Update: The Strike Industries Hydra Blade is available now. You can get it through this affiliate link.
Strike Industries continues its impressive production of accessories and tools to help shooters and first responders get the job done. The newest addition is the Strike Industries Hydra Blade, from the company’s NADA knife series. The Hydra Blade is much more than just a knife, and really takes on the function of an emergency response multi-tool built around the knife concept. Currently, Strike Industries is accepting pre-orders for the versatile Hydra Blade.
There are many supporters and some detractors of Strike Industries, so the popularity of the Hydra Blade may very well come down to which side you fall on.
From our experience, the Strike Industries components and accessories have all been valuable additions to our firearms, gear, or tool kit, and I have recommended many of them here at BlueSheepdog. One of those is the Viper Enhanced Pistol Grip for the AR-series of rifles and pistols. Another of the company’s products I use is the Glock Grip Plug which I have installed on my personally owned Austrian handguns.
The new Strike Industries Hydra Blade is a multi-function tool.
Hydra Blade
The new Strike Industries Hydra Blade is designed around the popular folding knife pattern, but with the express intent of users avoiding “abusing” their knives for jobs that would best be accomplished by other tools. The Hydra Blade combines the functionality of a folding pocket knife, with the enhanced abilities of several key tools.
Strike Industries advertises the Hydra Blade being ideally suited to (10) unique job functions, making the Hydra Blade a very attractive on-duty or even off-duty multi-tool knife for police and other first responders. Some of these key first responder functions include:
- Razor knife
- Serrated knife
- Window break
- Seatbelt cutter
- Box cutter
- Screwdriver
- Bottle/can opener
- Wrench for nut sizes M2 through M4
- Wire stripper.
The Hydra Blade has several tools and functions tailored to first responders.
The folding blade is made from very respectable Japanese AUS-8 steel providing a good balance between strength and blade retention, with corrosion resistance and the ability to keep the blade sharp. The Hydra Blade is extended using a flipper design, that appears to be easily manipulated with the user’s forefinger. There is a liner lock mechanism to ensure the blade remains in place when at work, but is easily moved to the side to allow blade folding.
The measurement specifications are currently not listed by Strike Industries, but the blade appears to be 3.0 – 3.5 inches long. The overall length should be around 6.5 – 7.0 inches. The blade combines a razor edge tip with a serrated bevel for heavier work.
Textured G10 handles have the durability to survive the harsh use from first responders.
Complimenting the AUS-8 steel blade are nice G10 textured grip scales. G10 has been a huge success in knife making and other ventures. G10 is a high-pressure fiberglass laminate with proven qualities of durability and resistance to corrosion. In addition, the G10 scales of the Hydra Blade have been textured to provide outstanding grip without being too rough.
A reversible, tip-up pocket clip makes carrying the Hydra Blade easy and adaptable to both right and left-handed users. The pocket clip allows the Hydra Blade multi-tool to be carried like any other folding pocket knife, making it much more convenient than the larger tools.
The convenient pocket clip keeps the Hydra Blade comparable to other folding knives.
Features
- AUS-8 steel blade
- G10 textured grip
- Reversible pocket clip
- Flipper blade opening design
- Lanyard loop
- Thumb notch
- Liner locking mechanism
- MSRP: $59.95
Multi-Tools
- Razor knife-edge for normal cutting
- Serrated blade for heavy cutting
- Window break lanyard loop
- Serrated seatbelt cutter
- Box-cutter blade tip edge
- Standard screw driver
- Bottle/can opener
- Wire stripper
- Fire starter
Included in the Package
- One Hydra Blade multi-tool
- One Pocket Clip
- One Set of Three Screws
The Hydra Blade’s folding blade has several functions and keeps this tool nice and compact.
Final Thoughts
The Strike Industries Hydra Blade appears to be an impressive and compact multi-tool. The design is based around a fairly standard folding knife but is made with an outstanding AUS-8 steel blade and G10 handles. What I really like about the potential of the Hydra Blade, is its portability. Unlike many multi-tools that are cumbersome and require their own carrying case, the Hydra Blade can be secured in a pocket just like an ordinary folding knife.
Currently, the Hydra Blade is in pre-order status, so I have not had the chance to put this multi-tool knife to the works. However, the Hydra Blade looks intriguing enough to me that I placed a pre-order. I’ll let you know how they Hydra Blade works out after it arrives.
Where to Buy
If you are interested in purchasing the Browning Pandemonium, the following links will take you to trusted sources:
Optics Planet offers the best price and free shipping
Amazon’s price is very close and offers an excellent return policy
While they are the most expensive, Knife Country USA does offer free shipping
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