United Cutlery Mini Sub Commander Knife Review

United Cutlery celebrates over 28 years of innovation and design. For over twenty years United Cutlery has been distinguished by their unique and innovative product designs that cover a wide range of knives and swords, from functional to fantasy: Collectible movie replicas, functional swords and martial arts, fantasy swords, throwing knives, sporting and hunting knives, personal protection and military knives, folding and utility knives, camping and fishing knives, displays and stands.

United is well known for their movie prop replicas, fantasy collectibles, their great selection of functional sport and utility knives, traditional samurai swords, and their unique designer knives and swords by Kit Rae and Gil Hibben. Often imitated, but never exceeded, United Cutlery strives to make their knives and swords to the highest standards in the industry, with superior value, quality, performance, great customer service, and prices that cannot be beat. Untied Cutlery sells solely to wholesale dealers and distributors, so the perfect place to pick on up is at BladeOps.

Today, we will be talking about the United Cutlery Mini Sub Commander Fixed Blade Boot/Neck knife, AUS-6 Bead Blasted blade.

The Blade:

The blade on this knife is made out of AUS-6 stainless steel. AUS-6 is an entry level Japanese cutlery steel in the same class as 440A. AUS-6 was used a lot in entry level knives form CRKT, Kershaw, and SOG, but has been seen less and less in current knives. AUS-6 is typically hardened to RC 55-58 or so, and take a very fine edge, though edge retention is not as good as steel such as 440C. The carbon content in this steel is close to 0.65%. It is a low cost steel and has slightly higher wear resistance when compared to 420J. This steel is mostly used in kitchen cutlery, pocket knives, cutting tools, and sporting blades. Like 440A, AUS-6 has an approximate carbon content of 0.65% but has the added elements of vanadium and nickel to improve its resistance to wear, its anti-corrosive properties, and its overall toughness. And even though stainless steel is already a corrosion resistant metal, the added vanadium raises this property higher. IT makes the steel tougher overall, a useful trait for some of the niche applications it is used in. The vanadium is also instrumental in making the surface and edge of the metal a lot easier to sharpen.  AUS-6 is designed to be honed to a very fine edge for a sharp, easy cutting blade. Its ease of sharpening and ability to carry a finer edge does come at a sacrifice, as AUS-6 stainless steel has a bit of a diminished quality in the area of edge retention. While easily and accurately sharpened, blades constructed of AUS-6 will require more frequent resharpening as they will dull easier. Because it is an entry level steel, it leaves the manufacturers the ability to make serviceable products and offer them to the average customer at a decent price. A simple wipe with water and a cloth will keep the surface, and edge, clean and serviceable. However, the loner the blade of this knife is used the more chance of stress fractures when applied to heavy work. As with any metal product, the consumer must take into account exactly what the usage of the product will be. IF you are looking for a good, inexpensive blade for minimal use, AUS 6 is the perfect choice for your needs.

The blade has been finished with a bead blasted finish. This finish is created by using abrasive glass or ceramic beads, and blasting the materials at a high pressure against the metal, resulting in an even gray finish. A blasted finish reduces reflection and glare due to its even matte surface. Creating a blasted finish is a base level or user level finish on a knife blade. The blasting creates and increased surface area and micro abrasions make the steel more prone to rust and corrosion. A blasted blade, even from stainless steel, can rust overnight if left in a very humid environment. This means that you are going to have to maintain your upkeep on the Mini Sub Commander blade.

This blade has been finished with a dual-edge dagger style blade. The dagger blade is also known as a needle point blade, and it is all about the point. A dagger is a double edge blade whose primary purpose is piercing and stabbing. It is composed of 2 symmetrical sharpened blades that taper to a very thin sharp point, which pierces easily into soft targets. The two sharp edges reduce the profile of the knife and let it cut in on both sides equally. This makes them a favorite blade design for self-defense in close combat situations. Dagger blades are popular among military and police personnel because of their ability to be easily concealed and easily withdrawn from their sheathes. However, there are some disadvantages to the dagger blade design. Because eth geometry of the blade lacks a belly and contains quickly thickening edges, it is not good for slicing or slashing. Also, because the tip is very sharp and thin, it is weak and has a tendency to break when used on hard targets. If you are looking for the ultimate blade designed specifically for piercing, then the dagger style blade is exactly what you are looking for.

For the most part, the plain edge is better than the serrated when the application involves push cuts. A plain edge is also superior when extreme control, accuracy, and clean cuts are necessary, regardless of whether or not the job is push cuts or slices. The plain edge will work better for applications like shaving, peeling an apple, or skinning a deer. This is because all of these applications involved either mostly push cuts, or the need for extreme control. And, in general, the more push cuts that are used, the more necessary it is for the plain edge to have a razor polished edge. A knife becomes more polished when you move to higher and higher grit stones. One of the only exceptions when it comes to the plain edge is when you are cutting a tomato. Because the tomato is soft, the tomato will just squish if you try to cut it with a plain edge. You want a serrated edge so that you can use a slicing motion.

