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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Utility Tool Knives company?
- Thread starter SouthEast
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2014
- Messages
- 17,936
Just checked out their website.
Not bad on paper IMO, the seem like very usable knives. I like how they offer 3 steels: 1095, A2, and S30V.
I wonder what their warranty is?
Not bad on paper IMO, the seem like very usable knives. I like how they offer 3 steels: 1095, A2, and S30V.
I wonder what their warranty is?
- Joined
- May 24, 2013
- Messages
- 406
never heard of them neither, but they sure look good!
That's what I think too!
I am liking A2 steel so much I am thinking giving it a try.
I have got one. 1095 with a cocobolo handle. Met the designer too. It's a variation on a very popular design and I think it's got some real winning points. It's very similar to a Caldwell but a little lighter. The handle is cnc'd to very tight tolerance. It's a hidden tang and has a tool like roundness to the handle that is unusual and quite functional. It begs to be used and is a pretty tough knife he said he was aiming for around 59 RC so it would handle some abuse at the expense of some edge holding. Seems to hold an edge reasonably an its fun to sharpen freehand. I am a fan!
In the end I bought their 8" field knife, A2 steel with black micarta handle... yes I am liking the handle so much - I like nicely built hidden tangs, the knife would kick out the RTAKII as my big camp knife. though I am thinking to round the handle more!
gonna test it out in the field tho.
I think part of the reason is they make it almost impossible to buy them. The company doesn't sell direct so you have to go through a dealer, of which they have only 4 it seems. However, even their dealers don't really sell them; PrepperUp doesn't list any of their knives, Southern Oregon Survival only has the 3.8 and Hawthorne Cutlery has no website. Strike 1, 2 and 3.
I.M. Outfitters is the only one who seems to carry stock, but even that's limited. For example, I went to spec out a UTK0151. Were I to buy one it would be the stonewash finish and the sheath would need a firesteel loop, both of which are listed as options on the UT website. Unfortunately, neither of them are options you can select from I.M. Outfitters. You can choose any of the 4 handles styles, but therein lies another oddity. The ability to select what style handle you want is pretty unique, but UT doesn't have a page on their own website to show what they are or list the specifications. You can click around on various pictures and get an idea of the visual differences, but given the fact few companies allow you to actually select your own handle style not having that clearly documented seems like a big miss to me.
EDIT: I did find the 8" version at DLT Trading, but none of the other models.
I took one for the team and bought a knife from them, and in the process may have unearthed a gem...
I'm always on the lookout for something different, and I'm lucky enough to be in the position to spend a little money, so I'm not adverse to taking a chance on the "little guy" or a company not well known. The fact these knives are 100% made in the US also got my attention.
Utility Tool was a company I had never heard of, so I started to do a little research. Seems few others have heard of them either, so that got my wheels rolling. I poked around on their website for a while - after the aforementioned research - and liked what I read so I decided to order the 6" UTK0151. That began a saga of phone calls and emails.
Utility Tool does not sell to the general public - all their products are purchased form dealers - so I started checking on the 4 they list on the website:
This, to me, was a bad sign; realistically, only I.M. Outfitters was even an option. I sent an email to Utility Tool explaining what I found, and within a day or two I got this extremely detailed and elaborate response answering all my questions. Attached were PDF's of various things, including a thorough explanation of the different handle profiles you can order (that was one of my questions, why doesn't your website show that info). That began an email exchange between myself and this person, ironically named Jim, which ultimately lead me to one of the principles at I.M. Outfitters, Chuck.
Chuck and I exchanged an email or two, but when it came down to the final details I decided a phone call was in order (I like communicating verbally more than sending messages, so that's my preferred way of doing things). That call ended up being an hour between two knife enthusiasts just rambling on. It was quite an engaging conversation with another person who shares my passion for all things associated to blades. We might still be talking now if I didn't have to jump off to take a conference call.
The UTK0151 is Utility Tools 6" wilderness knife. It retails for $195 and includes the leather sheath. That price is the same no matter what handle color or profile you choose. The blade finish doesn't change the price either, so you can basically tailor the knife specifically to you for no extra charge. I added the $25 ferro rod and sheath loop option. It arrived today so I wanted to jot down my initial thoughts. I haven't had the opportunity to get it dirty yet - because right now in NJ it's 50 degrees and raining - so this is in essence a table top review in written format.
