I have been wanting to do this series for many years but never had
enough time to pursue it. This series of midtechs will be called the
Jack after the Recon Jack of all Trades. All of midetchs are designed by
me, parts are CNC machined, I will then examine, do the final fit and
finish on each knife. The theme of the Jack series is down to earth
tactical and defensive edge tools. I will be using the best materials
for this series.
The first one being introduced is a knife that I designed about 25 years
ago when I was in 4th Recon. During that time I experimented with a
variety of knives that I made and settled in on this design. It is a
6.25" 1/4" thick CPM-M4 with Cerakote blade.
A 3 piece G-10 handle, the
middle being red which represents the USMC blood stripe. Textured G-10,
3D contoured for a comfortable and positive grip. The sheath is the
Hogue Elishewitz sheath, IMO one of the best nylon sheath on the market
and MOLLE compatible. The handle has 4 hidden 1/4" hardened pins and
structural adhesive as fasteners; with this construction the user does
not come in contact with the blade if it touches a hot wire.
All the
Jack series knives will have the "Jack Of All Trades" logo on the blade to differentiate from my custom knives.
There are lots
of hidden meanings behind this design and there isn't one official JOAT.
Most of the Jacks being used are very similar to this one: Here is a
complete description I found on a Facebook page called USMC Recon Jack:
"the Recon Jack represents Recon Marines being the "jack of all
trades." the gold wings, weather half or full wing span, stand for
Recon Marines jump capability (to include static line, HALO and HAHO).
The diver or "frogman" represents the combat dive capability, this is
also sometimes represented by the diver rebreather worn by the skull
(this image is most commonly seen in the Force Recon Jack). To
represent the history of Recon Marines using small rubber boats AKA
CRRC or Zodiac, the wooden paddle used. The paddle today hold a very
special mean among Recon Marines, to be given one is a high honor. the
Ka-bar Fighting knife again represents the history of Recon Marines
being Swift, Silent and Deadly killers, using close and quite means to
take out their enemy. the skull or "Roger's Skull" taken from the image
of pirate flags, has on its forehead 3 bullet holes and a crack, each
with its own meaning. The bullet holes stand for "Pain, Suffering and
Agony." The crack in the skull stands for "Perseverance," because not
even a cracked skull can stop a Recon Marine from completing his
mission. In some Recon Jack images you may see on the top of the skull a
torch, flame and wing, this is the logo of the Path Finder, a skill
that is not what you may think, its the skill to be able to find and
mark landing areas for para Ops, not a common image among most jacks but
still one that is out there. On to the Path Finder torch is a single
wing, that of the Greek messenger God Hermes, who wore the wings on his
shoes to give him speed. It is simply part for the Path Finder badge
but I see it as this; a Recon Marines main Mission is to deliver
information back to the commander faster and more accurate than any
other means, so you can see why the connection to Hermes is
appropriate."
I believe that the meaning behind the Jack plays true to all the
tactical guys that need to cross train in many discipline in order to be
complete in today's society. I hope you enjoy the series!
This first series is now available in limited quantities in tan, green and black. The price is $450 including Priority Mail shipping in the USA (Additional cost applies to overseas shipping).
Contact me by
email if you are interested in one of the midtechs: allen@elishewitzknives.com
