Garra Fixed Blade expands on BLACKHAWK’s popular karambit design.
Look out tactical fans! Blackhawk expanded its tactical lineup with the release of the Garra Fixed Karambit. Manufactured in Taiwan, the fixed-blade design builds on the ergonomics of the brand’s popular Garra III folder, using nearly the same wicked blade profile and the earlier model’s finger ring, but in a full-tang, fixed option.
At the center of the Garra is its 3.25-inch blade ground from D2 tool steel. A high-carbon tool steel, the alloy is widely recognized for wear resistance and edge retention and is a time-tested knife steel. These properties allow the Garra Fixed to resist chipping under heavy stress, though users should remember its high carbide content makes it somewhat more demanding to sharpen. Blackhawk finishes off the blade with a non-reflective black finish, which not only reduces glare but inhibits corrosion.
Measuring 8 inches overall, the knife features textured Zytel handle scales, available in black or tan. The rear finger ring is a love-hate feature for most knife fan. It facilitates quick grip transitions between forward and reverse holds and gives positive retention during hard utility or defense work. But some find rings get in the way and create the potential for a broken finger in hard use. It’s a matter of opinion and taste.
Weighing 7.5 ounces, each Garra ships with both a conceal-carry and a removable Kydex sheath designed for belt or gear integration. The Garra Fixed Karambit carries an MSRP of $160.
Garra Fixed Karambit Specs Manufacturer: BLACKHAWK® Overall Length: 8.00 in. Blade Length: 3.25 in. Blade Steel: D2 Tool Steel Handle Material: Zytel (Black or Tan) Sheath: Kydex sheath and conceal-carry holster Weight: 7.50 oz. Country of Origin: Taiwan MSRP: $160
Batson was an aerospace engineer, master bladesmith, author and educator.
James Lucian Batson Jr., an aerospace engineer, master bladesmith, author and educator, passed away June 5, 2026, after a brief illness at the age of 90. He was born Feb. 2, 1936, in Steubenville, Ohio, the son of James L. Batson Sr. and Bertha Mae (Cummings) Batson.
Batson spent 33 years as an aerospace engineer at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, working on several key defense and rocket programs. He earned his master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Auburn University in 1967 and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas in 1972.
Outside of his engineering career, Batson was a pioneering figure in the knifemaking and blacksmithing communities. An American Bladesmith Society (ABS) master bladesmith, he co-founded the Alabama Forge Council, served as president of the Artist-Blacksmith Association of North America and founded the Batson Bladesmith Symposium, now in its 38th year. His extensive contributions to the craft earned him inductions into both the ABS Hall of Fame and the BLADE® Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame®. Additionally, in the February 2014 BLADE Magazine issue, he was ranked No. 9 among the top 13 knifemakers from 1989 to 2000.
An active researcher of historic cutlery, Batson authored numerous articles and books, particularly focusing on the history of the bowie knife and the material science of bladesmithing, publishing his final book at age 90.
His other accomplishments included sailing the Olympic-class sailboat called the Flying Dutchman in the pre-Olympic trials in 1967. He skippered a cruise sailing across the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas five times in 1972. He also earned the rank of Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts as a youth and continued to lead Troop 400 as an adult, hiking part of the Appalachian Trail with the Scouts.
Following his passing, ABS Chairman and President Kevin R. Cashen paid tribute to Batson’s immense legacy and humble nature in the organization’s newsletter: “It was always a fun pleasure to point out to people that this down to earth, very approachable, guy in bib overalls, was an actual rocket scientist! That was the first thing I admired about Jim, his unpretentious and humble demeanor that had him working beside anybody to get the job done … In sorting old, and yellowed, papers one thing became noticeable about halfway through the years spanning the ABS timeline. Suddenly the volume and organization of the documents exploded … I saw one man single-handedly remake the ABS, setting it on a climbing trajectory as if it were the rockets he had worked on in his other career.”
Batson is survived by his wife, Barbara, two children, two stepchildren, 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. A memorial celebration is planned for this fall in Huntsville.
Remembering Others The Knife Industry Has Lost:
Betty Dowell, Driving Force Behind Knifemaker Ted Dowell, Passes
B. R. Hughes, Pioneering Writer And Bladesmithing Teacher, Passes Away
With 200 years under its belt, the U.S.A. was in the spirit of celebration in 1976. And the nation’s bicentennial not only brought out the best in citizens, but knifemakers as well.
