Michael J Perrine's Review of Extrema Ratio Dark Talon Folding Knife
I have had this knife for over a decade, it is easy to get to a razor edge and takes the polish extra fine like only well made steel does. It sits so very deeply with its clip at the end of the handle and sits well back in the pocket very discreetly. It opens easily but not accidentally in the pocket-no reaching back out with a bloody finger! The blade has the kind of length I like to be quite capable of defensive use. I suppose my qualifiers as a good judge of a blade is first I was raised a country boy, using knives heavily on farms. I served in 3 branches, USMC/USN/ARMY, as a Government Contractor, Rescue and Recovery Diver, Deputy Cpl., L/E Academy Firearms Instructor, worked 2 jails and 2 prisons, martial artist since 5 y/o. The Dark Talon has been carried in pocket, in the waistband, attached to shoulder rigs, occasionally clipped inside jungle boots,(NOT my favorite place for a back up), and never failed. In comparison I also carry Emerson folders, Cold Steel-most especially Tai Pan Daggers, Randall Handmade, Mickey Yurco, AG Russell Customs, Ka-Bar, Katz, Benchmade, Gerber, Victorinox, GHK Knives (custom made special purpose knives/escape tools/and the most excellent file Bowies, Fred Perrin, Laci Szabo, SOG, American Tomahawk, Brend, and various special made shoulder carry knives and tomahawks that I have combined with handgun shoulder carry rigs from Colt Detective Special to Para Ordnance 1911, various .44 magnum revolvers and Glock pistols mostly nowadays for ease of carrying hiking and walking fence line. I will say that the top made Cold Steel bowies, TOPS Knives and Ontario's Air Warrior Knife and the now hard to find Ontario USMC official bayonet/knife are among the very toughest that can also be resharpened without specialized gear back to a razor edge. So yes, I consider the Dark Talon highly on my list. I always carry at least one "working knife" folder and another kept purely for defense. The Dark Talon is a great complement to my Emersons.
Pros:
- Good length
- Great edge and easy to maintain
- Well designed for carry
- Great blade geometry
Best Used for:
- Self defense carry
- Works well in any basic utility
Would Recommend:
Yes
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About Michael J Perrine
from SC, United States
At 14 I had my first gunfights in woods where we weren't wanted by certain people. After 4 dogs shot and 1 of my dogs was stabbed, I started hunting the poachers and thieves. I drove them away and ended up on the survivalist path. I am a former Marine, Fast Attack Submariner, soldier-unit armourer and M60 machinegunner. I was FBI trained/certified as an L/E Academy Firearms Instructor & former government contractor. When I was first assigned to the FBI instructor class, I had a broken right ankle, which I hid and wrapped in my boot. The instructors identified my injury on the fourth day but allowed me to continue if I could pass, or return later. I finished the next weeks and passed. I developed defensive tactics based on a lifetime of studying and training in multiple martial arts and honed it working in 2 prisons/2 jails and u/c work. I have stopped 2 terrorist events, one domestically and one in W. Germany. A drunk driver caused my TBI disability/aneurism&constant migraines,sadly.