Evolution of the “2019 Microtech Hawk Auto”
With the recent re-release of the Hawk Auto, I figured it was a good time to go back down memory lane to see how it started out.
This is one of the few models in my collection that can display the whole roadmap from custom prototype all the way through production release.
We start in June of 2019 with the Mirror Polish Hand Ground Hawk Auto Prototype Smooth Body (SN 001)
Then shortly after in the same month, we move on to the Production-Ready Hawk Auto Prototype Smooth Body (SN 001)
By the end of June 2019, we have up the Hawk Auto Proof Run Smooth Body (SN 001)
We then move to around August 2019 and on to the final iteration in the process, the Hawk Auto production Smooth body release (I have a random serial release from later in the run)
Somewhere in the design process, around August of 2019, it was decided to try a grip inlay body pattern which you can see in the Hawk Auto Proof run with inlays.
Deciding this was a good path to move forward, they released the Hawk Auto Grip Inlay production model (SN 001) in September of 2019.
Timeline gets a little fuzzy on the next iteration. Sometime shortly after they built that SN 001 of the production release, they decided to make a new layout for the grip inlay, allowing more of the inlay material to be present on the body. This change can be seen on the front and back of the knife (Random serial from later in the series)