Newest Ganzo Firebird FB7651 and FH805 available on Aliexpress

Hey guys, I'd like to update you about the new Ganzo Firebird knives that became available on AliExpress.

So after the awesome Ganzo FH51, they've released the FH41, a bit larger and beefier knife but otherwise the same as the 51 - D2 steel, 3D G10 handles with a linerlock, bearings and a deep carry pocket clip.
Get the FH41 here: Ganzo Girebird FH41 Worldwide Shipping

They've also released an urban fixed blade (Ganzo Firebird FH805) with 9Cr18MoV steel, G10 handles, kydex sheath and a pocket clip (just like the one folders have, I believe could be swapped for a tecklock). Seems like a good value for the price.
Check it out here: Ganzo Firebird FH805 Worldwide Shipping

And of course the latest G-lock model (similar to the axis lock) - the Ganzo Firebird FB7651 that features G10 handles, 440C blade, bearings, a reversible deep carry pocket clip. 

It also has an original design and is smaller than the classic G-lock Ganzos (3.25" blade and 3.56 oz).
Comes in 4 variations (green, blue-grey, black and CF laminate).
Stats are in the pic.
Available here: Ganzo Firebird FB7651 Worldwide Shipping
Please notice that the pics of the knife are photoshopped, real pic of the FB7651 is in the beginning of the post.

Which newest model did you like the most?

Ganzo Firebird FH11 Unleashed - Moving Forward!

The newest model from Ganzo Firebird - the FH11 have been finally released to the popular Chinese platforms and I wanted to make a quick overview of the model once I got some info on it.

First of all I'd like to state I was really impressed by all the new features that Ganzo Firebird have implemented in the newer model and I believe I got a really good clue to why that was made possible.

Probably the most talked about attribute is the fact that this knife runs on bearings.
I mean Ganzo had numerous knives that had the same pivot system, but this is the first time their knife has the bearings+linerlock combo which is a niche they haven't operated in before, but they've apparently done a good job, as the action of this knife is on par with some of the other budget knives that run on SS bearings.

Next up we have the inset liners build, which I generally prefer over the regular "sandwich" construction as it makes the knife sit more comfortably in the hand (hand touches only one material), smoother surface (no gap at all between the materials) and it also makes the knife lighter (which is great because the liners aren't skeletonized).

Few more updated features include the exposed standoff for the lanyard (which I also prefer to the regular method cause less holes on a blade is generally better) and the deep carry pocket clip, which suspiciously reminds me of the one used by Ruike knives and other members of that group plus other Chinese factories.

And of course they use a new steel that they have never used before - D2 instead of their regular 440C on a drop-point style blade with a flipper tab thin stock and very decent thin grind.

The fact that so many features were updated in this one brings me to the idea that Ganzo have established a partnership with another factory that they have never worked with prior to releasing this model, and these are great news IMO as we could see more of these upgraded Ganzos with a budget price tag and all of our favorite features that we wished for so long to have in our affordable EDC users/beaters.

The knife comes in 3 color/scale options (black G10, blue G10 and CF laminate).
Specs:

Blade Length: 3.46"/88mm
Overall Length: 8.2"/208mm
Blade thickness: 3.3mm
Weight: 3.95 oz/112g



Check it out here (PayPal friendly): Ganzo Firebird FH11 GearBest
Or here (Free worldwide shipping): Ganzo Firebird FH11 AliExpress
Cheapest so far: Ganzo Firebird FH11 on eBay

Competitive options:
Ruike Hussar
Kershaw Concierge

Newest Ganzo Firebird Models FB762 and FB763 have reached Gearbest!

2 newest and highly anticipated Ganzo models - the FB762 and the FB763 have finally reached Gearbest and seem to be even better (IMO) than advertised by Ganzo a while before the release.

First of all they continue the line of original designs (although we can notice some influence from other knives, but that is practically inevitable in today's market), but not enough to be called clones and even homages.

