ROM Officer #1 Samurai Folding Knife review

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REVIEW – A folding pocket knife has been part of my every day carry since I was ten years old, before I even knew what EDC meant. Not a day goes by without me using whatever knife I’m carrying, whether for opening packages, cutting loose threads off my shirt, or slicing up an apple. I have a number of knives that I’ve collected over the years, some high-end and some inexpensive, that I rotate in and out. The quality and usefulness of a knife is not always directly related to its cost though. My favorite knife cost me $26, yet I have knives that cost much more which I rarely ever use. It’s always nice though when a high-end, handmade knife with a steep price tag delivers on the promise of quality. The Office #1 Samurai folding knife from Romance of Men comes pretty close to doing that. At $199, the Officer is a bit pricey, and I have some questions about the inclusion of a fake leather sheath that doesn’t fit the knife, but the design, materials, and the way it practically floats in your hand might make it a worthwhile purchase for some.

What is it?

I reviewed the gray titanium version of the Officer #1 Samurai folding knife made by Romance of Men. The Officer is an assisted open, liner lock folding knife with a blade made from M390 steel and a handle crafted from lightweight titanium alloy. Romance of Men is based in China and specializes in Damascus steel blades, but they also have a line of steel folding knives like the Officer.

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I was pretty disappointed with the delivery and boxing of the Officer. It arrived in a simple padded envelope, the sheath was packed loose and the knife was in a hard cardboard box with a ripped top. This isn’t a deal-breaker, but when you’re paying this much for a knife, presentation is important.

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What’s in the box?

  • Officer #1 Samurai Folding Knife
  • Polyurethane leather sheath

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Hardware specs

  • Overall Length: 6.8 in Open / 3.9 in Folded
  • Blade Length: 2.9 in
  • Blade Material: M390 Steel
  • Blade Thickness: 0.11 in
  • Blade Hardness: 61 HRC
  • Handle Material: Titanium alloy
  • Weight: 2.3 oz
  • Sheath: Polyurethane Leather
  • Folding mechanism: Assisted open, Liner Lock

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Design and features

I really like the look and feel of the Officer. It has a futuristic design with nice sharp angles and a grey matte finish that helps increase grip.

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The Officer comes with a turquoise colored bead attached to it on a small strand of polyurethane leather.

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The pictures of the Officer on the website for Romance of Men appear to show the bead is crafted from turquoise, but the one attached to the knife I received was just turquoise-colored plastic.

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The fake leather strap for the bead attaches to a small loop built into the body of the Officer. The strap is pretty useless and actually broke when I pulled the knife out of my pocket during testing. Not a good sign of quality.

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The Officer has an integrated pocket clip and a nub at the top of the knife which engages the assisted open. The pocket clip is incredibly stiff, but it might just need a few months to loosen up a bit.

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The Officer is held together with Torx head screws which are frequently used on folding knives of this type.

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The blade of the Officer has no serrations and is made of high-quality M390 steel.

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M390 steel is used in a lot of higher-end knives due to its resistance to corrosion, ability to maintain a sharp edge, and overall strength.

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As for the edge of the Officer, it is indeed razor-sharp and arrives that way right out of the box.

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The blade itself is 2.9 in long which is perfect for an everyday carry knife.

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The full open length of the Officer is just under 7 in, also a perfect size for a daily use knife.

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The Office comes with a polyurethane leather sheath decorated with what looks like fake snakeskin. The sheath has a small snap on the front.

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On the back of the sheath is a belt loop. To be honest, I’m pretty baffled by the inclusion of the sheath though.

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No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get the sheath to snap shut with the Officer inside.

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I tried a number of different times and could never get the snap close enough to engage.

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Maybe the fake leather needs to be heated or stretched more, but I don’t even really understand why the sheath was included with a knife that has an integrated pocket clip. Never mind the fact that the futuristic lines and design of the Officer clash pretty hard with the faux animal skin brown sheath.

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Performance

To open the Officer, you press lightly on the nub on the back of the knife.

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Since it is an assisted open knife, the Officer will swing open with ease. The nub then rotates around to act as a finger guard, preventing your hand from slipping forward onto the sharp blade.

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The liner lock snaps into place and keeps the knife open until you engage it again to close the knife.

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Opened or closed, the Officer felt great in my hand. I was continuously impressed with how sturdy the knife felt despite its incredible lightness.

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The use of lightweight titanium alloy for the body was a smart decision.

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Either hand gripped the Officer naturally with my fingers resting in comfortable positions.

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The pocket clip is pretty stiff as I mentioned, and the Officer sits higher up than most of my pocket knives, but it was easy enough to retrieve when needed.

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The blade’s M390 steel holds a wicked sharp edge as was evidenced by my quick shredding of an innocent piece of paper. Be very careful when handling this knife.

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I regularly used the Officer for a few weeks without any major problems aside from the strap breaking off pretty early on. The blade is thinner than most of my other knives, but that’s more of a personal preference. After all of that use, the Officer has retained its edge without any signs of wear.

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What I like

  • Sleek design
  • Very lightweight
  • Great build quality and edge

What needs to be improved

  • Integrated pocket clip very tight
  • Knife doesn’t fit into the included polyurethane leather sheath
  • Design of sheath clashes with knife design

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Final thoughts

The Officer #1 Samurai Folding Knife from Romance of Men will definitely make its way into my every day carry rotation. I really like the futuristic look of the knife as well as how the build materials keep it light in my hand yet super durable. I do question the usefulness and design of the polyurethane leather sheath as the removal of it could lessen the Officer’s $199 price tag, but others might appreciate its inclusion. Check out the Officer along with the other knives being offered by Romance of Men via the links below.

Price: $199
Where to buy: Romance of Men
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Romance of Men

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