The Joker’s Wild BlackOut Cupid Clone Knife Review

The Joker’s Wild OTF knife is patterned after the classic Cupid Clone knife that the Joker uses in the Dark Knight movie.  This single action Out the Front automatic has classic looks and rapid fire action.

The Blade:

The blade on this knife is made out of 440C stainless steel. There are three different types of 440 steel. This is an upper mid-range steel that was once considered high-end in US knife steels. This steel is a good all-around steel that has now been overshadowed by many of the newer super steels that are everywhere. But, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good steel. This is a stainless steel that is a solid choice for most knives. This steel is reasonably tough and wear resistant, but it excels at stain resistance. This steel does hold a better edge than its sister steels, yet it still has the same corrosion resistance. Knives that are made out of this steel can be sharpened easily. And, out of the 440 steels, this formula does have the highest levels of carbon and chromium. The level of carbon is between .95-1.20%. It is this content that makes this steel a higher end stainless steel. This alloy of steel is one of the most common in knives because it is such a good all-around steel.

The blade has been finished with a black, coated finish. A coated finish reduces the reflection and glare while also reducing wear and corrosion. One of the drawbacks to a coated blade though is that ALL coatings can be scratched off after continuous heavy use and the blade will have to be recoated at that point if you wish for it to have the same qualities. As a guideline, the harder the finish, the more resistant to wear and the more expensive to add to a knife. Quality coatings do add cost to a knife, but they also provide much better corrosion resistance, less reflection, and require less maintenance. Many times, people do see the better quality coatings as a smart investment. Coatings are one of the few matte finishes.

The Joker’s Wild Blackout Cupid Clone knife has a dagger style blade. This type of blade shape is also known as a needle point blade. This style is basically the opposite of a sheepsfoot blade, which lacks a point. The dagger has been designed for the point. This shape of blade is a double edged blade whose primary purpose is piercing and stabbing. The blade is composed of 2 symmetrical sharpened blades that taper to a very thin sharp point, which pieces easily into soft targets. The two sharp edges reduce the profile of the knife and let it cut in on both sides equally. This is one of the reasons that makes them a favorite blade design for self-defense, especially in close combat situations. Dagger blades are very popular among military and police because of their ability to be easily concealed (think in a boot) and easily withdrawn from them sheathes. Of course, with all blade shapes, there are some disadvantages to the dagger blade design. Because of the geometry, the blade lacks any belly and contains quickly thickening edges. These two features means that this blade is not going to be good for slicing or slashing. One of the other disadvantages is that because the tip is very sharp and thin, it is weak and does have a tendency to break when used on hard targets. If you are searching for a good balance between stabbing and cutting, the best choice for you is probably the clip point blade. But, if you are looking for the ultimate blade designed specifically for piercing or stabbing, look no further, because you have found your best option.

The blade on this knife is plain edged. A plain blade is one continuous sharp edge and they are the most traditional option. Plain blades serve a much wider purpose as their most useful application is what most of us think of when we think of using a knife: a strong, steady pressure. One of the other huge advantages to owning a plain edge is that it won’t snag or fray when cutting though some ropes, although with other ropes, particularly ones made of plastics or other synthetic materials, the blade may simply slip instead of cut. In short, a plain edge will cut cleanly, while a serrated blade will give you jagged cuts.

The Handle:

The handle on the Cupid Clone is made out of aluminum. This is a very durable material for knife handles. It is a low density metal but it does provide a nice, hefty feel to the knife without actually weighing the knife down. This is a huge benefit because you want your knife to be able to have the weight behind it to take on life’s challenges, but you also don’t want the knife weighing you down. The most common type of aluminum that is used today is the T6-6061 alloy, which does have tremendous tensile strength. When an aluminum handle is properly texturized, it can provide you with a reasonably secure grip that is also comfortable and easy for extended use. On the flip side, if you use your knife quite a bit during colder winter months, you might find the handle uncomfortably cold given its conductive properties. Aluminum is generally considered inferior to its stronger, yet more expensive brother Titanium which tends to be found on the more premium knives.

The aluminum on this knife handle has been anodized black. Anodizing is an electrochemical process that converts the metal surface into a decorative, durable, corrosion resistant, anodic oxide finish. Aluminum is ideally suited to anodizing, although other nonferrous metals can also be anodized. Because this knife has an anodized handle, the color is black, the handle is harder, and more protected. This is an ideal finish for the Cupid Clone knife.

The handle is rectangular with an arrow shaped top. The butt of the handle does flare out, which gives you a slight hammer, and helps with grip. To help you with your grip, there are deep grooves cut down the idle of the handle in a rectangular shape and also at the very top of the handle, in three arrows.

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip has been statically designed for tip down carry only. It is a black pocket clip that is held in place by two small, black screws. These screws match the rest of the knives hardware, giving it the name Blackout. The pocket clip is straight and long, which will fit snugly and safely in your pocket.

The Mechanism:

This knife is an out the front, or OTF, knife. An OTF knife is also known as a sliding knife or a telescoping knife. This is a pocket knife with a blade that opens and closes through a hole in one end of the handle. This contrasts with the majority of other knives, which are either standard folding knives or fixed blade knives. OTF only refers to the basic portion of the knife’s mechanical operation where the blade slides parallel with the handle to deploy. OTF knives are also further subdivided into two groups: automatic or manual OTF knives. The Joker’s Wild Blackout Cupid Clone knife is an automatic OTF knife. An automatic OTF knife blade travels within an internal track or channel in the same manner as a manual slider or gravity knife. But the automatic main spring drive and button mechanism enclosed within requires a switchblade handle to be thicker or longer than a similar size gravity or sliding knife. The term “slider” is usually not applied.

Once you get into the automatic OTF knife category, it is actually divided into two other categories. There are the single action and the double action. This knife is a single action which means that the knife will deploy automatically, but it must be manually cocked or retracted to close. This knife is deployed by the button in the middle of the knife handle.

Because this is an automatic knife, there are a variety of strict laws surrounding this knife. Automatic knives are not legal in all states, cities, or areas, so be aware of your local laws before purchasing and carrying this knife.

OTF knives have actually been around for a while. The first known patent, although for a manual one, was in 1860. The first spring powered OTF knife followed shortly the year after. These knives were originally designed to be light-duty knives designed for people who may have to hold on to something while opening a folding knife. Now, there is a myth that an OTF can be placed against someone and opened, piercing the victim. The spring in this style of knives I much too weak and really only propels the blade about a quarter of the way open, with inertia doing the rest. So while it might poke the person, it is highly unlikely that they would be stabbed.

The Specs:

The blade on this knife is 3.3 inches long, with the blade sporting an overall length of 8.4 inches The handle on this knife is 5.1 inches. This is a lightweight knife that weighs in at only 4 ounces.

Conclusion:

The Joker’s wild Cupid Clone automatic knife is a single-action out the front knife that closely resembles that of the Dalton cupid model which The Joker was seen weilding in the iconic Batman movie. A single action out the front knife by definition means that the blade is automatically deployed with the push of a button and then is manually retracted with a lever feature—in this case found on the side of the handle. This wildly popular knife showcases amazing construction and a lockup that is as solid as knives even 10 times the price. This exclusive blackout model features a black aluminum handle, all-black hardware, a dagger style blade in a black finish and a pocket clip that is statically designed for tip down carry only. The 440 stainless steel is tough, hard, durable, and very resistant to corrosion. The aluminum handle is very durable, especially with the anodization process on it, however, it will feel cold in the winter months. The dagger style blade is ideal for piercing and stabbing, but does have a weak tip that is prone to snapping. Pick yours up today at BladeOps.