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Hey, knife nerds! Today, we're diving into the world of fancy steels and pretty patterns with the QSP Hawk review. But before we get into the nitty-gritty, let's talk about the elephant in the room—or should I say, the crab in the boat?
For years, knife makers have been upping their steel game, not because we need it, but so bloggers and YouTubers can knifesplain why you need that better steel via rope cutting and Rockwell hardness porn. The upside? It seems to be the only way knife bros are putting their fancy steels to work.
Let's face it: most of us aren't rassling crabs for a living. So, knife makers are hitting the squiggles hard, and that's what we're here to talk about today.
Instead of staring at your S45VN sprint run, you're staring at the squiggles as you flip. And that's fine. Maybe you see a message in them, and like a soft, gentle worm in your ear, it motivates you to do things you wouldn't normally do.
But we need new squiggles and swirls, or squirrels if you will, to make our knives real darn pretty like the QSP Hawk here.
In This Article
- Pros and Cons
- Dimensions and Specs
- Design and Materials
- Handle and Ergonomics
- Action and Lock
- Pocketclip
- Comparison
- Video Review
- Conclusion
Key Takeaways
- The QSP Hawk is a medium-sized folding knife with a Chinese Damascus steel blade.
- It's got squiggles and swirls for days, matching the handle to the blade pattern.
- The flipper action is poppy, but the tab and studs might be a bit rough on your tender finger meat.
- It's a solid knife for the price, but might not be everyone's cup of tea (or can of diet soda).
- QSP is making some decent budget and EDC knives, giving you good materials for the money.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
|
|
Numbers and Blue Lines
The QSP Hawk is a Chinese-made, medium-sized folding knife. Let's enhance this QSP Hawk review with numbers and blue lines, shall we?
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Overall Length | 7.375" |
| Blade Length | 3.25" |
| Weight | 3.58 oz. |
| Cutting Edge | 3.00" |
| Blade Width | 1.00" |
| Blade Thickness | 0.12" |
| Blade Material | Damascus |
| Blade Style | Drop Point |
| Blade Grind | Flat |
| Finish | Damascus |
| Edge Type | Plain |
| Handle Length | 4.125" |
| Handle Width | 1.00" |
| Handle Thickness | 0.53" |
| Handle Material | Micarta |
| Color | Black/Grey |
| Frame/Liner | Steel |
| User | Right Hand |
| Pocket Clip | Tip-Up |
| Knife Type | Manual |
| Opener | Flipper, Thumb Stud |
| Lock Type | Liner Lock |
| Country of Origin | China |
What's your current favorite knife thing to overpay for? The weight enhancing properties of titanium over aluminum in your expensive letter opener? I'm more of a zirc man myself! And let's not forget those ceramic bearings—no less than three rows, all ceramic!
Squiggly Steel and Fancy Flippers
The star of this QSP Hawk review is the blade, made from Chinese Damascus steel. When I asked QSP about the composition, they said it's 9cr18MOV and VG10 layered and laminated. I know, I know, somewhere deep down, we all wish it had a D2 layer. One day, folks. One day.
The pattern on the blade matches the handle fairly well, which is a nice touch. It's worth noting that this is my first time reviewing a Damascus-bladed knife. The patterns don't usually do much for me, but that's just my thing.
Remember, the important thing for knife addicts is whether you think it's pretty and what the resale value would be.
Also, the knife was fairly sharp out of the box, which is always a plus in my book.
Handles and Tender Finger Meat
The handle is some sort of spiraled marbled carbon fiber that matches the blade's Damascus pattern. It's one of the better integrated patterns I've seen. The handle is smooth, with polished stainless steel liners underneath. No skeletonization here, folks.
Ergonomics-wise, the edges are knocked down, so there are no owie areas other than the stud and tab textures. The grip area is a little on the small side for my hands, but your mileage may vary.
Flipping and Locking
The Hawk is a flipper with thumb studs. The tab has jimping, which isn't my favorite (I'm a jimpless tab bro with tender finger meat). Both the tab and thumb studs are a bit scratchier than I'd like, but the strong detent and bearings give the deployment a nice pop.
There's a tiny bit of creakiness to the bearings—can we call it “bearing whine” without making me sound like a prick? Anyway, I improved it with some Nano Oil. You could use knife pivot lube if you prefer.
Lockup is nice, covering about the first third of the tang. Disengagement is less owie on your tender fingers than the tab and studs. You can give it a hard fling and get the blade to deploy by flinging it downward, but it's not easy and not recommended.
Speaking of pop, anyone else know a soft drink with 1 calorie and robust flavor? Easy on the chemicals? I think I've made the Tab joke before. It's the diet soda chemicals.
Pocket Clips and Lefty Woes
The pocket clip is stainless steel and slides in the pocket nicely, but it is a little tight. It's a deep carry clip, not reversible, with the blade tip-up in the right pocket. This setup is fine for right-handers, but lefties might feel left out.
Knife Fight: Comparisons
Let's stack the Hawk up against a couple of other knives:
QSP Woodpecker
This one costs more than the Hawk and has a smoother pivot. I'm not sure which one looks better. The fit-and-finish is on par, and both handles are very comfortable. The Woodpecker's blade can be closed with just a twist of the wrist and no shakes—the holy grail of the "how many wiggles" crowd.
Spyderco Para Military 2
This is a pricier knife. It's pretty close to perfect with no owie ergonomic parts, great fidget factor, nice looks, neutral generous grip area, and thin-ish in the pocket.
Video Review
Final Slice on This QSP Hawk Review
The QSP Hawk is a fine knife. I don't see any major issues with it, though I'd prefer a slightly longer handle for my hand size and maybe tab geometry that doesn't need jimping.
The styling is a personal preference—I'm not really into Damascus stuff, but maybe you are. QSP, while a newer company, makes some good budget and some good slightly nicer EDC pocket knives. You won't get a much lower price point for the materials they use versus other brands.
So, I'd say it comes down to if the styling speaks to you. If you're into pretty squiggles and swirls (or squirrels, if you will), the QSP Hawk might just be your next favorite knife.
