I had a request to do a product review on the 480-1 so I figured I'd oblige. I picked this sucker up from Roger for the grand total of 143$ I believe, so bear that in mind when we judge the value of the knife.

The knife comes presented in a small black leather sheath with what looks to be the pocket clip off an 890 Torrent or similar riveted into the leather. It's fairly sturdy although to be honest the workmanship COULD be better. However I'd trust it for every day wear and tear.





The knife sits in the sheath tip down. I know a lot of you guys will be tempted to put the knife in upside down for tip up carry but the thumbstud causes it to stick and it's also very hard to grab onto that end of the knife.

Extracting the knife from the sheath, the first thing you'll notice is of course the CF scales, which are in my opinion superior to the wood scales on the standard Shoki. CF is far more stable, not affected by water nearly as much as wood, and is lighter weight, so the overall weight of the knife is extremely low. We're talking sub 2 ounces for the whole setup.

The CF has a rougher texture, like it was bead blasted, rather than the gloss/semi-gloss finish CF you see on a lot of custom knives. I like the texture, if it were slicker I'd have a hard time getting a grip on the knife but as it stands its just fine for a light utility folder.





The Ti is very attractive on this one, as is the hardware. The Titanium isn't jeweled but it is anodized a really nice blue color that's one of my favorites. I like anodized Titanium if you can't tell lol, and this stuff really accentuates the looks of the knife. The hardware is all a black gloss chrome that looks really great with the CF. You can't fault it for not being a pretty knife...

Mine is first production marked number 204/500. I always request a knife in a gun caliber if I can get it. I have knives with numbers 22, 223's, 308's, 762's, 57's, 338's, ect, and I wanted 204 for this one. The blade steel is M390, which is like an M4 steel that doesn't rust. In other words it kicks ass and chews bubble gum, but its all out of bubble gum. I've had extremely good experience with M390, and its worth the extra money for the upgrade over the standard Shoki.

Blade shape wise it's a nice sheeple friendly sheep's foot, but make no mistake, this is NOT a tactical blade by any stretch of the imagination. It has no jimping, a handle that you can barely hold onto and a tiny little delicate blade. However for light utility this is a really great little knife with a great package opener sized blade. Sub 3 inches makes it legal almost anywhere in the US and most places in Europe. The spine is crowned too, which is a nice little touch.





Overall, I'm impressed with the knife, although it's a little expensive for what it is. I think this should have been around the 100$ price point and BM should have discontinued the original Shoki. Why would you want the original when you could have this one since it's better in almost every aspect?

Personally I think it's a winner if you're looking for a light utility blade. It doesn't have the tactical features I think a lot of us have become used to on knives, but then again there's something really endearing about the 480-1 that makes it hard to imagine life without, and I mean that. This is going to be in my carry rotation because it IS so cute, and not only that it's really handy. People react well to it, and you'll never be singled out as a crazy person for carrying an AFCK lol.

At the end of the day I think it's a good knife. Make it for the 100$ price point and it'll be a great knife. My one complaint is the lack of a pocket clip on the knife itself, and while I realize this was done for the "gentleman", I think people put clips on knives for a reason- because it works

Anyway my final score is 8/10 for the dings on the lack of the clip on the actual knife and the cost. Everything else, tho, is solid and I think BM has a winner on their hands, I truly do.

Thanks for the review, Dingo. I like the look of this knife a lot. Wouldn't take much to turn it into a real "gentleman's folder."

Nice write-up Dingo! Where's the pic of the ano'd liners? I've always liked the Shoki (just not enough to buy one). That sheath could use some Edge Kote.

thanx i love anything ti and new steels............

Thanks Dingo, good review. A nice mini lanyard on that eye might be nice but with tip down you can't then use the sheath. Good looking little bugger.

Nice pics Dingo...I really like that knife in CF and satin.

i can not wait to try the new steel out,bm's long coming................

How does the lock hold up?

I bought one and within a few hours of handling the knife would fold up like a slipjoint without touching the lock release. I know it is not a hard-use tactical, but the lock should withstand hand pressure.

Just wondering, who asked you to do a review of this knife?