Don't take our word for it. Read a user review for the TigerSharp Xenon series as posted on Bowhunting.net.
EVALUATION
Durability: 5 of 5
Quality: 4.5 of 5
Design: 4.5 of 5
Sharpness out of box: 5 of 5
Value: 4 of 5
First Impressions
The model that they sent is
called the XENON which is lightweight with a Zytel handle and Kraton
rubber inlay for a solid grip. The company makes many other sizes and
styles of knives including a hunter. I could tell right away that this
was a solid knife complete with a stout belt clip. Something about
this knife wasn't normal though. The blade's edge had a distinct
indented line about a quarter inch above the edge itself. It was
almost as if someone had welded a blade to a blade and I was looking at
a new design of some kind. Of course I never actually read the manual
before playing with anything new, so the confusion was well placed at
that moment. What I had stumbled upon was what TIGERSHARP calls
R.E.S.
About RES
R.E.S. stands for "Replacement Edge System" and that means
that the blade itself can be easily removed and replaced with a brand
new factory edged blade when needed. Much like a utility knife on
steroids, as one dulls, you simply put a new one in. Each knife in the
Xenon model comes with both a smooth edge blade and a serrated edge
blade to choose from. How it's done is quite simple and ingenious.
The thumb screw you use to open the knife with is also used to replace
blades. The main part of the blade is actually split slightly apart so
that it houses the thinner edge piece. When you loosen the thumb push
by unscrewing it slightly, the entire thing slides back, which in turn
releases the blade insert. Even I managed to do this without tools and
without amputating any part of my anatomy that I'll need for later.
Testing its Sharpness
I know what
you're asking, "What about the sharpness?" As you can see from the
picture, right out of the box this sucker took the hair off my arm with
no pressure at all. The company says that it's made of GIN 5 stainless
steel and is cryogenically tempered to increase wear resistance. I
call it a nice sharp blade that I can shave with if need be. It also
cut through some zip ties, a large chunk of rubber, half of a phone
directory, and I whittled some wood with it before finishing off the
phone book. (I hope nobody needed it) I would say that this little
folder is as tough as any knife I've ever owned and probably tougher.
I look forward to carrying it and seeing what it's made of over the
next few months. Not really big enough to use as a gutting knife, I
think it's perfect for skinning, and hope to give it a shot sometime
next week during the prime rut here in Indiana.
Ok, I know some
of you traditionalists out there are wondering why you wouldn't just
want to sharpen the blade as it dulls. The good news here is that you
can sharpen these blades if you choose to. TIGERSHARP suggests a
Lanskey style sharpener for putting on a new edge, but states that
other brands will work as well. Some of the benefits to replacing
blades are that it's much easier to pop out a dull blade and put in a
new blade in the field as needed, the replacement blades are extremely
light and can be carried in the pocket of a knife case as opposed to
carrying any size of sharpener, and I know very few people who can put
on an edge like the new blade has in the field. Lately I've been on a
"less is more" kick when out in the bush and this is a great way to
accomplish my goal. The replacement blades are very reasonably priced
at around 10 dollars or less per pair.
