Knife Review: Microtech Violet Troodon Dagger OTF Automatic Knife

The Microtech Violet Troodon Dagger OTF Automatic Knife

For over 20 years, Microtech has been working to build a long standing tradition of innovation and quality with each knife that leaves our facility. In a world of ever-changing 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 appreciate their customers, for the years of loyalty and support, and for motivating them to better themselves so that they may continue to rise about your expectations.

Microtech Knives was established in 1994 in Vero Beach, Florida relocating to Bradford, Pennsylvania in 2005. They have always operated with a simple mission: To make the best possible knives. The mission is still true today. Their goal is to attain and maintain extremely high-quality knives throughout the evolution of growth and change. Founder, Anthony Marfione’s objective is to ensure that every day, each customer will receive the highest quality knife that money can buy. They deliver personalized service with exceptional attention to detail. Even though they produce thousands of specialized knives, the quest for quality remains their primary focus.

The Microtech Reputation has continued to stress quality which means that they have extremely close tolerance—their designers and technician measure to the thousandths to ensure precision action. They also only use USA manufactured parts, material, and labor. They research and test only the highest grade of Tool Steel, Aircraft Alloy, and component pieces—all developed by USA Manufactures. Also, approximately 95% of all parts are fabricated by them not for them. All of their knives are designed and engineered by experts—aiming to meet and exceed customer needs, targeting ease in application and effectiveness. They also have a lifetime limited warranty of all Microtech Worldwide products. Microtech does not compromise on quality.

During their history, they have produced revolutionary tactical knives and in keeping with their tradition, they continue to introduce new innovative products, striving for excellence.

Microtech is a leader in the industry. They will continue to be one of the World’s finest in pioneering creative and inventive designs. Microtech’s goal is to attain and maintain extremely high-quality knives throughout the evolution of growth and change. They deliver personalized service with exceptional attention to detail. Even though they have produced thousands of specialize knives, the quest for quality remains their primary focus.

Today we will be discussing their Violet Troodon Dagger OTF automatic knife.

The Blade:

The blade on the Troodon Dagger is made out of CTS 204P stainless steel. This steel can reasonably be compared to Bohler-Uddeholm’s M390 steel. However, it does have a little bit more tungsten than the other steel. This steel is known for having an incredibly high wear and corrosion resistance. Part of this is due to the fact that it does have a fine-grained alloy, which also means that this is a good choice for high end folding knives, such as the Troodon, as well as some fixed blades.

Other than that, it is going to preform like a high-end stainless steel is expected to. You can expect it to keep its high level of quality without too much maintenance. You will want to wipe down the blade after each use, but you won’t have to worry about scrubbing it after each use, like you might on some. This is a harder steel, so it might be slightly complicated to sharpen, but nothing that an experienced sharpener can’t handle.

This steel is not a super common one, but it is a high-end steel. It will be able to hang with most tasks, so you won’t ever have to question whether or not it is going to be able to defend you when you need it most—it can handle it.

The blade has been finished in a satin finish, which is the most common blade finish that you are going to come across in today’s cutlery industry. The benefits of the satin finish are that it is in the middle of the luster spectrum. This means that it is not going to be too shiny or too matte. It has the perfect amount of reflection. The second major benefit is that it does slightly increase the corrosion resistance of the blade. This will come in handy when using it in the field, because it will allow you to not have to take as much maintenance with it. Also, it classically shows off the bevels of the blade as well as the fine lines in the steel. This gives the blade a very traditional look.

The blade has been carved into a dagger shape. This is a double-edge blade that is most often sued for stabbing. Often times, the dagger blade shape is used in self-defense, which makes perfect sense for why it would be the optimal blade shape for a tactical knife such as this one. The two edges of the blade rise and fall equally, which creates an axis that sits in the middle of the blade, which also means that the point is going to be directly center. The tip is fine and sharp, ideal for piercing.

The dagger blade shape has been finished with a plain edge on one side and a thickly serrated edge on the other side. Because you will have the option to use the plain edge or the fully serrated edge, you will be better equipped to take on a wider variety of tasks. Plus, the serrated edge can do damage in a way that the plain portion cannot. That being said, the serrated side will also be harder to sharpen, due to the teeth.

The Handle:

The handle on this OTF knife has been made out of 6061-T6 aluminum. Aluminum itself is a widely popular option for high-quality knife handle materials. Aluminum is tough, durable, incredibly corrosion resistant, and best of all, it is lightweight. However, it is also prone to getting scratched.

