Time for another Blog Blade Review. This time it's another one of Columbia River Knife & Tool's combo blade folders, the McGinnis Summa. Looks sleek, fast, and nasty like a Blue Shark, doesn't it?
At least that's what I though when I first opened up the package and saw the curvy shape and blue hue. I used to go spear fishing in the Atlantic when I lived back in Taxachusetts and whenever I came across one of those slippery-fast sharks while holding a bag full of speared lobster or fish my heart would skip a beat or two. And if you like your knives to have sleek, graceful lines yours may too.
Designed by knifemaker Gerry McGinnis, the Summa mimics the vibe of an old-school deer-horn handle knife, but with CRKT's smooth blue/black Micarta material. Its shape feels natural in your hand and offers nice balance. There's no assisted-opening of the blade, but the Summa features a large "flipper" that when depressed hard with your finger or thumb lets the blade swing open freely.
Like CRKT's Ignitor T, which I reviewed earlier in this Blog series, the carry clip of the McGinnis Summa is opposite of where I'd expect it to be and I find myself having to turn the knife around in my hand to open it after removing it from my pocket. The clip places the knife in a natural position for opening (at least for me) if worn outside hanging off my belt, but that's not my style. I don't like to broadcast the fact I'm carrying a 3.75-inch-long, razor-sharp blade no matter how nice it may be.
Also like the Ignitor T I reviewed, the McGinnis Summa features the same Veff Combo serrated blade treated to CRKT's durable black titanium nitride coating along the drop-point stainless-steel blade and the same sharks-tooth-nasty serrations to chew through rope and cordage like it's not there.
The blade lock release is in the traditional spot and requires a bit of pressure to smoothly close the blade. And if you've ever mindlessly knocked the lock release on a knife with a lesser spring and had it close on your finger, you'll know this isn't a bad thing. In an industry chock-full of blocky, chunky tactical knives with flat, plain shapes, it is refreshing to see an artfully-designed model with good ergonomics that doesn't make you give up that tactical blade. The McGinnis Summa lists for $59.99 on CRKT's web site, but some internet shopping will knock down that price quite a bit.