Max Knives MK108R — 440C Hawkbill Folding Knife, Red Aluminium Handle

Overview

The MK108R is the red-handled version of the MK108. It measures 135 mm closed and 187 mm open, and weighs 142 grams. The 72 mm hawkbill blade is 440C stainless steel, 3 mm thick with a plain edge; assisted opening deploys it one-handed and a liner lock holds it open. The colour is more than a preference: in a toolbox, on a crowded bench or at the bottom of a bag, a red handle is found by eye rather than by rummaging around for it.

Cutting a line under tension

Pallet strapping, cargo webbing, taut rope, shrink film: they all share one habit, they retreat in front of a straight blade. The hawkbill hook settles that. The point slips under the line, the curve captures it, and the tension in the line itself feeds it into the edge, so the cut happens on the pull, with no need to pin the material down with your other hand. Add assisted opening, which brings the blade out while your other hand is holding the load, and you have a knife that works standing up, on a dock or on a site.

Technical specifications

Hawkbill blade in 440C stainless steel, plain edge, 72 mm long with a 3 mm spine. Red anodised aluminium handle, 135 mm, which is the length of the knife folded. Overall open length 187 mm. Assisted opening, liner lock, belt clip. Weight 142 grams. The liner lock is that leaf cut into the handle liner which springs across behind the heel of the blade and keeps it from folding back on the hand.

Care

A wipe with a cloth after each job is enough to keep 440C clean, and it is better to dry the blade before folding it away than to shut moisture inside the handle. The pivot likes a drop of light oil now and then, worked in by cycling the blade and then wiped off. The anodised aluminium handle asks for nothing more than soapy water and a dry cloth. To sharpen, follow the concave curve of the edge with a round stone or a small-diameter steel, in short, regular passes.

Legal notice. Carrying a knife in public without a legitimate reason is an offence in France and in most European countries. Check the law that applies where the order is delivered before purchasing.