T.M. Hunt General Utility

[Mistwalker]

A couple of months ago a friend told me about a knife that he'd recently seen, and that I should look at it because it was right up my alley. So, in a long drawn out and round-a-bout way I did, and he was right I did indeed really like the design. Nice 4.25-inch drop point blade, very ergonomic handle about 4.75-inches long, 3/16 thick O-1 tool steel with a stated RC of 57 which I like, and made by Todd Hunt, T.M. Hunt here on the forums. I looked at a few variations Mr. Hunt had made up and really liked the design a lot so I contacted him to ask some questions. One thing led to another and he sent me his knife to check out and see if I really liked it.

The one he sent has some really nice detail work on the handle, and feels reeeeeally good in hand.

He insisted that I give it a work out and see what I really thought about the knife. I was starting a new project that would give a knife a good work out in the woods so I thought why not. A lot of the photos I've taken of this knife were work related, so I am not at liberty to post those, but I have been so impressed with the knife that I shot a completely different series of photos of the knife for personal use and a review. The knife handles very well, and I had no problems with nice curls in seasoned hardwoods...and the knife has whittled a lot of them.

It has been used with a baton quite a bit. It has been used to both truncate and split a good bit of very hard seasoned Live Oak.

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[Mistwalker]

It has rained every evening and night for the last week so the wood I found was still a little damp even on the inside, but there is a lot of palm fiber and dry palmetto leaves around so getting a smudge fire going to drive off some of the mosquitoes was still pretty easy to do.

Ironically this is the only photo of the knife sparking a ferro rod that I have that I can show...to be precise it's an ESEE advanced fire kit, which this knife has struck several times over the last week...along with a few other ferro rods. If I actually made a guess at how many times this knife has struck a ferro rod lately you probably wouldn't believe me, but suffice it to say that there is actually proof of this as lighting fires with ferro rods is usually a cinch, however capturing those sparks in motion in images at the precise point you want to capture them is much more difficult. I have to say I am quite impressed with or Mr. Hunt's heat treating capabilities.

When I was ready to ignite the fire I realized that all of my larger ferro rods were in a bag that had gotten left at the hotel room. I had a lighter, some matches, and my Ti Nanostriker on my key chain. The matches and lighter would have worked fine, but wouldn't show how well the palm fibers take a spark really well and quickly ignite the palmetto leaves. I suppose I could have used the knife as a striker, but didn't see the point in that when the nano has it's own and I'm quite used to it. As you can see the moisture content in the wood was still a little high even after drying in the sun as I gathered my tinder.

As the smaller stuff caught up, I bored a hole in the last large piece I had just to put the tip through a work out.

With the 100+ heat indexes it isn't exactly frozen over down here right now...so I didn't have a need to use the tang extension to chisel into a log for fuel, but I did use it to access the last of my coconuts I had bought at the farmer's market. You can see how the texture on the tang extension grips the baton when you strike it.

So...now this knife has been tested by a few of Tod’s friends, by Tod, and then really worked hard for both the the project I was working on, and this review. The knife has impressed me all the way through and still looks great.

I can't wait to get home and get this one back to him and get mine, one that hasn't been beat on by everybody and their brother, and break it in

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[grunt soldier]

great review mist! looks like a extremely comfortable knife and very well designed.

 

[Mistwalker]

great review mist! looks like a extremely comfortable knife and very well designed.

Thanks man, glad you enjoyed it. The knife is exceptionally comfortable in hand, and extremely well designed.

 

[Murphnuge]

Mistwalker thanks for the link, I'm glad I didn't miss this! Excellent pix as always and great workout for this knife. One day I'll get around to getting one....

 

[scruffuk]

Smashing review Mist.

 

[TMHunt]

Wow Mist. Awesome review. As always the pictures are amazing. I'm really glad my knife lived up to your high standard. I'll be anxious to get your knife in your hands instead, so you can have something a little nicer instead of my own personal beater lol! But the "ol mean greenie" has takin all the beating I can give it and then some. Let me say how honored I am to have my knife in the hands of someone as knowledgable as yourself. Thank you sir. Much respect!

