Known for robust knives that run the gamut, Montana Knife Company (MKC) branches out with its first folder, The Montana. Although only six years old, the Montana Knife Company has a deep history, dating back to when founder Josh Smith was only 11. This was only bolstered in 2000, when Josh became the youngest Master Bladesmith in history, at 19. His dedication to the craft shows in every MKC design and is exemplified by The Montana.
MKC The Montana
Josh Smith is not new to folders, having a 30-year history of building custom liner licks by hand. His pieces fetched prices upwards of $10,000 to $30,000 each. However, this is the first time he has built at a production scale, with his team of engineers and machinists.
Stretching out to a full 7.625 inches overall, The Montana folds down to a pocket-friendly 4.31 inches. Likewise, its 0.45-inch thickness, coupled with its lightweight 2.84 ounces, results in a small footprint in the pocket. Holding The Montana deep in the pocket is the MKC Signature Arrowhead pocket clip. The arrowhead on the pocket clip and handle scales is a signature MKC design marking purpose.
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Providing the interface between man and steel is the G10 handle scales with a 3D-milled micro-texture. The entire operation is held together with flush-fitting titanium hardware. Setting off the overall aesthetic is the branded pivot screw, machined to the tightest tolerances for precise alignment and pivot rigidity.
Housed within the handle is the 3.25-inch blade. Constructed of Magnacut, the .118-inch-thick blade features a trailing-point profile. The full flat ground blade is taken to the thinnest edge the company has ever ground—by hand. It’s a slicer.
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Opened via a thumb stud, the blade glides into lockup on custom MKC bronze-cage ceramic bearings. Once there, it is held in lockup by the liner lock, which runs harder than the category standard. The MKC Montana will only fold when it is supposed to.
The Montana, According to Josh Smith
“Five years of scaling our manufacturing right here in Montana made our first folder possible,” said MKC Founder and CEO Josh Smith. “People will see a liner lock knife that weighs less than three ounces and is engineered to 0.0001 of an inch, built to fit in any pocket and operate without service for years. But what matters most is that THE MONTANA is built to be used and handed down just like every other knife we make. That’s why we put the MKC name on it.”
Availability
The MKC Montana is available now, with an MSRP of $390.00. It is released in drops, so if they are not available, you can ask to be notified when the next drop hits.
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MKC The Montana Specs
| Blade Material | MagnaCut |
| Blade Finish | Stonewash |
| Handle Material | G10 |
| Mechanism | Liner Lock Folding |
| Overall Length | 7 5/8 inches |
| Blade Length | 3 1/4 inches |
| Blade Thickness | .118 inches |
| Weight | 2.84 ounces |
| MSRP | $390.00 |
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