Second of all - they continue to listen to their customers and FINALLY dropped the blue hardware that was kind of annoying at this point (still hope they will master black hardware some day) and installed deep carry pocket clips on the FB762.

And finally - the FB model name theory have been finally confirmed, so they do come with ball bearings in the pivot and have smooth action out of the box.

Check out the knives here (Specs in the lower right corner):

1. Ganzo Firebird FB7621

2. Ganzo Firebird FB7631

They have actually released one more model under the Firebird brand which is the Ganzo F713M (indicating that this is a part of their older series).
If you noticed this is actually an OEM version of another knife - the SOG Salute Mini, but without all of the SOG billboarding all over the knife (which is an advantage IMO).
At this point I have no doubt Ganzo are the OEM factory for SOG.
BTW - the full size (SOG Salute) version is also in the works.
Check the knife out here: Ganzo Firebird F713M
Cheers!

Ganzo F755 Design FAIL or Why there aren’t Benchmade Axis Knives with a finger choil?

Sup guys, Atech here and welcome to another video in which I will show you an interesting design flaw I discovered on this knife – The Ganzo Firebird F7551 or the GanzoCleaver.

It is interesting because I saw quite a few knife reviews before I got this knife and I haven’t seen anyone raise this issue up to this date in any of them.

First I want to say a few things about the knife itself:

This is actually an original design from Ganzo, the latest in their original design run (3 in a row now) which are the FB760 and the F761. It has good quality – no bladeplay, smooth action and an interesting overall cleaver style shape.

The lock on it is the G-Lock – this is what Ganzo call their variant of the Benchmade’s AXIS lock, with the term AXIS being trademarked by Benchmade so couldn’t be used by other companies.

As widely known – the lock was also patented and couldn’t be used by other companies, but sadly for Benchmade the patent has expired a couple of years ago, so now every other company could make knives with this style of lock, just couldn’t call it the AXIS lock, with a couple of companies including Hogue and Massdrop already announced they will be making knives with a similar locking system.
I will leave all of the known info about the patent and the expiration in the comment section below.

The F7551 actually functions quite nicely – the blade is centered, no bladeplay, has smooth action on washers, pretty soft lock, so if it wasn’t for that small issue – I’d say it is one of my favorite Ganzo knives to date.

So what is the problem with it you ask.
Please watch the video for the explanation.
Knife is available here: https://goo.gl/FgrDj7 Or here for faster US Shipping: https://amzn.to/2I7YDgO Competitive option: Benchmade 550HG: https://goo.gl/DnZv38 Info on the Benchmade Patent expiration: https://goo.gl/3CHqnP Massdrop Perpetua: https://goo.gl/KR3oND Hogue HK Line: https://goo.gl/JCnQr5

Ganzo F7551 GanzoCleaver have finally reached GearBest!

Sorry for the long absence guys, have been a bit busy lately, so posted mostly on the social media.

Follow me on the social platforms (links are in the first post of the blog) to catch the latest releases and news.

Today just a quick update on the newest Ganzo model that have been around for a while in the US, but has just reached one of the largest knife retailers out of China - Gearbest, which always seem to have the best prices for most knives that come out of China.

So, the new Cleaver model has original design (as much as a cleaver knife could be different from other cleavers), but still has a G-Lock, so is probably the first Cleaver to come with that lock or a similar one.

It also has a generous finger choil for choking up on the blade, blued thumb studs and hardware.

It comes in 4 colors: black, OD green and orange G10 + CF laminate.

Check it out here: Ganzo F7551 GanzoCleaver
Coupon to get 15% off all knives from the site: GBKnives15off

Also, check out Ganzo Knives on Amazon for faster US shipping: Ganzo Knives on Amazon

Cheers!

Ganzo Firebird FB7601 - Probably my favorite Ganzo ever!

Got this knife a while ago and am now ready (even long overdue) to write a review on it.

So, this time I ordered 2 versions of the same Ganzo knife in order to compare between the different versions - the black G10 variant and the CF laminate one.

