Field-Testing the ‘Operator’ Knife From Triarii Metalworks

by Greg Chabot

I’m a knife guy and make no bones about it. I’m always looking for unique designs that work in the real world. As a kid, I bought all the cool looking “flea market” special blades. And the woods near my boyhood home is filled with “Rambo” type knives that broke while trying to do a simple task. I recently was drawn to the Operator knife from Triarii Metalworks, due to the unique design of the handle. I tried it out, and here’s what I found.

A Little History in the Name.

The Triarii were the elite veteran Roman soldiers in the manipular legions during the early Roman republic. Forming the final reserve line, typically they were the most experienced and wealthiest soldiers, with high quality gear and weapons. Roman generals were known to utter a saying – Res ad triarios redisse, “It has come down to the Triarii” – when the situation was dire and the lines were about to break. 

READ MORE from Greg Chabot: Tortured, Shot, Stuffed in a Trunk: One Dead Cop Triggered a Day of Hate in Iraq

The present-day Triarii Metalworks was founded in 2012 by James R Lynch, a 29-year law enforcement officer with 24 years in SWAT. A lifelong martial arts practitioner, he first made this knife out of Derlin, an engineering thermoplastic, and used it while training in the Filipino martial art of Kali. He made design changes over the next two years before committing this knife to steel. A lot of time and sweat went into this knife design, and it shows.

Operator Specifications.

The knife is a drop tanto made from CPM-D2 steel with a Rockwell hardness of 60C. The blade is 0.180 inch thick with an overall length of 8.2 inches with and a grip area of 4.75 inches. The handle is black G10 scales. The blade and hardware are physical vapor deposition (PVD) coated for corrosion resistance. The sheath is made from black Kydex with a drain hole. That comes with an Utilclip 3.3 slim attachment point for mounting options. There were no defects in the blade’s grind, and it arrived razor sharp out of the box with no stropping required.

The handle as you’ll see in the pics fits perfectly in the pocket of your hand. A deep choil and jimping on the spine and pommel area provide excellent control in a forward and reverse grip. This is important, as 80 percent of the time you’ll hit bone on a human torso during the plunge. This can cause you to lose your grip or control of your knife. I found the ergonomics worked for large or small hands.

Testing

Since this is a defensive knife, I kept it simple. I soaked my hands in mineral oil to simulate blood. I practiced drawing it from concealment, and slashing and stabbing an old heavy bag. I had no issues with the knife slipping or moving around in my hand. The deep jimping and choil made controlling this blade very easy. The drop tanto penetrated deeply and easily through multiple layers of denim. The edge made some ghastly wounds during slashing attacks. I found the Operator easy to conceal under a tee shirt, and the clip allowed me various mounting options on clothing and my plate carrier.

I also used it in the woods to make firesticks and for other camp chores. It did well, granted you’ll have your work cut out using this knife to build a shelter. As stated earlier, this is a self-defense knife, not a survival blade. In a pinch it is better than nothing at all. 

I don’t recommend readers try this unless it is an extreme emergency! To test the durability of the tip, I used the Operator as a can opener which can and will wreck a knife, hence my warning. It worked with no harm to the tip; the blade held its edge with no damage from the cans. I was impressed with the PVD finish barely showing any wear after this test. 

Next, I immersed the Operator in salt water while at the beach. I didn’t oil it for a few days afterwards. No rust appeared on the blade or under the handle.

Final Thoughts

I have been enjoying my time carrying and training with this fine blade. It is a well thought out design made with quality materials. The attention to detail shows in the assembly and the grind. I have no buyer’s remorse. Would I trust my life with this knife? Yes. It is tough, keeps an edge, and is easy to control with oil-soaked hands or gloves. 

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the Operator is U.S. $189.99 USD, which is a bargain for a knife of this quality. For more information, visit them here.

Greg Chabot served in Iraq 2004-2005. He is a freelance writer living in New Hampshire. He frequently contributes to Soldier of Fortune.