Hidden treasures: a HideAway Knife like no other

American Handgunner, May-June, 2005 by Pat Covert

The definition of the word "treasure" can be a lot of things to a lot of people, but most of us will agree there is none more sacred treasure in this world than life itself. In fact, our country and its laws are founded on the freedom to pursue life without endangerment and granted us the right to defend ourselves should such threats arrive. The need to protect our own lives along with the ones we care about, however, dates back to well before the beginning of Man. Self-defense is the very kernel of a law of nature that has been in existence since the beginning of life itself. It is the law of "survival of the fittest."

Unfortunately, we live in a world where it's not always possible to defend ourselves with the best means available. Unlike the days of the Old West, we can't walk around with firearms strapped to our sides and big bowie knives hanging down to our knees. Personal protection today is a very tricky issue and in some cases--such as in the airline industry--you have no rights to carry any means of defense whatsoever.

A New Idea

Several years ago a businesswoman found out how limited her abilities to defend herself were. She vowed never to be trapped in a situation where she didn't have an extra edge, and recognized she could take an effective backup knife more places than she could ever take a gun, even though she regularly carries one. She kicked her mental skills into high gear searching for an effective means of self protection kept readily available yet still allowing her to move freely in either the business world or at the beach. The result is HideAway Knives, an innovative and multi-faceted edged-weapon system fast becoming the hottest self-defense commodity on the internet.

Why the internet? Because this analyst found the internet the easiest way to use the limited time available to her to launch her knife design. Besides being a talented designer, this energetic entrepreneur has a knack for marketing her wares as evident on her HideAway website. Perhaps even more challenging, she's done it in an overwhelmingly and traditionally a male-oriented industry.

Wicked Little Devils

HideAway's edged weapons system revolves around a small, easily-concealed unorthodox looking little cutter dubbed the HideAway Knife, or HAK as it's referred to in acronym form. Although the knife can be had with a choice of blade styles, the ovate "finger-hole" handle remains central to the concept. The handle is made for the user to insert his or her index and middle finger into the hole and place the thumb on the backside of the blade for enhanced purchase.

These are sharp and wicked little devils. Once the diminutive knife is employed it's nearly impossible for an assailant to take it away--and to try to do so could come at great cost and peril. One HideAway advocate likens the experience of handling a HAK to "turning my hand into a Velociraptor claw."

Before buying a HideAway you must register at the web site and send in a "measurement" for fitting the hole to your own personal grip. This requires measuring the circumference around the base of your index and middle fingers combined. As you can imagine, this dimension can vary widely among the diverse range in size and weight among the two genders; hence it is wise to measure carefully so your knife can be most effectively used.

HideAway blades average 2" in length, a factor that is based on the Fibonacci ratio, a dimensional quotient found in nature (and often used in architecture) which applies to the optimum size and arrangement of components in relation to one another. Yep, it's over my head, too, so most of us will have to trust the designer on this one.

HAKs are affordable in four blade styles: Straight, Claw, Hybrid and Curvy. But if you really want to amuse yourself visit the "Custom Knifemaker" links on Casey's web site. A nifty group of custom makers, including notables like Mick Strider, have contributed their own takes on HideAway designs. To add more gravitas, HideAways have been embraced by a wide range of Special Forces soldiers the world-over and there's a fast-building collector base on the rise.

These are "mid-tech" knives in that some of the basic functions (such as cutting out the profile and hole in the handle) are done by automated machinery while others (such as the blade grinding and final finishing) are done at the hands of experienced knifemakers. The standard steel for the HAK is S30V stainless, hi-tech steel developed by Crucible Industries especially for the cutlery market. From there you can upgrade to titanium for even lighter weight, but then again, the stainless steel version only weighs a mere ounce! Custom finishes ranging from basic black to camo can be special-ordered, and many customers opt to have a cord-wrapped handle for a more comfortable grip.

Some have compared the HAK to the popular Karambit-style knives enjoying a certain degree of popularity today. Indeed, the blade sizes of the two knives are comparable, but the HAK is gripped in a very different manner and is much smaller overall size, so is easier concealed.