Shadow Tech Knives Talon E and Backup - Knife Review

A few months ago I was looking for a small, belt carry fixed blade knife and started hitting up the ol' google search. I already periodically carried a Fallkniven F1 which is a great knife but not exactly what I wanted - looking for something a shade smaller and with a more "safe" handle. I thought I might have my answer with the Fred Perrin Street Beat but it just wasn't quite right for me - handle was a little off for my hand, the price is high, and the sheath left me a little underwhelmed. One of the searches brought me to a forum where someone was suggesting Shadow Tech Knives; after viewing the website, I decided to try two of their models, the Talon E (small bowie shape) and the Backup (small bowie shape).

TALON E:
BLADE LENGTH: 3 1/2"
O/A LENGTH: 7"
THICKNESS: 3/16"
WIDTH: 1 INCH
STEEL: 1095 HIGH CARBON STEEL RC-57-58
FINISH ON BLADE: POWDER COAT
SHEATH: KYDEX WITH HORIZONTAL, VERTICAL AND 45 DEGREE DRAW OPTION, LEFT OR RIGHT SIDES.

BACKUP:
BLADE LENGTH: 2 1/2"
O/A LENGTH: 6"
THICKNESS: 3/16"
WIDTH: 1 1/4"
STEEL: 1095 HIGH CARBON STEEL RC-57-58
FINISH ON BLADE: POWDER COAT
SHEATH: KYDEX WITH HORIZONTAL, VERTICAL AND 45 DEGREE DRAW OPTION, LEFT OR RIGHT SIDES.

www.stknives.com

They have some pretty interesting knives and I liked the two I picked up, though the Talon E was the definite favorite for me.

Talon E Positives
- great handle, love using the bottom of the blade as a guard (reminiscent of the street beat)
- solid knife
- inexpensive ($65) and comes with an excellent kydex sheath
- comfortable carry, very small while still feeling like a "real" knife that I could get hard use from

Talon E Potential Negatives (I didn't have any for my use)
- carbon steel, some may prefer a thinner stainless
- a little heavy
- handle scales are not perfectly matched to tang all the way around

This is more of a defensive stabbing blade IMO than a bushcraft or utility/EDC blade. I have done zero tests for bushcraft and probably won't bother but I do find it useful for EDC tasks thanks to the comfortable handle.

Backup Positives
- very small
- grooved handle (could be considered a subhilt?) provides a very secure grip with just three fingers
- inexpensive ($65) and comes with an excellent kydex sheath
- comfortable carry, very small while still feeling like a "real" knife that I could get hard use from
- very short (yet solid) blade makes it legal to carry in more places

Backup Potential Negatives
- carbon steel, some may prefer a thinner stainless
- a little heavy
- three finger grip on hilt (I generally will not carry knives like this)
- very wide, more than I would like for a small knife (some may love this)

I would consider this primarily a defensive stabbing blade. It could be used for EDC/utility though I don't like the shape for that. Very limited if any use for bushcraft as far as I can see (no testing done).

They sell a lot of different models of knives, including partially serrated versions, spikes, push daggers, tanto tips, etc.


I also completed a video review of the knives, you can see them through these links:

Youtube knife review Part 1 of 2

Youtube knife review Part 2 of 2

Review of Raven Concealment Kydex Sheath for Cold Steel SRK knife

Just got my new Raven Concealment Sheath for my Cold Steel SRK. Only (only!) took four and a half months. They do tell you about the wait after you order but that's a little ridiculous. I am not sure if they don't have enough demand for knife sheaths to make them a priority or if they are just overwhelmed with orders. I imagine their main focus is on their firearm holsters, they have a lot of good ones, but with only 4 versions of knife sheaths I would have expected mine a little sooner.

As for the sheath itself, seems good. The sheath appears to have excellent retention, you can shake it while inverted and it won't pop out. There is absolutely no rattle, and the included tek-lok is well installed, no wiggle, several mounting options (horizontal, vertical, 45). It certainly beats the hell out of the factory sheath. Much sturdier and the factory sheath had ZERO retention without the snap. I have no major complaints but.....for the price ($60 US + shipping) and the time, I'm not sure about buying another knife sheath from them. I definitely intend to get one of their handgun holsters, they have some excellent options, I encourage anyone to take a look at them.

I was a little surprised that there isn't a bottom drain hole. What I presume is the drain hole is actually a small hole on the back side of the knife, about 1 cm up, the tip of the knife extends past it. I imagine it would work well enough, just different from what I had seen before. Another odd point is that the knife doesn't form up around the guard as much as I expected. From their website: "Due to the design of Cold Steel's rubber hilts, the retention on these sheaths are set on the blade. They are secure and functional, but they are for "working blades" and will wear on the finish of the blade." They aren't kidding, there is almost no retention based on the sheath wrapping around the guard. I would have thought you could have it but I am certainly no expert.

Video to follow in the next few days.

UPDATE May 18, 2011: I've really come to appreciate this sheath even more over the last couple of weeks, it has rapidly become my favorite. It is expensive but I think the quality matches it. The waiting time is still an issue, it's frustrating to wait that long. Hopefully that improves, maybe they are all caught up now but I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them again, 4 month wait or not.

Video review now posted here