Excellent grip despite the knife’s relatively small size.
Perfect EDC format.
This review has been automatically translated -
RC, Duino (Trieste)
Thursday, 30 July 2026
In general
Value for money
Expectations
I have more than 20 years of sharpening experience, to splitting-hairs standards, and I also make kydex sheaths and straight razors.
Honestly, the metallurgy is very disappointing, sadly as so often out of Maniago (my best experience was T5 Niolox from Lionsteel, TM1 in Sleipner was decent, and D2 beats both easily for less money. The worst was M390: terrible, too much chromium).
Sharpen a Spyderco Manix and a Buck 663 Elite, both Magnacut, alongside this “Magnacut” and you’ll see and feel a huge difference. This Italian one is very slow and sluggish; the US ones are fast and much more accurate, with scary-sharp edges from America.
Italian factories should stick to D2, which behaves very well even with mediocre heat treatment. US CPM steels need advanced factories and deep cryogenics, with a very narrow margin for error.
Some Chinese brands have also done terrible work with CPM steels. Kansept S35VN felt like rubber trash, while D2 felt good and formed the apex properly (very hard to get D2 wrong).
All CPM steels from US brands behaved extremely well: crisp and accurate edges, easy to achieve. Spyderco is the best.
I prefer steels with low and medium chromium: Maxamet, 15V BBB, K390, CruWear, Magnacut (well heat treated, multiple cycles, deep nitrogen).
On the Handy in detail...
Design 9/10 (Silvestrelli is one of the best designers; I also like Rumici), extremely comfortable.
Finish 8.5/10, very high for a factory knife.
Metallurgy 6.5/10, below standard for CPM (night and day difference with Spyderco and Buck Elite, both 9/10).
Kydex 9/10, excellent genuine kydex (I make them too, well done ST).
Value 6/10, heavily compromised by inferior metallurgy; the price is also ridiculous for a small fixed blade with no moving parts (you can get D2 for €110).
While reprofiling with Venev stones, I also thought it might be fake steel, like the hated M390 marked Magnacut, but that should be unlikely (typical of Chinese brands).
I had the same inferior feel with the Basic 1 Magnacut, though it was slightly better (7.5/10).
I will probably avoid Italian knives; far too many disappointments over the years. M390 was rubbish (too much chromium), Magnacut seems very raw, and they seem not to listen to customers at all, even with locks (FOX karambit liner-lock failures, I still have the scar on my finger; Cold Steel is serious business).
I read negative feedback about Italian M390 on Bladeforums and from other experts so often.
Same philosophy as many Italian car makers: customers just “see dragons”... (Toyota fan).
Lionsteel TM1 was the best Italian folder I tested, even if Sleipner is “degraded D2”; still a good knife.
Viper Fortis was also terrible: M390 blade, sluggish and poor accuracy (reprofiled narrower, of course). The Sencut Serene in D2 is much better for sharpening feedback and has an excellent apex.
An Amazon knife in D2, even with mediocre heat treatment, can do much better for far less money. Chinese factories have stepped up big time; good for them and for global customers.
Sadly I am Italian, and this is truly below expectations.
It’s also sad to see excellent Italian designers wasted in average brands.
The design is one of the best in the category, very comfortable.
