Knife Kit Update: MDR1911

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I finally sat down and put my knife kit together. There are no instructions for the MDR1911 model, but really you don't need them. The only part that is the slightest bit tricky is that the assist spring goes under the grip panel and not inside the frame. The AUS8 steel came with an okay edge, but it took a very keen one easily with a little work on the 4000/8000 diamond plate.

You'll need torx bits if you don't already have some, T6 and T8 along with a small Phillips head screw driver to complete the choir.

Total assembly time ran right around 10 minutes, because you will need to play with how tight everything should be (especially the Chicago screws holding the blade in place) to get the assist functioning properly.

Also worth noting is that you need to be careful not to overtighten the grip screws, as the holes are drilled completely through the frame and can impede the motion of the blade if you are not careful.

 Frankly the knife feels a bit thick in the hand, and the clip being non-reversible is a bit of a minus. It uses proprietary 1911 officer's sized (ish) grips, and they are not readily compatible with real 1911 grips.
Lockup on the knife is fair to moderate. The lock engages about 50% of the lock's width, which is not insignificant, but then again it isn't perfect either.

The Spyderco Tenacious I often carry has a much more secure lockup, and a much more robust blade block to keep the knife from over-extending in the wrong direction. The kit costs right around 30 bucks, and to be honest, I don't think it is worth it. Amazon has the Spyderco Tenacious for just under 34 bucks, and it is definitely worth the extra few dollars.

This was a fun little kit to mess around with, but it did leave me a little disappointed. Perhaps comparing an assisted knife to the Tenacious is unfair, but really I wouldn't recommend buying this kit for anything other than novelty factor. It is a fun little knife and I will carry it- but it should be relegated to light duty only, whereas I consider the tenacious a light to medium duty knife.

Overall, I liked the service from knifekits.com, and wish they'd give me a discount. Sadly I doubt that will happen. I'll probably try one of their fixed blade kits and maybe one more of their folder kits at some point, as they are fun to putter around with. The MDR1911 is extremely simple to assemble, so I guess if you want to try your hand at a very basic kit it isn't a bad one to cut your teeth on, but I do think it costs a bit much for what you end up with.

I like the Delta 5 for a fixed blade, though again I think it is a bit pricey for what you get, and I find a 5 inch blade is just a bit much for most cutting jobs. The Boot Skinner is a bit more my style, but i would also consider the drop point as well, though again it is a bit large. For folders the DDR2 with a Tanto style blade looks promising, and I do think Tantos are the easiest blades to teach someone how to sharpen. However, because I'm a cheap bastard, I suspect I'll start with the drop point cub, which can be completed for under 20 bucks all said and done.

I'll continue to post as I order and experiment with these kits, but again at this point, I'm not thrilled by the MDR1911.