In this Tool-logic SL3 review you’ll discover all the features of this well-rounded survival knife. While it may not provide a big enough blade to deal with large tasks it’s equipped with plenty of great features that make it a very useful knife to bring on your next outdoor adventure.
Tool-logic SL3 Knife Features:
- 3″ Plain Edge Blade
- One-Hand Operation
- Magnesium Alloy Firestarter
- Firesteel Striker
- Liner-type Lock
- Pocket Clip
- Tough Zytel Body
- Lanyard Hole
- Blackened Stainless Clip
- Loud Signal Whistle
- Utility Design
As you can see the SL3 is equipped with some really great features. The magnesium alloy fire starter is a genuine high quality firesteel produced by Swedish manufacturer Light My Fire. The firesteel securely snaps in and out of place thanks to the 2 o-rings around the liner. This fire starter will produce a mass of sparks even when wet. Works great! If you want to make the tool lighter or have no need for the firesteel you can simply detach it and put it aside.
The SL3 has a super tough Zytel frame. For those who have never heard of Zytel it is an extremely durable new generation polymer that has a great balance of toughness and mechanical strength. It offers very good resistance to abrasion, electricity, corrosive chemicals and has a high melting point.
The blade is machined out of 420 J2 stainless steel. This type of steel has a high level of strength and relatively high impact resistance. It’s also resistant to corrosion from oil, blood, detergents, water, food acids and many petroleum based products.
I have to say the blade arrived quite dull but I sharpened it up with little effort. One problem with the Tool Logic SL3 is that it doesn’t have a very solid feel to it. I get the feeling when using it that I can’t be too abusive on it or it may snap! There’s a bit too much wiggle room for my liking… the way blade connects to the handle could be improved.
The Tool-Logic SL3 firesteel is very high quality and works well in wet or dry conditions. It gives off a generous shower of sparks without much effort. We used it to make a fire in both wet and dry conditions quite easily. Remember, when it comes to making a fire in wet conditions using a firesteel you must follow the best practices or you’ll have trouble.
TOOL LOGIC SL3
Tool Logic SL3 Firesteel Knife
Overall I find the SL3 is a good tool for the price, a firesteel – knife combo is a great idea and I hope to see more tools like this coming out soon.
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I’ve owned the SL3 for a few years now, and it’s been a decent knife, especially considering how cheap it was. The blade’s a bit flimsy though and it has some play where the blade connects to the pivots and the handle.
I definitely wouldn’t recommend this as a survival knife, if you put it through a lot of heavy use I’m sure it will break quickly. I’ve been pretty careful with mine so far I just use it for very small jobs when I go camping.