AllOutdoor Review: The Montana Knife Co. Blackfoot 2.0
Nicolas Lenze 09.07.23
Thinking about a successful hunt, most of us go right to the weapon. Which rifle and caliber would be best for my chosen prey? Which crossbow and bolt combination would ensure a clean kill? Equally as important to the hunt itself is what happens after the shot has been taken. All of that work means nothing if you can’t remove your fresh meat from the wilderness. Having the right tools to dress your animal in the field is crucial, especially when your intended target is large. Perfect for skinning and dressing, as well as many other tasks, a good blade can make for far better results and far less cursing. Montana Knife Company’s flagship hunting blade, the Blackfoot 2.0, followed me around for a while. Behold, my opinions!
Hunting Knife Coverage on AllOutdoor
- New “Pursuit” Hunting Knives from Buck
- Steep Country Benchmade Hunting Knives
- Best New Hunting Knives From SHOT Show 2018
Montana Knife Company Blackfoot 2.0: Specifications
- Blade length: 3 1/2”
- Overall length: 7 3/4”
- Steel: 52100 Ball Bearing Steel
- Grip material: G-10
- Weight: 3.6 oz
- Price: $300.00
Straight to the Point
There is no denying that the knives from Montana Knife Co follow a sleek aesthetic and focus on less lines with more quality. This was immediately apparent when I tried out their Marshall Bushcraft over several outings. The blade is made from 52100 Ball Bearing Steel, and crafted by Master Bladesmith Josh Smith.
The blade gets its color from the parkerized finish, which is applied to increase the metal’s resistance to rust. If you’re concerned with glare, the finish will alleviate essentially all of it. The blade is nice and clean but the handle is the real show-stopper. Mine is the TAN and black color, but regardless of color preference, your grip will be made from G-10. The knife uses a full tang design to increase its rigidity and strength. Hidden beneath the grips are holes in the tang to reduce weight.
The overall length sits right at 7 3/4″, which feels really good in my medium to large hands. The blade portion of the knife is 3.5” long and .114” thick. Living in Colorado, we have these super helpful blade length laws, so 3.5” is exactly what I want. It came in a molded Kydex sheath which has a quick-attach belt clip installed to give you more options for how to carry.
Taking A Stab At It
The Blackfoot 2.0 looks like it can accomplish tasks in many different arenas. So, I wore it around as an EDC knife, knowing I was later going to test its outdoor capabilities.
I attached the knife to my AttackPak Inner Belt and wore the knife around, exposing it to a wider collection of tasks. The most common use of my EDC knives are opening bags and boxes. These things don’t put a whole lot of wear and tear on a blade, so I didn’t waste my time evaluating its ability to pierce tape. Instead, I looked at it from a much broader sense. Was it comfortable to carry? How naturally did it fill my hand? The answer is “Yes.” I don’t usually carry fixed blades as my EDC knife, but it didn’t get in my way, and I felt that the Kydex sheath did an excellent job retaining the knife.
I have almost zero training in knife-based self defense, so I’m going to stay in my lane. As a utility knife, the Blackfoot is overqualified, and I’m pretty stoked about it. From a defense perspective, it has most of the qualities that I imagine would be important. It’s well-made, pointy, sharp, and has a grippy handle. Something I appreciate is the design of the clip, which allows the knife to be mounted to a belt horizontally. Some guys like to do this as their last ditch weapon on a battle belt.
Using the same attachment method, you could just as easily mount this to a backpack strap. The Blackfoot was originally designed as a hunting knife, so this could be a really comfortable way to carry your skinning knife. I don’t have any recently killed animals, but I used the Blackfoot to prepare dinner to simulate its ability to cut through meat. It did great, and as long as you know how to properly sharpen your knives, I imagine it will continue to do well for a very long time.
Cutting It Up
Overall, I think that this hunting knife makes a great general purpose knife. Its size, materials, and construction make it tough enough to handle big jobs, while being maneuverable enough to tackle the more delicate ones. The G-10 handle is gorgeous, but like with all things in the outdoor realm, looks don’t count for much. Function is always more important, and these have it. Even with wet hands, I had no issue holding onto the Blackfoot. To be fair, I didn’t test it with bloody hands.
The black finish on the blade is also more than eye candy. A knife that’s going to be used for wet activities needs to be protected from all of that moisture. I love having that rust protection. If all of that isn’t enough for you, MKC also promises free sharpening and maintenence for life.
If you want to read more about the Blackfoot 2.0, or any of the MKC blades, head to their website. Make sure to find Montana Knife Co on all of your favorite social media platforms. They can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Keep your blades sharp!
