Customer Reviews

Smith & Wesson CKMAR Cuttin'' Horse Hawkbill Knife with Marlin Spike

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Alright i own a few knives and this is a great bargin at around 10 bucks. The hawkbill blade was well beveled from the factory and didn't take long for me to put on my own custom edge (which wasn't neccessary) but its something i've always done. The marlin spike works very well to break knots apart or seperate the braids in rope to tuck the loose strands back through. The blade locks decently but sideways pressure can make it slip free. This knife is a worker that you wouldn't mind given to a young kid and worry about the chance of loosing it.
Blade steel takes a edge very well and holds it very well cosidering its not a high end more expensive steel.

Great knife and you won't go mad if you loose it.

A good basic work knife that I bought primarily for the spike. It is not a "high quality" knife; but a work knife. The blade does seem soft so I don't expect it to hold an edge for long, but it is easy to sharpen.
Basically "fair quality for a fair (cheap) price". When it is no longer usable, it will be no big deal to throw it away.

This is a solidly built knife of stainless steel. Great for working with rope, and excellent for opening boxes. Both the spike and the blade lock.
It holds an edge well. Other marlin spike knives cost between $40 and $75.
Excellent value.

If you're upset that Smith & Wesson makes this knife in China, then this review is not for you. If you have no problems with American companies producing material in China, then here is an honest opinion about the quality of this knife:

The Smith & Wesson Hawkbill rigger is different than most other currently produced riggers. The most dramatic difference is the conspicuous use of hawkbill blade rather than a coping or sheepfoot blade. While pruners have often gone to sea, the use of a hawkbill blade on a marlins spike knife is rare. Persons familiar with S&W pruner will quickly realize all they did was modify the frame slightly and add a marlin spike.

Two nice features (at least first glance) is that the hawkbill and marlin spike both lock in the open position. However, both of these features has small design flaws which some users may find annoying..The bail's lock position for the marlin spike is shown in the image below and at the top of the page. As you may well imagine this puts it in the way of operating the marlin spike. To complicate the matter even more the width and shape of the hawkbill blade also makes it difficult to use the marlin spike. I assume you can get used to it, but I think most people will flip the bail up out of the way when they use the spike render the locking feature inoperable.

The hawkbill blade is not as sharp right out of the box as I had hoped. As you can imagine, the curved blade is also more difficult to sharpen than a straight sheepfoot. Still the blade is a good length and there are numerous advantages that come with a hawkbill blade, for one the curve manages to grab rope more easily and despite be slightly duller it is going to get the job done fairly quickly. If you're a fan of hawkbills, you'll probably like this blade more than a sheepfoot. The liner lock for the blade looks somewhat weak but the appearance is deceiving. The lock works quite well. Furthermore, even if the liner lock were to fail, the blade is held open and closed with a very strong slip-joint spring, meaning it would still function fine as non-locking pocket knife.

A final problem, at least for me, is how thin this knife is. While the slender build makes it ideal for back pocket carry, the stainless steel scales and the slender design makes it somewhat uncomfortable to grip tightly for a long period of time, especially bare-handed.

Despite the short comings, the knife is well finished, and construction if sturdy. In all it worth the $10-15 you'll pay for it and if you want or prefer a hawkbill, it is the only game in town, at least with a marlin spike.

No real problems with this knife. I like the blade shape and size. A useful spike also. Both lock in place. The only down side, the handle is a bit thin for my hands and the blade can be hard to open with cold wet hands.

I got this knife because my dad always had a hawkbill in his tool box and we always took in on trips to cut food on the go. I have great memories of it. His has a wooden handle.

This is a large knife because of the curved blade, so don't expect it to close and be small. Also another note, the picture makes it look close to black, but its pretty much stainless steel color. It is a simple knife, and not sleek and would say not much effort was taken into make it "look smooth", but who cares when you want a do all knife.

A good knife for the money. I bought for my son to use in splicing ropes for his tree work. I prefer a straight blade for ground work but the hawkbill is great for above ground work.

This knife does not compare in quality to some of the nicer rigging knives, being quite simple and roughly-finished, but it is extremely cheap without being flimsy. As attests to the very basic design of this tool, both the blade and marlin spike are secured to the handle with simple rivets rather than screws. It definitely needs a drop of oil in the pivots.

One more thing: the marlin spike is THE perfect tool for boring out bicycle cable ends.

This is a very simple, lightwight design. I have it attached to my sailing jacket on a stainless steel gear retractor. I love the fact that so much of the blade extends from the housing - it makes it easy to open even with gloves on. The loop for attaching it to a gear retactor or something else is sturdy and flexible. A great special purpose knife for the price.

I am a sucker for folding work tools and can not pass on a bargain, so I bought one of the Smith & Wesson CKMAR knives to keep in my truck for busting knots and such. In short order my son took a job as a Deck Hand on a tall ship, so I sent him the knife thinking it would be a useful tool on deck. In less than a month the hing pin rusted and broke and the knife fell apart. This is not a robust tool and will not hold up to serious use.