Outland Equipment developed the Kryptos K1 in collaboration with a US SOF customer (as in unit). The K1 is designed as a concealable carry knife, with a covert sheath which can be worn horizontally on a 1.5″ tactical belt. It’s an ambidextrous sheath design and can be positioned anywhere on a belt. The K1 is designed optimally for a swift and natural draw, with a pinky hook which helps index the hand and provides a secure location for a draw, and a solid base for thrusting. The handle of the blade has G10 scales, and jimping, for a more secure grip. The K1 is constructed of CMP 3V steel, with a full tang. The blade is double edged, with a 3.75″ primary cutting edge.
Also included with the K1 is a blue stainless steel training knife. Naturally, the handle geometry and sheath draw are designed to feel exactly like the live knife.
We first encountered the K1 at Warrior East, as a proof of concept while they dialed the design in with the customer. Although largely the same as the final production model, you can see a couple of features still being worked on, such as the design of the sheath, and the smooth scales on the handle, compared to the textured scales on later models.
Later, at Outdoor Retailer, we got to see the Pre-Production Sample Model. Here you can see it serves as the basis for the production knives, including the blue trainer, and the finalized sheath.
Production of the Kryptos K1 for this initial run was limited to 10 kits. At the time of writing, only four kits remained for sale. There are more coming.
www.outlandequipment.com/product/kryptos-k1