The blade is A2 with a beautifully executed stone washed finish. It has a FFG with a secondary bevel and a wickedly sharp 90° spine. That spine showers sparks from a Swedish firesteel or a mischmetal rod. On the latter it hogs off huge chunks of material, which for me is ideal. There is a small indentation on the spine about 1.5" long where the blade meets the handle that has been smoothed over and can be used for a thumb rest (Utility Tools refers to it as the KS Edge). The serial number - if you can call it that - is etched onto the spine in the thumb indentation. Mine says "19/20 2015", so number 19 of 20 I presume. It came with a sharp edge but was a little toothy and had a slight burr on it. A few minutes with a steel hone and strop took care of that, and now it's smooth as glass.
The handle is quite unique, lacking the traditional scales one finds on all other full tang knives. This one has a 'pocket' style handle, where the tang is machine pressed into the material (similar to what Mora does, but in this case the knife has a full tang and not a rat tail). It's rounded everywhere your hand touches, without a single rough edge to be found. Three screws further secure it. Mine is natural micarta with a bead-blasted finish using the number 5 profile. At the end is an adjustable lanyard made from 550 cord. For me it could be a touch thicker and longer, but my hands run a bit larger than average. For most everyone else I imagine it would fit perfectly. It's not uncomfortable though, despite my hand size.
The sheath is wet-formed high grade leather from A.E. Nelson. It's ambidextrous so it can be used for right or left hand carry. Seams are all double-stitched, and the loop will accommodate 2" belts. Stamped on the front is the Utility Tool logo. There's a 1" square leather pad sewn onto the back of the inside, just about where the handle guard and ricasso sit. Initially I thought this was a nice way to insure extra security because it does hold the knife firmly in place. However, the second time I inserted the knife it shaved off a slice. The sheath also might be a hair too narrow because every time I remove the knife there are tiny leather shavings on the edge and spine of the blade. Not sure yet what that says for long-term durability, but time will tell.
Packaging was first rate and provided an excellent presentation. The sheath and firesteel were in separate thick plastic bags, both of which were heat sealed. Sheets of craft paper were individually wrapped around everything, with the knife also having a cardboard blade protector that itself was in a plastic sleeve. The knife feels solid but yet not heavy or cumbersome, in spite of the 3/16th's blade steel. The FFG helps with that, of course, but so does the perfect balance because it's exactly where the blade and handle meet.
For the HFT (Handi-Fire Tool) ferro rod they included a little fold-out instruction booklet that explains how to use a fire steel. It even comes with pictures. For most people reading this it's probably not necessary, but I thought it was a nice touch to be that thorough on something so small.
So bottom line is I think this knife is worth the money, and I hope Utility Tools flourishes. Totally cool people to work with, and what's not to like about being able to custom-design a blade to fit your own wants/needs? The website could use a few updates - like showing details about the different handle profiles - but beyond that it's not bad. For me I.M. Outfitters is the only dealer I would buy from, but you may decide otherwise. Either way I would say give these guys a shot. It's hard to imagine you won't like this knife.
I'm always on the lookout for something different, and I'm lucky enough to be in the position to spend a little money, so I'm not adverse to taking a chance on the "little guy" or a company not well known. The fact these knives are 100% made in the US also got my attention.
Utility Tool was a company I had never heard of, so I started to do a little research. Seems few others have heard of them either, so that got my wheels rolling. I poked around on their website for a while - after the aforementioned research - and liked what I read so I decided to order the 6" UTK0151. That began a saga of phone calls and emails.
Utility Tool does not sell to the general public - all their products are purchased form dealers - so I started checking on the 4 they list on the website:
- Hawthorne Cutlery - has no website themselves, so for me they were out.
- I.M. Outfitters - lists all Utility Tool knives and had a way to configure them, which is mandatory given the fact you create your own knife essentially.
- PrepperUp - doesn't have a single Utility Tool knife on their website, nor do they even list them as a company whose products they carry.
- Southern Oregon Survival - shows one of their knives, the 3.8" version, but no way to configure it. And, it's listed as Not Available.
