Colt Muskrat

Absintheur

Absintheur

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Jan 31, 2008
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Colt Knives just added another model to their line of brown faux stag knives, (Case calls this bone stag) the muskrat pattern. First off I want to say this is a large muskrat, almost closer to moose than muskrat in my opinion. Specifications are as follows:

Closed - 4 3/8ths inches
Blades - both are 3 1/8th inches
Scales - Bone faux stag
Bolsters - Nickle silver
Steel - 420J2

Like the other Colt knives I have bought this one came with a well sharpened edge and I expect it to hold that edge as well as the rest of the line. Great fit and finish as expected, blades carry what has become a trade mark heavy swedge. The blades themselves are interesting in that they carry both the clip and spey designs to the outer limit. The clip goes past turkish and the spey carries a very upswept curve to it. I like both. Full and distinct half stops with lots of snap, these are about a 6 on the pull meter.

Now a few pics....

musk1.jpg


musk2.jpg


and in hand...

musk4.jpg


Once again I am extremely happy with the bang for my buck. These Colts continue to prove it is the maker, not where they live that matters. These are made with obvious attention to detail and with pride in the craftsmanship.
 
Hi,

A very interesting look. The spey blade really is a different take isn't it. I'm not really sure it can be called a spey myself. But I don't really have a better description either.

All in all, another nice looking piece. I just wish I could get past that C on the bolster.

dalee
 
Spey is about the only thing I can think of to call it. I don't think skinning blade fits even tho it would do that job splendidly. The stylized C has actually grown on me
 
That's really an interesting spey blade. Is there much of a historical precedent of a spey blade of this style, or is this something new?

How is it for slicing on a flat surface?
 
The spey blade reminds me very much of the upswept tanto design used by Seki Cut, Bob Lum, and other Japanese makers. I have been using it to angle cut para cord on a wood surface (pointed ends make it easier to work through some knots) and with a small draw cut it cuts it very cleanly. I can really see how the curve would help with skinning furbearing critters.
 
Wow, lovin that spey blades curve- clip is cool too!

4-3/8" closed? Yikes!
IIRC isn't a musky usually about 3-7/8"? None of my moose are bigger than 4.25" for that matter...

well, I been wanting a new one lately but a low cost one... looks like you just found my next purchase! ;)

G.
 
Ice Tigre said:
4-3/8" closed? Yikes!
G.
Click to expand...

One nice thing about these Colts is they do run all sizes. From the peanut up through the big double lockblade.

And this muskrat is a real spinner as well...lol. Great for games of spin the slippie!
 
Once again, very good pictures thank you.
That blade is kind of queer though...reminds me of some sort of 'reverse pruner/hawkbill' :D
The scales on those Colt knives look well.
 
dalee100 said:
Hi,

A very interesting look. The spey blade really is a different take isn't it. I'm not really sure it can be called a spey myself. But I don't really have a better description either.

All in all, another nice looking piece. I just wish I could get past that C on the bolster.

dalee
Click to expand...

I think they'd look much better without the bolster treatment.Its the one thing that makes them look cheap to me.Kind of like the faked filework on some of the schrades.Its hard to argue the quality for the price though.I like the pattern also.
 
I really dig the funky lines on that one. that spey blade is cool. I like it when traditional patterns are tweaked a bit.
 
I have most of the Colt offerings in this "bone stag", but i've not seen this one before. thanks for showing us. i'm looking for one now. besides the good fit & finish mentioned, their over designs of handles and blade profiles are unique and really attractive, often with graceful curves.
USA manufacturers should take note. Some new designs along these lines would boost their sales.
roland
 
I was kinda surprised to see this one as well, I had thought that the run of "Brown Stag" was completed but I was browsing through a knife company online and they had it listed as a new model so I ordered one.

I don't think it is new patterns that US companies need to try but rather tighter QC, especially among the lower to medium priced brands. I honestly thing one of the reasons for the high QC on the Chinese knives is the fact they are using state of the art equipment in many cases while many US companies are using the same labor intensive tooling of the last century.
 
I think you are dead on in that assesssment. I know that labor is cheaper there, but the key is to use less of it to begin with, especially high priced highly skilled labor. That's a nice knife for the price you get it for. I was kind of wondering how the Colt knives were quality wise. Now I may pick one or two up for my "habit".

EJ
 
dalee100 said:
Hi,

I just wish I could get past that C on the bolster.

dalee
Click to expand...

Well...you could go with the black stag, they lack the "C" but honestly I like the brown better. I have been carrying this barlow tho...not too bad...

coltblack1.jpg
coltblack2.jpg
 
I also like the Colt knives. So far I have four of them, three in the black smoothbone with the nicklesilver colt script and titanium blades. The fourth is a small gentleman's lock-back, all black except for a textured silver bolster.

DSC00110.jpg

a 6 blade stockman, 3 blade sowbelly and a 4 blade congress all in black smoothbone with titanium blades, plus one small "gentleman's" lockback. Out of all of them my favorite carry knife is the congress.
 
Absintheur said:
Well...you could go with the black stag, they lack the "C" but honestly I like the brown better. I have been carrying this barlow tho...not too bad...

coltblack1.jpg
coltblack2.jpg
Click to expand...

Hi,

I didn't know about those. All I've ever seen have been the brown bone stag. But I think I agree with you, I like the brown better. Still I think I'll look up one of those Barlows.

dalee
 
Interesting note... I was in my favorite pawnshop in Lafayette Indiana seeing if they had any new Fight'n Roosters or Bulldogs in (many in my collection have come from there) and there was a Colt Brown Stag Congress in the showcase...priced at 70 bucks! Nothing unusual about it so I asked the owner's son and he said when they bought the Colt that they didn't know anything about the Colt brand offering and based their price on the quality. He was truly surprised when I told him his price was triple retail and 4-5 times higher than what the actually sell for.

I bought the barlow because it is a barlow...shrugs, I got a thing for them. Sadly they didn't (or haven't yet) offered the brown stag in that pattern. However the teardrop jack makes a great substitute for the barlow in the pocket albeit a touch larger.

coltbarlowspear.jpg
 
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