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Catchy Names On Great Knives

Abe Elias
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Catchy Names On Great Knives

Recognition, catchiness and marketability are but three keys to knife names.

What’s in a name? A knife by any other name will still cut, hopefully. Many people don’t realize what hangs on a name. Is it good enough to be memorable, catchy as it were? A catchy name will make a knife more or less marketable.

If you’ve read my stories long enough, you’ve seen me comment on a knife’s name, especially if it is a long, drawn-out one. To me, it is important for the name to have a short form. For example, salespeople can’t sell a knife by word of mouth if they have to say the company name followed by Omega Kilroy Uber Cutter, Men In Black Forever Ever Sharp Cutting Commando, etc. When I was having knives licensed, the licensing companies would check to see if there were other knives on the market with the same name to avoid any copyright or other legal problems. They no doubt still do that.

I think now more than ever naming a knife would be even more difficult than designing one. After all, you can have numerous drop points but when you go to name your knife you don’t want it drowning in a sea of cutlery. With so many new knife companies out there, knife production is at an all-time high. How on earth do they make their knives stand out from the rest? One way is with the name. Following are some lighthearted ones.

RMJ Tactical Stabby Guy

The large finger loop in the handle butt of the Stabby Guy provides a great platform to support the knife in your hand and keep it from slipping during thrusting motions. The fuller helps maintain blade strength and reduces weight.
The large finger loop in the handle butt of the Stabby Guy provides a great platform to support the knife in your hand and keep it from slipping during thrusting motions. The fuller helps maintain blade strength and reduces weight.

Stabby Guy Specs
Overall Length: 7.25″
Handle length: 3.5″
Blade Length: 3.75″
Blade Steel: CPM 3V carbon
Handle material: Black G-10, Dirty Olive Hyena Brown
Sheath: Kydex
MSRP: $240
Country Of Origin: U.S.A.

RMJ Tactical chose a name short and sweet for its Stabby Guy. I prefer—no, actually love—names like this. If you find yourself wandering off into multi-syllable diatribes for a name, you’ve lost me. Not only is Stabby Guy brief, it’s to the point, pun totally intended. It is what it says it is. I would call it a self-defense blade. It is slender in design and has an American-style-tanto tip. It is built solid, with the body of the knife having no primary edge.

A fuller runs full length on one side of the blade. The fuller allows the knife to keep its strength and still not weigh a ton. After all, this knife technically is equivalent to a tactical sewing needle. Save the fancy moves for Hollywood and put the machine on surge with the Stabby Guy. It has a simple, ergonomic, basically straight handle. A finger loop at the butt serves to anchor your grip and substitutes for the lack of a guard. A guard stops your hand from slipping forward while thrusting with the knife; the finger loop serves the same purpose.

Though there’s not a lot of edge, the knife need not be dead weight all day while you’re waiting for a prison riot to break out. The small but sharp edge can do a ton of minor chores. However, don’t expect to carve a chess set with it. It has a Kydex sheath equipped with a belt loop. I carried mine in my back pocket and forgot it was there. It’s a cool concept of a knife with a name that doesn’t leave you guessing.

Condor Tool & Knife Rude Boy Machete

The overall profile of the Rude Boy shows the sweet spot of the blade is a few inches back from the tip. The farther out the sweet spot, the more force it has during a swing.
The overall profile of the Rude Boy shows the sweet spot of the blade is a few inches back from the tip. The farther out the sweet spot, the more force it has during a swing.

Stabby Guy Specs
Overall Length: 7.25″
Handle length: 3.5″
Blade Length: 3.75″
Blade Steel: CPM 3V carbon
Handle material: Black G-10, Dirty Olive Hyena Brown
Sheath: Kydex
MSRP: $240
Country Of Origin: U.S.A.

Condor Tool & Knife’s aptly named Rude Boy Machete is made for light vegetation like that in a rain forest. Some machetes, on the other hand, are geared toward North American vegetation, such as hardwood or softer trees.

People often view a machete as a survival or bushcraft tool. Actually, it is more of a hiking tool with such primary uses as clearing walking trails through the jungle. For these endeavors the knives are often not razor sharp like many in North America believe. Maintaining a high level of sharpness would be next to impossible in such conditions and at best too time consuming. For that reason, a powerful swing with a thin, dull machete works well in dispatching vegetation. The Rude Boy is not only thin but lightweight, making it possible to swing for long periods. The well-constructed leather sheath has a pivoting belt loop to help avoid hanging up easily on vegetation.

The only thing I take issue with is the blade profile. The blade’s lengthy defined tip leaves the belly swell farther back from the end. My preference would be to have the widest part of the blade farthest out to get the most out of the swing. Don’t get me wrong, the Rude Boy worked well, but a long day of swinging makes you want to optimize a blade’s performance. Then again, you do want some variety in appearance.

The best feature is the handle. In profile it is pretty much the American military style, though there are some excellent ergonomics added to the design. The plastic handle is overmolded to create a hidden tang. Instead of being blocky the contours are smoothed out for a comfortable grip you can use for long periods. I like the Rude Boy and I can see me beating the snot out of it once yardwork season arrives.

Toor Knives Jank Shank S

The sharp point and clean grind lines of the Jank Shank S make it easy to see how the author was able to use it to clean 50 muskrats with minimal effort.
The sharp point and clean grind lines of the Jank Shank S make it easy to see how the author was able to use it to clean 50 muskrats with minimal effort.

Jank Shank S Specs
Overall Length: 7″
Handle length: 3″
Blade Length: 4″
Blade Steel: CPM M4 carbon
Handle material: G-10
Sheath: Kydex
MSRP: $250
Country Of Origin: U.S.A.

Out of the creatively named test models, I probably gave the Jank Shank S from Toor Knives the longest going over. I used it as an EDC but the bigger workout was when I took it to my sportsman’s club. Many in the tactical crowd promote rings in the handle butt for changing positions during combat, but I like them for the advantage they give while cleaning game. That’s right, cleaning game.

When cleaning animals I often find I want to free my hands to work with the carcass. Instead of putting the knife down, I let it dangle from my pinky. I do what needs to be done and then just move the knife into my grip. There’s no fiddling around; it’s quick, simple and no searching for where I put it down.

My club has an annual muskrat dinner, and depending on ticket sales we clean up to 400 muskrats. I cleaned 50 of the varmints with the Jank Shank S, including splitting open the chest and neckbone. Not once did I sharpen it. When done I cleaned it off, gave it a touch up and bam!—it was crazy sharp again. The textured G-10 scales made it easy to grip despite my hands being covered in blood. It worked so well the muskrats didn’t even complain. I liked it so much you won’t hear me grumble about the blade’s fur-catcher choil. Oh, and did those muskrats ever look good with fries and a side of deluxe baked beans! The sheath fits well with no break-in, period. I will add an UltiClip to the sheath and it will be an instant EDC. The Jank Shank S will make it into my game kit any time. Muskrats beware!

