A Beta Testers Review Of The New HR-17

I’m known as a “knife guy”. I come from a long line of “knife guys”. Growing up in a rural setting, I was raised that if I wasn’t in school or church than I better have my knife on me. So the knife that I trust to carry day in and day out is a big deal.

Now, I tell you this to give you some context to help you understand how serious I am when I say that the newest foldable knife from Hoffman Richter has completely replaced my old EDC knife…

If you knew me, then you would know that is huge!

I had used their old knife, the HR-15, in the past and it did the job. But it never really got there for me. So when they asked me to beta test their newest knife, the HR-17, I honestly didn’t expect much. In fact, I actually carried it and my regular EDC knife for the first couple of weeks.

However, I just have to say… The HR-17 won me over. It is the real deal.

For starters is really is the perfect weight for a foldable knife. At just over half a pound, it’s light enough to throw in my pocket while still having the impact and durability that is so important.

Next, and this goes hand in hand with its weight, is how durable it proved to be. I had this knife in my possession for a little over a year and as of writing this, it has no rattle or give and no chips in the blade.

It’s solid and well made. A knife you can count on when you need it most.

It’s made out of titanium coated 440C stainless steel which ensure that it keeps it’s edge longer while being nearly indestructible. I put this knife through the ringer and it never missed a beat. I dropped it, threw it, hammered on it… Hell, I even drove over it a few times trying to break it and honestly, it never let me down. It still opens clean and is almost as sharp as the day I got it.

The HR-17 is nothing short of a workhorse.

Now let me talk about its spring action for a minute. I used to hate spring action knives. Somehow they just always felt like cheating to me, but to their credit, the HR-15 was the first knife that I actually grew to like it on… Well, the HR-17 blows the 15 away.

The spring action is stiffer without being cumbersome. I never have to worry about it accidentally opening up in my pocket or pack. Yet with a firm press of my index finger it is ready to use, and let me tell you, it opens up quick. The fastest I’ve ever used to be exact.

Finally, I’ll tell you about the most drastic change on this knife and the real reason that it is my go-to every day carry for both defense and utility. I’m referring to it’s modified tanto blade. As far as I’m concerned the snub-nosed feature of the tanto blade is the pinnacle of foldable knives.

A tanto blade really gives your knife two key advantages over a regular fine tip knife. Strength and durability. The HR-17 has some serious puncturing strength behind it and is one of the most effective knives I have ever used. I even used it as a chisel a few times while hammering on the butt of it. It’s nothing short of impressive. All while never worrying about the blade breaking or chipping off.

In all honesty, I expect to see more and more companies move to a tanto blade in the near future as it is truly superior to the fine tip knives that have been so common in the past.

As you can see, I was as skeptical as they come when I was asked to beta test the new HR-17. In truth, I planned to only use it a couple and times and then toss it in a drawer somewhere never to be seen again. However, after every use, It just kept impressing me more and more and now I can't imagine trusting a different knife.

The HR-17 is my EDC knife of choice.