Dexter Ewing, Author at BLADE Magazine

Spartan Blades Clandestina Review: 2024 Blade Knife of the Year

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October 21, 2024

Spartan Blades Clandestina Review: 2024 Blade Knife of the Year

Find out why the Spartan Blades Clandestina took home Blade Knife of the Year, thanks to its standout tactical design, top-tier materials, and unbeatable performance.

A deadly beauty, Spartan Blades’ Clandestina packages the best of both worlds. Yup, it’s a looker, but dang if it isn’t engineered to inflict damage.

The dueling personalities of the BLADE Knife of the Year aren’t surprising, given who cooked up this wicked fixed blade. Bill Harsey has built his reputation on designing robust outdoor and tactical knives.

Spartan Blades Clandestina blade markings — Photos by Marty Stanfield, Marty Stanfield Photography

A favorite of Army Special Forces and figures such as Col. Rex Applegate, Harsey work also has a certain lethal aesthetic to it as well. But even with operators enamored with his work, Harsey’s Spartan project has an appeal beyond serving in foreign conflicts.

Spartan Clandestina Specs

Knife Type: Fixed
Blade Type: Spear Point
Blade length: 5.5
Blade steel: CPM MagnaCut
Blade grind: Flat ground
Handle material: Canvas Micarta Black and Camo
Blade Hardness: 61-63 HRC
Overall length: 10 3/16”
Sheath type and material: MOLLE and Kydex options
Special features: Available in Black and FDE PVD Coating, Double Deep Cryogenic Treatment
MSRP:

Pros

Superior Ergonomics
Premium Blade Material
Sheath Options

Cons

Large For Everyday Carry
High Price Point
Niche Design

Spartan Clandestina Handle

Oddly enough for a knife review, I’m going to start at the handle. There’s a method in this madness, given this feature is what gives the Clandestina its edge.

The canvas Micarta handle is slim in profile, even understated, yet sports big-league features.

Spartan Blades Clandestina handle — Photos by Marty Stanfield, Marty Stanfield Photography

Boasting two-finger grooves leverage the use of the middle finger to help stabilize the knife in the user’s grip and help lock it in for security. The double guard is somewhat subtle but does its job very well.

The entire handle is rounded and therefore, extremely comfortable to hold. No hot spots or harsh angles to get in the way. Overall outstanding ergonomics make the knife one with the hand. In brief, it’s pure Harsey all the way.

Micarta itself was an excellent choice for the tactical fixed blade—it’s lightweight yet strong. Comprised of fabric saturated in phenolic resin, it is also impact-resistant and fluid-resistant.

These attributes were engineered in the Clandestina with combat in adverse conditions in mind. Yet, the everyday user benefits, given it’s a robust system that should last a lifetime. Not to mention, the Micarta is available in a multitude of colors, besides my black and camo.

Spartan Clandestina Blade

From the understated to the obvious—the knife’s nefarious.

At 5.5 inches long and sporting a spear-point profile, the Clandestina was designed for more than opening boxes. A testament to this was Spartan opting for premium CPM Magnacut stainless steel.

Spartan Blades Clandestina blade — Photos by Marty Stanfield, Marty Stanfield Photography

Know for its capability of long-term edge retention, the metal makes the ready to slash or perforate with ease. Again, this material also has superior corrosion resistance, adding to the overall hardiness of the knife.

The blade is flat ground and the factory edge right out of the box is outstanding. I found nothing needed to be done to improve the edge, I just took it out of the box and put it right to work!

While larger than most folks’ carry option, the blade length isn’t over the top. I found it nearly perfect for belt carry, hitting an elusive sweet spot many fixed-blades miss.

Spartan Clandestina Sheath

Sheath-wise, there are two options – form-fitting Kydex or a tried and true ballistic nylon. The sample knife shipped to me with the latter.

Spartan Blades Clandestina sheath — Photos by Marty Stanfield, Marty Stanfield Photography

I found the sheath is very well made, with double sewn edges and a button snap retention strap to hold the e knife in. A large belt loop allows the use of various widths of belts to be used.

Should you opt for Kydex, the sheath is of a riveted construction with a belt loop attachment. The form-fitting sheath locks up around the integral guard of the handle. There are two MOLLE straps that also double as belt loops.

Testing The Spartan Clandestina

Putting the Clandestina to work is nothing short of an excellent experience.

All of Harsey’s tactical fixed blade design expertise comes into play here, and you quickly realize you have a piece of serious bladeware in your possession. It makes slicing cuts with brash confidence thanks to the excellent factory edge coupled with the flat grind.

Spartan Clandestina Sheath and pistol side by side — Photos by Marty Stanfield, Marty Stanfield Photography

The blade thickness tapers down progressively to the tip, allowing it to have the ability to do some serious piercing without being too thin where accidental breakage can occur. The overall blade profile is somewhat dagger-like, as you will notice.

The handle is downright comfortable. It allows the user to obtain a secure grip at all times, instilling and promoting user confidence. Thanks to the dual finger grooves, these allow the slender handle to have such a great grip quality. Locking your grip on the handle, it feels very stable and unlikely to rotate.

Furthermore, when you grip the handle and allow your thumb to rest on the blade spine, you can feel how secure this choke grip is and the knife is very controllable in this grip. Whittling and wire stripping are two such tasks that this grip facilitates. Simply put, the Spartan HARSEY Clandestina is built for use.

Short Cut

It’s definitely not a toy! Use it with confidence and use it hard. Spartan Blades’ craftsmanship skills are highly rated consistently, with each knife they turn out. You cannot go wrong with choosing the Clandestine.

More On Tactical Knives:

Tactical Knives That Pass The Test
Spartan Blades Poros Review
Tactical Fixed Blade Knife Buyer’s Guide
5 Best Tactical Pocketknives: Perfect EDC Options

Best Tomato Knives: Top Picks For This Delicate Job

Kitchen Knives

Dexter Ewing

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October 14, 2024

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Best Tomato Knives: Top Picks For This Delicate Job

No matter how you slice it, three top tomato knives turn the trick.

