TRC THIS IS FREEDOM - FULL REVIEW

[@PinkG10]

CONTENTS: 00:00​ - UP ON THE MOUNTAIN 00:26​ - REGULAR START 00:50​ - SPECS IN TEXT 01:06​ - INTRO 05:20​ - UNBOXING + GOING OVER SPECS 17:40​ - COMPARISONS (CLASSIC FREEDOM; SOUTH POLE) 29:42​ - SLICING TESTS (FIVE TYPES OF PAPER) 38:45​ - SHAVING TEST 40:44​ - WINTER CAMPING 45:29​ - MAKING LUNCH (POTATOES, PAPRIK, MEAT) 01:13:56​ - TIME FOR COFFEE 01:14:22​ - PEELING AN APPLE 01:17:32​ - SLICING FRUITS & VEGETABLES 01:24:17​ - WATCHING THE SUNSET 01:26:26​ - AT THE CAMP FIRE + BATONING 01:34:56​ - MAKING FEATHER STICKS 01:41:52​ - FINAL THOUGHTS 01:50:28​ - FULL MOON

[@wattsmichaele]

Love the dog clips…..fantastic!….TRC knives are incredible too!

[@mrdarren1045]

Best and most comprehensive knife vids on KZbin. Thanks for your thoroughness and the time you invest in these vids.

[@PinkG10]

Thank you for your kind, encouraging words! For the record, I accidently deleted one segment of my video-review, in which I was comparing ALL my TRC-knives to the This Is Freedom, but I do not consider it a "deal breaker" for the review as a whole. Still, it does bug me a bit. I also talked about the sheaths, leather vs. kydex, and the differnt kinds of steels and coatings etc. The only real relevant comparison was with the South Pole and Classic Freedom, though. At least imho.

[@michaeldaruwalla8717]

The introduction to the pentatonic was most distinct. As for TRC their workmanship is museum quality. Thanks for the comparison between other models it helps us decide on which one to purchase.

[@rickc4317]

What a great time and wonderful review. Glad you and Bolt had that nice outing and took the time and effort to share it with us. Gorgeous knife and very good look and test for anyone interested in a nice knife. Thanks, Fredrik.

[@PinkG10]

Thank you, Rick! I had a great time making this video for all of you! I think I'll go with this "camp-style format" for many reviews to come, regardless of season of the year and regardless of knife model to be reviewed (as long as we're talking fixed blades!).

[@petermccann2561]

Classic Freedom is now also full flat, no gimping.

[@jurgenkrebbekx4329]

TRC knives are probably the best knives money can buy, they have no equal imho🤘🏻

[@PinkG10]

I agree that these are some of the very finest knives, with impeccable fit and finish, as well as great performance, that you can get for the price that they're offered for. I would trust my life on a TRC-knife.

[@cctvspystore]

The crowned spines on the TRC knives make for a comfortable slicer/food prep no doubt but prolly not the best all around field/bushcraft/hunting knifes needed for ferro striking & scraping as a 90 deg spine would be. Thanks again for the review Frederik

[@PinkG10]

I agree, but as seen at 01:40:28, it is possible to scrape some tiny feathers for fire starting, using the spine of the knife if held at just the right angle. This is a knife that takes a little bit getting used to, of sorts. I do consider it mainly a slicer/food prep. knife, those are the areas where This Is Freedom excels, but it will do far more than just slice food. ;)

[@mrdarren1045]

TRC make impeccable knives. IMO they are the benchmark. The only knife I own that is equal to my south pole is my other south pole.

[@PinkG10]

I fully agree that TRC is 100% consistent with their quality; if you get a TRC-knife, you'll get impeccable fit and finish. That is something not many, if even any, other makers can claim. At least in my personal experience.

[@skywalker3477]

Niiiiice Review! Thx! Would you still recomend it? When do you use it mainly?

[@torgny0]

Tack!

[@francescochiapponi1208]

Hi, I personally love the design of Soth Pole and This is Freedom. I'm about to buy my first TRC knife which i will use mostly for hunting purpose. Stating this, i have not made up my mind yet on which one of these two I should buy. I like M390 edge retention and 50 gramms lighter weight of TIF but on the other side i'm afraid it will be fragile and the blade could chip when going against bones in cleaning animals.... Any suggestion? which one would you raccoment for this kind of tasks?

[@PinkG10]

Hi Francesco! I'd go with the South Pole, and I'll explain why. To me, it's not only a matter of steel preferences, but also blade geometry and handle ergonomics. The This Is Freedom is a better slicer than the South Pole, no doubt. Slicing is ofc very relevant for a hunter, such as yourself, but much like you state, bones are indeed hard, and cutting against bone, or especially "chopping" or breaking bones, has a high risk of chipping your edge. I've had no issues with the M390 used for the Classic Freedom and This Is Freedom, but I haven't put it to very hard use. I have, however, put the Elmax used for the South Pole and Apocalypse to VERY hard use, with zero issues. The blade thickness of the South Pole is indeed thicker than what it is on the This Is Freedom, and it's NOT full height grind, but it's a very good slicing tool. I also think that the South Pole will be more secure in your grip when field dressing and processing meat, than what the This Is Freedom will be (thanks to the material, texture and finger groove). All in all, I feel more comfortable recommending the South Pole to you, than what I feel recommending the This Is Freedom, for the tasks you have in mind.

