Iain Sinclair Cardsharp 2 "James Bond Knife" - Here's Our Review...

I will admit that I have just a touch of James Bond syndrome. I would absolutely love to travel in fancy European circles, chase bad guys, woo the ladies and carry all those ingenious little gadgets that Bond always seems to have. The Iain Sinclair CharSharp 2 is the type of gadget that James Bond might carry at first glance, so I am revealing that personal bias right up front.

I love the idea of a knife that I can carry in my wallet. 

An awesome size without comparison

This little knife is a wonder of technology if only because of the size. The knife folds flat and has about the same thickness as a clipboard. The rest of the knife is the same size as a credit card and it truly does fit neatly and safely in your wallet. There is a protective sheath in place to keep the knife from opening in your wallet or in a bag.

When you open the CardSharp 2, it reveals a blade that is 3 inches long. The blade is fairly secure when it is put into place, and deploying the knife is not a quick process. You will not be using this knife for quick life-saving situations.

What can the knife do?

This is the area where James Bond fans might be severely disappointed. The CardSharp 2 is not really good for anything more than extremely light use jobs. If you use it as a light-type of knife, then you will love the way the knife performs. If you try to use it as a heavier use knife, you will quickly realize the knife was not built for such tasks.

These limitations are a negative only if you are expecting the knife to be something that it was not intended to be.

How well built is the knife?

The CardSharp 2 is put together quite well for the cost. Most consumers that I have read reviews from agree with that much. In general, the jury is out on what the community as a whole thinks of this knife’s construction. After researching this for over an hour, I found about the same number of complaints in this area as I found happy customers.

Again, I think this has more to do with expectations than anything. Those that were hoping for something else will not be happy.
The knife itself is made from surgical steel. (Yes, that mystery metal that nobody really knows about.) The casing is where you hear most of the complaints because it is made from a very lightweight and bendable plastic. This causes some knife collectors to balk right away but that is really not fair.

The knife is designed to be light use and a collector’s item. Gadget lovers will adore the knife and find it exactly what they wanted. Knife lovers that demand extremely high quality will find it wanting. Given the low price point, I am not exactly sure what someone would expect. The knife is built exactly as I would expect for the money.

Trouble in the air

Another common downside to this item that is repeated on all the reviews is the fact that it could get you in serious trouble at a security checkpoint. At first I laughed off such silliness thinking that you have to remember to remove any knife before passing through the airport or security checkpoints. Then I remembered how lightweight and easy to carry the CardSharp 2 is. 

I can totally see how one might completely forget the knife is there and find them explaining it away. That said, you will have to be careful about how and where you carry the blade.

Final Analysis

Given the low price point on this knife and the extremely popular gadget-friendly size, I give this knife a fantastic grade. In my view, the knife is meant to be a light weight knife to be used on the same. I also think it is meant to be a conversation piece. On these points, I think the CardSharp 2 is a big time winner.

So does James Bond.