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First Look: Bear OPS Nekema II Tactical EDC

BLADE Staff
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First Look: Bear OPS Nekema II Tactical EDC

An American-made tactical EDC folder featuring a Sandvik 14C28N blade and lightweight aluminum handle.

Bear OPS, the tactical division of Alabama-based Bear & Son Cutlery, is expanding its everyday carry lineup with the release of the Nekema II. Manufactured entirely at the company’s facility in Jacksonville, Alabama, this new folder is designed as a streamlined, budget-conscious option for tactical use, concealed carry, and general daily wear.

At the center of the design is a 3.5-inch modified drop-point blade made from Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel. This Swedish steel has become a staple for modern EDC knives due to its balanced performance, offering high corrosion resistance, user-friendly sharpening, and respectable edge retention. For users seeking extra protection and a non-reflective finish, Bear OPS is offering the blade with a black DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) coating.

Bear OPS Nekema II

To keep the knife pocket-friendly, the Nekema II utilizes a lightweight aluminum handle, keeping the overall weight to a nimble 3.5 ounces. For deployment and lockup, the folder is equipped with dual thumb studs, ball-bearing washers for a smooth pivot action, and a secure slide-lock mechanism. A reversible pocket clip and Torx screw construction finish off the assembly.

The Nekema II is available in either Black & Copper or Gray & Blue colorways, with retail pricing set between $92.49 and $97.49 depending on the specific finish. For more details, visit local retailers or head over to the Bear & Son Cutlery website.

Knife Reviews:

First Look: Civivi Brova And Civivi Elite Line

BLADE Staff
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First Look: Civivi Brova And Civivi Elite Line

Elite Line debuts with premium CPM S35VN steel, aluminum scales and an innovative top-liner lock mechanism.

Civivi has always aimed at more budget-conscious knife enthusiasts, arming them with stout yet affordable blades. The company, however, recently announced a new tack with the introduction of its Civivi Elite Line of knives.

Inaugurated with the Brova model, the line of knives offers a higher grade of materials and is meant to fill the gap between Civivi and its top-tier sister brand We. For some perspective, a good section of Civivi’s catalog falls below the $100 mark, while most of We’s are premium $200-plus models. Elite fills the hole in the middle and, as Civivi’s release puts it, is designed for its customers “ready to take the next step.”

Civivi Brova open

Civivi doesn’t spell out its overall ethos for the entire line, but the Brova insinuates some of the notes Elite knives aim to hit. One of the more notable material upgrades is the knife’s blade steel—CPM S35VN. The brand has used the top-line Crucible Industries steel previously, but generally in premium editions of established models. Civivi’s go-to blade steels are typically 14C28N, Nitro-V and D2.

Furthermore, the vanguard knife of the Civivi Elite line features an entirely new lock for the brand—a top-liner lock. Operated via a button near the spine of the handle, the mechanism should prove convenient. Smartly, Civivi recessed the button to ensure the blade isn’t inadvertently retracted when in use.

The Brova cuts a bellicose profile, with a subtle 3.41-inch clip-point blade coming down to a fine point. It certainly should have decent penetration potential with this design, but with a respectable amount of belly on its edge and a good length of straightaway before the handle, it should prove adept at slicing or with push cuts.

Civivi Brova half open

The handle is well contoured, featuring a notch for locking the knife in with the index finger and thumb. It’s dressed in smooth aluminum scales with the choice of three colors that house stainless-steel liners. The hardware and clip are also stainless steel, and the action is run on caged ceramic ball bearings.

As for Brova’s price, all three colorways come in at $145. The EDC looks like a solid start for the Civivi Elite Line; it will be interesting to see what comes next.

Brova Specs
Overall Length: 8.08”
Width: 1.33″
Overall Height (Including Clip): 0.65″
Blade Length: 3.41″
Closed Length: 4.67″
Blade Thickness: 0.13″
Handle Thickness: 0.44″
Knife Weight: 3.78 oz.
Blade Material: CPM S35VN
Blade Hardness: 58-60HRC
Blade Grind: Hollow
Blade Finish: Black and Dark Brown Stonewashed
Blade Type: Clip Point
Handle Material: Aluminum
Handle Colors: Forest Green, Black, Grey
Liner Material: Stainless Steel
Liner Color/Finish: Black or Grey
Pocket Clip: Tip-Up, L/R
Clip Material: Stainless Steel
Screws Material: Stainless Steel
Pivot Assembly: Caged Ceramic Ball Bearing
Locking Mechanism: Top Liner Lock
MSRP: $145

Knife Reviews:

FIRST LOOK: SOG 250th Anniversary SEAL FX

BLADE Staff
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FIRST LOOK: SOG 250th Anniversary SEAL FX

A USA-made tribute to a quarter millennium of American freedom, limited to just 250 numbered pieces.

