one of my favorite knifes that you've shown. i love the simple look, being overbuilt and when the knife is closed i love how the blade is in line with the frame.
Before seeing this video, I was not a fan of heavy, overbuilt knives, and especially not a fan of tanto style blades. However, as you explained more info about the knife, all the while flipping this elegant beast. You must have put a spell on me because all I wanted to do is hold it and feel the weight of it in my hand and feel the action of that flipping!! I loved some of the other knives you showed as well. Would like to see a video of your collection with make and models and where to buy and cost. Not necessarily a knife review but rather a brief description of the collection itself. Thanks Jim!
this is the coolest knife I have ever seen. If I could think of a beastly folder in my head, this fits it exactly. I love the simplicity it has to the look.
This is just the most beautiful knife i have ever seen. I dont follow custom knives too closely so I had never even heard of it before. i usually dont sit 20 mins to watch 1 whole youtube video either but damn i was mesmerized the entire time. this is just mind blowingly perfect. If i could get my hands on this knife i would pass it down through my family for generations and it could probably live as long as my family name does
Of all of the knives that I've seen your review of, this has got to be the one I want more than anything. It's so beefy, but still small enough for great control of the blade. I love how the whole blade fits completely inside the scales.
Jake is a genius, and deserves more recognition!. I can tell from the wear on your custom Reloader that you really enjoy flipping it!. Entertaining video as always man, cant wait till part 2!
Requiem For A Dream reference in a knife review? Lol. Never thought I’d see the day. Great review. In regards to the price, you can’t have a great knife without a premium price. Jake makes tools, not displays. That is one of the reasons he is respected to the level he is.
Jim my Will Moon Mark 6 is in the mail and should be here tomorrow. I knew about his work before but after seeing your video on it I had to buy one. Extremely excited for my first full custom!
Incredible review Jim! You sold me on the kwaiback style and also knives where the blade disappears into the handle. I picked up a pimped kwaiken after your review and also have a Mark 6 on order. Your reviews give such great incite into each knife that it's hard to come away not wanting each one.
that rolling detent has been on CRKT knifes for a long time. but the adjustment is pretty cool tho. in my honest opinion if i wanted an overbuilt knife in that size. id probably go with a fixed blade. but non the less. very cool
Great review Jim. I follow you on Instagram and enjoy seeing all you cool toys. I just ordered a MK4 direct from Jakes sight with the UHEP pivot, pocket clip, and back spacer. To say I'm excited to get it is an understatement. I love this knife.
I own and carry a midtech Kwaiback, and it's an amazing knife. Money well spent. Unlike many other makers, you're getting a good value for your dollar when you buy a Kwaiback.
I like it and I love how the blade is fully seated. I wish the pocket clip holes were'nt in the fron scale. But im a picky bastard so... Great knife J.
i absolutely love everything about this knife based on what i've seen here but i was really concerned because i saw when you disengaged the lock a couple times it seemed to overextend. is there any lock stop on this knife? it also seems like the thin part of the lock bar may be a little too thin. could this be a failing point on the knife under hard use? or does it just look thin in comparison to the rest of the knife?
Sir, You stated that 'this is the kind of knife that would survive in the field longer than most folders'. But what is your opinion on my concern of ball-bearing pivot-systems and rolling detents (on any folder) getting gunked up in a muddy environment or if you work around a lot of abrasives for example? Thank you and kind regards from Amsterdam again.
I will say it is beautiful. Hopefully ill get mine at some point as I was the second or third person to order one when Jake showed off the lefty prototype at the end of last Summer.
congrats Jim! We Wieners do have some Hobacks but only Menovade and Terafanatic have the Kwaibacks. Mine is an Alpha collab A15 and Fastbandit has the Alpha collab WarHorse. Now what we all have on order is another story. ;) Actually, I think I was the last to get on Jake's books for current orders.
love the skull in the background Jim.. ..one thing that I noticed was, nothing to stop over-travel on the lock-bar (ah, not that it would be an issue in the first place)...and yes, beautiful workmanship, and beautiful blade.
Nice review, I wasnt a fan of the shape initially however the more I see it the more I like it. I am lucky enough to have one of Jake's earlier A-10's and I think its time I get another one to see how he is progressing. Something you couldnt mention that is a large factor is his heat treat on the steel is excellent in my A-10. Hopefully on yours as well. Mine is CPM-154 and the retention is bonkers lol.
