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M4
Trailhound
A Big Knife for the Big Tasks
by: Capt Ian Humphrey
M4 Trailhound: A Big Knife for the Big Tasks
Dan Certo's M4 Trailhound is a serious knife built
to withstand extreme conditions. Current owners include Alaska
bush pilots, hunters, and active duty Soldiers serving in harms
way. Based on my testing and evaluation, I feel that all of these
individuals have made a smart decision to trust their lives with
Relentless Knives.
First Impressions
When I first handled the Trailhound, my immediate
impression was that this is one massive knife. The Trailhound is
a heavy/overbuilt design that is obviously designed to be a hard use
knife. The included leather sheath is a perfect complement to the
knife since it is also extremely rugged and built to last. The
knife/sheath combo is rock solid with no rattle or fear of loosing the
knife. The sheath comes with a TekLok fastener that allows for
easy on/off for your belt, web gear, etc. The sheath also has a
large external pocket that is perfect for storing a small survival kit,
sharpening stone, accessory knife, etc. The handle is very large
and will accommodate the largest of hands. The rough finish
micarta handle slabs are securely fastened to the handle and feature an
attractive custom touch with red spacers. Another nice custom
touch are the rounded edges along the bottom of the handle that aids in
handle comfort. The Trailhound also comes with a short section of
serrations along the spine to aid in cutting different materials.
Testing
My first test is always the paper test to get a feel
for how the knife cuts and how sharp it arrives to the customer.
The M4 Trailhounds heavy weight and good blade geometry made cutting
long clean cuts look easy. The reinforced point also cut cleanly
into the paper and cut extremely well. Next I tried the knife on
550 parachute cord. This reinforced nylon cord can usually
separate average knives from the real cutters. The Trailhound
definitely fell into the latter category by easily cutting through four
strands of 550 cord at once (I started with one strand and worked my
way up...stopping at four to conserve cord). The serrations along
the spine were also able to cut a single strand of 550 cord, although
the handle design did not make it comfortable to hold the knife in this
manner for a long time. Heavy duty cardboard was my next cutting
medium, and the Trailhound continued to perform like a cutting
machine. Even the small serrations had no problem sawing through
the cardboard. Since this knife is a chopper, I wanted to test it
on some small trees to see how it performed. The heavy blade and
large handle allowed me to easily chop my way through a three-inch
diameter tree. While the rough finish canvas micarta gripped the
hand well, wearing a leather glove greatly aided in handle comfort
while doing heavy chopping. Once the tree was cut down, I used
another stick to act like a baton to drive the knife into the
wood. This method is far more effective for cutting a large
amount of wood, and the Trailhound continued to perform well in this
area. When I returned home that night I tried the paper test
again and was impressed that the blade did not appear to dull despite
the hard use.
I had a unique opportunity to take the Trailhound
into the field for a week and really get to put the knife through its
paces. I wanted to perform some tests that the average Soldier or
outdoorsman may face on a daily basis. These tests center around
hard use like cutting, chopping, and prying different materials.
In every case the Trailhound proved to be a faithful companion that
eagerly attacked anything I tried. I tested the blades fine
cutting ability by cutting down a branch and carving tent stakes and
fuzz sticks with the knife. Despite the large size of the
Trailhound, the thoughtful design of the handle allows the user to
choke up on the knife and comfortably carve stakes and fuzz sticks with
ease. The serrations were also used to saw through small branches
and to quickly make fuzz sticks out of branches. I decided to
really test the strength of the blade by cutting through an old wire
fence I found in the woods. There was nothing around the fence
that I could use to leverage the blade against the wire, so I decided
to simply hack my way through the wire. I was really impressed
with the cutting power of the Trailhound. In a few simple chops,
the wire was cleanly cut with only a few minor dings along the blade
edge. I also wanted to test the strength of the handle and used
sticks and small rocks to pound the knife into various materials.
The thick handle and extended tang made pounding the knife a
breeze. Despite the pounding into different materials, no damage
appeared on the point or handle. The last test I did was
prying. I found an old abandoned structure and used the
Trailhound to pry the walls apart. By using a rock to drive the
Trailhound into the wooden side, I was able to provide enough leverage
to the knife to pry open the wall (with no damage to the knife).
When I returned from the field I tried the paper test for a third
time. While the blade did not cut as well as it first did, it
still effectively cut through the paper. After about 20 minutes
of re-sharpening the Trailhound was once again ready for action.
Sheath
While I prefer kydex sheaths for my field knives,
the Trailhounds thick leather sheath proved to be a quality sheath that
performed well in the field. The TekLok attachment made taking
the knife on and off my gear easy. Although the knife and sheath
make a large package, it was not uncomfortable to wear and blended in
well with my other equipment. I even found that the leather
sheath began to mold itself to my leg. The knife fits perfectly
into the sheath with no noise problems or rattling around. While
the sheath securely holds the knife, there is also an additional strap
that goes around the handle to ensure you don't loose your knife.
Dislikes
My biggest concern with the Trailhound was the short
handle slabs. After a lot of heavy duty chopping, my hand became
very sore even while wearing gloves. If the micarta pieces
extended down the entire length of the handle, and were rounded, the
knife would be more comfortable for cutting chores. I would also
like to see a longer section of serrations along the top of the
blade. While the serrations cut well, another inch or so would
make them more useful.
Last Impressions
When I first handled the M4 Trailhound I was afraid
that this was too large a knife to be carrying around the woods for a
long time. After some extensive testing, I realized that the
cutting and chopping ability of this knife would make the extra weight
acceptable when the mission calls for extreme situations when you don't
want to run the risk of your equipment failing. No matter what
job you have, the M4 Trailhound will Relentlessly perform.
click for more tests
Thanks Capt . Humphrey
Ian's tests and reviews are the result of alot of hard work on his part. The results
give You a bit of insite 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.
Thankss for Your interest
Dan Certo
Also remember to send photos of your adventures
for our "ABOUTYOU" webpages.
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