The QSP Penguin in blue denim Micarta has been in my EDC rotation for at least a year, along with a handful of other budget knives and several higher-end knives. It's such a fantastic carry, I usually pocket it as a backup, whenever I'm carrying something else as my main blade.

I ordered a Conspirator as soon as I could find one available. But when I saw that I hadn't met the threshold for free shipping, I decided to add this knife to my cart. After all, I had been wanting to start a collection of Penguins.

Almost everything about this CF Penguin is great. The CF is beautiful, especially at the price. The blade is sharp, with a fantastic grind. The stonewash looks amazing.

The problem is the action. Every other Penguin I've handled opens with authority and drops shut with barely a shake. This Penguin seems to belong to a different raft. It would not open or close one handed. I dissembled, cleaned it and applied KPL. Still no luck. I continued to work the blade pivot for a few days with only slight improvement. When I adjusted the pivot to the point where the knife would open and close, the blade was off center. I applied the centering techniques most of us know, without improvements.

As it stands, I have a CF Penguin that I can open and close one handed, with a lot of wrist. It's also slightly off center. If I loosen the pivot just a wee bit more, I get a Penguin that wants to play (side to side, not up and down).

If things improve with time, I'll come back and update my review. But for now it's four stars. I have my eye on a titanium bird with bearings and upgraded steel, though I love D2, and QSP does a great D2 heat treatment.