As the United States approaches its semiquincentennial, SOG Knives is marking the milestone with a highly exclusive tribute to American grit. The company has unveiled its 250th Anniversary Limited Edition SEAL FX Fixed Blade, a commemorative tool that honors a quarter-millennium of history, sacrifice, and resolve.

True to its heritage, this special edition is forged and assembled entirely in the USA. True to its name, production is strictly capped at just 250 individually numbered pieces, making it a true collector’s item.

SOG Seal FX blade

Beneath the commemorative engraving lies a serious tool designed for professional use. The knife features a capable 4.3-inch blade forged from premium S35VN steel, known for its excellent edge retention and toughness. The handle is crafted from a durable glass-reinforced nylon, paired with an ambidextrous Kydex sheath that offers versatile mounting options for any loadout.

Whether it is destined for a display case or a survival kit, the 250th Anniversary SEAL FX is built to stand the test of time. It serves as a functional symbol of the values that have shaped the nation for 250 years. The limited-edition blade retails for $250. Given the low production run, interested collectors should act quickly.

SEAL FX SPECS
Overall Length: 9.20″
Blade Length: 4.30″
Weight: 7.20 oz
Blade Thickness: .19″
Product Family: SEAL
Product Type: Fixed Blade
Country of Origin: U.S.A.
Finish: Black Cerakote
Edge Type: Straight
Blade Steel Type: CPM S35VN
Blade Shape: Tanto
Handle Material: Glass Reinforced Nylon
Handle Color: Black
Hardness: Rc. 58-60
Sheath Material: Kydex
Sheath Color: Black
MSRP: $250

Knife Reviews:

Custom Gallery: Customs That Demonstrate Martial Mastery

BLADE Staff
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Custom Gallery: Customs That Demonstrate Martial Mastery

From historic clashes to modern conflict, these fierce custom blades prove there is still a profound amount of art in the tools of war.

Since the dawn of man, the edge of the blade has been used to hash out disputes between everything from clans and tribes all the way to nations. While not the main battle implement in today’s conflict, the martial nature of the knife remains. This particular collection of fierce customs demonstrates there is a heap of art in war.

Caleb Ledford Long Sword

Caleb Ledford Long Sword

An electric 1084/15N20/mild steel Turkish-twist damascus defines the 31-inch blade of Caleb Ledford’s long sword. Lightening the sizable slicer’s load is a tapered fuller running on its midline. The handle is a pitch-black ebony, and the guard and pommel are cold-blued mild steel.

Jacco Van de Bruinhorst San Francisco Bowie

Jacco Van de Bruinhorst San Francisco Bowie

With matching blade and inserts, Jacco Van de Bruinhorst’s take on the San Francisco bowie is an elegant Barbary Coast brawler. The Canadian maker used ProCut/1084 to create what he calls a “snakeskin pattern.” If you study closely, the inserts harken back to the gold rush days with 24k gold inlay.

Jim Poling Dirk

Jim Poling Dirk

Commissioned by a descendant of King James IV of Scotland, journeyman smith Jim Poling’s walnut-handled dirk appears freshly plucked from the highlands. The dagger boasts a 13-inch 1084/15N20 twist damascus blade, antiqued mild steel fittings and coin-edged nickel spacers.

Andrew Blomfield Pesh Kabz

Andrew Blomfield Pesh Kabz

Master smith Andrew Blomfield has taken more than one stab at the pesh kabz in his career, and lands the blow with this 11.5-inch bladed example. The eye-catching mosaic blade is contrasted by the very conservative tones of the purple gidgee handle and blackened steel bolster. A traditional flourish, brass blossoms are on the handle’s pins.

