Once again, we are pleased to be able to review one of the handcrafted knives from the Joker factory in Spain. A knife that is truly made the old fashioned way, one blade at a time. The folks at Joker refuse to enter into the race to the bottom that seems to be characteristic of so many modern knife companies. Joker knives still reflect the pride and fine quality of handmade European blades.

This knife is not called by the name in the title of this review. It is simply the Joker model CN100. We gave it the movie title name, because it will be featured as the knife of choice of Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, in the upcoming "Fast and Furious 8" movie.

Fedor Palacios, former Marketing Communications Manager for Gamo Outdoor USA, contacted the studios and was able to show the knife to Johnson. Long story short, he liked it and you will see him with it in the movie coming in 2017. When the movie was completed, Dwayne kept the knife for his own use.

If you would like a bit of movie memorabilia, without paying an arm and a leg, you can order a CN100 directly from Gamo or their extensive network of retailers. Of course, that is not why we like this knife. We like it because of its quality, design and functionality.

The CN100 is very sharp, right out of the box. In fact, they enclose a small note to that effect, warning users to be careful, which is pretty unusual. It is made with Krupp 4116 stainless steel hardened to 57 HRC. This is a high quality vanadium-molybdenum steel that holds an edge very well, yet is easily resharpened. Several other well known knife makers, including Krupp and Grohmann, use this steel in their blades.

Specifications

• Type: Bowie pattern fighting knife
• Handle Material: Deer antler
• Blade type: Fixed drop point, hollow ground
• Edge: Plain
• Blade length: 7.87 in.
• Blade width: 1.75 in. at widest point; 1.375 in. at hilt
• Blade thickness: 0.1876 in.
• Blade material: Krupp 4116 stainless steel
• Blade hardness: HRC 57
• Overall length: 14.25 in.
• Weight: 16.05 ounces
• Sheath: Bull hide leather
• Country of origin: Spain
• MSRP: $215.99 (Internet sales $158 - $185)

The CN100 is a big knife. You will have no trouble dressing the largest game animal with this knife. However, it is a bit too large to use as a skinner or on smaller game. No matter how you use this Joker, it will certainly find its place around your base camp, handy for any purpose where a large blade is needed.

The well fitted deer antler handle fits the hand perfectly and takes one back to the days when a lot of custom knife makers (amateurs and professionals alike) used antler for their handles. One of my favorites comes to mind: Bo Randall, who meticulously fit a stag antler onto the tang of some of his custom hunters.

We have not encountered any knife makers who produce a better sheath than Joker. The bull hide leather is double stitched with heavy thread. In case some readers are not aware, bull hide leather is what our western saddles are made from. It is very tough. You will not wear out a Joker bull hide sheath in your lifetime and maybe not even your kids' lifetimes.

Whether you are looking for a great handcrafted Bowie knife for use around camp, a serious fighting knife, or a piece of movie history, this is the knife to buy. While it isn't cheap (high quality blades usually are not), it is worth every penny. It is our belief you will be able to pass it down to the next generation in your family.