- a Bob Terzuola-design
Today's review deals with a knife that is not new to the market. On the contrary, the Maximo from Italian MKM - Maniago Knife Makers has been in production for around two years. Late shall the sinner awaken, as the saying goes. But in that case, interest in (another) Terzuola design grew until it had to be quelled.
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| MKM Maximo |
Some are famous, some are legends and then we have Bob Terzuola. That might be exaggerating, but not by much. This man has been around for a long time and is sometimes called "The Godfather of Tactical Knives". He may not have been the only one to invent the concept, but he was early on and made many famous models thus shaping the genre. His custom knives require a lot of money and therefore it is sympathetic that he frequently collaborates with different brands. In this case with MKM.
Now, this is not their first collaboration. First up was a model called Clap. These two knives are similar. But what made me choose the Maximo was simply that it is slightly larger.
Like many of MKM's models, Maximo is available in several versions. It can be had in an all-metal version with a titanium handle. Furthermore, Maximo is available in natural, green, and black titanium. In addition, there are variants with a presentation side in Micarta in a couple of shades and, as here, with carbon fiber.
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| Another collaboration between Italian MKM and Mr Bob Terzuola |
Short version: MKM Maximo, a well-built knife and a quintessential Terzuola design for those who want a knife by him that does not cost an arm and a leg.
Blade
Maximo has a very typical drop-point blade with a distinct swedge which, by the way, makes it look a bit like a spear point with an almost dagger-like expression. The remaining part of the blade spine is rounded, which gives a hint as to which company is behind the manufacture as it is one of their hallmarks. There are also a series of grooves intended to provide a better grip for the fingers.
The finish is a very well-executed stone wash which is then polished. MKM's logo is found on the front and Terzuola's is on the opposite side.
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| The Maximo has a sturdy drop-point blade |
In this knife, you find a well-known steel, Böhler M390 with a hardness of 58-60 HRC. If it leans towards 58, it's too low. To take advantage of the properties of this steel, it should be harder.
M390 can get really sharp and the factory edge was actually decent. Not the sharpest, or rather it's the amount of steel behind the edge that makes it feel less sharp when cutting certain materials.
The knife has a high flat grind ending in a rather obtuse edge. As can be seen, it is not wide and the blade is a full 0.8 mm thick behind it. That's not good for a folding knife. Durable yes, cuts well...no.
That the steel is resistant to rust can be confirmed. I had an incident where I dropped the knife at work, and it lay outside for a week. I thought it was lost for good until a colleague found it and asked "Is this yours?" Man, was I happy! The only small surface rust that occurred was on the blade around the pivot screw.
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| The M390 steel blade has a very robust edge |
The blade geometry is of course noticeable when you use the knife. The tip is also very durable, and quite robust but for that reason not very sharp. Good for penetrating thicker and harder materials but not for delicate tasks. In other words, no operations on yourself such as removing splinters or puncturing blisters. It is more for cutting into plastic cans or the like.
The same can be said about the edge. If you try to cut apples with this edge, it feels more like pushing a wedge through it. But it copes with all tasks such as handling tough plastic, cable ties, cardboard, rope, etc. efficiently. It's just not the best at anything. Here, they have undoubtedly chosen to prioritize durability over the ability to cut well.
The prefix "tactical" in the expression tactical knives shines through in other words.
Handle
The handle is characterized by two things, firstly it has something vaguely Terzuolaian about it even though it lacks the two "steps" that often recur in his knives, and in this version, it has two different materials. This means a presentation side in high-class carbon fiber and a lock side in titanium.
What binds the two sides together and makes me get over my aversion to knives with one material per side is that they used the pattern to bind the knife together. Both sides have a front, bolster-like part that is smooth while the rest of the handle has a distinctive square "frag pattern".
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| The handle shape is simple but functional |
The carbon fiber is top class and, like the entire knife, it is finely beveled, polished, and patterned. You can tell a lot of machining time has gone into this knife. Sometimes I wonder if it hasn't been exaggerated.
The lock side is made of 5 Ti6AI4V titanium and treated the same as the carbon fiber. It is also lightened on the inside.
The time spent is further proven by the fact that the pivot screw has a decorative collar and the screws that hold the knife together are pulled from one direction. They are two in number and the size is T6. They are screwed through a titanium back spacer which is also softly rounded and polished like everything else on this knife.
The handle also has a substantial lanyard hole. It can easily take a 550 paracord.
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| One side in carbon fiber and the other in titanium connected with a back spacer, also in titanium by the way |
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| The knife arrived with a glass breaker installed. Fortunately, both a tool and a screw are included to replace it |
For some strange reason, unknown to me, MKM insists on fitting a glass breaker to this knife. It may be one of the knife world's most overrated additions to a knife handle. Thankfully, the knife comes with a tool to remove and replace it with an included standard screw. It was done within the first ten minutes of unpacking the knife. That kind of tip is not nice to slap your hand into when the knife is in your pocket.
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| Maximo is very comfortable in hand and also ergonomic enough to work with |
The ergonomics of this knife are actually more than decent. The handle feels full and fits the hand well. This is best illustrated by how well the rounded back of the handle follows the inside of the hand. If the knife is gripped really hard and for a long time, the clip is felt against the hand, as is so often the case. But it mainly applies in a hammer grip. On the other hand, it is what you use if you put a little force behind the cuts. If the knife is used in a saber grip with a thumb on the back of the blade, the clip disappears into the hand instead and causes no problems.
But that grip is mainly used if you perform lighter tasks with cutting movements and it is not the blade's main merit as previously mentioned. So it's a bit of a contradiction.
