Vosteed Thunderbird Ultem Knife Review

This Vosteed Thunderbird Ultem knife still offers multiple deployment options but is now offered in Ultem. This one has Elmax steel, too! Read on!

---

Official Specs

Here’s a link to the Vosteed Thunderbird Ultem knife.

Versions

There are a bunch of versions! G10 scales predominate, but titanium and carbon fiber scales are available too. The blade can be coated or uncoated (depending on which scales you go for). And of course now, there is this Ultem version!

Price

Most versions of the Vosteed Thunderbird Trek lock knife sell for $135. The titanium versions, though, sell for $199. Carbon fiber is right in the middle at $169. The Ultem version sits on the lower end at $139.

---

Package and Manual

What’s Included

• Vosteed Thunderbird Ultem knife 
• Cleaning cloth
• Zipper pouch
• Manual etc
• Thunderbird sticker
• Thunderbird patch

Look

I was a big fan of the topo version of the Vosteed Thunderbird knife. I’m also a big fan of Ultem. So a combination of Ultem and the Thunderbird makes for a great mix!

I’d describe the Vosteed Thunderbird Ultem knife look as “a bit aggressive” but then that’s how I feel about most tanto blades! This one also has very angular and fairly sharp lines, adding to that.

There’s minimal branding.

When open, the Vosteed Thunderbird Ultem knife has a very good posture for use – the blade ends up in the right (or a great) position.

There’s no detent in the blade path. A bit more on that later.

Technically Vosteed does not call this knife “Ultem” – they call it PEI. I think it’s the same thing and that’s why I’ve called it Ultem throughout. I have a feeling it’s a difference in naming for different markets.

Open / Close / Lock

Opening the Vosteed Thunderbird Ultem knife is done by either using this thumb flipper tab or one of the ambidextrous thumb holes in the blade. You can even open it as a front flipper, too! Plenty of options…

Once open, this little Trek lock holds it open. There’s no liner lock or frame lock or anything like that – all the locking is done through this button.

To close the knife, you must press the button. Travel here is around 2mm or so – fairly deep!

When the button is pressed, the blade swings fairly freely. The action on the Vosteed Thunderbird Ultem knife is smooth enough that if you press the button and flick the knife around, you can fling the blade out and lock it all in one motion. The same action is possible with most Axis lock knives – in fact, the Trek Lock is very much like an Axis except there’s no slide motion, it’s all press.

The action is very smooth, partly due to the caged ceramic ball bearings.

Build and Feel

The build quality is very good. These Ultem scales are not knurled or anything else – they are smooth. That doesn’t make them slick, though.

The pivot screw is only accessible on one side and can be adjusted with a TORX screw.

As stated above, you can “flipper” this knife with your thumb or index finger, and jimping is in the right spots for both.

The blade is very nicely centered.

Vosteed has used “body material” (matching) Ultem on the backspacer here. That’s a nice touch!

You can see it a bit above and mostly below, but the liners are stainless steel and provide a very rigid experience with the Vosteed Thunderbird Ultem knife.

One design feature update over the previous Thunderbird I talked about is that this backspacer sits exactly where it should. So it’s nice that this one seems to sit where it’s supposed to.

Another feature I’m surprised by is that when the knife is fully open, the thumb flipper tab sits just a bit higher than the Ultem scales. That might be intentional and could protect the Ultem.

Size

Blade Length: 3.25″ | 82.55 mm
Overall Length: 7.73″ | 196.34 mm
Blade Width: 1.10″ | 27.9 mm
Blade Thickness: 0.118″ | 3.00 mm
Handle Length: 4.48″ | 113.79 mm
Handle Width: 1.17″ | 29.72 mm
Handle Thickness: 0.472″ | 12 mm
Weight: 2.88 oz | 81.60 g (this is slightly lighter than the G10 version!)

Here’s the knife in hand:

Below you can see the Vosteed Thunderbird Ultem knife with the venerable Convoy S2+. The version you see below is a custom Convoy S2+ host that’s been laser engraved by GadgetConnections.com. I did a full post on an engraved orange host right here! Or go straight to GadgetConnections.com to buy your Convoy S2+ now!

Also above is the knife beside a TorchLAB BOSS 35, an 18350 light. I reviewed the aluminum version of that light in both 35 and 70 formats. I also reviewed that specific edition, the “Oveready BOSS FT Collector Vintage Brass” 35. I love it!

I don’t know enough about steel to say that Elmax is definitively better than S35Vn. Research on the two seems mixed about which is better. You can let me know in the comments!

The blade has a lot of shape. First, it’s a Tanto. Second, it has… well I call it a “drain channel” from the hole to the tip.

It shows up poorly in the photos above, but below you can see how the blade has a curve where it changes toward the tip taper.

For what it’s worth, the titanium version also uses Elmax.

Retention

Primarily, there’s a pocket clip for carrying the Vosteed Thunderbird Ultem knife. It’s a standard clip by Vosteed. It’s a deep carry clip and is positioned appropriately on the knife.

The clip does sit into a recess on the scales, so using it will be a pleasant experience. (Opposed to sitting on top of the scales, where it’ll be a little bit high.

And the clip is reversible for right or left-hand use! Tip-up carry only, though.

Vosteed also includes this nylon pouch with an orange lining.

The Vosteed Thunderbird Ultem knife itself does not have a lanyard hole, but the included pocket clip does have a hole where a lanyard could be attached.

Summary and Conclusion

If you like tanto blades and slim knives, the Vosteed Thunderbird Ultem knife is a solid choice. The Trek lock seems very secure and is also easy to actuate. The Thunderbird offers many opening options, giving you the choice of thumb or index finger flipping and also flicking with the thumbhole. It’s very versatile! Probably most importantly, the PEI or Ultem scales on this knife are great! I love this material, and it’s used well in this Thunderbird!

Notes

• This knife was provided by Vosteed for review. I was not paid to write this review.
• This content originally appeared at zeroair.org.  Please visit there for the best experience!
• For flashlight-related patches, stickers, and gear, head over to PhotonPhreaks.com!
• Please use my amazon.com referral link to help support zeroair.org!
• Please support me on Patreon! I deeply appreciate your support!