Mavrokniv Contender Flipper Folding Knife, D2 Steel, Aluminum Black, MK017
[BKMK017 *]

Although you may not know it, they have been making knives in Mora Sweden for more than 400 years and this company can trace its origins back to 1891 as part of an organization making sledges, trolleys, and as knives for the company's internal uses. By 1900, knife production took off and the company earned a strong reputation for fixed blade knives, that are still regarded as often inexpensive, always fair priced, and good quality tools. The modern company emerged in 1988 when KJ Eriksson acquired a share int he company and in 2005 the brand Morakniv was registered. Morakniv if well known for their fixed blade knives, but we have seen a number of releases of folding knives, including the Contender, the Mechanix, and the Shadow. [See my review of the Mechanix elsewhere on this site.] The Contender is a large knife by my standards - over 8 inches open. So it is a little smaller than the Ontario RAT 1, an iconic budget EDC to which I will compare this knife from time to time. The Contender weighs 5.1oz, just a tad more than the Rat 1. It has thick blade stock coming in at 0.158", more than both the Rat 1 and the Benchmade Adamas to put it into perspective. But it comes to a fine edge with a flat grind up to the fuller. The blade sports a cleaver style blade - I say this because of the round belly. It is made of D2 tool steel and the heat treatment is excellent. The scales are plastic and they sit on solid steel liners without any skeletonizing, which explains the weight. the liner lock engages reliably. It has an assisted deployment running on good quality bearings, which is smooth and reliable. It can be deployed using the fuller as a nail nick but it does carry tip down. If you are looking for a budget EDC for the office or shop floor, you should probably look for something different - a Pyrite perhaps? But if you're looking for a heavy use, solid knife you can use for camping, hunting, around the farm, or for other outdoor heavy uses, this is a good choice. The steel is excellent, the fit and finish is good, and at under $50, it is a bargain. The Rat 1 is an iconic budget EDC, admired by collectors. But IMHO, the Mavronkiv lineup will give you better build quality, for sure more quality assurance constancy, and better value. Obviously I rated this in a budget category, not against stronger brands and more expensive knives. I gave it 4 stars, one of which was for its value and fit and finish for the price.