Nothing beats homegrown tomatoes and tomato sandwiches, or just simply enjoying them as they are, sliced up with all their juicy goodness. Who doesn’t love a ripe and ready tomato?

Cutting tomatoes requires a very sharp knife. Besides writing for this fine publication, I also have another side hustle of running a sharpening service. I get asked all the time, “How do I know when it is time to have my kitchen knives sharpened?” I always answer with the tomato test. If your knife cannot slice a tomato cleanly without squashing it, then it is time for a sharpening.

Tomatoes have a firm exterior and a squishy/liquid interior. A sharp knife is mandatory to break through the firm exterior. If your knife is dull, it won’t bite right into the exterior but instead will squash it, thus squeezing out the juice and ruining a good slice of succulent tomato.

Sure, any sharp kitchen knife will slice tomatoes and do a fine job of it. But there are specially designed tomato knives that take the work out of perfect slicing. If you do a lot of meal prep involving tomatoes, then you might want to procure one of the following tomato-slicing knives for the occasion.

Case Tomato Slicer

Case Tomato Slicer
Blade Length: 5.5″
Overall Length: 9.25″
Blade Material: Tru-Sharp Stainless
Handle Material: Walnut
Country of Origin: USA
MSRP: $39

Pros

Hightly effective for tomatoes
Durable and attractive Construction
Effortless cutting

Cons

Limited to specific tasks

The 5½-inch Tomato Slicer from Case is a highly effective tomato knife. It is specifically designed to make quick work of processing tomatoes without damaging them. The 5½-inch blade is slender and has a trailing-point shape. It is hollow ground, fully serrated and Tru-Sharp stainless steel (420 HC stainless). The handle is walnut and features triple-rivet construction for strength and durability. It is a nice-looking knife and part of a larger household cutlery family Case offers with the same blade and handle materials.

Performance wise the knife excels. The serrations cut smoothly but have an aggressive bite that help break cleanly through the tomato’s firm skin. The hollow grind and slender blade aid in sailing through the fruit without collapsing it. The knife is quite effortless in action. Due to the slender, almost minimalist blade width I would limit use of the knife to tomatoes and other similar fruits like grapes and kiwi. It is sort of a specific-use knife and not one you generally grab when you need to cut something in the kitchen. It is more like a hybrid knife. It has a serrated edge but cuts clean and smooth similar to a plain edge knife. MSRP: $38.99. Country of origin: USA.

Kershaw Utility Knife

Kershaw Utility Knife Specs
Blade Length: 6″
Overall Length: 10.6″
Blade Material: DIN 1.4116
Handle Material: Polypropylene
Country of Origin: China
MSRP: $21

Pros

Versatile for light-to-medium tasks
Comfortable and Secure Grip
Affordable

Cons

Not made for tough tasks
Very basic design

The Kershaw 6-inch Utility Knife is designed to be a “do-it-all” knife in the kitchen for light-to-medium-duty food prep tasks, and can handle meats, fruits and vegetables with no problem. One look at this knife and the word “basic” comes to mind. It is just a no-frills kitchen knife and I say that not in a negative light but rather a positive one. Sometimes simple is the way to go; it is the most direct way.

The 6-inch blade is DIN 1.4116 stainless steel in a nice brushed-satin finish. The handle has an expanded front section that not only acts as a finger stop but also is shaped in a way that promotes using the pinch grip for more precise control for detail cutting. The handle profile is rounded so it sits in your grip nicely and comfortably with no hot spots to speak of. The material is molded polypropylene and sports a slight texturing to aid in grip retention. As an added bonus, the knife comes with a molded plastic slip sheath to protect the blade when not in use. Because of this, the knife can be stored in a backpack for a camping trip, a drawer of your RV or a kitchen drawer, all without worry of edge damage or accidental cuts.

Due to the very thin blade stock (.057 inch at the thickest), the Kershaw slices tomatoes with surgical precision. The edge bites into the skin and glides right through with very little resistance. The blade is somewhat flexible but not as much as, say, a fillet knife. You are still able to flex the blade a bit, so I would not tackle any tough cutting with it and certainly not torque the handle. The blade shape is adaptable to all sorts of food prep tasks, from meats to vegetables to fruits.

The size is perfect to accompany a larger chef’s knife, for those tasks for which an 8-inch chef’s knife is too big and a paring knife is too small. The major selling points are the basic design, thin blade stock, rounded handle and price. MSRP: $20.99. Country of origin: China.

Gerber ComplEAT Utility Knife

Gerber ComplEAT Specs
Blade Length: 6″
Overall Length: 10″
Blade Material: 4116 German stainless stee
Handle Material: Glass-filled polypropylene
Country of Origin: China
MSRP: $35

Pros

Multi-use versatility
Serrated blade stays sharp
Ergonomics are great

Cons

Constructed of basic materials

The serrated Gerber ComplEAT 6-inch Utility Knife will handle meats, produce and bread. It’s the perfect complement to the other two models—chef’s and paring knives—in the company’s ComplEAT series.

The 6-inch blade is German 4116 stainless steel for affordability and stain resistance. Commonly used in pocketknives, the sheepsfoot blade is utility friendly. The full flat grind thins the serrations down well without being fragile and gives the edge its bite. A stonewash finish seals the micro pores in the steel to prevent rust from forming easily.

The handle is dual molded, with a hard plastic outer frame and inlays of a softer, grippier rubber-like material. The inlays are inset some to provide an innovative finger groove of sorts that allows you to obtain good handle traction, as your fingers and thumb can rest inside it, helping you to control the knife at all times. Additionally, there is a forward pinch grip/recessed area on both sides of the handle for exact control. The handle perimeter features multifaceted chamfers that not only reduce hot spots but also make the handle feel slimmer by removing bulk. An oblong hole accepts a lanyard or simply serves to hang the knife on a peg, nail or hook when not in use.

