wont open when I dont want it open. I would guess a good frame lock is a more secure lock over all, but if I’m doing any cutting task over a medium duty I’ll use a tool more appropriate for the job. Just my thoughts, hopefully I’m not wasting space in the thread.

I rotate my knives for my EDC and the Ganzo G704 get the least amount of use as it is my emergency glove box knife, so I only take it out once in a while to play, so maybe the main reason why the axis lock is very stiff.
I’m still learning how to close it single handed as to me my ZT 0900 and 0562CF with frame lock are the easiest to close. But as they are on different price brackets to my SRM, Ganzo and Enlan, it’s kinda unfair to compare n their operations.

I will watch the youtube on how to loosen the axis lock.
Thanks again for sharing your insights and thoughts on your favourite types of knives.

You are welcome, I greatly enjoy debating gear online. It helps me think threw why I like one more than another, and in the end helps me make better choices the next time I buy a toy.

As for Axis lock stiffness, are you talking about the strength of the springs on the piston lock, or how freely the blade moves from position to position? The springs will break in some with use, enough to notice, but it does not make a world of difference. If your talking about how smooth and free the blade swings that can be remedied by adjusting the tension of the pivot screw, replacing the plastic washers with polished bronze phosphorus washers (1000 and then 3000 grit). I love tinkering with my gear and although Ganzo knives are exceptionally well finished for $15 I tune ever single one of them I purchase. Part of the enjoyment of me is making them run S-M-O-O-T-H as silk. I have several nicer knives that come out of the box just as smooth, but by the time I pay for that level of fit and finish they feel more like collectors pieces than tools IMO. Your right comparing out of the box Ganzo’s to ZT’s is not exactly fair, but if you tune your Ganzo’s properly you can shrink that gap much closer than the price difference would suggest. In fact I generally tune them so there is almost no friction in the pivot, so when you pull the piston back all you have to do to close the knife is rotate the blade so gravity closes the knife for you. It takes time rather than dollars to do, but in the end it helps me enjoy the tool more.

You wanted a G741 and like frame lock knives, have you considered the Ganzo G742P-BK? It has the sculpted G10 grips to make up for lack of contour on the handle and a frame lock. However, it deletes the textured G10 on the lock side so it wont ruin your pocket. After having an excuse to think about what flavor G741 is the best, I think I would choose that one over any of the rest. I’m kind of shocked how many varieties there are. For Ganzo its a new design and they have made one in ever variation possible except for the G10 with the silly shapes milled into it. I’m still a silly shape fan, but here the wavy G10 seems to balance out the knives shortcomings the best.

My peeved with straight out of the box axis lock is the strength of the springs on the piston locks. I think my thumb and index fingers start developing blisters as trying to move the pivot lock to the unlock position after opening a few times.
I got most satisfaction flipping and closing my ZT, just like some people like to flip open their Zippo’s or Dupont’s lighters.

I’ve no complaint with the blade movement from opening to the locking positions, as some knives run on washer, some on bearings,
Cheaper knives tend to use cheaper materials for their bearings or washers, so I think we got what we paid for.
As you said, the smoothness of the blade swings sometimes can be adjusted by tightening or loosening the pivot screw but I’ve noticed also that sometimes adjusting the pivot screw also affected the centering of the closed blade.

One thing I like about the axis lock and also liner lock is that both sides of the scales are almost mirror image, bar some holes for the clip or logo, and I prefer this look over the frame lock, where the presentation side and the locking side of the handles sometimes can be miles different, especially if the presentation side is CF scale, while the locking side is polished Ti or SS.

Anyway, back to the Ganzo 7 series.
I do hope they will start intoducing CF handles with black blade for more stealthy look to some of their knives

That G739CF looks really classy! The CF scales make a difference compared to the plain Jane G10 version.
I hope they will release the CF version of the G746 too. That would be awesome! :slight_smile:

Hi isti,
Thanks for chipping in.
Maybe you can update in your blog that both the G739 and 741 come with CF scale option?

I’m hoping Ganzo will release CF version with black blades.
Now that will be some mean looking tactical knife

Agreed, the G746 would be much improved with CF. Its much more appropriate for a such a gentlemanly knife.

If anyone posts to Reddit, I started a Ganzo subreddit. There is not much content there yet, but I invite everyone to take a look and join the conversation over there.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ganzo_Knives

As NuggetMcNugget has made the definitive post on Ganzo I’m lining to this thread. Thanks Nugget!

Also mods if this is against the rules I’ll take the post down.

I would like Ganzo to put some of the Grippy G10 on the G724M, or the carbon fiber, or wood, I am not picky…

I have quite a few of the Ganzo Knives, but that 724M makes for a great all around size…

“Gazno” ? :laughing:

Gazno, Gonzo, Ginsu, Gin-’n-tonic, just hand me a drink and don’t cut yourself….

I see what you did there :wink: At least no one ran me out of the forum.

Isti242, how is that Rat 2 you had in the G740 review? It looks kinda nice with the fancy G10 scales.

EDIT I Just found the typo, thanks for pointing it out.

Graffiti boys? :wink:

That RAT2 is an excellent EDC folder (compact size, light weight, perfect fit&finish, comfortable handle). For me the extra 8 mm length of the handle makes a real difference compared to the SRM 710 for example.

Does it deploy as well as an original? The detent is the best part of Avispa. The scales on the clone are awesome, I’m very tempted to get one like yours.