This, to me, was a bad sign; realistically, only I.M. Outfitters was even an option. I sent an email to Utility Tool explaining what I found, and within a day or two I got this extremely detailed and elaborate response answering all my questions. Attached were PDF's of various things, including a thorough explanation of the different handle profiles you can order (that was one of my questions, why doesn't your website show that info). That began an email exchange between myself and this person, ironically named Jim, which ultimately lead me to one of the principles at I.M. Outfitters, Chuck.
Chuck and I exchanged an email or two, but when it came down to the final details I decided a phone call was in order (I like communicating verbally more than sending messages, so that's my preferred way of doing things). That call ended up being an hour between two knife enthusiasts just rambling on. It was quite an engaging conversation with another person who shares my passion for all things associated to blades. We might still be talking now if I didn't have to jump off to take a conference call.
The UTK0151 is Utility Tools 6" wilderness knife. It retails for $195 and includes the leather sheath. That price is the same no matter what handle color or profile you choose. The blade finish doesn't change the price either, so you can basically tailor the knife specifically to you for no extra charge. I added the $25 ferro rod and sheath loop option. It arrived today so I wanted to jot down my initial thoughts. I haven't had the opportunity to get it dirty yet - because right now in NJ it's 50 degrees and raining - so this is in essence a table top review in written format.
The blade is A2 with a beautifully executed stone washed finish. It has a FFG with a secondary bevel and a wickedly sharp 90° spine. That spine showers sparks from a Swedish firesteel or a mischmetal rod. On the latter it hogs off huge chunks of material, which for me is ideal. There is a small indentation on the spine about 1.5" long where the blade meets the handle that has been smoothed over and can be used for a thumb rest (Utility Tools refers to it as the KS Edge). The serial number - if you can call it that - is etched onto the spine in the thumb indentation. Mine says "19/20 2015", so number 19 of 20 I presume. It came with a sharp edge but was a little toothy and had a slight burr on it. A few minutes with a steel hone and strop took care of that, and now it's smooth as glass.
The handle is quite unique, lacking the traditional scales one finds on all other full tang knives. This one has a 'pocket' style handle, where the tang is machine pressed into the material (similar to what Mora does, but in this case the knife has a full tang and not a rat tail). It's rounded everywhere your hand touches, without a single rough edge to be found. Three screws further secure it. Mine is natural micarta with a bead-blasted finish using the number 5 profile. At the end is an adjustable lanyard made from 550 cord. For me it could be a touch thicker and longer, but my hands run a bit larger than average. For most everyone else I imagine it would fit perfectly. It's not uncomfortable though, despite my hand size.
The sheath is wet-formed high grade leather from A.E. Nelson. It's ambidextrous so it can be used for right or left hand carry. Seams are all double-stitched, and the loop will accommodate 2" belts. Stamped on the front is the Utility Tool logo. There's a 1" square leather pad sewn onto the back of the inside, just about where the handle guard and ricasso sit. Initially I thought this was a nice way to insure extra security because it does hold the knife firmly in place. However, the second time I inserted the knife it shaved off a slice. The sheath also might be a hair too narrow because every time I remove the knife there are tiny leather shavings on the edge and spine of the blade. Not sure yet what that says for long-term durability, but time will tell.
Packaging was first rate and provided an excellent presentation. The sheath and firesteel were in separate thick plastic bags, both of which were heat sealed. Sheets of craft paper were individually wrapped around everything, with the knife also having a cardboard blade protector that itself was in a plastic sleeve. The knife feels solid but yet not heavy or cumbersome, in spite of the 3/16th's blade steel. The FFG helps with that, of course, but so does the perfect balance because it's exactly where the blade and handle meet.
For the HFT (Handi-Fire Tool) ferro rod they included a little fold-out instruction booklet that explains how to use a fire steel. It even comes with pictures. For most people reading this it's probably not necessary, but I thought it was a nice touch to be that thorough on something so small.
So bottom line is I think this knife is worth the money, and I hope Utility Tools flourishes. Totally cool people to work with, and what's not to like about being able to custom-design a blade to fit your own wants/needs? The website could use a few updates - like showing details about the different handle profiles - but beyond that it's not bad. For me I.M. Outfitters is the only dealer I would buy from, but you may decide otherwise. Either way I would say give these guys a shot. It's hard to imagine you won't like this knife.
