I have to admit – I’m a bit of a knife snob. I haven’t always been this way. There was a time when the only knife I really needed was a small pocket folder for fishing. Since then, I’ve learned enough to make me appreciate a well designed EDC made from quality materials. It’s not uncommon for me to carry a $100 or $200 knife. Enter the Milwaukee Fastback Camo Spring Assisted Knife. Does this $25 knife have a chance against my elitism?
Milwaukee Fastback Camo Materials and Design
Materials
This is usually the point in the review where I go into the design and materials. I’ll start with the materials. The blade is made of stainless steel coated in black oxide. The handle is covered in Realtree camo and feels like either a G10 or some other non-metal overmold covering the stainless liner lock. Milwaukee’s steel blend is proprietary, so we aren’t able to compare it on the RHC hardness scale or discuss edge retention.
Does that upset me? Nah, not really.
Here’s why – the Milwuakee Fastback Camo Knife was designed to work, not be a piece of art that’s afraid to get dirty. I can appreciate that. At $25, it can almost be considered a consumable for many users. I won’t use my favorite knives in the same places I’ll use the Fastback. So let’s move on to design.
Handle Design
I love, love, LOVE the look of the Realtree camo handle design. It looks great against the black oxide coated blade. The gentle curves of the handle back offers a comfortable fit in my hand. With the blade deployed, the front of the handle fits a forward grip very well. It’s a solid EDC design that has served many brands well.
The negative here is in the handle material. It’s slick. Jimping on the handle and liner lock help keep my hand from slipping, but it’s still more slick than I’d prefer.
Belt Clip Design
The wire frame clip can be moved from its original tip down carry position to a tip up position. It’s not left/right reversible though. Considering there’s really no defensive carry potential here, I’m not too worried about it. Remember, this knife is designed to go to work. The clip will keep it from falling out, but it’s on the weak side. I have a tendency to catch my knife clips on table corners, wall corners, banisters, and nearly anything else I get close to, so I will be bending it back in place frequently in my future.
Blade Design
The Milwaukee Fastback Camo has a partially serrated, Tanto blade design. People will argue until the sun goes down about smooth, serrated, and partially serrated blades. For my work, I want a partially serrated blade to handle both slicing and ripping duties on one blade. It’s just easier than carrying one of each.
The Tanto style tip angles the belly out from a drop point blade. The major benefit here is you get a tougher blade tip. Considering the abusive applications that the Milwaukee Fastback Camo is likely to find itself in, this was a great choice by the product manager.
Deployment
The Milwaukee Fastback Camo Spring Assisted Knife is… spring assisted. Shocking, I know. Compared to other mid to high end spring assists, it’s not as smooth. This can be attributed to the quality of the bearing used in more advanced knives. It’s far superior in deployment speed though. The action is strong and confident. Considering (again), the expected uses of this knife, debris that makes it around the blade pivot point and spring are going to have a hard time overcoming the strength of the assist. I’ll take it!
Parting Shots
Functionally, the Milwaukee Fastback Camo is a great knife for the jobsite, auto shops, and your garage at home. The blade design is versatile and tough. The handle is comfortable and ergonomic, though on the slick side.
A $25 price tag with a lifetime warranty makes this a no-brainer to have at your disposal when your pretty knives don’t want to get dirty. If you’re looking for a glorified letter opener to impress your friends, get something else. If you’re looking for something tough enough to work as hard as you do, get the Milwaukee Fastback Camo.