Name-Gamers

A name can add to the appeal of a knife by being entertaining. It is also important to have a good name to make the design stand out and be memorable. In the end you don’t want the name associated with a piece of junk, so it is always best to put the most effort into a great design. Our three name-gamers fill that bill.

Catchy Cutlery Call Signs

  • Catchy Cutlery Call Signs
  • Altered Beast (V Nives)
  • American Lawman (Cold Steel)
  • Bot (CRKT)
  • Dreadeye (Tactile Knife Co.)
  • Juma Blue Snake (Fallkniven)
  • June Bug (Emerson Knives, Inc.)
  • Laid Back Jack (Jack Wolf Knives)
  • Little Bugger (TOPS Knives)
  • Monkey Thumper (Fox)
  • Separateur (Bastinelli)
  • Smooth Criminal (Medford)
  • Waning Moon Yataghan (APOC/CAS Iberia)
  • Warhead Auto (BRS)
  • Zilch Baltic Haze (Gerber)

Pocketknife Info:

Best Minimalist Pocket Knives: Small, But Mighty EDC

Abe Elias
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Best Minimalist Pocket Knives: Small, But Mighty EDC

There’s no knife job too small for a compact cutter.

Folders come in all sizes and shapes.

Over the years, I have carried every size from compact and handy to needing to visit my chiropractor at the end of the day. I carry a Spyderco Para Military most often and other times I carry a Benchmade Griptilian. I can tell you that when I take out the Spyderco I get more comments on the size of the knife than the Griptilian.

I used to be a compact knife carrier and one of my favorites was the SOG Twitch II. I also favored two Kershaw Chives. To be fair, outside of some exceptions a compact carry did pretty much the majority of work I needed in an average day. I moved to the Spyderco only for the unexpected chores.

This time the focus is on smaller carries, the kind of carry a person in my age range would choose because his work is selling life insurance and he doesn’t need a blade that opens a person’s eyes as wide as a harvest moon. I put aside my regular carries for a number of weeks and downsized to bring you my thoughts on four factory compact carries.

CRKT MinimalX

CRKT minimalist pocketknife fuller
The fuller on the CRKT blade gives your index finger a nice purchase point for a controlled push cut while using a pinch grip.

CRKT MinimalX Frame Lock
Overall length: 5.3″
Blade length: 2.19″
Closed length: 3.2″
Stainless blade steel: 12C27
Scale material: Stainless steel
Locking system: Framelock
Pocket clip: Right side, low profile
Opening system: Flipper
Country of origin: China
MSRP: $60

Pros

  • Compact
  • Blade Utility
  • Aesthetic and Functional Features

Cons

  • Slick Handle Finish
  • Flipper Design Challenges

The first thing that strikes you about the CRKT MinimalX is how streamlined and compact it is. As probably will be the case with all four test knives, people with big hands might find them a bit difficult to use, a price you pay for the knives being compact and lighter.

To start, I have an issue with the handle finish. The stainless steel scales are a bit too slick. I find my thumb lacks purchase while opening the blade. To deploy the blade you use a flipper that sits even with the spine of the scales. CRKT provides a trim pocket clip mounted on a standoff platform. When closed, the knife is about the size of a pack of chewing gum.

Minimalist folded
The CRKT’s flipper is not proud of the back of the scales. According to the author, the tumble finish is a bit slick, though the finish color and smoothness accent the knife’s trim, compact proportions.

CRKT uses a pseudo chisel shape for the blade profile. It has a straight primary edge with a rounded chisel style tip. The blade works great for an urban EDC. As a handyman I used it several weeks for some fine trimming on door lock cuts in door frames, along with using it to scrape. Having a fuller on such a small blade adds character. It also provides a purchase point for a pinch hold.

The Darriel Caston design was hair popping sharp right out of the box. Lock up is solid as a vault. For a small carry, this is a well-built and excellent compact design. A knife like this could serve someone the better part of a lifetime.

Boker Plus DW-1

Boker minimalist pocket knife
Boker provides a great little storage case with the DW-1. “Good EDC cases are hard to find, and expensive,” the author wrote. “I was excited about the case as much as the knife.”

Boker Plus DW-1 Specs
Overall length: 2.8″
Blade length: 1.06″
Closed length: 1.6″
Stainless blade steel: AUS-8
Scale material: Zytel/stainless steel
Locking system: Framelock
Pocket clip: Right hand, tip up
Opening system: Thumb stud
Country of origin: China
MSRP: $39.99

Pros

  • Ultra-Compact
  • Specialized Utility
  • Durable Construction

Cons

  • Awkward Ergonomics
  • Limited Functionality

I would have to drop the term compact and switch it to micro for the Boker Plus DW-1. Designed by Chad Los Banos, the smallest of the review knives comes with a solid pocket clip and framelock. One scale is stainless steel and the other is Zytel. The knife has Chad’s trademark design written all over it.

This is a minimalist carry. It is a great little blade for opening Amazon packages, cutting loose threads and string—basically all the little chores. Bigger jobs are not in the DW-1 domain. If you tried spreading peanut butter with it to make a sandwich for lunch, you would not be able to eat the same day.

DW-1 cutting zip tie
The DW-1 is great for those small jobs that you don’t want to risk a visit to the dentist on. Face it, everyday life doesn’t normally have you felling a mighty oak with your pocketknife.

Don’t get me wrong, the knife is made well and would be great for someone who worked retail stocking shelves and the like. As for fighting off a zombie horde, you could sharpen a small stick with it.

It would fit someone who needs an available edge but wants a subtle carry. If I worked retail, I would use it as a companion edge to my full-size model so I would not accidently shred the contents of the box—not that I ever did (hint, hint).

GiantMouse Ace Riv LL

GiantMouse compact edc knife
The GiantMouse just barely falls into a compact size for the author. It offers two opening options: blade hole and flipper.

GiantMouse Ace Riv LL Specs
Overall length: 5.75″
Blade length: 2.44″
Closed length: 3.375″
Stainless blade steel: CPM MagnaCut
Scale material: Double black canvas Micarta®
Locking system: Linerlock
Pocket clip: Ambidextrous, tip up
Opening system: Thumb hole
Country of origin: Italy
MSRP: $276

Pros

  • Smooth Deployment
  • Stylish
  • Reversible Pocket Clip

Cons

  • Premium Pricing

There is nary a hot spot on the Ace Riv LL from GiantMouse. The bearings make the blade simply pop open via a flipper or thumb hole. Housing a linerlock, the textured Micarta® handle provides a good surface for a secure grip. The blade has a tip down profile, making it good for utility cuts.