BLADE® Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame® member Jimmy Lile was one of them, offering up a set of knives for America’s 200th birthday in the July/August issue of that year’s American Blade. Unlike other custom makers advertising flashy commemorative pieces, “The Arkansas Knifemaker” took a more stoic and serious approach to his collection.
Jimmy Lile produced 276 bicentennial sets. The first run of 76 featured historic inscriptions: colonies (1-13), Declaration signers (14-69) and Revolutionary icons or battles (70-76). The second identical run was numbered 1-200 to mark each year of American independence.
The bowie and dagger composing the set were sober in design and ornamentation, with clean lines the defining feature of the coffin-handle knives. Yet, what the pair lacked in stars and stripes celebration, they more than made up for in Lile’s deadly serious and patriotic scrimshaw on the handle scales. One might even cast the inscriptions as stark warnings.
On the bowie it reads: “When government has taken everything from the individual, he is no longer within its power, he is free again.” While the dagger is inscribed with, “In democracy, you cannot give to the people that which you first do not take from them.”
Interestingly, these do not appear direct quotes but paraphrases by Lile. The first most closely resembles a passage from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s novel The First Circle. The second bears a striking resemblance to a line from an essay by French economist and philosopher Frédéric Bastiat.
No matter the words’ origins, they stand as portents as sharp as the knives they were inscribed on. And they’re as relevant 250 years after our country’s founding as they were at its bicentennial.
Scorching new knives to keep you sharp this summer.
August’s new arrivals spotlight the full spectrum of modern knife making, blending production innovation with hand-crafted custom artistry. This month’s lineup captures everything from precision-engineered factory folders built for everyday carry to one-of-a-kind custom fixed blades tailored for serious collectors. Featuring fresh designs from established industry veterans and rising makers alike, these August 2026 releases highlight the cutting-edge materials, refined edge geometry, and field-ready performance defining today’s cutlery landscape.
Montana Knife Co. The Montana
Knife Type: Folder Blade Length: 3.25” Overall Length: 7.625” Blade Finish: Stonewash Blade Steel: MagnaCut Blade Opener: Thumbstud Handle Material: G10 Lock: Liner Lock Pocket Clip: Tip-up, right-hand Weight: 2.84 oz. Knife To Know: The Montana is the first folding knife from the Montana Knife Company. MSRP: $390 montanaknifecompany.com
Olive Knives Arbor
Knife Type: Fixed-Blade Blade Length: 4.54” Blade Steel: Elmax Blade Grind: Fibonacci (Proprietary) Blade Finish: Stonewash Blade Profile: Drop Point Handle Material: G10 Weight: 9.14 oz. Knife To Know: Proprietary stepped grind combines convex strength, with sharpening ease of a flat grind. MSRP: $400 oliveknives.com
Liam Walle Anthazoa Hunter
Knife Type: Fixed Blade Blade Length: 7.75” Overall Length: 9.75” Blade Steel: 115n20/1084 Gorgon Flower Mosaic Blade Grind: Convex Handle Material: Honduran Rosewood Knife To Know: Bronze Bolster Maker’s Price For A Similar Knife: $2,300 liamvallaknives.com. Jocelyn Frasier image
Blake Parthenay Saint
Knife Type: Folder Blade Length: 3.5” Overall Length: 8” Blade Steel: Elmax Blade Opener: Thumstud Handle/Frame Material: Blackened Titanium Knife To Know: Mother of pearl inlay in the handle, ceramic bearings Jocelyn Fraiser image
Knife Type: Folder Blade Length: 2.99” Overall Length: 7.16” Blade Steel: 14C28N Blade Profile: Drop Point Blade Opener: Thumbstud Handle Material: G10 Lock: Top Liner Lock Pocket Clip: Tip Up Weight: 3.55 oz. Special Features: Custom cheese-inspired handle. Knife To Know: Vosteed and Blade HQ plan to make a company-funded contribution to support animal rescue efforts All Paws Count from sales. MSRP: $69 vosteed.com
Mike Tyre OTS Automatic
