I’m not a knife guy. Well, I’m not one of those knife guys. I’m a man who can appreciate a good knife but isn’t going to wax poetically about folded steel katanas. With that in mind, I appreciate the idea of the fighting knife, both historic and modern. Modern fighting knives are very niche items and are more or less designed for extreme close-quarters combat and to create distance. That’s the purpose of the Halfbreed Blades CCK-02.
Halfbreed Blades is an Australian company that produces a variety of knives, including fixed and folders. This also included tomahawks and other fun things. Australia is the last level of real life, so I’m betting they appreciate a good knife. Admittedly Crocodile Dundee wouldn’t be quite so impressed with the CCK-02, but I sure am.
CCK-02 Specifications
The CCK-02 is a compact, fixed-blade knife with a 3.94-inch blade with an overall length of 7.79 inches. The blade .23 inches wide and .55 inches thick. It’s a big chunky boy. It weighs 6.45 ounces in total and features a retention finger hole at the back of the handle.
The blade features a tanto shape designed to capitalize on penetrating capability. Halfbreed blades added a Teflon finish to protect the blade, and a set of G10 inserts are attached to the grip.
The steel is a K110 D2. This is, unsurprisingly, an Australian steel. It’s an extremely high-quality steel that is tough and strong. It’s made to last and does a great job of resisting corrosion. The CCK-02 also capable of becoming razor sharp, and from the factory, it’s scary sharp.
Design and Purpose of the CCK-02
CCK stands for Compact Clearance Knife, and it falls into the same category as knives like the Benchmade SOCP and KA-BAR TBI. It’s designed for situations where you end up going hands-on unexpectedly. Maybe you’re a Marine at a checkpoint overseas, and someone lunges for your gun. This knife is close at hand and allows aid Marine to stab, slash and disconnect from the weapon grabber.
It creates clearance and space for your compatriots to aid you or for you to use a firearm. The CCK-02 is designed to be easily mounted to your belt or plate carrier and offers a rapid, easy-to-draw option for emergency melee combat.
In 2022 that’s the purpose of a bladed instrument. We aren’t clearing trenches and dealing with much hand-to-hand combat. We are shooting missiles at tanks that are under a bridge without damaging the bridge. Melee combat is rare and often a total surprise.
The CCK-02 is designed to be used in an ice pick grip, and the retention ring ensures a good and proper draw when entangled with somebody who needs stabbing. The big heavy blade with a tanto tip allows for deep penetration through wavy clothes or even light web gear. This isn’t the knife you use to open MREs but to open people.
The handle features a slight spur that identifies the side of the blade that is edged. Halfbreed calls this a live edge identifier, and it gives you tactile assurance of which side the blade sits on. The top of the ring features a slight concave to grant space for your thumb to help with downward force. Inside the ring is plenty of room to keep your finger from being jammed into the ring when you apply that downward force.
Sheath and Mounts
The Halfbreed CCK-02 comes with an injection-molded polymer sheath with two attachments. It comes with a MOLLE mount as well as a TEK LOK-style belt mount. The sheath offers passive retention that’s not exceptionally tight. I’d prefer the sheath to have a little more retention…but I’m not actually going to find myself at that checkpoint dealing with a local grabbing my rifle.
At least, I hope I’m not.
Slice and Dice
The Halfbreed CCK-02 is a cool knife that’s well-made, and as far as modern fighting knives go, it’s plenty practical. The Halfbreed Knives CCK-02 is not a cheap knife and certainly not practical for everyone. If you appreciate fighting knives like me, it’s one worth tossing in the collection.
