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QSP 154CM Locust Caps off String of Updates

August 3, 2021

QSP has just rolled out an updated version of one of their in-house designs, the Locust. This updated model comes with an alternate steel and tweaked handle material, but keeps the Locust’s unusual design and dimensions intact.

We’ve seen a fair number of knives named after insects come out over the years: the Benchmade Aphid, Spyderco Ladybug, ESEE Candiru (don’t look that bug up). But these knives rarely, if ever, have any visual elements that are actually reminiscent of their namesakes. That being said, there is something undeniably locust-esque about the Locust’s handle. Like the abdomen of a grasshopper, it is elongated, and tapers to a narrow point at the back end; it’s insectile but still, ultimately, prioritizes working ergonomics. And the Locust has a blade ready for work: a large, 3.88-inch wharncliffe, opened via flipper or thumb cutout.

All of these details remain the same on this new Locust. The most notable change is the steel: instead of the VG-10 present on previous Locusts, QSP gave this batch 154CM steel. These are hard steels to compare, because they are very much in the same class, with minor tradeoffs between them and neither taking a definite lead. 154CM tends to be easier to sharpen, which could be a major advantage depending on what your maintenance setup is like.

One other change is that the 154CM Locust, in all three variations, has scales made from linen Micarta, instead of the flax Micarta on previous versions. Naturally this difference is purely an aesthetic one, if even that – to our eyes there is no discernible difference between the flax and linen options, although perhaps real Micarta heads would be able to tell them apart.

The 154CM Locust is just the latest in a series of line expansions and new releases from QSP. Recently we’ve seen a titanium-handled version of the Penguin release (also with an upgrade to 154CM steel), and protoypes for new versions of their Hawk model. The Penguin has a sheepsfoot blade, and the Hawk a fairly conventional 3.3-inch drop point blade and squarish, linear handle.

Knife in Featured Image: QSP 154CM Locust

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