Michael Deibert Wakizashi

Michael Deibert Wakizashi

Alabama-based journeyman smith Michael Deibert brings traditional Japanese styling to life with this striking Wakizashi. The 18-inch blade features 1,100 layers of 1080/15N20 steel, paired with a wrought iron bolster. A classic stingray and an Ito-wrap handle complete the 28-inch overall build.

Nate “Tuna” Grant Pocket Fixed Blade

Nate "Tuna" Grant Pocket Fixed Blade
Nate “Tuna” Grant Pocket Fixed Blade

Journeyman smith Nate “Tuna” Grant delivers a compact powerhouse with the Defender. This 7.375-inch overall fixed blade features a 4-inch flat-ground blade forged from 1084/15N20 steel in a striking diamond drop pattern. The build is finished with rich Mun ebony scales.

Emmett Eitreim Dagger

Emmett Eitreim Dagger

Emmett Eitreim presents a refined 12-inch overall dagger featuring a 7-inch flat-ground blade. The steel is a striking rose pattern forged from 15N20/1084, complemented by a 954 aluminum bronze guard and pommel. A stabilized spalted maple handle completes this elegant, high-contrast build.

Check Out More Cool Customs:

50 Years Ago In BLADE: Big Bucks Bowie

BLADE Staff
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50 Years Ago In BLADE: Big Bucks Bowie

Harvey McBurnette etched his name in high-dollar knife sales.

Harvey McBurnette of Piedmont, Alabama, landed in the July-August issue of the 1976 American Blade for somewhat patriotic reasons. Somewhat, because the lead of Harry K. McEvoy’s exposé on the maker was McBurnette’s celebrated Bicentennial Bowies. But there’s more to the matter than a simple commemoration of the nation’s birthday in steel.

McEvoy hooks readers by showing what the artistically talented knifemaker’s work commanded back when your dollar went a long way. In 1976, the exact sum was $4,500. As McEvoy wrote, “[O]ne of his fabulous, hand-crafted Bicentennial Bowie knives appraised at that substantial figure after he had sold the weapon to a collector for $1,300.”

The lead image of the profile on Harvey McBurnette shows him studying his original knife design and free handing it to the steel. The maker had a strong artistic streak and was known, in part, for the embellishments he etched onto his knives.
The lead image of the profile on Harvey McBurnette shows him studying his original knife design and free handing it to the steel. The maker had a strong artistic streak and was known, in part, for the embellishments he etched onto his knives.

For context, that’s roughly $26,000 in today’s dollars. What likely made the run of 76 bowies desirable was McBurnette’s unique system of adorning the knives—etching. This system, seen on many of his knives, was a very conscious choice on the maker’s part, as the story reports, serving to differentiate his work from other custom craftsmen of the day.

“I wanted to do something unique, or at least different, with my knives,” McBurnette was quoted as saying in the article. “And since I was an artist I thought if I engraved or etched my blade, I would add a touch I felt was needed to make them stand out. I chose the art of etching because there were a few other knife makers who engraved their knives. Besides, even a master engraver cannot do what an etcher can do.”

McBurnette’s Bicentennial Bowies had quite a motif etched on either side of their D2 tool steel blades. On one side of the 16.25-inch knife is an image of the Liberty Bell, and on the other a battle scene depicting Bunker Hill. The images are the same on all 76 knives, and 75 of them had elephant ivory handles. The knife appraised for the then astronomical sum did differ; the No. 1 of the series was a prototype with a walrus ivory handle.

More Knife History:

Rare Bob Loveless Customized Guns Up For Auction

BLADE Staff
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Rare Bob Loveless Customized Guns Up For Auction

Three highly coveted firearms modified by the Cutlery Hall of Fame® legend—including his “de-fanged” Colt Commanders—head to Rock Island Auction.

Bob Loveless Colt "Old Smoothie" Lightweight Commander semi-automatic pistol with scrimshawed ivory grips, drop-point Loveless Knife and sheath.
Bob Loveless Colt “Old Smoothie” Lightweight Commander semi-automatic pistol with scrimshawed ivory grips, drop-point Loveless Knife and sheath. Rock Island Auction image

While the late Bob Loveless secured his legacy as a titan of the cutlery world, the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame® member also brought his legendary eye for utility to the firearms world. His knives remain some of the most desirable, coveted custom creations on the planet, but a rare trio of his personal, customized handguns are now heading to the auction block at Rock Island Auction in the company’s June 27 American Sale (now live online). The selection highlights how the master craftsman applied his famous Bauhaus-inspired design ethos to custom gunsmithing.

