MKC’s first folder proves its EDC keenness.

In a short time, Montana Knife Company has become a staple for hunters, outdoorsmen, cooks and skilled tradesmen. The interesting part is that the company has carved its place purely off fixed-blade knives.

This all changed at the beginning of the summer, when MKC introduced its first folding knife—the Montana. The liner lock is certain to grab attention purely off the brand’s current popularity. But a knife only makes it if it’s able to cut it—literally speaking. With that said, let’s see how the Montana is executed and if it holds down its primary job of splitting things asunder.

The Montana is positioned as a general, hard-use EDC and is unassuming in looks, cutting a blue-collar profile with a contoured axe-handle-style grip of G10. The scale is checkered, not to the point of creating a hundred little hotspots, but enough to facilitate extra purchase on the knife. The build features 420 liners and pocket clip, and titanium is used for the spacers and hardware.

The blade deploys via removable thumb studs and to that end, its action initially was the showstopper out of the box. MKC perfectly tuned the detent on the knife and running the blade on ceramic bearings in a bronze ring, deployment is lightning-fast and certain. The blade itself is MagnaCut with a full flat grind, a straight spine and no drop to the tip. The blade has a good belly to it for more delicate slicing chores and the tip is very fine, giving it the likely chops for precise cutting work. Some nice additions to the knife include a small section of jimping at the rear of the spine and a sharpening choil.

To test the keenness out of the box, 20-bond paper was the order of the day. The Montana didn’t disappoint, with an excellent factory edge and smooth stonewashed finish producing fine slices through the paper and a very satisfying cutting sound as it passed through. Upping the ante, the liner lock tackled double-wall cardboard. Here the Montana was very aggressive, splitting off even fingers of the box flap and proving easy to control through the material without losing its edge along the way.

Off To The Woods

Lighter fare in the books, it was time to see what MKC’s folder could do against some more substantial material that over time tests an edge. Initially, it tackled a piece of pine dowel, which was whittled away at to create a firestick. The knife produced uniform and dainty curlicues and showed restraint when working these more delicate cuts. But it also proved it had bite for deeper cuts and significant material removal. The jimping was a welcome addition to the spine and helped direct the blade in the wood; however, the nearly 90-degree spine of the rest of the blade was a bit harsh on the off-hand thumb. A small price to pay for what is certain to be a solid striking surface for a ferro rod.

It was really time to put the edge to the test, hacking through a 1.5-inch furring strip. Even though it was pine again, it’s a worthy measure of an edge and a good replica of field use, such as having to hack down a small piece of timber or through a deer pelvis. The blade performed admirably, but it’s certainly not a duty for which the knife was designed. Light as it is (2.84 ounces), it required more hacks than would be required from a heavier blade.

To really give the Montana a run for its money, test the overall blade construction and see if it really cut muster as a hard-use option for a working man, the knife was pitted against insulated 6-gauge solid copper wire—what you’d run into in a lot of residential electrical projects. The knife divided the wire into 10 pieces with ease, each segment coming loose with a single swipe from a rubber mallet.

Rounding everything out, 20-bond paper was again centerstage testing the knife’s edge retention. Overall, there was little difference in the Montana’s cutting prowess from when it was freshly taken out of the box. A pretty solid showing.

Final Cut

You never know what chaos an EDC knife might be called to tackle. Thus, it better be designed to withstand the unknown. Overall, it seems MKC has accomplished this with the Montana. The edge showed its worth through general tasks an everyday carry would expect to face. As impressive, after some moderate abuse, the action and lock both were still tight as drums. A bit on the spendy side, yes, but for an electrician, rancher or anyone else that needs a dependable blade, the Montana is likely to prove a value.

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