Both were very similar in terms of quality, so this review will refer to both.

Gotta admit - the G10 knife was traded with a friend of mine, that liked it so much that he was willing to trade the much more expensive Kershaw Induction (with a Hawk lock) for it.

First impressions:
The Ganzo FB7601 comes with a standard Ganzo Firebird branded box with a microfiber cloth.
The quality out of the box was excellent with both - no fit and finish screwups, no bladeplay, centered blade, sharp edge (was made even sharper using a strop) and the best part - very smooth action on bearings and soft lock springs, that make it feel like a much higher class knife.

I disassemble almost every knife I get in order to clean it inside and make it smoother - but didn't feel like I need to do that with this one and in fact I haven't disassembled it till this day.

The Good:

- Fit and finish: amazing overall quality considering the price.
- Good ergonomics that will fit most hand sizes.
- Skeletonized liners for weight reduction.
- The looks are pretty great (considering this is an original Ganzo design).
- The price, considering the qualities.
- Steel is Ganzo's 440c, nothing fancy, but a decent budget steel.

The Great:

- The action: very smooth and has great opening and closing (uses ball bearings in the pivot).
Falls shut when the G-Lock is disengaged.
- The lock springs are much less stiff (out of the box) comparing to the older Ganzo Firebird models and could be operated with using one finger.
(Have to make a remark here: I ordered another FB7601CF to give away in a GAW and the springs were stiffer than on the first 2 I got (got better with time though). So this can change from batch to batch).
- A deep carry pocket clip that has great stiffness and doesn't look like the BM one.
- Finally - a Ganzo Firebird that isn't a direct copy of any model known to me.
Some could even say - ORIGINAL DESIGN.
Many of us wanted it - and now - here it is!

The Bad:

- The stop pin consists of 2 parts - the actual stop pin and a metal tube that goes over it.
I would prefer it to be one single part.
- Not a con, but more of a suggestion for improvement - Ganzo, please consider coating the thumb studs, the hardware, the pocket clip and the G-Lock tab in black, that could really take your knives to the next level. I like the blue, but would like to see something new.
- The clip couldn't be reversed for left-handed carry.

The Ugly:

Nothing.

Summary:
- Like I stated in the headline - this is probably my favorite Ganzo Firebird knife ever (those who follow my blog know I had lots of those coming through my hands), so it means something.
I like it the most probably due to the fact they implemented many features that me and other Ganzo knife fans have been telling them for a long time now (deep carry pocket clip, bearings with a G-Lock and to come up with original designs) and it feels so nice to see that a knife company has listened to what you wish for in a knife and act accordingly.

Knife could be found here: Ganzo Firebird FB7601
Ganzo Knives on Amazon with cheaper US shipping: Ganzo FB760 on Amazon

Competitive option: Benchmade Griptilian

Ganzo G745 G7452 EDC Orange Knife Review

I got this one a while ago and am more than ready to do a quick review of it.

First impressions:

The knife came in a Ganzo branded black cardboard box.
Condition out of the box was excellent - no issues whatsoever with centering, lockup, action or lock stiffness. 
Now, I don't know if I got a great piece - but this was one of the best quality Ganzos I ever got.
Please notice this is an old-school Ganzo and not one of the new Firebird line.

Dimensions:
Full length: 8.25"/21 cm
Blade lenght: 3.6"/9.2 cm
Weight: 4.97oz/ 140.8g

Pros:

- As mentioned before - the quality.
- The action. I had just to tweak the Ganzo G7452 a bit and put a bit of oil inside and the knife became as smooth as the Benchmade Griptilian I had. The omega springs also are a lot softer than in other Ganzo models and become even softer with time (break in).
-  I actually like the silver hardware (as opposed to the blue screws on the newer Firebird ones) and the stonewashed finish on the blade, give it an utilitarian look.
- The ergonomics are probably the best part of the Ganzo G7452 for me. The handle is pretty thick (and wide) and fills the hand well in regular and reverse grips. G10 is textured and provides good grip.
Big plus is that the ergos will be comfortable for most hand sizes.
Must give credit to the now discontinued HK Axis knife the Ganzo G7452 is based on.
- The construction is also awesome (very strong). The fact that the blade stop pin is fixed with screws (and not pressed in) eliminates lock problems and gives the knife more rigidity.
- Ganzo's 440c performs well as usual and the grind is flat and high, so the knife is a pretty good slicer.
- Little details - gimping, oversized lanyard hole, pocket clip - all work very well.
- The price - competitive as always.