I have to admit that this is a bit of an unknown, but as with anything else, maintenance is key. Just like in the days preceding the creation of the HK VP70 or Glock 17, if you didn't take the best care of your pistol, it would gunk up and refuse to function.. so you had to do at least a minimum of care in the field. I feel the same about knives. Blowing out mud/dirt from a bearing pivot is no different. Any folder made can presumably fail under those conditions actually. Great question!
This knife looks remarkably like my new Reate District 9 plus that the UPS driver just dropped off... Any relationship that you know of ? I understand that the builder is coming out with a new collaborative model with David Deng.
+Edmund Dworakowski Well really, there isn't a single thing that's alike between the two, not even a passing resemblance. Shape of the frame, blade, style of pivot... nothing. The only similarity is that both feature some milled lines in the frame, but the same could be said for hundreds of knives out there. I haven't heard of any collab between Hoback and Reate, but it might be happening in the future. David has proven himself to make extraordinary production knives, and if Jake feels going from customs and midtechs into some full production pieces, David would be the perfect choice.
Thank you very much for your comprehensive reply! I completely understand and agree. But that is also why I, personally, prefer minimalistic folders with ordinary plain old washers, because I personally prefer low-maintenance over smoothness... And in that sense I personally would not recommend for example a desert contractor a folding knife with a bearing pivot... (I know, that is a lot of 'personally', but English is not my native language.) Thanks again!
Old video, but I just picked up a current gen Kwaiback and figured I'd watch other people's views on them... then I heard you mention Will Moon and I used to follow him on Instagram until I lost my old account and haven't managed to find him again. Is he still out there making knives? Because they're definitely something I sought after just never had the means to back then and now that I can I'm wondering if it's still possible. 😅
@@JimSkeltonKnives I do recall him throwing shade at Rick Hinderer when he did regrinds, so I'm not too surprised it's ended that way. Cheers for the closure on my curiosity.
Actually the discontinued ZT0500 MUDD was built to pull out of a mud pie and function. The lock and bearings where sealed units. try to find that model now, very difficult
Hot damn I love this knife so much. I wish I had more money so I could get one. Maybe this new wear-a-tie-everyday gig I'm interviewing for will help with that.
I'm in love with Hobacks stuff. I'm trying to save the money to buy my first custom and I want one made by him for me. Seems like it's a far stretch right now with him being back ordered a year but one day...
I'm curious. Everyone pronounces it "kway"--kwayken, kwayback, etc.. Having learned recently that the original name for the smallish, hidden tanto was "kaiken", I did a search to find out how to pronounce it correctly because "kayken" just didn't sound right. The site I found had a recording of a Japanese woman who pronounced it "ky-ken", similar to the first syllable in "coyote". Any idea how it changed from "kaiken" to "kwaiken" and "ky-ken" to "kway-ken"?
+CSharp I discussed all of that in the video, but yes... it just got "Americanized" is all. The root is Kaiken, then called Kwaiken (ky-ken; kwy-ken), but somewhere along the way it just evolved to the current pronunciation.
One if my best friends has a few of these....really pricey, but the quality tho?....10/10.... My boys name is Andy. With the collection he has....i know you know him...custom balisongs too
lol, 14:20 we just took a very dark turn. Im invisioning bloody naked almost rapped alive blakc haired women. Seriously though..great history lesson dude. Was nice to hear a knives "heritage and history"
Putting Psalm 23 on that knife is either a genius joke or a hilariously overlooked inclusion. He seems like a smart guy though and I respect him for putting in work.
one of my favorite knifes that you've shown. i love the simple look, being overbuilt and when the knife is closed i love how the blade is in line with the frame.
Before seeing this video, I was not a fan of heavy, overbuilt knives, and especially not a fan of tanto style blades. However, as you explained more info about the knife, all the while flipping this elegant beast. You must have put a spell on me because all I wanted to do is hold it and feel the weight of it in my hand and feel the action of that flipping!! I loved some of the other knives you showed as well. Would like to see a video of your collection with make and models and where to buy and cost. Not necessarily a knife review but rather a brief description of the collection itself. Thanks Jim!
This knife is now officially in my top five knives that I want from your Channel, you post some amazing content keep up the good work
this is the coolest knife I have ever seen. If I could think of a beastly folder in my head, this fits it exactly. I love the simplicity it has to the look.
This is just the most beautiful knife i have ever seen. I dont follow custom knives too closely so I had never even heard of it before. i usually dont sit 20 mins to watch 1 whole youtube video either but damn i was mesmerized the entire time. this is just mind blowingly perfect. If i could get my hands on this knife i would pass it down through my family for generations and it could probably live as long as my family name does
Outstanding review of an outstanding knife and knife maker. Thanks!
HOLY CRAP that is like a sword kind of thickness with a badass finish! LOVE THAT BLADE! DAMN! I want it now!
I love that blade shape. It reminds me of a samurai sword. Congratulations Jim on getting an excellent knife. Great video as always.
You knife guys are almost as crazy as us gun nuts.
Tom Vana Lmao
Of all of the knives that I've seen your review of, this has got to be the one I want more than anything. It's so beefy, but still small enough for great control of the blade. I love how the whole blade fits completely inside the scales.
Jake is a genius, and deserves more recognition!. I can tell from the wear on your custom Reloader that you really enjoy flipping it!. Entertaining video as always man, cant wait till part 2!
Requiem For A Dream reference in a knife review? Lol. Never thought I’d see the day. Great review. In regards to the price, you can’t have a great knife without a premium price. Jake makes tools, not displays. That is one of the reasons he is respected to the level he is.
I wish I could justify spending that much on a knife, this one really appeals to me!
Another sick knife, Jim. Congratulations on getting it and thanks for sharing.
Jim my Will Moon Mark 6 is in the mail and should be here tomorrow. I knew about his work before but after seeing your video on it I had to buy one. Extremely excited for my first full custom!
Incredible review Jim! You sold me on the kwaiback style and also knives where the blade disappears into the handle. I picked up a pimped kwaiken after your review and also have a Mark 6 on order. Your reviews give such great incite into each knife that it's hard to come away not wanting each one.
that rolling detent has been on CRKT knifes for a long time. but the adjustment is pretty cool tho. in my honest opinion if i wanted an overbuilt knife in that size. id probably go with a fixed blade. but non the less. very cool
That's one impressive knife, love the design and wouldn't mind having one lol. Great vid man keep them coming.
That's beautiful! The tolerances are very really tight and impressive
Great review Jim. I follow you on Instagram and enjoy seeing all you cool toys. I just ordered a MK4 direct from Jakes sight with the UHEP pivot, pocket clip, and back spacer. To say I'm excited to get it is an understatement. I love this knife.
Great vid Jim...a lot of Kwaiback love recently & well-deserved.
I own and carry a midtech Kwaiback, and it's an amazing knife. Money well spent. Unlike many other makers, you're getting a good value for your dollar when you buy a Kwaiback.
ughh I wish I had the money to buy something like this but unfortunately the army doesn't exactly pay us to maintain a hobby as well lol
Thanks for your service brother. Respect.
Look how thick that friggin blade is!!!! Holy crap. Definitely built for a beating.
Awesome knife...Nice job Jim!
Thanks Jim. The feeling is likewise. Glad you got one and I am happy for you
I swear Jim, one of these days I'm making the drive from GA and raiding your house swat style lol. This is easily my fave in your collection.
Hey I live in Georgia too let's do it. I claim the mikkel willumsens lol
Awesome review. My first time catching you. I'm a fan.
My knife OCD is goin nuts with that bottom fuller on the handle not being in line with the edge of the handle itself.
I like it and I love how the blade is fully seated. I wish the pocket clip holes were'nt in the fron scale. But im a picky bastard so...
Great knife J.
i absolutely love everything about this knife based on what i've seen here but i was really concerned because i saw when you disengaged the lock a couple times it seemed to overextend. is there any lock stop on this knife? it also seems like the thin part of the lock bar may be a little too thin. could this be a failing point on the knife under hard use? or does it just look thin in comparison to the rest of the knife?
Great review! That's one awesome monster blade
Sir, You stated that 'this is the kind of knife that would survive in the field longer than most folders'. But what is your opinion on my concern of ball-bearing pivot-systems and rolling detents (on any folder) getting gunked up in a muddy environment or if you work around a lot of abrasives for example?
Thank you and kind regards from Amsterdam again.
