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The Turtle Man Lightnin' is more than just a gimmicky TV tie in.

Did you ever come across a knife that exceeded all of your expectations? I just did! It is the Turtle Man TM002 Lightin' hunter.

Quite frankly, I hope SMKW has brains enough to offer this same knife in one of their house brands and not let it disappear.

It is no secret that I'm a fan of Turtle Man but it is also no secret that of the knives SMKW made in Turtle Man series, I passed on the Iconic Thunder and all the other knives because they were made of 420.

Why did I not pass on this one? This knife was made with 440C Stainless which is a better grade of steel. Is there better steel out there? Sure but not in $20 knife. What really grabbed me was the overall style and shape of the knife, especially the blade.

With a blade that is just under five inches, I saw it as the perfect size for a camping/backpacking knife. The slight re-curve to the blade near the handle makes it great for cutting line and stripping bark of of tree branches and even for the occasional lopping of branches. At the same time the swell of the blade as it approaches the tip makes it great for cutting chopping and slicing. Also, the cut out on the spine allows for better thumb and finger positioning for detail work. All in all, I saw the blade and said I want that knife! It was exactly what I want to see in a camp knife.

The handle is pakka wood. If you're not sure what pakkawood is, let me enlighten you. It is hard wood veneers and phenolic resins that have been bonded together under heat and pressure. It doesn't shrink, it doesn't fade, it doesn't chip. It is waterproof. It is basically a wood version of Micarta! As you can see from the photos, the knife has a wonderful palm swell which allows for a excellent, comfortable grip. The handle also has a nice lanyard hole that is made with a hollow pin.

But what really surprised me was the absolutely flawless finish on the knife. Everything fits completely flush. The pakkawood grips, the nickel-silver guard and pins, the blade tang are all absolutely flush! The finish puts my Case Ridgeback Skinner with rosewood handles to shame and that Case is has a really nice finish!

(The Case Ridgeback Skinner and the Turtle Man. Lightnin' The Skinner cost two-three times as much but has a poorer finish and steel of a slightly lesser quality! The main reason for the price difference is one knife is made by W. R. Case & Son and the other is made in China by SMKW.)

The sheath is made of nylon with leather reinforcements and and plastic sleeve. It has a very wide belt loop that would fit an Army web belt with ease. (It also has a single loop on the back that could be used for horizontal carry but you would probably need to add another loop.)

As you can see the blade has a Turtle Man etch on it. It is a very deep etch that isn't going to rub off with simple polishing. However, it isn't so deep that it will cause issues with blade integrity.

At the end of the day, however, the blade etch, of no consequence. SMKW list this knife as the Lightnin' Hunter Stunt Double but in fact it is one heck of a great camp knife made with a good all around steel, very functional styling and excellent workmanship. I think I have a new favorite camping & hiking partner!

Turtle Man Lightnin’ Hunter

Model Number: TM002
Manufactured: China
Overall Length: 8 7/8 in
Blade Steel: 440C Stainless steel
Blade: Clip, modified
Length: 4 ½ inches
Thickness: 1/8 inch
Width: 1 1/8 in
Handle Material : Pakkawood
Bolster: Nickel Silver
Pins: Nickel Silver
Sheath: Nylon, plastic lined, leather reinforcements

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Replies to This Discussion

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Robert Burris on August 13, 2013 at 12:39

Thanks Tobias for the review. That 440C is one of my favorite stainless steels. The handle and hilt look like a Loveless design. I have a custom from AG Russell with that handle, real sweet. I'm a Tuttle Man fan also, for the main reason is a poor man has made good. Honestly too. I hope his shows last a long time.

There's another show on the History channel about a river rat in south Louisiana. I find it kinda stupid, and not the family type show you would want children to watch. He shoots a firearm in his house, destroys property and does dumb and dangerous stuff. Is there people like that in south Louisiana? Yea but not very many. I can't say on here what we call them. I would not let the young ones watch it. We need to teach them the right way to do things. Sorry about my preaching.

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on August 13, 2013 at 13:11

What I find hilarious is that when Animal Channel bleeped him for saying crap, he decided to go with "pooty-pooh" or just "pooh" when talking about animal scat. He didn't want people to think he was cussing. Yeah, sure a lot of the show is staged but even before he was doing this stuff on TV he was catching critters in front of an audience. The man has been working county fairs and parades and all sorts of small venues catching critters by hand for years. He built a stage presence and enjoys putting on a show. And he has stuck by his friends in Team Turtle. I hope to see him around for a while as well.

The fact the knife is marketed as a "stunt double" for a TV show made me think it would be more of a "prop" than actually functional usable knife. But surprisingly the knife is the real deal and is ready for real "Live Action!" I'm pretty sure Brian Wilhoite worked in collaboration with the Turtle Man on the the design. However there is definitely a strong Bob Loveless influence on the handle and guard. I'm ordering another one. One to display and one to use! I haven't been this happy with a fixed blade hunter in a long time!

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Robert Burris on August 13, 2013 at 16:25

I am happy you are that pleased about your new Turtle man knife. The one I won I'll put it in my collection, I think, anyway. If you are that pleased, I might have to buy one as a user. I have a future grandson-in-law, that has a poor fixed blade, I have been threatening to do something about...lol

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Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on August 13, 2013 at 19:47

This is great stuff as I know many just laughed at the knife as gimmicky. The fact that it is an exceptional knife is incredible news..I mean it really is!

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Permalink Reply by Steve Scheuerman (Manx) on August 14, 2013 at 0:09

Glad you like it! Always good to hear about surprises like this.

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Permalink Reply by Alexander Noot on August 14, 2013 at 2:52

440C for $20? That's a steal no matter who's got his name on it. Very nice!

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on August 14, 2013 at 11:31

Now, I'm not sure I'd buy the Turtle Man Thunder as it is advertised as 420 Stainless and at $30 it seems pretty steep. From what I can tell the actual "Thunder is probably a Western W49 Bowie.

The closest thing on the market today is the Bear & Son Goldrush Bowie (retails areond $130, Sandvik 12C27M Stainless Steel) For me, at that price, I'd probably try my luck landing a Western on eBay. They tend to go for around $100

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Permalink Reply by Stanley May on August 14, 2013 at 18:08

Well done review. It is refreshing to see you can get a knife of this quality for about $20.00.

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Robert Burris on August 14, 2013 at 18:14

I just received my prize, a Turtle Man Mini Thunder, autographed by the Turtle man himself. I don't plan on opening it, it's part of my collection now. Thanks to all concerned, with this prize. I'll post a picture later. The Turtle Man, rules!

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Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on August 14, 2013 at 18:34

Tobias,

Thank you! I wondered if this one would be a good reproduction of what appears to be one fine knife. Glad to know this one a fine knife on its own

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Robert Burris on August 14, 2013 at 18:52

Yes Mam, we are lucky to have so many fine knife collectors here at IKC. Tobias is a great example of that........Tobias you can pay me later....LOL Really, we are lucky.