7 Attachment(s)
Sosby Blades Cub-EDC Defensive Blade
For those of you not aware, Instagram is a dangerous dangerous place to lurk if you are a fan of custom built blades and all kinds of other sneaky implements. I recently purchased a production knife from maker MilMak out of Phoenix, AZ. I discovered his products through posts on Instagram and was imediately interested. I received my production blade from MilMak and made some comments in a related PF thread seen here: https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....ed-blade/page3
I ended up reluctantly selling the the MilMak blade due to the handle being too small for my hands. During the process of selling the blade I discovered another previously unknown to me maker, Sosby Blades, through Instagram. Sosby Blades out of Georgia manufacturers some pretty amazing blades that are well thought out and very reasonably priced. They are made in small batches and sell out fast. The best way to find out when they may be available is to follow them through Instagram and get on their email update list.
Sosby offers a G10 NPE blade as well as low profile reverse edge P'Kal tyoe blade. However the blade that really drew my interest is the Cub. The Cub is a low profile EDC type blade designed with defensive use in mind. The Cub is made from AEBL steel and features a "Jap Wrap" style handle. The blade is 3.25" long and the overall knife is right around 7". The knife comes with a black Kydex sheath and a Discreet Carry Concepts 1.5" clip. A steel trainer version of the blade is also available with a blue wrapped handle. The blade on the trainer is also approximately 1/2" shorter than the live edge on the cub. This is a trait common with Sayoc/Kali blades and purpose built trainers.
Attachment 30709
The thing that really attracted me to this blade is the larger handle design. I have extremely large hands (XXL) and big fat fingers. I have struggled in the past with finding low profile EDC type blades that fill the hand and allow a consistent, repeatable, grip in any position. This issue lead me to sell my previously mentioned MilMak blade as well as a Watson Magni. The Cub has a larger and wider handle that provides a solid purchase for even my big mits. It almost reminds me of a coffin style handle on a Bowie knife. The wide handle along with the "Jap-Wrap" really work well for me. I am able to get my entire hand on the handle without worrying about going past the choil and can easily place my thumb on the pommel as an assist if needed.
Attachment 30710
Attachment 30711
For reference, the Joe Watson HiTS collaboration knife has been my gold standard and the knife that I measure all others up against. I love the Ti HiTS for it's corrosion resistance and light weight and it pretty much lives in my vest at work, however the cub is a more traditional profile and material blade that I think will excel as an EDC knife and also a defensive option. Here are a few photos comparing how the HiTS fits in my hand as well as a bit of a size comparison.
Attachment 30712
Attachment 30713
Attachment 30714
The blade on the Cub has a thicker spine that tapers down to a spearpoint style tip that looks like it will penetrate exceptionally well. There is also a curved cutout along the spine that will fit the thumb well for doing a power assisted cut that I see a lot of bushcrafters do. The finish is more a subdued dark grey but I am unsure what the actual finishing process is. It did pick up kydex rubs and marks so time will tell if it holds. I am not particularly worried.
Attachment 30716
I am having a hard time coming up with negatives on this blade. Although I have not had it very long, I am a big fan of the Cub. Two minor criticisms would be that the steel trainer does not fit the Cub sheath and the retention is a little too passive on the live blade while in the sheath. I can fix the retention if I I decide its necessary and the trainer not fitting the provided sheath is not a deal breaker to me.
If you are into purpose built, EDC/Defensive, quality knives then check out Sosby. I hope to one day snag a Spike from them as well as a Scrap Raptor.