The Pro-Tech Malibu Pocketknife: The Full Nick Shabazz Review

Today, we'll take a look at two examples of the Pro-Tech Malibu, one basic and one bougie, and talk about why this little Malibu has turned into a malibooming hit.

[@stwida91]

Ugh, that satisfying "tink" every time you press the button and let the blade fall. Non-knife people will never understand. Lol.

[@thomash4578]

For the figit spinner crowd.

[@NickWeissMusic]

The best production knife ever. Everyday carry perfected. Beautiful, easy to clean, impeccable fit and finish, absolutely zero nonsense. The lock stick is just a result of low tolerance work, it smooths out perfectly and quickly. Just got my second, super hard to find and marked up, $190 was a dream from long ago lol. My original 20cv tanto is a 17 degree pocket razor (steepest angle on a standard lansky anyway ;) ). the edge holds shaving sharp nearly indefinitely, needs stripping every couple months, truly remarkable steel. i have no visible chipping other than imperfection right at the tip, which catches hell on any knife that gets used everyday anyway. My new wharncliff has their decent factory edge, I’ll be seeing if the toughness of magnacut makes it even better, but that is a pointy tip, I’m curious to see how my ridiculously thin edge holds up there. I go with a 17 deg edge on steels that can handle it, it really ups the slicing and box cutting, and have had no chipping problems with the 20cv, but no, I don’t baton with it lol. The factory edge in magnacut doesn’t cut cardboard nearly as nicely, we’re gonna have to fix that when i get the chance.

[@chrisjaskulski8613]

ZT, are you watching? This is how you do that!

[@maratmarat9426]

Zt 0707 лучше ?

[@slywolfe]

@@maratmarat9426 no, that zt is not better

[@Youtube-Censorship-Police]

do what? zt is pretty top-notch in terms of action and fit'n'finish. if you said benchmade...now that would be another story.

[@NickWeissMusic]

I agree with the guy above, not sure which part they should do, ZT makes some fine knives. Their finish holds up a lot better than Pro Tech, that’s for sure. The anodized aluminum will become worn and dinged up with zero forgiveness. Every drop is a ding, my half-breed isn’t pretty up close lol. My ZT 0707 looks like the day I bought it 2 or 3 years down the line. They’re both excellent, great (very different) blades, I carry each one often.

[@Shutout]

the malibu is currently on the top of my list for knives to get once i get some disposable funds. Great video! Cant wait to get one in hand.

[@Mike_Pedals]

annoying the wife with my knives is absolutely a thing.

[@TheCcmarine]

Same🔪

[@jagpilotohio]

Absolutely love the blue and Damascus combo. Each to his own. Since blue is my favorite color I guess that makes sense.

[@IlliniDog01]

Me too. Probably can't afford it, but it looks super sweet.

[@jagpilotohio]

IlliniDog01 they may not release it again but it was $400 I think. Titanium and Damascus isn’t cheap. I’ve never spent more than $250 on a knife but I would for that.

[@Dale_Higgins]

I've been obsessively checking the shops for these for 2 months. I love it and can't wait to find out.

[@abc456f]

These things are.going to sell out in a minute when they finally release them again. And when is that going to happen? Tons of reviews...no knives.

[@night5738]

Funny you say this cause this is STILL true, I just got lucky enough to grab one the other night and I’m waiting on it to come in

[@christopherpayne7650]

@@night5738 you find one locally? Bladehq says coming soon it looks like they’re releasing a run of wharncliffs

[@paule2978]

I found one used, overpaid compared to retail but I’m not complaining. The knife is very nice especially if you value drop shut flippers on bearings.

[@dlife7427]

@@paule2978 congrats a small batch just dropped i heard. Less then 500. I saw one site that still has 4 black handles versions in stock but they want 270

[@night5738]

@@christopherpayne7650 no i found it on r/Knife_Swap

[@jglitch0]

Met some guys that work at protech at the shop I work at and I mentioned I liked the mordaxe and he whipped out his Malibu which to be fair had seen some amazing use time and needed to be cleaned but made me want one so bad lol

[@EffnShaShinko]

YESSSSSSS been not-so-patiently waiting for this

[@andrewb5415]

I’ve got the reverse tanto , and it is definitely a gem of a knife!

[@darrenhill7286]

Nick- "very restrictive knife laws" Me- laughs in British

[@HerpADerpCrew]

@Morné Venter We can legally own and carry this knife in Australia with a 'lawful excuse'. Basically, as long as you're utilising a pocket knife for its intended purpose, or carrying it for occupational, educational, or recreational usage, a cop should more than often, agree your reasoning for carrying it as 'lawful'.