I will say it is beautiful. Hopefully ill get mine at some point as I was the second or third person to order one when Jake showed off the lefty prototype at the end of last Summer.
Damn that is a nice blade. I would love to be able to afford this one day.
Great video I have a Radford Mexican blanket , it’s been my favorite of all my knifes so I had to get another lol the starry night version 👍
Received my moon mark 6 today... love it, smooooooothe....
Thanks for the heads up on Will.....
When it comes to the rare ones, money talks. Nice find Jim.
And I am excited for you!!! I hope you'll share it with us
congrats Jim! We Wieners do have some Hobacks but only Menovade and Terafanatic have the Kwaibacks. Mine is an Alpha collab A15 and Fastbandit has the Alpha collab WarHorse. Now what we all have on order is another story. ;) Actually, I think I was the last to get on Jake's books for current orders.
love the skull in the background Jim.. ..one thing that I noticed was, nothing to stop over-travel on the lock-bar (ah, not that it would be an issue in the first place)...and yes, beautiful workmanship, and beautiful blade.
Terrific! So glad you got it
Beautiful. Glad you could finally scored one. I know how bad you wanted one.
Have any other makers used the Hoback Rolling Detent?
You sound like Jimbo Fox from The Jimbo channel good vid!
Nice review, I wasnt a fan of the shape initially however the more I see it the more I like it. I am lucky enough to have one of Jake's earlier A-10's and I think its time I get another one to see how he is progressing. Something you couldnt mention that is a large factor is his heat treat on the steel is excellent in my A-10. Hopefully on yours as well. Mine is CPM-154 and the retention is bonkers lol.
This knife looks absolutely incredible. Damn.
I have to admit that this is a bit of an unknown, but as with anything else, maintenance is key. Just like in the days preceding the creation of the HK VP70 or Glock 17, if you didn't take the best care of your pistol, it would gunk up and refuse to function.. so you had to do at least a minimum of care in the field. I feel the same about knives. Blowing out mud/dirt from a bearing pivot is no different. Any folder made can presumably fail under those conditions actually. Great question!
This knife looks remarkably like my new Reate
District 9 plus that the UPS driver just dropped off... Any relationship that you know of ?
I understand that the builder is coming out with a new collaborative model with David Deng.
+Edmund Dworakowski Well really, there isn't a single thing that's alike between the two, not even a passing resemblance. Shape of the frame, blade, style of pivot... nothing. The only similarity is that both feature some milled lines in the frame, but the same could be said for hundreds of knives out there. I haven't heard of any collab between Hoback and Reate, but it might be happening in the future. David has proven himself to make extraordinary production knives, and if Jake feels going from customs and midtechs into some full production pieces, David would be the perfect choice.
+Jim Skelton ^^^Couldn't have said it better myself.
Thank you very much for your comprehensive reply! I completely understand and agree. But that is also why I, personally, prefer minimalistic folders with ordinary plain old washers, because I personally prefer low-maintenance over smoothness... And in that sense I personally would not recommend for example a desert contractor a folding knife with a bearing pivot... (I know, that is a lot of 'personally', but English is not my native language.)
Thanks again!
Great review Jim - thanks!
Old video, but I just picked up a current gen Kwaiback and figured I'd watch other people's views on them... then I heard you mention Will Moon and I used to follow him on Instagram until I lost my old account and haven't managed to find him again. Is he still out there making knives? Because they're definitely something I sought after just never had the means to back then and now that I can I'm wondering if it's still possible. 😅
Unfortunately, he made some bad decisions and blackballed himself in the industry. It’s a shame because he was very talented at one time.
@@JimSkeltonKnives I do recall him throwing shade at Rick Hinderer when he did regrinds, so I'm not too surprised it's ended that way. Cheers for the closure on my curiosity.
Actually the discontinued ZT0500 MUDD was built to pull out of a mud pie and function. The lock and bearings where sealed units. try to find that model now, very difficult
Was that a Requiem for a Dream reference? Masterful!
Hot damn I love this knife so much. I wish I had more money so I could get one. Maybe this new wear-a-tie-everyday gig I'm interviewing for will help with that.
Very Awesome Blade Jim Congratulations Brother !
Im on the list for one, cant wait.
HRD is interesting. I wonder what the unbiased drawbacks are.
