INTRODUCING: HAWK TALON AUTO

July 8, 2026

We are here with arguably the biggest release so far of 2026. This is the new Hawk Knives Talon for the first time in an automatic configuration. Out of all the makers within the knife space, Hawk feels like they are doing the most to push the knife medium into a new direction. When they came out with the first manual version of the Talon, I found myself obsessed with everything about it. What made the manual Talon so addicting was the incredibly satisfying locking mechanism. I would find myself mesmerized by its clicky nature that made it into the most expensive fidget toy one could find. The Talon is no different and has firmly taken the spot of my favorite auto of 2026.

The Talon Auto has a fresh and innovative take on the automatic actuation and locking mechanism. A reality for all things with moving parts is that the more parts you have, the more likely that something will go awry. Simplifying the actuation and locking mechanism makes for a more reliable piece that will stand the tests of time. On occasion, when carrying a powerful automatic piece like the Microtech HALO, there is a looming fear the thing will just spring into actuation within the confines of your pocket. Though this fear isn't the most realistic, Hawk Knives have thought of it, nonetheless. The button, or in this case slider, that triggers the actuation is recessed into the handle scale. It being a slider rather than a button also makes it less likely for an accidental actuation, but this also makes it not as easy to actuate purposefully. The slider has 3 grooves that had a hard time adhering to my velvet thumb skin. Instead, I would have to use my thumb nail in most cases to grip the slider and move it far enough to produce the blade.

Beyond the mechanism itself, the fit and feel of the Talon is exactly what I loved about its manual iteration. So far, they have come out two scale colors. We have a Black Carbon Fiber as well as the Lava Flow Red Carbon Fiber like we chose. My favorite color from the manuals was this dark forest like green so I am hoping to see that come out for the Auto versions. The titanium frame is strong and comes in a very quality feeling finish (Dark Wash) that melds perfectly with the M390 blade. The blade has a singular tiny thumb stud for what use case? I have no idea. Along the spine of the Talon, they have a slot for Tombstone's favorite knife accessory: the lanyard bead. It seems the Talon auto has been constructed specifically to cater to all of our needs.

Though the knife itself is highly innovative and satisfying to use, the website checkout experience was not. I really had to work for this knife. I had to put in my credit card info 4 times and click a billion different acknowledgment boxes before it finally took my order. There are so many payment providers and checkout options for websites now that this shouldn't be something you encounter. I have purchased from EDC sites thousands of times throughout my illustrious EDC career and have never had an experience quite as annoying as this one. But hey, the knife is absolutely fantastic, so I guess it was worth the headache. Another thing of note was the upgrade in the packaging. Before you would just get the zip pouch and the lip balm and tool free floating. They now have a clam shell magnetic case with the Hawk logo on it. Very luxe feeling that keeps the pouch and the extra goodies packet together, so you don't lose track of them (I definitely have). Short story long, Hawk has hit it out of the park with this one and I am excited to see where they take this model in the future. They keep making better versions of knives that we all know and love ... and I keep buying them and so should you (if you're into cool knives that is).