Knife Review: Microtech Exocet OTF Knife, Proof Run

The Microtech Exocet OTF Knife [Proof Run]

Microtech Knives, Inc. is a knife manufacturing company that is famous for its automatic knives. This company was founded in Vero Beach, Florida in 1994. It operated there until it relocated to Bradford, Pennsylvania in 2005 and then to Fletcher, North Carolina in 2009. It was in 2007 that the company began manufacturing an American-made version of the Steyr AUG under the subsidiary name of Microtech Small Arms Research.

The company has long promoted itself as stressing quality with regard to tight machining tolerances, to within an thousandth of an inch. Microtech has designed many knives used by the US Military such as the HALO, UDT, SOCOM, and Currahee models. 

Custom knife makers, such as Greg Lightfoot have remarked that these tolerances are what makes the factory knives so close the custom design: “It has the same quality as a handmade custom.” And although Microtech has produced many styles of blades such as kitchen knives, fishing knives, arrow heads, and balisong knives; Microtech is most famous for its tactical automatic knives. Microtech along with Benchmade Knives was responsible for the resurgence in the popularity of tactical automatic knives in the 1990s. These knives were seen more as a precision-made tool utilizing powerful springs and high-grade bushings as opposed to cheap imports.

Microtech has collaborated with famous knife makers and designers such as Ernest Emerson, Bob Terzuola, Mick Strider, Walter Brend, Mike Turber, Greg Lightfoot, and Reese Weiland on exclusive designs.

For over 20 years, Microtech has been working to build a long-standing tradition of innovation and quality with each knife that leaves their facility. In a world of every changeling technology, they strive to ensure their customers have access to the latest advancements in knife making, while still continuing to maintain a humanized element throughout the manufacturing process. As the company continues to grow, their focus remains the same: to deliver revolutionary products that exceed the industry’s ever-increasing desire for groundbreaking ideas. They appreciated their customers or the years of loyalty and support and for motivating them to better themselves so that they may continue to rise above your expectations.

Today we will be discussing one of Microtech’s proof runs, the Exocet OTF automatic knife.

The Blade:

The blade on the proof run for the Exocet has been made out of CTS 204P stainless steel. This steel is made by Carpenter and is pretty similar to Crucible’s CPM-20CV steel. The CTS 204P steel has high amounts of Chromium, Molybdenum, Vanadium, and Tungsten. This means that the blade is going to be tough and strong, while remaining sharp throughout use.

When Carpenter is explaining this steel, they say, “The unique combination of wear resistance, toughness, polishability and corrosion resistance makes CTS 204P an excellent candidate material for pelletizer, granulator and high-performance industrial and custom knives as well as food processing equipment.” The steel is designed to have high corrosion resistance, which helps reduce the amount of maintenance that is required with the Exocet. You will not have to worry too much about the steel rusting and a simple wipe down and occasional oil should be enough to keep it having its usual high quality.

The blade has been finished with a stonewash finish. This finish is relatively commonplace in the cutlery industry, because it gives the blade a more rugged appearance. It also works to lower the levels of maintenance required. So already, we have the stonewash finish paired with the CTS 204 P steel, which makes this a low-maintenance knife for sure.

The stonewashed finish is created when the steel is tumbled with small ceramic pebbles or beads. This roughs up the surface of the steel. The steel is then removed, smoothed out, and polished. This means that the actual steel will not be textured, so it will not interfere with your cuts, but it does keep the textured appearance. This textured appearance easily hides scratches and smudges that accumulate over time.

The stonewashed finish is also less reflective than your average finish, which does mean that this would be a great tactical blade. The stonewash finish gives the blade a darker grey appearance than the bright silver of a satin knife.

The blade has been carved into a wide dagger blade shape. This is going to be different than many other dagger blades, because the others are known for how fine they are. However, like a typical dagger blade shape, you are going to get the point. The point is the most crucial aspect of the dagger blade.

The entire blade is nearly perfectly symmetrical, with both sides of the blade rising and falling at the same points, which creates a tip that is perfectly in line with the center of the blade. While this normally creates an extremely fine tip, the Exocet has such a wide blade that you do not get as fine of a tip. You will be able to pierce, there is no doubt about it. But, since the rest of the blade is as wide as it is, you should not have to worry as much about the tip breaking. With the Exocet, you do not need to be as careful as you do with a regular dagger blade.

Another drawback to a typical dagger blade shape is that there is no belly. With the Exocet, you get a wider and more rounded side than normal, which does mean that you are going to have a slight belly. However, this portion is not designed specifically for slicing, so it is not going to excel. But you will be able to complete what you need to with it. 

