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Microtech
Published: October 21st, 2026
Microtech Knives began in Vero Beach, Florida, where Anthony and Susan Marfione started making knife prototypes in their apartment in 1993. Anthony brought a background in precision machining and tool-and-die work to the project, and the small operation soon spilled out of the apartment and into a storage space. By 1994, Microtech had formally taken shape, renting a small building in Vero Beach and expanding into additional space as production increased. The company’s first official knife was the U.D.T., short for Underwater Demolition Team, a compact side-opening automatic developed to function even when submerged. It set a direction that Microtech would follow for much of the next three decades: mechanically complicated knives built around close machining, automatic actions, and designs meant to function as hard-working tools rather than novelties.
Microtech moved into out-the-front automatics almost immediately. In 1995, it introduced the H.A.L.O., whose name stood for High Altitude Low Opening. The H.A.L.O. used a single-action OTF mechanism, firing the blade forward under spring pressure while requiring the mechanism to be manually reset after closing. Its long, narrow handle and powerful action gave Microtech a knife that looked and operated very differently from the conventional side-opening automatics that were more common at the time. The design attracted attention quickly enough to appear on the cover of Fighting Knives in September 1995, giving the still-young company national exposure within the knife community.
Automatic knives remained only part of the growing catalog. The original SOCOM appeared in 1996, moving Microtech into the large tactical-folder market with a design that would remain in various forms for decades. The SOCOM used a tapered handle, pronounced thumb ramp, and a large working blade, and versions were eventually produced with both manual and automatic actions. The later SOCOM Elite refined the basic shape while retaining enough of the original design that the family remained recognizable across successive generations. That longevity eventually made the SOCOM one of Microtech’s major product lines alongside its OTF knives.
By the end of the decade, Microtech was gaining attention as much for manufacturing as for the unusual mechanisms it produced. The company received BLADE Magazine’s Manufacturing Quality Award in 1998 and again in 1999. The second award coincided with the introduction of the knife that would become most associated with the Microtech name. Released in 1999, the Ultratech took the OTF concept in a different direction from the H.A.L.O. Instead of a single-action mechanism, the Ultratech used a double-action system controlled by a sliding switch, allowing the blade to be both deployed and retracted through the same control. The result was a slimmer and more practical package that could be operated repeatedly without manually resetting the spring system.
The Ultratech became the foundation of Microtech’s OTF line and remained in continuous development long after many contemporary automatic designs disappeared. Its basic layout could accommodate several blade profiles, edge configurations, finishes, and handle treatments without changing the underlying concept. Microtech also began scaling the idea into other sizes. The UTX-70, introduced in 2002, brought the Ultratech layout down to roughly 70 percent of the original size, while the UTX-85 occupied the space between the smaller knife and the full-size Ultratech. More than 235,000 Ultratechs had been produced by early 2022, showing how far the design had moved beyond its origins as a late-1990s automatic knife.
- Microtech won the BLADE Magazine Manufacturing Quality Award in 1998 and 1999
- Microtech released the now-iconic Ultratech (pictured above) in 1999
- In 2002, Microtech released the UTX-70, a scaled-down version of the Ultratech
Microtech was also experimenting beyond conventional folders and OTFs. In 2000, the company introduced its first balisong, the Tachyon. That same year, the Lightfoot Compact Combat, developed with Canadian custom knifemaker Greg Lightfoot, received BLADE Magazine’s Collaboration of the Year award. Working with outside makers would become increasingly common at Microtech, allowing designs rooted in the custom-knife world to be adapted to production manufacturing.
Several OTF designs introduced during the early 2000s expanded that part of the catalog as well. The Scarab appeared around 2003 as a larger, more heavily built double-action OTF. Its wider handle, aggressive grip surfaces, and oversized controls made it easy to use with gloves, and further separated it from the slimmer Ultratech. The Makora also entered production in 2003. Similar in general size to the Ultratech but thanks to its own styling, traction inserts, glass breaker arrangement, and insect-themed markings, the Makora became a recurring Microtech design. Both lines would eventually disappear and return in revised forms, a practice that became fairly common as the company revisited older designs with newer machining, materials, and internal mechanisms.