[@notoothedtiger1185]

Do they have strict rules I. Britain? I’m sorry I’m only 12 years old

[@johnd48]

Meanwhile in Texas, I laugh for different reasons

[@notoothedtiger1185]

john d why do you laugh?

[@andrewbounds5497]

the fidget factor on this is probably going to make it my next knife purchase

[@VJG650]

Are you crazy? The blue and gray go together PERFECTLY, literally by the book...

[@ChrisPang05]

Don't forget to mention the amazing customer service. Protech has shipped me bearings, washers, and clips free of charge after contacting their knife nerd team. I'm so excited for their success in the manual world because living in NY ain't fun for a knife guy.

[@jim-hl4cc]

I’ve vowed to quit watching reviews of knives that will never be available to buy.

[@seatown8257]

I just purchased it on blade HQ. Setup an account and have the website email you. I got a 5 min heads up prior to it even going on sale. The blue handle is going to drop in the next 2 to 3 weeks.

[@seatown8257]

Or setup bkadeHQ to send you a text message.

[@night5738]

Check the r/Knife_Swap Reddit, still a little difficult to grab right now but possible. Just got mine off there

[@christopherpayne7650]

@@night5738 you got the Malibu from bladehq?? I’ve been checking everyday and it’s only said sold out or coming soon

[@danefuentes3877]

@@christopherpayne7650 ??? He literally says he got his from "r/Knife_Swap Reddit". People like you make me so concerned...

[@toddbloss]

"keep doing it until your wife asks you to leave"....been there brother

[@RobertSpitzer]

I think the blue and gray is an amazing combination .

[@jamesfair9751]

It’s not actually grey it’s Damascus steel and from a bit of distance the design from the Damascus makes it look greyish.

[@KnifeHandleSupply]

Pro-Tech told me that an un-milled titanium, non-damascus version is on the way! :D

[@liquidcobra1450]

That’s the exact version of this that I would want.

[@everydaycarry1328]

I have the blue milled one but would probably rather have an un-milled titanium non damascus one ! But I would probably keep both

[@PooMonkeyMan]

When and when?! And please keep it in 20CV. I really don’t want them to drop it to 154CM or CPM-154.

[@KnifeHandleSupply]

​@@PooMonkeyMan They were already released and sold out instantly unfortunately. The knife ended up being milled titanium with a 20cv blade. BladeHQ received a few in blue and Rivers Edge Cutlery received a few in bronze. Price was $400.

[@PooMonkeyMan]

Brian 😭😭😭 Dang it. Would’ve been nice get a sand/bead blasted finish.

[@poopagore]

the blue will probably be my next purchase. thanks shabazz for the video brother!

[@sputumtube]

Go to 'settings' and reduce the playback speed to 0.75

[@mafillehermes7821]

Sounds totally normal at 0.75x speed

[@pooslinger6839]

I was finally able to purchase one of these and I love it. Well made, sleek design, and feels great holding it. Thanks for the review!

[@gentlemansgear5041]

Amazing knife.Sometimes I ask myself wether the Grimsmo Norseman is still worth it's price, but when I see a great knife like the Malibu(600$ version) and it has some machining issues, I get it.

[@NickWeissMusic]

Yes, they’re not custom tuned from the factory, but these break in quickly and perfectly. I own 2, both have perfect fall open/close. You’re right, to get any better, you have to pay more, the Malibu is an amazing production knife.

[@cavedog1279]

Been waiting for this review. Knife of the year :)

[@jolness1]

Great Review, Excited to snag one when I can. Protech makes great stuff and 20CV, reverse tanto is perfect for me.

[@optimuscrime608]

I noticed on mine that the finish on the aluminum handles chips and scratches VERY easy. I’ve only had it two weeks and it’s got 5-6 small chips like the one Nick put in that black one.

[@NickWeissMusic]

It's gonna happen. There's no way to keep anodized looking new except keeping the knife in a case. It's a bummer but Kershaw doesn't do it any better, I own 2 anodized knives from 2 different companies and it just seems like part of the deal. I don't mind my Half-breed looking a little ratty, makes it more unassuming, people don't suspect the absolute death scalpel switchblade in their midst lol. Pro tip, I buy black anodized when possible because you can touch it up with a sharpie. I use it for dings on musical equipment and speakers etc. all the time.

