This is cool. I am a big fan of the knives that James Williams has designed and my daily carry both CONUS and OCONUS is his Hissatsu folder. But the Otanashi noh Ken knife looks like an excellent upgrade.
The big differences is that this knife is slightly longer, the body is thinner, the clip is moved further towards the end of the folder, and the thing is designed to be quietly opened. The name of the knife describes exactly what this blade is all about–Silent Sword.
As to it’s availability, who knows? It was supposed to start selling in January and yet it still says ‘coming soon’ on CRKT’s website. I am sure all of the usual sellers will have these ready to buy soon. Either way, this is a knife that I would like to get my hands on. –Matt
Otanashi noh Ken – Designed by James Williams
As a veteran and current martial arts practitioner/instructor, James Williams knows cutlery—especially the tactical variety. So, it’s no surprise that his Hissatsu™ knife designs have quickly become mainstays within the military Special Forces and tactical Law Enforcement communities across the globe.
Whether a folding or fixed blade knife variation, these are focused, single-purpose knives, for use in close quarters battle (CQB) environments, either as a primary or a secondary weapon to augment the handgun in the hands of well-trained professionals.
The Otanashi noh Ken™ was designed by James Williams per a request from SOCOM for a larger, thinner, folding combat knife that was easy to carry and conceal.