Cons:
- According to Ganzo's tradition - the liners aren't skeletonized to reduce weight.
Not a terribly heavy knife, but something to consider.
- The tip is thinner than I would like for this type of knife.

Summary:
- Overall the Ganzo G7452 an excellent user knife from Ganzo. 
They have a lot of EDC models now, but this seems to be one that is more intended for harder use and outdoors (just like the RAT 1 from Ontario/Cold Steel Pro Lite).
The ergos make it pretty comfortable for extended cutting and the grind is great for slicing.
I got to use it a bit when I moved and must say I was very impressed with it.
If you look for a no-nonsense budget usable blade - the Ganzo G7452 might do the trick.

Check out the knife here: Ganzo G7452
All versions of the Ganzo G745
Now 15% off with the coupon code GB11.11Knives

Competitive options:
Cold Steel Pro Lite
Benchmade Griptilian

Video demo of the knife: 

Ganzo Firebird G756 F7562 Review: Good EDC Knife!

So this will be a short review of the Ganzo F7562.

First impressions:
The knife came in the (now) standard Ganzo Firebird branded box.
The fit and the finish were good, so was the action (surprisingly smooth), the centering and sharpness.
The only issue it had was a slight flex in the vertical lockup, no horizontal play at all.

Pros:
- The looks. The knife is really stunning and well executed.
- The ergos. Sits well in my medium sized hand (probably will fit most hand sizes).
- The finish. That relates to the machining of the famous Ganzo CF laminate and the stonewashed finish on the blade.
- Symmetrical grind and sharpening.
- The details. Skeletonized liners (for weight reduce), good gimping and blued hardware. The action is also very good out of the box.
- The steel. Good old 440C from Ganzo (that they have learned how to heat treat properly). There are advantages to sticking to one kind of steel on most of your models.

Neutral:
- The pocket clip. From one side it functions well, one the other - I'd love to see a  black deep carry one on this knife.
Cons:
- That vertical flex (can't even say it's a blade play). It doesn't interfere with the action and the lock still functions well as can be seen from the spine whack test below, but it's always a bit unpleasant when it's there. I know I probably got a lemon, but I have heard from others that they don't have that problem.

Link to the overview and the spine whack test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYNSX6mIyUI

Summary:
If not the flex, it would be one of the better knives I ever got from Ganzo (on par with the F753M1) and one of my favorite knives overall. With that being said I still like it very much for the other positive features and the spine whack test convinced me it is a solid blade, so I will use and carry it in my rotation.

Link to the knife: Ganzo Firebird G756 F7562

Competitive options:
Ontario RAT 1 CF
Real Steel H6

Ganzo G8012 Fixed Blade Survival Knife Review!

So I got this one as well a few weeks ago and feel that I can now make a review on it (after testing it out).

First impressions:
The knife came in 2.5 weeks directly from China (got it from GearBest).
It arrived in a pretty simple Ganzo branded cardboard box.
The G8012 was pretty sharp out of the box (shaved hair) and had no quality issues.
The tests:
Out of the box it cut paper with no drag and shaved arm hair.
Sits tight in the sheath - no rattle at all and couldn't be shaken out (unless using extreme and improbable force), even without the Velcro strap. With that strap it is impossible.
The cord cutter (which is often confused for a seat belt cutter) works well and allows to cut cord one-handed and without taking the knife out of the sheath.
The included ferro rod gives out good sparks and I reckon will be enough to make a fire in the outdoors.The knife itself chops and carves wood pretty well, the tip is strong enough to take abuse and passes the tip test with flying colors.
The only thing I didn't test was the very coarse diamond sharpener on the back of the sheath cause there was no need to and I didn't want to use it on a knife that is still sharp.

