Brands We Trust: Microtech Knives

About Microtech

Founded in 1994, Microtech Knives began operating in Vero Beach, Fla., and relocated to Bradford, Penn., after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Expanding to a second facility in North Carolina, Microtech is now known for producing some of the finest knives available today.

Since its inception, Microtech has produced a wide variety of products such as kitchen knives, fishing knives, arrow heads and balisong knives. Along the way, the company has developed a reputation for its tactical automatic knives, with the most popular designs being the "out the front" (OTF) and "double action" (D/A) automatics. Microtech is credited for the resurgence in popularity of tactical automatic knives. Seen as a precision-made product that uses quality components in a market flooded with cheap imports, these knives revitalized the U.S. auto-knife market and established Microtech as a serious contender.

Owner Anthony Marfione has worked with famous knifemakers and designers — such as Ernest Emerson, Greg Lightfoot, Bob Terzuola, Walter Brend, Mike Turber, Mick Strider and Reese Weiland — to collaborate on exclusive designs. These exclusives are distributed under the name Marfione Custom Knives, a subsidiary of Microtech.

This subsidiary was created to provide an outlet for Marfione to create limited editions, fresh designs and other collaborations separate from the mainstream product lines of Microtech. Like all Microtech knives, Marfione Customs are U.S.-made and include a full lifetime warranty. The more popular versions are often incorporated into the Microtech product line as a Marfione Custom.

In addition to being a favorite among clients in the military, law enforcement and emergency services, Microtech knives have made their way into a number of Hollywood features. Selectively placed in action films such as the “John Wick” series, “Batman the Dark Knight Rises” and Fox Network’s series “24”. Microtech has used these opportunities to expand its market reach and bring automatic knives back to the mainstream.

OTF knives

A single-action OTF knife propels the blade out the front of the handle in a straight line, then locks it in place. The operator must manually release the locking mechanism and retract the blade.

A double-action OTF type deploys the blade in the same manner but then automatically retracts the blade by depressing the firing button a second time. These normally have a weaker deployment spring than a single-action type to accommodate the automatic feature.

Side openers swing the blade out from the side of the handle, just like a regular pocketknife, and the blade must be manually retracted once the lock is disabled. A good example of this type is the Microtech Stitch.

Popular Microtech knives

Microtech Ultratech

The Microtech Ultratech knife is the out-the-front knife. One of the original Microtech designs, this is an auto knife with a 3.4-inch blade that opens and retracts through a hole in one end of the handle — which differs from standard knives that have the blade fold out of the side of the handle. The double-action Ultratech deploys in and out automatically via the sliding firing button on the knife's right side. All Ultratechs share a few basic properties: an aluminum handle that’s chamfered around the edges, proprietary “tri-angle” hardware and a right-hand tip, down-deep carry clip that is attached to the knife on the butt of the handle by a carbide-tipped glass breaker. Aside from those common features, the Ultratech line is available in a staggering array of options. The Ultratech line has given birth to smaller offspring in the form of the UTX85 and UTX-70, which are 85 percent and 70 percent of the original size, respectively.

Microtech JagdKommando

The Jagdkommando (pronounced yah-come-ondo) is named after the Austrian Armed Special Forces. It is a fixed-blade tri-dagger design with twisting edges on all three sides that come to a vicious point.

The hollow handle can be used to store emergency supplies and is machined with a grenade-like “waffle” gripping surface. The Jagdkommando comes with a custom hard-coated tubular sheath made from aircraft-grade 6061 T6 aluminum and matching grenade-pattern finish. It screws onto the Jagdkommando knife for a secure fit and is rubber sealed to be watertight.

This knife is available in a regular or mini size. Created in response to a request for a neck knife, the mini Jagdkommando is approximately 55 percent the size of its predecessor, making it more practical for everyday carry but manufactured with the same unique features of the full-size Jagdkommando.

Microtech Halo

The Microtech Halo Series has been in a constant state of evolution since it was introduced and has undergone five design changes in that time. A staple in the Microtech lineup, the currently available Halo 6 is known for lightning-fast blade deployment. This single-action OTF fires with the touch of a button and retracts by pulling the charging handle. The unique shape and slim profile of the aluminum handle aids concealability. With a 4.5-inch blade and overall length of 10.82-inches, the Halo 6 is large enough to handle any task.

Microtech Combat Troodon

Microtech's Combat Troodon is a large OTF production knife aptly named after the Troodon dinosaur, as the Combat Troodon is substantial. Despite the size of this knife, the 6061-aluminum handle is contoured to feel comfortable and incorporates a tungsten glass breaker. Its reputation as a great tactical knife makes the Microtech Combat Troodon a favorite among police agencies, military units and first responders. The solid construction makes it a go-to choice for hard use and everyday carry. The anodized aluminum handles come in a wide choice of colors with a carbide glass breaker that anchors the pocket clip in the right-hand, tip down position.

Future of Microtech

Microtech continues to develop new, innovative products as well as updated versions of its flagship products. Microtech Customer Service explains to customers that nothing is ever discontinued, as it will be developed further and put back into production at some future date.

Expanding and growing

Microtech currently plans to invest more than $2.3 million and create 25 jobs at their North Carolina operation. A planned $1.1 million in building improvements and $1.257 million in machinery and equipment investments is calculated to keep Microtech on the cutting edge of the blade industry.