I’m not a prepper or survivalist, but I like to think that I am prepared to survive when I spend time in the outdoors. So, like many folks, a crucial part of my kit is a good knife. Or, at least, it used to be. Now, it’s a series of knives that work in harmony to complete different tasks.

For any given application or scenario, the proper knife should blend accessibility and ease of use for the task at hand.

Thinking ahead to summer, I’ve been considering a new neck knife that can carry me through these cold winter days, and also suit my warm-weather adventures. Something that can help prep firewood before a blizzard and clean fish after a river swim.

It needs to be compact, fairly lightweight, and rugged. Such a knife could take a variety of forms, but an out-the-front (OTF) automatic knife was the furthest thing from my mind.

But at the end of 2024, Prometheus Design Werx released a knife to change my mind. The Special Projects Division California Special Out the Front knife, SPD CAS OTF for short, is 3 inches long. It’s made from MagnaCut, aluminum, and titanium, and it’s (you guessed it) compact, lightweight, reliable, and rugged.

It looked like everything I wanted in a neck knife. But I knew, being an automatic knife, that it comes with legal ramifications that can complicate things depending where I go with it.

Little did I know that I would wear it all the time with fewer caveats than I expected.

That said, I was willing to give it a shot. So, I threw the CAS OTF on some ball chain, put it around my neck, tucked it under my flannel, and let the games begin. Little did I know I would be creating my most efficient firestarting kit in the process. Or that I would wear it all the time.

In short: I threw the CAS OTF on some ball chain, put it around my neck, and tucked it under my flannel. In my testing, it’s been a workhorse automatic knife that is legal in more states than you might think. For outdoors folks, it makes for an incredibly efficient addition to a firestarting kit. Just be aware that it comes at a relatively high price ($200), and its diminutive size limits some of its utility.

Prometheus Design Werx CAS OTF Review

Design & Features

Because of its compact size, the CAS OTW meets California’s laws on automatic knife blade length. It has an overall length of 3.03 inches and weighs in at 1.9 ounces. The knife has a T6061 aluminum housing with a built-in lanyard hole. 

The 1.925-inch spear-point blade is made from MagnaCut steel, known for its balance of toughness, abrasion resistance, and corrosion resistance. MagnaCut holds an excellent edge and is easy to resharpen.

The CAS OTW utilizes an oversized, spring-loaded thrust slider for easy opening and closing in all conditions. It works great with both bare hands or while wearing gloves. Additionally, the slider has a “Hyperglow,” a glow-in-the-dark inlay that makes the knife easy to find in the dark.

Rounding out the build is jimping on both sides of the casing for increased grip and control, and a beefy titanium pocket clip.

Legal Stuff

Automatic knives are regulated by the (in my opinion) outdated Federal Switchblade Act, which was passed in 1958. Though the act mostly focuses on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of automatic knives, states have limited who can carry them and what they can carry. That said, military personnel and law enforcement officials are generally exempt from state regulations. 

In California, the stipulation for civilian carry is that the blade length on an automatic knife has to be 2 inches or less. This is better than in Connecticut, where an automatic knife can only have a blade that’s 1.5 inches or shorter. Considering that the sale and possession of automatic knives are completely outlawed in Minnesota and New Mexico, blade length limitations don’t seem so detrimental.

PDW designed the CAS OTF to meet California’s length restriction, and I doubt you’ll get in trouble in Connecticut for that extra half-inch of blade length. However, it should be a big red flag reminder that you should be on your best behavior when you’ve got an automatic knife on you. Knives are tools, but automatic knives have long been considered weapons.

First Impressions

Whenever I test a product, I consider what other folks might use it for. Right off the bat, I knew the CAS OTF wouldn’t qualify as a dedicated EDC knife for many. It’s a premium task knife that could be used as an EDC knife, but would be better suited for outdoor tasks. I would even go as far as to say it should be relegated to your outdoor activities and not so much office life.

Unboxing the knife, I began thinking about survival. Not the robust “hunt down a wild boar for dinner” kind of survival; more the “prep kindling for a fire and slice up some meat and veggies” survival. (Maybe even a “let’s skin that squirrel because they’re delicious with chestnuts in a fine lager reduction” type of survival.)

I was also impressed with the overall build. For a knife that’s roughly the size of a vehicle key fob, the CAS OTF is built like a tank. Its aluminum body is burly and the thrust slider has just the right amount of resistance.

Additionally, though I didn’t see myself using it much, the titanium pocket clip was a nice touch. Throw MagnaCut into the mix, and you’ve got something that even the harshest elements can’t impact.

In the Field

I paired the CAS OTF with PDW’s Ti-FS Micro titanium peanut-style survival lighter. I planned on carrying the CAS OTF around my neck, but adding the lighter allowed me to create an EDC firemaking kit.

I have a few firemaking kits that I use frequently, but none of them are wearable. So, I am happy with this system. I threw a bit of deer antler on there to raise the spirit levels up a bit on the whole kit. You can similarly customize your own.

I am not sure if this configuration relegated the CAS OTF to kindling prep, but almost all of the work I have done using the knife has been processing material for making fires. I’ve made over a dozen bundles, from wood chips to feather sticks, to start personal fires and bonfires.

The MagnaCut kept a great edge that easily sliced and shaved fresh and dead wood. In fact, after a month of use, I have yet to feel the need to rehone the CAS OTF.

Some OTF knives I’ve worked with aren’t meant to handle twisting and torquing. This is due to a tapering in the neck of the blade that sits at the bottom of the knife housing. But this is not the case with the CAS OTF. The height of the blade material is the same from the tip to the base. This allowed me to bore some holes in trees and make pack hangers.

Conclusion

PDW continues to impress with the products it releases. Based on the build quality, attention to detail, and materials chosen for its clothing, gear, and tools, it’s obvious this stuff is made to be used in very demanding situations. The CAS OTF is a nice example of that.

I’m sure some people will scoff at this knife’s $200 price tag, but it’s worth it. It’s a knife that’s portable and rugged enough to help you in certain survival scenarios. It’s also not mass-produced, so there might be some incentive there for you to invest a little extra into it.

Though I’ve been wandered around with it hanging around my neck, the CAS OTF will also make a great fifth-pocket knife. It’s built with EDC and survival in mind, and it offers outstanding daily utility.

That said, I recommend that you approach this knife as a final, dependable companion; one tool you can really rely on. Keep it accessible, keep it clean, and keep it sharp.