Field Evaluation - TigerSharp TS150 By Keith Dunlap
Mar 20, 2007 - 12:49:16 PM
Field Evaluation: TigerSharp™ Technologies, Inc. - TS 150 'The Hunter" Knife'
Steve Overholt started TigerSharp™ in his basement with a great idea…to develop a knife that is extremely sharp out of the box…and one with the ability to change blades easily in the field if it becomes necessary. With TigerSharp's patented Replacement Edge System, or RES™ technology, you simply remove the dull cutting edge and replace it with new one in a matter of seconds. This technology separates the cutting edge and blade of the knife into two separate parts.
TigerSharp claims that by using a softer outer stainless steel blade support and a super hardened, cryogenically treated surgical steel cutting edge, they have created a knife that can hold an edge up to four times longer than their competitors. Cryogenically tempering means that they use extremely low temperature treatment of the cutting edge steel. The steel cutting edge, in this case, is taken down to minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Cryogenically treated metal stays sharp longer than does heat-treated metal. This increases the durability of the cutting edges on TigerSharp knives.
Initial Inspection:
I received the TigerSharp TS 150 "The Hunter" hunting knife and was anxious to put this knife to the test. The TS150 box contained The Hunter RES™ technology knife, a black nylon sheath, and two smooth replaceable cutting edges constructed of Gingami 5 stainless steel. Gingami 5 (GIN-5) is a high quality steel that is also used in surgical scalpels. Out of the box the knife was extremely sharp. My initial test of a sharp knife is to see if it can shave the hairs on my arm easily, and the TS150 Hunter knife passed the first test. This knife is possibly the sharpest knife out of the box that I've used. The quality of the stainless steel in both the blade supports and the cutting edge was flawless and machined to precision. I found the strength of the cutting edge and blade supports to be more than adequate for most applications for which I will use the knife in the field. The replaceable cutting edge system makes this knife maintenance free…no sharpening, simply slip in a new cutting edge when the old one is dull.
The handle and grip of the TS150 knife were both very solid and yet very comfortable in my hand. The knife handle is constructed of DuPont's Zytel®, which is a tough nylon plastic. This material is lightweight, but made to stand up to the test of time and all sorts of temperature variances. The checked Kraton inserts provided a good grip on the knife handle. Kraton®, as applied to the TS150 knife, is a rubber-like polymer that adds grip to the knife handle.
The TigerSharp TS150 Hunter knife includes a very nice black nylon sheath for your belt. The TS150 knife fit perfectly into the sheath. The sheath construction was solid. I found no flaws in the seams or the stitching of the sheath. Included on the sheath is a Velcro® compartment that contains the extra cutting edge should you need it in the field.
Testing:
Durability and Effectiveness - I continued my evaluation of the TS150 Hunter knife by testing the durability and effectiveness of this knife. As I pondered the best types of testing for the TS150, I thought about the famous Ginsu knife commercials, and how they showed the knife cutting through metal, and then slicing a tomato effortlessly. I laughed to myself as I replayed these commercials in my mind, and then I realized that the best test of durability and effectiveness of a knife for a hunter like myself is to take the knife into the field with me and use it to field dress the animals I harvest.
I used the TS150 Hunter knife to field dress an adult whitetail doe, and to skin and dress two squirrels, a woodcock, and a cottontail rabbit. The TS150 knife went through the hides of these animals with no problem. The knife was still sharp after each field dressing. I did not replace the cutting edge nor did I try to sharpen the existing cutting edge between dressing each animal.
While field dressing a deer, I always split the pelvis and the breastbone for ease of entrails removal. I used the TS150 Hunter to do this and was able to split both the pelvis and the breastbone of the doe with very little effort. The knife still handled the remainder of the dressing process without showing any signs of dulling. After field dressing the doe, I later proceeded to use the TS150 Hunter knife to dress and skin the squirrels, the woodcock, and the rabbit that I harvested at various times during my successful Pennsylvania small game hunting season.
I was impressed with the durability and the effectiveness of this knife. Squirrel hide can be a bit tough to get through, and you need a sharp knife to do it, but the TS150 went through the hides smoothly without needing much force to cut. I did notice that by the final use of this knife to dress an animal, it was about time to change the cutting edge. The knife still worked fine on the rabbit, but I needed to apply a bit more pressure to the knife to cut through the hide and the bones in the neck and legs. Again, I never sharpened the cutting edge, nor did I replace it for dressing or skinning any of these animals. I would; however, replace the cutting edge before I used the TS150 hunting knife for further dressing and skinning.
Cleaning the TS150 Hunter knife was very simple. The replaceable cutting edge is held in place by a locking slide that fits into the top of the knife handle. Simply remove the locking slide from the handle, and push the cutting edge out. You can then easily wash the knife with warm water and mild detergent. When I first looked at the TS150 knife, I thought that particles would get caught between the replaceable cutting edge and the blade supports. After thorough usage of the knife, this was not the case. The blade supports and the cutting edge have a very tight fit together, preventing dirt and other material from getting stuck between them.
Specifications as Tested
Knife blade length: 3.75"
Knife handle length: 4.5"
Knife overall length: 8.25"
Blade construction: 440 stainless steel blade support
Knife handle construction: Zytel® with Kraton® inserts, Zytel is a tough DuPont nylon plastic, Kraton is a polymer
Sheath color: black
Sheath material: nylon with hard plastic inner lining
TS150 "The Hunter" - Retail Price: $99.99
Pkg. of 2 replacement cutting edges - Retail Price: $12.99
Pkg. of 4 replacement cutting edges - Retail Price: $19.99
Conclusion:
I found the TigerSharp TS150 Hunter knife to be worth the money. I really like the concept of replacing the cutting edges rather than constantly having to sharpen the knife, especially while in the field. If you are miles from the truck and you have a large animal on the ground that you have just harvested and your knife gets dull, you are sunk…unless you can simply pop in a super sharp replacement cutting edge. The RES™ system definitely gives the TS150 Hunter the "edge" over other knives.