The handle color is interesting. Gerber calls it Baltic Haze and is a matte light green with dark green rubber inlays. It is more appealing than standard black and fits in well with the outdoor theme. A matching plastic slip sheath protects the blade and is safe to carry in a backpack.

The ComplEAT handles tomatoes similarly to the Case Tomato Slicer. The serrations allow the blade to immediately bite into the tomato skin and help the edge to remain sharp over time. Unlike the Case, the ComplEAT can be used for other foods, too—cucumbers, onions, chicken, pork, beef and even as a bread knife, including bagels, baguettes and such. It is a true multi-use performer. If you need one knife to tackle a variety of food for camping, it might be the one as the evenly spaced serrations cut smoothly. If you prefer infrequent sharpening, the serrations are for you. Why? The serrations’ scallops are sharp and are protected by the teeth.

More Kitchen Knives:

Buckhorn Review: Ketuo-Ken Onion Hit It Out Of The Park

Dexter Ewing

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October 2, 2024

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Buckhorn Review: Ketuo-Ken Onion Hit It Out Of The Park

The Buckhorn collaboration is about as good as it gets without going custom.

Ketuo Knives partnered with renowned custom knifemaker and designer Ken Onion, to come out with a collaboration knife unlike any other collaboration Onion has previously done.

Dubbed the Buckhorn and marketed under the Karbon Knives banner, the knife debuted at the 2024 BLADE Show in Atlanta in June, and it won the 2024 Knife Collaboration of the Year in the Knife of the Year award. And it takes partnership knives to the next level offering a bevy of top-shelf features at a price that doesn’t blow your budget.

Honestly, it’s shocking!

BUCKHORN Blade

Onion has outfitted the Buckhorn with a modified 3.8-inch drop-point blade constructed from S35VN stainless steel. The material is a tried-and-true high-performance blade steel that holds an edge well and be fairly easy to sharpen when the need arises. To this is applied a high, flat grind that progressively thins down, giving the folder an elegant cross-section capable of cleaving through even tough materials. Topping it off, the blade is given a nice ceramic blast finish which is subdued but also has a nice sheen to it that is rather classy and dressy.
Action

Onion opted for dual thumbstuds on the Buckhorn, making the folder friendly to both lefties and righties. Additionally, a flipper tab is included, for effortless blade deployment with the flick of your index finger.

A hidden gem, Ken Onion is hidden away on the backside of the spacer.

The blade rides on a pair of caged ceramic bearings in the pivot for the ultimate smoothness in opening and closing. The flipper action is very dialed in as well. Place your index finger on the flipper and press on it for a second and you’ll feel it load up then the detent lets the blade go, and it rotates to the fully open and locked position effortlessly.

Buckhorn Handle

Ketuo-Ken Onion Buckhorn closed — Very nicely textured and featuring a palm swell, the Buckhorn fits the hand just right.

The handle of the Buckhorn is really, where all the magic is.

Perhaps the most unique design trait of the handle is the palm swell machined into the middle of the handle. This is employed to help seat the knife firmly in your hand and make it easier to grip. Continuing on, there’s the eye-catching 3D checkerboard micro-milling pattern at both ends of the handle, on both sides. Even the stylish minimalist titanium pocket clip sports the same 3D micro-milling pattern on the back, providing visual continuity to the clip side of the handle.

Speaking of the pocket clip, it is held onto the handle with one Torx screw. The handle end of the clip sits in a matching cavity to prevent it from rotating, thus remain secure with one fastening point.

The pivot screw is brass colored, as is the pivot ring. Eye-catching, the tandem give the illusion of the end of a shotgun shell, which is a unique aesthetic to the Buckhorn. The brass color pops against the bead-blasted handle. The matching titanium handle spacer covers about ¾ of the handle length, and at the end of the handle, the spacer forms an integral lanyard loop.

Keuto-Onion Buckhorn pivot. — An absouletely stunning design point, the pivot screw looks like a shotshell head. Interestingly, the other side where the torx head is looks like a fired shell with a firing pin impression.

The framelock lockup engages the lower third of the width of the tang, so an easy lockup. It engages solidly without any movement in any direction. With a firm push of your thumb, the lock disengages allowing the blade to rotate closed.

I don’t believe you’re going to have any concerns over the lock holding or failing on this one. Ketuo did this one right!

Buckhorn Tested

Buckhorn half open — Outfitted with thumbstuds and a kicker, the knife is quick into action.

In action, the Buckhorn is a very efficient cutting tool. It deploys easily and with the flat ground blade, it slices easily and effortlessly.
The front section of the blade has the wedge and is the thinnest portion, sailing through various materials with ease. I like how the entire cutting edge has a graceful curve to it. Not only visually appealing, this feature allows you to make use of the entire length of the cutting edge.

S35VN is a top-performing steel and is an excellent choice for the Buckhorn. This steel will go the distance and withstand heavy usage. Also, dig the fact the ambidextrous thumb studs are positioned as far back on the blade as possible, this gets them out of the way to eliminate hanging up on material being cut. A smart move!

Ken Onion Buckhorn lanyard loop — Then handle spacer is also titanium and forms an intergral lanyard loop at the aft of the knife.

With the handle’s ergonomic features, I felt in control of the knife at all times and found no hot spots to speak of. It just fits the hand so perfectly. This is a testament to Ken Onion’s design prowess and intimate understanding of handle design.

Final Cut

This knife is about as close as anyone will get to owning a full-blow custom knife from the man himself. At MSRP $275 and made in China, the Buckhorn is an excellent deal for what you get in return. It’s an exciting-looking design from one of the best in the game, using high-end materials with 3D machined titanium and S35VN, and a sturdy framelock. Well worth the price of admission.

Pros

Stunning overall design
Excellent materials
Crisp action
Priced right

Cons

Nice enough you may not want to carry it.

