Tony Simon

August 15, 2024

Gear, Review

Vosteed Aluminum Raccoon

Tony Simon

August 15, 2024

Gear, Review

Vosteed Raccoon Aluminum review

Years ago the only answers I wanted from knife reviews were “Is it sharp? Does it cut? Did it stay sharp? How much does it cost?”. The Vosteed Raccoon Aluminum folder is sharp, cuts well, stays sharp and is a great deal at $72 especially when you see how well it's built and works.

I was sent the Vosteed Aluminum Raccoon to review. This is the latest version of their Raccoon knife line. Chad did a review on the micarta version of the Raccoon last year. The difference between the two versions is the “Aluminum” has a Nitro-V blade steel and the CNC cut aluminum scales.

The Vosteed Raccoon Aluminum uses a crossbar lock that you pull back to release the blade when it is closed. The blade can then be flipped open or dropped open. It also has a double thumb stud that is well designed. I like using the crossbar lock to release the blade. I don't know why, but I use that method most to deploy the blade.

The handles are CNC cut black aluminum arranged in a diamond pattern. The edges of the handles are rounded so they won't snag clothing or dig into your hand. The aluminum, diamond cut handles aren't aggressive like stippling on pistol grips, but my hands never slipped regardless of what I was cutting. The 3.25 inch drop point blade deploys smoothly due to the ceramic ball bearings.

As you see from the included photos, I use my knives for food preparation. This knife chopped vegetables, deboned chicken thighs, sliced blocks of cheese, and easily cut large cardboard boxes into trash bag sized segments. Plus it still has a serviceable edge.

One of the reasons I like being on the Firearms Insider Gun and Gear Review Podcast is because we actually use these products and tell the truth. This knife was used nearly every day for months. I would occasionally use a couple other knives that I am reviewing long term, but this was the main knife. It could use a good sharpening to bring back the razor sharp factory edge. However, I just peeled an apple with no issue. This Nitro-V blade steel holds an edge, I'm impressed.

The knife shows some wear on the aluminum handles. Mainly because it has been smashed against my EDC light, the Streamlight Wedge. If you want a pristine knife, I am not the person to review it. You want a knife that is a good all around knife, that opens smoothly, and has a better than average blade steel for a good price, the Vosteed Raccoon Aluminum folder may be for you.

Firearms Insider Reviews - Key Points

Claim to Fame:

An attractive, feature filled utility knife with good blade steel for a really good price.

Target Market:

Anyone wanting an attractive utility knife made with good steel that's very sharp under $75.

Features, Benefits, and Specifications of this product:

Blade Length: 3.25" | 82.55 mm
Overall Length: 7.60" | 193.12 mm
Blade Width: 1.07" | 27.27 mm
Blade Thickness: 0.118" | 3.00 mm
Blade Material: Nitro-V
Blade Grind: Flat
Blade Style: Drop Point
Blade Finish: Black Coated
Hardness: HRC 60±2
Handle Length: 4.36" | 110.75 mm
Handle Width: 1.10" | 27.95 mm
Handle Thickness: 0.49" | 12.40 mm
Handle Material: Aluminum
Weight: 3.66 oz | 103.8 g
Opener: Thumb Stud
Lock Type: Crossbar Lock
Pivot Assembly: Caged Ceramic Ball Bearing
Pocket Clip: Reversible | Stainless Steel
Carry Position: Tip-up
Knife Type: Manual Folding
Backspacer Material: Aluminum
Backspacer Color: Black

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Orange, Blue, Purple

What others are saying?:

Nick the Knife

5.0 out of 5 stars

The Racoon continues to deliver

The Vosteed Raccoon is hands down one of my most carried knives and I have hundreds to choose from. The handle is simple, but genius. It offers a comfortable grip that will work well for almost any hand size. The drop point blade is robust enough to go to work with and has good slicing geometry. Nitro-V steel is tough, and while not having the highest edge retention, is easy to sharpen.

This version comes in with Aluminum handle scales. Generally Aluminum is not my favorite choice and I have no idea why it has become thought of as premium. People seem to have forgotten all the $10 Aluminum S&W knives of 20 years ago... Anyhow this Aluminum is nicely anodized and the green/brown color spoke to me. The finish is smooth, making this a Raccoon that will likely see lighter duty than my G-10 or Micarta variants.

The action is what I expect from Vosteed. They put out smooth operators, and this is no exception. The button lock lets the blade drop effortlessly into the closed position. Thumb studs are spot on for deployment. You can also engage the button and give a little wrist action to deploy. If you like to fidget, it does that. I prefer the crossbar lock version as it is inherently stronger than a button lock, but as I mentioned, I liked the looks of this model and it only had a button lock in this color. C'est la vie.

Overall, you really cannot go wrong with a Vosteed Raccoon for EDC. It is definitely one of my top 5 for 2023.