In 2004, Microtech developed the Currahee fixed blade for U.S. Special Operations personnel. The first limited run was designed and tested with members of U.S. Special Operations Forces and was initially used by Special Operations Boat Team 20. It added a purpose-built fixed blade to a catalog that had become increasingly centered on tactical folders and automatic knives. Microtech also received BLADE Magazine’s American-Made Knife of the Year award that year for the MTX2, giving the company another major industry award as it entered its second decade.
A major change came in 2005 when Microtech left Vero Beach and relocated to Bradford, Pennsylvania. Bradford became an important manufacturing base for the company, and Microtech’s presence there eventually extended beyond knives. In 2007, the Marfiones established Microtech Small Arms Research (MSAR). The new company developed the American-made STG-556 bullpup rifle, which debuted at the 2007 SHOT Show and drew heavily from the layout of the Austrian Steyr AUG.
MSAR remained active through several versions of the STG-556, but firearms never replaced knives as Microtech’s primary business. By the middle of the following decade, resources were increasingly being directed back toward Microtech’s expanding knife operation. By the time MSAR ceased operations in 2015, Microtech was already investing more heavily in its knife operations, including a growing manufacturing presence in western North Carolina.
- In 2007, the Marfiones established Microtech Small Arms Research (MSAR)
- MSAR developed the STG-556 bullpup rifle
- In 2015, MSAR ceased operations
Even while MSAR was still operating, Microtech continued developing new knives and working with outside makers. The Select Fire received BLADE Magazine’s Most Innovative American Design award in 2011, followed by the SOCOM Delta taking American-Made Knife of the Year in 2012. Anthony Marfione also worked with Mick Strider on the D.O.C., or Death on Contact. The collaboration continued with the D.O.C. KillSwitch, and Microtech and Strider received Collaboration of the Year and Most Innovative American Design at the 2013 BLADE Show.
By 2014, its twentieth anniversary, Microtech had added a second facility near Asheville, North Carolina, giving it additional production space while maintaining its Bradford operation. Expansion continued in Henderson County over the next several years. Plans announced in 2017 included another building, additional machinery and equipment, and new jobs. Corporate operations eventually centered in Mills River, North Carolina, while Bradford remained part of the company’s manufacturing network.
As the North Carolina operation grew, Microtech kept working with custom makers including Koji Hara, Mick Strider, D.C. Munroe, and Sebastijan Berenji of Borka Blades. One of the best-known results arrived in 2017 with the Stitch Auto. Based on Berenji’s custom Stitch, Microtech adapted the broad spear-point design and heavily contoured handle into a production automatic, with a manual version following years later.
Microtech also kept revisiting older designs. The H.A.L.O. received another update in 2018 with changes to its button, lock bar, and internal components. And in 2019, the SOCOM Elite was named American-Made Knife of the Year at the BLADE Show, more than two decades after the original SOCOM first appeared.
Microtech opened its first company showroom and retail store in Mills River in 2020. The Scarab II returned around this time as an updated version of the earlier Scarab, followed by the return of the Makora in 2022. Both brought older Microtech names back into regular production with revised internals and materials.
- In 2017, Microtech released the Stitch Auto
- In 2019, the Microtech SOCOM Elite won the American-Made Knife of the Year Award
In 2023, Microtech expanded its manual folder lineup with the MSI, or Microtech Standard Issue. The knife introduced the RAM-LOK, a crossbar-style locking system that was soon used on a manual Stitch and a revived Amphibian. The MSI later received Best American Made Knife at BLADE Show West 2023. That same year, Microtech also introduced its proprietary blade steel, M390MK, a modified version of Böhler M390 developed with Böhler for Microtech. The steel soon began appearing across newer production models.
Changes were also underway inside Microtech’s OTF knives. Newer versions of the Combat Troodon, Cypher, Hera, and other models adopted the Dual-Fuel Drive Train, which reduced the effort needed to operate the action. The company also introduced its Crud Kutter system, with channels beneath the firing button intended to help move lint and debris away from the mechanism. Torx hardware became more common as well, replacing some of the proprietary fasteners used on earlier Microtech knives.
