CRKT Side Hawg

Review by Phil
Elmore

The
Columbia River Knife and Tool
Side Hawg is one of those curious little keychain knives that comes
along once in a while. It’s essentially a small fixed blade with
an open “sheath” that is just a plastic guard. Designed to be
light and handy, the Side Hawg is an attempt to put the strength and
ready utility of a fixed-blade knife in your pocket, where a folder
would normally ride.

Blade Length: 1.625 inches (cutting edge)

Blade Steel: 420J2

Overall Length: 4.5 inches

Weight: 2.7 ounces

The blade is obviously of low-grade
steel, intended to be as rust-resistant as possible. It takes a
good edge and mine was nicely sharp out of the box, but of course it
requires relatively frequent resharpening. The blade shape is a
modified-drop point that is all belly for slicing. It is ground
on only one side because the opposite side is flat to mate with the
plastic “blade plate.”

That brings us to the knife’s
“sheath.” It’s a shaped piece of plastic with an attached
keychain lanyard. The knife fits onto a metal peg at the rear of
the cover and then rotates into position under a metal clip. Here
it is held securely in place until you slide it down to dislodge it.

I found it was easy to manipulate the
knife with one hand, sliding it open and then closed again without ever
removing it from the sheath completely. Once you take it off the
mounting peg, you’ll need to hands to get it properly re-“sheathed.”

The deep finger choil and the
serrations on the blade spine provide a positive grip. I found
myself orienting my grip on the knife even when it was in its plastic
cover, the shape of which conforms to that choil. This is good,
because it helps you orient the knife properly even in the
dark.

I hesitate to call this a “novelty blade” because that doesn’t do it
justice. It’s a serious, if a bit unconventional, daily carry
utility knife. A fixed blade in this size and weight is a handy
package that is worth considering. >>

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CRKT Side Hawg

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