Reviews > Knives > Folding > Xikar 138 Excel Knife > Dennis Shubitowski > Long Term Report

Long Term Report - Xikar 138 Excel

Report Outline

Biography <back to top>

I was born, raised, and currently live in Michigan. I have been camping with family since I was a young tot. I have been backpacking since the early 1990s along with other outdoor activities like hunting, geocaching, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and canoeing. I backpack in every season - rain, snow, or shine. My hiking philosophy has moved toward lightweight backpacking (or lighter) from my heavyweight days. I now sleep under a tarp or in a hammock, I usually wear a frameless backpack, and I cook on a homemade alcohol or Esbit stove with a titanium pot. My average three season load for a multi-day trip, including food and water, is usually less than 25 lbs (11.3 kg).

Product Information <back to top>

The following table is information provided by the manufacturer. From my measurements, all dimensions are exactly as stated by Xikar. I do not own a micrometer for any further verification.

Long Term Report <back to top>

I am fortunate to report that the entire test period remained accident free! The Long Term testing period has continued throughout the winter months here in Michigan. Temperatures bottomed out around -5º F (-21º C) during January but the winter shortened pretty quickly due to spring-like weather in February and has pretty much stayed that way. The knife has accompanied me hiking, camping, cross country skiing and snowshoeing along with everyday activities. I have used the clip to carry the knife in my front right pants pocket of both my work clothes and hiking clothes almost every day. The knife has been a true delight to carry and use on a regular basis. I have not carried a knife of this type or quality before and now I do not think I will be without one in the future. To be honest, I have almost nothing negative to say about the quality, workmanship and design of this knife. I will comment on the specific components of the knife below.

Blade:

The blade has not shown any unusual wear over the course of the test period. I have sharpened the knife approximately six times since the start of the test period and have steeled/honed the blade countless times. I neglected to measure the width of the blade at the start of the test but it does not appear to have lost much steel from excess sharpenings like old knives can look. I can say it still looks quite new and has many, many years of sharpenings left in it. Sharpening methods included using a Lansky sharpening kit through the ultra-fine (yellow) hone, freehand on a diamond whetstone with no oil, honing in a Chef Select 120 home sharpener (basically a rotary stropper), and professionally by a company called Precision Sharpening (I believe he used a Tru-All sharpener). I found very little difference in the method of sharpening, including professionally, and the length of time the knife remained "sharp" (he says proudly). This blade did seem a little softer than other blades I have used however. Comparing sharpness between sharpening methods is somewhat subjective as it really depends on what the knife is used to cut. I did not perform any testing of the knife where I repeatedly cut a material to see how long it took to dull the blade. The biggest difference in sharpness was noticed with frequent honing. Honing does not remove steel, but instead straightens or realigns the knife edge to return the blade to feeling sharp. When honing no longer seemed to work, it was time to sharpen it and reset the blade angle (usually 20º). With daily usage, the blade needed to be sharpened about once a month. Otherwise, the blade steel has not corroded or discolored in the slightest, the markings on the knife blade (Built in Italy/Lion Steel and Xikar USA) are still very intact and not at all worn, and the thumb post still works just fine with no noticeable wear on it.

I really like the shape of the blade - it has worked well in most any of the situations I have used it in. It really does look like a miniature chef's knife - it slices, chops, and cuts with good compromise compared to other blade shapes I have used. The blade has an elongated hole at the top of it which mainly seems to collect material, especially when gunky things like cheese are cut. The hole, as far as I know, is used to assist in opening the blade when using both hands, but I usually open the knife with one hand via the thumb post. The knife continues to train me and I can now open it one-handed like second nature. I am right handed and it works best in that hand due to both the clip and liner-lock (when used in the left hand the clip feels in the way and the liner-lock needs to be unlocked in an awkward direction).

Handle

The handle looks about the same as it did at the Field Report period - I have not noticed any further markings or wear on the handle in either the anodized or G10 portion. The anodized coating has not scratched or worn further either which has been quite nice considering how the test started out. When I first received the knife, it did not take long for the black anodized coating to get marked up. This did not affect the usage of the knife but it did detract from the looks of the knife. I am still very pleased with the design and style of the handle as far as using the knife goes. The G10 material has worked well from warm to absolutely frigid weather, and it has not cracked, worn, or shown any other signs of wear. I thought the knife might be uncomfortable to use in cold weather but the knife did not feel cold to the touch in the slightest. In the cold, I usually used the knife barehanded if the task was quick or with a liner glove if using it off and on. I did not attempt to use the knife with gloves or mittens for safety purposes.

Clip:

I have used the clip to carry the knife almost exclusively. I attached it to my pants pocket for both work and hiking. I liked having it in my pocket for easy access as opposed to attaching it to my shoulder strap or hipbelt where I feared it might be lost or bumped off. The clip has remained extremely tight despite being used nearly every day. Even now I cannot slide the clip over a piece of paper without lifting it away from the knife body, and when I do, it stays very firmly attached. I have had no issues regarding the clip during the test period. If I did, it can be taken off by removing the three small Torx head screws that hold it in place, but I have not found that necessary to do.

Liner-lock:

The liner-lock has worked very well during the test period. It has not needed any adjustment and it never failed even once during hundreds of openings and closings. This is a good thing and I feel quite secure with the safety mechanism although I am still wary as with any sharp instrument. The liner-lock does tend to stick when long cuts are made or a lot of pressure has been put on the blade. It can then take a bit of effort to unlock the liner-lock after these cuts and it is somewhat annoying. It never bothered me enough, however, to think about having the lock adjusted. As stated earlier, the liner-lock is easiest (and safest) to unlock with my right hand. The motion is natural and the risk of accidentally cutting myself seems pretty minimal. When I use my left hand, I have to reach across the liner-lock and pull it back toward me while trying to close the knife - it does not seem safe to me at all.

Summary <back to top>

This test has been one of the funnest tests I have done for BackpackGearTest to date. I have no real complaints about this knife - the design and materials are outstanding. I have enjoyed carrying the knife every day and I miss it when it is not in my pocket. It is pleasing to both my hand and eyes, and it does what it is supposed to do and does it very well. This knife is very light and responsive, and the blade holds an edge for a reasonable amount of time. It does need to be honed more than other knives I have used, but this is an easy and enjoyable task that can be accomplished even on a smooth stone found while hiking. The knife is perfectly suited for both everyday carrying and hiking - a true gentleman's folder. I have found myself carrying both the knife and my micro-sized multitool because I found I missed the functionality of having the other implements like openers and screwdrivers. The blade on this knife, though, is head and shoulders above the blade on any multitool I have used so the minimal weight is easily justifiable. I am especially interested in the multitool that Xikar also makes, and I will probably try to track one down before too long just based on the performance of this knife. Many thanks to Xikar and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test this well-designed knife.

Reviews > Knives > Folding > Xikar 138 Excel Knife > Dennis Shubitowski > Long Term Report