In the last few years, pocket-carry fixed blades have seemed to rapidly increase in popularity, at least as evidenced by discussions on knife-centric social media. You’ll hear no complaints from me about it, either. Pocket carry fixies have been my jam for years. So, I was pretty excited to get the chance to work with the MKM DCA Pocket Tango 4.
The Pocket Tango 4
The Pocket Tango was designed by David C. Andersen. He’s fairly well-known as the face and voice of KnifeCenter on YouTube. He also contributes to their website. Andersen has his own knife brand called Nordsmith Knives. The Nordsmith Lapwing remains one of my favorite knives from any brand or maker. The Pocket Tango series is a collaboration Andersen is doing with MKM—Maniago Knife Makers.
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He has said that the Pocket Tango was designed to be your everyday dance partner. The goal was to create a purpose-built EDC knife. Something you’ll want to have at your side all day, every day. There are currently four iterations of the Pocket Tango, differing by blade profile.
The newest (and the focus of our review) is the Pocket Tango 4, which has a clip-point blade.
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Pocket Tango 4 Unboxing and Specs
The knife has an overall length of 6.69 inches. The Elmax steel blade is 2.91 inches. The handle allows for about a 3.5-finger grip. For a knife this size, the blade is surprisingly tall, hitting just shy of a full inch at the widest point. It has a flat grind and a very nice stonewashed finish.
While the handle on the sample provided by MKM is green canvas micarta, the Pocket Tango 4 is also available in several other varieties:
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The tang is slightly proud all the way around the handle scales. This seems to provide a little bit of added purchase or grip when you’re using the knife. The scales are easily removable, should you want to swap them out or take them off for deep cleaning.
The weight is listed as 2.33 ounces in the official specs, but my scale reads 2.4 ounces. Either way, it’s a lightweight, easy-to-carry knife.
The Pocket Tango 4 comes with a black leather sheath. It’s a pouch-style design and lacks any sort of retention strap. That’s not a problem, though. The sheath is equipped with a magnetic clasp to secure it in your pocket or on your belt. As a side benefit, this magnet helps keep the knife in place. The sheath is designed such that the knife can be flipped around for right- or left-handed carry.
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Everyday Carry
The Pocket Tango 4 has been part of my daily EDC rotation for about six weeks now. During that time, it’s ridden in my pocket for trips to town as well as hikes in the forest. Not to mention around the house doing chores and whatnot. All in all, I’ve found it to be a pretty handy little knife.
One carry-related caveat is that I didn’t use the magnetic clasp very often. Instead, I just dropped the knife and sheath into my pocket, rather than clipping it in place. I found that the knife is so secure in the sheath that it can pull the sheath right off the pocket when you try to unsheathe it. This isn’t a deal-breaker for me, as my preference is usually to carry my knife deep in my pocket anyway.
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The Pocket Tango 4 has been used to cut open various packaging as well as to break down boxes, slice paracord for different projects, and cut up strawberries and other fruit for snacks.
The handle has a nice curve that puts the blade’s edge exactly where you need it. There is about an inch of jimping along the spine. It’s just rough enough to give you some added control over the blade without being uncomfortable when you really bear down on it.
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Elmax is one of the so-called super steels. It’s an excellent choice for an EDC knife as it has a high degree of corrosion resistance, and it holds a great edge for a long time. I haven’t found the need to strop or sharpen the blade’s edge throughout my evaluation, as it is still quite sharp.
Putting the Pocket Tango 4 to the Test
After several weeks of regular carry, I put the Pocket Tango 4 through a few formal tests. I started with a piece of scrap leather. The blade was easy to control and maneuver through the material as I sliced smaller and smaller pieces of the leather.
However, I did find that the short handle wasn’t all that comfortable when I had to apply a lot of pressure on the blade. The butt of the handle dug into my palm, which wasn’t pleasant. Someone with smaller hands may not have the same experience, though.
Digging around in my stash of testing media, I came across a hank of rubber cord. I have no idea where I picked it up, but it’s been kicking around my shop for a bit. The blade’s edge had no trouble slicing through the cordage, which was expected. I then used pressure cuts to nip off little bits. No problem at all.
I then grabbed some zip ties and tightened them around a branch. Nylon zip ties can be problematic for some knives, leading to blade damage. No issues here, though. The Pocket Tango 4 tore through them cleanly and easily.
Verdict and Recommendation
The Pocket Tango 4 is a great option for a fixed blade EDC. It’s small enough and light enough to pocket carry all day long. I have mixed feelings about the sheath design. The magnetic catch is cool, and it allows you to swap the knife around to different carry positions very easily. But it also makes it more difficult to deploy the knife quickly.
The knife is comfortable to use. However, it can be a little awkward if you’re doing any sort of heavy-duty work with it, due to the short handle. But again, I have large hands, and I’m certain that’s a factor with this.
The Pocket Tango 4 is a good addition to the EDC rotation. It runs about $220-$230, depending on handle configuration. You can find it at KnifeCenter.
MKM DCA Pocket Tango 4 Specs
| Overall length | 6.69 inches |
| Blade length | 2.91 inches |
| Steel | Elmax |
| Weight | 2.4 ounces |
| MSRP | $219.00 – $239.00 ($220 as shown) |
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