Brous Blades Limited Edition Zombie Coroner Fixed Blade Knife Review

Jason Brous knows that he is not like most knife makers. Although he was still in his early 20s, Brous began his efforts in knife making with the benefit of nearly 10 years of experience in CNC machining. His father owned a shop that specializes in the custom machining of high-precision components, mainly for the medical industry.

Jason spent a lot of time in his father’s shop while growing up, and by his mid-teens was actively helping out with production. His skills and knowledge steadily increased and by the time he was 20 he was a seasoned and very competent machinist.

Jason’s interest in knives actually began with art—specifically a style called “Bio-mechanical”—as practiced by one of his favorite artists, a Brazilian painter and tattooist named Lango. Biomechanical art (also called Biomech) is a surrealistic style of art that combines elements of machines and robotics with organic animal features. Intrigued by this style of art and tis similarity to many fantasy knives, Jason figured that knife making would be a natural extension of his metalworking skills and an appropriate medium for his artistic ideas. Although he had no specific training in knife making, in 2010 he designed and made his first knife—a fantasy design with a Biomech flavor—and eagerly posted photos of it on several Internet knife forums. Unfortunately for him, his design drew harsh criticism from some all-knowing keyboard commandos. However, fortunately for us, he turned that criticism into fierce determination which ultimately led to his success.

Through persistent trial and error, Jason changed his style of knife design to focus on functional simplicity, while still maintaining a strong artistic signature. His early successes came in the form of a series of stout neck knives with dual finger-hole grips. Fans of these “Silent Soldier” neck knives began asking for other expressions of the design. Since then, Jason has created numerous variations including a clip point version, a tanto version and the very popular folder version called the Silent Soldier Flipper.

Today we are going to be discussing the Brous Blades Limited Edition Zombie Coroner Fixed blade.

 

The Blade:

The blade on this knife is made out of D2 tool steel. This is considered a high-end steel and is often known as being “semi-stainless.” This just means that the steel provides a really high level of resistance to corrosion, but it does fall short of the required amount of chromium to qualify as full stainless steel. D2 steel is also much harder than other high end steels such as 154CM or ATS-34 and because of it being harder, it does hold its edge better than those two other steels. But, because it is a harder steel, it does lose out on some of its toughness and this steel does prove hard to sharpen. It’s not just tricky to sharpen it, you’re probably going to need a master-sharpener to actually get a fine edge on this knife.

The blade finish is what gives this knife its name: it has been finished with a Zombie Green coating that features red splatter to look like blood. Coatings definitely give you some serious benefits. For starters, because they create a barrier between the steel and the environment, the ability to withstand rust and wear is significantly improved. And, coatings are completely matte which isn’t something that you are going to find in a lot of other knife finishes. However, coatings aren’t super high quality when it comes to how long they are going to stay on the blade. Many of the other blade finishing options involve actually changing the steel itself, but a coating is just applied onto the blade. Because of this, after continuous use or even just heavy use, the coating is going to scratch off. Once the coating has scratched off, you are going to need to have it reapplied if you wish to keep the same benefits. One of the last benefits of coatings that stands out on this particular Brous Blade is that you can get a very wide variety of colors.

The blade itself has been carved into a spear point blade shape with a thick chainsaw pattern milled onto the spine of the blade. A spear point blade shape is often compared to a needle point blade because they are both so good at piercing. But, a spear point actually has the stronger point out of the two and it does contain a small belly that adds a little something that the needle point blade does not give you. The spear point is a symmetrically pointed blade with a point that is in line with the center line of the blade’s long axis. Both edges of the knife rise and fall equally to create a point that lines up exactly with the equator of the blade. The spear point has a strong point that is still tough enough to be used to stab and pierce. And because it does have a lowered point, it is easily controllable and can be used for fine tip work if needed. One of the major benefits about a spear point blade that the needle point blade does not have is that a spear point blade does contain a small belly which can be sued for some cutting and slicing applications. But, if you are seeking a blade specifically for the belly, you should look more towards a drop point blade or a clip point blade style, because the spear points’ belly is relatively small. The spear point blade is a fantastic hybrid design that gives you a good balance between piercing and slicing while combining the sharp point that you find on a dagger with the strength of the tip that you like in your drop point blades. All of this, and it even gives you a small belly; it’s hard to go wrong with a spear point blade shape.

The blade one this knife has been ground with a hollow grind. The hollow grind is a common grind where a convex hollow is removed from both sides of the edge. This results in a sharp edge, but it also results in a thinner edge, so it might be more prone to damage.

