Chinese Knives: Review Kubey KU230 / Golf

Review Kubey KU230 / Golf

Introduction

As you will know if you follow my blog or my YouTube channel, very recently I was annualizing my first model of the brand, the Kubey KU208. I was delighted with the model for its finish, assembly and materials used, apart from being excited to have my first recurve blade in a pocket knife (and I have a few, but I did not have any like that).

It is time to test a second model to see if my good impressions of the first model are confirmed, this time it is a fixed knife.

Let's get started ...

Exterior design and appearance

First, comment that it is a one-piece knife with contained dimensions. I am not talking about it being a neck knife, but rather that it is a little smaller than a “big” knife, so its weight is also contained.

The first thing that catches your eye is the design of the blade, which I can tell you is very well designed for fine work, but we will see that in the handling and use section.

First of all, I must mention that there are two versions of this knife, one with a stone finish and D2 steel and the other with a mirror effect finish on AUS-10 steel, and that the jimping on the spine of the blade and the handle also varies. It should be clear that my model is with a mirror effect finish.

This blade is made of Japanese AUS10 steel with a hardness of 59-61 hrc, which is a highly coveted high-end steel for knives and knives due to its characteristics, although it is not one of the so-called modern super-steels and better this way because the price of the piece would shoot, it is a good compromise between quality and price. By the way, it brings a wipe in the box to clean the blade, a detail.

We can see a very slight concave hollow in the longest section of the edge, it is practically a partial flat hollow, this favors the cut and is also appropriate for a knife of these dimensions and that is designed for fine work. Although with 3.5 mm thick spine it is not a weak blade by any means. The tip is of the “tanto” type, which I love, but with a flat recess, which makes the tip strong because it has more material. In addition, they have put an angle that makes this tip have excellent penetration.

Regarding the handle, the handle scales are in G10 and it is anatomical. We have an opening for a safety cord where you can add a tail, which by the way is already in the box.

I must admit that the knife is quite beautiful from an aesthetic point of view, in the next section we will see the knife from a functional point of view.

If we look at the measurements we find:

Total length	Handle length	Blade thickness	Blade length	Scale weight (unsheathed)
19.0 cm	11.2 cm	3.5 mm	7.8 cm	144 gr

Finally, talk about the sheath, made of Kidex and with the Tek Lok system, which is not usually seen much, this system will allow us to carry the knife in various ways and it is also a system that represents a standard known in the world.

Management and use

The first thing we must do is remove it from the case. To do this we will pull it with the help of the thumb pushing on the sheath. The sheath comes with a clip that complies with the Tek Lok standard and we can use it in elements that are compatible with this standard, we can also use it horizontally and vertically.

We have a button where if we press, the clip opens to be able to put it where we want, it also has a locking system so that it cannot be opened, even if the button is pressed, so it will be very secure in a belt. You already know that a Tek Lok clip can be added to any knife sheath or other things that are compatible with Tek Lok clips.

I must emphasize that the knife is very fixed in the sheath and it will not come off, I was also surprised that the material looks good quality, the plastics of the clip look good and there are no gaps or anything.

With the knife in hand, we can see that the handle is anatomical and adapts well to the hand, although it is somewhat thin, but remember that it is a knife of contained size. The texture of the G10 has a medium grip, I mean, it is enough but it does not have one of those textures that could tear the fabric of a pocket. The adjustments of the G10 on the steel are very well done, there are no sharp areas or areas with gaps.

In this version of the knife, we have a jimping on top of the blade to support the thumb, I quite like it because it has a good grip, but without being too aggressive. We can also see the great guard it has, I like that a lot because it will protect the hand from moving towards the dangerous area of the blade, for example, if we try hard to drive the knife into a hard element. And it is that the ways to grip the knife is one of the best things it has.

Being a full tang knife, the handles in G10 are screwed to the area of the blade with torx type screws, not being a tang makes it a very strong knife for tasks, although the use that I see best is the fine work.

The blade is one of the most interesting things because of the ways it can be used. We can see in the upper area of the blade a curvature with a jimping to support the finger, so that we would use an advance grip. And right in front of the generous guard that we have, we can make use of the finger choil, which will fit our finger a little just.

Regarding the factory sharpening of the blade, both the main area and the “both” part, I found it good.

This “tanto” tip reinforced with full flat grind promises, but due to the acute angle that they have given it with respect to the main edge, it is a tremendously penetrating blade as well as strong. Of course, the “tanto” part takes space away from the main edge, we cannot have everything at once.

As for the main edge, it presents a somewhat concave cutout that in practice we can say that it is a partial flat grind. What in a knife like this in terms of size and objectives I see it a good decision.

Final verdict

Gentlemen, what can I say about this piece? I already liked the Kubey KU208 knife that I reviewed a short time ago, but to evaluate a brand you have to try several pieces of it, not just one.

This Kubey KU230 / Golf knife has transmitted to me the same values as the previous piece of the brand, good finishes, good materials used (AUS10 steel), adjustments (good adjustment of the G10 on steel etc.), design and quality.

Therefore, I believe that the brand becomes one of the quality brands that can be perfectly recommended. If you like the design of the knife, I can recommend it because it is very well made and with good materials, so go for it.

What I liked the most

- I like its general aesthetics, I am also a fan of “tanto” tips. The ways of grasping the blade seem very well thought out to me and the guard, finger choil and advanced grip possibilities.

- I don't usually see knives with the Tek Lok system in their sheath, I think it should be highlighted as well.

- AUS10 steel seems to be chosen with good criteria, it is very good steel, without reaching modern super-steels, which would raise the price too much in my opinion.

- The grip of the knife is very good, it adapts very well to the hand, both the handle and the advanced grip on the blade.

What I liked least

- I would love to see this knife in a size of about 24 cms in total length. I tend to like bigger knives, but it's just personal taste.

- I like a thicker tip end on a “tanto” tip, it is very thin.

Moving