- Joined
- Aug 26, 2013
- Messages
- 410
I'm not a snob for brand names, so I had an open mind about the mTech brand. And I'm posting this not just for the BF community but for anyone online Googling around considering buying an mTech knife.(low priced, mostly attractive looking line of knives made in China)
There are many strong positive reviews on Amazon and some extreme-abuse videos on youTube that are extremely positive. Lots of users swear they love their mTechs and have put them through all kinds of hard use & abuse and are totally pleased with the brand. There are serious mTech fans.
I've been pleased with two mTech knives I picked up from Amazon for $12 and $15, one an mTech copy of the 7" KaBar USMC, the other an mTech generic 8" Bowie.
I bought them specifically to use & abuse for hard-use Southeastern yard work, vines and roots and dense underbrush, and they've cut, dug & held up well, even baton-ed a few times. I bought them expecting cheap expendables but I've been completely satisfied with both those user mTech's.
My neighbor, who is not a 'knife guy', bought an mTech 151 from Amazon. The 151 is an exact knockoff of the time-tested Trailmaster design. Out of the box the build quality seemed tight and solid, with a bakelite-type black coating on the blade. Seemed to have all the virtues of the Trailmaster design except for the 440 steel in the mTech, which can be a Chinese mystery.
Edge was not shaving-sharp, but an OK-to-acceptable factory edge. Grind seemed even, blade was straight, hilt was solid without any wobble, the rubberized grip with lanyard hole was tight.
The nylon one piece belt-loop snap sheath was sewn and riveted, had a protective plastic liner insert, and although lightweight looked adequate for normal carry. So far so good.
Out of the box, the knife's first job was to split a piece of seasoned cut dry oak firewood, about 3" wide and 18" long. It split the first piece of wood with ease and just a few taps (the textured blade coating offered some friction but began to rub off immediately, a plus if you don't like coatings). The second piece of firewood was a little thicker, still 18" long but around 4" thick. The mTech sank in about 3" until the blade spine was just flush with the top of the log, then without warning suddenly snapped cleanly in two just in front of the hilt.
No knot, same dry seasoned wood from the same tree was already splitting on its own from age, the blade was correctly centered and upright without any twist or uneven angle. The blade did not bend, just snapped without warning. We tapped the now-broken blade free of the wood. It had not bent, still perfectly straight. The exposed grain of the steel at the break was grey and grainy like sandpaper, unlike any quality steel I have seen break in the past. The break point was the full width of the blade, about 1/4" in front of the metal hilt.
Operator error was ruled out, and special care was taken because the knife was new. I can only attribute it to crappy mystery Chinese steel. The break point looks more like alloy pot metal than quality steel. Happily no one was injured, although a sudden total blade failure like that can cause serious injury.
It won't be worth the shipping to return a $15 knife for a replacement that won't be trusted. And I won't be doing any more baton-ing with my two earlier mTech's, just in case.
I pass this along as my two cents' worth on the mTech 151. Since it died right out of the box, I can't say how it would have performed as a chopper or general utility knife or edge retention. The blade lost a lot of its sharpness after the one 3" log it did split, so that doesn't bode well for continued wood processing with that steel.
At $15 it's the price of a hamburger and coke, so no tears. Maybe mTech has changed factories, or changed steels, or otherwise cut corners since all those positive reviews and videos. It's certainly not the fault of the excellent Trailmaster design.
Bottom line, I suggest putting the low price of the mTech 151 towards a Becker 9 or similar alternative choice. As a general safety warning, I'll say DO NOT BATON WITH AN MTECH, despite the videos and positive reviews.
I'm still happy with my first two yard-tool mTechs, but I won't buy an mTech again.
There are many strong positive reviews on Amazon and some extreme-abuse videos on youTube that are extremely positive. Lots of users swear they love their mTechs and have put them through all kinds of hard use & abuse and are totally pleased with the brand. There are serious mTech fans.
I've been pleased with two mTech knives I picked up from Amazon for $12 and $15, one an mTech copy of the 7" KaBar USMC, the other an mTech generic 8" Bowie.
I bought them specifically to use & abuse for hard-use Southeastern yard work, vines and roots and dense underbrush, and they've cut, dug & held up well, even baton-ed a few times. I bought them expecting cheap expendables but I've been completely satisfied with both those user mTech's.
My neighbor, who is not a 'knife guy', bought an mTech 151 from Amazon. The 151 is an exact knockoff of the time-tested Trailmaster design. Out of the box the build quality seemed tight and solid, with a bakelite-type black coating on the blade. Seemed to have all the virtues of the Trailmaster design except for the 440 steel in the mTech, which can be a Chinese mystery.
Edge was not shaving-sharp, but an OK-to-acceptable factory edge. Grind seemed even, blade was straight, hilt was solid without any wobble, the rubberized grip with lanyard hole was tight.
The nylon one piece belt-loop snap sheath was sewn and riveted, had a protective plastic liner insert, and although lightweight looked adequate for normal carry. So far so good.
Out of the box, the knife's first job was to split a piece of seasoned cut dry oak firewood, about 3" wide and 18" long. It split the first piece of wood with ease and just a few taps (the textured blade coating offered some friction but began to rub off immediately, a plus if you don't like coatings). The second piece of firewood was a little thicker, still 18" long but around 4" thick. The mTech sank in about 3" until the blade spine was just flush with the top of the log, then without warning suddenly snapped cleanly in two just in front of the hilt.
No knot, same dry seasoned wood from the same tree was already splitting on its own from age, the blade was correctly centered and upright without any twist or uneven angle. The blade did not bend, just snapped without warning. We tapped the now-broken blade free of the wood. It had not bent, still perfectly straight. The exposed grain of the steel at the break was grey and grainy like sandpaper, unlike any quality steel I have seen break in the past. The break point was the full width of the blade, about 1/4" in front of the metal hilt.
Operator error was ruled out, and special care was taken because the knife was new. I can only attribute it to crappy mystery Chinese steel. The break point looks more like alloy pot metal than quality steel. Happily no one was injured, although a sudden total blade failure like that can cause serious injury.
It won't be worth the shipping to return a $15 knife for a replacement that won't be trusted. And I won't be doing any more baton-ing with my two earlier mTech's, just in case.
I pass this along as my two cents' worth on the mTech 151. Since it died right out of the box, I can't say how it would have performed as a chopper or general utility knife or edge retention. The blade lost a lot of its sharpness after the one 3" log it did split, so that doesn't bode well for continued wood processing with that steel.
At $15 it's the price of a hamburger and coke, so no tears. Maybe mTech has changed factories, or changed steels, or otherwise cut corners since all those positive reviews and videos. It's certainly not the fault of the excellent Trailmaster design.
Bottom line, I suggest putting the low price of the mTech 151 towards a Becker 9 or similar alternative choice. As a general safety warning, I'll say DO NOT BATON WITH AN MTECH, despite the videos and positive reviews.
I'm still happy with my first two yard-tool mTechs, but I won't buy an mTech again.
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