Ganzo is a Chinese company that produces many kind of knives and multi-tools. This Chinese branded G704 knife had many good reviews on the internet. Youtube has some reviews but it was this review on Blade Forum that made me decided to get one to see for myself.
Brand: GanzoLength: 20cm
Blade: 8.5cm
Handle: 11.50cm
Handle Material: Epoxy Fiberglass Insulation (G10)
Blade Thickness: 0.4cm
Lock Type: Axis
Blade Material: 440C
Hardness: 58-60HRC
Weight: 140G (without packaging)
Processing Technology: CNC
First thing I noticed was the weight of the knife, it felt pretty good in my hand. Second thing I checked if there was any free play on the hinges when open, apparently it was almost unnoticeable, unlike the other OEM blades I tried before, even my original Buck Selector have some noticeable free play.
Came with a nice recycle packaging
Like all new blades it came sharp but they are all machine sharpen with noticeable grind marks. That can be deal with some fine sanding.
Unlike the Buck Selector which requires 2 hands to open up the knife, the Ganzo G704 is a single hand operating knife. It felt tight when opening and the locking mechanism feels the same when try to close, maybe it is still new or I am not use to this Axis function.
The pocket clip is rather tight which good, this will prevent loosing the knife carelessly.
Something that you do not see often is that the clip can be switch to other part of the handle if you are left handed. There are 3 small screw hole and requires a Torx T7 wrench to do it.
The clip seems like it had been anodized and not spray painted, which will allow longer wear resist.
Handling the knife was well thought off, the top blade shank had been machined and jimming to such a manner that you can place your thumb nicely.
The fore finger had a nice notch and felt comfortable to grip on. The handle itself is made of Epoxy Fibreglass material which feels harder than plastic.
According to the specification the thickness should be 4mm but when measured it was 3.8mm. Not many folding knife have such thickness and this made a difference in the blade weight and handling.
The knife has no lanyard holes but I think these spacers can tie with a Paracord.
COMPARISON
Comparing with the Buck Selector, the G704 has much tapered edge, such edge are ideal for piercing.
The length of the blade is 85mm, the handle is 115mm. Total length is 200mm long which is smaller than the Buck however it much thicker.
Comparing the blade length, it is the shortest among the three.
Buck Selector, Fallkniven F1 and Ganzo G704 weight difference. Surprisingly it is almost 10 grams difference from the Fallkniven F1 full shank knife. The weight of the knife does make a difference in carrying out certain task.
USAGE
It feathered the wood smoothly and with ease. Splitting small wood was not a problem, for bigger wood it still can be done but found the blade is a little too short. Those wood used were good wood found from the river. It came from an old tree and smelled fragrance, extremely hard to split.
Oh yes, it can spark a fire steel using the top shank and jimping profile however it leaves some marks on the blade.
THOUGHTS
Overall for a decent under USD20.00 folding knife, this is a worth while investment. Knife is sharp and the weight feels good. According to specification, Hardening 58~60 HRC makes the blade itself is very strong and and it is also thick. This is one of the better Chinese made knife.
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