Gear Review: MTECH USA EXTREME

A while ago I purchased three different knives on Amazon.  If I'm going to be honest, I might have been slightly intoxicated when I made those purchases.  It wouldn't have been the first, or probably the last time.  I was looking for a good camping knife, but I didn't really stick too that very well.

From left to right:  MTECH USA EXTREME, Cold Steel GI Tanto, Cold Steel Shanghai Shadow.

There were a couple things that I didn't realize, in my slightly intoxicated state, when I ordered these knives.  All are blackened, tacticool looking blades.  All are full tang.  All are made in China.  Outsourcing, what can I say?

I've previously posted about the GI Tanto and Shadow.  Now it's time for the MTECH EXTREME.  And, no, that isn't some sort of over exuberance on my part, the company actually capitalizes the name like that.

Out of the three knives that I got this was my favorite.  It was also the most expensive, at $35 (the other two were around $20).  Like the other two, it's full tang.  The EXTREME fits amazingly comfortably in the hand.  It just fits.  That might not be the case with all hand types, I have fairly small hands, but for me it was a great fit.  Very natural.  This knife practically screams to be handled.

It came with the sharpest blade of the three, which says something to me about the pride this company takes in quality.  That isn't always the case.  It wasn't a razors edge but it was definitely sharp enough to use.

This blade is designed for multiple uses.  The flat section, near the handle, is designed more for chopping.  The upper portion is designed for cutting.  The back, while not really as sharp as I would want a saw, could be used for a saw on soft wood.  With sharpening, it would work on a larger variety of woods.

The other thing that I really liked about this knife is the sheath.  Unlike the two Cold Steel blades, this one came with a canvas sheath (internal is hard plastic to keep the blade from cutting through).  It comes with a pocket for a sharpener, an adjustable leg strap, plenty of extra cord, and a nice belt loop.

The portion of the handle for the middle finger is slightly deeper than usual.  This works well for the hand but it also is designed for securing the knife into the sheath.  In the photos below, you can see how the handle fastener fits into that section of the handle very nicely.

I was pleasantly surprised by this knife.  Not only is it really cool to look at, it actually seems to fit the role of a good survival/wilderness knife very well.

It's a good weight, it's a good size, it fits naturally into the hand.  This knife is now an addition to my Bug Out Bag.