[@Cry42]

I've got one in each blade shape. Was planning to do 1 blue and 1 black, but they accidently switched out the knife at the retailer and I ended up with 2 blue ones. Apparently there was an all black DLC run that I missed, hope that comes back.

[@STONKS0897]

blade hq has one coming soon

[@awdobsession717]

Best budget quality flipper out there. Especially now with the MagnaCut blades

[@irorules]

as a Canadian, I'm excited that i can finally start looking to get a protech

[@koga8100]

Ah yes, video came out about ten min ago, and you are out here a moth early

[@juicewilliss]

@@MattP-BandB yeah same here, I get my stuff from Warriors and Wonders, I don't know many online stores that I trust in Canada. luckily I know a decent hunting sports store in Montreal, good selection of knives but they don't have after market scales and stuff to personalize your knife. I'm new to the knife game so any suggestions would be great.

[@juicewilliss]

@z z stay in school kid, there are no slums in Canada, it's not like in the US China or India.... those countries have slums, we don't have enough people to cause a significant financial burden to the country, creating areas of absolute poverty. Not saying we will never get there but for right now my response to you in Nelson's voice.....Hahaaaa

[@juicewilliss]

@z z ..... ohhh... wow, ehh,no, not at all.I realize ....and probably anyone who reads this that your lashing out at strangers like a child, and you probably need a hug more than me right now. So from one human to another here's a big hug for you buddy! You probably feel alone and have nobody to talk to. You shouldn't be afraid to reach out and ask for help! Bless your little heart!

[@juicewilliss]

@@MattP-BandB thanks for the info 👍 much appreciated!

[@Adamas11]

Oops @9:41. He fuked up the loaner 🤣

[@ToastyMonk]

Just copped a blue reverse tanto from a distributor, can’t wait to get this in my hands! 🙌🏽

[@44mjones]

I agree with you most of the time, but the blue w/ the grey looks amazing.lol

[@Grt31pmkin]

Ugly is they can't keep them in stock...

[@nasaboy87]

"There are no springs." Has Case of Spring Fever flashback.

[@thomash4578]

Awesome.

[@flytheskymyway]

Yeah because blue and grey color combo is is not complimentary. 🤣 Great review as always.

[@stevetqp9152]

Thank you for yet another great review, Nick! You have me interested in the “standard” model with perhaps the reverse tanto blade! BTW, your statement regarding the blue color contrasting with the gray blade is a bit subjective…I like it…just way out of my budget.

[@BlastedBilly]

9:40 this made me spit coffee all over the dam place!

[@spicey9951]

My heart broke when you scuffed the black knife :(

[@bobb.9917]

Spicey99 since he ruined it.....he might as well just give it to me! 😁

[@doofy28]

I want a Quite Carry after your and Slicey's videos. I have the Malibu. I think a good alternative to the Malibu is the DROP x Ferrum Forge Mordax which is available.

[@jamesfair9751]

Wish I could have gotten a mordax they are insanely hard to come across.

[@starkparker16]

If the black one is a Lincoln the blue one is Goldie's Lincoln.

[@brandonwayne6260]

Please do a qsp penguin review its such a good knife

[@Jezus42]

If the clip is not reversible it is not leftie friendly. It can be used with either hand in an ok fashion!

[@swamiralf5115]

Agreed. Would love to see a true lefty version of this, Pro-tech has precedent in that area.

[@Jezus42]

@@swamiralf5115 what protech makes leftie knives? Are you for real I may have a new favorite knife company

[@swamiralf5115]

@@Jezus42 AFAIK they only make lefty autos. But at least they know we exist.

[@jacobdaus3835]

Was there a disassembly video on this knife that I missed? I'd love to know how this knife works from the inside.

[@DECDEC1220]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGqxiqx9hJl8prc

[@ericthompson3551]

love the lettering on the spine. My only pro-tech is a Ca legal tuxedo runt. If auto's were CA legal I'd have more.

[@jacobdad2742]

I thought this was only available with the reverse tanto. Now i don't know which one i like more.

[@RafaelWH]

There will be a day il have a protech malibu

[@matthewadler1329]

That G10 backspacer is really strange looking to my eye. I think that was a bad choice, and I would dye that immediately if I had one, and that kinda sucks. If I spend that kind of cash on a knife, it's gotta be way beyond the need to do any diy mods.

