BMC M13 Imp Neck Knife release

[BMC - British Machete Co]

Hi Everyone,

Ian here, and I want to introduce to your our brand new release for 2025 - the M13 Imp Neck Knife.


*The Satin version above is a prototype with G10 scales.

I designed the Imp to be a great companion blade - worn around the neck in its kydex sheath or on the belt with the addition of a third party clip. Its even small enough to slip unnoticed into a pocket. It's also a "companion" in the sense of being purposefully designed to run as a piggy-back-carry attached to a larger blades sheath.

Loads more details can be found Here on our website.



Specs:

Blade Length: 75mm / 2 28/32"
Overall Length: 135mm / 5 5/16"
Material: D2
Hardness (HRC): 60 HRC
Thickness: 3.2mm / 1/8"
Tang: Full, chamfered
Coating: Black Stonewashed PVD Coating or Raw Stonewashed
Sheath: Kydex
Handle Material: Micarta
Type: Hollow Grind, Harpoon
Product Weight (g): 50g / 2.12oz knife only. 75g / 2.65oz with sheath and paracord.

Options:

Black PVD Stonewash with OD burlap Micarta:

Raw Stonewash with Tan Micarta:


Pricing:

The M13 Imp blades are available for £59 / $72 USD (approx). MSRP is $117. Each blade comes with a Kydex sheath, Neck paracord (adjustable), Lanyard, Cleaning cloth, BMC Limited Lifetime Warranty and Giftbox

We are launching this first on Kickstarter, with the big discounts.

The discounts and low serial numbers are available on Kickstarter until 25th April 2025. If you'd rather, you can purchase from our website from June 2025 at normal pricing.

Kickstarter savings range from 24% up to 52% for the bundles we're offering.

Shipping:
Due to run from June. (Campaign launches this Friday 28th March).

These will ship worldwide from the UK.






















Useful links again:

Details on our website: https://www.britishmacheteco.com/m13-imp-prelaunch
Kickstarter Pre-Launch page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/britishmacheteco/bmc-imp-m13-neck-knife

I hope you like this little blade and would like to sign up to get your hands on one.

Please ask if you have any questions!

Cheers, Ian
BMC Founder

*The production blades heel has been slightly revised/choil enlarged since the prototype show. Please see renders above.

 

[Dragon_Man]

A smart design, well executed. I like it!

 

[SharpBits]

Looks like a great little blade. Cool website as well!

 

[beeinak]

I don’t see anything stating where the knife or machete’s are manufactured.

 

[SharpBits]

I don’t see anything stating where the knife or machete’s are manufactured.

On their Chopra machetes they make this claim: 100% handmade in the UK - the Chopra Machete 'Dune' was designed to limb trees, make camp, clear trails and process wood. I don't see a similar message on the little knife. Hopefully BMC will be along to fill us in on COO.

 

[BMC - British Machete Co]

On their Chopra machetes they make this claim: 100% handmade in the UK - the Chopra Machete 'Dune' was designed to limb trees, make camp, clear trails and process wood. I don't see a similar message on the little knife. Hopefully BMC will be along to fill us in on COO.

Hi Sharpbits,

Yes the Chopras are indeed fully made in the UK. So we can say we've walked that road and learned a great deal from it.

Where is the M13 Imp made?

This is a fair question and one I want to answer openly and honestly. The answer is more nuanced than a simple location, as it is shaped by our experience and the realities of modern manufacturing.

A Personal Journey

In 2002, at just 19 years old, BMC’s distant founder (me!) spent six months in China teaching and exploring. This experience led me to study Modern Chinese Studies—covering language, business, culture, and history—at the University of Leeds.

After graduating in 2007, I moved to Shanghai to work for a British trading company, gaining first-hand experience in international sourcing and manufacturing. In 2009, I set up a business to help Western companies identify and manage reliable suppliers in China, overseeing everything from factory audits to quality control and logistics.

Over the next decade, I worked with numerous UK and US hand tool manufacturers, visiting hundreds of factories—including one that produced blades for major brands like SOG and Gerber. Many of these operations prioritized cost-cutting and produced in huge volumes, often at the expense of true, consistent quality. Not a great example for what I had in mind...

The Vision for British Manufacturing

In 2020, I returned to the UK with the ambition of supporting British manufacturing, by working with domestic vendors to produce quality products domestically, and proudly flying the “Made in Britain” flag. There was no intention to ever look back to the Far East for BMC.

By 2022, BMC had developed designs for a British-made machete. Suppliers were sourced, meetings were held, and agreements were made based on promises of quality, fair pricing, and timely delivery.

