Matt Cucchiara Small Poncho Folding Knife

Reviewed by corwin99 on December 26th, 2008

The second of two Matt Cucchiara knives in my collection, the Small Poncho was something I asked Matt if he would consider making after I saw his full sized one. I really have a thing for blades in the 3 to 3 1/2 inch zone, and this one would go well with the Sirocco that I already had.

Matt said that he would design a small Poncho, and that he thought it would be a good idea to have a couple of sizes. The Poncho is a neat looking knife because it has a very pronounced belly, more so than his other knives at the time. Matt has a thing for recurves, and the poncho is definately rounder than most.

I love the heat colored titanium and fizz treatment that Matt used to do all the time. I’m not as big a fan of the hand carved stuff, though it is still very nice. A bit to artsy for me for a knife. The finish on the handle is a sort of streaked bead blast… almost like he used a low grit sandpaper on the handle, then bead blasted it afterwards. I love it. Solid titanium framelock of course.

Blade is S30V on this one. I decided against having the Damascus again because I thought this would allow me to see the actual grinds a bit better. As much as I love damascus, I usually like to get at least one plain bladed knife from a maker so I can see their grinds better.

The feel on this one is a bit different than the Sirocco I had. The Sirocco had a Sebenza-like feel to it, while this one swings a bit more freely, even though there is no blade play on either knife. Both have their merits, and both lock up like a vault.

Like many of his knives, the Poncho also holds well in a reverse grip, almost like it was contoured for both forward and reverse. I’ve never asked Matt if that’s the case, but it certainly seems to be. I elected to have the standard pocket clip, as I prefer using regular pocket clips over sculpted ones, but the sculpted one sure do look nice!

What else is there to say? Matt is one of the hottest makers out there right now, and his knives have good resale on the secondary market. They are rock solid, and look fantastic. There really isn’t any reason you shouldn’t get one, and the Poncho is pretty darn cool. The only thing with the poncho is the huge belly on the blade may make it difficult to use for some takes if you are planning to carry it as an EDC. Otherwise, its terrific!

Blade Length: 3 1/8″
Overall Length: 7 1/4″
Blade Steel: CPM S30V
Handle Material: Titanium

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