Bestech Thorn Thoughts

Bestech is a newcomer to the knife world that's gotten a lot of hype. The Thorn is the first one I've tried, and I have to say, I'm not impressed. If I was looking for a mid-sized budget knife, I'd just go for the Ontario Rat 2 instead. They do have a lot of other models, so I shouldn't discount them as a company quite yet. This one is not the one for me.

As far as likes go, there are just a handful. I love all the color options Bestech did with them. I dig this OD green! I do like the G10 scales and the texturing along the edges. It helps add some extra grip and looks cool at the same time. The liner lock is easy to access with the cutout and has solid lockup. The choil is a nice inclusion but not something I need on a bigger blade like this. It's a 3" 12C27 blade which is a steel I don't have much familiarity with. I'm not steel snob, and it's performed just fine for me. They go for $52 on Blade HQ which is fair for what you're getting.

For dislikes, the first thing that stood out to me is the hideous two-tone blade. I don't know why Bestech thought such a contrast would look good. Maybe if the blade was stonewashed it might go well together. However, the super shiny blade paired with pitch black looks absolutely awful in my opinion. It shouldn't bother me as much as it does, but if I don't like the look of a knife, why would I carry it? The action is surprisingly sub-par too. Half the time I flip it, I get weak half-deployments. It takes just the right amount of pressure to get it to flip cleanly. The ergos aren't comfortable for me either. The handle comes to more abrupt points near the end of the knife which I'm not a fan of. I like smooth curves and rounded edges on the handles, both of which this knife lack. Can we also talk about weird the clip is? I've never before seen a knife company put a chunk of G10 under the clip to elevate it. It sticks out way too far and digs into my hand during use. I'd rather have the clip be recessed in the handle instead of making the knife that much thicker.

When you pair the ugly design choices with bad ergos and flipping action, you're not getting an impressive EDC knife. I've hated this knife overall and wouldn't recommend it in the slightest. For $50ish, you can find a lot of better budget options. They do seem to have some nicer options in the $100+ price range if you're willing to fork over that much money. I've seen some interesting smaller ones from them which is nice to see. Thanks for looking!