I can open mine by a thumb flick if you mean that.

Ganzo’s seem to come in an endless variety of scale types, and I seem to come in an endless variety of impulse control fail. After a year or so I have an example of most of types and thought I would share my thoughts. I will go from left to right and then down the columns in the photo.

Geometric Milled G10 (Excellent) - Traction 7/10 - Ganzo G735 - This is G10 with a large brick pattern that has been milled out in geometric shapes. The large brick G10 by itself is medium grip, higher than the small brick G10 on most Ganzo’s and I like it quite a bit. The milled shapes add even more traction to the grip, bumping them up to high grip overall. I prefer knives with medium-high grips and these are some of my favorites.

Small Brick G10 (EDC Fan Favorite) - Traction 4/10 - Ganzo G739 - These are your standard Ganzo scales. They are medium low traction. They work, they do not eat your pants, they are just fine. I prefer more grip, but these scales are nicely balance for EDC use. Most users will prefer these scales.

Old Wavy Milled G10 (NOT Recommended) - Texture 12/10 - Ganzo G716 - This is Ganzo’s first attempt at wavy milled G10 and has unforgivingly sharp edges. You will never ever ever ever loose your grip on this knife. It will however eat your pants with extreme prejudice, it will fray the pocket after just the first day of use. I love this knife, its supper ergonomic, its amazingly grippy, its sexy looking, but it is so brutal on pants I had to relegated to a tool pack.

New Wavy Milled G10 - Traction 8/10 - Ganzo G739 - This is Ganzo’s second attempt at wavy G10 and is a much more elegant execution. In hand these are fantastic the sharp edges are mostly gone but it still sticks to your hand. They do still rough up your pockets, its not as fast but you can feel the waves digging into your pocket. Also the texture is slightly more aggressive on the ends than in the middle, likely to moderate out the grip. I like these scales in hand, but they are still hard on my pockets, so I tend to avoid them for EDC.

Full Carbon Fiber (Beautiful) - Traction 2/10 - Ganzo G741 - I love carbon fiber and these are full carbon fiber not just a veneer, so these are my favorite scales. However they are more expensive than G10 Ganzo’s and basically have no texture. Like I said above I strongly prefer medium high traction on my knives, so I’m a bit conflicted with this type. However aesthetics wins over function here, especially when pared with Ganzo’s ergonomically shaped knives. As I mentioned in a previous post they are full carbon fiber not just a veneer.

Silly Shape Milled G10 (Excellent) - Texture 7/10 - Ganzo G732 - We again have Ganzo’s large brick G10 that is with silly shapes this time. In hand I like these quite a bit they are very grippy, and they are not hard on your pocket. The silly shapes milled into it do have odd angles to catch the skin of your fingers. IMO this is the kind of pattern you get when your crack team of uber geek autistic engineers who make world class knifes for $15 are asked to be artistic. Like Brienne of Tarth, I am quite fond of this exceptionally functional pattern and will chose it over most others, but its far from beautiful.

Griptillianesk FRN (not great) - Traction 6.5 - Ganzo G726 - These scales work just fine, but the materials pattern and execution come off as a bit cheep. Functionally they are nice grip, but they do have several hot spots, and in hand do not give you a feel of quality. These are several dollars less than G10, but I’d say spend the extra money for another model with better execution.

Boxy FRN (Excellent) - Traction 7/10 - Ganzo G724 - I really like these scales, the base texture is more coarse than the Griptillian like pattern, and the square shapes offer a better more comfortable grip over all. These feel high quality, and are as good as any of the G10 models with the benefit of a lower price point.

Pipe Pattern G10 - Traction 6/10 - Ganzo G723 - If you are a fan of Supper Mario these grips will feel just like home. I cant pick them up with out seeing a fat bald Italian man running around in the “pipes” :slight_smile: The G10 is sanded smooth, and the cut outs add a nice amount of grip. They look nice enough and are just fine in hand.

*Boxy Milled G10 (Excellent) * Traction 7/10 Ganzo G722 - This G10 is also milled smooth, but the boxy cut outs are more grippy. The smooth section is finished in a way that give sit some luster and almost looks like a layered Micarta. I really like them as they give the knife a very sophisticated look and feel in hand while also making for a very positive grip. The grips on this particular knife are very thick making the it excessively heavy, but if these were done thinner like on other models I’m sure the wight would be more in line with typical Ganzo’s.

TL;DR

I love the Carbon Fiber Scales despite their lack of texture, the milled G10 varieties are the most grippy with out damaging your pants pocket, the plane G10 is likely the best balance for most EDC users, and the wavy G10 will stick to your hand but eat your pants. Plastic scale Ganzo’s are hit and miss.

Doomer:

Thanks for the overview! :slight_smile:

Thanks for the excellent overview @doomer.


Tonight I saw a review of the G739 that called the finish a satin finish paint, and it was a great line. It got me thinking about the finish on their other blades. As far as I can tell the black blades are denoted by a 3 in the 4th digit of the product code i.e. GXXX3. However the Ganzo G7393-GR and G7413-GR-WS are listed mostly the same. I’m guessing the WS refers to the Titanium finish, but its confusing at best.

For what its worth the thumb studs look nice when you swap them out with a satin finish blade (G724 and G7393). I like the contrast, and will likely swap out the ones on the G743 as well.

-WS is for a Whistle (included in package)

CHANGES