Taking a few L’s on the channel lately with the Tortuga video, Bean video, and latest beer review.
Is the honey moon over? So I figured let’s really kick it into gear and review a Mantis.
Honestly, I’m kind of surprised my watch review did a few more than my last two knife videos.
Someone said they couldn’t wait for me to complain about the shit views of the beer review- And
I didn’t want to let them down. But today we have something, a curiosity-
the Hawk Designed Mantis Gearhead. This one is on loan from Foolish Pride Leather, who made me
a leather EDC holder that attaches to the inside of my nutsac. I know it sounds like a sex toy.
I don’t know if I’ll get this video or that done first. If you know anything about me, you know I
love the Hawks, I have two Deadlocks, and a MUDD, the mousepad, at least two shirts, chapsticks,
a water bottle, and I named my first born TOAD. Ohh like the animal- no the
Toggle Operated Anti Drag Dumbass. Just one D though. And I’d like even more Hawks because
I have a mental defect. As you know having a Youtube channel is just one of the symptoms.
Hawk Knives are not easy to get, and their Out of Production designs often climb in price.
So it’s great you can still find this one out there for about $99-$230 depending on the trim.
As we look at the dimensions I don’t have to tell you Grant and Gavin have been making odd knives
for years. Arizona custom knives has a pretty good sampling of the insane prices people have paid for
them over the years. Shit I’d consider buying a Zero tolerance if they re-released the MUDD,
and I’m saying this completly sober. But today we’re looking at the Hawk I can buy, you can guy,
I can buy your mom or even gift to your sister. That’s right I’m your new step dad. Now
stop touching my knives. These are the only Hawk easy to get, I think, other than Quarter
Master General Lee, and the Kershaw Select Fire. Oh maybe there’s some others but that’s
going to take some research, and the reply guys need something to do. In fact one’s about to bring
up the Marksman, he’s typing it right now, just the lock counts for an “uhh acktually.”
But the Gearhead. First you have the blade. This one is fancy squiggly Damascus. According
to Mantis website there’s a full 62 layers of steel and spices producing the squiggles. Please
don’t ask what the steel is, no one knows, it’s an industry secret. However they make a vanilla drop
point that’s 440C on knife center, in case you’d like a steel popular in 1997. I think I’m going
to buy the base model. The blade comes in drop points or tantos. I am a drop point guy, I don’t
know if it’s unspoken or not but I don’t review tantos because I don’t like them a whole lot.
How about the mechanism. It has a gear and lever
based planetary deployment system. I think some of the words in the last sentence were
out of order. Now a normal person knife would just have a thumbstud or a flipper,
but hawks are about giving it that something extra. As in gears and shit. You give the lever a
strong consistent push it deploys the blade. When I first deployed it, I didn’t think I was doing
it correctly- but after a few tries its like you know how and wear to place pressure on the lever.
It’s not an auto, so you have to follow through on the press. It’s smooth and yes all the gears move.
Some people had pointed out that you might get pocket lint or perhaps
dog shit inside the gears- and I appreciate that observation. “That just don’t look practical”
yes I know like your collection of 47 practical knives. And these here are the practical ones
I never use because I paid too much for them. If anyone knows or understands where I am as a
knife person, I am long past practicality in my collecting phase. The liner lock though is a bit
of an odd placement and because it is right in the area you’d give it a tight squeeze if you’re
bearing down, or you’re just letting it know you care. “My knives are like children to me.” That
said it’s best to treat it as a slip joint. Just a little bit of squeeze and you release the lock.
The handle is kind of sandwiched together, with layers. You have the external carbon fiber layers
on the lock side, and on the show side, it seems more like a faux carbon fiber checkered printed
frn or nylon or something? There’s a backspacer and liners. You’ll also notice the ring in product
descriptions says brass or copper colored. To me it’s either a painted stainless steel
or an anodized aluminum. I feel like anodized aluminum is the most correct. The handle is odd
but comfortable. It is a contraption knife, I’d rank it light every day carry, a desk fidget toy.
The pocket clip is not deep carry, but it’s very functional and clips to the pocket nicely.
Painted stainless steel I reckon. Tip up blade backward in the right pocket, and it is not
reposition-able, for the gross left handed people out there. That’ll teach them some humility.
Comparisons. First up the Gearhead. Now I don’t own any mantis knives, but the materials and fit
and finish remind me of a Kershaw. I tend to like less busy blades, so Damascus it’s you not me. The
knife is unusual and I won’t pass on having one for the collection. I have no idea on how long
these will be made. It reminds me a little of the handle profile of the MUDD, seen here which is a
favorite of mine. Which I took hiking the other day. Great story. The MUDD was my first Hawk Knife
from a few years back. It’s a shame they don’t make these any more. And not so I can flip it to
some sorry ass chump. The MUDD is a nicer knife, more functional, more comfortable in the hand,
a strong lock up. I will never sell this. I say this because I get asked a few times a year. Now
another contraption knife, but one I use often. I think the AD-15 is my most used cold steel.
It has a unique locking mechanism, but it’s also a very practical weekend or larger carry. They
call this the scorpion lock right? It’s been a long week. Now the Deadlock.
This knife isn’t comparable other than the same designers than the Gearhead. Fit and finish and
quality on the deadlocks and the Mudd is next level. These are mainline Hawks. They’re legendary
and everyone loves them. Also permanent fixtures in my collection. My opinion is,
and because no one asked me for advice, it’s extra important- I wish the Hawks would make the MUDDs,
the Orbit, and the Deadlocks. All someone needs to do it build them three times the space, and pay
the extra employees, and buy the machines for them. Very easy to do. Anyway everyone
should listen to me, I’m strongly considering buy some iPad max’s.F I kind of like both Deadlocks
and bummed I missed out on ever finding, and stealing the money to buy a full Ti Model B.
The model C is killer and how about that new batch with the Titanium inlays. Real hot shit.
Anyway thanks to foolish pride leather for letting me try this out. If you’re at all familiar with
the channel, and to be honest you’d have much richer interesting life if you weren’t…
This knife might remind you of the Wild steer, and you might muse- didn’t you hate the fucker
you hypocritical son of a bitch? I hope you lose your job, and get hit by a bus. But he would
have to say that in French, because only weird French guys were mad I didn’t like that. Well
that kind of marketed itself as a hard as shit essential survival tool, if you were an archer.
And the Mantis is just an interesting pocket knife, without the pretense, and explainer videos,
and the accessory pouches. And as many pointed out, a steer is a cow with it’s balls cut off.
Find a way to make the metaphor work ok viewer? Anyway I believe Matt bought this from the Hawks,
and the one oddity is that you can get this knife at knife center and a few other places,
but the carbon fiber gear panel cover seems to be unique to the hawks drop. That’s the only
difference I see. It’s really just a cosmetic thing anyway. I will probably buy the $100
version from knife center, a little more plain is fine- over the gussied up
version. So follow foolish pride leather on Instagram… check out his shop. For all kinds of
handmade wallets and keychains- buy from small makers not department stores.
Say Hi to the patrons. Their contributions are financing my new 4k camera and my iMac
that finally allows me a 4k workflow! Like subscribe comment, thanks for watching!