“I like Spyderco’s Compression lock,” the author noted. “The system certainly screams innovation. However, it is not as agile operating one handed as other systems.”
“I like Spyderco’s Compression lock,” the author noted. “The system certainly screams innovation. However, it is not as agile operating one handed as other systems.”

GiantMouse provides a wire-style reversible pocket clip. I dislike wire pocket clips. Over the years, I have found them to be the least sturdy and they often get bent. The knife is a great compact carry with some style and not so small as to be heavily limited.

Spyderco MicroJimbo

MicroJimbo blade has a very aggressive
The MicroJimbo blade has a very aggressive yet highly controllable tip. Only the slightest bit of pressure can puncture several materials.

Spyderco MicroJimbo Specs
Overall length: 6.22″
Blade length: 2.45″
Closed length: 3.8″
Stainless blade steel: CPM S30V
Scale material: G-10
Locking system: Compression Lock
Pocket clip: Ambidextrous, tip up
Opening system: Thumb hole
Country of origin: United States
MSRP: $245

Pros

  • Ergonomic Handle
  • Utility Blade Design
  • Compression Lock System

Cons

  • Borderline Midsize
  • Expensive

The Spyderco MicroJimbo is based on the original Yojimbo design named after a Japanese Samurai movie character. First off, the MicroJimbo borders on midsize. The handle size has always been a bit larger in proportion on the Spyderco Yojimbo line. Even on a compact carry, I favor having a handle that fits my hand. Control is key to enjoying any knife.

The MicroJimbo uses a utility style blade with a straight edge and aggressive tip. A stylized spine profile really sets the blade off. Spyderco uses the Compression blade-lock system. The textured scales are black G-10 with a wire pocket clip.

Minimalist pocket knife clip
Consider two different styles of wire pocket clips. The lip on the clip of the GiantMouse (left) is tighter to the scale, with a slight lift. The Spyderco (right) lifts the lip a bit to aid in trapping the pocket rim.

The shapes of Spyderco’s clips are more effective for attaching to a variety of pocket styles than most, though the fact that it’s in the wire style gives it the same issues as mentioned with the GiantMouse. Due to its distinctive look, the MicroJimbo might not be everyone’s cup of tea. It is a solid carry with an unusual style and loads of function.

EDC KIT

Compact cutters will do the majority of most common daily knife tasks. Add a little creativity and you can stretch their function sometimes.

My EDC kit consists of my wallet, keys, pen, butane lighter, flashlight, bandana and my knife. That sounds like a lot, and it is. There are times when I add to the kit depending on what I’m doing. No doubt, it obviously increases weight and bulk.

Carrying a large kit means that I buy cargo pants only for daily wear. If there is anything I can do to save space and weight, I start by carry more compact versions of my gear. Obviously, my knife would be a start.

Read More Knife Reviews:

Best Cleavers: Hot Choppers In 2024

Abe Elias
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Best Cleavers: Hot Choppers In 2024

Looking for a blade to cut to the quick of most kitchen chores?

As a knife guy for pretty much my entire life, I can own up to the fact that I don’t collect knives, I hoard them. Among the hoard are kitchen knives. I even scour secondhand stores looking for discarded gems or diamonds in the rough. Having said that, I must admit there are only a couple that are my go-to knives in the kitchen. One of them is my old Regent 6-inch-high carbon steel cleaver.

In a sea of kitchen knife styles with various design influences, it seems we periodically return to the cleaver. I use mine for almost everything and love it. Next to my Victorinox paring knives, I could not imagine a kitchen without it. Therefore, this time we look at four cleavers, some traditional and some with a modern twist.

Best Cleavers Specs Comparison

CleaverOverall Length (inches)Blade Length (inches)Blade @Thickest (inches)Blade SteelHandle MaterialSheathWeight (ounces)MSRPCountry Of Origin
Cold Steel Cleaver Commercial Series13.759.137German 4116 stainlessKray-ExNone23.7$60Taiwan
TOPS Knives XXX Dicer8.887.13440C stainlessRed and black G-10Black Kydex13.6$330U.S.A
Condor Serbian Kuvar Cleaver11.296.29.11075 carbonNatural Micarta w/red linersLeather14.46$110El Salvador
Bear & Son Professional Chopping Knife10.1255.12514C28N Sandvik stainlessBlack G-10 and white boneThermal plastic4$160U.S.A.

Cold Steel Cleaver Commercial Series

Onions are hardly a challenge for the Cold Steel Cleaver
Onions are hardly a challenge for the Cold Steel Cleaver. On the other hand, its weight does make it sing through whatever you’re cutting. The effort is in picking it up—gravity handles the rest.

Commercial Cleaver Specs
Overall Length: 13.75″
Blade Length: 9″
Blade @Thickest: .137″
Blade Steel: German 4116 stainless
Handle Material: Kray-Ex
Sheath: None
Weight: 23.7 ozs.
MSRP: $56.99
Country of Origin: Taiwan

Pros

  • Excellent for butchering
  • Kray-Ex handle provides a firm grip
  • High-polished blade is a smooth cutter

Cons

  • Too Large for regular kitchen tasks:
  • Prone to Scratching

The Cold Steel Cleaver Commercial Series is a traditional style European design and is a behemoth. I could make three small knives just from the blade. It works great in the kitchen but, due to its size and weight, can be a bit much for such chores as chopping veggies. However, for butchering jobs it is a brawler. I had a chance to process some meat with it, mostly pork chopping up ribs and cutting belly up for the roaster. Not much will stand in its way.

The handle is Kray-Ex, a firm rubber for a solid, vibration-free grip. The high-polished blade finish really cuts down the friction when cutting meat. The meat just slides across the surface. The polished blade is prone to showing scratches if it gets banged around in the drawer with other kitchen wear. I only mention that as I know some people get uptight over it.

As a large butchering tool it works great. I would even pack it for hunting camp. It functions fine as a kitchen chopper, though be prepared for a workout.

polished finish on the Cold Steel Cleaver
The polished finish on the Cold Steel Cleaver might not stay pristine but such a high polish isn’t just for looks. As the author noted, “The friction factor on such blades is low, allowing them to just glide through materials that might otherwise cling to a rough-finished blade.”

Commercial Cleaver Deals

Cold Steel$57Check Price
BladeHQ$57Check Price
Knife Center$50Check Price

TOPS Knives XXX Dicer

The belly of the TOPS XXX Dicer is quite pronounced.
The belly of the TOPS XXX Dicer is quite pronounced. “I suppose you could use it for rocking the blade but the forward position would make it awkward,” the author opined. “For long, drawn-out slicing moves during butchering it could work well.”

