FirebirdGanzo FH13-SS Pocket Folding Knife 60HRC D2 Steel Blade All Steel Handle with Clip Tactical Outdoor Camping Folder EDC Pocket Knife (Titan Dark grey)

Amazing blade! I've had blades that cost 2-4 times this that weren't as nice. On the sub-$50 (probably sub-$100) market you won't find a nicer folder, assuming you're ok with somewhat slick stainless scales and lack of thumb studs. I've been a fan of Ganzo/Firebird knives for a few years now. This one has exceeded all expectations. It is an incredibly solid, aesthetically pleasing, well-made, folder, manufactured from great materials. I'm amazed Ganzo can bring this to market at this price.The bearings are smooth--melted butter smooth--and flips with a slight flick. Don't worry about it opening in your pocket though; the detent that holds it on place is strong enough to keep it together--just the right balance of tension where needed and lack of friction where friction isn't desirable.The blade can ONLY be opened with the flipper. There aren't any thumb studs or holes to help. It's also not assisted open. All of that is on purpose, designed to make this a slim, simple, lightweight blade that slips in your pocket without catching on anything or weighing you down. The clip lets the blade sit low on the pocket. You might just forget it's there.I'd personally prefer at least a single side, reversible thumb stud. Unfortunately, that would require either more blade real estate, or more milling on the grips to allow a stud to ride low into the scales. All in all, given the extremely low profile this blade attains, I l can easily forgive the lack of a stud, which would also probably ruin the knife's perfect clean-line aesthetics.The blade is well centered with secure lockup (30% or so connection). No adjustment was needed. It was simply perfect. I am a huge fan of the handle lock--simpler, fewer parts, more locking material connecting with the blade than liner locks, and generally more stable and solid.The scales are nice and thin. Some Kershaw blades with metal scales, by comparison, are way heavier than needed. These are thin enough to make for a nicely weighted knife, but don't sacrifice their stability. This is solid without bulk; study without the weight. The scales ARE a bit too slick--I'd be worried handling it with wet or oily hands--but there's sufficient, solid jimping at the top and bottom to handle it securely under normal circumstances. If they'd aggressively stonewashed the grips it would be perfect.The blade itself is one of, if not the, sharpest blades I've seen on a factory blade ever. It's also a great length for any cutting chores you might encounter and not so large as to raise eyebrows I'm mixed company (though too long to bring into a government building of any variety. Doubt I'd use it for hunting, like the description says, since it'd gum up the bearings, but for general cutting chores this is a fantastic piece of kit. The profile is simple, elegant, sturdy, and completely functional.That actually sums up the whole knife.I'd definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good EDC blade and doesn't have to worry about blade length.AS FOR THE STEEL:I have no way of knowing what the steel is, but I doubt it's really D2. D2 is a proprietary powdered metallurgy semi-stainless tool steel produced by Crucible Steel in the US. It's fairly pricey and fairly nice. Also fairly hard to machine well. For Ganzo to import the pricey steel from the US, follow the heat treat protocols, and reship to the US for sale would make this more an $80-100 knife on the cheap end.Ganzo usually calls its stainless knives "440C", which they aren't (I asked). I can't remember offhand the long string of elements/numbers that comprise the Chinese equivalent, but that's the actual steel they use (the Chinese-made equivalent, not an expensive steel imported from the US). It's the same steel from a chemical composition perspective, but like D2, 440C is a brand name. Most people recognize "440C" but wouldn't recognize the Chinese brand. I get why they do it, though I don't agree with it.That's the long explanation for why I suspect this is a Chinese equivalent steel, at least in its general composition. I doubt it's a true powdered metallurgy steel, since that, and the cryogenic heat treat protocols, are what really make D2 a higher-end AND pricey steel.If it IS JUST the same composition, it will still be a GREAT steel, it just won't have as fine of carbides, making it easier to sharpen than true D2, and also less able to hold an edge, but it WILL be generally better in nearly all ways than 440C (or the Chinese equivalent).I DO wish Ganzo and other Chinese manufacturers would use the name of the ACTUAL steel in its blades, but not much I can do about that. Nor can I be certain it's NOT D2. Just go into this with your eyes open and expectations adjusted accordingly.

Very happy

I ordered two of these knives and they were both solid. One of the knives was not centered but it was a easy fix - simply unscrewed and screwed the blade back into the frame. The knife itself comes in two colors; this color offers a nice unfinished look - making it perfect for tough jobs without having to worry about the look of scratches. It has a nice weight to it and a smooth action - something Ganzo is known for. Blade shape is very practical and handle is very comfortable for all hand sizes. Made a great gift for my family member!

Fabulous knife, Great action. I like that every part is metal. only recommended improvements: 1) the retainer clip bent with normal use. it should be made of spring steel and not bend. it shouldn't be a big deal, if you carry inside your pocket. However, while on a job site and using it often, I prefer to carry outside the pocket. then there's a danger it will get lost. 2) the steel is a bit slippery under the thumb. Wish there were a slight depression to help maintain thumb position. 3). Wish they offered a left handed model.

This is one tough / well made knife. I lost one and ordered a second one right away.It’s not too thick, I use it several times every day. It is ideal in my book, size is perfect!!easy to open, it’s tough and handy

I've read some varying bad reviews for the quality of the D2 steel used by Ganzo and some of the other Chinese companies but those reviews don't stack up to what I observe as the real world usage of the blades. Ganzo 440C AND so far the D2 have performed very well in my experience. The 440C is able to stand on its own very well without needing anything more and I'm able to get them extremely sharp. The D2 has seemed to hold an edge longer in comparison to the 440C like it should, and I've had absolutely 0 problems with chipping like some claim will happen with the Ganzo D2. I've used my Ganzo 440C's and D2 blades to do stupid things at times with no drawbacks. For example the other day I had to unlock a door I should have left propped and said screw it and used the FH11 to jimmy open the lock. This requires putting pressure directly on the blades edge to force the lock to the side bit by bit while maintaining side pressure. While I was expecting to have to fix the edge like usual doing that maneuver with other blades the D2 was totally fine. Not one micro chip to the eye or that I could feel later on.So if the cheap Ganzo D2 comes with the downside of a poor HT and overall crappier content, I haven't noticed it at all. If there are other higher quality D2 blades out there which would perform 10x better then I'd imagine a 10x price increase in comparison. The Rat 1 in D2 I own doesn't seem to at all perform better than the Ganzo D2 from my experience but the Rat is fairly inexpensive (though supposed to be legit D2).