 

[TMHunt]

great review mist! looks like a extremely comfortable knife and very well designed.

I see your from Indy. I'm out of Seymour. I'm only 50 min. South of you. If your ever in the nieghborhood get a hold of me. I'll let you try one out, show ya around the shop!

 

[Mistwalker]

Mistwalker thanks for the link, I'm glad I didn't miss this! Excellent pix as always and great workout for this knife. One day I'll get around to getting one....

Thanks Murph, I'm glad you enjoyed it. The knife did extremely well. the handle is exceptionally comfortable but very secure. Most of the time my hands were soaked in sweat it is so hot and muggy down here, and even though the handle material is very smooth I never had any issues keeping a grip on the knife, and never had issues with hot spots over days of work and photo shoots for the project.

Smashing review Mist.

Thanks Scruff, glad you liked it.

Wow Mist. Awesome review. As always the pictures are amazing. I'm really glad my knife lived up to your high standard. I'll be anxious to get your knife in your hands instead, so you can have something a little nicer instead of my own personal beater lol! But the "ol mean greenie" has takin all the beating I can give it and then some. Let me say how honored I am to have my knife in the hands of someone as knowledgable as yourself. Thank you sir. Much respect!

Thanks for the compliments Tod. This knife not only lived up to my expectations, but exceeded them as well as met some of my wants in a knife that very few have so far. It's almost like this knife was purpose designed for my personal wants and needs in a field knife and for use in class instruction. Excellent ergos in long term use, but very secure even through rain and sweat, great blade profile and edge geometry, tough as hell, and big enough to work with without being too big. I love this knife.

I had just realized I left the last pic out of the first post and edited it in.

 

[grunt soldier]

I see your from Indy. I'm out of Seymour. I'm only 50 min. South of you. If your ever in the nieghborhood get a hold of me. I'll let you try one out, show ya around the shop!

I'll have to take you up on that offer. Mistwalker and I have been speaking a lot about this knife. I'll definitely have to head that way and check out the blade and shop. thank you sir!

 

[TheGame]

That is a fantastic looking handle. Comfy, too. Looks like a great blade to pair with a chopper when in the outdoors.

I must ask, though, are coconuts good? I always want to try them but never have. Eaten/drank, anything.

 

[Mistwalker]

That is a fantastic looking handle. Comfy, too. Looks like a great blade to pair with a chopper when in the outdoors.

I must ask, though, are coconuts good? I always want to try them but never have. Eaten/drank, anything.

Thanks man. It is really comfy. This knife has features, and is tough enough, that make it quite a capable tool all alone but would be great paired with a large chopper as well.

As with everything else man, coconuts are awesome...if you really like them I happen to like them

 

[Rockywolf]

Good review. Id order one.

 

[Mistwalker]

Good review. Id order one.

He was nice enough to let me really test it out in my uses and needs, and it passed everything with flying colors. I confirmed my order day before yesterday for one similar to this, and I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[komondor]

That's very cool.

 

[Diesel D]

Good review. Id order one.

That could be arranged. PM Todd, or Murph, or Me. We aim to please!

 

[slt]

That's a darn good looking knife. Love the handle. Fantastic review, as always!

 

[Mistwalker]

That's a darn good looking knife. Love the handle. Fantastic review, as always!

Thanks. Yep, love the aesthetics, and the handle is sublime

 

[1SHOT1KILL]

He was nice enough to let me really test it out in my uses and needs, and it passed everything with flying colors. I confirmed my order day before yesterday for one similar to this, and I'm really looking forward to it.

I can attest to the durability of the knife pictured...I have put it through its paces and it still makes the Energizer rabbit looke like a pansy

 

[caine]

Damn that is awesome i want one