Buckhorn Specs
Blade Material: S35VN
Blade Angle: >60°
Full Length: 8.78″
Handle Length: 4.84″
Blade Length: 3.85″
Type: Folding Blade Knife
Handle Material: 6AL-4V
Finishing: Bead blast & Anodizing
Weight: 4.44 oz
Color: Silver w/ Gold Ano Accents
Designer: Ken Onion
Brand: Karbon Knives
Manufacturer: Ketuo Knife

Buckhorn Deals:

Work Sharp Ken Onion Elite Mk2 Review [Hands On]

Buyer's Guides

Dexter Ewing

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September 11, 2024

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Work Sharp Ken Onion Elite Mk2 Review [Hands On]

Has Work Sharp improved on its legendary tool?

The Work Sharp Ken Onion Elite has been the standard for powered abrasive belt sharpening for about a decade. And it’s more than earned its place in knife enthusiasts’ sharpening stations. Yet, Onion and Work Sharp were just getting warmed up.

Unveiled at the beginning of 2024, the Ken Onion Elite Mk2 (KOE Mk2) aims to outdo the original in about every way. But does it?

That’s what I aimed to find out when I pulled out a bevy of knives and put the unit through its paces. Is the sharpener more user-friendly? Does it offer more functionality? Can it unseat the legendary Work Sharp Ken Onion Elite?

Let’s find out.

Work Sharp Ken Onion Elite Mk2 Grinding Attachment

Ken Onion WorkSharp MK.2 with grinding head

Work Sharp didn’t veer away from the basic functionality of the Work Sharp Ken Onion Elite in the Mk2. For example, blade grinding attachment still uses the same 1”x18” belts as the original and pretty much functions the same.

Onion and the company, however, have enhanced the operation of the attachment in several ways.

The angle adjustments on the grinding attachment now can be made on the fly and without de-tensioning the belt or even turning the unit off. This is done through a round nob under the plate controls, which raises and lowers the idler wheel. A built-in angle indicator allows you to dial in the exact edge.

The aforementioned idler wheel is also new to the system and can be set for three edge types: conventional V, low-angle convex, and high-angle convex. A major plus, this is achieved without tools or even de-tensioning the belt—though, the power must be off.

Ken Onion WorkSharp MK.2 grinder adjustment

Work sharp has included a belt guard on the new model, gone are the days of the original’s open face. The guard has a port hole that you can place the hub fastener into (so you won’t lose it!) whenever you convert this unit to the standard three-pulley cassette.

Finally, the Mk2 has an adjustable height reference plate on the platen end of the grinding attachment. Quite simply, this allows for finer adjustments at the platen end.

Overall the build, of the new BGA is more substantial than the original, as there is now more weight to it.

Work Sharp Ken Onion Elite Mk2 Sharpening Head

Ken Onion WorkSharp MK.2 Sharpening Head

If you prefer to use the standard three-pulley cassette instead of the Blade Grinding Attachment, you can physically swap out the two easily. The power head attaches to either using a simple twist lock connection at the motor housing at the drive shaft.

A nice aspect of the cassette is it includes a scissor guide in addition to a knife guide, which is set at a 65-degree angle. For knives, you use the pull-through method, resting the blade on one of the leather-lined blade rests and pulling the blade through along the belt.

Selecting your edge angle is as easy as turning a dial, similar to the blade grinding attachment. Rotate the knob to the desired edge angle and both blade rests will move in or out simultaneously.

There’s also an included blade rest with plastic rollers that allow you to steady the blade as you pull it through. If you wish to not use these, they simply rotate out of the way and lock into the stowed position.

However, with the cassette, there is no option to adjust for different edge types (standard V, low convex, or high convex). You just get a regular convex edge only, but still razor sharp.

Work Sharp Ken Onion Elite Mk2 Power Head

As for the power head end of things, there are several improvements here. You’ll notice the larger motor housing and inside is a more powerful motor with electronic torque management. The motor senses the load placed on the belt and compensates for it, making this sharpener almost impossible to bog down in use.

The pushbutton speed control with LED light scale shows you at a glance how fast the belt is running. And slowing down or speeding up the belt is as easy as pushing a button.

The Mk2 has a constant on setting—you just squeeze the power trigger and press a button to lock in the setting. Shutting it off is a matter of hitting the stop button or squeezing the power trigger.

The body of the Mk2 has a cast metal overlay that adds rigidity as well as boosts the rough and tumble looks of the tool. Furthermore, the metal overlay makes the unit quieter and dampens vibrations.

Work Sharp Ken Onion Elite Mk2 Testing

Putting the Ken Onion Elite Mk2 to use is a pleasure. However, I’d say, that to step up to a tool of this nature you need to know your manual sharpening skills inside and out—especially when using the grinding attachment. If you don’t know what you’re doing you risk damaging blades or simply spinning your wheels with a sub-par sharpening. Given the guides, the cassette is more forgiving.

I have ten solid years of experience with the original Ken Onion Elite and know the limits of the machine. With this being said, the functionality of the Mk2 is identical to the original and the improvements mentioned make it more user-friendly, improving the overall experience.

Ken Onion WorkSharp MK.2 sharpening with grinding head

I also found the Mk2 is easier to set up and dial in, as well as change angles instantly with the machine powered on. The ability to dial in the edge type (standard V, low convex, and high convex) allows you to tailor the edge format to your specific task for the knife.

Personally, I prefer the high convex, which allows you to cut the edge angle back 2-3 degrees more for enhanced edge sharpness. At the same time, it still retains enough “meat” in the center for lateral strength.

Final Cut

As it goes, the Work Sharp Ken Onion Elite Mk2 doesn’t come cheap with an MSRP of $300. It’s a bit steep for a sharpener. But when you look at what you get, it’s easy to see why it’s still valuable.

While this was primarily designed as a sharpening machine, it’s also a miniature variable speed belt sander that will work on metal, PVC, plastic, and wood. In turn, you receive two machines in one, plus it can handle knives and scissors as well as assist you with projects in your garage or shop. How can you beat that?

Honestly, if you want to take your sharpening game to the next level and beyond, invest in the Ken Onion Elite Mk2 from Work Sharp.

