AZAndy
Member
I've been thinking thoughts about a Microtech for several months, since I first saw a mention here about them. Finally decided to get one, and this is the one I chose:
Why, you ask, are there sloppily applied sections of grip tape? Well, it turned out to be really slippery, and most of the few ridged areas provided on the sides are nowhere near where my hand and fingers come in contact with it. I'll come up with something better at some point. They do make one like this with a checkered exterior, but that one didn't appear to be in stock when it was ordering time.
It's fairly sharp right out of the box, though not quite shave-hairs-of-your-arm sharp. Microtech will gladly sharpen it for me when it needs it if I feel like giving them $15 in shipping and handling. I think it might be worth it, since their warranty is voided by "improper blade sharpening," and the cynic in me presumes that means any sharpening they didn't do.
The action is quite fast, and I'd guess the release slider to take about twenty pounds of pressure, maybe a little less-- I don't have a way to measure it, but it feels just a bit lighter than the trigger on a Nagant revolver I used to have, and that measured at 22 pounds double-action. It has the feel of being well-made; there's nothing rattling around in there and the handle might as well be solid metal.
The screw that holds the clip on serves as a glass breaker, and has a carbide ball at its tip.
I'm puzzled as to how to hold it for defense use. When I was a teenager and taking some martial-arts instruction, we were taught to hold a knife overhand with the flat of the blade horizontal. (I presume that's for slipping the blade between ribs, though I didn't ask.) There isn't really a way to do that with this knife unless I'm willing to ignore that part of the instructions that says to remove the thumb from the slider before use. Well, there isn't really anywhere else for a thumb to go. There are gripping ridges on the opposite side of the slider for the first finger, so thumb on slider it is!
Closed, including the 1/4" glass breaker, it's 5" long. Open, the whole package is 8 5/16th". Fits nicely in the watch pocket of my jeans if I take the clip off, but my belt can block easy access that way, so I put the clip back on and use a standard front pocket.
Why, you ask, are there sloppily applied sections of grip tape? Well, it turned out to be really slippery, and most of the few ridged areas provided on the sides are nowhere near where my hand and fingers come in contact with it. I'll come up with something better at some point. They do make one like this with a checkered exterior, but that one didn't appear to be in stock when it was ordering time.
It's fairly sharp right out of the box, though not quite shave-hairs-of-your-arm sharp. Microtech will gladly sharpen it for me when it needs it if I feel like giving them $15 in shipping and handling. I think it might be worth it, since their warranty is voided by "improper blade sharpening," and the cynic in me presumes that means any sharpening they didn't do.
The action is quite fast, and I'd guess the release slider to take about twenty pounds of pressure, maybe a little less-- I don't have a way to measure it, but it feels just a bit lighter than the trigger on a Nagant revolver I used to have, and that measured at 22 pounds double-action. It has the feel of being well-made; there's nothing rattling around in there and the handle might as well be solid metal.
The screw that holds the clip on serves as a glass breaker, and has a carbide ball at its tip.
I'm puzzled as to how to hold it for defense use. When I was a teenager and taking some martial-arts instruction, we were taught to hold a knife overhand with the flat of the blade horizontal. (I presume that's for slipping the blade between ribs, though I didn't ask.) There isn't really a way to do that with this knife unless I'm willing to ignore that part of the instructions that says to remove the thumb from the slider before use. Well, there isn't really anywhere else for a thumb to go. There are gripping ridges on the opposite side of the slider for the first finger, so thumb on slider it is!
Closed, including the 1/4" glass breaker, it's 5" long. Open, the whole package is 8 5/16th". Fits nicely in the watch pocket of my jeans if I take the clip off, but my belt can block easy access that way, so I put the clip back on and use a standard front pocket.
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I'd love to handle one, but for the going rate, I doubt I will. For my needs, automatic knives don't offer enough practicality to warrant spending over a grand on them. I have no doubt the Hawks are worth the coin, though.