XXX Dicer Specs
Overall Length: 8.88″
Blade Length: 7″
Blade @Thickest: .13″
Blade Steel: 440C stainless
Handle Material: Red and black G-10
Sheath: Black Kydex
Weight: 13.6 ozs.
MSRP: $330
Country of Origin: U.S.A

Pros

  • Versatile for kitchen and game processing
  • Great control for chopping
  • Thin blade for easy cutting

Cons

  • Hollow pins trap debris

At first look, the broad, sweeping blade with a huge belly of the TOPS Knives XXX Dicer reminds me of a Japanese fishmonger’s knife. The fishmongers who process the large fish such as tuna and marlin often can be seen using similar blade styles. I volunteer in my local shooting club’s kitchen, so when I took the XXX Dicer there for them to try, many of the hunters commented how they would like to try it for skinning big game.

For use in the kitchen, the handle is designed so that you choke up for your chopping chores. A forward design also helps you to gain better control over the exaggerated belly curve. It is a large blade yet ground thin enough to make easy work of chopping and slicing jobs. I personally would not mind a bit more handle for when I want to back off on my grip and put some oomph behind it. The handle material works well. I must say, though, I am not fond of the hollow pins as food debris finds its way in there.

What I like about the blade overrides what problems I have with the handle. In the end, I can say I like the Cold Steel cleaver due to its utility.

TOPS XXX Dicer in sheath
The author praised the streamlined blade cover for the TOPS XXX Dicer. It not only protects the cleaver but other blades in the kitchen drawer from being banged up.

XXX Dicer Deals

TOPS Knives$330Check Price
Midway USA$330Check Price
The Knife Connection$193Check Price

Condor Serbian Kuvar Cleaver

Condor’s broad blade
The Condor’s broad blade not only gives the cleaver some chopping weight, it also doubles as a good serving knife.

Kuvar Cleaver Specs
Overall Length: 11.29″
Blade Length: 6.29″
Blade @Thickest: .1″
Blade Steel: 1075 carbon
Handle Material: Natural Micarta® w/red liners
Sheath: Leather
Weight: 14.46 ozs.
MSRP: $109.98
Country of Origin: El Salvador

Pros

  • Versatile for kitchen and field use
  • Durable convex edge
  • Easy-to-clean handle

Cons

  • Sheath Design Issues

Even though Goran Mihajlovic designed the Condor Serbian Kuvar Cleaver, for years now—and I mean years—it has been Joe Flowers’ job to spot designers and designs for Condor Tool & Knife and bring them to market. I think I have known Joe for over 20 years, and his passion for cutlery has been unwavering. I think many people are unaware of the passion that drives the knife industry. Now, back to the Kuvar.

The Condor cleaver is a great example of how a different concept gets noticed. In the early days of the North American fur trade, many knife designs were simple kitchen or butcher models. With the Kuvar you not only have a knife that rides well for your kitchen chores, but you can use it in camp.

It does not have a particularly thick blade but what gives it some toughness is the convex edge. The edge is ground high to make it a cutter, though not so high as to make it fragile. As you chop, the convex edge helps the food fall away from the blade. Because of the blade style it would not be my first choice for carving. It would serve well as a field knife if need be. It would be great for chores around the kitchen and processing game. I would not hesitate taking it with me on a wild edibles trek either, while still feeling totally equipped.

The handle is durable and easy to clean. My only beef is the sheath’s snap closure. The knife gets hung up by it on deployment, but then that is the issue with many snap closures.

Condor’s convex-edged blade
According to the author, vegetables just pop off the Condor’s convex-edged blade when cut.
Condor$110Check Price
BladeHQ$92Check Price
Knife Center$110Check Price

Bear & Son Professional Chopping Knife

The Bear Professional Chopping Knife has a full handle and the 5-inch blade
The Bear Professional Chopping Knife has a full handle and the 5-inch blade “is perfect” for the majority of everyday kitchen work. “It’s large enough to cut most food,” the author wrote, “and nimble enough for light, lively control of each cut.”

Professional Chopping Knife Specs
Overall Length: 10.125″
Blade Length: 5″
Blade @Thickest: .125″
Blade Steel: 14C28N Sandvik stainless
Handle Material: Black G-10 and white bone
Sheath: Thermal plastic
Weight: 4 ozs.
MSRP: $159.99
Country of Origin: U.S.A.

Pros

  • Visually appealing design
  • Thin-ground blade for chopping
  • Light and nimble

Cons

  • Handle can get slippery when wet
  • Limited heavy-duty capability

As mentioned, I took the test knives to my shooting club’s kitchen. The Bear & Son Professional Chopping Knife made such a splash that I barely got out of there with it in hand. The overall presentation of the handle with the stonewashed blade turned heads. It not only is a looker but, with its thin-ground blade, works great as a small chopper.

The handle ergonomics are great. The handle is highly polished and, seeing there is no texture or give to the material, it can get a bit slippery when wet. Bear & Son includes a lanyard hole at the butt but used mechanical fasteners up front. There is a slight curve to the blade and a nicely defined point.

It is a great little knife, light and nimble and suited to all kinds of chores. It is very much like one of my go-to knives, a small chef’s style. The grind on the chopper, though, is far better than my small chef’s knife. The sheath protects the blade while in transport or just sitting in a drawer. If anyone wants to buy a small chef’s knife, I need to make room for this one in my kitchen drawer.

The Bear has good handle ergonomics
The Bear has good handle ergonomics. The use of white bone and black G-10 really make the split handle design pop.

Professional Chopping Knife Deals

Bear & Son$160Check Price
SMKW$107Check Price
Discount Cutlery$104Check Price

Favorite Go-To?

It is not easy being a knife guy these days because there are so many good choices. At BLADE®, we try to bring you a number of selections and along the way introduce you to something you might not find otherwise. Cutting tools come in so many styles and for so many varieties and uses. Even with today’s latest cleavers there is variety and innovation. Use one or more of these designs and you might find your favorite go-to knife.

More Kitchen Knives:

Searching For TSA-Safe EDCs

Abe Elias
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Searching For TSA-Safe EDCs

Though always open to TSA interpretation, these tools just might pass muster.

It’s the job of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents to help ensure the safety of all commercial flights, which includes confiscating anything and everything from passenger carry-on that might jeopardize such safety. With the summer vacation season and the plane travel that accompanies it beckoning, the focus of this story is to avail you of some EDCs that might pass TSA muster.

Before continuing, there is always going to be that one TSA agent who will find something wrong with a carry-on EDC, no matter what it is, so be prepared for that eventuality. For the most part I read through the TSA’s rules and there appears to be some openings for such EDCs—not many, mind you, but some.