More On Sharpening:

Pros’ Secrets To Sharpening Knives
Best Sharpening Stones To Keep Your Edge
Knife Sharpening Angle: What’s Best
5 Myths About Knife Sharpening

Plain Vs Serrated Knives: Which Is Best For Who

Buyer's Guides

Dexter Ewing

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September 3, 2024

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Plain Vs Serrated Knives: Which Is Best For Who

School yourself on which edge is best for you and your knife.

Coffee or tea? Pizza or hamburger? Ice cream or cake? Truck or car? Having choices in life is a good thing. You base the choices on such criteria as what you’re in the mood for to eat, how much you can afford for a nice vehicle and more. Likewise, you have tons of choices in knives, including plain, serrated or partially serrated/combo edges.

Most choose plain edges because plain edges provide the most versatile cutting format, regardless of task. They’re also the easiest to sharpen. Some have rougher slicing tasks to do, like cutting rope, cardboard, or webbing or plastic straps. If you undertake such tasks more frequently, a knife with a serrated edge will power through tough and fibrous materials with ease.

Knowing the intended use for your knife will help you select the proper edge format, so let’s explore the possibilities for plain, serrated and partially serrated edges. Showing typical uses for all three should help you decide which edge format is for you.

CRKT Bugsy

Rest whatever you’re cutting inside one of the Bugsy’s Veff serrated teeth and it will help hold the material as well as cut it.

Kaila Cumings, the three-time contestant on Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid reality TV show, designed the CRKT Bugsy. Kaila grew up hunting, fishing and camping with her father, thus starting her lifelong interest in survival skills and tools, including knives. She designed the Bugsy as a compact fixed blade with high utility characteristics and superior ergonomics.

The 3.7-inch blade enables the knife to execute a variety of tasks related to camping/survival. The modified clip point shape with a defined tip is ideal for scoring, and the gentle sweep of the main bevel gives plenty of belly to facilitate slicing chores such as food prep. The 1095-blade steel provides good edge holding and ease of resharpening in the field. As a result, it is a favorite carbon steel of knife users. The handle’s finger grooves help lock in your grip, and their rounded edges melt into your hand.

Plain edge Bugsy cutting hose — The plain edge Bugsy works well with utility chores such as cutting rubber hose. The curve of the edge makes for great slicing action.

There are two versions of the Bugsy: a plain edge blade in a gray Cerakote® finish, a tan Micarta® handle and a leather belt sheath, and a partly serrated blade in a black Cerakote finish, a black G-10 handle and a molded Kydex sheath. The former is outdoor/hunting themed, the latter tactical—same design, two different personalities.

Performance-wise, the Bugsy is an ideal fixed-blade companion in either flavor. It’s just shy of 7.5 inches overall, making it very comfortable for everyday carry. It’s compact enough to carry well yet there is enough blade length to handle most cutting jobs. Both versions have an MSRP of $170 and are made in the USA for CRKT by TOPS Knives.

Spyderco Paramilitary 2

Spyderco Para2 cutting rope — This is where the fully serrated Spyderco Para2 shines. Manila rope is tough to cut and the Para2 handles it without any effort exerted. “If you cut rope regularly,” the author noted, “fully serrated is the way to go.”

The Paramilitary 2, aka Para2, is one of Spyderco’s hottest-selling folders. Taking what works for the company’s full-size Military model and making it a bit more compact and pocketable, the Para2’s design and performance lineage is undeniable. It has a full-flat-ground blade that makes the Military a lean, mean cutting machine.

There’s also the ultra-strong Compression Lock that secures the blade open, yet is easy to manipulate and close one-handed. The ergonomically shaped G-10 handle sports a nice peel-ply texture that aids in grip retention. The Para2 is built for serious EDC use. The 3.4-inch clip point blade is CPM S45VN high-performance stainless steel for enhanced edge holding.

The reasons for the Para2’s superior cutting performance are both the full flat grind and the distal taper from tang to blade tip. The resulting progressively thinning down of the blade allows it to sail effortlessly through whatever you’re cutting. The thumb rest and finger choil boast deep traction notches for a nonslip grip, allowing a choke-up grip when more control or pressure is required.

Plain edge Para2 has a slight distal taper — The full-flat-ground blade of the plain edge Para2 has a slight distal taper from tang to tip, which makes it bite hard and sink into the cutting media. It goes through foam block like a laser.

The edges of the G-10 are chamfered to prevent hot spots. An hourglass-shaped steel pocket clip mounts in one of four ways conducive for lefties and righties, as well as blade tip up or tip down. The Para2 carries well in whatever mode you select, making it a popular choice among Spyderco enthusiasts as well as those who fancy a well-made working folder.

Spyderco long has been known for its handle shapes, blending ergonomics with smart, practical design, resulting in a knife comfortable to use for extended periods. The Para2 handle has an integral guard just behind the finger choil. There’s also a generous swell in the grip area to accommodate your fingers comfortably. The butt swells just enough to prevent your hand from sliding rearward.

With the Para2 you have a choice of a plain or fully serrated edge. Spyderco has long been known for its fully serrated blades, with its serration pattern regarded by many as the best in the industry. The tooth pattern cuts aggressively while still having a smooth action. MSRP for the plain or serrated Para 2 is $265. Country of origin: USA.

Plain Vs Serrated Knives

Plain and serrated or partly serrated edge versions of the same knife model, clockwise from bottom left: CRKT Bugsy plain, Spyderco Para2 plain, Para 2 fully serrated and Bugsy partially serrated.

Choose your edge format carefully to best suit most of your cutting needs. Most opt for a plain edge for the previously mentioned reasons. A plain edge does well in a variety of settings, from opening packages to stripping wire, doing light-duty scraping tasks, and even food prep. Ninety percent of cutting tasks are suited to plain edges while roughly 10 percent or so require more muscle.

