IST Knee Lever (Red Model)

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1. The other K-Revolution

   If you’ve scrolled down to the reviews, it means that you already know what you’re looking for in a joystick lever. You’ve got the K-Bug, Sanwa JLFs does the job but maybe you’re not a huge fan, you probably have experience with Crown and Fantas, and are looking for a similar lever to easily pop into whatever standard fightstick you have on hand.
   
   And for the most part, the IST Knee meets those criteria. As one of the few collarless k-levers remaining in the market (plus, it’s often times in stock!), the IST Knee is a convenient lever to pop into whatever Hori/Razer/Qanba/etc you happen to have lying around. In my own case, I was working with the (criminally overlooked) Nacon Daija. Installation wasn’t bad, though make sure you have a dremel on hand, as the mounting plate is a tad larger than your standard Sanwa JLF. I had to sand down a little bit of plastic molding.
   
   I’ve already disassembled and reassembled the thing a couple of times, and I have no complaints on build quality. The device is solid, with an excess of metal parts in place of plastic.
   
   I think your mileage may vary on performance, and much of that will depend on what your expectations are, and what you’re looking to get out of your joystick. The stock config works fine, though I would often times miss the corner inputs (however, this is common with k-levers, as the rubber grommet needs breaking in). The IST Knee has a fairly long throw, but is also a tad sensitive (but not Hori “hair-trigger” sensitive). My inputs will register before the lever hits the rubbery goodness that is the grommet, but the stock grommet is also not very resistant. While there’s another review that says that there’s not a lot of wobble, mine did have quite a bit. A lot more than I’m comfortable with. Personally speaking, it feels almost like a k-lever that was tuned to feel like a Sanwa JLF, which may or may not appeal to you. Precise, but not a lot of resistance
   
   In my own case, the main thing I wanted was to get that Fanta feel in my fightstick of choice. So, I’ve swapped out some microswitches, replaced the rubber grommet (twice. First with a medium gauge, and then literally the hardest I could find), and it’s great now! I’m getting a level of sensitivity that I’m used to, and the wobble is down to an acceptable level. Inputs are a WIP as the new grommet needs some breaking in :p
   
   At the end of the day, this is as good as any lever you’ll find, comes with the added benefit of fitting into standard fightsticks without the need of a hole saw, and performs well. If you’re looking to replicate a certain feel, I recommend having replacement parts on hand. Grommets, alternate microswitches and actuators can help you tune the thing to your liking.
   GTCvDeimos on Mar 10th 2022

2. Very good lever

   Have tried different flavors of crowns, fantas, and this is one of the best. Bad QC with the stock switches though so I replaced them. Same with the grommet... the tension felt uneven so I took it apart and noticed it still had plastic/silicone molding in some of the corners so must have been unevenly cut. I ended up trimming the excess with a razor and it feels perfect now.
   
   What I like the most is how much thought was put into the switch mounting support - there's absolutely zero wobble across any of the different brand switches I've tried. I also like the aluminum actuator - especially how precise the 7mm hole was drilled for the shaft. Eliminates unnecessary wobble unlike other k-sticks. DJOHN on Feb 28th 2020

3. Excellently executed.

   I have a second gen knee lever, and after a few hours of playing it, it handles like butter. Laser sharp diagonal qcf, inputs. It has very little resistance and feels rather effortless to move whilst still managing to feel responsive and tactile, and maintaining a very crisp return to neutral. Very aesthetically pleasing design. Would definately reccomend purchasing this tribute to a tekken legend. Chain_salt on Jan 3rd 2020