Opening and Lock
Maximo is modern and trendy in one area, it can be opened in more ways than one. In this case, by double-sided thumb studs or a flipper tab. I would have liked to see MKM decide on one method. Both options would have worked well if the knife was tuned for one or the other. I would have preferred if they kept the thumb studs and scrapped the shark fin on the back.
The thumb studs are very functional. The shape works and they are found in the right place both in terms of reaching them when the knife is to be opened and so that they are out of the way when the knife is used. They are also shaped so that they are not nasty to the thumb. The traction is good enough so you don't slip. No objections there.
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| The thumb studs on this knife are good, the question is, do you need another method of opening? |
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| The flipper tab works if you learn how to use it but it is not intuitive |
The flipper tab, on the other hand, has a couple of disadvantages. Mainly that the finish might be too "nice". It is polished and has no grooves, which makes it slippery. I have missed on many occasions. If you want to be sure to get the blade out, you must not act intuitively, but deliberately run your finger along the front of the handle and then straight back. But even then you may slip. Especially if your fingers are cold and you lack that exact dexterity.
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| The function is good but the lock bar is difficult to get to. Some of it is visible, but like the flipper tab, it is slippery due to otherwise fine processing |
The lock type is unsurprising given how the knife is built. This knife comes with a classic frame lock. A sort that it's actually been a while since I reviewed. What is trending at the moment are mainly Button Locks and various variants of Cross Bar Locks.
However, this is a strong titanium frame lock with all the "accessories". By that I mean an overtravel stop and a steel lock bar insert. The latter fulfills the dual function of reducing wear and preventing "lock stick", meaning that the titanium in the lock bar "sticks" to the steel in the blade and makes the lock tricky to release.
The functionality of this lock is simply very pleasing. There is no play in the blade in any direction. Nor does the blade slide if it is subjected to pressure or light blows from the wrong direction, i.e. on the spine of the blade. Part of the explanation for the solid feel is probably also what hurts the opening. The lock bar is very strong and the ball that holds the blade in place is steel and very small. Maybe something should be adjusted here. Like less tension on the lock bar and a larger diameter ball.
Unfortunately, the lock is not easy to disengage. The explanations are mainly what was mentioned above, but also that the lock bar, just like the flipper tab, is polished and therefore slippery. Here MKM should have provided it with some kind of pattern.
To Carry
Maximo is a compact knife and something about the look makes it look and feel heavier than it is. The actual weight is 120 grams which is neither extremely heavy nor super light. In addition, the knife is well-balanced. The center of gravity is found just behind the finger guard.
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| The clip is attached to the back end of the handle |
The handle length is 11.4 cm with the glass breaker removed. With that out of the way, the knife is quite well-rounded, making it easy to draw and almost as easy to return to the pocket.
What is felt most when the knife is carried is the thickness, which is 12.3 mm. In other words, Maximo is a bit chubby, but that is what contributes to the knife feeling good in the hand.
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| Very little of the knife is visible when carried in a pocket |
The clip is of the deep-ride type variety and is made of steel. It's not the strongest, so when provoked there is a slight sideways movement, but not so much that it poses a practical problem except for those who are OCD oriented. Although it is attached to the rear end of the handle, it cannot be shifted due to the shape. The latter, of course, gives a cleaner appearance with fewer holes in the handle.
The tension is adequate and the ramp is large enough to defeat most pocket edges. The appearance is nothing extraordinary but fits well with the rest of the knife's theme.
To Conclude
As in all spheres of interest, there are trends in the world of knives. If we focus on folding knives, it can be about things like handle material, blade steel, and last but not least, lock type. Maximo is a knife that breaks with most of the prevailing ones at the time of writing.
The choice of titanium is solid but not very hip compared to Ultem or anything else modern, M390 is still extremely good steel but not unique and a frame lock is downright outdated compared to a button lock or preferably a crossbar lock. The last two seem to dominate knives produced now.
Another trend or rather movement is to make more folding knives more "slicey". This means knives that really cut well and, above all, with ease. This is achieved with thinner blades, adapted geometry, and less steel behind the edge.
Terzuola seems to have missed that memo. Maximo is a knife that has a sturdy blade and plenty of material everywhere, also behind the edge.
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| Maximo is a good EDC knife if you want something compact and robust |
This is not the only knife on the market with these characteristics, but it also applies to several classic models within the genre. Benchmade's old AFCK, Spyderco's Starmate, and Al Mar's S.E.R.E just to name a few. But they all have in common that they are basically old models, unlike the Maximo. However, the unifying factor that permeates Terzuola's knives is durability. Overall, the Maximo is a knife that feels extremely sturdy even though it is not huge.
Thus, this is not the world's best knife for all tasks. But it's still a competent knife and it's extremely solid. It is also characterized by Terzuola's distinctive design language.
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| MKM Maximo - a quintessential Terzuola experience |
The Maximo can also be said to be a well-built knife. It feels like a Mercedes from the eighties if that tells you anything. A tank is otherwise usually a common simile. Everything is beveled, and ground, and the whole knife feels luxurious. Maybe a little too much in some cases as pointed out.
But overall, this is a very nice knife for those who like Bob Terzuola's knives and are looking for MKM's build quality
Specifications:
Length Overall: 197 mm
Length Folded: 114 mm
Weight: 120 g (Weighed by me, stated 120 g)
Blade Length: 82 mm
Blade Thickness: 4 mm
Blade Steel: Böhler M390, 58-60 HRC
Handle: kolfiber
Lock: Fram Lock
Produced by: Maniago Knife Makers, made in Italy
/ J - Terzuolafied
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