Review: Hardcore Hardware Australia - LFK01

Every now and then my out-doorsy/quasi-military aesthetic meshes with that of my very stylish partner, Omega and there will be "oooh's" and "aaah's" over the same things. A good example of this would be my prototype Urban Dax pants, or the Nukotool TiGBi skull-keyring I acquired for her birthday last year.

In keeping with the close personal defense theme,  when popping in to Platatac to shoot the breeze one weekend, with Omega and Tactical Baby along for the ride, I casually pointed out the pointy-cabinet to her, and was thrilled when she singled out this beauty from Hardcore Hardware Australia, their LFK01I took note, and months later, presented this one to her.  

HHA are a local company, who state that their "primary function is to design, develop and construct mission specific tactical tools for Military, Law Enforcement, Fire, Search & Rescue personnel". 

My kind of makers!

The LFK01 is a wicked Recurve trailing point fixed blade, a format that especially appeals to Omega, and in this case, there is plenty of substance to it. Measuring 168mm in overall length, with 70mm of blade, this little piece is designed to fill the gap between a full sized fixed blade, and a folder.

Weighing in at 180g, this is a dense little knife, and a lot of that mass comes as a result of the bulk of the knife being 6mm D2 tool steel. D2 is a high chrome content steel, which HHA note is sometimes called "Semi-stainless", has excellent edge holding capabilities and extraordinary wear resistance. They heat treat the blades to bring the hardness to 56-60HRC, which is given a Teflon coating to reduce any corrosion that might occur, as well as reducing glare and the maintenance required for it. A thin coat of oil is all HHA recommend if it is stored or exposed to wet environments.

Here is a good shot of the blade, showing the thick body, with its broad, 44mm grind. This is a blade that is no nonsense, and will take all the punishment you could dish out. Its heft reminded me more of the KA-BAR Zombie Killer Tanto than any other blade in my own collection.

The spine of the blade features some subtle crenelations, giving ample purchase for a thumb-grip, without catching or digging either your hand, or on your gear, when worn.

Between these two pictures you can see the profile it gives in the hand, as well as the aggressive angle it sits in. This is a blade that will make a mark, and leave a lasting impression, without having to give itself away unnecessarily.

A Mil-C-5040H Type III paracord wrapping give very strong positive gripping, and adds shock-resistance (although with a knife this size, I cant imagine you would get much impact shock.

The cord is treated with a proprietary acrylic solution to keep it in place, tidy and clean, but apparently wont interfere with using the cord in a survival situation. Great logic guys! The pointed pommel can also be depended on to leave a lasting impression.

The very hungry edge is constrained in a two part carry system. A 100d Cordura outer which includes in the back a MOLLE attachment system, with one channel worth of press-stud fixing tab in place. The inner layer is a folded Kydex insert, and is designed to allow ambidextrous wear of the blade.

This is further facilitated by the central placement of press-stud retention webbing, which allows the blade to be seated left or right, facing up, or down. I fed some paracord through the provided eyelets, and with a cord-lock, quickly converted this into a neck-knife for Omega to wear out and about. Quite the talking point at some of the more exciting events we attend.

This is a beautiful, brutal piece, thoroughly efficient, uncompromisingly rugged, and everything I could hope for in a gift for a loved one.