Crown of Thorns (COT)

The Medford Crown of Thorns (COT) is not a knife in the conventional sense — it is a four-finger push-blade weapon, a knuckle-knife hybrid that combines a brass-knuckle frame with a compact chisel-ground blade in a single piece of machined steel. The frame is a four-ring knuckle bow with an organic, radiused silhouette — not the flat rectangular face of a traditional knuckleduster but a sculpted form that sits naturally in a closed fist. The Medford logo is stamped into the center intersection of the rings where the structural web is thickest. Below the ring frame, a short square-profile blade drops downward with a symmetrical V-grind, both bevels meeting at a sharp chisel edge. At the junction between frame and blade, a spade-shaped cutout is machined through the steel — the design detail that gives the Crown of Thorns its name and most recognizable silhouette.

Medford produced the COT in two primary finishes: red anodized (the most visually striking production variant, photographed extensively in the Medford shop on its own machining and finishing equipment) and DLC/PVD black (the tactical carry variant). The black version was sold through Arizona Custom Knives and other dealers, typically with a form-fitted black kydex sheath with an MKTE badge and modular MOLLE-compatible platform attachment. The red version shipped with a Certificate of Authenticity dated May 2023. Legally classified as a fixed blade for carry purposes in jurisdictions that allow it; legally ambiguous in many others. A purpose-built close-quarters impact and edged weapon.

The Medford Crown of Thorns COT (id=123, WP #29548) is a four-finger knuckle-knife: anodized red or DLC black machined steel, four-ring knuckle bow frame, short V-grind chisel blade, spade cutout at blade/frame junction, Medford logo center stamp. Sheath: black kydex with MOLLE platform (black variant) or MKTE-badge kydex (red variant). CoA dated May 18, 2023. Sold through Arizona Custom Knives and others. Legally variable jurisdiction carry status. Discontinued.