Flexcut (www.flexcut.com) is most well known for their wood-carving tools, but they launched a line of 4 knives, known as the Hawthorne Collection, this past year. We have already given away the Drifter and Explorer models, and today we bring you the Nomad , which Flexcut describes as:
A classic clip-point hunting knife with loads to offer. The coke-bottle contour on the handle and jimping on the spine give this knife an unmatched security in hand for when it matters most. Field dressing fish & game is a pleasure with this razor sharp and easy to maintain 1095 blade. The perfect hip knife for an avid hunter or angler looking for a reliable tool to get the job done.
If you want to win the Nomad or other knives from our 100 Days Giveaway, you must Register for a free account, and leave a comment on our official contest thread (here)
Knife Magazine Staff Correspondent Steven Masello wrote about the Hawthorne Collection in the January 2019 issue of Knife Magazine, and reviewed the Flexcut Nomad from the series in particular.
Premium Online Members can see the complete January 2019 issue, as well as the entire archive library of Knife Magazine (2015-present) and Knife World (1975-2015 though we only have back to 2004 uploaded so far). You will find complete issues from our archive under “The Vault” tab at the top of the page, or you can just click this link.
Since we are giving away the Flexcut Explorer today (7/29 – Day 59), we have moved Steven’s article to the free side of the website, and it can be viewed below. Just click the box below to see this article as it was published in Knife Magazine!
Personal Observations:
One thing that I really like about Flexcut’s Hawthorne knives is that each one is so different from the next. The Explorer is a fairly classic interpretation of the Puukko knife, while the Drifter and Nomad are clip point hunters, yet quite different in design. They have a variety of handle options, and while you can choose a handle material, the shape will be dramatically different from model to model.
The Nomad has a very thick handle, in this case from Purpleheart wood. While the handle is chunky, there is extensive contouring to thin it out where it needs to, with the end result being able to fill pretty much any sized hand without any noticeable hotspots.
Fit and finish are fantastic. I mentioned it before, but precision plunge lines are not necessary for a carving knife, Flexcut’s plunges are every bit as precise as you could hope for in a premium knife with a $279 MSRP.
While I couldn’t test the cutting ability of a knife we are giving away, the geometry seems good, with a very high and flat grind promising solid slicing and shaving ability. The 1095 steel is a workhorse, with a thick and durable coating to prevent rust and minimize wear.
The sheath is interesting. It has a removable dangler loop, which is not something usually seen on a Kydex sheath. If one wishes to swap this out for a Tek Lok clip, the grommet holes line up just fine for one.
We would like to thank Flexcut for providing us with the complete set of 4 Hawthorne Series knives. Steven kept the Seeker he reviewed, but as I mentioned the other 3 have been given to us to give away, concluding with this Nomad here.
If you want to win the Nomad or other knives from our 100 Days Giveaway, you must Register for a free account, and leave a comment on our official contest thread (here)