As I unwrapped the knife, I noticed Lynn had attached one of the TEK-LOKs to the sheath. I had until this time, forgotten our discussion about the TEK-LOK and was glad HE remembered! The TEK-LOK is an excellent option for a Kydex sheath. In addition to allowing the sheath to be changed to almost any carry position it adjusts to hold on any belt size. I especially like the fact that it spaces the sheath away from belt just far enough to clear my "love handle". This is very important to me considering the point on the Marksman! Lynn makes his Kydex sheaths as small as possible to hold the knife and change carry positions. There is no extra material on the sheath anywhere. The Marksman’s sheath holds the knife very securely and exposes a maximum amount of the handle.
My first thought as I drew the knife from the sheath was, damn, look at the point on this thing!! I had to feel the point with my finger and yes it was as sharp as it looked. I then passed the blade over a spot on my arm that has some hair left on it.... Scary!!!!
The Marksman measures 8 3/4" long and has a 4 1/4" blade. Its made of 5/32 thick ATS-34. I ordered mine with the red G10 handle material and it looks great against the bead blasted finish of the steel. The blade is a Wharncliffe style with a perfectly straight edge. The spine makes a gentle curve to an incredible sharp point! The handle on my Marksman is about the most comfortable one I have ever held. I have BIG hands and it fits me very well. The finger notch is just right and indexes the knife quickly in the hand. The spine has about a half inch of thumb serration’s that are done perfectly also. After putting my Griffith Sniper though hell, I know Lynn has his ATS-34 heat treating down to a science.
As far as quality, the Marksman is top notch. The plunge lines are dead even, the handle is glued and pinned without a hint of a gap anywhere. The point is perfectly centered inline with the tang. The G10 is finished so evenly on both sides, the layers look like a symmetrical topographic map! The bead blast finish is consistent over the entire knife. As a knifemaker myself, I know the "problem areas" to look at. I couldn’t find a single thing that wasn’t perfect! At this point I would like to say that I’ll have a follow up review to go into the performance of the knife……
It has been said before and I WILL say it again, Lynn is a pleasure to do business with. He KNOW knives and takes the time to answer questions about his knives. His designs are well thought out and the quality is outstanding.
Neil