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Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Finish
Cons: None
A tad pricey but worth it.
Very nicely done. It’s definitely smaller than I imagined, even after reading the specs and seeing pictures of the knife being held. I have large hands but the Sparrow is still very comfortable. It’s a 3-finger grip but the scales are so well sculpted that your grip and control don’t suffer. It feels pretty good in reverse grip as well. There’s no spine jimping for grip, but again, the scales are so well executed, that you always have full control of the knife. The integral guard makes it impossible for your hand to slip & slide up the blade, very well designed. Blade came shaving sharp and the machining & cerakote finish look super cool. Fit/finish are very good. The sheath setup is ok, pre-installed beta loops right from the box, but I’ll probably use it as a pocket fixed blade. The sheath is your typical riveted kydex affair, adaptable to molle or belt carry, and w/o the loops, it’ll probably carry well enough around the neck too. I’d read 1 or 2 reviews concerning the kydex sheath quality on some RMJ knives. They do seem to use a smoother, thinner grade of thermoplastic but my Sparrow sheath is very nicely constructed, light weight but solid, & does its job. I am tempted now to get RMJ’s hybrid leather Sparrow sheath cuz it looks so cool. Like my RMJ Origin necker, the Sparrow does rattle a bit in the sheath, but it’s nothing major and the sheath retention is very good. The knife is small and relatively light so I think they struck a good balance. Nitro V steel seems very stain resistant IME, but I still immediately treated the sparrow blade with Sentry Tuff Glide, as I hang out near saltwater in a rainy state. RMJ stuff is meant to be used hard, the Sparrow could be put through torturous ordeals that would bust the best folder and many similar-sized fixed knives. It’s relatively thick for its small length, but thin enough that it really cuts efficiently. This would be a great bird & trout knife, or a light concealed hiking blade that won’t turn heads. I’m sure it’d be a fine defensive weapon as well. As for EDC, I’d feel more than prepared for even the worst day with a good multi-tool and this Sparrow on me. It seems like a great jacket pocket knife. Yes, you can get some very tough, high quality smallish fixed blades from companies like Tops, (1 of my favorites), for less $$, but the RMJ Sparrow is stainless, light, VERY concealable, and I feel its overall quality outweighs its high pricepoint.