Medford Knife and Tool's First OTF Knives:
If you’re familiar with the Medford Knife and Tool brand it will come as no surprise that Medford knives are known for their gigantic blades, thick and beefy titanium scales, and extremely tight lock-up. Creating premium, working-grade folding knives has always been at the core of Medford DNA, and though that remains true to this day - the styles, designs, and thick dimensions are starting to evolve. It’s an exciting new evolution for the brand, and on the heels of their 2022 holiday show, they announced the new Medford OTF (Out-The-Front) Automatic Knife!
About the Medford OTF Knife:
Yes, you read that last part correctly! Greg Medford has mentioned in passing over the years of creating an OTF knife for the Medford brand, but it was nothing more than a pet project. However, on the back of covid lockdowns and an ever-changing knife industry, Greg Medford partnered with his cousin, Steve, to develop an all-new automatic pocketknife that represents a fresh approach to a heavily saturated space. The knife features a new, proprietary hexagonal technology for the firing mechanism that remains assembled even when removed from the knife. For tinkerers and knife aficionados alike, this means springs will not launch all over the place when you perform any maintenance to the action of the knife. This unique action will be housed in a hardware-less aluminum chassis that fits snugly together and locks in place, in unison, much like a Japanese puzzle box. These new Medford OTF knives will feature classic blade shapes and share design lines with models both past and present – notably: the dagger and the praetorian tanto. These blades will initially wear a belt satin finish that is exclusive to the first strike of 100-proof knives, however, this will change over time to a tumbled polish as the production process becomes more established at the Medford factory.
Medford OTF Knife Technology:
When developing the launch mechanism, a fresh approach was taken to create a new shuttle system that propels the knife from its advanced chassis to the outside world. It’s akin to an engine that has been painstakingly balanced and refined to deliver the blade quickly and efficiently. This new system is set to minimize the unnecessary wear often associated with OTF knives and increase the longevity of the entire system. The exterior of the chassis is flat, yet ergonomic, featuring an engraved hexagonal design as a callout to the technology at its core. You will also find a stepped actuator button that moves back and forth with ease – so easy your grandparents will love it! These deployment switches will ultimately have a more elegant and sculpted appearance that rides against the thumb without tearing into your skin – a problem with many knives in this space. At the base of the chassis, you will find a stylish 6-shooter composite glass break made from a ceramic ball bearing and titanium housing. This new breaker has been deliberately created to be usable, and to break glass with ease in emergency situations – so be careful!
Medford OTF Knife Specifications: (Approximate Specs)
Overall Length - 8 ¾”
Chassis Length - 5″
Blade Length - 3 3/4″
Blade Thickness - .150″
Chassis Width - 1 1/4″
Weight - 4.5oz
Automatic OTF Knife Market Perceptions:
In a recent video on YouTube (Watch Here), Greg Medford goes into detail about the new OTF additions to the Medford product line and spoke at length about the new technology they developed. He also acknowledged its uniqueness in such a crowded segment where multiple companies copy and often rip off competitor designs – a market segment dominated by industry friend, Anthony Marfione of Microtech Knives and Marfione Customs. The look, feel, ergonomics, and action are all ‘Medford’ and have been developed in-house in Phoenix, Arizona. In fact, the only components that are sourced are the pocket clip (stamped in Mesa, Arizona), the action spring (from Northwest Spring), and the ceramic ball in the titanium 6-gun breaker. There are zero Metal Injection Molded (MIM) or Plastic Injection Molded parts in the Medford automatic knife.
The Medford Guy's Final Thoughts:
Medford fans have been asking for years about this not-so-secret project and The Medford Guy team and I are extremely excited about this new launch. As soon as dealers can get them - you know we’ll be at the front of the line ready to secure them for our Medford Maniacs. Currently, the 100 “Proof Strike” Medford OTF Knives are only available on their website. We recommend you get yours before they sell out. The first 100 are going to be a part of Medford Knife and Tool history!
As always, thanks for checking out The Medford Guy blog! I hope you enjoyed this first look that contains everything we know up to this point. Shop our full selection of Medford Knives, or feel free to CONTACT US with any questions, or to special order your next grail knife!
Cheers and puffs,
Jake – The Medford Guy
Comments