Plain edge blades are easy to sharpen as well—just be sure to select your sharpener carefully based on steel type. Harder, more-wear-resistant steels like the CPM varieties require diamond sharpeners due to how aggressively diamond abrasives cut. Steels not as hard as the CPM varieties can be addressed with diamonds too, but other types of sharpeners like ceramic are very effective as well. A properly sharpened plain edge blade is all you need for most cutting jobs, big and small.

Remember that if you can reprofile the edge angle, you can decrease it by one or two degrees to get a sharper edge. For instance, most factory edge angles are 22 degrees, average. If you cut the angle back by just two degrees, you will be surprised at how much sharper the edge will be and therefore have more bite.

You need a sharpener specifically designed to address serrations. One is the Spyderco Sharpmaker 204. Set the 204 up to where the “points” of its triangular-shaped hones contact the serrated cutting edge. The points get inside each tooth as well as sharpen the tips of the serrations. There are others out there that address serrations but the best I have found is the 204. Some say serrations are difficult to sharpen but they aren’t if you use the correct sharpener.

Again, choose your edge format carefully to match the intended uses for your knife. You don’t want to cut open boxes or prep food with a serrated blade. You can do such tasks with a serrated blade if it’s the only blade you have, but, if given a choice, such tasks are better suited for a plain edge due to the smoothness of how it cuts.

Plain Vs Serrated Knife Analysis

The plain-edge versions of the Bugsy and Para2 work exceptionally well. The Bugsy’s blade belly makes slicing effortless and has plenty of bite. The Para2’s full flat grind with distal taper allows the blade to effortlessly cleave through tough materials. The excellent edge geometry enables the blade to bite in deep. In fact, the Para2’s blade makes cutting tasks easy and fun to complete, taking the work out of work.

The serrated versions of each knife have their own pluses and minuses. With the partially serrated Bugsy, the Veff serrations are ground at an angle, cutting most effectively on the pull rather than the push cut. The large scalloped teeth also help in cutting paracord, string for weed trimmers, twine, threads and zip tie ends. Just rest whatever you are cutting inside one of the teeth and that will help to hold the material as well as cut it.

The serrations perform great but I felt that they were ineffective for some cutting work due to their limited length. You must saw back and forth with the blade to make effective use of the serrations, and sometimes that is just not feasible. A fully serrated blade would be nicer to allow for more edge real estate to apply the serrations and make full use of them. However, for what the Veff serrations are, they work well and are aggressive. I would not rely on them a whole lot but, as they say, they’re better than nothing.

There is a reason why Spyderco makes some of the best fully serrated blades on the market. The Para2 fully serrated version is a solid, proven performer. It’s pretty much an ultra-compact folding buzzsaw in your pocket. The two-step serration pattern typical of Spyderco is aggressive in bite and smooth in action. You need not even apply an excessive amount of pressure to make the cut as the serrations enable the blade to power itself through.

Cutting manila rope is something that is tough on edges. The edge must be very sharp to do it. When I cut rope with the fully serrated Para2, I could immediately feel the edge bite in deep and effectively power its way through. Same for cardboard. The action is a bit rough but still, it gets the job done quickly.

The fully serrated Para2 also does a surprisingly good job cutting vegetables. You would think a plain edge blade would excel with the task and while you’re certainly not wrong in your thinking, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that a fully serrated blade can handle more delicate cutting tasks well, in addition to the tougher ones that require more horsepower.

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Magnacut Knives: Top Options With The Super-Steel Blade

Dexter Ewing

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July 17, 2024

0

Magnacut Knives: Top Options With The Super-Steel Blade

See why the hot powder metallurgy steel is all the rage in knives.

You might have heard that CPM MagnaCut is the latest in high-end blade steels. You might have seen that knives with MagnaCut blade steel have been selling fast. Everyone wants MagnaCut! But what exactly is it?

What Is Magnacut Steel?

MagnaCut is the latest super steel offered by Crucible Materials of Syracuse, New York, the same folks who make such high-end blade materials as CPM S30V, S35VN, S45VN, CPM 154, 20CV, 3V and others. Metallurgist Larrin Thomas, winner of the BLADE Magazine 2024 Publisher’s Award, invented MagnaCut. His objective was to create a stainless blade steel whose properties are balanced and that would perform well in the critical areas of edge holding, corrosion resistance and toughness.

With other high-end steels there’s usually a degree of give and take where you might sacrifice a bit of one characteristic to gain more in another. This is something knife folks have endured for so long that they’re used to a certain degree of compromise in order to get a blade steel suitable for their needs. Simply put, MagnaCut could very well be the steel that has all the characteristics knife guys want in a blade material. Basically, it’s their dream steel come to life.

Compared with other CPM steels, MagnaCut has less toughness, though don’t look at that as a bad thing. It’s actually very good in that MagnaCut is easier for a knifemaker to work; that is, it grinds and drills easier. On the knife user end, it means MagnaCut is easier to resharpen than other CPM steels whose toughness rates higher. Still, I recommend using diamond abrasive sharpeners on MagnaCut to obtain the best results.

See now why MagnaCut is all the rage in the knife industry? Just about every major manufacturer is using it and even some custom makers. The switch to MagnaCut can be seen as a way for manufacturers especially to level up the performance of their knives.

Kershaw Launch 17

Among the latest factory knives to offer MagnaCut blade steel is the Kershaw Launch 17. The Launch 17 presents a slender carry handle profile with a highly usable 3.5-inch clip-point blade. At 5 inches closed the Launch 17 is on the bigger side of EDC knives, but its svelte handle makes it very comfortable to carry. The flat-ground blade is a great working shape that tackles just about any cutting chore.

The handle is machined T6 6061 aluminum anodized grey and features textured black G-10 inlays for a neat contrast of color as well as purchase. The grip is symmetrical and an integral double guard keeps your hand in place. The handle is mainly an open-frame construction that allows easy cleaning with compressed air or water, and a clip mounted at the butt provides very deep pocket carry for ultimate concealment.

The deep-carry clip of the Kershaw Launch 17 allows the knife to sit very low in the pocket for ultimate understated carry.

