OPINION REVIEW: Mantrack Jungle Knife

I AM A COLLECTOR of knives and other bladed weapons. No, I don't display my collections. I used these to test its limit and even carry these most of the time for my protection. One of those that I collect is a MANTRACK survival knife. An old friend gave this to me in 2004 during the time of the last years of my self-styled “warrior pilgrimage”.

The whole material is made of cold steel and anodized in different colors like a rainbow. The blade outline has an uncanny resemblance to a K-BAR sans its classic handle. It has five square notches on its back edge designed to break light to medium-gauge wires. An olive green-colored lanyard used to be wound around the knife tang in the absence of a handle, by design, but I removed this instead. I believe the knife is better off without it.

A pair of hand guards protrude from across the middle section while two round holes are bored at the end of the tang which were designed to hold down and secure the lanyard. Overall, it has a good balance and feel and could be slipped anywhere I choose. The knife has an olive green-colored cloth sheath with a thin strip of black cloth stitched at the edges. Like the lanyard, it is better off without it.

I have tested the MANTRACK in skinning and slicing chicken meat, chopping firewood, scraping tendrils, breaking off GI wires, paring fruits and knife throwing. The knife could either be thrown held from the blade or from the tang/handle. I have brought the MANTRACK in Mount Dulangdulang, Bukidnon in June 2008; in an exploration hike in the mid-north area of Carmen, Cebu in January 2009; in solo night treks to Mount Babag in Cebu City this year and as an ordinary commuter in public jitneys.

Right now, I'm looking around my house where I slipped my MANTRACK.

       LENGTH : 10.75 inches. 275 millimeters.

       WIDTH : 1.5 inches. 37 millimeters.

       BLADE : 6.25 inches. 160 millimeters.