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BLADE Staff

First Look: Trapper Red Bone

Boker Has Made A Beautiful Two-Blade Slip Joint That Is Both A Great EDC And Excellent As A Knife For The Outdoors.

New from Boker is the Trapper Red Bone slipjoint. Made of C75 carbon steel, the Trapper Red Bone looks good, feels good, and is an incredibly versatile knife. Both blades are 3.31 inches and length, and the whole piece weighs just 3.39 ounces. With a handle made of redbone with nickel silver bolsters, the knife looks the part.

Featuring a spey blade and a clip point. The Trapper Red Bone is a great EDC and can handle the day-to-day tasks around your home or office. It’s also a quality outdoors knife to handle fine detail work in your shop, whittling, or while camping or hiking. At just 4.25 inches while closed, it will easily fit into your pocket or into your outdoor pack.

The Trapper Red Bone comes with an MSRP of $99.95 and is worth it for someone looking for a high-quality, multi-faceted blade.

Editor’s Note: This post was written by Mike Ableson.

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First Look: Buck 842 Sprint Ops Pro

Buck’s Newest Knife Is A Beautiful Limited-Edition Folder Of The Highest Quality.

Part of its 2022 Legacy Collection, Buck’s newest knife is beautiful and only available until the end of the year. The 842 Sprint Ops Pro can be your EDC just as well as it can be your bush knife.

The Cerakote S45VN drop point blade has a black finish and easily flips open thanks to its ball-bearing design. It’s been strengthened with a Paul Bos heat treat that tempers and hardens the blade through two heats that sandwich a freezing process. This blade is going to last you a long time.

The handle is made from green canvas Micarta and comes with a removable pocket clip. The fasteners and liners have a titanium nitride coating for added wear resistance.

This is everything you would expect from Buck. Every stone has been turned over, and there is no hole in this knife’s construction. Considering it’s only for sale for the next six months, it’s worth the MSRP of $304.99.

Editor’s Note: This post was written by Mike Ableson.

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First Look: Kershaw Outlier

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The Newest Tactical Folder From Kershaw Looks Phenomenal And Is A Ton Of Fun To Use.

Yet again, Kershaw has produced an excellent piece with its new Outlier folding knife. Featuring a Blackwash hawkbill blade, the Outlier is excellent for tactical use. The knife is made from 8Cr13MoV steel, and the handle is made from glass nylon.

Kershaw Outlier in the closed position.

The large steel ring at the end of the karambit-designed handle allows you to use the knife in a forward or reverse grip. Great for slicing and cutting, the Outlier is a great utilitarian knife as well, especially when it comes to doing things like cutting rope or cardboard. 

The Outlier has an assisted opening and a reversible pocket clip so you can easily take it with you on the go. At an MSRP of $57.59, Kershaw has hit another home run.

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Mike Ableson.

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First Look: Kershaw Parley

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Kershaw’s New Parley Is A Unique EDC Knife That Is Fun To Use And Built To Last. The Cleaver Blade Makes It Stand Out From The Crowd.

Kershaw has once again made a fantastic folding knife that is beautiful, functional, and exciting. The new Parley features Kershaw’s non-locking, slipjoint design and a cleaver-style blade made of 7Cr17MoV stainless with a satin polish. It opens with a nail nick and features a lanyard hole for excellent portability.

Kershaw Parley in the closed position

While the polished black Micarta handle is smooth to hold and feels good in the hand, the star of the show is the blade. The 3.1-inch cleaver is inspired by the hulking kitchen meat cleaver. It can handle kitchen tasks but is far more nimble than its bigger brothers.

As a folder, the cleaver blade works great handling small tasks outside and anything in and around the house. The plain edge cuts true and gracefully and is easy to sharpen and maintain. With an MSRP of just $39.99, it’s a bargain that should absolutely be snatched up.

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Mike Ableson.

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First Look At The OKC RAT-3 Gobar & RAT-3 Utility

Once Again The Ontario Knife Company Has Produced Two Stellar Knives In Its RAT Series. The RAT-3 Gobar and RAT-3 Utility Are Both Strong, Compact Blades.