The only downside I see is the placement of the firing button. I want to grab the handle in a way that my thumb falls right into the button. I had to consciously readjust my grip to where I hold the handle a bit further toward the butt so my thumb falls just behind the button. It’s not really a big deal and certainly not what I would call a dealbreaker, but just something to be aware of.

The clip point blade is one of the knife’s key selling points. An excellent shape for general use, it has a defined point for scoring and fine cutting tasks, and there’s plenty of edge real estate to tackle your toughest chores quickly. The opening action is quick yet with very little recoil. The lockup is very tight with zero play. The Launch 17 makes a great EDC auto that’s light both in the pocket and on the wallet. MSRP: $239.99.

Fox Knives/Terzuola ATCF Original Gangster

The ATCF Original Gangster from Fox in MagnaCut blade steel is an homage to Bob Terzuola’s iconic custom ATCF tactical folder. The initial Terzuola ATCF helped define the tactical folder era by incorporating features that are now standard with many folding knives of the genre.

BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Bob Terzuola introduced his quintessential custom tactical folder, the ATCF (Advanced Technology Combat Folder), in 1986-87. It is Terzuola’s best-known folder and most imitated design. The original included a host of features that are now standard on any top tactical folder, custom or production, including screw-together construction and a notched thumb ramp for aid in a nonslip grip and applying pressure for power cuts. It also incorporated a checkered thumb disc for ambidextrous blade deployment.

Fox Knives teams with Terzuola to release the ATCF Original Gangster. The knife is built almost exactly the way Terzuola builds his custom version, complete with the aforementioned features as well as MagnaCut. The 3.5-inch modified drop-point blade has a swedge. The addition of a flipper tab ushers the ATCF OG into the modern tactical realm and provides two blade-deployment options: ambidextrous thumb and flipper opening. The test sample is the SQ-ATC-OG01 with a titanium handle and stonewashed blade. The blade rides on bearings for ultra-smooth action. Like the addition of the flipper, this is also a modern innovation incorporated into the reproduction of the legendary folder.

The Fox ATCF Original Gangster features a flipper tab to aid in quick one-hand deployment. This was not a feature found on Bob Terzuola’s original ATCF design but rather incorporated by Fox as a modern convenience.

With its integral forward guard and slanted butt, the handle is another Terzuola signature design. The titanium scales have a matching stonewash finish and are devoid of any machining—just smooth titanium that’s comfortable in-hand. The lock is the tried-and-true linerlock. The blade-tip-up-carry clip secures via a single T6 Torx head bolt and is held in place inside a machined cavity that captures the clip and prevents it from rotating. Before you complain about the clip not being reversible, remember that the ATCF was introduced at a time when pocket clip folders were still a relatively new concept, much less ambidextrous clip carry. A solid G-10 spacer rounds out the look and leaves most of the handle spine open for easy cleaning. A pin recessed in the butt accepts a lanyard, though standard 550 cord is too thick to fit.

Everything works on the knife, from the integral single guard to the thumb disc for ambidextrous opening. The flipper works well, too. I like the drop-point blade, an all-around favorite of mine for a variety of tasks. It’s highly adaptable, from utility to survival to tactical. The titanium handle has a nice heft and it’s pure function with no additional machining or coloring added. It just works. Country of origin: Italy. MSRP: contact Fox for more information.

Spyderco’s Para Military2 Salt Black G-10

The Spyderco Para2 Salt has a full-flat ground blade of CPM MagnaCut stainless steel with a distal taper that allows the knife to be an extremely effective slicer with aggressive bite, perfect for tough tasks like cutting through fire hose material. It is the BLADE Magazine 2024 Most Innovative American Design.

The BLADE Magazine 2024 Most Innovative American Design, Spyderco’s Para Military2 Salt Black G-10 is in the company’s line of corrosion-resistant knives designed especially for fresh water and saltwater environments. It is basically a regular Para2 with the addition of MagnaCut blade steel and other steel parts such as liners, pocket clip, screws and standoffs covered in a black protective coating to boost corrosion resistance.

The 3.45-inch blade is a great size for a work knife. It’s not too long nor too short. A large blade hole aids in easy thumb opening and works well if you’re wearing work gloves. The blade secures open via Spyderco’s Compression Lock, which is designed to be both strong and easy and comfortable to operate. The blade’s full flat grind allows it to sail through a host of media, and right out of the box is razor sharp and ready to work. That’s one thing about any Spyderco knife—the blade shapes and grinds are optimized for high-performance cutting.

The Para2 Salt’s machined handle grooves offer enhanced traction even with wet hands. The texture is a nice extra touch for a working knife.

The handle surface is machined in a radial groove pattern that distinguishes the knife as a premier member of the Salt Series. Spyderco calls it the Caribbean Bi-Directional Texture pattern and it greatly enhances grip traction, more so than standard peel-ply texturing. An excellent choice when dealing with wet hands, the grooves channel water away for a surer grip. The handle includes four-way pocket-clip mounting, open spine construction and a Compression Lock. Releasing the lock is super easy and can be done with one hand, as well as closing the blade. The way you release it keeps your fingers out of the way of the blade’s rotation path, therefore negating accidental cuts. The Compression Lock is a rock solid design, one of the best locks around.

The full flat grind coupled with a distal taper of the blade from tang to top make the Para2 Salt a lean cutting machine. It goes through most any material, thick or thin, with ease and little force—a sign of a well-engineered blade. Not only is the blade shape very efficient but the handle design is, too. It fits my average-sized hand very well and instills true user confidence in its comfort and safety. Country of origin: USA. MSRP: $315.

Dead Reckon Ridgeback

Dead Reckon is a new knife manufacturer and the Ridgeback folder is its first offering. There’s a lot going on with this folder, from the button lock mechanism, flipper opening and sealed bearings in the pivot to the integral handle. Crafted in the company’s Grove City, Ohio, facility, each knife is precisely and carefully manufactured to high standards that would satisfy the pickiest knife enthusiast.

