Mike Obenauf Small Model 2 Framelock

Reviewed by corwin99 on June 9th, 2007

Mike Obenauf is one hell of a maker. His knife designs are heavily influenced by his father-in-law, the famous Kit Carson, and that much is obvious from the design of his Model 2. And that’s not the only thing they have in common… the quality of his knives is also in the same league, which is saying quite a bit!

Some people may disagree with that, and say that Kit’s knives are better, and maybe they are right. But I can’t really see a whole lot of discernable difference in quality from handling knives from both makers. Granted I’ve never used a Kit Carson knife for very long, but his knives have a collectibility factor that Mike Obenauf’s do not have yet, which is why the decorated models from Kit sell for almost 3 times the price.

But Mike’s Model 2 is one of my favourite knives. Considered by many at one point to be a “Sebenza-Killer” it certainly has all the makings of one. This is the small model, which is similar in size to a small Sebenza. Fit and finish are nearly perfect on this knife, and I’m pretty picky when it comes to things like that. Blade is hollow ground S30V, bead blasted, just like the rest of the knife, so its quite tactical looking. Dual thumbstuds and a small micarta backspacer finish off the package.

One of my favourite features of this knife are the contoured handles. They fit my hand so well, and being offered in three sizes allows it to fit a variety of hand sizes and personal preferences. The blade came from Mike hair-popping sharp, and it cuts like a champ. I prefer this knife to the CRK Sebenza as I do like the feel better, however the bead blasted blade will not be suitable for moist climates.

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

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