Brother Knives 1503 and F005 - Unboxing and first impressions

Links to the knives:
1503: http://ali.pub/3j1coj
F005: http://ali.pub/3m9x8o
Comparable options:
Case Micarta Mini Trapper: https://amzn.to/3384U3N
Mora Kansbol: https://amzn.to/2YGNurF

In this video I'll unbox and give my first impressions of 2 budget knives made by Brother Knives:
1503 which is a small backlock with VG10 blade, carbon fiber handle, smooth action and classic looks and the F005 - a tough fixed blade with Micarta handle, D2 blade, zero scandi grind and a kydex sheath.
How do you like them? Write it down in the comments.
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Thanks for watching and I'll see you on the next ones, cheers!

Brother 1501G Knife Review - Big Disappointment!

Well, after one of my all-time favorite knives from China - here comes one of the most disappointing ones - the Brother 1501G.

I was really impressed with its smaller brother (the Brother 1502), so I decided to try it out as well.

First impressions:

First impressions were actually OK - the knife came in the standard Brother branded cardboard box, blade was centered, reasonably sharp, good lockup, fit and finish.

The only problem (like with many other Brother knives) - it was very dirty inside which made the action mediocre at best.

I was expecting that, so I cleaned it up and that improved the action a lot.

So, I could tell you the Pros and the Cons of this knife, but I feel it would be redundant, as the knife has 2 flaws that make it unusable for me:

1. The knife has pinned construction and the pins started coming apart at some point causing horizontal blade play and making it unsafe to use.

2. While closing the blade hits the steel backspacer, dulling a pretty large portion of the blade.

Well, I could try to fix these issues, but I think it just wouldn't be worth it, so I'll probably just turn it into a fixed blade and call it a day.

I do know there are other folks who got theirs and haven't experienced these issues, but this is the case with my knife and it is important to share it IMO.

Summary: Not recommended due to the issues listed above.

Link to the knife: Brother 1501G

Brother 1502 Knife - Your Grandpa's Folder!

So, this one arrived as well and it is time to make a short review of it.
I actually won this knife in a GAW, so didn't order it myself.
It arrived from China in less than 3 weeks (before the holidays).

First impressions:

The Brother 1502 came in a plain cardboard box, pretty dirty inside (that is usually the case with Brother Knives, at least from my experience), blade was centered and sharp, no bladeplay.

I cleaned it and it became very smooth (blade drops if you disengage the lock).

Pros:
- Great classic looks (is very similar to the now discontinued Kershaw Gentleman's folder).
- Good fit and finish of the polished 3D G10 scales.
- No bladeplay at all and the lock is pretty soft (for a lockback) and could be even used one-handed.- Became very smooth after cleaning.
- Is thin and light (3.76 oz/106.8 g) for easy carry inside the pocket.
- Has strong tip that won't break during EDC tasks + 440C stainless steel.
- Nice ergos for my middle sized hand (because of the 3D scales).

Cons:
- Two-handed opening.
- Pinned constructon (couldn't be disassembled).
- Sharpening wasn't even and pretty thick grind.
- Cutting edge length is pretty short (2.75" with 3.14" blade). Full length is 7.25".
- Small finish problems: lanyard hole isn't perfectly round and some scratches on the pivot pin.
- No pocket clip.

Summary:
This is a classic Grandpa Knife (meaning similar to a knife our grandpas EDCed back in the day).
IMO - this isn't a knife for knife aficionados and collectors, but more for actual use for non-knife people.
The simple and strong construction make it virtually "dumbass proof" (couldn't be screwed up by dumbasses) so it will make an awesome loaner knife and a cool inexpensive gift for non-knife folks.

Check out the knife here: Brother 1502 Knife
15% off all outdoor gear (including knives and lights) with coupon code out15off 20% off all knives (that aren't on a flash sale) - knives20off
Competitive options: 
Buck 112: Buck 112 Knife
Schrade Old Timer: Schrade Old Timer

Video Demo:

Brother Knives 1601 (Manix 2 XL Style) from Gearbest Review - Budget tactical user knife!

I received this one a couple of day ago, and I would like to share my thoughts about it.
I have to admit that first impressions out-of-the-box weren't great - the knife was dry inside (no lube) and stiff. It also had a little blade-play. Also, I didn't quite like the looks of it in person, it was too big, fit and finish weren't great.  I disassembled it, polished the washers, lubed and tweaked the pivot, and the mechanics improved by a mile! Then I tried to use the knife and really understood it's purpose.
This is not a knife to put on a shelf and to look on. This is not a perfect EDC knife. But this is one of the best tactical/user knives I've ever used! Few things contribute to that:
1. Ergonomics - very broad handle and excellent Manix 2 XL forms and gimping placement + pretty good grippy G10 (for a Chinese knife).
2. Very good sharpness out of the box and blade geometry.
3. Awesome lockup and mechanics.
4. Usability - I must admit, I sometimes baby my knives, especially the more premium ones. I mean I use all of them, but if I have some tough task - I will not take an expensive knife with ti handle (if I have a choice). But with this knife - I am really willing to truly hard use it and not feel any remorse, a lot more than my Ganzo folders. This is a very important quality for a knife, especially for a tactical one.
Few cons:
1. The opening hole had some sharp edges, that I smoothed using a sharpening rod.
2. The liners aren't skeletonized (could have saved a lot of weight).
3. Fit and finish aren't perfect.
4. Pocket clip placement isn't optimal.
Overall I'm very pleased with the knife, especially after I worked on it for a while and made those little improvements. I recommend it, especially for people who really use their knives and people who would like to try the awesome design of the Spyderco Manix 2 XL.
The knife can be found on Gearbest: BROTHER 1601
Genuine Manix 2 XL here: Spyderco Manix 2 XL