Aluminum is known to be a low-density metal, which is where the low weight of the handle comes in from. A low-density metal is a metal that is going to provide you with the heft that you need to take on all of your tasks. It is not going to make you feel that you cannot rely on the handle—instead, it is going to give you enough heft in your hand that you feel confident. Confident enough to take on whatever comes your way. Confident enough to rely on the Microtech Troodon. That being said, it is not going to weigh you down. This is a larger knife, so any lightness is going to be appreciated.

6061-T6 aluminum is the most common aluminum alloy that is used. This is also because it is the toughest of all the aluminum alloys. It has the highest yield resistance of any. It is going to give you everything that aluminum originally would have and then increase it. With this handle, you are going to have a reliable and solid knife to use.

The handle has been adonized violet. There are a few major benefits of having your aluminum handle anodized. The first is that the anodization is actually a chemical change of the surface of the aluminum. This means that the sleek black color is not going to peel off like a regular coating could and would do. That does not mean that the color cannot be scratched off though. While the aluminum can still be scratched, the anodization process is going to make it harder to do so. If the surface was scratched, you would be able to see the original silver aluminum underneath the anodized surface.

The rest of the handle is rather basic, especially for an OTF knife. It is relatively rectangular, although the belly does have two slight curves to it. The first one is slightly deeper than the second one. Both of them stretch about half of the length of the handle. Across the face of the handle, to add in the required texture that aluminum cannot offer, are two sections of curved grooves. These rest in places that will provide plenty of texture for you to feel confident while using this knife.

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip is finished in a darker grey, which does perfectly match the rest of the hardware on the knife. It is a thick pocket clip. The thickness will help it stay securely inside of your pocket with no issues. The pocket clip is attached to the butt of the blade, like is often the case when it comes to OTF knives.

The Mechanism:

The Troodon Dagger is an Out-the-Front Automatic knife. The fact that it is an automatic knife does mean that it is going to fall under a strict set of laws in the United States. These laws state that automatic knives are not going to be legal in all states, cities, or areas. It is your responsibility as the user and purchaser, to know your local knife laws before buying and definitely before carrying this knife with you. You are the responsible party, not BladeOps.

While the legality of an automatic knife can serve as a disadvantage, there is a major advantage of owning an automatic knife: it is going to be easy to deploy. All you have to do is push the lever up that sits on the side of the handle and the blade will be open and ready to use in mere seconds. In situations where every second counts, Microtech has made it a breeze to bring this knife into play. There should be no fumbling with this knife.

This is an Out-the-Front knife, or an OTF knife, as it is commonly referred to. Wikipedia explains OTF knives as a type of pocket knife that has a blade that opens and closes through a hole in one end of the handle. This is different than other pocket knives that have the blade come out of the side. They go on to explain that OTF is only referring to the basic portion of the knife’s mechanical operation.

Like has been previously mentioned, this is an automatic OTF knife, which means that the blade travels within an internal track or channel in the same manner as a manual OTF knife. However, the automatic main spring drive and button mechanism that are enclosed in the handle do require the handle of an automatic OTF to be thicker and longer than a manual one.

The lever on the side of the handle is stepped, so that it has enough texture that you can easily find the mechanism and keep your grip on it while you are deploying the blade.

The Specs:

The blade on this version of the Troodon measures in at 3.02 inches long with a handle that measures in at 4.55 inches long. This means that when the blade has been deployed, the overall length of the knife is going to measures in at 7.57 inches long, which is fairly standard for a knife. The knife has been made with relatively low-weight materials though, so even though it is a fairly standard size of a knife, the weight is rather low. The overall weight comes in at 2.8 ounces. This knife was proudly made in the United States of America.

Conclusion:

This out-the-front knife features a violet anodized handle and a dagger style blade, that is fully serrated on one side, in a satin finish.

The Troodon is 25% smaller than the traditional Combat Troodon OTF (Out the Front) model and boasts a sleek slender contoured handle that is as ergonomic as it is functional and is ideal if you are looking for a smaller double-action automatic knife that sits well in the pocket. Each Microtech OTF knife has extremely sophisticated internal mechanisms which improve the overall operational functionality and reliability and its ability to be operated with just one hand makes it all the more practical.

Shop all our in-stock Microtech Troodon knives right here.