- In 2023, Microtech released the MSI
- Microtech also introduced its proprietary blade steel M390MK, developed in collaboration with Böhler
In 2024, Microtech previewed its Zero Blade Play system, designed to remove the slight blade movement normally found in double-action OTF knives when locked open. The system was later introduced on the third generation of the Ultratech alongside the Dual-Fuel Drive Train and Crud Kutter system. Production knives began reaching dealers near the end of the year. Microtech followed with the fourth Ultratech generation that retained much of the updated construction without the Zero Blade Play system. This gave the company both ZBP and traditional versions of its best-known OTF while newer internal designs continued to spread to other models.
Microtech entered a new area of the outdoor market in 2026 with the Akris, its first purpose-built hunting knife. Rather than following the tactical fixed blades that had appeared throughout Microtech’s earlier history, the Akris was developed around hunting and field use. The knife made an early mark at the 2026 BLADE Show, where it received BLADE Magazine’s American Fixed Blade of the Year award.
Microtech also brought back the UTX-70 in a new generation in 2026. The compact OTF, first introduced in 2002, returned with the Dual-Fuel Drive Train and Crud Kutter system, bringing the latest changes to one of the company’s longest-running Ultratech offshoots.
By the end of 2026, Microtech was still adding new directions to its catalog while continuing to rework established designs. The Akris pushed the company further into the hunting market, while updated OTFs like the UTX-70 carried newer internal systems into familiar platforms. With development continuing across automatic knives, manual folders, and fixed blades, Microtech’s history is still very much in progress.
- In 2026, Microtech released its first hunting knife, the Akris
What to Buy
The Microtech MSI brings Microtech’s heavy-duty approach to a large manual folder, with a broad 3.88-inch modified sheepsfoot blade made from Böhler M390MK steel and finished in stonewash. An elongated thumb hole provides the opening method, while the ambidextrous RAM-LOK secures the blade with controls accessible from either side. Its 5.06-inch black injection-molded polymer handle features Microtech’s Tri-Grip texture, hardened steel liner plates, and a titanium backspacer for a solid, reinforced build. A reversible pocket clip allows left- or right-handed carry without changing the overall profile. The MSI measures 8.93 inches overall and weighs 5.0 ounces, giving it a substantial feel without becoming overly cumbersome for daily carry. Proudly made in the USA.
The Microtech SMKW Exclusive Master Chief Ultratech Gen III gives the familiar OTF a USNC treatment built around OD Green armor tones and unmistakable details. Its 3.35-inch premium steel drop point blade wears an Apocalyptic finish, while the 5.01-inch aircraft-grade aluminum handle features paneled graphics, the number 117, and a contrasting yellow thumb slide. The double-action mechanism uses Microtech’s Zero Blade Play system, Dual Fuel Drive Train, and Crud Kutter grooves to keep the action tight and smooth. An ambidextrous stainless steel pocket clip with a ceramic ball, Torx hardware, and a glass breaker complete the setup. It measures 8.36 inches overall, weighs 3.5 ounces, and is made in the USA.
The Microtech L.U.D.T. brings one of the company’s longest-running automatic designs into a compact format built for everyday use. Its 3.42-inch drop point blade is made from Böhler Böhler M390MK stainless steel and finished in stonewash, giving it a clean working finish that helps hide wear. The 4.62-inch handle is machined from black anodized 6061-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum, with 3M traction tape inserts adding extra grip along both sides. A push-button lock controls the out-the-side automatic action, while a stainless steel tip-up pocket clip keeps the knife ready for carry. A rear lanyard hole comes fitted with a black paracord lanyard. The L.U.D.T. measures 8.04 inches overall, weighs 3.4 ounces, and is made in the USA.
Written By
Drew Clifton
Drew is the lead writer for SMKW's Knives 101, crafting informative and engaging content for the world’s largest knife store. With expertise in knife history, design, and functionality, Drew delivers articles and product descriptions that educate and inspire knife enthusiasts at all levels.
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T.C. Barnette
T.C. Barnette is a dynamic media personality and the esteemed spokesperson for SMKW (Smoky Mountain Knife Works), where his passion for knives intersects with his captivating on-screen presence. With a magnetic charisma and deep expertise in cutlery, T.C. has become a beloved figure in the knife community.