Mtech 151 Bowie (Trailmaster Clone) thoughts & mods..

Paid $30.00 shipped so I couldn't pass up the chance to judge for myself if its at least a decent large bowie.. I plan to do some vid's of it in use soon. So far this thing Really preforms - Never thought I'd say that about an M-Tech product........
I made a modification to the handle to hopefully improve performance in the long run. First thing I did was to pull out the brass grommet that acts as a lanyard loop & secures the kraton handle to the tang. I then slipped off the handle & cleaned the tang & inside the kraton with alcohol, added a thin layer of epoxy & fashioned a replacement grommet out of copper tube. After a lot of cursing, sanding, shaping & time I flared the ends of the tube & was happy with the results. Its Not perfect, but it would serve as a great camp/field knife if your on a budget.

[@powerplay4real174]

Absolutely good bargain blade and beater knife , especially for the price. ⚔️⚔️

[@jcarter855]

This one is still kicking, for the money it really surprised me. Hope you're doing well man!!!

[@84patking]

There are a bunch of these knives that have broken right at the crossguard (look at the amazon reviews). Looks to me like inconsistent quality, so you may get lucky with a copy. You get what you pay for. If you want to mod it, take that handle off and file some radiuses where the tang meets the blade, otherwise it will snap with heavy use (i.e. batoning).

[@ricev7071]

Oh also, Mine came with a straight blade but when I looked at the sharpened side, the entire flat grind was crooked, the sharpened edge actually twists but I'm able to keep it very sharp, I guess because I sharpen all my knives by hand.

[@jcarter855]

I don't even mind the slight bend on the blade anymore. The other one I just recently purchased came pretty much the same but at least that shows the heat treated them if nothing else. Sharpening by hand is definitely a skill most people don't practice anymore, I love to put a crazy sharp edge on everything myself. I'm still perfecting my technique but I get better every time as long as I take my time. I still love Cold Steel's Trailmaster but even at around $125 a piece for the trail master you could buy one of these & still have $100 for other kit. It's definitely one knife I've never regretted purchasing and actually don't mind using. Anyways, I sound like I work for mtech :D

[@ricev7071]

I have this knife and I was able to get it scary sharp. It's actually my sharpest knife but tie with my Kabar 1217. I like this knife, it works for me and I really don't get too rough on my knives and I don't baton at all. It's affordable but also a pretty solid knife if you use it for what it's meant for. People like to beat on their knife because it's cheap but of course it will break, because it's cheap!! Use it with care and it will last a very long time. But you can't expect a cheap knife to take on anything!!

[@jcarter855]

I completely agree with you sir. I put a convex edge on mine & I can hack through trees, not gigantic ones but decent sized with relative ease when camping or just walking through the woods. I have yet to encounter any edge damage even in cold weather It's a top-of-the-line knife for the price. I just recently purchased another one.

[@ricev7071]

I live in Winnipeg Canada and 1095 doesn't fare well in -40 temperatures and tend to break or snap off, but my MTech knives do great. I have the MTech MT-096 and it's a really great outdoors knife and I paid $14 Canadian for it through Amazon. There is a guy here on youtube who split a 6ft log with it. MTech makes great knives.

[@sixshootinparker3823]

440 steel will hold up to quite a bit of rough use. This knife is an excellent value and it can be used for bushcraft and it will hold up. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaTNlXefbrKtmK8 Check out barra650's comment.

[@jack5862]

Thanks for the info on the handle :)

[@jimboethefirst7418]

Like the one I have alot,,,they are good beater knives and holes its edge,,I do want a O1 Trailmaster ,,how's your knife holding up. Knice idea on the sheath I may need to do that to with CS .

[@RenaldM47]

I have 2 till I can afford the Cold Steel Trail Master. Nice Vid!

[@jcarter855]

These bowie's are underrated. I've yet to regret spending the money on it. I may even pick up a second one myself.. For the price of a TM you can buy 4 or 5 of these big choppers. Thank you Sir & glad you enjoyed ;)

[@romanstar7550]

josh i got these low dollar knives and really like all of them . i copied the exact names of each from amazon : - Tramontina 12" Machete with Wooden Handle : light duty machete and small sword . handles on small side and slippery . to me not for large hands , and handle has to be sanded to make finger grooves . but this is very useful and real good bargain . - Master Cutlery MX-8125BK 11" Fix Black Blade Black G10 Handle Nylon Sheath : full tang 3/16'' thick with grippy handle material and good enough blade guard factor , its hefty self defense / tactical knife . and sheaths very good imo . its a mtech xtreme knife even though amazon list it as master cutlery brand . metals 440C . - MTech USA Xtreme MX-8059TN Fixed Blade Tactical Knife, Two-Tone Half-Serrated Blade, Black/Tan Handle, 9-Inch Overall by MTECH USA XTREME : this is self defense item with full tang , a solid well made short knife with good quick draw sheath . this is a good self defense item for women because its light n quick with very serious sharp two sided edge . the sheath has a clip on back making it easy to mount on self or somewhere in car

[@jcarter855]

I'll look into them all Sir I'm not against saving money on a blade if its good quality & especially if I can use it guilt free ;) plus you can always give them to friends that show interest in our Passion as great starter's.

[@romanstar7550]

i got one but have not used it . but i can say that the sheath wont last long under use so you gotta make or buy a better one if for field use . for sitting in truck or around home for defense the sheaths fair enough . also can say its the best gripping knife ive found outta about 20 big knives tested past several years , great grippiness . blade guard very solid and good sized . perfectly balanced knife to be a balance between excellent field knife while still being agile enough as a self defense item . perfectly shaped blade and handle , perfect balance for an all around knife imo but everybodys built different so it obviously varies between users . ide never baton but for those that do this is a mix between good batoner plus good all around knife . this to me is the best knife design ive found . if i had to go afield ide pop the big coin for the coldsteeltrailmaster version of this so ide have faith in the metal . but for somebody using this on a part time basis or to have laying around as defense item its a no brainer to spend the 22 at amazon . wether it holds up under heavy use i cant say as of yet . note - im a male with medium sized hands and average size that doesnt like the larger handled knives . two that fit my hand are the ontario freedom fighter and sog jungle warrior . both rubber gripped like this mtech . there may be a long term issue with rubber drying out im not sure but for the now i'll take rubber grips . i also dont wear gloves . * excellent no non sense straight forward vid . ide do same with grip but ide drill another hole up towards guard for a second rivet to further protect against glue failure

[@jcarter855]

I agree with your philosophies. After epoxying the handle on and making a new rivet/lanyard from a copper tube the fitment is perfect. My mt151 is still going strong & it holds an edge surprisingly well. I don't abuse the blade in general, but sometimes I do hack vines the size of Arnold Schwarzenegger's forearms in one clean motion. I have battoned a couple times just to reassure my self that in the worst case scenario I could depend on her. All in all, I really like this Bowie & would not hesitate to pick up another. The sheath is a let down as always, but I found an old trailmaster leather sheath for a couple bucks.

[@HerbWalker]

I have one and it will pop hairs. Tough too!! Heck with a $200 knife

[@jcarter855]

+1