Blade Length: 3.5” Overall Length: 7.25” Blade Steel: 01/L6 damascus Blade Grind: Flat Convex Blade Opener: Button Handle Material: Mammoth Ivory Liners: Ice Finished Gold Anodized Titanium Knife To Know: Bolster engraved by Joe Mason Maker’s Price For A Similar Knife: $4,500 miketyrecustomknives.com. Jocelyn Frasier image
Knife Type: OTS Automatic Blade Length: 3” Overall Length: 7.3” Blade Steel: D2 Blade Profile: Drop Point Handle Material: Aircraft-Grade Aluminum Pocket Clip: Reversible Clip Weight: 3 oz. Knife To Know: Ambidextrous pocket clip and deployment lock. MSRP: $90 sogknives.com
Alex Hossom Collab With Charlie Bridges Void
Knife Type: Folder Blade Length: 3.75” Overall Length: 9” Blade Steel: 1084/1095/80crv2/Procut/15n20 Blade Grind: Symmetrical Hollow Blade Opener: Flipper Handle Material: McLaren Carbon Fiber Liners: Titanium Knife To Know: Titanium inlays in blade and pivot screws Maker’s Price For A Similar Knife: $3,000 brokenanvilknifeworks.com. Jocelyn Frasier image
Frank Edwards Push Dagger
Blade Length: 3.25” Overall Length: 6.5” Blade Steel: 1084/15n20 twist Blade Grind: Dagger Handle Material: Mammoth Ivory Special Features: Carved flower on the interior of handle, matched with an engraved flower on blade. Maker’s Price For A Similar Knife: $2,550 Jocelyn Frasier image
Crafted in Alabama, Bear & Son Cutlery’s Piranha pairs a 440 stainless spear blade and lockback security with classic bone handle options.
Bear & Son Cutlery has introduced a new traditional folder to its lineup with the Piranha series. Manufactured in Jacksonville, Alabama, the two-blade pocketknife combines classic American styling with a lockback mechanism engineered for secure lockup during daily tasks.
Traditional Build, Modern Mechanics
The Piranha centers on a two-blade setup crafted from 440 stainless steel, offering a balance of corrosion resistance, edge retention, and easy field maintenance. The primary cutter is a 2.75-inch spear blade paired with a secondary 1.5-inch pen blade. Measuring 4 inches closed and 6.625 inches overall, the knife delivers a comfortable, familiar in-hand feel designed for general cutting chores.
Unlike many traditional slipjoints, the Piranha incorporates a lockback design to give users extra security when the primary blade is engaged. Hand-finished detailing and polished bolsters complete the traditional pattern.
Piranha Handle Options
Bear & Son offers the Piranha in two distinct handle materials: White Smooth Bone (Model WSB59L) and Genuine India Stag Bone™ (Model 559L). Each piece undergoes individual sanding and polishing, giving every handle its own unique texture and visual character while maintaining standard ergonomic grip properties.
Weighing in at 4.6 ounces, the U.S.-made folder is backed by a limited lifetime warranty and carries an MSRP of $125. Tech Specs
Piranha Specs Manufacturer: Bear & Son Cutlery Overall Length: 6.625″ Closed Length: 4″ Primary Blade Length: 2.75″ (Spear Point) Secondary Blade Length: 1.5″ (Pen Blade) Blade Steel: 440 Stainless Steel Handle Material: White Smooth Bone or Genuine India Stag Bone Locking Mechanism: Lockback Weight: 4.60 oz. Country of Origin: USA MSRP: $125
Designed with Spartan Precision Equipment, CRKT’s backcountry-ready Altai pairs 14C28N steel with an integrated fire rod and ceramic sharpener.
CRKT has teamed up with the shooting platform specialists at Spartan Precision Equipment to introduce a new backcountry fixed blade: the Altai. Named after Spartan founder Rob Gearing’s hunting excursions in Mongolia’s Altai Mountains, the knife integrates purpose-built field features directly into the cutting system and sheath setup.
Tailored for Field Processing
The Altai centers around a 3.53-inch plain-edge blade fashioned from 14C28N stainless steel. To withstand harsh outdoor environments, the steel is treated with a protective ceramic coating designed to bolster toughness and resist corrosion. The 0.13-inch thick blade is sized specifically to maintain maneuverability and control during game dressing, while jimping along the finger choil and spine provides positive tactile traction.