The blade edges are plain edges.

The Handle:

The handle has been made out of 6061-T6 aluminum that was anodized black.

Aluminum makes a great option for a knife handle material because of its various qualities. The aluminum is tough, corrosion resistant, and lightweight. In fact, aluminum is known as low-density metal. This means that it is does not have the weight that you would typically find on other materials that are as hefty as aluminum is. But, the lack of weight is not going to take away any of the toughness. A low-density metal is going to still provide you with the heft that you feel like you need to confidently rely on this Microtech. That being said, because this is a much smaller knife, you will definitely not have a heavy knife.

Aluminum is also incredibly corrosion resistant, which does mean that the knife is going to be as low-maintenance as possible. This is not prone to rusting and really all of the maintenance that it requires is wiping the handle down and making sure that it is dry after each use. 6061-T6 aluminum is the aluminum alloy that has the highest yield resistance. This means that it is going to be the toughest, most durable, and most corrosion resistant alloy out of any aluminum handle.

Of course, aluminum does have a few disadvantages. The first is that it has high conductive properties. This means that in cold environments, the aluminum is going to feel even colder. In many environments, this actually does not affect the usage whatsoever. However, in extra-cold or tumultuous environments, you may want to keep in mind that the handle can feel bitter at some time. The other disadvantage is that aluminum is prone to getting scratched.

The handle on this has been anodized black. Not only does the anodization process provide a sleek color, it also increases the toughness and durability of the aluminum. The anodization makes the handle stronger and even decreases the chance of it getting scratched—which is one of the biggest disadvantages when it comes to aluminum handles. The anodization process will affectively prolong the life of the handle.

The handle frame is extra wide. This means that you will be able to have a better hold on it as well as it serves you and keeping you safe as you go about your day. The frame is nearly completely rectangular, with a few random points of jimping that sit on various parts of the spine and the belly. Those sections of jimping will ensure that you have better hold, because it adds more texture to the handle. This is important because the 6061-T6 handle does not offer as much grip as is needed for certain situations.

The face of the handle does have a ridge that goes up the middle of length of the handle. Coming out of this ridge are thinner, diagonally angled ridges. These form triangular patches, but the most important part of this is that it works to add even more texture to the face of the handle.

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip on this Microtech doubles as a money clip, which does mean that it is nearly as wide as the handle itself. Not only is this an awesome bonus, but it will also work to keep the knife more secure in your pocket, because of how thick it is. This puppy is not going to be moving because of how wide and strong it really is. The clip is a matte grey, which matches the hardware on the Exocet. Like almost all OTF’s, the clip can only be attached for tip down carry, as it attaches to the end that the blade does not come out of.

The Mechanism:

This is an automatic out-the-front, or OTF, knife. The automatic characteristic does mean that it is not going to fall under a set of laws that do limit the legality of the knife. These laws span the US and automatic knives are not legal in many states, cities, or areas. It is your responsibility as the knife purchaser and user to know your local knife laws. BladeOps is not the responsible party.

The Exocet is an OTF knife, which means that there is a hole in one end of the handle that the blade will be deployed from. This differs from many pocket knives that have the blade fold out of the side of the handle. The trigger to deploy the blade is grey. It is slightly stepped, which will give you a bit better of a hold on it, while you are attempting to deploy the blade.

An out-the-front, or OTF that is automatic has a knife blade that travels within an internal track or channel. This is the same as a non-automatic OTF. However, the automatic main spring drive and button mechanisms enclosed require that the handle of an automatic OTF to be thicker and longer than a regular OTF.

The Specs:

The blade on this Microtech measures in at 1.98 inches long, so it does fall under the category of a sub-2” blade. This is going to help with portability, because it is definitely not anywhere near as large as some pocket knives that you are going to come across. The handle on this automatic knife measures in at 3.62 inches long, which means that when the blade has been deployed, the overall length of the Exocet is going to measure in at 5.6 inches long. This is a tiny knife. However, with such small knives, many people expect it to not give them the heft that they desire to feel comfortable while using a knife. This one does have some sturdiness behind it though, measuring in at 3.1 ounces. The Exocet is proudly made in the United States of America.

Conclusion:

This limited Proof Run out-the-front knife features a black anodized handle and a dagger style blade in a stonewash finish.

The new Microtech Exocet combines the portability of a sub-2" blade with the practicality of a money clip--making it perfect for daily carry. With an extra-wide frame, this knife will serve you well and keep you safe.

Shop all Exclusive and Proof Runs by clicking here. These go quickly, so you when you see one that you want, you are going to want to move quickly to ensure that you get it. You can also find the production run Exocet right here.