Description
The AK 5.5... All you need in a knife, and nothing you don't.
Build your own AK 5.5 Knife Here.
The journey toward the AK Knife Series began years ago (about 2009). I was mowing one day and thinking about knives (as you can imagine, I frequently do) and thought, "If I were to design an outdoor knife for bushcraft, general field use and survival, what would it be?" It was then that the AK blade design was conceived, and after having been on paper for years it has now moved from paper to production. -- Dale
The AK Series of knives are part of our exclusive ARCHITECT® brand, and the blades are manufactured by TOPS Knives.
The blade and handle have an unconditional lifetime warranty. Prevention of rust comes under normal knife maintenance.
The 5.5" blade length of the AK 5.5 falls in what many would consider the "sweet spot" for a general purpose outdoor knife. The primary focus of the design is to provide versatility without sacrificing performance. The near centerline drop point tip allows the knife to perform well for piercing tasks, bushcraft tasks such as drilling and large game break-down and skinning. The high saber grind allows the blade to do an excellent job for slicing chores and bushcraft tasks such as batoning wood and other woodcraft tasks. The ample "belly" is excellent for slicing chores and skinning of large game. The thumb jimping provides a traction area when more downward force is needed and gives better blade control. The tang is skeletonized to reduce weight and provide perfect balance at the index finger position. The jimped "crusher" pommel is very effective when blunt force is needed. A lanyard hole is provided for use if desired. The 5/32" thick blade is stout enough for the toughest of tasks, yet the knife is light enough to easily carry. The 1095 steel is expertly differentially heat treated by TOPS Knives giving you an excellent balance between toughness and edge holding ability. The blade machining and finishing are top notch and what you would expect to see on knives costing much more. The steel is coated with a clear Cerakote Ceramic protective finish.
This blade matched with our Architect® handle kit provides you with a premium knife without a premium price, giving you real value.
The AK 5.5 is our first offering of many in the Architect® Knives brand.
After contacting ESEE Knives, we based the perimeter profile for the AK 5.5/6.5 handle on the ESEE-5/6 series knives, providing for cross-compatibility.
A matching handle kit MUST be purchased with a blade only product.