Jack Wolf Knives Javelina Jack Review by Bryan
February 5, 2023
New to Blue Creek Knives is the Javelina Jack. This amazing new design from Ben Belkin of Jack Wolf Knives drops on 2/17/23 at 2 PM Eastern time. Sign up for the in-stock alert here. I'm a HUGE fan of JWK and a dealer so obviously take my opinion with a grain of salt. With that said, this is my second favorite model. My favorite is still the Midnight Jack, but the Javelina Jack is very close second.
Outside the Factory Specs: Edge, Blade Steel, and Sharpness
The Javelina Jack features a striking clip point blade that came in at 10 thou behind the edge. The Javelina Jack came razor sharp out of the tube at 146 on the Bess meter. Ben chose 0.12" CPM S90V for the blade stock that is 2.83" long. S90V is extremely popular lately as it's edge retention and corrosion resistance are exceptional, however it's a bit tougher to sharpen than other premium steels. I'm rating the pull as a 7.5/10.
Behind the Pattern: How the Javelina Differs from the Traditional Pattern.
The Javelina Jack is based on the traditional sowbelly #39 pattern. Most of the sowbelly knives I've owned are 3 blade knives. I like the simplicity of this version. I generally only have use for 2 knife blades on any given day. I always carry a larger modern in the right pocket and smaller traditional knife in the left. Always in a slip. But, the clip point does have a practical use for a vast majority of EDC enthusiasts. Traditionally, the clip point is useful for piercing animal skin to process (in this case) small game like squirrel, rabbit, and bird. And, of course the clip point is very beneficial for self defense.
The Covers
The Britany Blue Camo Carbon is my favorite of the cover options, however the lighter natural canvas micarta is very eye catching and probably the best micarta I've seen from JWK. The contrast between the lighter micarta and the bead blasted titanium really pops on this run. Listening to the talk around the community, I believe the Dark Matter Green will be the most popular and probably sell out the quickest.
The Specs
- Intergral Bolsters & Liners: 6AL/4V Bead Blasted Titanium
- Hardware: Polished Titanium Torx
- Blade Steel: Crucible S90V
- Closed Length: 3.78" (96 mm)
- Blade Length: 2.83" (72 mm)
- Cutting Edge: 2.6" (66 mm)
- Blade Stock: 0.12" (3 mm)
- Weight: 2.3 oz (66 gm)
- Knife Made in: China
- Tube Artwork: Sean Tiffany
Overall Impressions
As a dealer, I get knives a little ahead of time to photograph, write product descriptions, and test out. After 4 straight days of carrying the Javelina Jack I truly enjoy this for my mainstay left pocket traditional pocket knife carry. I've opened boxes, cut cardboard, sliced steak, cut drop ceiling, and even scraped caulk from around an old toilet with it. It performed very well in my informal tests. The edge retention was fantastic and the walk and talk were unchanged even with a bit of ceiling tile dust in the joint. I of course cleaned it afterward with Knife Shield and then oiled it with KPL regular weight.
Rating
I give the Javelina Jack a 9 out of 10 for me. Check out the announcement here.
Low Drag Jacks: Only a few remain! Get yours.
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Bryan