[@Hungrybird474]

I think I may be able to get one of these maybe. I’ll tell you what it good build is the civivi conspirator with unlock composites carbon fiber scales is totally excellent dude. Added a titanium clip and it’s just really good for some reason I don’t understand why or how, more premium but the overall feel and action has went up .

[@brianmichael316]

Loving the new textured handle version. The grail for me would be the wharncliff Damascus blue handle version. Too bad they only make small runs and people snap them all up and put them on eBay for substantial markup.

[@ezntertainment3601]

How are there comments in here a month old and the video is like an hour old

[@destro6971]

But don’t black aluminum handles show damag....oh...yep.... 🤘🏼😎

[@brucemcintyre2383]

Reverse Tanto is a new-jack name for the old school lambsfoot blade profile.

[@stevewalker6340]

I'd buy one if I could find one...

[@Suckme148]

Protech definitely needs to leave the whole tactical Emersonstrideresque motif behind and focus on their SoCal beach city aesthetic. Newport, Mailibu.. can I get a Redondo?! La Jolla! Onofre! Ensenada! Lol

[@swamiralf5115]

I think tactical pays the bills for them, but yeah I'd like to see more like the Malibu.

[@jake_up8099]

Hey Nick, I just received a Malibu. It has lock stick. How did you fix the issue on your knives? Did it go away on its own? I've dealt with it on other locks but not with a button lock. Also the labeling on my spine and flipper tab is off center. Do you think this warrants a send back? TIA

[@steventaylor2484]

I think you just bought the black one too.

[@teaspoon2299]

Hey Nick, great review! Was just wondering what your thoughts were on the qsp penguin? Or will there be a full review? Thanks. Also, that reverse tanto is beautiful! The price is a little heavy though. I'd recommend the qsp Phoenix (I like qsp lol) as a budget alternative (d2). For less than a 10th of the price, brilliant build quality!

[@coralinealgae]

I love the QSP Penguin, although it is clearly a sheepsfoot blade & not a wharncliffe, as Nick states at 1:23. The Malibu does look like a wharncliffe. Nick must've gotten the words mixed.

[@IlliniDog01]

@@coralinealgae I thought a wharncliffe has a (nearly) flat/straight edge and a sheepsfoot can have a bit of curve to it.

[@slywolfe]

@@IlliniDog01 knife center did a great video about this it's their blade shapes one

[@johnd48]

"Until your wife asks you to leave" I can't get my hands on a Malibu. Might actually be good for my marriage.

[@johnd48]

Thankfully I've been into my slipjoints again. So much quieter to fidget with

[@Bli8]

Found maybe one of the last new Malibu Custom w/ damascus blade and abalone inlays Ti handle last week, it'll be arriving tomorrow, prob won't be able to sleep tonight. Great review Nick BTW.

[@NickShabazz]

Bronze Ano?

[@deltafunction0]

Wish they would start making these in a 3 inch variety.

[@blackadder1966]

Been waiting too long for these to be in stock.

[@ajbriles3647]

I almost cried @ 9:41. I'm calling knife CPS

[@highmann911]

shouldn't that be KPS?

[@anthonydoan1991]

lol, gouge acquired. Reminds me of the Smock without the second detent. The blue is amazing imo reminds me of Holt Knives.

[@ryanguldbrandsen7672]

That's a ladder Damascus Nick vs boomerang you meantioned.

[@commandlion8667]

Hogue Deka gen 2 G-Mascus 20CV is about $70 less and is a fantastic knife, very light w/great action. I've thought about getting a Malibu textured, murdered out, just to have one though. And, as far as action goes, I have a $45 Sencut Sachse and the action is just as good as what I'm seeing on this Malibu. If you want fidgety, get a Sachse, blade after tune on mine swings freely like nobody's business.

[@NickWeissMusic]

Well, neither of those are button locks that run on bearings like the malibu, so you’ll just have to get all 3 to cover all the bases ;) the hogues do seem pretty cool, I’ll have to check one of those out. But make no mistake, Malibus (and pro-techs in general) are awesome, and worth what they charge, to get any better workmanship and materials you’re going to have to go custom.

[@willydstyle]

I see you frequently talk about actions as being ambi-friendly, but I find liner locks and integral locks to be extremely easy to disengage with either hand, and they seem like the least symmetrical lock option. What actions do you consider to not be ambi-friendly?

[@Jezus42]

As a leftist I can tell you he does not know what he is talking about on the sinister side. Biggest issue for I'll say most lefties is did it come out the correct direction for use in a hand I can operate it...ie can I reverse the clip!

