- Joined
- May 1, 2004
- Messages
- 1,240
I've been after Grant & Gavin Hawk's designs since I first saw the CRKT D.O.G. collaboration folder in late 2003. Took me a while to actually get one since I never could find a PE model until one popped up on eBay a few weeks ago. The first actual G & G Hawk collaboration knife I purchased was the satin finished RAM. I carried it for several months and have spent the last couple of years finishing out my little collection, snagging deals when they came along. At the Blade show earlier this year I did get a chance to talk to Gavin Hawk for a few minutes while looking at their designs. He came across as one of the friendliest and most genuine makers at the show, very personable and easy to talk to. I'm hoping that once I get a real job I'll be able to acquire one of their custom T.O.A.D folders. That is a really interesting design!
The designs are visually and ergonomically appealing. They seem to blend a lot of classic elements with modern materials and styling that makes a very cool looking knife. All of their designs are lefty friendly, the Hawk-Lock pretty much the best lefty-lock I've encountered. Their locks are also very strong and reliable. You'd have to destroy a lot of metal to get any one of their locks to fail, something I really like to see.
Top to bottom:
The M.U.D.D. or Multi Utility Dirt Defiant is produced by Kershaw under their Zero Tolerance line. It's a big, beefy folder that has a sealed pivot system that provides unparalleled protection from sand, dirt and other crap that often clogs up a folding knife when used in harsh conditions. Everything about this knife just screams over-sized strength. The thumbstuds, lock release and handle are all sized to be easy to use with gloves and give very positive feedback when using the knife.
The R.A.M. or (I don't know what this one stands for!) is notable in that it is the first flipper design that was not mated to a liner or frame lock. Using the Hawk-Lock the knife is an extremely fast flipper while remaining lefty-friendly. This knife is one of my favorite designs, it's got excellent materials, the ergonomics are extremely good and the flipper makes it very fast to deploy and really just plain fun!
The E.T. or External Toggle is the most gadget-ey of the bunch. I thought long and hard before adding this one to my collection due to all the naysayers who dismissed it as a gimmick or a toy. After playing with it at Blade I bought one at the first vendor I found that still had one in stock. Although the entire open/close system is unique and somewhat complex I carried the knife for several weeks and found that it was actually a pretty good user. The locking system is extremely strong and just about impossible to accidentally disengage, making it very safe. Despite what I had read I have yet to cut myself with this one, even after quite a bit of carry and use.
The CRKT D.O.G. or Deadbolt Over Grabstep was the first collaboration that I am aware of. I believe it was released in 2003 by CRKT and came feature packed. In the box you get the knife and two different sets of Zytel scales, each set has a different texture for personal preference. The knife has a unique pocket clip system in that the clip is under tension from an o-ring that sits between the clip screw and the pocket clip spacer that allows the pocket clip a little bit of wiggle room to make insertion and removal a little easier while still giving a solid hold. The lock system is very easy to use and appears to be extremely strong. Only minor complaint is that the Zytel scales are a little fat and can make access to the locking tabs a little difficult.
So that's my little collection, thanks for looking. Knowledgeable fans will note that I am missing the ZT 650ST and the D.O.G. automatic, which is a shame because I would love to own them but I cannot. :grumpy:
Here's a question for you Kershaw guys, anyone know if they make a pivot tool for the M.U.D.D.? I've been using two T5 Torx drivers and a taped adjustable wrench to disassemble but I figure there must be a better way.
Of course, you could argue that this is completely unnecessary and a waste of time and energy. But I have this compulsion for taking apart complex items, fiddling with them and then, after finding all the pieces that fell on the floor, putting them back together.
The designs are visually and ergonomically appealing. They seem to blend a lot of classic elements with modern materials and styling that makes a very cool looking knife. All of their designs are lefty friendly, the Hawk-Lock pretty much the best lefty-lock I've encountered. Their locks are also very strong and reliable. You'd have to destroy a lot of metal to get any one of their locks to fail, something I really like to see.
Top to bottom:
The M.U.D.D. or Multi Utility Dirt Defiant is produced by Kershaw under their Zero Tolerance line. It's a big, beefy folder that has a sealed pivot system that provides unparalleled protection from sand, dirt and other crap that often clogs up a folding knife when used in harsh conditions. Everything about this knife just screams over-sized strength. The thumbstuds, lock release and handle are all sized to be easy to use with gloves and give very positive feedback when using the knife.
The R.A.M. or (I don't know what this one stands for!) is notable in that it is the first flipper design that was not mated to a liner or frame lock. Using the Hawk-Lock the knife is an extremely fast flipper while remaining lefty-friendly. This knife is one of my favorite designs, it's got excellent materials, the ergonomics are extremely good and the flipper makes it very fast to deploy and really just plain fun!
The E.T. or External Toggle is the most gadget-ey of the bunch. I thought long and hard before adding this one to my collection due to all the naysayers who dismissed it as a gimmick or a toy. After playing with it at Blade I bought one at the first vendor I found that still had one in stock. Although the entire open/close system is unique and somewhat complex I carried the knife for several weeks and found that it was actually a pretty good user. The locking system is extremely strong and just about impossible to accidentally disengage, making it very safe. Despite what I had read I have yet to cut myself with this one, even after quite a bit of carry and use.
The CRKT D.O.G. or Deadbolt Over Grabstep was the first collaboration that I am aware of. I believe it was released in 2003 by CRKT and came feature packed. In the box you get the knife and two different sets of Zytel scales, each set has a different texture for personal preference. The knife has a unique pocket clip system in that the clip is under tension from an o-ring that sits between the clip screw and the pocket clip spacer that allows the pocket clip a little bit of wiggle room to make insertion and removal a little easier while still giving a solid hold. The lock system is very easy to use and appears to be extremely strong. Only minor complaint is that the Zytel scales are a little fat and can make access to the locking tabs a little difficult.
So that's my little collection, thanks for looking. Knowledgeable fans will note that I am missing the ZT 650ST and the D.O.G. automatic, which is a shame because I would love to own them but I cannot. :grumpy:
Here's a question for you Kershaw guys, anyone know if they make a pivot tool for the M.U.D.D.? I've been using two T5 Torx drivers and a taped adjustable wrench to disassemble but I figure there must be a better way.
Of course, you could argue that this is completely unnecessary and a waste of time and energy. But I have this compulsion for taking apart complex items, fiddling with them and then, after finding all the pieces that fell on the floor, putting them back together.