[@voider78]

I am a hunter. I first bought the South Pole and it is great. I also buy now as my second knife the This is freedom knife for finer tasks. But the South Pole alone can do everything

[@Guncleana]

I have a full flat ground classic freedom they’re harder to find but they’re out there absolutely love it

[@garethesplin5673]

I’m torn between the full flat ground and the saber ground. How are you getting on with the ffg?

[@emperorpalpatine7495]

Pinky-G!!! I've miss ya man. I love your reviews! You are so thorough with your knife reviews! I never have any questions about anything about the knives he reviewed cuz you go over everything about that knife A+++ on what you do Bro. I also think TRC knives are amazing I absolutely love my apocalypse knife 💚💯%

[@PinkG10]

Hey Jeff! Thank you for your kind words! The Apocalypse is the flagship of TRC Knives, imho. And I say that, even though I use the South Pole more. Oh, and I'll admit that I accidently deleted one segment of my video-review, in which I was comparing ALL my TRC-knives to the This Is Freedom, but not a "deal breaker" for the review as a whole. Still, it does bug me a bit. I also talked about the sheaths, leather vs. kydex, and the differnt kinds of steels etc. But it is what it is! Still, almost two hours of footage, lol! Once again, thank you for your comment!

[@timcorrin1475]

Great review and I enjoyed the comparison to the other TRC knives. When you do your sharpness test please could you try push cutting with and against the grain of the paper. Push cutting against the grain with newspaper is a sign of a very sharp knife.

[@PinkG10]

Thank you, Tim! I originally had a segment where I talked about all the TRC Knives that I currently own, but I accidently deleted it in the video editing. xD It didn't occur to me that I could do some push cutting, that's something I'll take with me to future reviews. I did put the knife on the strop after I did the sharpness test, and now it is INSANELY sharp, yet still tough.

[@lanceruss5572]

Off topic question but could you give me a few good all around Bark River models for a camp knife. Thinking about ordering a Teddy 1 or Quartermaster but I do value your experience with numerous models.

[@PinkG10]

Hey Lance! There're many models to pick from, in a few different steel types as well. Do you know approx. which blade length you're looking for? If you can specify that, or even like a range X"-X" that would be pretty helpful in narrowing down the most suitable picks for you specifically.

[@lanceruss5572]

@@PinkG10 sure thing! I’m looking at a 5 to 6.5 inch blade. As far as steel I could go for A2 or 3V. I would look at a stainless option if it’s reasonably tough. Thanks again for your time.

[@PinkG10]

I'm only going to recommend you models that're readily available, and that I personally think are good choices: From A-Z Aurora II (one of my all-time favorite knives, made only in CPM-3V) Bravo 1.25/Bravo 1.25 LT in CPM-3V (my rampless, spear point Bravo 1.25 LT in CPM-3V is one of my most used knives in this size-range) Bravo 1.5/Bravo 1.5LT (I prefer the 1.5LT in CPM-3V, fantastic knife) Bravo Squad Leader 3V (great, but quite compact, knife) Cub 3V (the Cub is a really nice knife, but I can sometimes have a bit of trouble with the flared ending of the handle when doing certain tasks) Tundra 3V (very nice knife in all aspects) Wilderness Explorer (together with the Aurora II, this is one of my all-time favorite knives, but not your typical camp knife, tbh. Oh, and this one is FHG by default!!) I have no personal experience with the Quartermaster, but I know for a fact that the handle won't fit my hand in a comfortable way, which is a deal breaker for me personally. The Teddy is an interesting knife, and I bet it would make for a pretty good camp knife tbh!

[@lanceruss5572]

@@PinkG10 awesome! I was looking at the Wilderness 5 since most explorers are gone. I also saw DLT has the Teddy 1 for order. Appreciate the time and take care.

[@PinkG10]

I didn't pick up the Wilderness 5, since I was, and still am, unsure about the balance point of that knife. I'll probably get one, one day, though. The Teddy 1 has not been produced in many years, I already own three Teddy II's (with two more on pre-order!), and I'll be sure to make a pre-order for it in the next couple of days.

[@Сергей-у3э4ы]

Классный нож 👍🤝

[@jaded1210]

I have three TRC knives and I love them.

[@adam80s.]

What’s the dog breed?

[@lloydjacobson1812]

I picked one ☝️ up and it’s become a favourite

[@Airik1111bibles]

The no 90° spine fad is annoying in my opinion. It is not needed on every bushcraft blade but , but if one wants it then they can add it themselves . Its like people totally crap on great knives just because the spine aint 90° ?? Those who do lots of carving ,notching and whittling understand this comment.

