Browning Backlash Knife, Black

I am positively impressed by this knife. I didn't expect to be. The Browning name, of course, has been associated with exceptional firearm design for nearly 150 years, but my experience with a couple other firearm brands that have knives manufactured under their name has been pretty underwhelming. Not so with Browning Black Label. Fit and finish is exemplary on my Backlash - easily on par with knives priced $100+ above this model. The blade is straight and symmetrical, the edges are ground evenly and at a uniform angle tip to guard. Out of the box the knife was fairly sharp - not razor sharp, but pretty good. The guard, or quillon, is well sized and effective - very important on a thrusting knife. The handle is also well proportioned, provides a secure grip and fits my hand perfectly. Balance is handle-heavy which makes for a very agile and controllable blade. This is an impressive knife.The sheath is also quite good. The inclusion of a Tek-Lok rather than a simple clip or belt loop is a definite plus. I repositioned the Tek-Lok to get a feel for various carrying options and had no trouble loosening the Chicago screws as reported by a previous reviewer. Browning attached the Tek-Lok with only two screws so I did add two more for a more secure attachment - minor quibble. Also, the mechanism which locks the knife in the sheath, yet releases with pressure from your thumb or forefinger depending on your manner of carry, is quite clever and effective.If you are considering purchasing this knife, be aware that a dagger's slender, acute point is designed for thrusting. If you are foolish enough to throw this knife or use is as a pry bar, you WILL damage the tip. Used correctly, this is a highly functional blade. The steel used in the blade, 5Cr15MoV, is not a super steel. It's somewhere between AUS-8 and AUS-6, or between 440A and 440C. It has been tempered to 53-54HRC so it won't hold an edge forever (show me a knife that will) but will be easy to sharpen. BTY - just for fun I used mine to prepare last evening's dinner - diced onions, sliced roast beef, cut cheese and the like. While the Backlash would not be my preferred cooking knife, it can do the job if need be. All in all, I'm very pleased."The best knife for the job is the one you have with you when you need it."

This knife is exquisite. The materials, craftsmanship, design and finish are all top notch. The hard plastic sheath is of good quality and is ambidextrous for lefties thanks to the Tek-lock belt clip, but the sheath design presented a big problem for me. In fact, it was a deal breaker. To be useful as a tool, I need the ability to draw the knife with one hand while fastened to my belt. The design of this sheath makes that impossible. Even with two hands the knife is firm to remove. Disappointed, I was preparing to return the knife, but after fondling it for a while and becoming completely enamored with it, I decided that it was too damn nice to let go. I had to make it work.So I went and modified the sheath by cutting one of the top lips that hold the knife in place. After taking a Dremel tool to it, I am very pleased with the results. I can now draw the knife with one hand quickly and easily. There is no rattle and it now looks MUCH better while sheathed. I will try and upload a pic. I wish Browning would consider manufacturing it this way. Two handed draw on a dagger is contradictory IMO.

I bought this with the intention of keeping it in my EDC bag. After I received it I decided that I wasn't comfortable keeping a fixed blade knife with a blade too long to be legal everyday. I don't want to get in trouble for carrying a "dangerous weapon" because I think this knife is cool......by the way, this knife is cool. It's pretty sharp, fits REALLY well in the hand, and has an awesome weight to it. The handle fits in my palm perfectly. This knife just looks and feels really cool.Mine is still sharp to the tip. I wouldn't recommend using this knife to pry anything, it's not an everyday work knife. That being said it is a sturdy tool. The pommel should be mentioned too, it's nice and solid and can probably delivery more than a few hits alone.I give it one star less because of the sheath. It is modular and can be affixed to almost anything AND the knife is never going to fall out, but you do need two hands to draw it and it's kinda ugly. Regardless this is an excellent quality knife.

I really like the fit of this knife in my hand, although I have rather large hands, it fits well and would probably fit smaller hands as well. The grip surface is textured, but smooth, and doesn't slip. The steel is damn hard to sharpen, but if you hone the blade as regular maintenance, it retains the edge for quite some time, common to all the knives I've had made from 440. Easily drawn from the sheath yet, has positive retention and won't slip out of the sheath. I tried to cause the knife to come out without depressing the release and had to swing the sheath quite hard to get it to come loose. I couldn't get it to happen a second time so I might have not had the knife properly locked in.

The knife is beautiful, well design, artistically attractive, shape as a razor (literally shave with it), not exactly black as I expected. However, the sheath was least then desired. An over-design complex unit, it is NOT a quick-draw sheath by any means. Very difficult to get the knife out in an emergency. But I did love the knife.

This Knife is very nice . The sheath , as others have said , is crazy . They did eliminate the clip on one side so hanging it upside down is not an option . You can pull the knife out without touching the release . Just pops right out . A "good" sheath shouldn't be too hard to find though and might just modify this one . The belt/molle attachment on the back is just screwed on so I will start with just removing that goofy thing . Great knife , pitiful over designed sheath .

Heavy, strong, sharp...everything you would expect from a Browning knife of this size and type, although the sheath can be difficult to work, and is hard to open quickly or with only one hand. Other than the detractions of the sheath, recommended!

This knife is a great knife if you are looking for a smaller dagger type of knife. It is well made and was sharp out of the box. The sheath is just as is stated and works well.