Review Enlan EL04 MCT

Review Enlan EL04 MCT

Introduction

Today we will talk about a survival knife from one of the most prestigious brands in China: Enlan. Within its wide range of products we have in our hands the el04 model, the initials "EL" refers to "extra large" because it belongs to the category of plus size in the brand (which does not mean that you will have a size exaggerated far).

Exterior design and appearance

Within the model el04 we have two variants, one with handle G10 and another micarta, this last is the chosen one with the acronym "MCT".

Micarta handle attracts attention choosing a pattern similar to snake skin color, much more attractive to me than the black version G10 although the material makes the handle thicker and less grippy.

Overview

Handle detail

We have a 8CR13MOV Steel blade that is standard in China, it is not a super steel but is acceptable if it is tempered well, in fact it's the same steel used by the famous brand Spyderco for some of its models, as in the "tenacious".

Some data are: 137 grams measured in my scale, a total length of 20.3 cm, with a blade that measures 8.6 cm and a thickness blade of 3.1 mm, in my opinion is a size quite useful and will allow a handle size enough to catch comfortably, the blade is also recommended for most jobs.

By weight I know that there are people obsessed with it and that will too heavy, but we talk about a biggie knife with a very respectable thickness blade and liners without drilling. For me it is acceptable for what it offers me.

Respectable thick blade

Looking in more detail the blade, by the way it is perfectly centered, we can see a good thickness until near the tip, making this a tough and capable of survival knife. It has a flat ground but not from the top and the kind of tip is "drop point". Does not have any color coating (not coated), the blade is steel color without mirror effect and we find the typical thumb studs to open and close the knife. We also have a small jimping at the beginning of the blade without much angle. Although it seems a normal design "drop point", note that the blade is not completely straight but has a slight angle as we move forward, that little touch "kukri" style i like it a lot.

Grind detail

The jimping in a knife will always be useful to force the thumb when cutting, in this case does not have much angle but we can help when needed.

Tip detail

Edge detail

The liners are not drilled which will give us more weight but more strength too and it’s found a cord hole. The clip is smooth and has well finished lines withaout Sharp edges, pleasant to touch and with just enough pressure to use it comfortably.

Unfortunately Enlan follows a policy of having special "screws" designed by themselves and it will not be able to adjust the blade pivot unless you use an alternative tool homemade or you buy them a tool that is quite expensive if we compare with the price of the knife.

Clip

Very well centered blade

And finally one of the most important things and is the locking system: well, the system is an "axis lock" invented by Benchmade and copied by Enlan, this system is one of the stronger lock in the world holding enough kilos hooked from the handle of the knife without closure.

Overall the fit and finish are good although i have found a defect in one of the thumb studs, it’s like if it’s missed a piece inside and will scratch a little the finger if you use it, but it's something casual in our particular knife, i saw enlan el04 MCT images with perfect thumb studs.

Handling

I will begin this section by the locking system because greatly influences what we call management.

The copies of the system "axis lock" is a bit controversial in the world of knives, and my personal opinion is:

I’m only speaking about the Enlan EL04 and no others, the system is not smooth even if you lubricate the pivot, the operating mode for softness does not have much to do with a Benchmade or even the "axis lock" of other companies they have also copied as Ganzo or Sanrenmu.

The tension of the locking system is really strong, we must pull back strongly to release the lock, and when close the blade you hear a loud "clack" which gives confidence, plus all the locking bar lies above the blade, which does not always happen...

There is some lateral blade play (negligible) even with tight screw pivot, is not significant, but I've seen other times greater softness in the blade opening and fewer side play.

Factory sharpness is right, it’s not the sharper knife i have seen but enough to cut paper with pressure just pushing the edge on paper without sagging the blade.

Final verdict

Highly recommended low cost knife, good steel quality, it can get a serious edge, good blocking, a nice handle and good fit and finish overall.

Pros:

- Nice blade with a final angle that makes it different from other "drop point"

- Handle very nice "snake-like".

- Very strong lock and gives confidence.

- Very good overall sense to have it in hand.

- Good ergonomics, adapts well in hand.

- Blade thickness suitable for very hard work.

Cons:

- Not very soft when opening / closing due to the implementation of the blade locking mechanism.

- Special pivot screw Enlan.

- The grip of the handle is less than the G10.

- The blade thickness itself can be an inconvenience for certain jobs, such as peeling fruit or make          thin slices.