Review of the Brous Blades Mini-Division

I’ve often written of my difficulties of finding a good tactical “flipper.”  I recently found a great one in the Brous Blades T4 – it’s a great option on the weekends when I don’t mind carrying a bit larger knife.  But what can I carry the other five days a week?  I’ve been on the hunt for a higher-end tactical flipper at around the 3.5″ blade length – something that I can slip in my pocket during the week.  Not long after getting my T4, Jason Brous announced that he was making a smaller version of his very popular Division flipper, and he’d be calling it the Mini-Division.  In January, Brous Blades did a pre-order on the Mini-Division – a limited edition run of 1000 pieces it would have a 3.5″ D2 steel blade, and G10 handle scales, available in three difference finish variants (satin, stone wash, and blackout) with prices ranging from $299.00 to $329.00 depending on finish.

Based on the description, and how happy I was with the Brous T4, I decided to order the Mini-Division in satin finish.  Less than 30 days after the initial announcement and pre-order (are you listening Zero Tolerance?) Brous Blades began shipping the Mini-Division:

As you can see by the warranty card which came with the knife, I got a very low serial number – #12.

Let’s start with the “good” on this knife because it truly is excellent.  While it isn’t a titanium framelock like a Strider SNG or a Hinderer XM-18, it does compare rather favorably as a tactical folder/flipper.  Like the T4, the Mini-Division has G10 handle scales on both sides of the blade, with a liner lock and milled out stainless steel liners against the G10. The ergonomics of the Mini-Division are good, but not exceptional – it’s the old “form vs. function” trade-off.  The smooth G10 scales on the Mini-Division look great…better than the T4 in my opinion.  But the grooved and textured G10 scales on the T4 provide much more traction.  It’s not a tremendous problem though because of the ergonomic design of the handle – it conforms nicely to the hand and provides a very positive purchase.

The Mini-Division blade has the same fantastic satin finish I just love on the T4, but the blade is much more traditional looking – sort of a hollow ground drop point.  It also has a nice hollowed out groove near the spine that gives both a nice aesthetic and a functional alternative method for deploying the blade beyond the flipper.  It also arrived absolutely razor, hair-popping sharp from the factory.

The blade is also perfectly centered in the handle scales and is very sterile in terms of branding/logo placement – the Brous Blades name and production serial number appear innocuously on the spine of the blade:

Also in the good category is the Mini-Division pocket clip – it’s of the features on this knife which I prefer hands down over what’s offered on the T4 as the pocket clip was one of my few complaints with the T4:

It’s both attractive and a joy to use particularly if a deep carry pocket clip is preferred (which I do).

I wish I could say I’m head over heals in love with the Mini-Division but the fact of the mater is, while it’s a truly great knife, it’s not precisely what I was looking for in a 3.5″ blade tactical flipper.  The biggest problem is the size of the Mini-Division – it’s not quite as “mini” as I’d like. I’ve carried a couple of time during the week – it’s just slightly too chunky, slightly too heavy, and slightly too long.  I can drop it in my pocket, and it’s “doable” – just not as comfortable for “every day carry” as I’d hoped.  During the weekend, when I don’t mind clipping it to a pocket?  It’s great.  But again, that’s not what I was looking for in this knife. Size wise the Mini-Division is so close to the T4 it almost seems like a duplication for me, which I normally try to avoid.

In the below video I indicate that the Mini-Division isn’t a keeper for me…quite honestly, I haven’t made up my mind on that – I go back and forth.  It’s so cool looking that it’s hard to get rid of.  It’s like a cute puppy that you can’t potty train…you know you should find it a new home, but just can’t quite bring yourself to do so.  For the $300.00 asking price, it’s a tremendous value when comparing it to other mid-tech/semi-custom tactical flippers.  It’s also one heckuva good knife – I’m just not sure yet it’s for me.  Here’s my video supplement to the written photo review: