NOTE: See below for the latest information and images.
Amtac Gear recently shared a tease for a new knife in the Amtac Blades line – the Northman X. This knife splits the difference between the Minuteman and the original Northman dimensionally. It appears to be an amalgamation of the larger Minuteman/Magnus grip with the Northman-like blade which should make for a knife that is equally at home in a pocket sheath or on the belt, especially for those who find the Northman handle to be on the small side.
You can read our review of the Northman to get a taste of why this is an exciting development. Like all Amtac Blades, I am sure this new knife will be supported with all the sheaths users need to squeeze every last ounce of versatility out of it.
The Northman’s spear point blade tapers to a very acute point, has a high flat grind, and a sharp 90 degree spine for striking a ferro rod. It features textured G-10 handle slabs. While the handle slabs are flat, the handle itself is heavily contoured featuring a deep first finger groove and a large punyo.
The knife is delivered as a package that includes the Northman knife, the Pocket FireSheath, a storage sheath, and an aluminum trainer version of the Northman that fits all the same sheaths.
Observations from Use
I want to start my observations with the Northman with some thoughts about the uniqueness of this knife because a lot of the rest of my thoughts will start from this foundation. The Northman is one of the most unique knives on the market in my opinion. I don’t mean from the standpoint of the design or the actual knife, though it is unique in that way. I mean it is unique in capability and the completeness of the entire package.
Belt version and Pocket version of FireSheath (Pocket version included)
There are other defensive or EDC or outdoor-oriented fixed blades on the market, but few that move so effortlessly through all three spaces. There are few (maybe none) knives that have so complete of a sheath eco-system available directly from the maker. I don’t know of another maker that includes a storage sheath that promotes mindfulness in preventing training accidents. The Northman is actually more than just the knife itself and it is unique. This sounds cliche but much of what I just mentioned is the key to what makes this knife truly useful.
I use my Northman a lot of different ways. This is made possible thanks to the variety of available sheaths and the useful blade shape. The knife’s compact dimensions and easy pocket-carry make it a fine EDC fixed blade. It is easy to carry and easy to access when using the included Pocket FireSheath. The useful point and long, slightly curved cutting edge is useful for a wide variety of mundane tasks.
The Northman works great in places a normal fixed blade wouldn’t like in a bee suit.Carpentry? Check!
The Pocket FireSheath is also excellent for outdoor use as it allows you to place the knife out of the way of a pack hip-belt and keeps it accessible while wearing a pack. While Amtac Blades offers a number of sheaths for this knife, the FireSheaths (Belt and Pocket) are particularly well-suited to outdoor use with their integrated ferro rod. Carrying a Northman in a FireSheath means you are never without a fire starter which I find handy.
As a support to a concealed handgun, I prefer to carry the Northman on my belt using the Belt FireSheath that I purchased seperately. The Northman manages to pack a lot of blade length into compact package and it is very comfortable to carry on the belt either near the wearer’s centerline or pushed out toward the non-dominant side hip.
Some words on the sheaths available for the Northman: There are 5 of them and all are completely ambidextrous meaning the knife can be inserted either way. All but the storage sheath (included) make use of Discreet Carry Concepts (DCC) clips which is a very good thing. This ecosystem of available sheaths does a lot to drive the usefulness of the Northman. The knife comes with the Pocket FireSheath – a sheath with a long DCC clip meant to sit the knife deep in your front pants pockets with the punyo exposed for an easy draw. The Belt FireSheath, Minimalist Belt Sheath, and Deep Concealment Sheath are all belt sheaths with various capabilities that can be purchased as accessories.
Northman shown with both versions of the FireSheath
The inclusion of a storage sheath is particularly interesting to me and I think it speaks to the fact that this knife is sold by a man, Bill Rapier, who trains people to use them. The training sheath gives you a place to store your live blade while training with the training drone. This is so clever. It requires purposeful action to prepare for training. The trainee must place the live blade into the storage sheath and then place the drone into their sheath before training can begin. This mindful action, like the safety on a gun, can help prevent training accidents.
The handle of the Northman works for me and my hands (medium or large glove size depending on brand). The handle is very compact and might feel a little cramped in a basic hammer grip for very large hands but, for me, this is the feeling of being locked into a handle. This handle, with its deep first finger groove and punyo, sort of grips you while you grip it. I find it especially comfortable in a reverse grip with the edge out. The handle does allow for a variety of grips despite the heavily contoured shape.
Shown with my hand for scale
The handle does allow you to get very close to the edge. Some users will love this for the fine control it allows and some will worry about it. As mentioned above, this grip locks you in. I have never had an issue with this even when striking hard surfaces with the drone.
Finally, because I know it will come up, this knife is not inexpensive at $450… but it is a good value. If you spend much time looking at knives, you’ll know that knives with premium stainless steel and textured G-10 handles aren’t cheap to begin with. You’ll also know that sheaths with centerline mounted DCC clips aren’t cheap. You’ll know that 1 to 1 replica aluminum training knives aren’t cheap. You’ll also know that sheaths like those described above with an integral ferro rod and training knives so precisely made that they fit the same sheath as the live blade aren’t just expensive, they are just about non-existent. There is value for money here.
Always up for adventure
Wrap Up
The Amtac Blades Northman reminds me of the venerable, long-serving AR-15. Follow me here. The AR-15 itself is useful because it is versatile and easy to live with much like the Northman. AR-15s become more specialized and useful in more specific roles thanks to a plethora of available optics and the ease of mounting them – much like the plethora of sheaths for the Northman.
What I am trying to say is the Northman has inherent usefulness built into the knife itself which is enhanced by the completeness of ecosystem that Amtac Blades has built around it. This is unique and useful in a way that I don’t think is matched anywhere else. This is a tremendous knife.
Now you can get your Amtac Blades and Amtac Shooting gear all in one place. AmtacGear.com has Modern Minute Man gear from both. Patches, caps, hoodies, shirts, and more… It’s all there.
Amtac Blades is hosting their first ever giveaway but even though this giveaway will take place on Instagram, this is no “like, share, and tag” situation. You are going to need to do some work in the real world to have a chance.
We are doing our first giveaway. This will not be easy. Yesterday I climbed Snowshoe Peak in MT. In the logbook on top of the mountain I signed my name and wrote something that has meaning to me. The first person that takes a picture of themselves on top of the mountain holding the logbook and posts what I wrote will get a Northman. Make sure you are in shape and have some mountaineering experience before attempting this. There could be consequences for failure. Good luck.
If you want a chance to get a Northman, which is an excellent knife that I highly recommend, you better start planning your trip.
You can find more details on the Amtac Blade Instagram page: @amtacblades
Bill Rapier recently posted the Amtac Shooting training schedule for 2020. If you are interested in training with Bill, you can check out the Upcoming Courses page on his website to see which courses are on his schedule. Once you are on the Upcoming Courses page, you click the individual course listings to learn more about the course and register.