From left: the Leatherman Raptor, Big Idea Design TPT Slide and Gerber Prybrid-X.
From left: the Leatherman Raptor, Big Idea Design TPT Slide and Gerber Prybrid-X.

One is the TPT Slide from Big Idea Design. Lets dive right in to why I think the TSA would OK the TPT for carry-on. First, simply because, in my experience, the TSA has. Back in my trade show days I carried several knives that were structured like the TPT. It is a utility knife with a removable blade. I would throw the knife in my carry-on minus the blade. Since I was working trade shows, I would simply leave some utility blades in the booth for when I got there. If you don’t have a setup like that it is easy enough to just buy a pack of blades in a store at your destination. When you depart to come home, leave them as an extra tip to the chambermaid.

The TPT takes utility blades, the single trapezoid style. You need no tools to remove the blade. In other knives of this style I have seen many different ways to remove the blade. The TPT’s method isn’t difficult but it isn’t a cakewalk like some others, either. Once you get the hang of it, though, you will have an easier time.

A flat-head screwdriver/pry bar is incorporated into the handle butt. There’s also a socket that takes quarter-inch bits. It is a trim package and has a pocket clip for carry or sleek leather pouch that also holds an extra blade. The pocket clip is tight—tight enough that when you get it, give it a good stretch to open it up. Included are two faux blades. They look exactly like utility blades but have no edge. They would be great for chores like breaking tape on packages, though I would not advise attempting to take them through security. You might be pushing your luck.

scissors of the Leatherman Raptor
The author found the scissors of the Leatherman Raptor very useful. He carries a pair in his service bag. Good scissors can cut a variety of materials, from paper to cord and zip ties.

The TPT is a nice piece of kit and gives you a compact tool for EDC, though I can’t see why you couldn’t carry on any utility knife without the blades as long as it fits the guidelines. I do like it enough that it will see duty in my EDC rotation. Country of origin: USA. MSRP: $80.

Sound Substitue

The Leatherman Raptor is basically a set of EMT shears with a few tricks up its sleeve. If you read through the TSA guidelines, they exclude any scissors or shears with blades longer than 3 inches from the pivot point. The Raptor’s blades are only 1.9 inches. As well, I would figure the fact the blade tips are not sharp/pointed wouldn’t raise any alarms either. Keep in mind, I have not carried a Raptor on a plane. Unlike utility knives, I have no firsthand experience with shears to fall back on.

To carry the Raptor you have two choices: a plastic molded belt sheath and a belt clip. You can use the belt clip only when the scissors are folded. They fold up for a nice stowaway package. Other scissors features are an oxygen tank wrench, ring cutter, strap-cutter and a glassbreaker. The sheath will accommodate up to a 1.5-inch-wide belt. I know a number of firefighters who carry a Raptor on a belt daily. I carried one for years on my ankle first-aid kit.

TPT Slide’s faux blade cutting open packages
Use the tip of the TPT Slide’s faux blade to cut open packages and such. The faux blade is great in areas with knife restrictions.

It is a versatile tool with tons of cutting power. The one blade is shaped like a sheepsfoot and, if you use the point, can be manipulated to score or cut things. The Raptor might not be as quick to use as a knife but it does have uses a knife doesn’t. Best of all, it doesn’t incorporate a bottle opener. (As you may or may not know, I hate having bottle openers on everything. At the current rate, pretty soon humans will be born with bottle-opening appendages.) If I were limited to what I could carry for an EDC, the Raptor would be a good practical alternative to a knife. Country of origin: USA. MSRP: $79.95.

Light L’il Bro

The Gerber Prybrid-X might look familiar as it has a big bro, the Prybrid. The Prybrid-X appears to fall under the TSA’s removal-blade category, but instead of a utility blade it takes a #11 crafting blade. The latter might not be as widely available as a utility blade, though by no means is it like shopping for hen’s teeth, either.

To deploy the blade, depress a button and push the blade out the front. The Prybrid-X comes with a pry bar, wire stripper, bottle opener and two flat-head screwdrivers formed out to the tips of the pry bar. It is a design that takes up very little real estate in your pocket. It does have a clip but the paracord lanyard makes it easy to find at the bottom of a pocket.

small, sharp blade of the Prybrid-X.
Sometimes a blade’s ease of access is more important than its size. You can do a lot of chores with the small, sharp blade of the Prybrid-X.

It is a light-duty tool for opening packages, stripping Romex® wire, digging out splinters, etc. If working in non-knife-friendly places like some retail stores, it is a great tool due to its low profile. For the size and weight, I can see it in, say, a tactical pocket pouch or just as that extra blade crazy knife guys like to carry. Country of origin: USA. MSRP: $28.

The Challenge

Carrying an EDC can be challenging at times for many reasons, including regulations and workplace rules. I have a friend whose workplace banned knives. Hence, he couldn’t carry a Swiss Army knife to work but could carry a multi-tool because it was “not technically a knife.”

TPT is easily carried in the belt line
A trim piece such as the TPT is easily carried in the belt line. The author likes carrying it in a belt loop. It saves space in a pocket and promotes easy access.

Fortunately, the knife community is constantly innovating and finding ways to address situations where a “TSA safe” tool is needed, though such tools are few and far between. And that is the challenge. I would like to know if there are more such implements out there. Instead of utility knives, you just remove the blades from, list the more creative stuff in the comments below, the things that make you sit up and take notice.

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Boker And Condor’s Back To Basics Bushcraft Knives

Abe Elias
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Boker And Condor’s Back To Basics Bushcraft Knives

We put the Boker Plus Vigtig vs. Wild and Condor Tool & Knife head to head to see which come out on top in the backwoods.

A couple of decades ago, attention started turning to the category of bushcraft knives. As usual, custom knifemakers were the ones filling the demand and leading the way. I was proud to be among them, along with such makers as Scott Gossman and others. There were those* before us but the push back then seemed more on survival knives with a tactical leaning.

After the push started, many smelled the opportunity to make money and the genre was flooded with assorted marketing schemes and people seeking their 15 minutes of fame. In all the confusion of people wanting to become famous and cash in, the true meaning of bushcraft was lost.

Boker Vigtig vs. Condor Wild
The thinner steel thickness on the Condor Tool & Knife Lipotes enables it to make finer curlicues than the Boker Vigtig vs. Wild. Designed by Dave Wenger and made in Germany, the Boker has an MSRP of $194.95. Joe Flowers designed the Lipotes, which is made in El Salvador. MSRP: $64.98.

