Russian Wrecking Tool!
Air Zlatoust Korsar Knife.
About a week ago I received a package with what I thought was going to be nicely made knives from Russian knifemakers... But what arrived was something very different.
Now I have used and owned plenty of knives from other countries and many are well made, but these knives from Air Zlatoust were a lot nicer than many of the knives I have held in my lifetime. These knives were, dare I say it, on the level of a custom knife. The fit and finish was top notch, they're super sharp, and the sheath is made perfectly. I rarely feel this, but I wish you could hold these knives as you read this, they're literally THAT nice. And that is my solid opinion as a lifelong knife nut, and edged tool collector.
I won’t tell you this knife is low cost, cause it’s not, but as we all know, you get what you pay for. And in this case, you REALLY get what you paid for. As far as the Korsar goes, it is a very nice knife, almost too nice, for the cost. The sheath is made of leather, sewn and riveted together, and uses more than one attachment method. It incorporates a belt loop and a belt clip, and can be worn in numerous places on the body.
The overall length tops 10.75" and the blade is a hefty 6.25" with a sharp 5.25" cutting edge. The blade is satin finished and features a blood groove and a great looking etched design on the upper flats and ricasso. The blade also features a false ground upper edge, and a choil for cinching up on the blade and tightening your grip for more precise cutting tasks. The handle is of the stacked leather design popular in WWI and WWII, with a high polished one piece guard and pommel. The grip design is a super comfortable shape, and is one of the few rare designs that actually feels like it was custom made to fit my hand.
The blade is a "V" Ground Blade and has a primary and secondary bevel, which can do serious cutting damage when deployed by a professional. The way this AZ knife was designed is genius in my opinion. Being that the sheath is a leather design with multiple mounting and carry options, that makes deployment faster, easier to practice with, and easier to articulate in the heat of the moment. The guard feels different when the blade is facing up and down, offering the soldier an easy way to deploy this knife to maximum effect in the dark. Plus night time deployment of this model would be much quieter than the average knife using a kydex or plastic sheath due to the leather sheath design. The handle is very maneuverable, and I have no trouble transitioning my grip from saber, to hammer, to reverse grip.
It is available in the Russian-made Steel Bladed models and other options for different looks and materials are also available. The team at Legion USA carries multiple models from AIR Zlatoust, this is only the first one we're reviewing. Wait until you see the videos and what we're going to do with these knives. If you're wondering how they would do against flesh, muscle, and clothing... You may just find out. Stay tuned, and in the mean time, visit www.legionusa.com or https://www.legionusa.com/air-zlatoust-knife-korsa... for your own Air Zlatoust Knife from Russia, with love.
