- Joined
- Sep 27, 1999
- Messages
- 3,164
My wife and I go on many long distance roadtrips during the holidays. The beauty of a roadtrip is it brings you through different environments. So naturally, I wanted a knife that was as versatile as my life. I travel often by car and find myself in many different situations, from truck stops, camp sites to hiking, river rafting and inner city subway systems. I began searching for a small knife which I could carry in town or on a hike. Also, being into Kali weapons training and wilderness survival got me started envisioning a knife that could serve both interests. In short, the criteria for this knife was that it had to be light, concealable, comfortable to carry, not too expensive, a decent factory carry system, tough enough to handle batoning a 4” thick log and be able to carve traps and fuzz sticks.
I started doing my research on factory knives which are in my price range. I was looking for knives in the $100 range that could pull double duty. Some of the knives I was considering were the: Blackhawk Kalista ($150), Nealy-Boker specialist ($115), Spyderco-Martin Kumo ($120), Benchmade-Snody Fixed Resistor ($119). All the knives listed above have a blade thickness of 1/8” except for the Snody which is 5/32” between 1/8 and 3/16th. Unfortunately, the Snody was short on the handle (for me) and the grind is extremely narrow which might not hold up during batoning. They all would excel at urban carry which means they would be a good backup self defense fixed blade. To fit that role a knife should be light, easily accessible and cheap in case you drop it you can just leave without worrying about your $200 custom. However, I was also on the look out for a small wilderness survival knife. I knew I needed something thicker than 1/8”. I felt the knives listed above just couldn’t handle the force of batoning in an emergency. I finally started looking through CRKT’s selection (usually not my preference). I found the ABC Hammond “operator’s” model with a tanto blade, and triple-point serrations on the back edge, positioned a little close to the thumb. It seemed like it had the potential to fill all my needs. The ABC actually stands for “All Bases Covered.” The operator’s model is a little too tactical and mall ninja-ish for me but it is a versatile multi scenario knife. So literally the ABC is an appropriate name. That might be a first in the knife industry.
The Specs:
Blade length from end of handle: 4.”
Cutting edge: 3.25”
Thickness: 0.1875” (3/16ths)
Knife: Overall length: 8.25”
Weight: 4.0 oz.
Steel: AUS 8, 56-58 HRC
Handle material: Zytel
MSRP U.S. $79.99, I got mine from knifeworks.com for $46.95
The reason why I think this knife is so versatile is mainly because of its unique specs. It is light but substantial. At 3/16ths thickness this knife has handled batoning very well. It is tough enough for bushcraft and light enough for Self defense. AUS-8 is a solid performer. I have found it to be tough and sharpen up easily. It is also rust resistant which makes it perfect for different environments. The tanto point and full tang make possible to use as a woodworker’s chisel, batoning it upright which is great for making notches in trap components. I would love to see noss4 do a knife destruction test on this one.
The handle is large and comfortable. Many fixed blade knives that are designed for self defense work tend be short on the handle like the Snody. The designers are basically trying to make a knife as concealable as possible. Somehow Hammond pulled this off with no sacrifices on handle or blade.
One interesting design feature is the double choils, on the bottom and top of the ricasso. At first, I felt they were a bit small and not comfortable but over time my hand adjusted. They are positioned well for carving and thrusting. The handle is also skeletonized for lightness and can be lashed on to a pole for use as a spear, only in those rare scenarios.
The factory Sheath is made from Zytel. It is not bad. It comes with multi-positioning hardware options. However, the positions are difficult to change. I tied some para-cord on it for over the shoulder carry. I recently purchased an on scene tactical IWB sheath from Normark. The knife fits very comfortably in the small of my back and is accessible.
I have carried the ABC for about 8 months. I have built a figure 4 trap, carved a bunch of fuzz sticks and then the usual every day chores. Whenever I purchase a knife I start cutting all kinds of stuff like old shoes, boxes, tomatoes, old tires and whatever else I could find. This knife accompanies me on short day hikes and roadtrips. For longer hikes and overnighters I would chose my RD-4 or pair it with an ax.
Now for a few negative points: There aren’t many but hey, I haven’t found the perfect knife yet! First, I hate the “operator” title. It screams mall ninja and I usually try to avoid that but this was just perfect for my needs. I love the orange handled version from the emergency series but they were made of the thinner 1/8”stock. The triple-point serrations on the back edge are positioned a little too close to the thumb. Also, the grind is pretty steep. I have decreased it a bit on a stone and it cuts better. The ABC does have some limitations because of its size. It cannot cut branches in one smooth stroke. The profile won’t allow that and I find cutting efficiency important in a survival or self defense situation.