The knife features glass-reinforced nylon (GRN) handle scales textured with a carbon-fiber pattern, secured over custom pins bearing the Spartan head logo. High-visibility orange highlights run along the build, helping users spot the knife easily in dim light or deep cover. At the butt end, a ringed pommel allows for a fast draw—even when wearing thick gloves—and includes a lanyard hole for additional retention options.
Built-In Fire and Maintenance Kit
Rather than serving as a standalone cutter, the Altai incorporates essential survival and care tools into its carry rig. The knife’s spine includes a dedicated striking notch configured to work with an included magnesium alloy fire rod. For touch-ups during long trips, a ceramic sharpening rod is also housed directly alongside the blade.
Both maintenance accessories stow in the included molded thermoplastic sheath. Reflective orange paracord is used for the main lanyard as well as the pull tabs on the fire and ceramic rods, ensuring high visibility when working in low-light conditions.
At 8.0 inches in overall length and a weight of 3.6 ounces, the Altai offers a complete backcountry processing and field-maintenance package in a compact carry footprint.
As with so many tools, knives require other tools to keep them up to snuff. A vicious cycle, to be sure, but one in the modern day has been simplified with innovation. Modern knife maintenance equipment is leaps and bounds beyond what it was a few short years ago. In turn, there is little excuse to pocket a dull blade or carry around a knife whose action is choked with lint and fouling. While the concept remains the same—a sharp and functional knife—we’ve gathered up some of the latest maintenance equipment designed to keep your blades edgy and acute.
Horl Rolling Sharpener
ROLLING DEEP—Horl is shifting its popular rolling sharpener system up a gear with its most recent iteration. Underneath the hood, the Horl3 Pro features a planetary gear system, increasing the sharpening head’s rotation. Geared 1:3, the sharpener hones at a much faster rate than the company’s previous versions, cutting work time down. Further, the Pro is also more versatile, offering six sharpening angles—10, 13, 15, 20, 22 and 25 degrees—so you precisely match its acuteness to the knife you’re sharpening. The new Horl still has all the features that made the system all the rage in the first place, including quick-change heads, diamond sharpening disk, ceramic honing disk and magnetic angled holding pad. MSRP: $399
Hapstone Bench Stone
STONE COLD—Freehand sharpening is an art, one that requires the right tools. Hapstone delivers with affordable and effective bench stones in its Optimal line. Made in the Ukraine, the stones are designed to hone steel with hardnesses up to 62 HRC, which covers most of the modern super steels. The 8×2.8-inch stones use aluminum oxide as the cutting medium and a vitrified binder, and the company pre-laps the stones to ensure a smooth working surface. Hapstone offers five grit sizes—220, 400, 500, 1000 and 1200—giving sharpeners the full course to re-form, sharpen and hone their edges. MSRP: $36-$44, depending on grit size
SharpeningSupplies.com Logbook
KEEPING TABS—If you’re serious about your knives and their upkeep, SharpeningSupplies.com cooked up an absolute must-have maintenance tool. Low-tech as it comes, the online retailer’s Sharpening Logbook helps you keep track of a ton of useful data on your sharpening sessions. Designed to document each knife’s session, there’s room to record knife and date specs, grits used, sharpening angle, edge condition, faults, sharpness before and after, personal notes and more. Additionally, the back of the book has some very useful guidance on sharpening in general. For those who are resolute about achieving and maintaining a pristine edge, this is the type of sharpening D.O.P.E. that proves vital. MSRP: $10
Edge Pro BevelTech
PROFESSIONAL DEGREE—Perhaps you run a sharpening business or maybe you simply take a professional approach to your sharpening projects. Either way, Edge Pro’s BevelTech system is tailored to the most exacting hone hounds in the knife world. Designed for installation in a workspace (though there are less-permanent mounting options), the all-metal angle-adjustable sharpener is designed for precision projects or high-volume honing. Features that should intrigue those undertaking either are an adjustable tilting retention surface, oversized ball grip on the sharpening arm, angle-gauge attachment point on the arm, laser-engraved angle-adjustment graduation and quick-attachment stone holders. Edge Pro offers four different tiers of its system, with more sharpening stones as you go up. But each is built around the base precision sharpener. MSRP: Starting at $435
