I was vaguely familiar with CDS ha ing seen a few reviews online of some of their other knives. All of them were good but, I tend to be very picky with knives I actually use. I own well over 100 different knives from novelty folders to high end survival and tactical knives. This knife has quickly become my favorite and my new EDC.I am not an avid outdoors man, although I love camping, or a survival expert by any means. So I can not say how this knife holds up under extreme use over time. However, I do use this one now everyday for work and rec. I use it to cut thick rope and tie line often and it has held an edge like a champ. It came out of the box fairly sharp but, I did clean it up a bit.I chose the mirrored finish and was sceptical at first as I do not tend to like polished knives. I like that forged look best. However, that skeptasim quickly vanished as soon as I took this little guy out of the box. It is a beautiful knife with a very attractive finish. The handle is made of a dark hard wood with what looks like hallow pins. It feels smooth to the touch without any problems gripping it. The handle is a bit small compared to some other knives around the same overall size. It fits great in my hand. I guess I have small hands lol.The sheath is just as attractive as the knife. Fits it very well. Some people have said they do not like the snap that holds the knife snug, saying it scratches against the knife when in searching it or that it is hard to snap and unsnap. For me the placement of this snap does not scratch or slide against the knife when I unsheath it. I can see maybe if you slid it out with pressure toward the blade it might but, I've had no issues. Perhaps I got lucky or the other reviewers were unlucky. The snap is a bit tough to snap and unsnap especially when you are actually wearing it. I decided to keep in snapped when I'm moving about quickly and then keep it unsnapped when I'm using it often. Haven't had any problems with it sliding out of the sheath on me. That won't help you with quick draws though.All in all I say if you are wanting a beautiful knife that isn't too large or too small and want a quality knife that holds up exceptionally well under everyday practical use that won't break the bank. This is a no brainer. I have bought two other knives from CDS since I fell in love with this one.