An example is the Ridgeback in its “wharncleaver” blade and integral titanium handle. The 4.1-inch MagnaCut blade is of a hybrid wharncliffe/cleaver pattern with a distinctive slant nose tip and straight-line cutting edge. The knife offers two methods of opening: flipper tab and oblong blade hole. Whatever method you prefer, the blade operates smoothly thanks to the sealed bearing pivot. Just ahead of the flipper is a cutout for choking up for precise control.

The handle is Grade 5 titanium, which is 6Al/4V titanium alloy. It is of an integral construction, which is difficult to manufacture. Only one other company I know of has pulled this off successfully. The Dead Reckon production staff takes one billet of titanium and machines the channel in the middle where the blade rests in the closed position. It’s all one piece with no assembly screws. It’s a very strong handle design and the lack of screws makes for a very clean appearance.

On most knives the pocket clip is a stamped and bent piece of steel. Nothing fancy or flashy but utilitarian. The Ridgeback clip is of a milled titanium that sports a very cool-looking geometric shape. It is quite eye catching, not an afterthought but an aspect that adds to overall appearance. The clip is at the right tension to hold the knife to the pocket without it wanting to slip out, while the ability to remove the knife remains fairly easy—the best of both worlds!

The one-piece handle construction of the Dead Reckon Ridgeback allows for a very strong grip but requires considerably more machining time than a standard handle, and therefore is more expensive.

For a very utility-friendly blade shape, the wharncleaver is it. There’s a lack of a defined blade tip, though there is one of sorts at the front of the cutting edge. Using a gentle pulling motion, you can use it to score materials easily. When cutting full on, the straight-line edge does so smoothly. With multiple grip options and a notched thumb rest, along with the cutout, this knife is easy to adapt to the cutting scenarios at hand.

Want more power? No problem. Use the thumb ramp to place more pressure on the blade. Want more control? Choke up on the blade using the finger cutout. The canted blade makes the Ridgeback more comfortable to use on a flat surface by offering enhanced knuckle clearance. You might think the appearance is a bit weird but don’t knock it until you try it. Country of origin: USA. MSRP: $475.

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How To Sharpen Recurve Knives

Featured

Dexter Ewing

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July 2, 2024

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We outline how to put an edge back on a recurve knife, both by manual and automated systems.

Editor’s note: In addition to holding down a full-time job, being a BLADE® field editor for many years and conducting several sharpening seminars and BLADE University classes on the subject, the author also runs a sharpening service. All the sharpeners illustrated in the story are in his collection.

Face it—recurve blades are just plain sexy. The way the cutting edge adopts a sinewy figure is unlike most any other blade pattern and definitely catches the eye.

A fun fact about recurve blades: the cutting edge is always longer than a standard blade of the exact same size. How? If you were to take the recurve edge and straighten it out and compare it with a more conventional blade of the same length, the recurve cutting edge would always be longer. Why? The curves pack in more steel real estate in the same overall blade length. Recurves are practical as well, as the curved part presents itself at an angle to whatever is being cut and therefore slices it more efficiently.

While recurves are attractive and functional, some folks tend to steer clear of them because they assume the edges must be difficult to sharpen. It’s the curvature that throws them off. I’m here to tell you that recurves are not hard to sharpen at all if you have the right sharpener. Once you have the right sharpener, the steps you follow are exactly the same as if you were sharpening a standard blade.

Type Of Recurve Sharpeners

Sharpeners with rounded profiles — These manual sharpeners with rounded profiles not only are good for serrations but are for recurve blades as well. From top: DMT FSKC Diafold Serrations Sharpener Coarse Grit, Coast SP245 and GATCO Scepter 2.0.

What sharpener do you use for recurve blades? There are actually quite a few sharpeners that are best suited. Some you may already have and didn’t know they would do the job. The appropriate sharpener has a round profile, as the round part always makes contact with the cutting edge regardless of how recurved the blade gets. I recommend that the sharpener be diamond coated since diamond works exceptionally well with the harder, more wear-resistant steels popular today such as—though not limited to—the CPMs of S30V, 20CV, S35VN, S45VN and MagnaCut.

The “V” approach of the Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker is another effective way to sharpen recurves manually.

In this article, I first show you how to properly sharpen recurve knives using a manual sharpener. The technique is the same regardless of which sharpener you use. Then I demonstrate how I sharpen recurve blades using a powered method. As the editor was so kind to point out, I run a sharpening service on the side as well, and I have years of experience sharpening all sorts of blades. My way is reserved for more advanced and more accomplished sharpening skills only.

How To Sharpen Recurve Knives

Manual Sharpening

Manual Step 1: Using a black permanent marker, preferably with a chisel tip, color in the entire length of the cutting edge on both sides of the blade.

Manual Step 2: Take a round profile sharpener—the author uses the EZE-Lap folding diamond sharpener—and, holding the blade to it at approximately a 20-degree angle, start at the tang and move your way down to the tip in one fluid motion.

Manual Step 3: Stop after a few strokes and look to see where the marker ink remains. This is an indicator of the need to adjust your angle more or adjust it less. And that, my friends, is pretty much how to sharpen recurves. Simple, safe and effective. This is a failproof method.

Automated Sharpening

Automated Step 1: The author uses his Ken Onion Elite Sharpener from Work Sharp with the blade grinding attachment to sharpen recurves. The illustrated belt deflection helps the belt to conform to the cutting edge as it curves.

Sharpening the recurve knife on a machine

Automated Step 2: The author sharpens the recurve blade as he would any standard blade by pulling it across the belt from choil to tip on both sides. Use the same motion when sharpening a recurve on a manual sharpener.

Automated Step 3: After sharpening, the author strops the edge using a leather strop to wipe off any micro burrs that form.

Giving the recurve a few swipes on knife steel

Automated Step 4: After stropping, the author gives the recurve a few swipes on a hanging kitchen knife steel to give the edge extra bite.

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