Greg Lightfoot HXT-Dog Folding Knife
I just got my second Lightfoot, the HXT-Dog, in a trade with a fellow on the forums. I collect alot of Kirby Lambert knives, and since a lot of Kirby’s early inspiration was from his relationship with Greg Lightfoot, its easy to try and compare them. However, I’m going try very hard not to!
I was pretty stoked when it came in, and when I opened it I knew exactly why Greg Lightfoot is as popular as he is. His designs are original and incorporate a lot of his personality. This is what makes the HXT-Dog special. The handle has some very defined curves that fit my hand very nicely, with a bit of a belly in the handle the feels very comfortable.
The blade is Sandvik 19c27, which is something like Sandvik’s version of 154CM. A very good performing steel, with a bit less of a common name, giving it a little something special. Do not confuse 19c27 with the inferior 12c27, however, 19c27 is a good solid high-end steel.
The 3 3/4″ blade has Greg’s signature finished hollow grind, with the strong brush lines. I’ve always liked that about his blades. The swedge on the spine is interesting and is only one one side, giving it a pretty cool look, if not being useful in any other way. But hey, half of the reason we buy these knives is because of how cool they look, right? The blade edge is super sharp, and shaves hair easily.
Even though the knife is called the HXT-Dog, it looks more like a Shark to me… Greg’s got this way of making all his knives look like sharks it seems. The 5″ handle has Carbon Fiber bolsters and Foliage G-10 Handles. The black pocket clip is mounted for Right-handed Tip up carry. I have a bit of a beef with the pocket clip as it looks like he just grabbed whatever clip was handy and put it on. I would have preferred a clip that matches the location better. That clip looks like it belongs around the pivot for tip-down carry.
The handles are contoured slightly, though I personally would have preferred slightly more contouring. Greg does go through the extra effort of radiusing the edges of the handles, however, which gives the knife a great feel. Liners are thick and bead blasted, with the lock engaging nice and early, leaving lots of room for wear. The lock also sticks very nicely, giving me confidence that the lock is going to stay put.
Overall this is one of my favourite Lightfoot designs, especially with the curves and contouring on the handle. I really enjoy feeling the knife in my hand and it feels natural to cut with it, giving me confidence when I use it. Great job with the HXT-Dog, Greg! I can see this being a fantastic No-Nonsense EDC Blade for anyone that the aesthetics appeals to.
Specs:
Blade Length: 3 3/4″
Overall Length: 8 3/4″
Handle Length: 5″
Blade Steel: Sandvik 19c27
Handle Material: G-10
Bolsters: Carbon Fiber
Video Review:
January 7th, 2011 at 11:27 am
Sweet knife I’d love to see a video on it. I handled a Lightfoot a couple weeks ago and was very impressed with the ergos, the only problem I had with it was the thumb stud was basically touching the handle and was pretty difficult to open. I’m a stickler for fast easy opening.
January 7th, 2011 at 11:29 am
Chris – that was how one of the other Lightfoots I had was (Max Velocity), but the HXT-Dog has a good space in there and is quick to open. I realized I did not take a pic of the knife closed!