BLACKHAWK

Hornet II

Michael Janich is the owner of Martial-Blade-Concepts in Colorado and member of the Blackhawk family. With Blackhawk he has redesigned the James Keating MOD-Hornet folding knife and gave it a new concept.

The new Hornet II was made with the operator in mind who is looking for a solid folder with a fresh design for an affordable price.

James Keating´s MOD-Hornet has a tungsten coated blade out of 154CM steel and Milspec, aircraft alloy, grip panels.

The material used on the Hornet II was chosen more with the economical factor in mind but still producing a high quality folder. The 3.1” Teflon coated blade is 0.15” thick and made in Taiwan out of the good ol´ AUS8A steel. The tip is pointed like a needle and the edge is very sharp. Shaving with this blade is no problem at all. The thump-stud is located on both sides of the blade so the Hornet II is 100% south-paw-ready. With the blade out the Hornet II will measure 7.2” like the original MOD-Hornet.

The blade can be opened with a powerful flick of a wrist without using the thump-studs. The Liner-lock engages firmly and secures the blade positive. There is no play in the locking mechanism. Like the inlays of the handle the liner-lock is made from A420 steel. The Hornet II passed the “Table-edge-test” several times so I do trust it. The outer shell of the grip is of American made G10. Its rough, square structure and the finger groves give the knife a non-slip handle.

The MOD-Hornet is just designed for a right handed tip-down-carry. On the BHI Hornet II you will find all 4 carry options and the belt-clip is strong enough to prevent it from getting lost under urban carry conditions. At the bottom of the grip you will spot a triangle-like tapering. With a closed blade it will be a good less-then-lethal option or it will serve you as a glass-breaker. If the open knife is used in the “hammer-grip” the tail-end will stick out of the fist and can be used as a non lethal striking tool here to. But this will just work up to a hand size “large”. The lane yard hole is a little small but it will work fine with coreless 550 cord.

The wear of the sharpness was not all to impressive. I could not shave anymore after I have cut down about 8 large cardboard boxes. The Teflon coating on the edge showed a little wear after 3 month as my EDC. As my suggestion for improvement I would ask for serrations on the back of the blade. If you have to work with the Hornet II for a while you will want , or at least I do, put your thump on the wide back of the blade. Slip-proof serrations would be nice to have. I would also suggest to exchange the Torx-screws for Phillips or Allen-Heads. A Torx-driver will be easy to get as long as you are in an occupied area in the US. But if you are offshore or it is just you and your Gerber/Victorinox/Leatherman you may have a hard time to change the clip or take it apart for cleaning.

Nevertheless I can say that I really liked the Hornet II as my EDC for several months. It was easy to carry, opening was fast and secure, the liner-lock is strong, the blade came very sharp out of the box, it is non-slip at the grip and it makes a solid and qualitative impression. And last but not least, it is the more affordable Hornet.

I hope you like my Review on the Blackhawk Hornett II.