Before even opening the blade, the first thing that struck me was the weight. The skeletonized titanium handle made the knife seem almost too light in the hand. The precision machined handle of this Italian made knife, with its six large holes, reminded me of a newly machined V12 engine block awaiting assembly in Modena.
On further examination right out of the box, the blade thumbed open, overcoming the self-close with the perfect amount of force. The blade followed a smooth opening arc until it "locked" open with a firm, satisfying snap. The handle settled comfortably into my hand, the holes providing reassuring grip. The bend in the pocket clip aligned perfectly with the ring finger for an excellent, secure grip. With the thumb on the smooth, and very subtle thumb ramp, total control of the blade becomes effortless. Pressing down on the tension bar really does strengthen the hold of the "lock" mechanism. Pressing firmly on the spine of the blade will overcome the slipjoint lock, moving the blade's guard securely into the index finger, always remaining under spring tension, for a very secure and controlled closing. There's no half stop notch, so the blade opens and closes smoothly and securely through the entire arc.
When open, the lightweight handle gives the knife a nice balance. It's just a bit handle-heavy, but that seems to add to the sense of security in-hand that this knife provides. At 3.4 oz., it has an almost feathery lightness in hand, and along with its thin profile, is almost unnoticeable in the pocket. The pocket clip is a low-riding, reversible, tip-up only, wire clip that seats the knife almost completely in the pocket. It holds securely, and (mostly) keeps the knife out of the way when reaching for other items in the pocket.
The tension bar cut into the top of the titanium scales works amazingly well, and looks very nice. The whole knife has a polished, precision, hi-tech look to it, almost like it's made from parts removed from a T-800 Terminator.
There is a backspacer in the rearmost 1/4 of the handle, that I didn't notice until receiving the knife. I'm not sure, but it looks like G-10. It's smooth, very subtle in appearance, and perfectly mated to the scales for a seamless finish.
The handle has a nice bevel on the outer surfaces all the way around (including the tension bar cuts), and a nice, large, angled bevel cut into the frontmost portion of the handle, giving it an interesting, wedge-like contoured shape.
The blade shape is about as close to perfection as it gets for my uses. Just under 3", it has a decent amount of belly, but not too much, as it sweeps gently up to a nice, fine point. A straight spine forms the top of the blade, creating an excellent balance of blade length and width, straight edge and belly, while also preserving a useful, sharp point at the tip. The N690Co steel came razor sharp, and has held up just fine so far without any touching up yet. I'm not a steel expert, but I have no complaints about it.
I find this knife's design so useful, that the lack of a lock is inconsequential. I was sure that this knife would see occasional carry, but wouldn't be able to replace a locking knife for extended periods of carry. I was wrong about that. I've been carrying the PITS Folder every day for the last 16 days, using it for everything with no issues and no complaints of any kind (almost).
As far as the bad… this will be a small list.
The little nub that serves as a guard and sticks out the back like a flipper when closed is slightly annoying. The blade's steel is cut pretty sharply, so that nub is quite sharp if you happen to snag your hand on it while reaching into a pocket.
Also, you could damage or scratch up other items in the pocket. I keep my cell phone in the same pocket, and there are several little scratches on my phone's protective screen film from that little nub. I don't believe it's causing any permanent harm, but it's something I'm careful to watch for.
Also, while the outer surfaces of the scales are nicely beveled, the inner corners are quite sharp, which can be especially noticeable when pressing firmly down on the top of the tension bar.
Another possible problem for some might be that the titanium is prone to scratching, and this knife comes with a nice, near-polished finish that will likely get scratched up with extended use. I plan to possibly stonewash the handles sometime down the road if the scales get too scratched up. I may also consider grinding that nub down, just enough to be flush with the back of the scale. It looks like there would probably still be enough there to protect the index finger.
As for the size, it's very similar to the Delica overall, though the PITS Folder's handle and blade are just a bit wider.
The PITS Folder is also about the same thickness as the Delica, making it a very pocket friendly knife.
Overall, this knife far exceeded my expectations, and like the Techno, instantly surprised me with just how great it really is. If you're interested in this knife, please try to get your hands on one to try. It is quite expensive, but is a very nicely made knife, and well worth the price in my opinion. The PITS Folder has quickly become one of my favorites, and will continue to see regular pocket time. I'll say it again, this knife is the King of the Slipjoints! Congratulations to Mike Read and Spyderco for this fantastic design.
BUT.. For those that can.. Swing for the fence!!! :D John :)