Fast forward to mid-2023, and reality set in:
• The “Cutler with 150 years of history” we entrusted struggled with basic quality control—heat treatment issues, asymmetrical grinds, and severe production delays. It took a huge effort to get the blades on spec.
• After delivering just 10% of the fully paid order (four months late), they then increased the agreed price by 72.5%.
• They were unable to produce Micarta handles or Kydex sheaths, further complicating matters.

Put simply, it was a massive and unexpected headache.

The Bigger Picture

Beyond our manufacturing struggles, we faced another challenge: increasing political pressure to ban “zombie knives and machetes,” a misguided response to deeper societal issues. It’s disheartening to be vilified for producing high-quality, functional tools for responsible customers, while politicians push legislation that ignores the root causes of violence. If only you could see some of the flak we get.

Why ignore the best option?

After exhausting our domestic and alternate western manufacturing options, we had to face a tough reality: British-made production was simply not viable. We could not justify charging a necessary premium for the blades made in the UK under the illusion that “Made in Britain” inherently meant better.

Ultimately, what matters most to our customers is function, aesthetics, and price. While many large corporations offshore production to maximize profits, our decision was different—we needed a manufacturer capable of producing very high-quality blades at a reasonable cost in smaller batches.

Western factories often require massive orders to justify their setup costs. Without economies of scale, our margins were eliminated, and the costs of producing a fully British-made blade became astronomical. If we were to fairly account for our time, equipment, and production costs, a British-made version of the M13 Imp would need to retail for considerably more than our research suggests would be acceptable—a price we found absurd and unjustifiable.

The reality is that over 90% of global manufacturing happens in China. The device you’re reading this on? Almost certainly made there. And it works well, right?

What truly matters isn’t where something is made, but how it’s made.
• Is it crafted with care and attention to detail?
• Are the workers skilled and committed to quality?
• Does the manufacturer understand the materials, the purpose, and the lifespan of the product?

For us, the M13 Imp meets all these criteria. By producing it in China, we have achieved a better-quality blade at a lower price—without cutting corners.

I have personally visited, toured the facilities and met with the management of our currently two selected factories. Two big players that we would all know and most would greatly respect.


Yours truly in China 2024.

Our Commitment to Quality

We understand that some people prefer to buy only locally made goods, and we respect that choice. But for those who prioritize quality, design, and price, we stand by the M13 Imp's supply chain as the best decision for our customers and our business.

Until the British government truly supports and incentivize domestic manufacturing, small businesses like ours have few viable alternatives. We hope you understand our decision and, if it aligns with your values, we appreciate your support.

So yes, the M13 Imp is made in China. And this blade simply would not exist if it weren't for this.


p.s. despite my deep links to China manufacturing, I'd love to hear back if any US makers would like to collaborate!

 

[SharpBits]

Thank you for the thorough and honest reply.

 

[jfk1110]

Best of luck.....With all your endeavors

 

[BMC - British Machete Co]

Update: Funded.

The M13 Imp campaign hit its funding goal in less than a day—an incredible start! It means a lot to see our designs resonate beyond our own four walls, and if you backed the project, a huge thank you.

If you haven’t secured an Imp yet, the early bird pricing is still available until April 4th, 2025, with the full campaign running until April 20th. You can check it out here: Kickstarter Link.

What’s Next?​

Beyond Kickstarter excitement and continued M13 Imp production management, the work never stops!

• M51 Vanguard Goloks – Final production wraps up in the next week or two. If you need a well-balanced, hard-use machete, this one's worth a close look.
• M42 Naga Parangs – Currently in testing—expect a refined, compact chopper that punches above its weight.
• M28 "Solifuge" Fixed Blade – Prototypes are finally rolling out after a ton of design tweaks.

Like many of you, I’m in this for the craft, for designing the best tool for the use-profile—more than anything, we just want to make great blades that people enjoy owning and using.

Thanks again for the support—more updates soon!

 

[BMC - British Machete Co]

In light of current Tariffs, we have decided to input a significant amount of work into the M13 Imps to make them at least partially "Made in Britain".

The handles will be created and hafted here, the sheaths too and also final blade honing and all QC and packaging processes all in our Tonbridge Workshop.

This is all we can do for the time being and brings us inline with what European automotive makers do for their "German Made" cars assembled from Imported parts. It is significantly more than what a Swiss watch maker does to call it a Swiss watch!

Kickstarter campaign for the M13 Imps has a week to run. If you're interested in the Imp for £69 check it out here: https://www.britishmacheteco.com/m13-imp-prelaunch

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter.

 

[BMC - British Machete Co]

Campaign completed with 53 backers. Thanks to everyone who took a look and "pledged"!

For anyone still interested, we will have the M13 Imps available for general sale and entering retailers this Summer 2025.



Cheers, Ian
Founder
BMC Designworks Ltd

Website:BritishMacheteCo.com
Email:info@britishmacheteco.com
Instagram: @british_machete_co