u/Pentomind

I noticed something on my Ankylo and was wondering if it is normal :

When I press the button of the vanchor lock, the first 1 or 2 mm it releases the blade but not entirely, the tip drops 5mm or so, and then I have to press the button further down to fully release the blade so it closes entirely.

When the blade is in the in-between position I can easily close it manually without pressing the button, it's like the lock is disengaged and the blade is only held in place by the detent ball.

This result in a weird feeling when closing the blade as I'd doesn't closes smoothly and I have to press the button down all the way to close the blade and it often bounces back.

Is this normal and do all the vanchor locks operate the same?

When I see video reviews people seems to just press the button for the blade to drop in the closed position without any difficulty or having to press the button that deep.

I'd be interested in your opinion as it is my first Vanchor lock and I have nothing to compare it to...

Brand : Daggerr (Russia)
Model : Monarch
Blade : VG-10
Blade profile : dagger (simple edge with fake/dull) secondary edge)
Handle : Stonewashed anodized Titanium
Pivot : Ceramic ball bearings
Lock : Spring-loaded latch (coil spring)
Length (open) : 200 mm
Length (closed) : 115 mm
Weight : 95g
Availability : Discontinued (still available one a few online stores)

I bought this knife out of curiosity when I saw for sale on the second hand market, because it looked nice even though I had never heard of this model nor this manufacturer.

I didn't find many information online about it so I decided to share my experience with you.

I paid 90€ for the knife + shipping.

Look :

First impression : The Monarch (which is a butterfly specie for those who aren't familiar) looks good and stands out of the usual balisong look.
The handles are made of titanium and are nicely machined.
The pivot screws have the brand logo engraved on one side (a stylized skull) and a large flathead type head on the other. The skulls don't rotate and always stay parallel regardless of the pivot screws tightening.
The blade is almost symmetrical, except for a small groove at the bottom of the edge on the sharpened side. It also has a long groove milled on each side along the center, which serves no purpose beside esthetic (and maybe weight reduction ?).
and last, it has a matching titanium pocket clip that is milled in shape of the skull logo.
Very good overall, I just wished the blade was a little longer, especially as there is some space left in the handle when closed.

Fit and finish :

Everything is perfect in this regard. There is absolutely not the slightest hint of play in the handle pivot, even though it is smooth AF ! The ball bearings are making a very good job here.

The latch locks in place securely and can be disengaged by squeezing the handles, both in closed and open position. It can also be disengaged with the thumb thanks to the protruding part. When unlatched, it stays out of the blade's way thanks to a small coil spring around its pivot.

The blade is razor sharp, and easy to resharpen thanks to the steel used : VG-10 (which in my opinion is a very good all around steel, even if it's not as high end as some CPM out there).

Ergonomic :

There is no suspense here : the knife is not a flipper ! You can flip it open with a flick of the wrist but :
- the handles are short
- the knife is rather light and doesn't have a lot of inertia
- the handle have very pronounced edges and are not shaped for rotation.
- the back of the blade being a false edge, its rather thin and can be painful when it hits the back of the fingers.

So if you're into tricks and flipping, it's definitely not a knife for you ! If you are, like me, more of and EDC guy, its a neat little knife, with a usable blade and a very good quality build. Also, the pocket clip , light weight and small size make it easy to carry in the pocket.

Overall :

At first I considered selling it but it has been growing on me and finally I decided to keep it, as it is unlikely I come across another soon.
the ergonomic is not perfect but the finish is nice and I like how it looks like a mini sword !
As I said it's not as good of a flipper as an Alpha Beast, it's not as good of an EDC as a Bradley Mayhem, but its build quality and cool factor definitely make it a worthy acquisition !

Thanks for reading, hope it was of some interest for you and please share your thought if you own one or discovered the model through this review !

I have severe arachnophobia but spiders fascinate me as well. This one was still and I was excited to see one IRL for the first time.