I first saw the Bestech Reticulan in a Birdshot IV video. While I loved the size and fact that it was a flipper, the design wasn't the most appealing to me initially. I've had the chance to try it out on loan, and my perspective has completely flipped. The design is so different than the more practical/simple EDC knives I go for which adds some nice variety to my collection. I've been blown away with it as a whole and plan to pick one up for myself as soon as I sell some more gear. It may seem pricey, but in my opinion, it's 100% worth it.
This is my first time checking out a design by Elijah Isham, who seems to be working with a lot of different knife manufacturers at the moment. Like I mentioned earlier, I wasn't the biggest fan of the aesthetics of this knife from the get go. It seemed very out there in terms of design and way too flashy for me. It has grown on me though and now I absolutely love it. All of the knives in my collection are more geared towards functionality which means they have relatively bland designs. This is a nice change of pace with all the neat curves. I also love that Bestech has these in so many different colors (this is the bronze and there's also blue, green and titanium) and a damascus blade as well. It's a beautiful design that is still very functional for EDC. You can definitely have the best of both worlds in terms of functionality and a good looking design with this knife. The quality is very impressive too which is what you'd expect for a more premium, $100+ knife. I'll admit, I hated the Bestech Thorn I tried last year and thought all Bestechs were similarly done. This knife has turned me into a huge fan of them now.
Getting onto the blade, you get a 2" blade with a 1.75" cutting edge in S35VN. That's on the smaller size, yet still capable enough for EDC tasks. The 2" size range has become my personal favorite because of its balance between a compact knife that is still usable. It's been very sharp and is a great slicer. I love the blade shape and the inclusion of the choil. I dig the look of the hole though it's purely for cosmetic reasons.
The action is probably the most impressive aspect of the Reticulan. It flips better than pretty much every flipper I've ever tried with bad flips few and far between (thanks to it running on ceramic ball bearings). Even with just a little pressure on the flipper tab, the blade fires out with authority so quickly and smoothly. The tab is in a good place, and my only slight complaint is that it's a little too sharp on my weak fingers. It's extremely easy to flip this knife despite how small it is. I'd say the blade and action are practically perfect.
Handle wise, it's perfect as well. The curve look cool and help a lot with the ergos. I'm not normally a fan of titanium framelocks, due to weight mostly, but I've grown to like them on these smaller knives for whatever reason. I'm really happy that there's no lanyard hole either. I never use them, and they always ugly up a knife in my opinion. The framelock is solid with no blade play in any direction.
All of the curves make for some great ergos. With it being a tinier knife (2.875" handle), I was expecting it to be a three-finger knife for me. However, with the choil, I can fit a full four-finger grip. It's an extremely solid and comfortable grip without a single hotspot. There's a slight swoop in the blade as well that's a natural resting place for your thumb. The ergos are some of the best I've felt on a knife in this size range.
The clip also has some interesting curvature that goes with the rest of the handle. It's drilled for right-hand tip-up carry only. It's carried well in the waistband so I've got no complaints. The light weight (1.25 ounces) combined with the thinness and slimness make it a great carry option. It does come with a kydex neck sheath as well if you like to carry your knives that way.
Again, the price of $111 seems very high upon first glance, but I do believe it to be well worth that as long as you're going to use it. Even as a classier piece for the collection, it's still probably a great deal. As seen above and below, the packaging is extremely nice, and it even comes with a nice fleece lined pouch, cleaning cloth, and kydex neck sheath. Those are things that aren't standard at this price point and is a huge detail that stands out. The quality/fit and finish are phenomenal which make it such an easy knife to recommend.
Wow what an awesome knife! I did not expect to like it as much as I have, but it's blown me away. It's such a well-done knife in all regards, especially in this size range. If you have an appreciation for smaller knives, I highly recommend it. Otherwise if you've got larger hands, just get a 3"+ flipper instead. I'm looking forward to seeing what other smaller options Bestech has in the works. We're only three months into the new year here, and I already expect this to be the top contender for my favorite knife I tried in 2019. I'm hoping to add one of my own to my collection very soon. Thanks for looking!
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