Link to other reviews:

Iridium 242 YouTube Review

Price point:

MSRP = $72.00

Retail = $72.00 at Blade HQ

I need it now! Availability:

Vosteed or Blade HQ

Our Rating:

Pros:

Very sharp
smooth opening
very good blade steel
affordable
Blade Finish holds up well

Cons:

The aluminum shows dings and scratches easily
The jimping on the spine of the is next to useless

Score: 7.50 Good

Chad Wallace

November 12, 2023

Review

Vosteed Raccoon

Chad Wallace

November 12, 2023

Review

Vosteed has come on the market with a bunch of quality knives at affordable prices. The Raccoon is one of those. These knives give you good, useful features that won’t break the bank. If you are looking for an everyday carry knife, one that can handle a multitude of tasks, the Vosteed Raccoon might fit the bill. Let’s find out what this knife has to offer.

The Vosteed Raccoon starts off with a crossbar style lock. The crossbar lock essentially locks the blade in place once open. I found it to hold the blade in place for everything I used the knife for, from normal cutting to scraping off tape. The crossbar lock on the Raccoon is spring loaded and located toward the top of the handle, near the pivot. Once the blade is locked in place and you wish to close it, just slide the crossbar back toward the rear of the knife to release the blade. You can use either side of the crossbar, or both, it’s really just personal preference. Amazingly, this is my first crossbar lock and I really like how it works.

More important than the lock style, is the Raccoon’s blade style or shape. The Raccoon uses a flat ground 3.25” drop point blade made from 14C28N steel. Vosteed used a 3 to 1, length to width, ratio on the blade. I really liked what they did with the blade shape, it just works. If you are worried about the blade steel, it has held up extremely well. The blade came razor sharp. So sharp that I cut myself within the first few minutes of receiving it. I have had to sharpen the blade since then, but that is mainly because I was scraping off tile grout with it. I have two complaints about the blade. One is the choil. Yes, it allows one to choke up on the knife, but sometimes it can get caught on the edge of something, like a box flap. The next has to do with the jimping on the spine of the blade. It is too close together and not deep enough. It really doesn’t help much. Besides those two items, I really do like the Raccoon’s blade shape and style.

I probably should mention how the Raccoon opens. Vosteed gave the Raccoon your everyday thumb stud opener. It has a thumb stud on both sides of the blade, so no matter what hand you use to open it, it will work. This thumb stud is in a good location and makes for opening the Raccoon very easy. One can also use the crossbar lock to open the knife. Just pull the crossbar back and the blade will fall open due to gravity. Or you can flick it out after sliding the crossbar back. Part of the reason the Raccoon opens so easily is its caged ceramic ball bearings. I always like a knife that has more than one way of opening it and one that opens smoothly. The Raccoon does both of those with ease.

Moving back from the blade, we get into the handle. The handle on the Raccoon is made from micarta. The micarta gives the handle a nice feel. Being micarta, it naturally has a little bit of texture to it. Because of this, the micarta handle never felt slick to me and always gave a decent grip. The Raccoon also has a deep pocket carry clip. It’s only tip up, but can be moved to the other side. The clip is inlet where it screws to the handle so it slides smoothly in and out of your pocket. If you like lanyards, Vosteed put a hole in there for one. I was also pleased with the handles shape, it allowed me to really hold onto the knife. If you are not into micarta, Vosteed also offers the Raccoon with G10 handles.

The Raccoon came in a nice little metal tin. Inside the tin was a little zippered case with the Raccoon inside. Vosteed also included a patch, sticker, and cleaning cloth. But probably more important, they included replacement springs for the crossbar lock. Not because they break, but because they like to go flying if you completely dismantle the knife.

I was pleasantly surprised with the Vosteed Raccoon. For a $50 knife it has some great features. But besides that, it cuts really well. I attribute its cutting ability to the blade shape. This makes the Raccoon a great EDC knife. It just does everything well. The Raccoon is now in my rotation of EDC knives. If you are looking for something sharp to carry around, I would look into what Vosteed has to offer. The Raccoon really fits the spirit of the animal it was named after.

Firearms Insider Reviews - Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Crossbar lock EDC knife

Target Market:

Anyone wanting a decent pocket knife that doesn’t cost a fortune

Features & Benefits of this product:

Overall Length: 7.60" | 193.12 mm
Blade Length: 3.25" | 82.55 mm
Blade Width: 1.07" | 27.27 mm
Blade Thickness: 0.125" | 3.20 mm
Blade Material: 14C28N
Flat ground
Drop Point Blade
Blade Finish: Black Stonewash
Hardness: HRC 60±2
Handle Length: 4.36" | 110.75 mm
Handle Width: 1.10" | 27.95 mm
Handle Thickness: 0.49" | 12.4 mm
Handle Material: Micarta
Weight: 3.04 oz
Pivot Construction: Caged Ceramic Ball Bearings
Pocket Clip: Stainless Steel (Tip-Up, Right/Left Carry)

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Too many to list, check them out at Vosteed.com

What others are saying?:

Jacob J. - 5/5 stars @ Vosteed.com

My favorite knife, hands down.

I have three Raccoons in varying colors. They're all butter smooth, razor sharp and have great ergonomics. For the price point, it's absolutely my favorite pocket knife and I plan to buy more for family members. The fit and finish is phenomenal for a $60 knife, and the presentation with aluminum box, polishing cloth, and zipper case is great at this price point.