Knafs Launchpad
TO THE MOON—Since we talked about Knafs’ Bit Driver Grande in a bit, we’ll pitch an accessory for it that is well worth add to the cart with it—the Launchpad. Simply put, it’s a holding system for the driver, giving you an easy and organized place to hold the tool and a whole array of bits. Here’s the great thing about the 3D-printed accessory: you can spend a little coin and buy one from Knafs or—if you have a 3D printer—the company offers the files for free to print one at home. MSRP: $9
Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener
EDGY ANYWHERE—Anyone who aims at recapturing a knife’s edge is likely familiar with Work Sharp’s standby Guided Field Sharpener. It’s been around for a hot minute, but never in what’s being offered now. The Guided Field Sharpener Elite offers complete angle-guided edge maintenance in a system that delivers it anywhere. Where Work Sharp has kicked it up a notch is the sharpening surfaces it includes in the kit, with the Elite coming with 220-, 400-, 600- and 800-grit diamond plates. That takes users from course to extra-fine and covers nearly every sharpening necessity you’re likely to encounter. Plus, Work Sharp throws in a handy zippered carrying case to keep everything organized. MSRP: $75
JRW + KPL Knife Maintenance Tray
TRAY CHIC—Keeping your workbench organized during a teardown is half the battle, and KPL has teamed up with the pocket-art wizards at JRW Gear to deliver a dedicated workspace solution. The JRW + KPL Knife Maintenance Tray is a premium, multi-layered, riveted storage platform precision-machined to house your entire maintenance arsenal. Designed with custom-bored pockets, it features dedicated slots for your lubes, detailing swabs, hardware and loose knife parts. It even includes a custom cutout perfectly sized for an oil-resistant JRW dump tray to catch small screws before they roll away. Finished with silicone rubber non-slip feet to keep the station securely anchored while you work, you have a steady place to get jobs done. MSRP: $135
Sharpal 202H Adjustable Angle Sharpening System
ALL IN ONE—If you want a single setup that handles everything from total edge repair to a mirror polish, Sharpal has a comprehensive solution. The 202H Adjustable Angle Sharpening System is a seven-in-one kit built around a heavy-duty metal chassis and an anti-slip base. The heart of the system is its smooth angle adjustment, delivering a wide 10-to-35-degree range with precise 0.2-degree granularity. To guide your progress, the kit includes seven different 1×6-inch abrasive plates, starting with 220-, 325-, 600- and 1000-grit diamond surfaces. From there, 3000- and 6000-grit whetstones smooth out burrs before you finish on a leather strop with green compound. A reliable flip mechanism lets you work both sides evenly without losing your exact angle. MSRP: $180
Knafs Bit Driver Grande
DRIVER’S SEAT—Man does not live by sharp edges alone. Sometimes there are screws to tighten and liners to swab clean. In these situations, a bit driver is the hero of the story and Knafs has a solid—not to mention manageable—option in its Grande. What’s to like about this self-contained system is that it’s the larger brother to its original driver, which, in turn, fits into the palm better to deliver more torque. At the same tick, it has an elongated neck, perfect for more control in precise operations. The tool comes with three Wiha Torx bits (T6, T8 and T10), has a spinning cap run on ceramic bearings and a body of durable, yet light, aluminum. MSRP: $38
Lansky 4-Rod Diamond/Ceramic TurnBox Crock Stick
TURNING HEADS—Lansky is updating its classic V-rod format by packing an extra refinement stage into a highly portable layout. The latest 4-Rod Diamond/Ceramic TurnBox Crock Stick system features a compact hardwood block with integrated internal storage for the rods inside the base. Perfect for a kitchen drawer or a hunting pack, the system utilizes preset 20- and 25-degree angles to keep your bevel geometry completely consistent. The two-stage sharpening process leverages two 5-inch medium 400-grit diamond rods for rapid steel removal, followed by two 5-inch fine 1000-grit ceramic rods for daily touch-ups. Lansky then takes the system a step further by including a dedicated leather strop and polishing compound to deliver a true factory-level mirror edge. MSRP: $65