A bushcraft knife is not something meant to be indestructible at all costs. It instead has always been a tool of creation. Now I see most marketing or testing related to whether the knife can be pounded through a log, a log that most likely would be unavailable if not for a chainsaw. No, the bushcraft knife started out as a tool, nimble in hand, keen in cutting and used to fabricate things in the bush, things not just to accommodate survival but to help a person thrive. In that reasonable light and practical expectation of the genre, let’s see how the Boker Plus Vigtig vs. Wild and Condor Tool & Knife Lipotes are suited to help you thrive in nature.

Boker Plus Vigtig

Boker sports a molded Kydex sheath
The Boker sports a molded Kydex sheath with an ambidextrous belt clip. The sheath holds the knife secure while still allowing for an easy draw when using a thumb push off.

The Boker’s 3.35-inch blade features a Scandinavian, aka Scandi, grind, a grind in which the major bevel is the only bevel and goes straight to zero. Executed correctly, the grind should take up at least a third of the blade’s width. If the grind is any shallower it will be too steep. Some variation on the height of the grind is due to the thickness of material. Being too steep will decrease the effectiveness of the blade to cut because the angle of the edge will plow into the work material—and when I cut with the Boker, it did just that. It is not that it won’t cut with a steep angle, it just tries to take heavier cuts as it dives. Therefore, you don’t get the thin controlled cuts as easy as a properly executed grind.

Scandi grinds are popular in bushcraft because of their amazing effectiveness carving wood. In the game area they work fine but you will often find that bone wreaks havoc on a Scandi edge. In addition, the cross profile of the blade is not optimized for processing meat. Full flat grinds process soft, malleable materials such as meat best since there is no shoulder on the blade to bind as the meat flows along the cross-section profile. On flat grinds you also have a secondary bevel, or micro bevel as some call it, and it takes hitting bone better.
The Boker is a full-tang knife with a blade .16 inch thick at the thickest, somewhat thick for a bushcraft knife. A clever feature is how the spine is finished. To strike a ferro rod off the blade spine you need a crisp edge. Sharp spines are more effective at generating sparks but are not very comfortable if you need to use a pinch grip or a thumb extension on a power grip. To address the issue, the Boker has a sharp spine toward the tip and a crisp spine section near the handle.

Blade thickness comparision
Note how much thicker (.16 inch at the thickest) the Boker blade is than that of the Lipotes (.13 inch at the thickest).

The handle is green linen Micarta® with beefy mechanical fasteners that double as lanyard holes. For those who prefer a full grip it has good profile contouring and leaves a blocky handle from side to side. There are no hot spots while still providing control.
The blade is CPM MagnaCut stainless steel and is wide for its size. With its thicker blade it batons well through small branches to make small kindling. You trade some agility for durability with a beefier blade material.

The molded Kydex sheath rides high and boasts a metal belt clip that screws on for right- or left-hand carry. The knife locks securely into the sheath yet not so much you can’t easily withdraw it.

I think the Boker has its good points. I do prefer my bushcraft knife to be more of a nimble cutting tool. Overall, if the edge were ground higher this knife would up its game substantially.

Wild and Condor Tool & Knife Lipotes

Lipotes batoning
For ease of baton work, the general rule is the cutting medium should be no wider than one-third the length of the blade. The Lipotes has a 4.15-inch blade of 14C28N stainless steel.

Let’s start with the handle on the Lipotes (among others, a lipotes is an endangered species of dolphin). It is an extended hidden tang and not a full tang—that’s right, not a full tang. Some time ago a well-known knife company introduced an extended-hidden-tang version of a knife and called it a full tang, and all the marketers and social media influencers decided to rename a feature so everyone could fall in line. If you can’t see the tang all around the knife’s handle, it isn’t a full tang.

Along with rat-tail tangs, hidden tangs have the distinct advantage of being some of the most comfortable knives in use. The steel element is totally encapsulated in the handle, allowing the maker to have full control in contouring the scales. In other words, you basically have a tang that will not interrupt how the material is shaped.

The Lipotes handle is very comfortable and the texture in the molded material provides a secure grip. As for the hidden tang extension, it can be used as a small hammering device or even a scraper.

Except for the grind, I like the overall proportions of the knife. As with the Boker, the grind doesn’t go high enough. It will still cut but the cutting would be greatly optimized if the grind were half its height taller. It performed well in its cutting tasks with power cuts, feathering and the like. However, it still missed the ease of cut and control of a higher grind. If I could, I would love to get my hands on a bunch of these blades and regrind them.

Lipotes sheath
The Lipotes has a quality sheath that holds the knife nice and tight when you ramble through the woods. The leather belt loop riveted to the back won’t accommodate a wide belt.

I really like the sheath. It has a nice, deep carry. It is a molded plastic with a good friction fit. It is a bit mysterious to me as to why the belt loop is so small. Only a dress belt would fit through it. You could still run a cord through it for neck carry or a baldric. The Joe Flowers design checks off so many of the boxes for a good tool. I would have been singing its praises more with a higher grind. Instead, I am pretty much humming.

More Than Survival

To repeat, a bushcraft knife isn’t just for survival, it is a tool of creation. Often the real goal of an issue gets lost in the minutiae that results from personal gain and egos. Over the years, marketing and self-promotion have polluted bushcraft until we have lost it in a sea of books and an ocean of social media. A look at a simple tool such as a knife can really remind us of what bushcraft is about. It is about man’s will to do more than just survive. Man strives to prosper.

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes about tools by Thomas Carlyle: “Man is a tool-using animal. Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all.”

*Author’s note: The origins of the discussions of bushcraft can be attributed to such enthusiasts as Mors Kochanski, Larry Dean Olsen, Lofty Wiseman, Ray Mears and others.

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Neo-Slippies: Not Your Granddad’s Slip Joint Knives

Abe Elias
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Neo-Slippies: Not Your Granddad’s Slip Joint Knives

Tradition meshes with modern in today’s new-age factory slip joint knives.

Like all tools, slip-joint pocketknives have seen their own evolutionary journey. In the olden days there were quality tools and then there were ones produced to be a bit more affordable, yet they still had their utility. These days many people buy knives for their utility, and I would say a number buy them for what I call the “Gucci factor.” As times change what’s considered attractive changes too, and, of course, makers leave their marks with their own innovations.

This time we’re not only going to test the latest in factory slip joints but also examine how companies and designers are innovating the age-old design to ensure it’s useful enough for the user and pretty enough for the collector. I took them all for a spin by shoehorning them into my everyday carry (EDC) rotation. The results are revealing.

CRKT Forebear

Forebarer's nail nick
CRKT Forebear

A couple of things update the CRKT Forebear. The first is the modified wharncliffe blades of 12C27 stainless steel. They’re not too big of a departure from the traditional style but still enough to make you notice. They are streamlined with an aggressive tip. Second is the use of a streaked-red-and-black G-10 handle. Unlike using texture to add dimension like, say, in a jigged material such as bone, the handle has two contrasting colors instead.

