Back in October 2013, I wrote about the Emerson Mini A100
After more than a year of hard use, here are my thoughts.
Here are the specs:
- Overall Length: 7.20"
- Blade Length: 3.00"
- Blade Material: 154-CM
- Blade Style: Spear Point
- Handle Length: 4.20"
- Handle Material: G-10
- Frame Material: Titanium
This small knife is deceptively good. What I mean is that when it's closed and in your pocket it doesn't look like much, but once you open it, it feels just right and it does what it's supposed to do perfectly. The design is so clean that it just fits the hand right. The blade, tho small in size, still maintain the thickness of a bigger blade, so the knife has a lot of punch. The shape is perfect for long cuts and as a piercing weapon. You might think that a 3" blade is too small for that, but when you need it, it is there and it will be enough.
I've used the knife in the city and in the field, prying things open, cutting and punching things open. The G10 handles work great with wet hands or gloves.
Like most Emersons, the Mini A100 is easy to maintain in the field. sharpening and cleaning is easy and straight forward.
My only complain is the thumbdisk placement. Since this Emerson doesn't have the Wave Feature, you have to open it with your hand, your thumb. The opening is done by pushing on the thumbdisk, that in other Emerson is perfectly placed. In this one, it's too closed to the handle when closed and there is no enough space in between to properly set your thumb and push. So, in a stressfull situation or a situation when speed is key, it might take you an extra moment to open this.
Not a big deal for everyday use, but I wanted to mention this.
The pocket clip, the classic Emerson, is great. Simple, not too stiff, not too soft. I mostly just drop the knife inside my front pocket, so nothing sticks out, but the few times I used the clip, the knife just stayed there.
The knife's slim profile makes this a great pocket knife for business dressing. When you wear a suit or a pair of dresspants, you want a knife that doesn't stick out. The Mini A100 does it. It can live in the front pocket of your pants, inside the suit jacket (clipped) or anywhere you want. It is a good pocket knife.