Quote
EDC
We all imagine the perfect blade steel. It would be as hard and hold an edge as long as M4 or ZDP-189. It would be very durable and chip resistant like Busse's INFI steel. It would be highly corrosion resistant like H1. Nothing can do all of these things though. Blade steel, the old maxim goes, is about trade offs.

At a certain price, however, this is no longer true.

There is a metal out there (note I did not write STEEL; this material lacks iron, the necessary element that makes steel steel) that does all of this. It was invented in the 1960s by the Navel Ordinance Laboratory and has only recently become "cheap enough" to be used in cutlery blades. I say "cheap enough" because even now it is fabulously expensive.

The specs are pretty amazing: HRc between 64-66, virtually corrosion (not just rust) proof, and not simple durable, but it can return to its original shape from any position with a bit of heat. That sounds like a blade steel out of science fiction, but it is not.

Quote
TOPs
Mykel Hawke has teamed up with TOPS Knives to make a NEW SURVIVAL KNIFE. Mykel has designed a knife specifically for maximum function and efficiency for the survivor. Hawke's years of real field experience and dirt time found most other blades lacking in one or more areas. TOPS Knife Makers have a combined 100 years of real field, rescue, law, combat, and special ops experience. Together, they have created one of the most useful all purpose utilitarian survival knives ever made.

THE HANDLE
The handle has 2 lanyard holes for left/right or double security. It is made if micarta which actually improves the grip when wet and is designed to be fatter in the middle to give maximum human hand grip, no matter how slippery from water or blood. The handle has a divet in it to be used as the socket for the fire bow drill method.

THE SHEATH
The sheath is made of a ballistic nylon to reduce weight and rot, inherent with leather sheaths. It has a kydex insert shaped for the knife to make it extra strong and extra safe. The sheath can be tied down to the leg for active wear or worn sideways along the belt on the waist.

MEASUREMENTS
The blade is 9 inches total, 8 inches of working length, the handle is 5 inches. This gives the knife the best general length to serve as both a large tool like a machete and a small tool like a hand knife. This inherently means the knife can NOT be as good as a machete for heavy chopping, nor can it be as good as a small camping/fishing knife for whittling. HOWEVER, the machete is terrible for whittling which is vital for surviving and the camp knife is horrible for doing the heavy lifting every survivor needs, like chopping to make a shelter, etc. To this end, Hawke's Hellion is designed to wreak havoc on both sets of needs specifically for the Survivor to have 2020 vision for jobs big and small. This makes the Hellion the BEST single tool for any survivor when they can only carry ONE item to do everything they need to survive. This means the Survivor's best choice for an all-purpose tool is simple: For all things survival, it's HAWKE's HELLION, anytime, anything, anywhere!

MORE ABOUT THE BLADE
The flat near the handle is for hammering the knife downwards when you need to use the knife blade as a wedge and to give you the ability to apply extra push with a free hand for some heavier carving, scraping, etc.
The saw is a real cutter with a unique design from TOPS.
The other top blade is back-up should severe damage happen to the working blade.
The point is for specifically incising with a blade and is designed to be on both sides for back and forth deep cutting without needing to turn the knife each time.
The longer point is for troughing, or making troughs in long pieces of wood or digging out and scraping bowls, etc.
The angle of the longest blade is a 17 degree angle for maximum efficiency by the most ergonomic chopping position for the human hand and arm; this saves vital energy for the survivor.
The inward indent angle (sharp cut in the "belly" of the blade) is for notching, such as making traps and fishing hooks, etc.
The bottom angle is for most efficient whittling and least effort in the wrist.
The hand guards are for catching/trapping brush as you whack through thick vegetation.
The finger grip is to maximize small muscle control for detailed and technical tasks when whittling as well as to not fatigue large muscles from lack of fine muscle control on the slight angling required in heavy chopping.
The flat handle hammer is just that, for hammering and flattening.
The point on the tip of the handle is for poking holes into shells, eggs, etc., and to make holes for tools and such without damaging the knife points.
The strength of the blade itself is above the center line to compensate for the deep cut in the notcher; it has some flex, but will hold a man's weight in the crevice of a cliff.
The knife is not designed for throwing, as this can break the tip of any good working knife. Likewise, it's good practice to pull a knife from the wood by rocking it forward and backwards in line with the blade edges
and not sideways or "wide ways" which is left and right of the blade edges; basically, move in the direction of edges, not the flat of the blade.
Care and feeding of the Hellion: always clean, sharpen, and lube the blade before storing or at least, wash and oil before storing and then sharpen before use each time. The metal is designed to hold a good edge but not be so sensitive it dulls easily and is difficult re-sharpen.

ADDITIONAL SPECS:
Blade Hardness: Steel 5160 RC 56 - 58
Blade thickness: 3/16"
Blade Coating: Black Traction Epoxy Hybrid (Powder Coat)