The knife is in a two-blade configuration—small and large wharncliffes—designed by custom maker Darriel Caston. The blades remind me of those on German chip-carving knives. Such blades are excellent for detail work and chores at which utility-style blades excel. They are flat ground and have long nail nicks that follow the spine.

I must say I was disappointed with the out-of-the-box finished edges on the blades. They were very uneven. One side had a larger micro bevel than the other. Machines do the great majority of the work creating the parts of a factory knife. In the end, though, the final edge is most often applied by hand. Before getting full use out of the knife I had to even out the bevels.

CRKT Forebarer slip joint
A handle closeup gives you a good idea of the depth the two-colored G-10 scales bring to the Forebear. At 3.43 inches closed, it’s a nice size for the watch pocket on your jeans.

Again, fit and finish was a bit of a disappointment, especially coming from CRKT. I have come to expect great value from the finishes on the company’s knives. Both scales exhibited shaping flaws and were left unpolished in spots, leaving an uneven appearance.

I actually like the design. It has great potential for everyday use with the two wharncliffes. It needs some work as mentioned on the edges. With a user knife it’s easier to overlook some fit-and-finish errors. After all, knives become better looking with familiarity as enthusiasts grow attached to their EDCs. As for the edge, it’s very fixable but it should come ready to use out of the box.

Boker Plus Koteyka

Boker Koteyka
The file-style work on the spine of the Koteyka breaks up the profile and gives the blade some character.

The Boker Plus Koteyka is a stylized clip-point-blade folder. The handle is jigged black G-10. The blade is flat-ground D2 tool steel and opens via a nail nick. Closed length: 3.5 inches. I really like that Boker Plus sends the Koteyka in a box wrapped in wax paper like the old-time knives. On the back of the blade is some machining that resembles filework.

Out of the box it cut very well after I stropped it to bring it to the crazy sharp level. The finish on the G-10 has machining marks for a rustic look. One day I will end up hitting it on a buffing wheel. With a high luster polish I think it would be killer. Granted, the MSRP is only $69, so I’m just expressing my own thoughts on its presentation. Texture wise it can be a little rough on your hand, so that is another reason why I will buff it. The blade action and spring tension are good. It is a great little pocketknife update. I look forward to using it further.

Lionsteel Bestman

Lionsteel Bestman slip joint
Lionsteel Bestman

In the Bestman, Lionsteel offers a pocketknife with all the traditional elements, though it’s the presentation and materials that give it the updated look. The folder has three choices of blade configuration: clip and spear points and a combination two-blade set up of clip point and wharncliffe. I received the clip point for the test. Blade steel: M390 stainless. Closed length: 3.75 inches.

The Bestman features two sets of bolsters with a decorative groove. Handle materials come in an array of natural or synthetic materials, from olive wood to carbon fiber. I chose the canvas Micarta® for the rugged look. Lionsteel kept the design blocky while smoothing over the edges to avoid hot spots. None of the metal on the knife is polished. It has a satin finish, as did some of the older high-end brands in which one side of the blade would be polished and the other side hand rubbed. In place of pins are Torx fasteners. Even the execution of the grind on the clip point departs from the traditional by keeping all the lines crisp.

The blade opens via a nail nick. The blade action is smooth yet has a definite half stop. The spring tension is dead on. I must say I am impressed and like it. It came right out of the box ready for work. The materials and design will last a lifetime of chores.

Heretic Jinn

Heretic JInn
Heretic JInn

At first, adding the Jinn by Heretic Knives to the review was iffy at best for me. I saw it on the company’s website and I somewhat reluctantly included it. To me, a pocketknife design from Heretic is akin to having a thrasher band perform Simon & Garfunkel. Nothing personal, I just thought Heretic couldn’t pull it off. In the end, though, I am the fool standing there clapping after the rest of the audience has stopped.

The sheepsfoot blade of CPM MagnaCut stainless with a combination serrated/plain edge has great application for EDC use. It can cut everything from soup to nuts. For style Heretic includes a false grind. The knife opens via a long nail nick at the blade’s back half. If I had one criticism it would be the position of the nail nick. There would be a greater advantage in opening the blade if the nick were farther away from the pivot point. Just pinching the blade closer to the tip allows for a smoother pull-on opening.

Heretic Jinn clip
The Jinn is the only slip joint reviewed with a pocket clip.

A half stop enhances user safety and the knife is finished off in carbon fiber scales with a trim, low-profile pocket clip. The clip is my next issue. It is too tight to easily clip onto floppy and thick pocket rims. The design is such that you really don’t want to bend the clip, either.

All else considered, the Jinn really surprised me. It is a great worker. Overall, its looks fit right in with any modern one-hand-opening pocketknife. Closed length: 3.8 inches.

A CERTAIN ROMANCE
Slip joints have a certain romance to them. On a base level the designs have tons of utility, and updating their appearances helps keep consumers interested. Of course, there will always be the ongoing love affair with the traditional designs. Many wouldn’t have it any other way.

More On Pocketknives:

Replaceable Blade Knives: Options To Always Keep You Sharp

Abe Elias
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Replaceable Blade Knives: Options To Always Keep You Sharp

In the field, these knives always help you keep your edge.

And now for a style of edged tool that brings its own brand of controversy most wherever it goes—the replaceable-blade knife. No, not the utility knives you see in a ton of kitchen junk drawers, tradesman’s tool bags and on garage workbenches, but the models made for hunting and possible EDC use.

The controversy tends to surface between the traditional knife-carrying crowd and those who appreciate convenience. As one who loves and teaches sharpening, I tend to leave the replacement blades for my utility knives. These days, however, they have made their way into many different knife styles.

I’m going to gauge how four of the latest replacement models cut and handle, and, most importantly in my mind, how easy it is to change a blade on each one.

Hogue Expel Scalpel 2.5

Hogue’s Expel Scalpel
You get a sturdy full-tang design with Hogue’s Expel Scalpel. A tight-fitting cover with a split ring carries the blade. Country of origin: USA.

Right off the bat, you will notice the Hogue Expel Scalpel 2.5 is some serious gear. The handle is a steel tang construction with textured G-10 scales in a blaze orange. The front bolster area is gimped, complete with a thumb ramp. Though the bolsters are screwed on the thumb ramp is not reversible, so sorry to all you southpaws out there. The handle is American made but the blade is marked England and #60. A #60 scalpel is used in dental surgery and postmortem work (it’s nice to know medical examiners wait for the person to expire before they start hacking into them with such a scalpel). Instead of stainless the blade is a high carbon steel. If you want to prolong the life of the Expel’s replacement blade, you can easily strop it.

