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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!