The Good:
- The execution. The knife is genuinely well made. The handle and the sheath are rubberized (for your pleasure) and the fit is excellent. No rattle or unnecessary movement from any part.
- The ergos. The knife fills the hand great and is very comfortable and pleasant to hold and use.
- The attention to details. Starting from the uncoated area on the top of the blade to use the ferro rod, to the checkering on the back of the "stryker" at the tang, no corner cutting on this one.
- Although the blade shape could remind some of Moletta designs - the overall design is original and couldn't be called a direct clone of any other knife (if you do know of a knife that is 100% similar to this one - please write in the comments).
- The steel performed well and stayed reasonably sharp after the tests.

The Great:
- The added features. With this knife you get a cord cutter, a ferro rod, a striker/hammer and even a coarse sharpener built in, so it could cover most of your survival needs. Great features for the price.
- This knife really gives you enough confidence to actually use and to rely on it for camping, hiking and even survival situations. My experience tells me it won't fall apart or fail during those.
- The price. The fact that you get a knife with original design, this well made and has all those features for this amount of money is not less than amazing.

The Neutral:
- The knife isn't full tang. Could be disassembled and cleaned on the inside using a torx on the striker. 
View picture below.

With that, it holds very well and they did apply a white thread locker on the screw to prevent unwanted opening. Like I already mentioned - no corner cutting on this one.

The Bad:
- The GITD inserts serve no real purpose as they aren't very bright and don't accumulate light well. Could easily lived without those.
- The sheath is much longer than the knife itself cause they used separate blades for the cord cutter and put an extra mounting opening at the end of it.
- The Velcro strap does make the knife impossible to shake out, but feels too thin and flimsy (not the best stitching job either). I would really prefer it to be thicker and to have an extra button. Luckily it could be modded and could be folded back (the knife will probably stay in the sheath even without using it). 

The Ugly:
- Can't really find anything ugly about this knife, especially for the price.

Summary:
- The quality + fit, finish + added features (cord cutter, ferro rod, striker/hammer and a coarse sharpener) + the ergos + the fact it has original design + the performance + the confidence to use (built well and smart) + the attention to details + the price - the drawbacks make this one of the best budget survival style knives on the market as of today IMO.
It pleasantly surprised me and I am very glad I got it.

Check out the knife here: Ganzo G8012 Fixed Blade Survival Knife

Competitive options:
Mora Bushcraft Black
Gerber LMF II

Ganzo Firebird F753M1 - Smaller version of the G7531!

What I truly appreciate about the Ganzo/Firebird brand, is that they truly listen to their customers!
We were constantly asking for smaller, more EDCable versions of their knives, and they delivered it with the mini version of the beloved Ganzo G7531.
The new model - the Firebird F753M1 has the overall length of only 17.8 cm, blade length of 7.7 cm and closed length of 10.1 cm, which makes it a great small EDC option.
It is available with G10 handles in 3 colors (black, orange and green) and all of the great features of the original model - "axis" lock, and blue colored hardware.
It also has a pretty attractive price tag.
BTW - it seems that GearBest shipping problems have ended, and they now ship knives to most countries. If you encounter a problem - please write in the comments.
Check it out here: Ganzo/Firebird F753M1
Check out other Ganzo made knives on Amazon: Ganzo knives

Ganzo Firebird G758 G7582AL Aluminium Automatic Switchblade Knife Review!

I have received the knife from Fasttech and would like to share with you my review of it.

The knife comes in a new Firebird branded box, with a microfiber sleeve.

First impressions: The knife feels pretty light in hand, no visible scratches or nicks, opens fast from the beginning - very well done!

