Bear OPS Incognito Knife

Most of us don’t think twice about strapping a gun on every morning, but many of us are guilty of leaving the knife that was next to it on the dresser as we walk out the door.  It’s pretty strange if you ask me, I mean we prepare for an encounter with the scum of the earth but not for their Satanic offspring, clamshell packaging. I kid, I kid…no I do not, those things are awful. Have you ever been cut open by jagged plastic? It hurts more than watching some Fudd teach his wife a cup and saucer grip on a pink snubnose revolver.

Odds are you will use a knife far more than you will use your gun (God willing), so it pays to carry one every day. The reason we fight it so much is because we swear the extra bulk is uncomfortable or that it simply does not go with our outfit. Meet the Bear OPS Incognito AC-800-CF-S. You’ll like it because it’s lightweight and slim; I like it because it’s politically incorrect! The new knife is an addition to Bear & Sons’ Incognito line, and the moniker is pretty easy to understand.

Like the others, this one is built not only to be effortless to carry, but also to look like nothing more than a pen when it is clipped to a pocket. Said clip holds the knife very low so as not to give away what is really hiding in your pant or shirt pocket. When the time comes to use it, the 2.5” blade is deployed by Bear & Sons’ signature Bold Action that automatically releases and locks the blade with the push of a button.

On first inspection it passed the “Mediterranean Arm-Hair Test” as I checked the initial sharpness of the edge. If I had facial hair at the time I would have seen if it passes level 2 of my testing protocol… don’t ask about level three. The triangular-shaped tapered blade is the brain child of master knife maker Steve Jernigan and made a lot of sense for this project. As the Incognito is designed to be slim, there is not much to hold onto. Thus, this blade lends itself better to a stabbing action which makes more use of your thumb and the heel of your hand than your grasp itself. The overall aesthetics were breathtaking, as they melded satin-finished carbon-fiber panels with brilliantly reflective stainless steel.

As for the size, I found it perfect to pack just about anywhere on my person, including a shirt pocket. This was the eye-opener for me, because it is not typical to find a knife this size that fits and looks good up there, so it certainly becomes an option for when I’m wearing a suit or other formal attire. With everyday jeans I was able to put it in the “fifth pocket” without it looking suspicious as well. Tip-down carry on an automatic might make some a little wary, but the release does indeed take significant pressure to deploy the blade. Likewise it is located on the lower portion of the curved handle, eliminating the baseline pressure associated with pressing anything against your body.

During my two-week evaluation I didn’t have a single accidental deployment, so that’s good enough for me to call safe.

Another feature that I appreciated was the use of Torx screws to hold it all together. It might seem trivial, but using these as opposed to Phillips allows for far tighter lockup, because you can really wrench these down without fear of stripping them. Knives get banged around all day and a little bit of play can make for a sloppy and even dangerous blade in no time. I also liked the placement of the serrations around the handle and found these to be well thought out, as they hit my hand exactly where I would want for a knife this size. The biggest issue that I had with the AC-800-CF-S is that it was made to be small enough to hide anywhere; but it’s stylish enough that I want to show off.

For more information check out /www.bearandsoncutlery.com