Microtech's UTX-70 Gen IV Is 2.5 Inches and 1.4 Ounces

The UTX-70 exists because some pockets are smaller than others, and some jurisdictions measure blades in fractions. At 2.5 inches of blade and 6 inches overall, this is the smallest member of Microtech's Ultratech family, and the Gen IV update, model 11484-10, keeps the 1.4-ounce weight while adding the company's newer internals. It costs $249.

The specification list is short and specific: 2.50-inch drop point in M390MK with a stonewash finish, black anodized aluminum handle with torx hardware, 3.50-inch handle length, out-the-front automatic action via a rollerball clip-side slide, right or left hand tip-up carry. The Gen IV additions are the Dual Fuel Drivetrain for a smoother action and Crud Kutter, which channels debris away from the internal rails.

1.4 ounces is the number that sells this knife. It is lighter than most keychains, it disappears in a shirt pocket, and it deploys a blade longer than a Swiss Army Classic's with one thumb push. The cost of that size is grip: with a 3.5-inch handle you get two and a half fingers plus a palm anchor, and hard cutting is not what this knife is for. It is for opening packaging, cutting tape, trimming a thread, and being there.

Compared with the UTX-85 Gen IV at $357, the UTX-70 saves a hundred dollars, loses 0.6 inches of blade, and gains a genuinely pocketable footprint. Compared with a Spyderco Ladybug or a Victorinox Classic, the UTX-70 is heavier and much more expensive, and it is a real automatic with a real lock. Compared with the Ultratech, it is a backup rather than a primary.

Verdict: the UTX-70 is the OTF for people who want the mechanism without the bulk, and the Gen IV is the version to buy now that the action has been refined. Check your state's blade-length rules before ordering, because 2.5 inches is the number that decides legality in several of them.