The Handle:

The handle on this knife is made out of TPR, or Thermoplastic Rubber. This material is a class of copolymers or a physical mix of polymers which consist of materials with both thermoplastic and elastomeric properties. While most elastomers are thermosets, thermoplastics are in contrast relatively easy to use in manufacturing, for example, by injection molding. Thermoplastic rubbers show advantages typical of both rubbery materials and plastic materials. The benefit of using thermoplastic rubbers it the ability to stretch to moderate elongations and return to its near original shape, creating a longer life and better physical range than other materials. A handle made out of TPR will have deep grooves to ensure slip resistance, even when handled with wet or slippery hands. The thermoplastic rubber handle is lightweight, moisture-resistant, and feel comfortable in your hand. This handle will be weather resistant, have low temperature flexibility, and will be resistant to many chemicals. They are light weight and can come in a range of colors. The handle on this knife is black.

The handle has a very unique shape. At the point where the blade meets the handle, there is a very wide finger guard to protect your hand from slipping and getting cut during use. The handle does flare towards the butt, to help give you a more secure grip and more control over the knife during the harder tasks. Another thing that United Cutlery has added to help with grip is a row of ridges going down the length of the blade. This handle will be comfortable, secure, and give you a very solid grip in almost any situation.

The butt of the handle has been equipped with a lanyard hole. For starters, it will secure against loss. You can easily attach a lanyard onto your knife and then tie it onto your backpack/belt/whatever you choose. Another benefit of using a lanyard hole is that it gives you more safety while using it. Lastly, you can add a touch of your own style to your knife with a lanyard of your choosing.

The Mechanism:
This knife is a fixed blade. Fixed blades are strong and big. A fixed blade can essentially come in whatever size you need, form a small handy blade to a large “Crocodile Dundee” sized monster. One trait that cuts across all sizes of a fixed blade is the strength of the blade. Secondly, they don’t break. There are no moving parts on a fixed blade to break. And, there are no super small parts to break on a fixed blade. Thirdly, they are easier to maintain. You do not have to worry about the hinge as you do with a folding knife. Plus, cleaning is super straightforward and simple. All you have to do is wipe down the blade and handle, and occasionally oil it, and you are good to go. Fourth, the blade length. Fixed blades are usually twice as long as the blade eon a folding knife. This is because the blade does not have to fit inside of the handle, which also means that it can be thicker than the blade on a folding knife. The next great benefit to having a fixed blade is the superior tactical use. Generally speaking, a fixed blade knife can be brought into play faster than a folding knife during tactical situations. With a folding knife, you have to draw out the knife, deploy it, and then you are ready to go. With a fixed blade, all you have to do is withdraw it form its sheath and then you are good to go. Last on this list, but certainly not the least, a fixed blade is a superior survival tool. A fixed blade offers more versatility for any numbers of tasks associated with so called survival knives such as cutting, digging, splitting, first aid tool, food preparation, hunting weapon, hammering, and even a prying tool.

The Sheath:

This knife comes with a polymer sheath. One of the advantages to this sheath is that it is inexpensive, but that also means that the quality is going to be a little bit lower. But, this sheath will do the job that it needs to do for extended amounts of time. However, it will keep a lot of moisture in the sheath, which can become detrimental to the steel on the blade. This sheath will do the job that it needs to, for the time that it needs to, but it’s not a bad idea to look into getting a different sheath for your knife.

The Specs:

The blade on this knife measures in at 2.5 inches long, with a thickness of 0.06 inches. The overall length of the knife is 5 inches long, with the handle measuring in at 2.5 inches long. This knife weighs in at 1.6 ounces. The sheath weighs in at 1 ounce.

Conclusion:

United Cutlery products offer a vast array of products–from tactical knives to throwing knives, swords, novelty items and seemingly everything in between. With an emphasis on providing the best quality product at a competitive price point, United Cutlery is slowly making a name for itself throughout the industry. Each full tang design features a symmetrical handle design that features a flared body that transitions to reveal dual guards for increased security when in use. Furthermore, the flared nature of the scales allows you to really choke up for a slip-proof grip. This smaller model features a black TPR (Thermoplastic Rubber) handle, a dual-edged dagger style blade in a bead blast finish and the black polymer sheath includes a lanyard for several carry options. Pick your United Cutlery Mini Sub Commander today at BladeOps.