MKM Jouf: the tactical knife in full dress presented in our exclusive video

Robert "Bob" Terzuola is one of the fathers of contemporary artisan knifemaking. Born in Brooklyn in 1944, Bob worked on numerous projects related to civil protection in Latin America and during these years he developed the skill of knifemaking and the concept of "tactical knife" of which he is the acclaimed father. He joined the Knifemakers' Guild in 1981, and since then Terzuola has developed his concept of "tactical folder" both in terms of craftsmanship and by working as a designer with American companies such as Strider, Spyderco, CRKT, and Microtech, but also with the Italian Fox. It is worth remembering that his C15 knife, designed for Spyderco in 1989, was the first industrially-produced liner lock and was manufactured in the USA by a small startup called Benchmade.

Bob Terzuola is still very active today both in his workshop in San Diego, California, and around the world at knife fairs.

A revisited classic up close

This is why the MKM Jouf looks familiar, at least for those who have Terzuola's style in mind. The handle in particular is an explicit recall to Teruzola’s M30 model made in collaboration with Olamic Custom, with the characteristic "battle guard" that in the Jouf is pushed to the extreme.

In fact, if the guard of the M30 was made up of the handle material that flared out covering the actual metal guard. In the Jouf there is no metal part and the guard itself is exclusively made from G10. We already know that this detail is the one on which detractors and supporters are most strongly divided. Out of the box the Jouf looks like a medium-sized fixed blade knife: the blade measures 5.5” / 140 mm in length with a thickness of 0.19”/ 5 mm while the total length is 10.2” / 260 mm. The weight of the MKM Jouf is 248 grams.

Made of N690 steel hardened to 58-60 HRC, available with black Cerakote or stone-washed finish, the blade features a "utility" profile with a false edge along a third of the spine length. On both sides of the blade, on the heel, are the logos of the manufacturer and that of Robert Terzuola, with the unmistakable dragon head.

The handle is made up of a pair of 3D G10 scales characterized by the blue titanium washer, the MKM symbol, and by the fact that two serrated tang sections are uncovered, one on the back and one on the bottom, to facilitate grip. This is one of the details of the entire MKM collection that make the difference between a normal knife and one designed by a genius of modern knifemaking. The handle has a semi-anatomical groove to offer a better grip to the index finger and features the classic hole at the back for the safety strap. Generally speaking, the handle proves effective and allows for a firm purchase of the cutting tool, even when wearing gloves.

The Jouf is delivered with a black Nylon sheath with belt loops and for attachment to the jacket or backpack. Retention is ensured by a strap with a snap button that wraps the handle.

The sheath weight is 4.9 oz / 140 grams, knife and sheath therefore weigh 13.68 oz / 388 grams.  

The price is 180 euro for the stone-washed blade model and 185 Euro for the Cerakote matt black finished model (price may vary in your country).

The MKM Jouf in practice

Video: MKM Jouf tactical and sport knife with fixed blade

MKM Jouf: technical data

For more information about Jouf knife please visit Consorzio Coltellinai di Maniago website .