I was first tipped off about Hammer Down Forge by my friends at DLT Trading. They’d posted about getting a new shipment from Kieran Klein, the maker behind the Hammer Down Forge name. Digging a little deeper into the brand and its offerings, I decided I had to check one out for myself. Once I saw the Companion, the latest offering from Hammer Down Forge, I had to tell you about it.
The Hammer Down Forge Companion
Klein was kind enough to provide a sample of the Companion for this review. When it arrived, I was immediately impressed by the craftsmanship of both the knife and the sheath. So, I added to my EDC rotation for evaluation.
Who Is Hammer Down Forge?
Keiran Klein is a full-time knifemaker hailing from Virginia. His shop is in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He got started in knife making around 2013, transitioning from blacksmithing.
Hammer Down Forge is a one-man show. Klein handles everything from design to heat-treat to grinding. His shop is known for EDC knives as well as larger camp choppers.
Unboxing the Companion
The Companion is a fixed-blade that is set up for pocket carry. It’s 7.4375 inches long from tip to butt, with a 3.25-inch MagnaCut steel blade. This is a Wharncliffe blade profile, and I feel like a lot of EDC knives are being made lately with Wharncliffe or reverse tanto blade profiles.
What’s the difference between the two? The Wharncliffe’s spine has a sweeping curve down to the point where the reverse tanto is more angular. I’m not sure why the popularity of these blade profiles seems to be increasing, but it’s not a bad thing.
For whatever it might be worth to you, Michael Janich has spoken very highly of the Wharncliffe design as a defense knife. Given that he’s a world-renowned authority when it comes to self-defense and blade use, that carries some weight.
The handle on this model is a very cool mixture of two-tone Micarta. I’m in Wisconsin, and I don’t know if Klein chose green and gold due to the Green Bay Packers, but I love the look of the handle.
At 4.1875 inches, the handle has just enough room for all four fingers. It’s also slightly curved, which makes it very comfortable in hand. The curve also serves to place the blade tip right where you want it when you’re using the knife.
The sheath is a high-quality pouch-style ensemble. It’s adorned with some very cool stamping and texturing front and back. The knife sits deep in the sheath. A pocket clip on the sheath allows you to secure it in place when you’re carrying it.
Overall, this is a knife that was carefully crafted from high-quality materials, not slapped together with whatever happened to be sitting in the shop’s dump bin.
But Does It Cut?
I’ve had the knife for about a month now. It’s come along on several hikes as well as trips around town, running errands, and such. The Companion has been, well, a faithful companion, and has been used for many various daily tasks.
After a few weeks of use, I did a few more formal tests with the Companion. First up was feathersticking. The first branch I grabbed was pretty soft, and the Companion bit deep, eagerly carving into the wood. Too eagerly, as it turned out, the feathers were far thicker than I wanted, largely due to the softness of the wood.
The next one I grabbed was a little harder, and the shavings turned out much thinner. I created a small pile of those shavings, then grabbed a ferrocerium rod. The spine on the Companion is a perfect 90-degree angle, reminiscent of something you’d see out of the LT Wright Knives shop. It had no problem creating sparks from the ferro rod, and the pile of shavings lit up quickly.
Next, I pulled out a small sheet of rubber from my test materials box. I’ve had some of this stuff kicking around for a while now. I picked it up at American Science & Surplus, specifically to use for knife reviews. The sharp point on the Wharncliffe blade made short work of it. This is where this sort of blade style really shines. It works similarly to a razor knife and allows for great precision.
Slicing up a leather belt also proved not to be much of a challenge for the Companion. However, this particular job would have been made easier if there were more belly to the blade. Don’t get me wrong, the straight edge is perfectly serviceable. It’s just less ideal for this task.
Cleaning the Companion Up
Seeing how dirty the blade had become, and since I already had it out for a different project, I grabbed my tin of Wicked Clean and a rag. This stuff is amazing and works very well to remove just about any grime, dirt, or goop from a knife. All it took was a small dab of Wicked Clean and maybe 30 seconds of polishing to get the knife looking brand new again.
Who Needs a Companion?
I like the Companion as a pocket carry fixed blade for EDC. It’s well-made and has a very practical design. The sheath isn’t just a throwaway. It’s as well-crafted as the knife.
Kieren Klein and Hammer Down Forge are definitely worth checking out. The Companion will serve your needs for many years to come.
Hammer Down Forge Companion Specs
| Overall Length | 7.4375 inches |
| Blade Length | 3.25 inches |
| Blade Thickness | 0.144 inch |
| Handle Length | 4.1875 inches |
| Steel | MagnaCut |
| Weight | 3.6 ounces |
| Sheath | Leather with pocket clip |
| MSRP | $350 |
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