For many of you, the Blackfoot was your first MKC knife.
It was the blade that introduced you to what we do here in Montana. Maybe you bought it after hearing about us from a friend. Maybe you stumbled across one of our drops and took a chance on a small knife company run by hunters who actually use what they sell.
Either way, the Blackfoot earned its place in your pack. It field dressed your first elk. It handled precision caping work one morning and broke down camp that evening. It became the knife you reached for because you knew it wouldn’t let you down.
The Blackfoot is our flagship blade for a reason. It helped build Montana Knife Company into what it is today.
But the original Blackfoot wasn’t built for the gram-counters. It wasn’t designed for high-elevation pack-ins where every ounce matters. The handle has some heft to it, and while that weight feels great in hand, it’s not ideal when you’re measuring your gear on a postal scale before a five-day backcountry hunt.
So we asked ourselves: What would the Blackfoot look like as an ultralight tool?
The Blackfoot Gets the Ultralight Treatment
Over the past year, we’ve developed our Ultra family of knives.
The Speedgoat Ultra and Stoned Goat Ultra proved we could reduce weight without sacrificing blade performance. The polished MagnaCut steel, marbled carbon fiber handles, and aggressive lightweight profiles became signatures of the Ultra line.
The Blackfoot 2.0 Ultra applies that same philosophy to our original hunter.
We kept what made the Blackfoot a legend. The blade is identical, with the same thickness, length, and proven drop point geometry that handles any task you throw at it. The tang construction hasn’t changed.
This is still the Blackfoot you know. What changed is the handle.
Lighter Loads for Longer Pack-Ins
The original Blackfoot weighs 3.6 ounces. The Blackfoot 2.0 Ultra comes in at 2.64 ounces. That’s almost a full ounce lighter.
Put another way, we cut a third of the knife’s weight without touching the blade’s structural integrity.
Our team milled out pockets on the internal handle structure, removing material wherever possible while maintaining strength. The marbled carbon fiber scales replaced the original G10, shaving additional grams. We reconsidered every element of the handle with weight reduction in mind.
The result is a knife that feels lighter in your hand but still performs like the Blackfoot you’ve trusted for years.
Confident Grip When It Counts
Pick up the Blackfoot 2.0 Ultra, and you’ll notice the tapered thumb ramp that flows into the handle.
The taper creates a fast, aggressive profile that reduces weight. We added subtle scallops to improve grip dynamics, giving you confident control whether you’re working on a wet hide or breaking down game in cold conditions.
The handle is thinner than the original Blackfoot’s comfort-focused design. When you’re building a knife for backcountry hunters who count every ounce, light and fast takes priority over plush ergonomics. The Ultra handle still feels great in hand, but it’s calibrated for a different purpose.
An Edge You Can Maintain in the Field
Like all our Ultra knives, the Blackfoot 2.0 Ultra features a polished MagnaCut blade.
MagnaCut stainless steel is cryogenically heat-treated to deliver the perfect balance of toughness, edge retention, and corrosion resistance for your hunts. It’s more wear-resistant than other stainless steels and more corrosion-resistant than carbon steel. Unlike many high-performance steels that are nightmares to sharpen, MagnaCut can be brought back to a working edge by novice knife owners.
The polished finish is a hallmark of our Ultra series. It contrasts with the marbled carbon fiber handle, and it’s easy to clean after a long day of processing game.
Wipes Clean, Won’t Slip
The Blackfoot 2.0 Ultra shares its handle material with the Speedgoat Ultra and Stoned Goat Ultra. The marbled carbon fiber pattern is distinctive: swirls of gray and black that look different on every knife.
Outside of aesthetics, this material is ultralight and strong. It sheds grime quickly, won’t absorb blood or moisture, and maintains a secure grip in any conditions. The polished hardware completes the Ultra family look.
Secure on the Climb, Ready When You Need It
The Blackfoot 2.0 Ultra demands its own custom-molded Kydex sheath. The tapered thumb ramp and thinner overall handle profile meant the original Blackfoot sheath wouldn’t work.
Each knife ships with a black Kydex sheath featuring a built-in retention screw to customize blade tension. The clip allows horizontal or vertical carry on your pack strap or belt loop. It’s secure enough to trust on a steep climb but accessible when you need your blade fast.
Named for Home
The Blackfoot name honors Lincoln, Montana’s Blackfoot River Valley. It’s where I grew up. It’s where I learned to hunt and fish. It’s where I made my first knives in a little lean-to my dad enclosed for me when I was 11 years old.
The Blackfoot 2.0 Ultra carries that heritage forward while pushing the boundaries of what an ultralight hunting knife can be. It’s the same proven blade, reimagined for the backcountry hunters and high-elevation adventurers who count every gram.
Free Sharpening for Life and Beyond
MKC Generations® is our promise to restore your knife to its original, unmatched working condition.
We’ll clean, sharpen, repair, and even reshape your blades when necessary, as well as rewrap handles, all free of charge. While we perform all necessary sharpening and maintenance, our aim isn’t to return your knife to you looking brand-new. The wear tells your story, and we respect that.
This promise is for the knife’s life, even if that outlasts yours. When you pass the Blackfoot 2.0 Ultra down to your kids, and they pass it down to theirs, MKC will still honor the MKC Generations® promise.
The OG, Evolved
The Blackfoot was our first knife. For many of you, it was your first MKC knife, too.
The Blackfoot 2.0 Ultra takes the blade you trusted and strips it down for hunters who need their gear as light as possible. You get the same blade and the same performance with a third less weight.
You’ve been waiting for us to give the Blackfoot the Ultra treatment. The wait is finally over.
by Josh Smith, Master Bladesmith and Founder of Montana Knife Company