[@Jezus42]

I've never seen a lock in common use I can't operate left handed.

[@willydstyle]

@@Jezus42 Oh one thing I can see is some spyderco liner or frame locks can be hard to open one-handed because you don't have equal access to the spydiehole from both sides.

[@tylerhaskiell1338]

man brand new knife and nick knocked the paint right off of it! 😂

[@stefanwilliams1687]

Hahahahaha you just keep doing it until your wife asks you to leave hahahaaha

[@AriMWeinstein]

I like the Malibu. And I love the MaliBlue!

[@lukthere2]

@9:41 AAAAAAHHHHHHHH Good review though - awesome knife 👌

[@vincentdefino1732]

What about a kizer swayback. Is it better to buy for work edc than a protech

[@Nkdc333]

The ugly is the availability.... sold out so fast.

[@tedbaeseman1619]

You said you had a lock stick mine has that to how did you fix it

[@seth9049]

Is the handle texture/feel similar to the basic Benchmade 940 aluminum scales?

[@TangoGulf]

Sooooo how did the damascus tip look after you tapped it on the other Malibu?

[@thomash4578]

Nice looking knife

[@TKO593]

I scratched a microtech troodon d/e Damascus with a Protech TR3 w/MOP button. This video helped me get over it. The scratch was about the same size from the very tip of the TR3.

[@thejuicer9706]

Nicked it

[@muszeuhs]

Reverse tantos just became available on BladeHQ about 3 hours ago! Aaaaaand now they're gone. Sorry y'all.

[@thig2148]

knife_swap ftw, just got a black reverse tanto

[@jmartin2778]

Love the perlage that was added to the high-end version. As a watch guy (do not get into watches!) you probably recognize the effort involved with adding the individual swirls to the liners. Very nice.

[@ahhcrickets]

The blue in my opinion is hideous. Reminds me of oversized basketball shorts. I’d take the black wharncliffe all day long over the swanky one.

[@CookieBaby4204]

Just grabbed one from ebay. Hard to find

[@jberts3141]

How much do you want for that base model?

[@laszloivan7388]

Great! And where to buy these? 😁

[@Azndragon533]

Smh out of stock for months

[@Nightrain1011]

I love the Blue Aluminum handle on my Malibu, and I prefer the aesthetics of the wharncliffe blade, even though mine is the reverse tanto. Mine came with a slightly uneven edge, but it didn't affect the sharpness at all, and it'll even out as I sharpen it. Could you imagine an updated Cambria with the lessons learned from the Malibu? 20CV, a higher grind, and this flipper tab. That would make it my perfect knife.

[@peterd.4882]

I love the blue!!!

[@_krakra_]

Which blade shape do you recommend for general edc tasks?

[@TysonHook-22-]

Wharncliffe is the ultimate utility/general purpose blade shape.

[@arctickilla9427]

Hahaha great review Nick, Protech is definitely 1 of the best knife makers, every one of their knives are masculine and solid, the Malibu is one of my favorites

[@TheMobster450]

This vs the Smock??

[@mickkeim4142]

Great review Nick. That button lock has me thinking Malibu.

[@porkroller]

This is a really great knife, if you can find one. My blackout wharncliffe is an amazing edc, but I can't wait to trade up to the ti version. It's just that good

[@neilsnyder7915]

Well, I am new to knife collecting (actually I dont own any knives but love buying them for my son). In the past few months I’ve purchased just a few knives for my son (about 20 or so) and just bought a Protech Sprint for him since we live in Northern California). I will buy the Malibu for him as soon as they are available. I’ve watched a few Nick reviews and his voice reminds me of the bagel boy at Nunzio’s bagels in Jersey City, New Jersey. I get a kick out of the edc knife language with words like, action, detent, cutting edge and my favorite “jimping.” Might even buy one for myself if President FIMA wins reelection.

[@clancyson]

2 hours!, I'm surprised you lasted that long/C

[@Jaysedc]

Nobody has these in stock

[@Keith_the_knife_freak]

Damn. I want one !!

[@craigfiehler4863]

It's almost never available and when it is, people buy them up and flip them on ebay. It's no bueno.

[@Mike_Pedals]

Also the AD-20 is my pick for knife of the year, I don't care if it's a thicc boi.

[@thig2148]

Good call!

[@davidmarshall7752]

My Cambria is good, this looks like a step up. They should do a wider variety of these, like the Chaparral.