k1 Ultralight Knife

[Bill V]

I have spent nearly a decade optimizing the steel, hardening process, and sharpening method for our broadheads. At the same time, I love bowhunting the backcountry and have wanted an ultra-light knife with excellent edge retention and toughness that could skin and debone multiple animals without resharpening. After nearly 2 years of engineering and testing, we are now shipping the k1 Ultralight Hunting Knife. It weighs only 1 oz and I was able to completely skin and debone my elk and muledeer this year without sharpening. I also used a second one on my bear and whitetail with the same results. The top sharpened edges are designed for ripping hide which keeps the belly of the knife sharp longer for skinning and deboning. A few other Roksliders were part of the test group, so hopefully they will give a report. Also watch for a Rokslide review from Les Welch coming soon. Let me know if you have questions.

 

[Bill V]

Also, it includes Paracord that can be added for extra grip, removed for easy cleaning, or used for secondary purposes such as hanging quarters. The sheath is made of Kydex providing excellent protection in your pack.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Looks interesting Bill, what are you getting for these?


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[mtnwrunner]

Looks very nice........and good work.

Randy

 

[UtahJimmy]

Looks interesting Bill, what are you getting for these?


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$124.95

k1 Ultralight Hunting Knife — Iron Will Outfitters

Designed for skinning and deboning large game animals with minimal weight and superior edge retention and toughness. A2 tool steel blades maintain strength and toughness while reducing material for weight savings. Proprietary steel hardening process ensures maximum edge retention. Sharp

www.ironwilloutfitters.com

Not a bad price point; definitely more attractive cost than some of the other UL knives.

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[fwafwow]

What are the dimensions, and is that price shipped? I'm comparing it to the Kestrel Skeleton Ovis.

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[Bill V]

Price is $124.95. Shipping is $7.95 in the US. Overall length is 7.050" and blade length is 2.85".

 

[boom]

That looks nice. I like the sharpened spine. A2 will tarnish right?

 

[Bill V]

A2 can darken or patina over time. The ones I've been using for over a year have had a lot of use and still look like new since I wipe on a light coat of mineral oil after cleaning them.

 

[Lawnboi]

You can also force a patina on A2 to give it a little more resistance to corrosion. Don’t know if you guys at iron will have experimented with it at all. My daily carry knife is A2 with a dark forced patina

 

[Bill V]

You can also force a patina on A2 to give it a little more resistance to corrosion. Don’t know if you guys at iron will have experimented with it at all. My daily carry knife is A2 with a dark forced patina

Lawnboi, I 'm aware of this, but haven't experimented with it yet. Did you do this yourself with acid? I do like the looks of a patina, so may consider this as an option.

 

[Lawnboi]

Lawnboi, I 'm aware of this, but haven't experimented with it yet. Did you do this yourself with acid? I do like the looks of a patina, so may consider this as an option.

I’ll get some pics once I get home. I can dip a head too and post my results.

I have used vinegar but best results come with diluted phosphoric acid.

 

[Lawnboi]

Here is a pic of A2 that’s had a patina forced with diluted phosphoric acid. This is my edc knife and the patina is fairly worn, also a pretty rough grind on the metal. When first applied it’s almost black.

I also treat all my reactive blades with a mix of beeswax and mineral oil if I know they will be getting wet.

I’ll dunk a head this weekend if I get back home and put up some pics.

Another thing to maybe try is salt bath nitride a knife. The same knife maker that taught me the acid trick now nitrides a lot of his reactive blades.

 

[Bill V]

Thanks, Lawnboi. Also, we have had a few questions on how to wrap the paracord on the handle. We posted a video at this link: https://www.ironwilloutfitters.com/gear/ultralight-hunting-knife/

 

[colersu22]

Got my order in the other day Bill and excited to try the new knife.

 

[mcseal2]

I used a simple method to put a patina on some of my 1095 or O1 blades. Soak a half dozen paper towels with apple cider vinegar. Wrap them around the blade. Put it all in a large catalog you dont care about (old Cabelas master catalog works great). Put something heavy on top and check it after 3 hours. Check it every hour or so after until you get the finish you want. Worked for me anyway.

 

[Gerard Marcaurele]

Bill, what is your sharpening method of choice for these knives? I only assume that this would be tough to sharpen, given the fact it holds an edge so long.

 

[Bill V]

Peoples preferred method of sharpening knives varies a lot, so if you have a preferred method now, it will probably work fine on this knife since A2 is not difficult to sharpen. I like flat stones held at set angles when a thorough resharpening is needed. Lansky, Gatco, and KME all make good systems for this. For quick tough ups, I use either our double sided sharpening stone free handing the angle or our carbide sharpener. The carbide sharpener is easiest to use since the angles are preset for our knife and broadhead blades. I just touched up my knife with it after skinning, deboning, and caping a big bear last week, pulling it through with light pressure 20-30 times, and in less than a minute and had it easily shaving hair again. It was actually shaving some hair before the touch up, but after the touchup it was taking off clean patches with ease.