Introduced a little over a year ago, the Freezout is Montana Knife Company's waterfowl-specific blade. While not the first knife to be designed for duck and goose hunters, the Freezout is a tad longer than other popular waterfowl knives on the market. It also has a slim design, a Magnacut stainless steel blade, and a full-tang handle. Everything about the Freezout is high quality, and it falls into the premium category, with a pricetag to match.
Over the last year, I've had the chance to bring this knife with me on waterfowl hunts across the country, from Alaska to Colorado to New York—and clean hundreds of birds with it. Here's everything you need to know about the MKC Freezout waterfowl knife.
The Freezout Overview
Specs
Blade Material: Magnacut Stainless Steel
Blade Type: Clip-point
Blade Length: 3 inches
Overall Length: 7.125 inches
Weight: 2.08 ounces
Pros
Lightweight
Easy to maneuver
Corrosion resistant
Comfortable grip
Cons
Expensive
No jimping on the spine
The Freezout is a lightweight, durable knife with a Magnacut stainless steel blade. Magnacut steel is extremely corrosion-resistant, making it ideal for knives used around water. For reference, MKC claims that after 72 hours of a 1 percent saltwater spray test, the blade showed no rust marks. This is consistent with my experience, even with cleaning saltwater birds. Magnacut steel also has an excellent toughness rating, making the blade less susceptible to chipping or breaking.
As far as build, the Freezout is lightweight and compact. The knife has a full-tange design, an overall length of 7.125 inches, a blade length of 3 inches, and a weight of 2.08 ounces. It also comes with a durable hard plastic sheath that can easily be attached to a belt clip. In hand, the knife feels comfortable and is easy to control. The handle thins out towards the front, and there's a natural slot for your finger to rest. There are five grooves along the back of each handle side, but I don't find them very helpful. However, they do add some aesthetic value to the knife. A strip of paracord hangs from the back of the handle with a fake duck band attached, just in case you forget what this knife is designed for. The Freezout comes in all six MKC colors and retails for $275.
Performance
I've been breasting out ducks and geese with the MKC Freezout for over a year. What I like most about this knife is how easy it is to maneuver. The 3-inch blade is just a touch longer than my other waterfowl-specific knife (2.7 inches), but it is still controllable. Plus, the longer blade and handle come in handy on big ducks and geese. Out of the box, the Freezout is razor sharp. I'll usually give it a touch-up midway through the season and then a good sharpening after the year ends.
The overall build is extremely durable, and the Magnacut steel has lived up to its reputation. My only gripe with the knife is the lack of jimping on the spine or a grip near the top of the handle. But that's the only thing the Freezout is missing. I've come to really like the longer blade and longer handle—it offers a little more punch that goes a long way, especially when you have a pile of birds to clean. That said, $275 is a lot of money to shell out for a small knife. But if you clean lots of ducks and geese each season, this Freezout is well worth the price—and it should be the last duck knife you ever buy.
