Ganzo G7321

When I saw the Ganzo on the web, I was immediately intrigued by the liner lock on it. I had gotten used to the Axis lock on my Ganzos and figured this lock would degrade the knife. Then when Mr. Carbol loaned me the knife for review, the lock was the first thing I was interested in. I didn't try hanging the knife on the wall or doing any wannabe action stunts with it á la Cold Steel promotional videos. The safety is strong enough for normal use and secures the open blade well. Even when tapping the top of the blade with a wooden mallet, it didn't break through the safety back into the handle. If you open the knife with your thumb and then a swipe, the liner lock doesn't tend to snap all the way to the opposite bolster, which is a pretty common weakness of this lock, especially on cheaper knives. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

The blade opens very well. If you have it well adjusted, there is no play in the blade, neither horizontal nor vertical. With a little practice, the blade can be opened and closed with one hand. The blade's facet is symmetrical along its entire length and on both sides (it seems that the Chinese, at least on these knives, pay attention to the facet). The knife came to me beautifully sharp - shaving. The blade opening hole is large, the thumb fits nicely into it and the blade opens well with it. However, it is a bit rough from the factory and has an edge that the thumb rubs against. In this case, the comrades in China could have played with the sandpaper a little longer. The edge on the upper spine of the blade is also a little rougher. It doesn't matter, it's more of an aesthetic detail. It won't cut your trousers, it won't cut your hand. In the closed position the blade is in the central axis, it does not bend laterally even in the open position (as it is, for example, in the well-known RAT-1 from Ontario, where the blade is bent to one side).

The Ganzo G732 knife fits well in your hand. The grip is comfortable, there is no pressure anywhere, no burrs, no sharp edges. For being a Chinese replica, it is well made. When you grip the knife in your palm, you don't have an unpleasant feeling of discomfort that makes you put the knife down right away. The recess at the safety doesn't squeeze your index finger and it fits well. The grip is secure in both classic, reverse and defensive (blade pointing down from the palm) positions.

The clip on the handle is very stiff and bids to the handle, making it easy to catch on the hem of your pocket when pulling it out. It's harder to get out of jeans, better out of pocket squares. It's nothing you don't get used to. It's polished, so it doesn't rub off any paint, which sometimes bothers nitpickers (on the other hand, it's a sign that you've had some experience with the knife and just don't fiddle with it).

The knife is well suited for everyday use. It is not a display product. You can use it for food processing (fruits, vegetables, meat, fish), out in the field (wood, branches, car seat belt, rope, etc) it works well too. It went into the chabaika like butter, it processed onion finely in my hand exquisitely, pate can be spread with it well too (thanks to the relatively wide blade). You have to cut the slice of bread all the way around, as the blade is very short for this task. It's a knife that can handle both coarser cutting and fine carving. A boat of bark for a spunt, shavings for kindling...why not. It takes deft hands. With the thumb rest on the top of the blade, you can apply more pressure vertically.

The "advertising pros" at Cold Steel would surely turn up their noses at the Ganz. They couldn't rappel, chop manila rope, puncture a garbage can lid, etc. without damaging the blade. 440C steel and the overall construction of the knife is not quite suitable for such stunts. But if you want to use it for normal activities, you don't have to worry about it. If you know how to do it (without damaging the knife), you can try something out of the ordinary with it. I don't recommend soldering with the tip at all. I was able to avoid the tip on one of my Ganz's a while ago this way. It's easily fixable, but it's proof that a bigger screwdriver is really better for soldering. I don't mess with knives, even if I own them. I got this knife to try out for normal non-destructive activities and it was not my goal to destroy it. After all, if you want to and that is your primary goal, you can destroy an $8k knife. On the other hand, because of the price of this knife, you might not mind destroying it so much.

In this day and age where it's still probably not quite normal to carry knives like this in your pocket and use them for everyday activities, you won't make a fuss with this knife when you open it. I don't think it has a particularly aggressive look to it. Its use hasn't caused any stir in my neighborhood (of course, my neighborhood is already used to my knives). But it's also about where and how you use your knife, and how you open it. If you open it with a fancy swing, the surroundings will register it.

So how do I rate the Ganzo G732? It's affordable, and I think that's a pretty big advantage. Still, it's not cheap junk from the marketplace. It fits well in the hand, where it doesn't press, and it gets the job done in normal use. It has a reliable lock that holds the blade well in the open position. The 440C steel is quite easy to sharpen, which will be especially appreciated by those who are not so experienced in this skill. It will hold its sharpness for quite a long time with careful handling. The knife is just heavy enough so that your hands don't tire as quickly when working with it, and it doesn't pull the pants pocket down. The clip on the handle holds very firmly. Overall, you can tell that the guys in China are getting more and more experienced with making closures.

What can I say in conclusion? Ganzo did not disappoint me again. But personally, I would have gone for the green handle rather than the black one I had the knife loaned with. I prefer the green.

Jan Pokorný