HOWLER

September 14, 2022

The HOWLER is my idea of a modern fighting knife (as a secondary or tertiary tool behind the long gun and side arm). Long ago before the advancement in firearm technology it was common for people to carry knives and swords. Before the firearm the sword (or similar larger weapons) was your primary weapon. When we look at military weaponry through time, as technology changes you start to see the longer edged tools replaced by smaller blades. The firearm becomes the primary weapon and battlefields move from open fields to closer quarters, trenches, cities... A smaller blade is easier to carry and deploy in closer quarters.

SPECS:

52100 3/16"

OAL 8.5"

BL 4"

HRC 58-61

weight without sheath: 5.6oz

There were a few key considerations when I started designing this knife:

-Size (length and narrowness of the profile specifically)

-hand retention

-penetration

-slicing

-durability

-bushcraft/general use capability

If you are attaching a knife to your chest rig, plate carrier or battle belt you need it to be small enough to not limit your movement and give you flexibility in mounting of the sheath. Hand retention was especially important for me in this design. This aids in retrieving the blade from its sheath and preventing your hand from sliding forward to the edge. One thing to note is that the scales are also ground in a way to aid in this retention. So you have the profile and the contour of the scales keeping your hand where it should be.

When it comes to blade shape and geometry every decision is a compromise. I chose to focus on the primary function first (penetration and slicing) then consider the secondary function (durability, bushcraft, general use) and strike an appropriate balance. A pointy tip was crucial and I wanted to keep the overall profile narrow. As with most of my other designs I maintain full spine thickness to the tip of the knife. This is why you will see a progressive secondary bevel (cutting edge). Towards the handle the primary bevel is ground very thin then tapers as you move toward the tip. This gives you a thin behind the edge geometry for slicing near the handle that gets thicker behind the edge as the blade profile gets narrower towards the tip. This combination allows the blade to penetrate well while also being strong throughout its entire length. Another thing to note here is how the plunge line sweeps forward. This is to maintain strength, a sharp vertical plunge line creates a weak point. Maintaining full spine thickness to the end of the knife makes the knife stronger but also stiffer.

You may be wondering why I didn't make this knife a dagger, two edges is better than one right? For certain tasks yes, penetration primarily. But having a tool with you that has versatility for field tasks is important in my mind. If you only had room for one knife you need it to be a capable fighter but you might need it to baton wood and featherstick just as much.

I hope you enjoyed that bit of insight into how I made some design choices. As much time as I spend on designing and making the knife I spend almost as much time on designing and making the sheath. After all a bad sheath can make a great knife unusable.

The primary function of sheath is to retain the knife and allow access to the knife. I try to make my sheaths as minimal as possible while also allowing for a variety of mounting/carry options. Attaching a Discreet Carry Concepts Mod 5.1 Clip via hardware to the sheath was exciting for me. Look for this setup to appear on other models down the line. The DCC clip can be used to attach your knife to chest rigs and the sort but it will clip onto anything including athletic shorts making IWB carry super simple regardless of if you are wearing a belt or not.

The HOWLER launch will include HOWLER merch: Comfort Colors shirt, Flag and Sticker Pack.

This is super exciting for me because my talented sister did the artwork and by buying any of these products you will be supporting her as well as myself!

Follow her on IG @boatman.designs and check out her website: boatman-designs.myshopify.com