FH41-CF

Looks good, feels good, smooth operation

The media could not be loaded. A Background on my experience before I get to review: I have owned many knives, over many years, from Buck, Kershaw, Spyderco, Cold Steel, Ka-Bar and others. I am a hobbyist knife enthusiast and I have a general “layman’s understanding” of knife steels and their properties. Over the years, I have watched the evolution of good, yet affordable EDC ( everyday carry) knife manufacturing go from very limited selection in the 70’s and ‘80’s , to a flood of cheap surgical steel Pakistani knives surging in the 1990’s…to today, where the competition for the best EDC knife is fierce and the selection is overwhelming.The Chinese market for knives at one point was a last choice as quality was questionable if not poor.Today, there are many seriously good imported EDC knives out there, including this Chinese Ganzo Firebird knife, made from D2 steel and G10 handles over a skeletonized frame. This “flipper” style EDC knife is a perfect size. It will fit in the average jeans size adult pocket of a man or woman and not be easily noticed. I own a similar import, a CH 3001, which also fits in my pocket, yet feels a bit large and heavy.Out of the box, I notice first how good it feels in my hand, a perfect weight and feel. The scales are just textured enough to resist slippage. Opening the blade with my index finger took some pressure, but once I did so, it opened very fast! I prefer this tightness to a knife with loose componentry. The lock feature is tight and snappy. There is NO wiggle of the blade.This blade, which is a “flat grind” profile, is a perfect thickness, spine to edge thickness ratio. The drop point shape is even and the blade is centered in the frame. The edge is very sharp and cuts paper very easily multiple times right out of the box.Closing the knife there is a nice magnetic “grab” at the end. I don’t like knives that loosen from the frame/ start opening while wearing in my pocket.I own several very nice Chinese “flipper” knives with materials identical to this one— D2 blades and G10 handles/ scales, with skeletonized frames. I have not owned this Ganzo Firebird very long but so far it is definitely a favorite EDC, due to its weight/ size and ease of use, solid snappy open and close, and tight construction. I’ll update later down the road and let potential buyers know how it’s holding up! So far, I am very happy and impressed… got one for my son as well!

I like the simple design of this blade with no fancy re-curve or tanto design. Makes sharpening and cutting with it much easier. It does two things well, which is slice and dice, and comes factory sharp. Since the blade is factory sharp, you have to be careful, so you don't accidentally cut through the fabric of time or your fingers. Lock up is good with no side to side or up and down play. The blade rides smoothly on ball bearings and the flipper tab has a nice subtle jimping with no sharp edges. Place your index or middle finger and flip down like your striking the wheel on a Bic lighter and the blade flies out like nobody's business and locks with that satisfying thwack sound. This model has the deepest pocket clip out of all the Ganzo Firebird models and is great for EDC, without shouting "Hey, look at me!! Im a knife!!"The carbon fiber scales are just ok. Nothing to write home about. At least they are legit carbon fiber plates and not the cheap knock off stickers. I docked a star, because when flipping with your finger it lands on top of the carbon fiber scale opening and feels awful, since the inside edges are sharp. It would have been better if the china manufacturer would round out the edges inside the carbon fiber scales. I like the green, blue, and black versions of this model with the g2 scales better. After, flipping this thing 40x I returned it back for refund, since it was irritating the skin on my fingers and they were getting red : (

I recently bought this knife after purchasing the Firebird F11 in green G10. I actually ended up buying two of the F11’s because I loved the 1st one so much. I was extremely impressed by the overall quality and craftsmanship of the knife. The first one I bought was razor sharp right out of the box. The second f11 wasn’t quite as impressive as far as the edge goes but I used my Lansky 5 stone sharpener and got it to hair shaving sharp like the first one within 10 minutes. I do think this (edge sharpness) should be consistent and maybe I got a lemon or maybe they need to improve here I don’t know.. and honestly it really didn’t change my view on these knives too much. In fact they had a good enough impression on me with those that I purchased this knife, the FH41. It is probably the sharpest knife I’ve ever owned out the box. I have knives ranging from $20 to $200 and this thing was by far the sharpest blade I’ve ever bought. The fit and finish is great and lock up is nice. The blade is perfectly centered and has a crazy smooth deployment. Very nice jimping on the spine for your thumb as well as on the flipper. Aggressive but so aggressive that it hurts. A huge aspect of these knives that really sells it to me personally is the pocket clip. I can tell you how many knives I’ve had to throw into the “retired knife box” because of bent or snapped off pocket clips. Most of which are from two very well known company’s (not gonna say their names but one may start with a K and one with a G. It seems the pocket clip always fails first. This knife has the sturdiest pocket clip I’ve seen on any knife under $100. I can’t believe these knives are selling for under $30. I’m not a knife or steel expert but D2 steel at this price-point along with the construction and finish of these knives is amazing to me. I purchased these knives with my own money and in no way have any affiliation with Ganzo or Firebird or Amazon. I would suggest these knives to anyone looking for a great knife out of box that’s affordable to the average consumer. My only gripe would be the sharpness inconsistency I had with my other firebird knife, hopefully that was just a fluke. Either way it was easy to sharpen so really a non issue for me. If you are on the fence about this knife don’t be, just buy it. They won’t be at this price for long.