All in all, I feel very prepared carrying the ABC. I feel that I can handle a wide array of circumstances which seems necessary in today’s ever changing world. One note to CRKT: I would love to see a version with a 3/16th flat ground, drop point blade and an orange handle.
That log is 3-4" thick apple wood.
I started doing my research on factory knives which are in my price range. I was looking for knives in the $100 range that could pull double duty. Some of the knives I was considering were the: Blackhawk Kalista ($150), Nealy-Boker specialist ($115), Spyderco-Martin Kumo ($120), Benchmade-Snody Fixed Resistor ($119). All the knives listed above have a blade thickness of 1/8” except for the Snody which is 5/32” between 1/8 and 3/16th. Unfortunately, the Snody was short on the handle (for me) and the grind is extremely narrow which might not hold up during batoning. They all would excel at urban carry which means they would be a good backup self defense fixed blade. To fit that role a knife should be light, easily accessible and cheap in case you drop it you can just leave without worrying about your $200 custom. However, I was also on the look out for a small wilderness survival knife. I knew I needed something thicker than 1/8”. I felt the knives listed above just couldn’t handle the force of batoning in an emergency. I finally started looking through CRKT’s selection (usually not my preference). I found the ABC Hammond “operator’s” model with a tanto blade, and triple-point serrations on the back edge, positioned a little close to the thumb. It seemed like it had the potential to fill all my needs. The ABC actually stands for “All Bases Covered.” The operator’s model is a little too tactical and mall ninja-ish for me but it is a versatile multi scenario knife. So literally the ABC is an appropriate name. That might be a first in the knife industry.
The Specs:
Blade length from end of handle: 4.”
Cutting edge: 3.25”
Thickness: 0.1875” (3/16ths)
Knife: Overall length: 8.25”
Weight: 4.0 oz.
Steel: AUS 8, 56-58 HRC
Handle material: Zytel
MSRP U.S. $79.99, I got mine from knifeworks.com for $46.95
The reason why I think this knife is so versatile is mainly because of its unique specs. It is light but substantial. At 3/16ths thickness this knife has handled batoning very well. It is tough enough for bushcraft and light enough for Self defense. AUS-8 is a solid performer. I have found it to be tough and sharpen up easily. It is also rust resistant which makes it perfect for different environments. The tanto point and full tang make possible to use as a woodworker’s chisel, batoning it upright which is great for making notches in trap components. I would love to see noss4 do a knife destruction test on this one.
The handle is large and comfortable. Many fixed blade knives that are designed for self defense work tend be short on the handle like the Snody. The designers are basically trying to make a knife as concealable as possible. Somehow Hammond pulled this off with no sacrifices on handle or blade.
One interesting design feature is the double choils, on the bottom and top of the ricasso. At first, I felt they were a bit small and not comfortable but over time my hand adjusted. They are positioned well for carving and thrusting. The handle is also skeletonized for lightness and can be lashed on to a pole for use as a spear, only in those rare scenarios.
The factory Sheath is made from Zytel. It is not bad. It comes with multi-positioning hardware options. However, the positions are difficult to change. I tied some para-cord on it for over the shoulder carry. I recently purchased an on scene tactical IWB sheath from Normark. The knife fits very comfortably in the small of my back and is accessible.
I have carried the ABC for about 8 months. I have built a figure 4 trap, carved a bunch of fuzz sticks and then the usual every day chores. Whenever I purchase a knife I start cutting all kinds of stuff like old shoes, boxes, tomatoes, old tires and whatever else I could find. This knife accompanies me on short day hikes and roadtrips. For longer hikes and overnighters I would chose my RD-4 or pair it with an ax.
Now for a few negative points: There aren’t many but hey, I haven’t found the perfect knife yet! First, I hate the “operator” title. It screams mall ninja and I usually try to avoid that but this was just perfect for my needs. I love the orange handled version from the emergency series but they were made of the thinner 1/8”stock. The triple-point serrations on the back edge are positioned a little too close to the thumb. Also, the grind is pretty steep. I have decreased it a bit on a stone and it cuts better. The ABC does have some limitations because of its size. It cannot cut branches in one smooth stroke. The profile won’t allow that and I find cutting efficiency important in a survival or self defense situation.
All in all, I feel very prepared carrying the ABC. I feel that I can handle a wide array of circumstances which seems necessary in today’s ever changing world. One note to CRKT: I would love to see a version with a 3/16th flat ground, drop point blade and an orange handle.
That log is 3-4" thick apple wood.
