Max Knives FP2001B — Shorty fixed blade, 440C sheepfoot, black stonewash

Overview

The Shorty lives up to its name: 102 mm overall, of which 40 mm is blade and 62 mm handle, for 33 mm of width. Fred Perrin, a French knifemaker whose drawings have revolved since the early 1990s around compactness and control in the hand, signs the black version here. The blade is 440C steel, sheepfoot in shape, with a plain edge and a black stonewash finish that leaves it matt. The spine measures 4 mm, which is a great deal on a knife of this size. The handle is G10, and the piece is supplied with a kydex sheath and a paracord.

A point that is not looking to pierce

A sheepfoot blade is recognised by its straight spine, which curves down at the very end to meet an edge that is straight as well: the point ends up very low, almost in line with the cutting edge. The consequence is immediate, in that you cut without risking a puncture in whatever lies behind. Opening a carton packed tight, freeing a tie pressed against a wall, trimming a strap flat against a surface: the blade goes through without the point reaching any further. That is why this shape has long been the one used on working knives, aboard boats as much as in workshops.

Technical specifications

Fixed blade knife. 440C steel blade, sheepfoot shape, plain edge, black stonewash finish. Blade length 40 mm, handle length 62 mm, overall length 102 mm, width 33 mm. Blade thickness 4 mm. G10 handle. Supplied with a kydex sheath and a paracord. Drawn by Fred Perrin and issued by Max Knives. The FP2001S takes the same dimensions and the same build under a silver stonewash finish: between the two versions, only the shade of the blade changes.

Care

440C is a stainless steel, but a black finish deserves some consideration: keep scouring pads and polishing pastes away, as they would lighten it in patches. A soft dry cloth is enough to lift fingerprints. After damp use, rinse under clear water, dry the blade and the handle, then leave a film of fine oil before several weeks of storage. G10 washes in warm soapy water with a soft brush and dries on its own. The paracord is washed the same way, and the kydex is rinsed then left to air dry, knife out.