Tom Krein Returns to His K9 Series with Model 6 Fixed Blade

Custom maker, modder, and grind master Tom Krein is returning to the production realm with a small batch fixed blade release. The knife, called the Model 6, brings the utility-driven Krein ethos into a more accessible price bracket.

Last time we talked to Krein, in 2019, he summed up his work in a beautifully succinct way: “I think I’m well-known for my hard-working, reasonably priced fixed blades that are ground thinly.” The K9 Model 6 embodies all of these characteristics. “Basically I was looking for a less expensive, made in America option to get my work and designs into more peoples hands,” Krein explains. “We will continue to do almost all of the work in house so that we can deliver a product we can be proud of and that people can depend on!”

The K9 Model 6 is a strict adaptation of the custom TK-6, with that knife’s wide, 3.8-inch drop point blade faithfully emulated. This is a shape and size that works in both EDC and outdoors capacities, scaling up nicely from light to heavy cutting chores in each arena. “It will work well as an all around blade,” Krein notes. “It will work well as a hunter, a small tactical, and even perform bushcraft/survival chores.  It is a ‘Jack of all Trades.'”

Maybe more than any other custom maker, Krein’s name is associated with thin, performance-oriented grinds, both in knives of his own design and in the well-known “Krein regrind” mods on various other knives. Krein stayed true to his reputation with the K9 Model 6. Its blade stock is .185″, which is actually a hair thinner than the custom Model 6 (.187″), and is brought down to a highly slicey thinness behind the cutting edge.

Blade steel is D2, a common sight on Krein’s custom work (maybe he was influenced in this choice by Bob Dozier, who he studied under). We’re all a lot more familiar with this tried-and-true semi stainless since the D2 renaissance a few years ago, but to recap: in a fixed blade like the Model 6 it brings desirable edge longevity and toughness, and the stonewash finish employed here should help keep corrosion to a minimum.

The Model 6’s handle is dead simple, a shape recognizable by anybody who’s ever held a knife. This intentional simplicity lets the user decide how to hold the knife in any given situation, and on the visual front it is livened up with a trio of holes bored through the scales and full tang. A fourth hole on the butt end serves a non-cosmetic function as the lanyard loop. The scales themselves are made from G-10, available in several colors. The Model 6 comes with a carbon fiber-patterned Boltaron sheath and weighs 6.7 oz.

The K9 has been an ongoing, albeit sporadic, project for Krein, providing a middle option for customers who want something closer to a custom than his production collaborations, but more affordable than a full custom. This is the first new K9 model in several years, and Krein is already hard at work on the next one. “The next model we are working on is a K9 version of my Magnum Hunter,” he reveals. “We also are tentatively planning on 3-4 additional models. Hopefully the Model 6 is just the start of a full line.”

Knife in Featured Image: Krein Knives K9 Model 6