Viper Knives Sowbelly Stag handles M390 blade steel VPCK0712ST

This knife has been available for most of the year and I’ve taken my sweet time acquiring one. Fortunately for me, despite my procrastination, there is still some availability and I was able to scoop one up in my preferred covers. I took receipt of the knife the other day and am so smitten with it that I figured I would write a bit about it.

I am a big fan of the Sowbelly pattern – despite it not being well represented in my collection. In terms of ergonomic form and function, it is hard to think of a better pattern – the frame melts into your hand, it feels great in a variety of grips, and it can house a number of very useful blades without any trouble.

This example from Viper is exceptional. As soon as I withdrew it from its packaging, it melded into my hand like it was custom made for it – it is hard to describe how terrific it feels. Due to the Stag covers adding a bit of girth to the overall width, it only adds to the great experience.

Compared to my other Sowbelly examples (a couple of Case knives and a Queen-made Moore Maker), it is larger overall – being longer at 4″ closed and comparable to my 3-spring Moore Maker in terms of thickness (though that latter comparison might be skewed by the Stag thickness). I have always liked the form of the Case Sowbelly’s clip blade – I think the Viper compares admirably in that regard, though it is certainly larger.

One of the benefits of a Sowbelly pattern is that most, if not all, makers can achieve sunken (or near sunken) joints. This is a feature on my Case Sowbellys and it is present on this Viper as well – it adds to the smooth, ergonomic feel of this exceptional pattern.

Like with my Viper Swaybacks, the bolsters and liners are integral, being machined out of single pieces of titanium. This gives the knife an overall slicker appearance as there are fewer lines breaking up the view. The backspring has a polished look and it contrasts very nicely with the matte finish of the titanium. All of the Italian collaborations that have come my way, the fit and finish is exceptional – nothing catches or gouges, all edges and corners are smooth and/or rounded, and transitions are smooth and precise.

One feature that I have overlooked in the past is the reliefs that are milled into the bolster/liners. These accommodate the washers that are used at the pivot while keeping everything efficient and tidy with regards to space. I think it speaks to the machining skill and an excellent attention to detail.

I have become a big fan of Stag and it becomes my number one choice in most cases if it is available on any given run. I like color, depth, and texture (dark and gnarly) on my Stag and Mike usually gives me some pretty good options. Though I don’t feel like a Stag lottery was won with the example that I got, I like it (it feels great, looks great, and all), it isn’t at all ugly and has plenty of color and texture. That said, a lot of polishing compound was trapped in the grooves and cavities and though I was able to clean a lot of it out, there are still some stubborn spots…

For those of you who like a good stout pull on a knife, this one will not disappoint. I’d rate it a bit heavier than the Swayback and it walks & talks with authority. The closing snap is characteristic of Mike’s other Italian exclusives and I imagine it is due to the stop pin that is a feature of all of these knives.

I have to say, the blade on this Sowbelly is a thing of beauty. It is executed so wonderfully with a swoon worthy swedge and despite being rather robust, it is an efficient cutter. I don’t have a micrometer handy but it looks to me to have a little more meat behind the edge than the Swayback does but I like that in a bigger, harder working knife – just so long as it still cuts effectively. It attacked a cucumber and tomato for my sandwich the other day and it got the job done just fine. The factory edge shaves hair and slices tomatoes with ease (not necessarily in that order :D).

One of my nitpicks regarding the Swayback is the small lanyard hole – I found it to be unnecessary, especially since it isn’t being reinforced through the cover material. The lanyard hole on this Sowbelly is larger, through the endcap, and far more useful should one want to use a lanyard or fob.

I have zero complaints or critiques with regards to this knife. It is a flawless execution of a superb pattern and I think Mike and Viper should be immensely proud of it. I am really looking forward to carrying this with a lot of regularity. Keep up the great work, Mike! I can’t wait to see what else you have waiting in the pipeline.

Sláinte!

(I wrote this review up elsewhere and had accompanying pictures to drive home certain points. This has been condensed a bit for viewing here, hopefully it is coherent.)