MK Knives & Tools Sentinel “Black & Olive” Knife | Elmax | DLC

MK Knives & Tools Sentinel “Black & Olive” Knife | Elmax | DLC knife has an Elmax steel blade, derived from an innovative CNC hollow grind (characteristic grooves on the blade). The blade is coated with a black DLC coating and the handle is made of G10 composite (a combination of olive and black material). The knife has a kydex holster, which can be mounted to MOLLE solutions, thanks to a mounting buckle made of the same material, designed for this and being part of the set.

About knifemaking standards and process at MK Knives & Tools

Knifemaker Marcin Kampka does not recognize compromises. Each of its products is planned down to the smallest detail, each project, especially the custom one have individual features. Each knife is detaily and clean finished (grinds, chamfering, etc). All screws – even the smallest ones – are gently chamfered to remove angular finishes. Each knife is treated as a separate whole and the holster is treated the same way. One fits the other, the patterns on the holster are consistent with those on the handle, etc. Mirroring every MK Knives & Tools knife we see not only the product, but we “feel” the hours spent in the workshop. When we buy Marcin Kampka’s product, we buy many hours of his work. We can be sure that the knife has been polished to the smallest detail.

Please read more about the creative process and the MK Knives & Tools brand in an interview with Marcin Kampka HERE.

About Sentinel knife in general

Sentinel is usually made of steel that can be subjected to high overload (more often Sleipner, Vanadis 4 Extra, Vanadis 23, less often Elmax). The knife is designed for intensive use, therefore the steel used in its production must be appropriate. It should withstand high stress, stay sharp for a long time and not chip. Sentinel is made with a variety of blade finishes (PVD coating, stonewash, satin). The handle is usually made of G10 composite, with a variety of colors and various original patterns. For each model, the knifemaker creates an appropriate Kydex holster, the colors of which (holster and accessories) correspond to the colors of the blade and the handle so that the whole is a coherent set.

About presented execution of the Sentinel knife

Premium steel as the shank of the knife construction

The presented Sentinel knife is made of one piece of Elmax steel (features of the full tang construction). Elmax is one of the few steels available on the market that are in the absolute top quality of the premium knife materials. The knives made of it are extremely resistant to overload, remain sharp for an extremely long time and have excellent anti-corrosion properties. The knife has been coated with a black DLC titanium coating (Diamond Like Carbon coating with hardness ~90 HRC), which additionally strengthens the steel and improves anti-corrosion properties. The coating has anti-reflective properties, which makes the knife especially suitable for tactical use.

Grind and blade shape for effective cutting 

An interesting fact in the execution of the knife is the innovative hollow CNC grind. It is visible at first glance in the form of characteristic grooves on both the correct blade and the false blade. The concavity of the cut is very subtle and, in addition to the visual effect, it is designed to support the cutting process (it reduces the effect of the material sticking to the blade and facilitates splitting of the material). The grind in combination with the shape of the drop point blade indicates that it can be used very universally. The fairly large blade, 136 mm (5.35 “) long, is narrow enough (approx. 35 mm at its widest point) that despite the” power reserve “it allows for quite precise handling. Combined with a 5 mm (0.2”) thick back we also get a solid tool for more demanding work.

On the back of the blade there is a jimpig, which makes it easier to press the blade of the knife to the material being cut. This element enables precise cuts, makes it easier to guide the cutting edge along the material and helps with cuts that require pressure.

The sturdy, thoughtful knife handle

The slender, neat oval of the handle fits very well and lies firmly in the hand. Contoured undercut with a length of 102 mm (4.02 “) will accommodate a hand of even large sizes.

The handles with an ergonomic, oval shape are made of a very durable G10 composite (a combination of olive and black colors). G10 is resistant to moisture, temperature changes, most solvents and acids, has a high resistance to mechanical damage. In the presented knife, the material of the covers has a rough pattern that prevents the handle from slipping in the hand. The handle covers have been screwed together with black steel screws in a PVD coating. The screws complete the design of the knife, elegantly matching the black blade.

At the end of the knife handle there is a hole for attaching an additional cord, which can be used as a protection against dropping the knife during work, or an additional gripper that facilitates removing the knife from the holster. This solution also allows you to protect the knife against loss. Originally, a section of paracord with a shade matched to the design was attached to the knife.

The sophisticated Kydex holster and various mounting options 

The knife has a holster made of hand-formed Kydex material, which is characterized by high impact and scratch resistance, characterized by low moisture absorption, resistant to various weather conditions and many chemicals. In the presented model, the holster is made of black material and supplemented with olive additions.

We attach the holster to the belt with a thick nylon belt loop. The holster can be attached to MOLLE solutions thanks to the specially designed kydex buckle attached to the set (the buckle needs to be attached in place of the previously unfastened nylon belt loop). The knife and holster can be additionally stabilized or secured with a paracorderm by interlacing it through the holes designed in the holster. Of course, you can use the paracord that the holster is wrapped in (its color corresponds to the section at the knife).

NAME: Sentinel “Black & Olive”
STEEL: Elmax (61 HRC)
BLADE FINISH: Black DLC

BLADE STYLE: Drop point
GRIND: Hollow (grooves on the blade)
HANDLE: Green and black G10

TOTAL LENGTH: 272 mm | 10.71″
BLADE LENGTH: 136 mm | 5.35″
BLADE THICKNESS: 5 mm | 0.2″

FINGER GUARD: Available
WEIGHT: 245 g (8.64 oz) without holster, 334 g (11.78 oz) with holster
SHEATH: Kydex holster