Great take, Jim! Fascinating blade! Curious, sir have you a Norseman, yet?
Just found your channel, subbed, good info and really interesting knives.
21:05 was my favorite part of the video.lol
That knife is perfect! Cannot complain about anything. Jake Hoback: Genius Knife Architect. Yikes...!!
UUGGGHHH an entire year man.... one whole year I have to wait.
I'm in love with Hobacks stuff. I'm trying to save the money to buy my first custom and I want one made by him for me. Seems like it's a far stretch right now with him being back ordered a year but one day...
is this knife available to me in this quality? if so where can I get it and for how much
Over 1000 dollars so not too many people can afford it
So there's a guy that makes knifes that last a long time but he's booked up and won't make enough knifes. Awesome information
New to the custom knife world I see. This is the story with all top custom knifemakers.
I feel jackassed! Man, as happy as I am for you owning it, as jealous I am...
Thanks for the Video, greetings from germany!
Ben
Great video man
Will moon or kwaiback Jim?
GOD FREAKING DAMNIT!!!! I AM CREAMING MY PANTS STARING AT THIS THING
I cant wait until he makes that mid-tech. Also it this all TI, do you know?
is this knife worth it $600+ for heavy duty use?
It's usable art. How great is that.
I'm curious. Everyone pronounces it "kway"--kwayken, kwayback, etc.. Having learned recently that the original name for the smallish, hidden tanto was "kaiken", I did a search to find out how to pronounce it correctly because "kayken" just didn't sound right. The site I found had a recording of a Japanese woman who pronounced it "ky-ken", similar to the first syllable in "coyote". Any idea how it changed from "kaiken" to "kwaiken" and "ky-ken" to "kway-ken"?
+CSharp I discussed all of that in the video, but yes... it just got "Americanized" is all. The root is Kaiken, then called Kwaiken (ky-ken; kwy-ken), but somewhere along the way it just evolved to the current pronunciation.
I like the Psalm 23 engraving.
Gay
How do i get one
i could only imagine owning a knife like that, that knife is a generation knife, something that could end up being an heirloom, very nice knife
The next run of mid-tech Kwaibacks can't come soon enough, I need one asap.
i have a frag grip purple fallout / black fallout blade, its sick
This same model?
Geez, I wanted to know about the knife, not the extended story of how you came by it!
Hinderers weren't meant to flip only to be opened easily when in the field
I'm not a knife collector of any sorts, but I would totally get one of those just for the utility purposes. Also 21:10 lmao!
Why the hell is it so expensive? Not being an ass, i seriously would like to know what makes that knife so special.
***** "custom"
+Ren Karri
you mean you have to order it?
no, meaning its "made" for a specific person or for a company exclusive
ok, thank you.
+William Price Nothing don't waste your money, the dude just likes to hear him self talk. and using You Tube for sales.
*drool*...
Thats all i can say.
Bloody hell, i want one.
One if my best friends has a few of these....really pricey, but the quality tho?....10/10.... My boys name is Andy. With the collection he has....i know you know him...custom balisongs too
Nice blade, nice vid. Thanks
The pivot is badass
I'd call it a very hand fitting knife, awesome review
that is gorgeous ! Man …….. flawless
What a great hammer!
Another awesome vid Jim, you sound like you've done this before? LOL! Keep them coming.
17:26 The Bodega looks like it belongs on a security officer/engineer from Star Trek.
most interesting history lesson i've ever had :)
lol, 14:20 we just took a very dark turn. Im invisioning bloody naked almost rapped alive blakc haired women.
Seriously though..great history lesson dude. Was nice to hear a knives "heritage and history"
Putting Psalm 23 on that knife is either a genius joke or a hilariously overlooked inclusion. He seems like a smart guy though and I respect him for putting in work.
+Jrezky Can you explain the joke? Looked at the Psalm thingy and I don't understand what it has to do with this knife.
+iamarawn there's no joke, and I thoroughly explained the Psalm inscription in the video. All you have to do is watch it.
This reminds of of a DSK Tactical knife.
Love it!
Your a lucky man there damn hard to find!
Yes, I grabbed a Gerber Kettlebell.....Insane how much friction on the framelock has, way too much lockup making it hard to flip open.
I'm not sure he would be able to patent the detent, I would presume the technology would be the same as that found in a ball point pen.