The new RAT-3 Gobar from the Ontario Knife Company is a sturdy knife that is worthy of carrying the RAT name. A chisel-style knife, the Gobar has a 3.5-inch straight cutting surface and a flat chisel head.  

Made of high-carbon steel and with a flat grind, the blade has a black phosphate coating and a handle made of Micarta. It’s a lightweight, nimble knife and comes with a shetah so you won’t have to worry about chipping or damaging it because it doesn’t fold like many other knives.

OKC RAT-3 Utility

The RAT-3 Utility is for more detailed work and is just as beautifully constructed. It’s made of the same materials as the Gobar but features a slightly curved belly to go with the flat chisel head. It also has a larger finger choil than the Gobar to aid in detailed knifework. 

At 3.4 inches in length, the blade is slightly shorter than the Gobar, but the overall length is slightly longer (7.9 vs 7.81 inches in total length). This is a high-quality knife that stand up to daily use outdoors or in the shop.

Both knives come with a nylon MOLLE compatible sheath, which is perfect to attach to your pack and keep the blade safe and secure. Both knives have an MSRP of $91.95.

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First Look At The SOG Recondo FX Knife

The SOG Recondo FX Is A Top-Tier Knife For The Hunter Or The Outdoorsman. A Nimble Fixed Blade, It Can Withstand The Wear Of Regular Use With Ease.

Sometimes you need a knife with a little more heft and a little more punch than a standard pocket knife. When you’re out on the hunt it’s imperative to have tools that can hold up to tasks big or small, easy or debilitating.

The new SOG Recondo FX is the knife you’re looking for. A full-tang, fixed blade made of 440C steel and cryogenically treated to a black nitride finish, the Recondo FX is the type of knife you’ll be able to trust in a pinch.

You can choose between a straight edge or a partially serrated blade when buying the knife. Both versions have a clip point and are 4.6 inches long. Additionally, you can choose between a black handle or a dark earth handle. Each is made with an overmolded grip and rubberized texture. This is designed so you can maintain a strong hold of the knife even if your hands get wet or slippery. 

SOG Recondo FX in its sheath

Regardless of the style you choose, your knife will also come with a UMS-compatible sheath that won’t need any tools to set thanks to its adjustable tension system. The sheath is made of Kydex and can be mounted in a variety of positions.

This knife won’t be your normal EDC. What it will be is a tool worthy of being added to your set when you go hunting or into the outdoors. Strong, light, and easy to maneuver, SOG has, once again, made a top-quality knife.

MSRP: $129.95

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Mike Ableson.

First Look At The New Hogue K320 AXG Knives

Hogue Has Paired With Sig Sauer To Create A New Line Of Folding Knives, And They Are Beautiful.

Hogue, in conjunction with Sig Sauer, has released a new line of knives known as the K320 AXG. Inspired by the P320 line of the pistols, the K320 AXG series come in many varieties that you can tailor to your specific tastes. The knives get their name from the Alloy XSeries Grip (AXG) on the P320s.

While Hogue does make the knives, they feature the Sig Sauer name and branding.

Let’s start with the blade. You can choose between a tanto or a drop point, and each style comes in at 3.5 inches in length. More importantly, each blade is made of CPM 30V steel so you know it’s designed to hold up to regular use.

SIG K320 AXG Pro
SIG K320 AXG Pro

You can also pick between a variety of blade finishes and handle styles. There are three styles of K320 AXG: Pro, Classic, and Scorpion. The Pro and Classic models have a black Cerakote finish to the blades and feature a plain edge. The Scorpion has a flat earth-tone Cerakote finish and is partially serrated.

The handle is an aluminum, and the inserts vary depending on the model. The Pro features G10 laminate while the Scorpion has a G-Mascus Green laminate. The Classic has a Heritage Walnut insert instead.

MSRP is between $219.95 and $229.95

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Mike Ableson.

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