Pro-Tech 2205 Calmigo Automatic Knife Review

 

Pro-Tech Knives, LLC is a family owned knife company that has been building high quality American Made knives since 1999.

Each Pro-Tech knife is a blend of the finest materials available and a commitment to craftsmanship. Their knives are built with the most current high tech manufacturing processes that include CNC Machining, Wire EDM, Laser Cutting, and more. The thigh tech components are assembled and hand fit by dedicated and caring craftsmen right in their factory.

They manufactured small batches of knives so that they take time the time to individually hand fit and finish each knife to a level rarely seen in a factory knife.

Their production knife models offer the best design, function and value of any knife on the market today. Their custom art knives are unique pieces of art. Each of their custom, limited-edition knives is a showpiece of heirloom quality. No matter which of their knives you choose, they are condiment that you will be very satisfied with your purchase.

Their selection of knives is ever changing. They are always rotating their inventory with new designs from collaboration partners, new variations of classic designs, inlay materials, and Damascus blade choices.

This company produces about 12,000 knives per year and its most famous models are the Godfather, Godson, and the Runt J4. Pro-Tech has designed models for the U.S. Military and several police departments, including the secret service and US Marshall’s Service.

Pro-Tech has collaborated with famous knife makers such as Ernest Emerson, Walter Brend, and Allen Elishewitz on various designs.

Today we will be talking about the Pro-Tech 2205 Calmigo automatic knife.

 

The Blade:

The blade on this knife is made out of 154CM Stainless Steel. This is a relatively hard steel that is considered to be an upgraded version of 440C through the addition of Molybdenum. This achieves superior edge holding compared to 440C while retaining similar excellent levels of corrosion resistance despite having less Chromium. It has decent toughness good enough for most uses and holds an edge well. When you have the right equipment, this steel is not too hard to sharpen.

The blade has been finished with a black coating. There are a few purposes to coating a blade. The first is to prevent corrosion. A well-made coating can greatly reduce maintenance time on this blade, which may come in handy in the field. Plus, a coating eliminates shiny surfaces, which is a necessity if you are on a mission. Lastly, a coating can reduce drag during a cut. But, coatings do have they drawbacks. The biggest one is that sooner or later, the coating will come off. Once the coating is gone, the blade is going to rust, drag, glean and look beat up. Plus, sometimes when they are intact, the coating may create a “wire edge”, which reduces cutting ability and it can make the sharpening more difficult.

The blade on this Pro-Tech knife has been carved into a drop point style knife. This is a fantastic all-purpose blade style that also happens to be the most popular blade shape that is in use in the cutlery industry at this point in time. The most common place that you will come across this blade shape is on a Bowie knife, but you will also find it on almost any other style of knife as well. This is one of the most versatile blade shapes around because of how it is formed. The back, or unsharpened, edge of the knife runs straight for the handle to the tip of the knife in a slow curved manner, which creates a lowered point. This lowered point provides more control and adds strength to the tip. The controllable tip is ideal for tip work or carving, among the other tasks that require extreme precision. The strength is what makes this blade shape a great option for knives that are going to undergo tactical and survival knives. And although you might not be using this specific knife for tactical or survival situations, you do know that it is capable, which means that it is good enough for whatever you may throw at it. One of the other reasons that makes this blade style such a versatile option is the large belly that is perfect for slicing. One of the only disadvantages of the drop point blade style is its relatively broad tip, which makes it less suitable for piercing than the clip point. The clip point and the drop point knives are very similar because they both have lowered tips as well as being versatile and popular. The biggest difference is the tip. The clip point has a finer and thinner tip that makes it excel at stabbing or piercing. The drop point has a broader tip, so although you do lose out on most of your stabbing capabilities, you do have the strength that will stand up to heavy use.

 

The Handle:

The handle on this knife is made out of 6061-T6 aluminum. Aluminum is a very durable material for knife handles. It is a low density metal that provides for a nice, hefty feel to the knife without weighing the knife down. The most common type of aluminum used today is T6-6061 alloy, which has tremendous tensile strength. In fact, this alloy has one of the highest yield and tensile strengths of al aluminum alloys.

Aluminum alloy is cheaper to machine and produce than titanium, and is lighter, weaker, and less resistant to wear. For the most part, Aluminum is an inferior metal to Titanium aside from its lightness. However, when producing complex knives that require a large amount of CNC machining, such as the case with this knife, aluminum is much cheaper to produce and the material costs less.

The handle has been anodized black. The anodization process is the process of creating a protective oxide coating that is achieved electrolytically. The aluminum handle is first submerged in an electrolytic solution bath along with a cathode. When a current is passed through the acid solution, hydrogen is released from the cathode and oxygen forms on the surface of an anode. This results in a metal oxide film growing on the surface of the part being treated. The anodization process not only adds a sleek black color, it also adds hardness, protection, and increases the durability, corrosion resistance, and overall, the life of the knife handle.

The handle is a very simple shape, mostly rectangular, with a few curves to make it a little more comfortable. On the spine of the handle, there is a row of jimping which helps add control and grip to the handle overall. On the bottom of the handle, there is a finger groove. The finger groove is a little further down than you would normally find, but it will still help add comfort to your grip. Other than the finger groove, the bottom of the handle is completely straight. The butt of the handle is rounded. On the face of the handle is a safety switch as well as a firing button.

 

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip is black, and deep carry. This means that not only will your knife rest more securely in your pocket, you will also be able to conceal the blade more easily. The clip is statically designed for tip up carry only on the traditional side of the handle. The clip is kept in place by two small, black screws that match the rest of the hardware on this all-black knife.

 

The Mechanism:

This is an automatic knife, or switchblade, as it is often called. Automatic knives have a strict set of laws surrounding them which means that they are not legal in all states, cities, or areas. BladeOps is not responsible for legal issues, it is your responsibility as the user to know your local knife laws. And although this name states that it is a “Cali-legal auto knife” this is just a term that refers to the blade length that must be at or below the 2-inch mark while utilizing an automatic function and is by no means legal advice or a legal definition.

A switchblade is a type of knife with a folding or sliding blade contained in the handle which is opened automatically by a spring when a button on the handle is activated. Most switchblade designs incorporate a locking blade, in which eh blade is locked against closure when the spring extends the blade to the fully opened position. The blade is unlocked by m annually operating a mechanism that unlocks the blade and allows it to be folded and locked in the closed positon.

Some of the key advantages to an automatic knife is that you can bring it into paly more quickly than a regular folding knife. Automatic knives can also open quickly and efficiently. However, automatic knives have so many moving parts inside of them, they are more prone to breaking than other styles of knives. One of the other disadvantages is that an automatic knife will not be legal in all states, cities, or areas, so it may not be legal to own, carry, or use in your town. Lastly, when cleaning this knife, you will have to make sure that all the inner workings are dry so that they don’t rust.

 

The Specs:

The blade on this knife measures in at 1.99 inches long with a handle that measures in at 3.5 inches long. The overall length of this knife when it is opened measures in at 5.49 inches long. This Pro-Tech knife weighs in at 2.1 ounces. This knife is made in the United States of America.

 

The Pros of the Pro-Tech Calmigo:

• The blade has a relatively hard steel.
• The steel has high corrosion resistance.
• The steel has high capabilities of maintaining its edge.
• With the right steel, this steel is not too hard to sharpen.
• The coating finish prevents corrosion or rusting.
• The coating finish reduces drag.
• The coating reduces all glares and reflections, which is ideal if you are in a tactical situation.
• The drop point blade shape is versatile and all purpose.
• The drop point blade shape features a large belly that is ideal for slicing.
• The drop point blade shape has broad tip that is perfect for those heavier tasks.
• The aluminum handle is light-weight, but still has the heft behind it.
• The aluminum handle is durable and corrosion resistant.
• The anodization process increasing the life of the handle.
• The handle has some jimping on it to increase your control over your cuts.
• Automatic knives open quickly and efficiently.

 

The Cons of the Pro-Tech Calmigo:

• The coating is going to scratch off after long periods of use or heavy use.
• The drop point blade shape does not have many stabbing or piercing capabilities.
• Aluminum is prone to scratching and denting.
• Automatic knives are not legal in all states, cities, or areas, so it might not be legal for you to own, carry, or use this knife in your town.
• Automatic knives’ maintenance is trickier than a regular folding knife, and much trickier than a fixed blade.

 

 

Conclusion:

The new Calmigo series is another “Cali-Legal” automatic knife line released by Pro-Tech this year. This side open auto model opens with incredible speed and showcases a rock-solid lockup despite its pint-sized frame and offers a contoured design with a slight finger groove for maximum control. Each Calmigo sports a front-facing slide safety as well as a recessed firing button for top-notch security. This model, the 2205, features a black aircraft grade aluminum handle, a drop point style blade in a black finish and the deep carry pocket clip is statically designed for tip up carry only on the traditional side of the handle. Again, “Cali-Legal” is a term that refers to the blade length that must be at or below the 2” mark while utilizing an automatic function and is by no means legal advice or a legal definition. Pick up this phenomenal Pro-Tech knife today at BladeOps.