Since it is an actual scalpel blade, that means you should be able to source multiples of them easy enough. I would go online and order. Since the pattern is used for postmortem work, that would raise fewer eyebrows. I did a quick check and was able to find a pack of 20 of the blades for around $10.

Hogue’s design for its replaceable blade knife uses the traditional blade mounting system. The best way to change the blade is with a pair of pliers. Doctors usually use a set of forceps. Handling wise the knife is quick and nimble. You hold it like a regular scalpel, with your index finger along the blade spine, and guide the edge. It comes with a zipped pouch and a plastic sleeve that fits over the blade. Having the textured G-10 scales and beefier handle contour enhances purchase. I like the design. It fits my hand well. I had perfect control over the edge. I wouldn’t hesitate to take this with me hunting and use it as a caping knife. I certainly will be packing it for pheasant hunting this fall to process the birds and clean up the gizzards.

Hogue Expel Scalpel 2.5 Specs
Overall Length: 7″
Closed Length: Not applicable
Blade Length: 2.5″
Handle material: Orange G-10
MSRP: $114.95

Coast 1919 Reserve Shift

Selection of blades for Coast 1919
The selection of blades Coast supplies with the 1919 is compatible with regular utility blades. From top: an attached regular utility blade, drop point and gut hook. Country of origin: China.

With the 1919 Reserve Shift, Coast has gone with more of a traditional utility folder design. Don’t let that fool you, though, because the knife does offer some innovations. Coast has patented both the blade changing arrangement—called the swap out system—as well as the blade storage system. Two of the three blade styles that come with the knife are customized: the spear tip and gut hook. The third is a regular utility pattern. The system is compatible with standard utility blades, which means you can buy other patterns such as serrated and a roofer’s hooked blades. I don’t know why the company bothered designing a gut hook, as a hooked utility blade would work just as well. The handle is a glass reinforced nylon with a textured rubber insert. The 1919 carries in a pouch sheath.

There are two locking systems. The primary is a linerlock and a double lock prevents the liner from moving to the side. A thumb stud provides ambidextrous one-hand opening. The stud is also part of the opening system. Depress the button on the stud, slide the stud down and the blade comes out.

The blade release system works well but, as far as innovation goes, it doesn’t draw a “wow” from me. Conversely, that Coast bothered to care about how easy it is for you to access the extra blade storage is impressive. It is a straightforward arrangement but, after all, what good is a replaceable-blade system if you can’t get at the extra blades?

Overall, the knife handles like any other utility folder, but the devil is in the details. All the little extras help it edge out the other similar designs. Best of all, except for the proprietary blades, you can pretty much walk into a Walmart and get a blade for the 1919.

Coast 1919 Reserve Shift Specs
Overall Length: 6.875″
Closed Length: 4.375″
Blade Length: 2.5″
Handle material: Glass reinforced nylon w/textured rubber inlay
MSRP: $39.99

Havalon Piranta Bolt

thumb disc on the Havalon Bolt’s blade holder
Note the thumb disc on the Havalon Bolt’s blade holder, which makes ambidextrous opening possible. Also, the bright orange ABS handle on this replaceable blade knife makes it more likely you will find the knife if you ever set it down. Country of origin: handle made in Taiwan and the blades are made in India.

The Havalon Piranta Bolt is a blend between the Coast 1919 and the Hogue Expel Scalpel. The Bolt uses a #60 surgical blade like the Expel Scalpel, though Havalon’s is marked 60A and listed as stainless steel. The blade opens via an ambidextrous thumb disc and locks via a linerlock like the 1919.

A belt carry case houses 12 extra blades. If you only occasionally stropped your blades instead of changing them out, you would have a ton of cutting time. The handle is a bright orange ABS plastic with a textured rubber insert. It feels blocky in the hand. Using ABS plastic keeps the knife lightweight. Between the lightweight feel of the plastic and the lack of contouring, it is not a comfortable grip. The small, trim-profile pocket clip is stronger than it looks.

Havalon gets innovative as far as providing a blade-replacing tool. When changing a scalpel blade, normally you take a set of forceps or a pliers and lift up the back end and push the blade forward. Havalon’s little clamshell-style tool closes around the blade so the edge is not exposed. Snap the tool closed and the rear of the blade bends upward, enabling you to pull the blade off the holder. It worked every time I tried it and it didn’t damage the blade. I was even able to reinstall the same blade. An issue is that there is no place to store the tool in the pouch and, due to its size, would be easy to misplace/lose.

Havalon Piranta Bolt Specs
Overall Length: 7.375″
Closed Length: 4.5″
Blade Length: 2.75″
Handle material: ABS plastic w/rubber inlay
MSRP: $54.99

Kershaw LoneRock RBK 2

Kershaw fixed-blade handle
Kershaw also includes a fixed-blade handle with its replaceable blade knife’s kit. It’s lightweight and the texture and profile offer plenty of purchase power.

The Kershaw LoneRock RBK 2 is another replaceable model that uses a #60 scalpel blade. (I’m starting to feel like a few of these companies had a meeting and I wasn’t invited.) The RBK 2 comes with 14 extra blades in a carry case and one on the knife. A pocket in the belt pouch holds the carry case. A cool feature of the case is a slash pocket for the knife, making it easier to get a purchase on the handle for deployment.

Speaking of the handle, it’s glass filled nylon with rubber overlay. It’s listed as black and tan but looks more like black and green. If I had to pick something Kershaw should have had more foresight about, it’s the color. Green and black pretty much screams “lose me” for a hunting knife. On the other hand, for caping the #60 scalpel blades should do the trick. Also, Kershaw did a great job contouring the handle so it’s easy and comfortable to hold. The blade opens ambidextrously via the double thumb stud and secures via a linerlock. There is no pocket clip, though there is a hole for a lanyard.

Kershaw really put its thinking cap on when it comes to tool-less blade removal. A liner lifts the rear of the scalpel blade, enabling you to slide the blade off. However, I would still play it safe and grab the blade with, say, a pair of pliers. During use I never had an issue with the removal liner being bumped, but I will wait and see. I must say, Kershaw impressed me with this one.

Kershaw LoneRock RBK 2 Specs
Overall Length: 7.2″
Closed Length: 4.4″
Blade Length: 2.8″
Handle material: Glass filled nylon w/rubber overlay
MSRP: $47.99

Points To Ponder

Replaceable-blade knives add to the depth of edged tools available in the cutlery world. As with all knives, they have their place. They have already experienced some popularity among certain trades and professions. If you like to sharpen, remember that even a replaceable blade can be touched up at times.

Check Out More Outdoor Knives And Tools:

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