[@LosRiji]

Jap bought it. But do more push-cuts. This shows the sharpness more then slicing. It's easy to slice a tomato but only the sharpest of Knives are able to perform those tasks without axial movement. But the shaving Part got me hooked real good

[@windowlickerltd2]

Hi there Pinky-G! Btw - that is your gangsta rapper name :) First of all, thank you for another top notch review. Love your work! And it should serve as standard for other reviewers. Regarding the grinds - here is my opinion: There is major difference in blade thickness on Classic F and This is F. I believe that full flat grind on Classic F. would make it more prone to chipping and rolling. Blade behind the edge would be simply too thin and fragile on such thin stock in my opinion. Also, if you check other TRC knives, there is none that I can think of that has both jimping and grind that leads all the way up to the spine. There has to be manufacturing/functional reason behind it. I also like your blade finish choice. Because we have simirar :) My TRCs: Mini Wharncliffe in Elmax, Speed Demon in Elmax, South Pole in Elmax + black micarta. All satin without dlc or apo finish. "To do": Apocalypse in elmax + black micarta, Classic freedom (not sure about the colour yet). Both satin again. I pobably skip on This is Freedom, South Pole is sizewise too similar and superior in my eyes.

[@PinkG10]

Hey! Thank you for commenting! I really appreciate your kind, encouraging words! I wanted this review to be under one hour, but I missed that mark pretty hard. Still, I think it provides more variety than some of my other TRC-reviews. Oh, and I accidently deleted one segment of the video-review, in which I was comparing ALL my TRC-knives to the This Is Freedom, but I do not consider it a "deal breaker" for the review as a whole. Still, it does bug me a bit. I also talked about the sheaths, leather vs. kydex, and the differnt kinds of steels and coatings etc. The only real relevant comparison was with the South Pole and Classic Freedom, though. At least imho. I also think I'll go with this "camp-style format" for many reviews to come, regardless of season of the year and regardless of knife model to be reviewed (as long as we're talking fixed blades!). I think you're on to something about the grinds and the spine thickness, it does make some sense. I do have some knives from Bark River Knives with a spine thickness equal, or even thinner, than the one on Classic Freedom, that are full height grind (some by defaul, some as per my request). These knives are, however, not in M390, but in CPM-3V which is ofc MUCH, MUCH tougher than M390. About the jimping and full height grind on TRC-knives, you're probably correct! Yes, satin finish for the win! ;) And Natural Canvas Micarta, for me at least. For the Mille Cuori, there's only Black Micarta or Green Micarta available, and only with DLC finish. Still, given the properties of Vanadis 4 Extra, I do like the DLC to prevent corrosion, so it's worth it from a functional standpoint. And I'll have to admit, it looks like of nice too. I really like that the DLC is SUPER tough, and won't wear off easily. About skipping the This Is Freedom, well, you know best what you want and like in a knife. The South Pole is a fantastic knife, my favorite TRC-knife, but the TIF will outperform it as a food prep./kitchen knife. It's also a lighter model, and will do many of the things that the South Pole can do. That being said, the South Pole does it all, and some tasks a lot better than the TIF, and it's also one of the most comfortable knives imo, and it comes with a kydex-sheath per default, which I prefer. Both great knives, but with their respective pros and cons. But I agree that the South Pole does have more pros!

[@windowlickerltd2]

@@PinkG10 Oh, shame about the deleted segment. Well next time... I would really like to know your opinion on leather sheaths and some tricks to fit them would be useful. I bought leather sheath along with my South Pole and it is tight. Beautiful, high quality, superbly stitched, but hella *TIGHT*. I guess the non-polished micarta doesnt help the friction either...but damn, taking the knife out is bit of a struggle to be honest. I puchased mineral oil (bottled Ballistol) in order to wet fit my SP in, but havent pulled the trigger yet. Kydex wins 100% IMO. Camp-style format? Yup! That is totally fine in my book. It adds subtle, non-forced layer of "out together" experience + cutness (hope you shared more of that delicious looking meat:)). CPM-3V. Oh yes. Liked it on paper - and went "cheapo" way to try it out - boom - Benchmade Puukko 200. Well cheap it seemed - instant need to get non-dangerous sheath for it (Armatus Carry solved it). Found out that the rubbery handle doesnt fit to the blade = all liquids could easily get under the handle and peacefuly corrode there (liquid electrician tape + 2 evenings of tinkering solved it). Finally used it and found out that heat treat is FAR FAR FAR away from optimal... My first and last Benchmade. Maybe I should rephrase it...I HOPE I skip the TIF :) I believe that as soon as I have the (for me) more desirable targets at home, I will have to find another TRC target to aim at :D Like that damned expensive Equilibrium - still available, and couple lenghts in front of MC and TIF in my chart. Edit.: And yes, you are right, natural for you, black for me. And black should be my Classic Freedom as well. The non polished black micarta looks like lichen - that is why I picked it. I am quite curious whether the polished one has that lichen-ich tint as well.