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M4
Viper
As
Sharp As It's Namesake!
by: Capt Ian Humphrey
M4 Viper: As Sharp As It’s Namesake!
I received an early Christmas gift this year with the arrival of a M4
Viper for testing and evaluation. This knife is special because
it features the highly acclaimed s30v steel that is the current “hot
steel” for custom and high end production knives. The M4 Viper is
the perfect size knife for everyday use with a balance between blade
size and overall comfort.
First Impressions
The Viper came with the usual custom touches
that I have come to expect from Relentless Knives. The knife has
clean lines and rounded edges for easy handling. This model of
the Viper came with sharp looking Rosewood handles that really added a
touch of class to the knife. The Viper has a nice blade shape
that allows the knife to be used for a variety of different cutting
chores. The Viper came with a wicked edge and a nice looking set
of serrations along the spine. I was immediately impressed with
how comfortable the knife was to hold. I feel this is due to the
good balance and thin handle which allowed for a secure grip. The
thin handle also allows for a slim profile when carried. The
Viper also includes double lanyard holes in the handle, which allows
for comfortable use of the included wrist cord. The double holes
also allow the user to easily secure the knife to a branch for a
makeshift spear, secure to gear, etc.
Testing
This is the first knife I have used with the
new s30v steel. I can say without a doubt that I was
impressed! The Viper was the sharpest knife I have tested and
sliced through sheets of paper like a razor. The “handle heavy”
design of the knife allowed for easy cutting. The tip of the
knife also cut extremely well with the paper. Heavy cardboard was
also no match for the M4 Viper. The blade design allowed for good
hand placement that allowed me to effectively grip the knife and sail
through the heavy material. The serrations also cut very well
through the cardboard. The Viper also cut 550 cord very
effectively. The knife could consistently cut through two strands
of 550 cord at once, while individual serrations could slice through a
single cord. The overall blade size was the only limitation to
cutting more 550 cord at the same time.
The s30v steel continued to impress me with
the ease it could cut branches and sticks. Fresh and dry wood
were no match for the Viper and I soon had a small pile of sharpened
sticks, fuzz sticks, and stripped branches for making a spear.
The serrations on the knife also worked well and were extremely handy
in making notches in the pole to aid in spear building. The
serrations also tore through the branches and made good fuzz sticks
with little effort. In terms of throwing, while not practical in
normal use, it is a good test to check on blade hardness and point
retention. The Viper was thrown at several targets and suffered
no damage to the blade. Proof that the Viper is not designed for
such use resulted in scratched wood handles, which would be minimized
with micarta handles. The Viper did make an acceptable spear and
was easily attached to the branch with the included cord from the
handle and sheath. The end result was a makeshift spear that
would be effective in a survival situation.
Since this was the first time I have used s30v
steel, I wanted to see how long it would take to dull the knife and how
easily it could be re-sharpened. After several days of testing
that included throwing the knife and cutting objects, the blade still
cut well through a sheet of paper (although not as well as
before). In order to dull the edge, I continued to cut long
strips of heavy cardboard. After 14 strips the blade began to
noticeably dull. I tried the paper test again, and while the
knife still cut the paper, there were some distinct rough spots along
the edge. I used a standard kitchen steel to touch up the edge,
and after only 10 passes on each side, the knife was once again able to
cleanly cut through paper.
Sheath
The M4 Viper came with a rugged, overbuilt kydex
sheath that will stand up to any punishment you may face. The
sheath comes with a large TekLok fastener which allows for easy removal
and attachment to web gear, belts, packs, etc. A nice feature to
the sheath is the ability to rotate the TekLok fastener and lock the
swivel in different positions. This allows the user to create
custom carry angles to meet their needs. There are also numerous
grommet holes on the sheath that allow you to secure the knife to
different locations when the TekLok will not work (MOLLE gear, etc.).
Dislikes
While the sheath is well made, I would prefer
a slimmer design (less wide). The width may be due to the large
TekLok, but if possible a slimmer profile would be better. I
would also like more holes in the swivel plate on the sheath.
This would allow more angles to secure the knife (this can be easily
done yourself by drilling more holes in the plate that holds the
TekLok). One drawback to the TekLok is that you can not attach
the clip to MOLLE vests, etc. This can be offset by using the
numerous attachment points on the sheath and the included cord or zip
ties. When I first received the knife, there was a lot of play
between the knife and sheath. This was easily fixed by heating
the lip of the sheath with a lighter and bending the kydex around the
blade. In terms of the knife, the cutout for the thumb rest seems
a little too far back for extended comfort (based on my hand
size). And as I have already mentioned, the Rosewood handles look
great, but for serious use I would recommend the standard rough finish
micarta handles.
Last Impressions
I was really impressed with Dan Certo’s M4
Viper. I had asked Dan which knife he felt would be best for
everyday use, and he recommended the Viper. The blade size is big
enough for almost any task, yet the knife still carries
unobtrusively. I carried the Viper on numerous hikes, trips to
the range, around the house, etc. and never minded the weight or bulk
of the knife. The Viper also fit well on my LBE and performed
well during some recent military exercises. The s30v steel
performed every test with great success, and the best part was the lack
of maintenance needed to keep the steel looking like new. If you
are looking for a great all around knife to take on your next
adventure, the Viper is your knife!
............................................................................
Take it with you on your next adventure. It's built to
withstand extreme conditions, and waiting to become your faithful
companion.
Also remember to send photos of your adventures
for our "ABOUTYOU" webpages.
I'm sure you'll be pleased. . Thanks for your
interest, Dan Certo.
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