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William Harsey Returns to Spartan Blades with Tactical Trout

July 9, 2018

Spartan Blades‘ latest collaboration with William Harsey, the Tactical Trout fixed blade, is ready to ship out. The new model is based off a custom design from the legendary maker, and offers users balanced, ergonomic, all-purpose cutting power in a smaller than average package.

“It was designed to be a very comfortable and robust mid-sized knife for most field tasks and defensive use,” explains Curtis V. Iovito, Co-Owner of Spartan Blades. The Tactical Trout’s nearly symmetrical, 4.5-inch spear point blade blends elements that make it comfortable in the field and in the forest. “[It] has a flat ground main bevel with a tapered top grind,” Iovito explains. “The blade profile provides for a clean cutting edge with excellent tip strength.” Spartan equipped the Tactical Trout’s blade with a PVD coating to ward off potential corrosion and soak up scratches and dings.

Harsey’s designs are always the complete package, with as much emphasis placed on subdued but effective ergonomics as the cutting performance. For the Trout, Harsey strove to achieve a neutral balance, favoring neither the blade nor the handle itself. The full tang knife’s pommel incorporates a lanyard hole and balances out the weight of the cutting edge. “The Tactical Trout’s size makes it easy to carry and wield,” Iovito explains. “A great all around fixed blade, [it] is well-balanced in its size, function and feel.” It will also be the first Spartan knife to feature camouflage Micarta handle scales.

The custom origins of the Tactical Trout design stem from a simple request. Harsey is one of the most influential figures in the custom tactical knife field, but tends to favor larger fixed blades. “He had so many requests to make a small knife that still had all the features that he is known for,” Iovito tells us. Once it was drawn up, the Tactical Trout was instantly a success, so Spartan decided to bring it to a wider production format. In terms of their catalog, the Trout helps round out their fixed blade offerings, being smaller than the Harsey-designed Diffensa or Model II while maintaining that same iconic look. “We find that if the knife is made to a high standard and the design is clean and simple they will sell themselves,” Iovito comments.

Spartan is working on pumping the Tactical Trout out to dealers, but Iovito says the award-winning company isn’t done for the year. New collaborations are also brewing. “We are working on a collaboration with an old Army buddy of ours named Tu Lam [owner of Ronin Tactics]. “It should be a good one!”

Knife featured in image: Spartan Blades Harsey Tactical Trout

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