Bob Loveless Colt "Old Smoothie" Combat Commander semi-automatic pistol with relief carved ivory grips.
Bob Loveless Colt “Old Smoothie” Combat Commander semi-automatic pistol with relief carved ivory grips. Rock Island Auction image

The lineup features two Colt Commander pistols that Loveless thoroughly “de-fanged,” a signature modification process where he systematically bobbed the hammers, radiused the frames and smoothed away every sharp edge that could gouge a shooter’s hand. The first is a c. 1980 Lightweight Commander, featuring his electro-penciled initials, custom Browning cuts on the slide, and smooth ivory grips scrimshawed with nude artistry. This rare piece is housed in a custom hardwood case alongside a matching 2004 Loveless drop-point hunting knife. It is joined by a scarcer steel-framed Combat Commander variant, a platform Loveless rarely altered because he felt the extra weight defeated the purpose of a carry gun, making this particular build exceptionally rare.

Bob Loveless Smith & Wesson Model 41 semi-automatic pistol with case and signed photographs.
Bob Loveless Smith & Wesson Model 41 semi-automatic pistol with case and signed photographs. Rock Island Auction image

Rounding out the trio is an extensively reworked Smith & Wesson Model 41 target pistol, believed to be one of only 70 ever built by Loveless. This highly modified rimfire pistol features a shortened barrel with a custom vented rib, an exposed hammer conversion, a checked gold-washed backstrap with a lanyard loop, and his personal initials electro-penciled on the slide. Complete with signed photographs of Loveless, a custom leather holster and a glass-topped display case, the group offers collectors a rare look at how one of the greatest knifemakers of all time refined factory firearms into high art.

Read More On Bob Loveless:

Cool Custom: Adam Williams’ Silverado Harkens to a Randall Great

BLADE Staff
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Cool Custom: Adam Williams’ Silverado Harkens to a Randall Great

Texas-based maker gives his take on the Randall Model 19.

It’s safe to say Adam Williams has had a lifelong love affair with Randall Made Knives.

“I’ve been drawn to Randall Made Knives and their designs since my grandmother gave me a copy of the 1973 edition of The Gun Digest Book of Knives and saw my first image of a Randall knife. I was around 11 or 12,” he wrote.

Little did this matriarch know where her gift was going to lead her grandson. Eventually, the Texas-based maker said he worked for the legendary company when a chance trip to Randall’s headquarters in Orlando, Florida, for a stock sale developed into a whole lot more.

“While there, I asked if they ever hired. They told me they were actually hiring right now and would need me to start within two weeks,” Williams related. “I rode back to Tampa and asked my now wife if she’d be open to moving to Orlando, and without hesitation, she said, ‘Let’s do it.’ I showed up for my first day at Randall Made Knives expecting to sweep floors. Instead, they handed me a piece of steel stamped Randall Made, Orlando, Florida and told me to start grinding. I couldn’t believe it.”

Given this history, it’s little surprise Williams finds Randall a wellspring of inspiration in his own creations. His 10.63-inch Silverado hunting knife is one such example. The blade style is modeled after the stout design of the Randall Model 19—also known as the Bushmaster.

Adam Williams
Adam Williams

Williams gives the classic all-purpose design his own twist, forming the ample 6-inch blade from Baker Forge Raindrop copper go mai and outfitting it with an azure hunk of fossilized walrus ivory. He finishes it all off with a nickel silver guard and butt cap. Despite his familiarity with Randall’s design language, his Silverado presented challenges, particularly in venturing into new materials.

“This was my first time using Cu Mai, and thus my main challenge with this knife. It was also my first time using Gator Piss etch,” Williams said. “Jordan Berthelot of JB Blades provided plenty of tips regarding the etch. This coupled with multiple re-sanding, re-buffing and re-etching, I finally got the finish I was looking for on the blade.”

Rare materials, excellent execution and legendary inspiration—it’s likely Randall’s namesake, Bo, would have approved of Williams’ work.

Check Out More Cool Customs:

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