One of the great things about the Hogue Deka is that, like other models, there’s no one-size-fits all approach here.
Just look at what WE Knife Company has done with the Banter and Baby Banter. Vox populi, as they say, has won the day.
And so, there is no single Hogue Deka that fans have to take or leave. Not that that would be a huge deal. It’s a great knife.
But Hogue hasn’t left the huddled masses cold. No, they’ve introduced a Deka that upgraded with a Wharncliffe-style blade (you might call it a sheepsfoot) and CPM MagnaCut steel.
This thing is refinement in the highest. Let’s take a look at what thing thing offers, starting with the blade.
At 7.5” overall, this Hogue Deka has a 3.25” blade of CPM MagnaCut steel. The blade has a lot going on so let’s pick it apart.
First, the jimping. In place of a thumb ramp, there’s like a “thumb plateau” (or maybe a thumb shelf?) that’s adequately jimped for a sure grip in the saber configuration.
That drops off to a spine that angles and then slopes forward to an aggressively tapered Wharncliffe (or again, sheepsfoot) point.
This makes the blade very point-strong, enabling rough detail work and carving (and God forbid, even prying) without fear of breaking the tip.
It also features a long belly with a slight angle at the midway point. There is a differential grind on this blade, enabling the user to keep two different edge profiles, one fine for detail work, the other slightly less aggressively honed, for scraping, chiseling, shaving, drawcuts, and other such work of that nature.
The blade steel is another big performer. It has healthy helpings of carbon, chromium, molydenum, vanadium, and even niobium, with a smidge of nitrogen.
All in all, thanks to its unique metallurgy that delivers high consistency in the steel’s microstructure and carbide distribution, it can take a wicked sharp edge, hold it, buck corrosion, and stand up to hard use.
This Hogue Deka, like others, is available in multiple colors, but the mainstay is a polymer handle that is lightweight, tough, and aggressively textured to afford a sure grip in effectively any conditions.
As for the lock, this Hogue Deka makes another mark. It’s called an “Able Lock,” but you can call it whatever you want – it’s an AXIS Lock.
These are extremely strong, extremely reliable, as close to fail-proof as any folding locks get, and what’s more, they keep your fingers out of the way of the blade when closing the knife.
But that’s still not all – there are other things you’ll like about it, like its dual thumbstuds and reversible tip-up deep carry pocket clip.
By now you’re probably wondering where you can get one or learn more about these Hogue knives.
Visit WhiteMountainKnives.com via the previous link. They carry the “wharnie” Hogue Deka and other Deka models, along with a huge catalog of other Hogue knives – all at great prices, and all eligible for free shipping.
