REVIEW – Do you like knives? I think it’s safe to say you do. I DO TOO! It’s fun to find new brands to see what other companies are doing. What’s even better is finding a new brand that makes a good knife at a price that won’t break the bank. So when the offering came from Shieldon Knives to review one of their offerings I was more than willing to give them a shot. Could this Chinese company be another Vosteed in the making? Let’s find out.
What is it?
The Shieldon Gambit is a cleaver-style pocket knife with a 2.57″ 154CM stonewashed blade and G10 handles.
What’s included?
- Shieldon Gambit pocket knife
Tech specs
Click to expand
Item Name- Gambit
Designer- Dirk Pinkerton
Blade Thickness- 0.12 inches / 3 mm
Blade Length- 2.57 inches / 65.4 mm
Closed Length- 3.44 inches / 87.3 mm
Handle Thickness -0.472 inches / 12 mm
Total Length- 6.01 inches / 152.7 mm
Weight- 90 g / 3.16 oz
Blade Material- 154CM Steel
Handle Material- Double Layer G10
Blade HRC- 58-60HRC
Blade Style- Cleaver
Blade Finish- Stonewashed
Lock Mechanism- Nested Liner Lock
Opening Way- Flipper / Hole
Carry Orientation- Right Hand
Ball Bearing- Caged Ceramic
Pocket Clip- Stainless Steel Tip-up Clip
Design and features
Let’s talk about the blade shape of the Shieldon Gambit knife. A few years ago cleaver-style blades were all the rage. I thought they were cool too and got one. I came to the realization quickly I didn’t like the straight edge that much. Sure it would cut but I felt like I’d be wearing out the tip faster than the rest of the blade on pull cuts. I like the fact the Gambit has a belly on it, so as I pull it along I can use more of it on those types of cuts.
I also like the stonewashed finish on it. I’ve never been one for super shiny blades, preferring something more like a satin finish or the one on the Shieldon Gambit. It just looks good and really fits the style of this knife.
The Gambit has 2 modes for deployment. It has an easy-to-use front flipper and fillers on either side of the blade that allows thumb and reverse flick action. It makes a satisfying SNICK as the liner lock engages.
For materials, the Shieldon Gambit doesn’t use any super steels or exotic handle scale materials. The blade is 154 CM which is a reliable steel that’s easy to sharpen and resistant to corrosion. The handles are G10 that is very grippy and resilient. The inner liners are steel to add rigidity to the frame and the red G10 back spacer adds a bit of pop. It runs on caged ceramic bearings and has a deep carry pocket clip.
Performance
The Shieldon Gambit performed admirably for all my day-to-day needs. It came razor-sharp out of the box and its edge is easy to maintain. It easily cut up all the boxes that the Amazon delivery person keeps leaving at my front door. Opening all those packages is even easier. Lock up was tight with no lock rock that I could tell. It fits well in the hand without being overly large. It also fits well into the pocket with that deep carry clip.
What I like about the Shieldon Gambit folding knife
- Great build
- Inexpensive
- Looks great
What needs to be improved?
- Nothing
Final thoughts
Shieldon has several other knife models to choose from but the Gambit is my favorite. I don’t know how long the company has been in business, but this was the first time I’d heard of them. I’ve been pretty impressed with what I’ve seen so far. It’ll be interesting to see if they’re in for the long haul. If the rest of their knives are built as well as the Gambit and around the same price point, then I think they’ve got a good chance. I can’t afford to spend hundreds of dollars for a knife to carry every day so I can open packages, cut the odd thread from my clothes, or any number of other small jobs where a knife would fit the bill. The Shieldon Gambit falls into my budget for an EDC knife. Maybe it would be for you too.
Price: $67.99
Where to buy: Shieldon and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Shieldon. Shieldon did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
