…wasn’t a gun. (OK, yes there were guns but none for sale.)
It was a knife from MIL-TAC, the MTF-2.
Guns and knives go together like bread and butter. They are complimentary tools and every gunny I know is a knife person also. I spent a lot of time looking at knives at the NRA convention this past weekend and although there were a lot of nice knives, the MTF-2 was the only one that made my hand say, ‘Oh hell yes.” So, of course, I had to buy one.
I’ve had some bad experiences with assisted opening knives lately and Joe Huffman made the point, when I was complaining, that a good knife will open just as fast and effortlessly as an assisted opener without the additional failure point.
Well, the MTF-2 is a GOOD knife. It was designed by Allen Elisewitz and has a fit and finish that I haven’t seen in a production knife since my lamented Chris Reeve Sebenza. The blade opens so smoothly that you’d think it was on a jeweled bearing. There is no flex in the handle and there is no side to side wiggle in the blade at all. It feels like a fixed blade knife when it’s locked open.
Specs: (From the Mil-Tec site)
Weight: 5.50 ounces
Blade Length: 4.00 inches
Blade Style: Drop Point
Edge Type: Plain
Blade Finish: Ceramic or Teflon coated blade
Blade Thickness: 0.135 inches
Blade Steel: N690Co Stainless steel
Rockwell Hardness: 58-60
Pocket Clip: Stainless Steel, R/H or L/H reversable, Tip-Up
Closed Length: 5.00 inches
Overall Length: 8.75 inches
Handle Material: CNC machined G10
Locking Mechanism: Stainless steel liner lock
Fittings: Stainless Steel
The MTF-2 is my EDC knife now and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great production knife.
Just curious: in your experience, do you prefer the really big folding knives or the smaller sized knives that are more pocket knives?
Every use has a different knife.
I prefer a large folder for EDC, but I also have several other sizes within arms reach. I have a Leatherman, a Gerber Paraframe and Swiss Army Card in my carry bag. I also have some small pocket knives for when laws or social occasions keep me from carrying a large knife.
That was a very nice, once open there was ZERO play in the blade.
As you saw I picked up my first assisted opener. We’ll see how it works, but I will 100% agree that a well-made knife will open just as smooth and fast as an assisted. My favorite carry knife (which I would have shown you if NC didn’t have such goofy knife laws which convinced me just to bring a cheap ka-bar) is a Pre-Onion Kershaw liner lock, which has the ball-bearing on the lock. Opens just as fast and smooth.
Still one can’t have too many knives or guns!
Funny, I went to a gun show Sunday, (first one in a long time when I had money to spend) and came home with two discontinued Cold Steel knives.
I usually care a large folder, and then a smaller knife so I don’t scare people by taking out the big blade.
Heres what I got. I’m going to ask Breda and Mike if they want them.
Okay, here’s another question. I kinda prefer to carry a knife that is decent quality, but not too expensive, so you can use it and loose it, without worrying. Would you prefer a more expensive knife of higher quality, or a cheaper knife that won’t put you out a hundred bucks if you leave it in the woods on a hike?
bluesun– My bias always runs in favor of Cold Steel for cheap strong knives.
You can look here for a lot of knife reviews, some for EDC some for woods craft.
http://www.youtube.com/user/nutnfancy#g/p
Great knife, but the price is too rich for my blood.
I always try to get the best tool that’s reasonable for the purpose. For every day carry, I want something that will take abuse because I’m rough on things. (you should see how beat up my iPhone is) I use things and I’m not afraid of ruining them in the course of using them. I prefer to pay a little more for better quality, but I’m not willing to pay more indiscriminately. You can pay a lot and still get crap. At the end of the day, it’s a very personal decision and different people value different things. Thank goodness we live in a (mostly) free market economy where we can each make a separate decision about what we want. I’d hate to get stuck having to take someone else’s choice because that’s the only one the government factory produced this year.
I saw the MTF-2 at the NRA show on Sunday…they had them marked down from $169 to $60. Almost got another one. It is a GREAT knife. MilTac makes some real quality stuff.
Alan,
How does that somewhat concave blade work? Never had a knife with a hollow belly like that.