Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Chris Reeve Umnumzaan Knife Review


Umnumzaan “The Boss”

Pros:
-s30v steel and titanium frame construction
-Robust frame lock
-very light weight
-very strong lock and grind
-USA made
Cons:
-Polished thumb stud provides no traction
-Thumb stud O-rings can wear out, but can be removed. 

The CRK umnumzaan is extremely well designed, engineered, and manufactured to perfection. Every nook and cranny of this knife is designed and made with care. The knife is made out of ideal materials. S30v has proved itself to be an exceptional working steel, and the thick titanium handles are very strong and light. The thick stock and hollow grind provide a mix of strength and sharpness. The harpoon swedge helps pull apart material when stabbing through.

Key features that set this knife apart:
-The ball detent on the corner of the lock bar. This makes the umnumzaan extremely smooth to open, and it has no detent ball drop off/dead zone. I believe this is completely unique to this knife.
-lock bar thumb grip is milled out. this feature allows the knife to have no cut out to release the lock, the milled out section grabs your thumb for closure.
-no sharp corners, all are beveled or rounded. 

Lock bar thumb grip:
lockup:
Hollow Grind:



Common criticisms/claims:
-The knife is hard to reassemble because you have to use Loctite
-the knife is hard to flick open or slowly open
-hollow ground.
-the knife has no pivot bushing like the CRK sebenza
-The knife isn’t worth its cost ($425) and ($12) tool kit

None of these things should sway you away from the Umnumzaan. It is an improvement over the sebenza in almost every way. The Sebenza is a classic, but the umnumzaan takes first place in my opinion. Using Loctite is easy, just make sure you use purple Loctite, 222ms. This way you can get the pivot anywhere you want it.

When correctly lubed, the knife flies open like an auto if you want it to. They omitted the pivot bushing in favor of a more robust and adjustable pivot. The thumb studs are an issue thought. they could have been made to provide better grip.


Hollow grinding is known as being cheap to produce and machine. It is sometimes frowned upon in favor of full flat grinds. However I enjoy hollow grinds, they can produce a very thin and wickedly sharp edge. the hollow grind and thick stock can cause problems when cutting certain materials. cutting something like a watermelon can be a problem. the stock at the top will split the watermelon without the edge cutting it.

As far as the umnumzaan being worth it, I think it is worth it. You can get a knife with the same materials as the umnumzaan or Sebenza for around $200-250. The Chris reeve knives can’t be beat by those offerings. There is simply more detail and time put into them. You also get incredible customer service with CRK. The price is high, but nobody beats their knives for less money. Whether it’s worth the $425 is anyone’s opinion.

LL Bean Maine Lodge Boot Review

 Pros:
-high quality leather construction
-very comfortable footed
-double stitching, heavily stitched moc toe
-good stability on snow and ice
-very good looking, unique color
Cons:
-Made in China
-Stock laces are thin and slippery

My Maine Lodge Boots have seen a year of heavy use especially throughout the fall and winter. They have offered all day comfort and stylish looks. The boots are heavily cushioned and very stable. They are one of the most comfortable pairs of boots I’ve ever owned. I can tell they will offer service for years to come. The boots were very nice to wear all day, but the laces were a little short for my feet, and the laces are thin and easily come undone. I replaced the stock laces with some thick brown laces that are a few inches longer. This easy change ($3) perfected this pair of boots. These boots are suitable for casual wear with jeans or khakis, or for light work. My particular boots have seen miles of snow and sludge. I wish they weren't made in China, but I still find them to be a good value.






Thursday, July 14, 2011

Invicta 9937 Review

Invicta Pro Diver 9937:


The main goal with producing the Invicta 9937ob was creating a Rolex Submariner clone that was both high quality and affordable. The Rolex is famed for its design, reliability, and capability. Most poor man’s Rolex submariner offerings are low quality. They look a lot like the sub but are made with cheap materials, and are poorly finished. The 9937 is definitely and exception. 

I have owned one for years, and put it through real work. It has never let me down, and the face of the watch looks brand new. Invicta’s flame fusion crystal which is sapphire and mineral fused together is very reliable. It has proved to behave just as a plain old sapphire. The Cyclops on the face magnifies well. It comes close to Rolex here.



Invicta claims the 9937 can make it to 660ft which is much further than I would ever dive. My watch has seen sinks, showers, and the bottom of pools. I’ve never had a water resistance issue at all. I would go on a real dive with this watch with confidence. The Rolex will go down to 1000ft. 660ft is pretty close considering the cost of each. 

The Invicta uses a 26 jewel Swiss stilleta or a 25 jewel ETA, which is where a lot of your money is going for this watch. It has been keeping time for me very well for years. The Rolex will keep even better time with their in house movement, but in the end who buys any automatic watch for accuracy. A $10 quartz will kill a Rolex time accuracy. both of the swiss movements invicta uses are known to be reliable. 

I was not impressed with the lume on the watch. It does lume pretty bright at first, as any lume will. and it’s nice and consistent. It would be great if it lasted longer. the Rolex lume is very good.


The bracelet has mirror finished inner links and brushed outer, which looks great. This is the one area where I think the Invicta actually beats the Rolex. It has a nice strong milled solid clasp, instead of the stamped metal on the Rolex. a common criticism of invicta watches is their use of soft steel for the bracelet which scratches easy. This has not been an issue in my experience.

Another thing the Invicta has over the Rolex is the nice exhibition case back, that’s also a sapphire crystal. The movement is beautiful and has a nicely decorated rotor.


As far as accuracy to the real sub, from 10 feet away it looks the same. There are some little subtle differences, I think the most notable difference is the dial. The Rolex has bigger markers, and a much bigger “12”. Obviously different logos. The case, crown guard, bezel, and lugs are all pretty close.
The watch dial on the 9937ob reads “Swiss Movement” on the bottom. I interpret as meaning it was not assembled in Switzerland. That would be “Swiss Made”. I have searched around, but cannot find where exactly this watch was made. Some Invctas are made in the USA, some are actually Swiss made, but my bet for this one is China. Have to cut the costs somewhere to hit the street at $300 or less.

Thinks I wish were done better on the 9937: the logo and Invicta lettering could use better finishing. to me they both look cheap upon close inspection. The luminescence could be much longer lasting. Everything else looks and works as it should.

This watch is extremely good for your ~$300. However, it is no magician; it does not beat the much more expensive submariner. If you’re interested in this watch you want a good deal on a classic looking diver that also has the quality. This is a master of that segment.