A few weeks back, a mystery package arrived at my door from DLT Trading. A friend of mine had conspired with DLT’s owner, Jason Thoune, and arranged the delivery of a Hunter 3.5 from Goathead Knives. I wasn’t familiar with this brand at all. After playing around with this knife a bit, I’m definitely going to be checking out more of their lineup.
Goathead Knives Hunter 3.5
End to end, the Hunter 3.5 is 7.90 inches long. The MagnaCut blade is 3.75 inches, with a 3.5-inch cutting length. At the spine, the blade is 0.130-inch thick. There’s about 0.75 inches of jimping on the spine just ahead of the handle. The steel has a very nice stonewashed finish.
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It tips the scales at a very modest 3.77 ounces. There’s just enough weight in hand to let you know you’re holding something.
The Goathead Knives Hunter 3.5 is available in several different handle materials. Mine is Ironwood with a gunstock checkering pattern, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. The handle design is particularly outstanding. It’s very comfortable and really locks into the grip nicely.
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It comes with a Kydex sheath that’s equipped with an Ulti Clip. This clip can be easily removed via a couple of screws. Once the knife clicks into the sheath, it’s not going anywhere. The lockup is very solid.
It states on their website:
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At Goathead Knives, each blade is crafted entirely in-house — from design and machining, to heat treatment, finishing, and sharpening. This hands-on, connected approach ensures unmatched quality, consistency, and attention to detail in every knife that leaves the shop.
Hunter 3.5 Performance
I haven’t had the knife all that long, but thus far I’ve been impressed with it. The blade arrived shaving sharp and has held the edge quite well through some routine use. Just as important, it handles like a dream. The 3.5-inch cutting edge gives you plenty to work with without feeling awkward or clumsy when you’re in a tight spot.
Earlier today, I grabbed an old branch from the backyard and did some quick feather sticking, just for giggles. It was like the knife knew exactly where to go on the wood. It’s also opened and broken down numerous boxes without any issues.
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Something I like to check on any fixed blades I plan to carry into the field is whether the spine is sharp enough to scrape sparks from a ferrocerium rod. This isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker if it doesn’t, but it’s always a bonus if it does. It only took two passes with the spine on the ferro rod to light the tinder, which was awesome.
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All in all, I’ve been very pleased with the Hunter 3.5 from Goathead Knives. It’s quickly becoming a permanent fixture in my EDC rotation.
Who Needs This Knife?
If, like me, you lean toward a fixed blade for EDC, this is an excellent option. The Hunter 3.5 handles well and is easy to drop in a pocket at the start of the day. On top of stellar performance, it’s a great-looking knife, too.
DLT has a run of them that is available now. You can also go through Goathead Knives.
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