I was once again on the hunt for a budget cutter to add some variety to my collection. I’ve wanted a Jade or a Natural G-10 knife for a while and stumbled across this one. I hadn’t heard a lot about CJRB nor had I handled one. For the price point, it seemed like a no-brainer purchase and I was willing to take a $36 risk.
Technical Specifications
Overall Length: 5.50″
Blade Length: 2.375″
Blade Thickness: 0.09″
Blade Material: AR-RPM9
Blade Hardness: HRC 59-61
Blade Style: Wharncliffe
Blade Grind: Flat
Handle Length: 3.14″
Handle Overall Thickness: 0.58″
Handle Material: Natural G-10 (Black, Red)
Liner Material: Stainless Steel
Clip Material: Stainless Steel
Screw Material: Stainless Steel
Pivot Cap: Stainless Steel
Back Spacer Material: G10
Washer Material: Ceramic Ball Bearing
Weight: 4.42 oz / 125.4g
Lock Type: Liner Lock
Brand: CJRB
Designer: Savannah Swaggerty (Swaggs)
Impressions of the CJRB Maileah
Obviously this is a small knife so I have a hard time knocking it’s size. That said, the ergonomics on this one are a little iffy for me. I can really only get a solid two-finger purchase on the scales. The scoop in the scales fit my pointer finger nicely but my third finger is barely capable of getting a grip on the handle. The choil is a bit small so it doesn’t give me the option of placing a finger there and even if I could, putting your finger on the choil makes the grip even more awkward. I do, however, feel like the jimping on the blade makes up for this awkwardness. There is nearly an inch and a half of the spine dedicated to jimping which gives a great place to add pressure to your grip through the thumb.
So what is AR-RPM9 steel? It’s a budget, powdered stainless steel. If you want to know more about powdered steel I suggest you go through this post over at knifeesteelnerds.com. I’m not a scientist so I can’t write anything more intelligent than what’s already been posted there. From my browsing of that article it’s a process that results in a more uniform carbide structure than conventional steel casting.
Other things of note. The blade is nicely centered. The liner lock locks up really solidly on this one. The jimping isn’t sharp, but it’s sharper than I’d like. Under the thumb it feels fine but deployment isn’t the greatest experience for me. I prefer to deploy using the thumbstud, which I like for it’s deep red color. I really like the addition of a reversable deep carry clip. I don’t know why any knife is sold without one. I’m not positive but I think the indent in the backspacer is meant to be a lanyard hole. However, it’s in an odd location and I am not going to bother with it.
Conclusion
I’m keeping it. For what it is, I think it’s a great budget knife. It’s going to get plenty of use opening packages and small jobs when I have it on me. As I prefer knives under 7″ this one fits that bill nicely. I think the build quality is better than it’s price tag also. The natural G-10 has a rough feel to it which I forgot to mention earlier in this review. I’d never owned a natural scaled knife so that was a surprise to me. When all is said and done, I think the CJRB Maileah is worth your time.
What do you think of the review? Do you agree or disagree with anything in here? Let me know in the comments below, I love hearing what you guys think.