Roughly a year ago, as I write this, the nice folks at Blackhawk gave me a knife. A Be-Wharned folding knife.
It was during a blogger event, where the folks at Blackhawk were showing a group of blog writers around their headquarters, and letting us poke into the bones of their operation. Amongst the goodies they graciously bestowed upon us was this knife.
As we sat around a meeting table being educated on Blackhawk products, we had the unique treat of having a Seal Team Master Chief describe to us what made this tool so special. Given his chops, I listened, and listened closely. The phrase "It's a razor blade that can punch through bone!" had my complete attention.
That night, in the hotel, I stabbed myself in the hand with the knife. Not badly... but it required a little time with a towel wrapped around it and some pressure. This might seem like a pretty darned stupid thing to do... and I won't argue the point. The thing is, every really good knife I've owned in my life has shown the same appetite for my blood, so..... good sign.
The Be-Wharned has a unique (for me, anyway) design to the blade. The cutting edge is straight, and razor sharp. The back is thick and strong, but has a long taper to a very, very sharp point. For what it's worth... it was this needle like point that got me back in that hotel room. To top it off... it was so sharp I didn't notice at first.
Now, I have a lot of knives. Pocket folders, belt hung folders, straight knives, boot knives, 'fighting' knives, skinning knives, and even a fair selection of bayonets. In fact, there might be a sword or three hanging in my living room. Over the years, I have carried lots of different blades, for lots of different reasons.
For the last year..... the others have been set aside, and the Be-Wharned has been clipped to my pocket. Day in, day out, seven days a week, from waking in the morning till bedtime at night, this knife has been clipped inside my front pocket. It's held up to everything I ever needed a knife for in that time.
Sadly, I finally found a way to abuse the knife... something it clearly was never designed for. Here's a hint.... the point makes a bloody awful screwdriver. Other than that, it's a hell of a knife.
Now, busting the tip was not the tragedy it could have been. As the photos show, I managed to recover from the brink. A little judicious time with a cup of water and a grinder found what you see here. Not as much a needle as before, but.... still good.
You see, I have grown the rely on this blade. It's shape, design, utility, strength, and ability to hold an edge... all come together into something that is now part of my life.
The Be-Wharned has a 3.4" blade, made of AUS8A stainless steel. The blade lock is a liner type, and is easily worked with one hand. Likewise, opening the knife is an easy one handed operation using the button mounted through the blade. The scales are a composite that's held up to my lifestyle, which is saying something. As an added feature, the belt clip can be mounted on either side, tip up or down.
Mine will be in my pocket for years to come, with any luck.I think I better order another one... just in case this one turns up missing some day. I'd not be happy walking out the door without it.
8 comments:
Interesting design, thanks for the report!
Looks pretty sweet. I was planning on checking out Blackhawk at the convention anyway, this is just one more thing to look at.
I typically carry two knives on me at all times; one is a Boy Scout pattern in a belt pouch, and it's used for all of the tool work and utility cutting; the other is a Spyderco Tenacious, and it's only there for emergency uses such as self-defense or cutting a stuck seatbelt in an auto accident.
While I do find the article a good read, I must say that I am not so impressed with blackhawk gear. A lot of t is made by manufacturers who put the "Blackhawk" logo on it. Which isn't a bad thing. It's all about marketing and production. But I can guarantee there is better outthere for less money. I type you this from Iraq, serving with my unit and beside a special forces unit. Blackhawk has good stuff. But not GREAT stuff. Of course we all like the fact that former seals endorse their items. After all they too need to make a living after their service has ended. Good men they are. The only reason I would buy their gear is to support them. Keep the good articles coming. But please don't be mystified.
I bought one of these to replace the my "replaceable utility blade" type knife. I also carry a multi-tool, but seldom use it's blades.
I would have liked a slightly larger grip (I have big paws) but it is certainly functional. It seemed to be sharp out of the box, but I noticed that after chopping up a couple of cardboard boxes (a perennial task for me) it had noticably dulled. I spent a while with a 1200 grit ceramic stone and have it back to shaving sharp, we'll see how the next set of boxes goes..:-)
Sadly, I have lost my Blackhawk knife since I wrote this review.
I could replace it with another Be-Wharned folder, or I can shop around a little. Meanwhile, a backup knife keeps place in my pocket.
I'd recommend one of the Chinese-manufactured Spydercos: Tenacious, Persistence, Ambitious. They are quite reasonably priced and quite well made, Spyderco doesn't let its name go onto junk knives. I have both the Tenacious and the Ambitious; the Tenacious is about the size of a Buck 112, the Ambitious is not much larger than a Barlow. Each is under $50.
I would recommend CQD Mark I Type E. One of the best Blackhawk Knives out there. In fact, it is an award-winning knife and an envied piece of equipment in the tactical industry. I think you'll love it!
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