Martin Knives' Caiman: Smaller Hollow-Handled Survival Beast (Photo Hvy)

[Mistwalker]

Martin knives are awesome. I carried two different model on a Iraq deployment. Love there knives. Here is a photo of one of them I use to have. I worked it out in Alaska and it was awesome. Traded it for another Martin LOL. I have a Apparo on order. I do have a MCE II I posted up stuff about when I get time. Great guys and there wait time is not bad. Good thing I like about Martin Knives is that they will built the knife the way you want.

Thanks for posting man. The one in your pics reminds me of the one I drooled over at Blade a few years back. I agree, I really like the way they offer options and will personalize the knife. I would really like to see some pics of your MCEII when you get a chance, I have stared at the ones on their website several times.

 

[1AbominAble1]

Thanks for taking the time to make and post such a fine review, I really enjoyed it.
I almost bought an Apparo after that review and am thinking really hard about one of these now, Its a very nice looking knife that seems more than capable of holding up to camp chores and hunting tasks.

Reviews like this are the reason i Love Bladeforums !

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanks for taking the time to make and post such a fine review, I really enjoyed it.
I almost bought an Apparo after that review and am thinking really hard about one of these now, Its a very nice looking knife that seems more than capable of holding up to camp chores and hunting tasks.

Reviews like this are the reason i Love Bladeforums !

Thanks man, I'm glad you enjoyed the review. Boker did a really good job on the Apparo, it's definitely well put together. It's a great cost effective alternative for those who don't have access to or can't afford an original, and well worth the retail price I'm seeing in my opinion. But knives actually produced by their original makers always have a different feel than mass-produced knives, almost like they have a soul of their own, and that is worth something in and of itself to me. Also, I really get a kick out of having a knife that was made in Texas. I lived there years ago, and I have several friends who live there now. The Caiman is perfect for my needs and so far definitely up to any task I may ask of it in the future.

 

[t1mpani]

I've been buying Martins since they were pretty much duplicating Randall patterns--I've dealt with Ed far more than his son, but regardless, they've been turning out really well made stuff for a long time. I'm glad, on the one hand, that they're starting to get the attention they deserve. On the other hand, this is going to make my orders take longer!

Great review, and thanks especially for doing some work with the saw; I've been wondering how their three-row setup would work. It looks like it moves material more efficiently than the classic double row version, though of course no 1/4" thick "saw" will ever be destined for serious lumberjack work.

 

[ROCK6]

Great review (again) Brian! I know how much time and effort goes into the photos, use and write-up; excellent is an understatement.

You’ve put my eye on the Boker-Martin; my son would love it. I have one of the original Buck 184’s which my son has borrow. It’s been used hard and held up, but it’s a heavy beast!

Much like you, I grew up with the love for the large Lile knife in the First Blood; must be a genetic thing Fast forward several years when deployment to Ecuador, I had some good discussions with a team guy carrying a well used Randall #18; I was impressed with the strength (I ended up with a #15 as I was just too leery of spending that much on a hollow handle design).

Well, much like you I met the Martin brothers in Atlanta a few years ago. Their Bushcraft-Tactical just sang to me. Caine and I have pretty similar tastes as it must be the Army in us. I love the size of the knife and the sheath system. I ordered 01 steel, but they accidentally sent me S30V; it’s been a truly outstanding performer.

The handle is a little thinner than most “bushcraft” knives, but it fits the hand well and gives it a flatter profile for the way I carry it. Mine ended up being a saber profile with a convex grind and it continues to remain razor sharp with stropping touch-ups.

There’s nothing magical about it; it just plain works well for me. Although I have a preference for spear or drop pointed blades, this clip point is still very stout and centers the point of the blade.

The sheath is quite functional. Mine is designed for horizontal carry and is what I’ve grown to prefer. The optional “accessory pouch” allows you to include a firesteel and sharpening stone. Mine has ‘evolved’ over the years with a Fallkniven DC4, a small Marbles Bird & Trout blade, my homemade firesteel with tinder in the fob handle and a small tube with needles and artificial sinew (not shown here).

A little side-by-side with the Skookum Bush Tool:

So, last year I was in Afghanistan and had a chance to correspond via email with Ed Martin and I was looking for a slightly larger blade and a sheath system I could integrate with my IOTV armor as well as different carry options depending on the situation.

I was really looking hard at the SERE 3Tb (now listed as the “MK-T3 small&#8221. I went with A2 steel, 3/16” blade and the typical clip-point profile. The sheath option offered was a Kydex/leather hybrid that could be adapted for vertical or horizontal carry. It fit the bill perfectly and Ed was able to get it finished up and sent to me in Afghanistan (more more carry and a few cutting tests). Here are a couple pictures courtesy of Ed as he kept me updated throughout the process (truly a first class guy):

I’ll need to get some update pictures of both in the near future. Again, sorry to hijack the threat Brian with a few other Martin models, but I think it shows the two brothers are very talented in a very different but still functional designs.

ROCK6

 

[Dan57]

Great review (again) Brian! I know how much time and effort goes into the photos, use and write-up; excellent is an understatement.
...
...
...
...but I think it shows the two brothers are very talented in a very different but still functional designs.

ROCK6

This should be it's own thread

 

[WILLIAM.M]

Great Review Mist!!!!

I have tested several Martin Knives--and all were EXCELLENT!!!

Top Quality!!!!!

Dr.Bill

 

[Mistwalker]

I've been buying Martins since they were pretty much duplicating Randall patterns--I've dealt with Ed far more than his son, but regardless, they've been turning out really well made stuff for a long time. I'm glad, on the one hand, that they're starting to get the attention they deserve. On the other hand, this is going to make my orders take longer!

Great review, and thanks especially for doing some work with the saw; I've been wondering how their three-row setup would work. It looks like it moves material more efficiently than the classic double row version, though of course no 1/4" thick "saw" will ever be destined for serious lumberjack work.

Thanks for your input in the thread. I wish I could say I had known them that long. The more I talk about their knives, the more good feedback I hear.

I really like the three-row saw so far, I thinks it is an improvement over the two-row saw on the Apparo, but hard to say how much of an improvement since this saw is only 2 inches long. I do like how the center row of teeth is higher. I like how it starts the cut and holds the saw in place laterally in the initial cutting.

Great review (again) Brian! I know how much time and effort goes into the photos, use and write-up; excellent is an understatement.

You’ve put my eye on the Boker-Martin; my son would love it. I have one of the original Buck 184’s which my son has borrow. It’s been used hard and held up, but it’s a heavy beast!

Much like you, I grew up with the love for the large Lile knife in the First Blood; must be a genetic thing Fast forward several years when deployment to Ecuador, I had some good discussions with a team guy carrying a well used Randall #18; I was impressed with the strength (I ended up with a #15 as I was just too leery of spending that much on a hollow handle design).

Well, much like you I met the Martin brothers in Atlanta a few years ago. Their Bushcraft-Tactical just sang to me. Caine and I have pretty similar tastes as it must be the Army in us. I love the size of the knife and the sheath system. I ordered 01 steel, but they accidentally sent me S30V; it’s been a truly outstanding performer.

The handle is a little thinner than most “bushcraft” knives, but it fits the hand well and gives it a flatter profile for the way I carry it. Mine ended up being a saber profile with a convex grind and it continues to remain razor sharp with stropping touch-ups.

There’s nothing magical about it; it just plain works well for me. Although I have a preference for spear or drop pointed blades, this clip point is still very stout and centers the point of the blade.

The sheath is quite functional. Mine is designed for horizontal carry and is what I’ve grown to prefer. The optional “accessory pouch” allows you to include a firesteel and sharpening stone. Mine has ‘evolved’ over the years with a Fallkniven DC4, a small Marbles Bird & Trout blade, my homemade firesteel with tinder in the fob handle and a small tube with needles and artificial sinew (not shown here).

I’ll need to get some update pictures of both in the near future. Again, sorry to hijack the threat Brian with a few other Martin models, but I think it shows the two brothers are very talented in a very different but still functional designs.

ROCK6

Thanks Rock, always good to be appreciated Yeah, the First Blood movie came out at a critical point in my life when I was 16, had been through some pretty crazy circumstances, and to a degree I identified with the character. I spent a lot of time living in the woods myself back them and fell in love with the concept of the knife.

I think it was you who first introduced me to the Bushcraft Tactical design, and Caine who introduced me to Newt at the Blade show. Last summer when I was in the south Florida swamps I started thinking more and more about Newt's hollow handle design, and was wishing I had one a few times for my work there.

No worries on hijacking the thread man, I'm always glad to hear of the positive reports you guys have of your Martin Knives. This one will be my primary blade on several research projects to come in some pretty harsh environments.

I really look forward to your posts on the SERE.

This should be it's own thread

LOL, maybe a little wordy and pic heavy, but definitely a great addition to this thread! I'm grateful to Rock for introducing me to the Martins!

Great Review Mist!!!!

I have tested several Martin Knives--and all were EXCELLENT!!!

Top Quality!!!!!

Dr.Bill

Thanks Bill, I'm glad you enjoyed the post. I have heard a lot of good feedback on the Martin knives, and my experience is definitely mirroring those of others. Very well made, top quality work!

 

[Mistwalker]

thanks especially for doing some work with the saw; I've been wondering how their three-row setup would work. It looks like it moves material more efficiently than the classic double row version, though of course no 1/4" thick "saw" will ever be destined for serious lumberjack work.

Nope, not using any knife spine saw to fell trees with Speaking of saws though, I saw that Newt had posted the first of the final versions of the Caiman on his face book page, he added some length to the saw.

 

[Dan57]

LOL, maybe a little wordy and pic heavy, but definitely a great addition to this thread! I'm grateful to Rock for introducing me to the Martins!

It's absolutely a great addition to this thread! So great, that it should have a thread of its own, is what I meant .

 

[Mistwalker]

It's absolutely a great addition to this thread! So great, that it should have a thread of its own, is what I meant .

Ah. Yeah, not sure it was these exact photos, but pretty sure he did a thread somewhere along the way. I know it was Rock who first brought Martin knives to my attention, and then Caine who introduced me to Ed and Newt in person. I've seen that Bushcraft Tactical show up in a few threads over the years, and really look forward to more pics of that SERE in use.

 

[Donald H. Conner]

If the parts are joined with the proper metals and proper technique, there is no reason any hollow handled knife should ever separate. Brazing, bronze welding, silver soldering, oxy-acetylene, arc, and TIG will all accomplish the task adequately. Parts cleanliness and joint design are fundamental, as are flux if needed and a shielded deposit. A solid jig and tight fit will ensure a product that is straight and true. Correct tacking is also necessary.

Most of the hollow handle knives I have seen are essentially a waste of time, material, and money. They are turned out not for quality but for quantity. I have a Randall 18 7 1/2" I've carried for years, beat hell out of, and it's still in one piece. Having only 1 Martin, which is a standard tang model, I cannot directly address the quality of this particular knife, but given the quality of the one I do have, my bet is that Newt is like any good craftsman: If it ain't right, make it right, but never let a product you wouldn't put your name on go out the door.

I welded for the Des Moines, Iowa, predecessor of Chicago Bridge & Iron. My ID#39 is on bridges and water towers and tanks all over the country and various places in the world. I never failed an X-ray, and did TOO much repair work on welds by others that had failed - all of whom had been there far longer than I. Now, I'm retired, and yet the welding bug bit deep; I still look at welds too see how much the welder had in his work.

From what I can see of the joining process on this knife under magnification, I think you should have no problem, unless there are sub-surface faults that cannot be seen. I think you could take it to a hospital and for $30 they'd X-ray it. That's if you really want to know. I did that with an old double barrel shotgun, I cut the frame in half; it was cracked and the crack could not be seen.

You are to be commended for the thoroughness of your testing. Most guys whack at a twig and call it good.

 

[longbow]

I think there quality is outstanding. I've a proto of a XL Tejas that is just excellent. Everything a big folder should be and everything it shouldn't be. keepem sharp

 

[Dan57]

You are to be commended for the thoroughness of your testing. Most guys whack at a twig and call it good.

That's Mistwalker for ya.

On another note, thanks for posting all that information about hollow-handle knives. Very interesting, I learned a lot.

 

[Steccato3554]

Very nice, great review, im kind of new to knives so this may seem like a dumb question, but was is the like 2 inch indentation for in the middle of the blade? Dont think ive ever seem that on a knife.

 

[Mistwalker]

You are to be commended for the thoroughness of your testing. Most guys whack at a twig and call it good.

Thanks for your interesting input. I don't think I am going to bother with an x-ray though, I am happy with the knife as it is. Also, thanks for the compliment. I have a thing for dedicated survival knives, and my own thoughts of how well they should hold up and tend to test based on my own thoughts.

I think there quality is outstanding. I've a proto of a XL Tejas that is just excellent. Everything a big folder should be and everything it shouldn't be. keepem sharp

From all I have seen I agree. I am looking forward to seeing Newt at the Blade show and checking out a few things.

That's Mistwalker for ya.

Thanks man

Very nice, great review, im kind of new to knives so this may seem like a dumb question, but was is the like 2 inch indentation for in the middle of the blade? Dont think ive ever seem that on a knife.

Thank you. It's called a fuller. It is a way of reducing weight of blades. It is common on military knives so often thought of as a blood groove by some people.

 

[Lecrayon]

Thanks for you're great reviews Mistwalker, I've learned a great deal from you. Thanks!

 

[JTC]

Nice work Mist! I really like hollow handle knives. That looks like a really good one.

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanks for you're great reviews Mistwalker, I've learned a great deal from you. Thanks!

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy them!

Nice work Mist! I really like hollow handle knives. That looks like a really good one.

Thanks man! Yep me too. Well, I've never had a Randall #18, though I do want one just because, but I like this one better than any others I've had and handled so far. Newt's table at Blade could be dangerous for me

 

[Mistwalker]

A few pics from wandering through our rain forest here this spring, now there comes lots of things, to make you itch and make you sting