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Initial Report: Imlay Canyon Gear
Canyon Knife
Date: May 10, 2005
Tester
Information:
Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 47
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in
(1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77
kg)
E-mail address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western
West Virginia, U.S.A.
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Backpacking Background:
Last year I finally
acted on a long time interest in backpacking, starting out slowly by
day hiking,
researching backpacking products and techniques, purchasing gear, and doing a few overnight
trips, including one solo. This year I
hope to fit in at least one longer trip in addition to several more
overnight and weekend trips. I hike and
backpack mainly
in the hills and valleys of West Virginia, and use a hammock sleeping
system. For a two-day trip my typical pack
weighs
22-30 lb (10-14 kg), and I hope to lighten that a bit.
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 Product Information
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Manufacturer: Imlay Canyon Gear
Year of manufacture: 2005
Date of Delivery: May 2, 2005
Manufacturer Website: www.ImlayGear.com
MSRP: $19.95 US
Features:
Made of 440-C surgical stainless steel
Serrated blade which locks open
Bottle opener
Clips to a carabiner
Will not open when clipped to a locking carabiner
Opens & closes with one hand
 Physical description:
Advertised Weight: 0.7 oz (20 g)
Delivered Weight: 0.7 oz (20 g)
Advertised blade length: 1-1/8 in (29 mm)
Measured blade length: 1-1/16 in (27 mm)
Measured blade height: 3/4 in (19 mm)
Advertised overall length opened: 3-3/8 in (86 mm)
Measured overall length opened: 3-3/8 in (86 mm)
Measured overall length closed: 2-3/8 in (60 mm)
Measured overall height: 1 in (25 mm)
This tiny knife is basically two pieces of silver colored stainless
steel, joined in a manner I've never seen before. The blade
pivots around a rivet-like fastener, with a C-shaped guide housing a
small metal protrusion, which appears to serve the purpose of keeping
the blade on track as it opens and closes. A similarly shaped
protrusion on the opposite side of the knife assists in opening and
closing the knife, giving me a place to grasp the blade safely.
On the butt end is a ring sized to fit a locking carabiner. On
the inside of the blade appears the word "Trango". When open, the
blade locks in place due to a small section on the bottom of the handle
popping up as the blade fully opens, blocking it from closing
back. After I opened it the first time, it was interesting to try
to figure out how to close it, as this wasn't obvious to
me right away. After a few seconds of looking the knife
over, I found
out that it was necessary to press down on the bottom section of the
handle while pushing the blade, until the blade passes over the tip of
this bottom section, causing it to stay depressed.. At the very
bottom of this lower section, the handle is formed in such a way that
it can be used as a bottle opener. I find this a handy feature,
because while there are few bottles requiring such an opener since the
proliferation of twist tops, not having a bottle opener when needed is
frustrating and hard on my fingers as I try to pry the cap open.
The knife is unusual in that it is only covered on one side when
closed, unlike other jackknifes I have owned which "sandwich" between
two outside layers when closed. I was concerned that not having
the blade enclosed on both sides might expose me to accidentally
cutting myself on the non-covered side as I carried the knife, but this
hasn't happened in a week of having the knife on my key ring, and the
outside edge doesn't seem sharp. The inside edge is a different
story - I have found it very sharp. So far I've used it numerous
times for tasks from cutting packaging tape to chopping a carrot.
The knife excels at small tasks, sharply slicing tape or food
packaging, but I found it a little too small to make chopping a carrot
easy. The knife is easy to hold, opens and closes smoothly, and
has a nice heft and balance, feeling substantial but not heavy.
In the week I've carried it so far, the blade has not accidentally
opened or accidentally closed at any time.
Packaging:
The knife was shipped to me attached to a small folded tag with a
picture of a rappeller on a canyon wall, a description of the features,
a warning to carry it on a locked carabiner to avoid losing it, and
the manufacturer's name, physical address, and website address. I
was slightly disappointed that no use and care instructions were
provided, in particular whether the serrated blade can be sharpened,
and if so, how to best accomplish this.
 Testing plan –
I will be
carrying this knife nearly everywhere I go in the next six months,
because I have already found I love having it handy to grab for small
cutting chores. It's already been installed on a mini-biner
attached to my key ring, and will have a more or less permanent home
there. Attached to the mini-biner instead of a full-sized locking
one, I can open the knife as needed while still attached. It will
go along on all my backpacking trips, and I will be working out the
best way to carry it there, since I don't always take my full key ring,
detaching the necessary car key instead and storing it safely away in
my pack. The knife does nestle easily into a pocket, so
that may be its "vacation home" on backpacking excursions, or I may
attach it to my pack with a mini-biner. Although my current
mini-knife is buried down inside my first aid kit, I don't see that
happening to this handy little jewel - I want it easily accessible.
Field Information:
Most of my backpacking and dayhiking trips will occur in West
Virginia and nearby bordering states.
West Virginia trails will vary from the mountainous
eastern region of the state with elevations from 2500 to over 4000 ft
(762 to
over 1219 m), to the river valley corridors in the eastern,
western and central
part of the state, with elevations from 550 to 1000 ft (168 to 305
m). Bordering states I might visit
would have similar elevations, and might include Virginia, Ohio,
Kentucky, or
Pennsylvania. Temperatures would likely
range
from lows in the 40 F (4 C) range to highs up to or slightly above 100
F
(38 C)
during the test period, with ample rainfall and humidity.
As I carry
the Canyon knife, I plan to observe and report on the
following:
- Durability – has the blade chipped or broken or have there
been any other problems?
- Ease of Use – Have I experienced any trouble
using the knife to cut what I need it to?
Does it remain easy to open & close?
- Blade - Has it stayed
sharp? Can I find out if it can be sharpened if necessary and how
to best do so?
- Cleaning – Is it easy to keep the blade and the housing of
the knife clean? Has there been any
staining or
discoloring of the knife?
- Carrying ease – Do I often
misplace this tiny knife? Where and how do I find I prefer
carrying it? Does it continue to work well on a mini-biner?
- Utility – Do I find it a
useful tool for all my cutting needs while backpacking, or has it been
inadequate at times?
Likes so far:
Everything!!!
All right, to be a bit more specific, I like the super light weight,
the balance, the sharpness of the blade, and the ease of opening and
closing the knife, which I have accomplished one handed.
Dislikes so far:
Nothing!!!
(Well, maybe the fact that more specific use and care instructions
weren't provided with it)
Thanks
to Imlay Canyon Gear and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to
test this cool little knife.
Read more reviews of Imlay Canyon Gear gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant
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