Osprey Sportsmen’s Duo

K2 Raptor and Warthog

Osprey Knife and Tool is known for extremely clean execution of knife designs and the use of very thin stainless steel stock. Chris Linton, the owner and an Army combat veteran, names many of his blades, including the two featured in this review, after military machines. We were sent a couple of his blades, the K2 Raptor and Warthog, to put to the test and see how they perform in the field.

Initial Impression

Most initial impressions of knives start with the knives outside of the box they’re shipped in. When we received these two knives on our doorstep, we wondered before we even opened the box if anything was missing, as the box felt empty. Osprey Knife and Tool knives are incredibly light in the hand, and even with the sheaths, we thought our package was plundered at some point in the delivery. The featherweight is attributed to the finely tapered tangs and thin stock used. The Hawaiian Koa handle scales on both the K2 Raptor and Warthog are absolutely stunning and warm to the touch.

The Koa wood used in this set, like other pieces of this presentation-grade Hawaiian hardwood, has a near holographic attribute when examined under sunlight. The blades feature a textured finish on the flats that break up the transition from the ground bevel to the rounded spines. Both knives were sent hair-popping sharp, and each came supplied with a JouFuu leather sheath that’s optional. Osprey Knife and Tool only sells blades, leaving the sheath decision to the user. The K2 Raptor and Warthog are comfortable in hand while gripped with four fingers and also choked up and pinched between the fingertips. Each of the knives felt incredible to manipulate in the hand, but we wondered how they might work carving fish and game.

Design

Both of the knives are made of CPM 154 steel. According to Osprey Knife and Tool’s Linton, “I like using CPM 154 because it is a high-carbon steel that has 1.05 percent carbon, excellent stain and corrosion resistance, and offers the user a super steel that can be maintained with even just a strop.”
The Hawaiian Koa handles are both beautiful and functional. “Koa” in Hawaiian translates to “warrior” and is fitting for knives made by an American warrior.

Once reserved for royalty, this wood has a rich history. Osprey Knife and Tool frequently sandwiches liners between the steel tang and hardwood handles, and for this set, natural Micarta is used.
Linton says the smaller of the two, the Warthog, was designed “to be a good all-around general-purpose knife that is compact enough for everyday carry, but large enough for use in the field.” The other blade, the K2 Raptor, was designed to serve as a game-processing knife, from small to large game, as well as for skinning and boning.

“My goal is to make a knife that appears as one,” says Linton. “Your eyes flow over it without pause; you can’t imagine it any other way, or the handle and the blade flow as one not as two distinct features. I feel the texturing helps the eye transition from the organic handle to the inorganic steel without a clash.” In use, they feel like a natural extension of your hand and make the transition from empty hand to bladed hand comfortable and instinctual between grip changes.

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