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M2
Talon
Big Things Can Come in Small Packages!
by: Capt Ian Humphrey
Test Report on the M2 Talon: Big things can come in
small packages!
Daniel M. Certo of Marshall, NC has come up with
some very creative new models for 2005. Fans of the Relentless
Knives line will instantly recognize the classic blade shapes and basic
designs, but this year Daniel has really improved an already impressive
line of knives. After six months of trying to win a Relentless
Knife on EBay, I decided to use the “buy it know” option when I saw the
M2 Talon up for bid. Daniel shipped my new knife immediately
after he received payment through Pay Pal, and I received the knife a
few days latter.
First impressions
First impressions are key, and Relentless Knives
always make a lasting impression on anyone who has purchased or handled
one of these fine custom knives. My initial thoughts when I first
handled my Talon were that this is one impressive knife! The
overall shape of the blade and large “shark tooth” serrations lend a
very imposing feel to the knife…something a would be attacker would
think twice about before trying to approach you. The overall
design and weight of the knife give the impression that it is built to
last a lifetime…and all Relentless Knives come with a lifetime
guarantee to back this statement! The knife also has several nice
custom touches that enhance the overall quality of the design.
The smooth canvas micarta handles have red spacers between them and the
steel. The Relentless Knives trademark is acid etched into the
side of the knife, and the maker hand engraved his name and date along
the bottom of the handle (I was always told to never trust a knife
maker who doesn’t sign their work!). The M2 Talon also has
incredible balance in the hand, with a center of balance right at the
notch for your pointer finger. This notch, and the one above for
the thumb, guarantee proper hand placement when holding the knife, and
prevents the hand from accidentally moving forward onto the cutting
edge (especially important when doing heavy cutting or stabbing
motions).
Testing
The first thing I always do with a new knife is what
I call the paper test. This test consists of a normal piece of
computer printer paper that I try to cut into strips using the
knife. This simple test will quickly give the owner an idea of
how sharp the blade is and how good or bad the blade geometries are by
observing how cleanly the blade cuts through the paper. I will
also use just the point of the knife to puncture the paper and then cut
down along the page. The M2 Talon did very well in this
test. The relatively short blade cut short, clean cuts along the
paper, while the point easily penetrated the paper and continued to cut
clean lines. Next I used the Talon to cut military parachute cord
(550 cord). This heavy duty nylon cord contains seven individual
strands inside the main cord for added strength. Again, the M2
Talon was able to cleanly cut through a single strand of the 550
cord. When I tried to cut multiple stands of the cord, the knife
was not able to cut through the pieces. This is probably due to
the small size of the knife and the inability to use the weight of the
blade to aid in cutting. Next I used the blade to cut through
reinforced cardboard boxes. The blade geometry allowed the Talon
to continue to produce clean cuts, even through this tough
material. I then moved into the woods to test the Talon on
different outdoor tasks that the average outdoorsman and Soldier could
face on a daily basis. I began by cutting through a live sapling
branch. The Talon had a hard time trying to cut through the
sapling due to its small size and lack of heavy blade. I was able
to cut/hack my way through the branch which enabled me to use the knife
to make aiming stakes, tent stakes, fuzz sticks, etc. with the
branch. In all of the cutting areas, the M2 Talon did extremely
well. The blade easily cut through the branch and quickly made
several sharpened stakes as well as effective fuzz sticks for fire
starting. I also tested the Talon on a hard wood branch that had
been lying on the ground for some time. The Talon had no problem
shaving this hard wood. I also wanted to test how well the point
would hold up to some abuse and drove the Talon into several tree
trunks. The Talon stuck well into the wood, with no identifiable
damage to the point (again a good testament to the quality of Daniel’s
designs). I also tried some slashing cuts into the trunks to test
how the knife would perform in a close quarters combat mode. In
all of the stabling and slashing tests I used the basic saber grip as
well as the reverse grip to test how the handle felt and if my hand
would slip. In every instance my hand stayed safely behind the
blade and felt comfortable around the handles. I also tested the
smooth canvas micarta handles by gripping the knife with a wet
hand. The canvas micarta did a good job with securing my grip and
no real slippage occurred (although rough finish canvas micarta would
grip better). I ended the cutting portion of my tests with
another paper cutting exam. The Talon cut just as easily through
the paper as it did before the tests. The RC hardness and blade
steel did an excellent job with maintaining a sharp edge despite
cutting several tough materials.
Sheath
My M2 Talon came with a well made kydex
sheath—my preferred sheath material for hard use knifes. The
thick kydex sheath came with a steel belt clip and various lashing
points to secure the sheath to web belts, backpacks, etc. (Daniel even
includes enough 550 cord with the sheath to easily secure it to gear,
or tie the knife to a pole for a makeshift spear). The most
surprising feature I noticed with the knife and sheath combo is how
comfortable the Talon is to wear. I have found that most high
ride sheath combinations have the knife handle digging into your side
and making it uncomfortable to wear without a t-shirt between yourself
and the handle. In the Talon’s case, I have never experienced
this problem, and have often forgotten that I was even wearing the
knife (even while sitting down or under web gear!). The knife
also carried close to the body and does not expose itself when you are
wearing a t-shirt over the knife (good for concealed carry
options).
Dislikes
It can be argued that nothing is perfect, and there
are some areas that could be improved on the Talon. My biggest
disappointment came from the shark tooth serrations along the top
portion of the blade. These serrations are meant to cut a variety
of materials, and by looking at them you would think they could tear
through just about anything. Once I started to test this theory,
I came to realize that a steeper angle would be more effective. I have
already mentioned this problem to Daniel and he said that he would
rework the serrations. As already mentioned, I would also prefer
a rough finish canvas micarta handle instead of the smooth
finish. While the smooth finish looks better, the rough finish
would improve the knifes grip with wet hands (I find my hands sweat
during hard labor and/or stressful situations…which is not a good time
to loose your grip on the knife!). I would also prefer a TekLok
fastener for the sheath instead of the belt clip. This would
allow easy attachment on and off of web gear and large belts without
having to use the 550 cord or zip ties to secure the sheath (the
current belt clip is too small to fit on a military web belt).
Update
Since this review was written, my Talon was sent
back to the maker to have the serrations altered and to test a new
carry system. When I received the knife back, I was happy to see
that the modified serrations cut better than the original ones.
While the overall design for the serrations are to rip and tear an
assailant, the current design also allows the user to roughly cut
through wood, as well as cut individual strands of 550 cord, etc.
The new sheath design is still under construction, but should allow the
user various carrying options from clips, TekLok fasteners, to
removeable pouches for carrying various items.
Last impressions
The overall quality, design, and cutting ability of
the M2 Talon are outstanding. This is a great knife for the price
for anyone who needs an easy to carry knife that can be quickly
deployed in order to handle a variety of cutting tasks. With a
lifetime guarantee and quality craftsmanship, you are sure to have this
knife for whatever Relentless pursuit you may face.
click for more tests
Thanks Capt . Humphrey
Ian found the grind angle on the M2 Talons
serrations needed to be a bit steeper.
Normally you might not find this type of info on the makers web site.
But,
my goal is to make the best knife possible without reserve. The
adjustment took a few minutes, the knife 's design has been
changed and YOU benefit.
Ian's tests and reviews are the result of allot of hard work on his part. The results
give You a bit of in site on the knife, and help me to offer you products worthy of the name RELENTLESS KNIVES
............................
Take it with you on your next adventure. It's built to
withstand
extreme conditions, and waiting to become your faithful companion.
Thanks for Your interest
Dan Certo
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