Pros:
1. Blade centering, lockup, sharpness, grind - all are done great! So is the stonewash finish on the blade, really liked it.

2. Mechanics are also awesome, opens smoothly and fast, with a small kick.

3. Safety - finally they have done it right! It is solid, made from aluminum, doesn't wiggle and has a nice tactile feeling to it. Kudos Ganzo!

4. Pocket clip is finally in the right position - tip up carry.

5. The handle is made from 2 pieces of aluminum, screws are only visible from the clip side, which adds to the overall clean look. In my case it has a purple anodizing, which also looks unique and adds color to my collection.

Cons (more of suggestions of improvement):
1. The pocket clip is poliched, I would really prefer it stonewashed, like the blade.

2. The blade has marking on the other side "Made by China Ganzo". A smaller "Ganzo" writing would have been nicer and cleaner.

3. The inside of the handle slabs feels a little sharp, smoother edges would feel better.

The Verdict - this is a huge leap for Ganzo/Firebird knives, the knife is well made and feels much more expensive than the price it is sold at. I can't wait to see which aluminum model Ganzo will come out with next! I really hope it will be something Microtech style (Microtech Socom Elite Mini for example), another Protech style or a small, sleek auto knife.

Check out the knife here: Ganzo Firebird G758 G7582AL

Check out other Ganzo made knives on Amazon: Ganzo knives

Newest Firebird F7562 G756 CF Made by Ganzo Knives + GearBest Shipping Update!

As many of you have probably seen - GearBest have encountered a problem with their shipping during the last month, unable to ship to most countries in the world, including US.
Luckily, the problem was temporary and is now solved by adding a small amount of shipping costs (around $2) for registered shipping.
The good part is - it seems that they have lowered the priced, so the total price stayed approximately the same, one of the lowest online! 
They have also released the newest offering from Ganzo/Firebird Knives - the CF F756!

Check it out here: Ganzo/Firebird Knives F756
Also - check out Ganzo knives on Amazon, for faster US shipping.

Ganzo Firebird G758 G7582AL Auto Knives have finally reached Fasttech for the lowest price online - $17.59!

The previously featured Ganzo G7582AL auto knife (switchblade) - the first Ganzo Firebird with aluminium handles has finally reached Fasttech and is now sold for the lowest price online only $17.59!
It comes in 6 colors and has a safety lock to prevent an unwanted opening in the pocket.

Check it out here: Ganzo G7582AL
Check out other Ganzo made knives on Amazon: Ganzo knives

New Ganzo G750 G7501 and G749 G7492 - Original design with unique features!

Ganzo's are really hot right now.
The China-based company have managed to put out a lot of models in this year, while keeping the quality and QC on a pretty high level and even improving them on some models and with that leave the price at a sub-$20 level.
This is why Ganzo knives are appreciated all over the world by almost all knife lovers, not only Chinese knife admirers.
Today I would like to present 2 more offerings from this company, which show the 2 model directions that this company is heading to:

1. Ganzo G750 G7501 - This folder is a more traditional Ganzo folder with features like the "Axis lock", anodized thumb studs, washers and G10 handles and backspacer. The new feature in this knife are the glowing stripes on the sides, which make it visible and easier to find in the dark. Ganzo G7503 CF version is also available.

2. Ganzo G749 G7492 - A new direction for Ganzo are the flippers with ball bearings in the pivot. This is the successor of the popular G752 model. This line is also featured with the bolster lock - framelock with G10 overlay and with a deep carry pocket clip.

New Ganzo Knives G752 G7522 Flipper - First Ganzo knife with ball-bearings in the pivot!

New addition to the Ganzo lineup - the G752!

This is a pretty beefy knife with 2 methods of deployment, ball bearings in the pivot and cutouts in the scales to reduce weight - all that any Ganzo fan wished for!
And the best thing - Ganzo listened and acted accordingly - qualities which make a company great (just ask Spyderco).

Hope they will finally do the BM 940 next.

The knife can be found here: https://goo.gl/FXoPAf