Camillus Marlin Spike Folding Knife

I collect this pattern of folding knife and I wasn't sure if I was going to buy this one. I'm not a huge fan of the all black treatment on things and a rigging knife doesn't need to be "stealth". I'm glad I did buy this one! It's a bit smaller and thinner than most of my others but that can be a plus, especially if you don't want a heavy, bulky lump in your pocket. It came razor sharp. The fit and finish is what you'd expect from Camillus; excellent. The G10 scales are durable, won't shrink and provide a good grip. The marlin spike lock works well as does the blade's liner lock. This is a lot of knife for the money.

I rarely write reviews but this item has impressed me so much that I believe it deserves some of my time. The construction of the knife itself is superb. I've never seen anything this well constructed plus the inclusion of premium knife steel in this price range. I collect knives, and hand sharpen them, I have over 20 currently, but have had many others in the past.The knife is solid as a rock, there is no play in the blade or marlin spike. The knurling on the grip is perfect and it is lined with thick metal similar to a Buck or Spyderco knife. The blade and marlin spike open and close with buttery smoothness with the perfect amount resistance. When the blade and marlin spike lock in the open position, they lock securely with a click and once again there is absolutely zero play as if the blade & spike are now welded in place. The factory sharpening on the blade is razor-sharp enough to cut hair and slice paper like butter. I believe this is due to the fact that the blade is made out of VG-10 (it has a stamp on the metal) which allows it to achieve high levels of sharpness. I can't wait to sharpen it on my Waterstones. Lastly I must admit it is a handsome blade , and taking into consideration its quality of blade metal and its construction I believe it could be sold at a price rivaling Spyderco. I will definitely be buying a few more considering its affordable price as gifts.

This is one of the best values available today for any style knife! The VG10 blade is fine high carbon stainless steel, is well tempered and comes with a fairly sharp, though not polished, factory edge. With a little touch up, the edge polishes to a very fine finish, very smooth - a benefit of a steel as nice as well tempered VG10. It can be scary sharp and will hold an edge very well. The spike is well made, polished beautifully and is not too sharp. The G10 handles are very desirable, finished to give a good grip in any conditions and should last forever unless abused. Overall construction is very, very good. I have purchased quite a few of these knives over the past few years, most for gifts, but the couple I use regularly have handled some heavy and strenuous work without problem and with no sign of failure. Overall the knife is slim, not bulky or obtrusive like many spike knives and is not heavy. A great knife

This would be the second Camillus I have owned, the first being the Boy Scout knife I earned long ago which was stolen from me. This would be my first purchase of their products. I have to say, I like this knife by table top review standards so far. It is a bit small with a blade under 3 inches but big enough to do its job. The VG-10 blade steel is very good and used by Spyderco quite a bit so I consider it a higher end steel that takes a keen edge and shouldn't disappoint.The black coating also helps keep the blade resistant to the elements and is a nice even finish that is jet black in color. The sheepsfoot profile of the blade is attractive and allows the user to not puncture what they are cutting. It could easily take a role as a rescue knife if needed in an emergency.The G-10 grip is nice and will wear in with use. The stainless spike is great as it isn't too sharp on its point and works well with the paracord knots I made to try it out. Since I live in a desert setting with little water around, this is a dedicated paracord knife. I like how both the blade and spike lock open. Both locks are secure with the liner lock for the blade being of decent thickness and the spike lock being easy to disengage via fulcrum action of the lanyard loop.The loop does swing freely but does not get in the way of the blade in a closed position.On the picture on Amazon, it looks stainless but it too is coated black but with a different finish than the blade. Eventually, the coating will rub off the loop. The only negative I can see for some is the lack of a pocket clip. It is like a modern traditional pocket knife. The loop makes up for it as I have already placed a nice fob on mine for easy access. The price is good for what you are getting. A solid knife in VG-10 with dual locking tools.

This is a very impressive knife, well worth even double the cost - VG-10 steel, while not a supersteel like Bohler M390 or CPM S35VN, IS high-end Japanese cutlery grade steel, right up there with 154CM. The liner lock engages well (neither early nor late) at 40% on the blade, there's no lock rock or side-to-side blade wiggle. The quality G10 scales line up nicely with the solid stainless liners and the thumbstuds deploy the blade quickly without requiring any wrist, and this is out of the box with just a few dozen openings for break-in.The blade has a small but well-formed sharpening choil and the the hollow ground blade is very thin behind the edge - it's quite sharp out of the box and is a good slicer.The spike is well formed and polished, and the end is slightly rounded so as to pry open knots without piercing the actual rope strands. It locks open solidly(just a hint of wiggle, no more) and snaps shut with authority when released with the lanyard loop.Even though Camillus is a bit of a Zombie brand (former US brand that sold off their name to to some holding company),this particular item is a quality knife, period. Don't let anyone who doesn't have one in hand tell you otherwise.