Last edited:
I'm glad you found some value from my review! If my experience is any indication you're going to get yourself a very nice knife. Be sure to come back and post your thoughts after you get yours.
About two weeks ago I got a chance to get it dirty. The weather got real warm in Jersey around Christmas so I took a few blades and went out for some fun one day. This knife was among them. It felt comfortable in my hand (no hot spots), was light and agile while doing finer tasks, battoned easily and the edge held up (no chips, dings or rolls). This one turned out to be a pleasant surprise, and is definitely a keeper.
I have a PDF from Utility Tool that gives some detail about the different handle profiles. If you want a copy just PM me an email address and I'll send it to you. I went with profile 5 - mostly because it was different - and it worked out perfectly for me.
chiral.grolim
Universal Kydex Sheath Extension
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2008
- Messages
- 6,422
Thanks a lot for this review, a knife and company I had never heard of :thumbup:
You should copy this review as a thread in the testing & reviews section: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/718-Knife-Reviews-amp-Testing
^ I really appreciate this.
Hmmm... from the images, it looks like an enclosed/hidden tang between micarta scales. Seeing the width of the pommel, methinks it is a full-length 'stick-tang' not unlike the Kabar or Scrapyard knives. I wonder why they used those bolt-positions or even bothered with bolts at all to secure the tang in place. Would you mind sharing photos of the bare tang and removed scales?
No kydex option? That surprises me...
I like the seat for the cord-lock on the firesteel, that's something i haven't seen before, though it may weaken the handle unnecessarily.
Again, thank you for the review. I'll remember this brand.
You should copy this review as a thread in the testing & reviews section: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/718-Knife-Reviews-amp-Testing
^ I really appreciate this.
Hmmm... from the images, it looks like an enclosed/hidden tang between micarta scales. Seeing the width of the pommel, methinks it is a full-length 'stick-tang' not unlike the Kabar or Scrapyard knives. I wonder why they used those bolt-positions or even bothered with bolts at all to secure the tang in place. Would you mind sharing photos of the bare tang and removed scales?
No kydex option? That surprises me...
I like the seat for the cord-lock on the firesteel, that's something i haven't seen before, though it may weaken the handle unnecessarily.
Again, thank you for the review. I'll remember this brand.
I had contemplated doing that actually, but my eval didn't seem up to snuff so in the end I opted not to. Ironcially, I do reviews for audio equipment as a side job (look for the user theJman at this link). Knives and tunes are my passions in life, and recently I've been thinking about getting more serious with blade reviews. This one was just a 'down-n-dirty' writeup. In the future I might get more serious.
The thumb groove defnitely works better for me than jimping does. I own two Fletcher Knives - a Delta 5 and Hatchulla III - both of which have something quite similar. My hand seems to like that profile better, and at the end of the day I'm not reaching for a band-aid to cover my torn up thumb.
When I think "stick tang" Mora springs to mind, and this one is more substantial than those. I can't remove the handle though because it was press fit into place. Trying to pull it out could end badly for me.
No kydex. As of now all they sell is the leather I got and a generic Spec Ops sheath.
I'm with ya on that. The firesteel I carry on any sheath is there for backup purposes only though, and rarely - if ever - gets used. My primary is a 5x1/4" that never leaves my pocket unless I'm trying to get a fire going. In a pinch it should work well, or at least I hope so.
chiral.grolim
Universal Kydex Sheath Extension
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2008
- Messages
- 6,422
It has pics and paragraphs, and that's more than some folk post there. :thumbup: Please make a new thread there, it will help guys like me googling "theJman knife review" when we forget the name of the company and this thread is on page 20
I hear that! :thumbup:
Gotcha. Maybe someone can try to convince the makers to come on the forum and post pics of one of their knives "in process" with the scales off. Heck, they could get a "Maker" membership and start selling here! Not too expensive and might really boost their business... That's how Guy Seiferd started Survive! just a few years ago
Again, thanks for the review :thumbup:
Perhaps I can be that "someone" because I saved the email address of the company owner. Let me send him a message and see what he has to say.
That's how Guy Seiferd started Survive! just a few years ago
Funny you should mention Survive!; guess who has a 5.1 on order?
chiral.grolim
Universal Kydex Sheath Extension
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2008
- Messages
- 6,422
Looking forward to it, thanks :thumbup: