Having a martial arts background, Joshua Swanagon has done some training with the karambit and is a fan of ring style knives and their prowess in combative applications. However, also being an avid outdoorsman, he has found them to be less than ideal as field utility blades. So he set out to make a knife that could combine those disciplines and decided to call it the C.U.T. 4.0 (Combat Utility Tool).
It is a combative, ring-knife with a utility style blade for field use. The curved handle and ring of a karambit provide superior comfort during combative use, and a traditional drop point blade profile is ideal in the field. The aggressive tip provides for maximum penetration during combat, allowing the C.U.T. 4.0 to penetrate body armor and heavy clothing much easier, while also being useful for drilling chores during fieldcraft tasks.
The C.U.T. 4.0 was designed with professional personnel in mind, but will also make a great EDC for civilians and martial artists who like the diversity of a dual purpose knife. Made in the USA.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Overall Length: 8.50"
- Blade Length: 4.25"
- Cutting Edge: 4.00"
- Blade Thickness: 0.19"
- Blade Steel: 1095 High Carbon Steel - HRC 56-58
- Blade Finish: Black Traction Coating
- Handle Material: Tan Canvas Micarta
- Handle Style: Dragonfly Tread
- Weight: 6.3 oz
- Weight w/sheath: 9.0 oz
- Sheath Material: Black Kydex - beta loop
- Designer: Joshua Swanagon
The C.U.T. 4.0, officially the Combat Utility Tool 4.0, is made by TOPS Knives. One of their latest designs, it is a melding of a utility knife and the karambit, it has a curved knife handle with a utility-style blade.
TOPS Knives makes knives respected by professionals who work in the military, law enforcement and the outdoors. The company is on a mission to design and build knives that are second to none. Founded in 1998, the company comes up with its designs by leveraging the real-life experience of people in the armed forces, police, the outdoor professions and martial arts.
A Company with a Mission
The designers with TOPS Knives have backgrounds as diverse, but connected, as the Navy Seals, SWAT teams, Native American weapon experts, Airborne Rangers, instructors of a range of martial arts and survival experts. With that rich load of experience to draw on, they have been producing knives that are reliable and effective in combat, in the field and for everyday carry, or EDC.
According to the TOPS Knives mission statement, they aim to create rugged, overbuilt and functional tools, suitable for those in the service and for outdoor lovers. They promise to manufacture their products using the highest quality fabrication and finishing methods. They test each knife in authentic field operation conditions. The knives are made in Idaho and all are hand-finished.
The knives are in demand in hot spots all over the globe. Users in combat report that their lives have depended on the performance of these knives in all-to-real-world conditions. These reports have enhanced the companys reputation for producing knives of superior quality.
The founders of TOPS Knives were friends who served in the Vietnam War. They had been frustrated with the knives issued to them during the war. They were determined to develop a better knife based on their personal experiences in combat.
Currently they have over 200 knives in their product line. They developed a devoted following quickly among knife enthusiasts, personnel in law enforcement and the military, martial arts people, law enforcement and outdoorsmen. They came to popular attention when their Tom Brown Tracker Knife was featured in The Hunted, a movie made in 2003.
Knife Profile
The C.U.T. 4.0 has both the defensive and combat ability of the karambit and the practicality of a utility knife. It uses a classic drop-point blade design combined with the look and feel of a karmabit. This makes it effective as a fighting knife, field knife and EDC knife.
The C.U.T. 4.0 has an aggressive tip for the greatest penetration in combat. It even works on body armor and heavy clothing. For fieldcraft, it is useful for drilling tasks.
Since the C.U.T. 4.0 combines the combative capability of the karambit and the practicality of a field knife, a little background about both is helpful. Here is an overview of the karambit and the features necessary for a good field knife.
More About the Karambit
The karambit has a long history and elements of its design have been used in many modern knives. It is a hand-held knife with a curved design that looks like a claw. It originated in Southeast Asia, especially popular in Malaysia and the Philippines. In fact, it is included in the official crest of the Royal Malaysian Police.
In use, the blade points down from the bottom of the fist. It is effective with a hooking or slashing motion. The finger ring can be used in a punching motion, hitting the opponent with the finger ring. Modern karamabit-inspired knives are often help in a hammer grip.
The C.U.T. 4.0 incorporates the most effective elements of the traditional karambit, making it a useful knife in combat.
Knives for Field Work
For field work, a knife needs a different features than for combat. Most experts recommend a fixed blade, which is more durable that a folding knife. It should have a comfortable handle with a non-slip finish.
The blade should be thick enough to stand up to hard wear and tear. The ideal blade length is four to six inches. Any knife useful for field work should be fairly easy to sharpen and hone.
As you read below, you will see how well the C.U.T. 4.0 fits this profile. As a quick summary, it has a blade length of four inches, is extremely easy to sharpen and hone and has a comfortable handle.
The Designer
The C.U.T. 4.0 is the work of Joshua Swanagon, who has research survival skills in both urban and wilderness settings like Colorado and Michigan. He has also tried out his skills in more difficult terrain abroad.
A serious student of martial arts and combat training, he teaches its real-world applications for self-defense. He writes about survival skills and combat and has been the field editor for several magazines dealing with knives, self-defense and survival.
The C.U.T. 4.0 is the result of his interest in both martial arts and in survival skills. He is a fan of karambit-style and ring-style knives in combative settings. However, the ones he used were impractical for fieldwork.
His goal was to design a crossover knife that worked in both settings. An outdoorsman with long experience, he knew that he wanted a knife the performed a wide range of utility tasks with ease. With the C.U.T. 4.0, he feels he has created a knife that is practical for both applications.
Who Is the C.U.T. 4.0 Made For?
Swanagon made the knife for professionals in the military, law enforcement and those working outdoors. He feels it also works for anyone who wants a knife for EDC. Martial artists appreciate its lightweight and curved design.
If you love beautifully designed knives, the C.U.T. 4.0 has real will aesthetic appeal. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, in the wild and practicing survival skills, it is a handy addition to your knife inventory. If you are in law enforcement or the military, it has combat usefulness.
Blade Finish
The finish on the C.U.T. 4.0 is a black traction coating, the proprietary name TOPS gives this finish. It has a hybrid epoxy base that includes polyester. This is applied to the knife blade as a dry powder using an electrostatic process. It is applied very thinly, just three- to five-thousandths of an inch thick.
After its addition to the blade surface, the knife is put into an oven to bake for roughly 17 minutes at 400 degrees F. The actual time needed depends on the actual thickness of the finish.
The end result isnt completely smooth like many knife coatings. Its big advantage is that it lets the user hold the blade for ultra-close work when the occasion demands.
Blade Steel
The C.U.T. 4.0 uses 1095 high carbon steel, HRC 56-58. The selection of 1095 makes the blade steel used in the C.U.T. can be honed to a extremely sharp edge, even more so than stainless steel. Called the workhorse for knife blades, it is popular because it is affordable and works well for a range of knives.
The 1095 is a simple steel, containing two alloys, .95% carbon and .4% manganese. Left without a finish, it will discolor with age and tends to rust. Because the C.U.T. 4.0 has a black traction coating, rust and discoloration arent concerns.
The 1095 is described by the Society of Automotive Engineers as having 95% carbon. As a rule, 1095 contains less than 1% manganese, often as little as 0.40%. It also does not contain vanadium, molybdenum and other elemental ingredients that are common to alloy steels. The small amount of manganese means the 1095 retains its edge better. On the other hand it has less toughness than other carbon steels.
The 1095 works well for survival knives that need to be strong and durable. It can be sharpened and honed easily, keeps its sharp edge and resists chipping. The heat treatment that TOPS knives receive maximize the hardness and reduces the chance of brittleness, a common problem for makers of knives.
The 1095 high-carbon steel used in the C.U.T. 4.0 is between 56 and 58 on the official Rockwell Hardness C-scale, which is standard for evaluating knives.
The 1095 is not stainless because it does not contain chromium. This also means it can corrode, unlike stainless steel. With the black traction coating, this is not a worry for buyers. It protects against possible rust and corrosion, as well as discoloration which is also common with this type of steel. But savvy knife owners know that it is always good to treat knives like the C.U.T. 4.0 with respect. That means limited exposure to oxidizing agents, keeping it clean and dry when not in use and handling it with care.
Handle Materials
The C.U.T. 4.0 uses Tan Canvas Micarta for the handle, a phenolic laminate made by Norplex-Micarta. It is made from canvas, linen, paper, fiberglass and carbon fiber in a setting of thermoplastic. Micarta has a long history, going back to 1910 when George Westinghouse, Originally used in electrical applications, it was also popular for decoration.
The texture makes it easy to grip. Surprisingly, the gripping features are actually improved with moisture. Thats because canvas, a natural material, opens up when exposed to moisture, much like wood and leather.
It has a matte finish with a warm feel. You can see faint squiggly lines on the shank and rings at the contour.
Handle Design
The style of the handle is called Dragonfly Tread. It is curved, with a ring similar to what is found on the karambit. This makes it comfortable when used in combat.
Sheath Materials and Design
The sheath material is black Kydex with a beta loop for easy carrying. Black Kydex is the industry standard for tactical sheaths and holsters. Kydex has major advantages for knife use and is considered superior to leather for a variety of reasons, including:
l No squeaking when you walk
l Waterproof
l Wont dry out
l Doesnt attract moisture to the knife
l Thin and light
l Wont rot or develop mold
l Keeps its shape
l Can quickly extract the knife from the sheath
The belt loop makes the knife easy to carry, keeping it handy for use.
Knife Dimensions and Weight
The C.U.T. 4.0 is 8.5 inches long including blade and handle. The blade itself is 4.25 inches, with a cutting edge of 4 inches. The thickness of the blade is 0.19 inches. The knife weights just 6.3 ounces. When its in the sheath, the total weight is 9 ounces.
Is This Knife for You?
The C.U.T. 4.0 is an excellent choice for people who spend time outdoors, regularly engage in field craft activities and take their survival skills seriously. It is a durable choice that is practical for a wide variety of utility tasks. The drop point blade is useful for outdoor work.
For people in law enforcement and the military, it is a practical knife because it is made for close combat. It is made for comfort, which helps in the high stress of fighting. The curved handle and ring fit easily in the fighters hand. The sharp tip is aggressive, made for deep penetration, even through heavy clothing and body armor. It is a knife that means business in the hands of an experienced fighter.
For martial arts enthusiasts, it combines the exotic appeal of the karambit with the usefulness of a combat knife. The ring end and curved handle add comfort during combat exercises. The knife can cut through body armor, which levels the playing field in close combat.
For people who simply want an EDC knife, this works well. It is lightweight, a good conversation starter among fellow knife lovers and is ready for action when needed.
For those who appreciate excellence in design, the C.U.T. 4.0 has an immediate attraction. Knives that are functional and made with high quality materials have great aesthetic appeal.
TOPS Knives and designer Joshua Swanagon have created a knife that is both useful in combat and in the field. This practicality in two settings gives the knife excellent value. It is durable, easy to sharpen and attractive. It makes a sensible addition to the collection of many types of serious knife lovers.
