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Vosteed Thornton review
- Pros: Versatile blade shape combining Wharncliffe and Sheepsfoot designs. 14C28N steel offers great performance at a budget price. Multiple deployment options (front flipper, thumb studs) that work smoothly. Comfortable ergonomics for average hand sizes. Excellent action and secure button lock mechanism. Good value for money in its price category.
- Cons: No left-hand carry option. Lacks a maker's mark on the blade. Average plunge grind that could be improved. May feel small for users with larger hands. Only available in right-hand, tip-up carry configuration.
Today is Judgment Day for the Vosteed Thornton, a knife I designed. I love this knife, but it's not perfect. We're going to dive into everything about it—the good, the bad, and the areas I'd like to improve.
Let’s dig into this Vosteed Thornton review!
Key Takeaways
- This is my idea of a perfect blade shape—a mashup of a modified Wharncliffe and Sheepsfoot.
- The action on this knife is fantastic—it's fidgety, smooth, and secure.
- I regret not including a left-hand carry option and will try to fix this in future runs.
- There's no maker's mark on the blade due to design constraints, but we're looking at options for future versions.
- At its price point, I think this is a knife-of-the-year contender in its category.
Specifications
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Overall Length | 7.5 inches |
| Blade Length | 3.18 inches |
| Weight | 3.31 oz. |
| Blade Thickness | 0.140 inches (slightly thicker than average) |
| Blade Material | 14C28N |
| Blade Style | Modified Wharncliffe/sheepsfoot hybrid |
| Grind | Flat |
| Handle Length | 4.32 inches |
| Handle Thickness | 0.056 inches |
| Lock Type | Button lock (Trek lock mechanism) |
| Carry | Right-hand, tip-up only |
The Blade: My Pride and Joy
The blade is where I spent the most time, and it's probably my favorite part of the knife. It's a mashup of a modified Wharncliffe and Sheepsfoot—my all-time favorite combination.
I've incorporated a high flat grind paired with a swedge, which not only looks great but potentially reduces drag. The edge thickness comes in at 0.014 inches, providing excellent slicing ability. The tip is strong and slicy, making it versatile for various tasks.
When it came to steel selection, I went with 14C28N. There was no way I was designing a budget knife without using one of my favorite budget steels. This choice offers a great balance of performance and affordability, which I think is crucial for a knife in this category.
All these elements come together to create a blade that I believe is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Deployment Methods
The Thornton offers multiple ways to get that blade out:
- front flipper
- thumb studs
- nice jimping for grip.
All of these work fantastically. The jimping surprised me—I originally wanted finer jimping, but when I got the prototype, it worked so well I didn't want to mess with it.
Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip
The Thornton comes in four flavors:
- Green Micarta
- Black Micarta
- Blue and black G-10
- Orange and black G-10
This knife will feel great in most hands. It's a full four-finger grip for me, with little room to spare. You can choke up if you want, though I didn't really design it for that.
Now, if you've got bigger hands like DCA (David C. Anderson of Knife Center), you might find this more of a three-and-a-half-finger grip. At Blade Show West, he mentioned the handle felt a little small for him. Maybe I'll make a larger version just for him someday!
I was nervous about the pocket clip placement, but it turned out really well. We moved it close to the bottom, which had me worried, but it feels nice and comfortable in hand—definitely no hot spot.
Action and Lock
The Vosteed Thornton knife uses a button lock, specifically the Trek lock variant. You can't see the plunge of the button because it's fully within the bottom of the blade. In my experience, this makes for slightly better lockup.
The action on this knife is fantastic:
- It's fidgety.
- It's smooth.
- The lock is secure.
Whether you want to flip it, flick it with your middle finger, or use that good old reach-around method, everything about the action is as good as it can be.
Areas for Improvement
While I'm ecstatic with how the Thornton turned out, there are a few things I'd change:
- Left-hand carry option: This is my biggest regret. I was selfish when designing it and didn't want to see a screw hole area or filler tab. To all the lefties out there, I sincerely apologize. I'm going to do my best to make future runs left- or right-hand optional.
- Maker's mark: There's no maker's mark on the blade. We ran into issues with placement due to the high flat grind, swedge, and thumb stud location. We're looking at options for future runs, possibly replacing the Vosteed logo with my maker's mark.
- Plunge grind: It's an average plunge grind. Not bad, but not crazy good either. It could be a little better.
Knife Comparisons
We’re now at the point in this Vosteed Thornton review where I give you some comparisons that should provide a good idea of where the Thornton sits in relation to other popular knives on the market. While I might be biased, I think the Thornton holds its own pretty well against these competitors. Let's see how the Vosteed Thornton stacks up against some other popular knives:
Civivi Conspirator
The Civivi Conspirator is slightly bigger than the Thornton. It provides a good scale for overall length comparison and is another solid option in the button lock category.
CJRB Pyrite
The CJRB Pyrite is just a smidgen shorter than the Thornton. If you're looking for a slightly more compact option, this might be worth considering.
Kizer Original XL
The Kizer Original XL lines up nicely with the Thornton in terms of size. It offers an alternative from a different brand in the same general size category.
Vosteed Thunderbird
The Vosteed Thunderbird, particularly the titanium version, is slightly shorter than the original Thunderbird and provides another point of comparison within the Vosteed lineup.
Vosteed Raccoon
The Vosteed Raccoon is another offering from Vosteed that's comparable in size to the Thornton. It features a different blade profile, giving users another option within the same brand.
Video Review
Conclusion
In wrapping up this Vosteed Thornton review, I have to say that I think this is a knife of the year contender in its price category. It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn close. With a few tweaks, like adding a left-hand carry option, finding a place for the maker's mark, and improving the plunge grind, it could be even better.
I'm really, really happy with how it turned out. If you pick one up, let me know what you think. I'm always open to criticism and want to hear your thoughts. Your feedback could shape future versions of the Thornton or even entirely new designs.
That's it for this Vosteed Thornton review. Let me hear your thoughts!