 

The Handle:

This is a full tang knife, which means that the steel of the blade extends clear down to the butt of the handle. This is a huge advantage on a fixed blade knife because it increases the toughness of the knife tenfold. This is because there is no weak spot where the handle and the blade have been melded together. And, if the handle scales happen to break, you actually are left with a fully working knife. If you are looking for a very strong fixed blade, a full tang is the way to go.

The handle scales are made out of black G10. G10 is the common term that you get when your knife handle is made out of a grade of fiberglass composite laminate. This material is made in a very different way when compared to carbon fiber, but they offer very similar properties. G10 is resistant to corrosion and rust, which keeps maintenance time down significantly. G10 is also easily textured and because of this it offers fantastic grip. Unfortunately, G10 does tend to be on the more brittle side and does not resist impact well. One of the other drawbacks to a G10 handle is that it does resemble a plastic in look and feel; it does not have a ton of character behind it.
The handle has some heavy texturing, so you aren’t going to have to worry about this knife slipping out of your hand in any environment. And, to keep your fingers comfortable and safe, there are three finger grooves to grip the handle better. The first two are deeper and rounder, the third is more shallow and elongated.

 

The Mechanism:

The Zombie Coroner is a fixed blade—and a massive one at that. There are a couple of things about fixed blades that people either love or hate. The biggest one is that fixed blades are huge. The blades are thicker, longer, and sturdier than a pocket knife. Some people don’t appreciate this fact because it is harder to conceal a fixed blade than a pocket knife, but with this knife, I don’t think anyone would be trying to conceal it.

Because they are so much bigger, they are tougher, more durable, and more likely to last through life without too much care. This knife would make an excellent survival knife because it is so thick and long that you could easily use it for things other than cutting; such as digging, prying, hammering, hunting, and even first aid.

Like I mentioned, fixed blades need much less care throughout their life and the care that they do need is more simple to pull off. Because there are no inner mechanisms, moving parts, or small pieces, cleaning this knife is going to much easier than your typical pocket knife. Instead of worrying about all of the inner pieces or taking apart your knife to truly get it clean and then having to worry about losing a part or putting it back together, all you have to do with this knife is wipe it down and oil the blade every once in a while.

The last benefit of using a fixed blade is that it can be brought into a tactical situation faster than a folding knife could. All you have to do is unsheathe it and you are ready to go.

 

The Sheath:

The sheath that is included with this knife is a Kydex sheath that has a belt loop for side carry. Kydex is a thermoplastic acrylic-polyvinyl chloride material that is often used in sheaths and holsters. This is a much more modern material, which does carry its advantages. For starters, it’s waterproof. This material can be submerged in saltwater and still maintain its quality. Kydex is also scratch resistant, so you can take it with you on any adventure and not have to worry about the sheath becoming destroyed. It also won’t stretch or shrink over time—Kydex sheaths are crazy durable and will hold up very well when expose to different environments. Plus, they are super low maintenance and require very little attention.

But, not any material is without its disadvantages. For starters, Kydex sheaths are very noisy and have a snapping sound when you are putting your blade back into the sheath. Some people have a satisfaction that comes with this sound, but others hate it, because the sound is going to draw attention to your and your massive knife. The biggest disadvantage about using a Kydex sheath is that after repeatedly withdrawing and replacing your knife in the sheath will end up dulling the blade’s edge.

 

The Specs:

The blade on this fixed blade measures in at 6.25 inches long, with a cutting edge that measures in at 5.9 inches long. The overall blade thickness on this knife measures in at a quarter of an inch. The overall length of this knife measures in at a whopping 11.25 inches long—almost an entire foot of pure aggression! This knife weighs in at 12.6 ounces, so definitely one of the heavier knives that you are going to come across.

 

Conclusion:

The Brous Blades Limited Edition Zombie Coroner features a broad hollow ground blade for aggressive hacking and slicing.  The full tang zombie green with red splatter finished D2 blade is built for heavy cuts and sports a chainsaw pattern milled deep into the blade spine.  The deep swedge adds penetrating power to this spear point chopper.  With aggressive jimping on the spine and a large finger guard, the Coroner gives you a solid grip.  Thick, textured G-10 slabs along with deep finger grooves add to your grip.  Comes with a custom Kydex sheath and belt loop for side carry. Come pick up your Brous Blades Limited Edition Zombie Coroner Fixed Blade knife today at BladeOps.