I just love it when I get boxes delivered to my doorstep for no good reason. During the Christmas Season it's always good to get surprise gifts. Not long ago I found such a box on my steps and it was from BlackHawk Products Group. I've never had a box from them that wasn't fun so I took it inside and immediately opened it. Imagine my delight when I found two folding knives: the BlackHawk Blades Models 40 and 41. Now I have to admit that I had no clue what they were until I opened them up and looked at them. The lines looked cool and the handles felt comfortable. From that point on they were two more knives to be abused and written. Here we go...
Let me start with the larger of the two: the BHB40. The blade, although obviously of tanto design, seems stretched out. The angle on the edge isn't as pronounced as what you would normally expect of a tanto design. The handle is reminiscent of another popular knife I'm familiar with - and that I like quite a bit. The grips are described online as "textured, injection-molded nylon" with stainless steel liners. The grip texture is provided by the bunches of small BlackHawk Blades logos that are molded into them. The metal pocket clip can be mounted onto the knife for a grip up, grip down, right or left handed carry. To me this is a great strength. (I have a bad habit of changing my mind about which knife I want to carry where)
The 3.75" blade is made from a steel that has the longest designation I've ever seen: 9Cr13CoMoV stainless steel. While that looks truly impressive I have no clue what it means (and it's probably sad that I'm not getting online to do the research). I know that certain types of steel are stronger and more corrosion resistant that others, but what truly matters to me is:
- how well they cut
- how well they hold an edge while cutting
- how easy it is to clean up the edge
- the strength of the blade
- the strength of the blade / grip juncture
On the deployment side, the blade can be opened with one hand thanks to the oblong slim slotted hole in the blade. It requires a bit more finger / thumb strength because there's less room to get purchase, but it can still be done without issue. The lock back locking mechanism is secure and seems strong enough. It didn't break during any of the testing at any rate. The blade can be had with a plain or partially serrated edge. The blade finished is listed as "matte stonewashed" and reminds me almost of a bead blasted finish. It's not overly shiny but it shows a nice clean finish.
The only difference between the larger Model 40 and its little brother, the smaller Model 41, is the size. The materials are all the same. The blade length, however, is just under 3". Actually, that's the only measurable difference. The big subjective difference is that the Model 41 is much more comfortable in the pocket. It too can be carried tip up or down, right or left hand. At the moment it resides tip up in my left pocket. The smaller blade size does mean an even smaller space for the slotted hole used for one handed opening, but even left handed I can handle this without issue. If I had to wear gloves it may present more of a challenge.
Both blades handled all my usual outdoor cutting tests. Fishing line, twine, string, 550 cord, 1/2" rope - no problems. I was feeling a little abusive in the testing so I punched the Model 40 (the larger knife) through a plastic bucket wall a couple times. It went in and came back out without any issues. After that I retried the cutting tests. No problems.
Just to be a little more abusive, I used a pair of vice grips to hold the opened blade of the Model 41 and I beat the grips on one edge of my fence. I was hitting it so that the lock mechanism was impacted with every swing. I was trying to see if I could get the lock to break. No luck. It held fast through ten blows.
Taking the blades inside without really inspecting the edge, I washed them off and let them sit to dry. That evening for dinner I used both of them, taking turns of course, to cut my steak (last one of the 2007 year on the grill). They both cut the meat cleanly and without effort. I had to give them a nod of approval.
With an online search I found the Model 40 with a combo edge (partially serrated) for as low as $49.95 which I consider pretty good for a knife of this size and quality. The Model 41 was available for $39.95. Again, that's a fair bargain for a knife of this design and size.
Once again BlackHawk comes through.
Stay Safe!!
