Dexter Ewing, Author at BLADE Magazine

Best High-Carbon Steel Knife Options

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February 21, 2022

Looking for a tough and ready option for EDC? Here are 4 factory high-carbon steel knife options that wear and use the reliable 1095 steel well.

Knives in tried-and-true carbon blade steels such as 1095 often are left out of the conversation. Do they still have relevance in the modern world of knives? The short answer is yes—and they remain relevant for the same advantages that made them popular in the first place.

“There are a number of reasons why 1095 is popular with consumers and manufacturers,” states Joe Bradley, sales and marketing manager for KA-BAR Knives. “It’s a great steel to work with and maintain, which is the primary reason we have used 1095 Cro-Van for decades.” Says Shane Adams, marketing director for ESEE Knives, “It takes a beating and is field-serviceable. We know it, use it and trust it with our lives.” Adds Jeremiah Heffelfinger of TOPS Knives, “1095 is also easier to sharpen, especially in the field, than some stainless steels.”

You can work 1095 to death, then take your favorite sharpener and put an edge right back on it. Try doing that with CPM S30V stainless! Because of 1095’s tendency to rust, you must maintain it more than stainless. Many 1095 blades sport a coating that protects most of the surface except the edge. If you’re not careful, corrosion can begin at the edge then travel up underneath the coating. Consequently, in a wet environment keep a light coat of oil on the blade. If you wash the knife, towel dry it carefully and let it air dry, too. As for some of today’s top models in 1095, check these out.

Condor Tool & Knife Bush Slicer Sidekick

The Bush Slicer Sidekick from Condor Tool & Knife is a small, lightweight fixed blade designed to handle intricate food prep tasks similar to those paring knives address. It also functions as a stand-alone tool for bushcraft, as well as day hikes and such.

The 6.4-inch modified wharncliffe blade on this high-carbon steel knife has a defined tip for intricate cutting tasks, but also enough sharpened real estate to get work done. Close to 9 inches overall, the knife carries well and is neither too big nor too small for many food prep and camp chores. The black Micarta® handle is ergonomically shaped for maximum user comfort. The sheath is well designed, too. One of the few hybrid-constructed models employing Kydex and leather, it is quite user friendly. You get the rigid protection of Kydex along with the carry versatility a leather loop offers, allowing the sheath to move somewhat while on the belt. The gray Kydex complements the handle’s appearance.

The Bush Slicer Sidekick is built extremely well, with high quality fit and finish. The edge is razor sharp out of the box. The standard Condor blade finish is two tone, with the darkened heat-treat scale finish on the flats and machine satin on the bevels. The cutting edge is tilted up a bit in relation to the handle, giving more hand clearance on a flat surface. The way the blade profile tapers toward the tip is smart as well, giving the knife the ability to tackle finer cutting tasks. Another nice feature is the 90-degree blade spine for use in conjunction with a fire-starting ferrocerium rod.

Condor’s knives are not flashy but work like pack mules. The Bush Slicer Sidekick slices cardboard like a champ. The flat grind tapers the edge to a thickness that is both durable and sharp.

The flat-ground blade thins the edge well so it sails through a variety of materials, yet is thick enough for durability. The tip is controllable for fine and precise cutting. Integral front and rear guards prevent unwanted hand movement in either direction. However, those with larger hands may find the grip a bit small. It also lacks a lanyard hole. At a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $119, the Bush Slicer Sidekick represents excellent value in an expertly crafted using fixed blade. County of origin: El Salvador.

TOPS Knives 3 Pointer

The TOPS Knives 3 Pointer might be the smallest of the test bunch, sporting a 3.1-inch blade and 6.6-inch overall length, but also has the most options. It comes in three handle choices—black Micarta, tan Micarta and skeletonized. In addition, each model comes with two modes of carry. Straps screwed to the sheath permit horizontal belt carry, and a chain provides neck carry (just remove the belt loops). The options might make you consider the 3 Pointer to replace a folder for EDC.

The high-carbon steel knife’s heart and soul lies in its deep-bellied drop-point blade capable of field dressing game, doing chores in camp, etc. Black Traction Coating helps ward off rust. It is a very durable coat that withstands frequent heavy use.

The handle is particularly interesting. The pronounced finger groove can lock into your grip, with the rest of your fingers falling into place on the tapered handle. Unlike other fixed blades of this size, the handle isn’t blocky or bulky, which allows it to be carried as a belt or neck knife. We tested the tan handle version, which has a nice contrast in appearance to the black blade. Three large traction notches accept a thumb comfortably on the spine to exert control and pressure. The red liners provide a subtle pop of color contrast.

The 3 Pointer’s handle is particularly interesting. The pronounced finger groove can lock into your grip, with the rest of your fingers falling into place on the tapered handle.

The Kydex sheath is well made and designed with an integrated thumb rest that lets you grip the knife handle and push out, easily popping it free of the sheath. The feature is very well thought out and not found on many knives.

I carried the 3 Pointer mainly as a neck knife for the evaluation. Neck knives are a love ’em/hate ’em proposition. If you want to carry a smaller fixed blade in a discreet manner this is the most viable option, as neckers conceal easily, even under a plain T-shirt*. They also work well with polo-style and button-down dress shirts. And when you start layering as the temperatures drop, neck knives carry well under a hoodie and other cold weather wear. The flat handle profile enhances discreet carry without printing underneath the aforementioned T-shirt. I like how the shape and contours help you obtain a very secure grip.

The drop point blade is usually my favorite when it comes to straight knives due to its versatility. The belly allows the blade to tackle sizeable cutting tasks while remaining easy to carry. If you prefer taking a small fixed blade into a restaurant to substitute for the knives provided, the 3 Pointer is low profile enough to cut food without attracting unwanted attention. The TOPS 3 Pointer in tan Micarta has an MSRP of $125—an excellent deal for a USA-made sheath knife.

ESEE 4HM

The ESEE 4HM blends toughness and cutting efficiency in one package that carries easily and is built for extended use. The 4.3-inch blade has a generous belly for field dressing, food prep and some bushcraft. Overall length is just short of 9 inches. Blade thickness is .1875 inch and the flat grind is robust for long-term durability, though thin enough for slicing. The blade has a black powder coat to protect it from the elements.

The ESEE Knives 4HM is designed to be a more modern variation of a bushcraft/utility knife. With its straight-forward design, it offers high performance with a more user-friendly blade. — The ESEE Knives 4HM is designed to be a more modern variation of a bushcraft/utility high-carbon steel knife. With its straight-forward design, it offers high performance with a more user-friendly blade.

The Micarta handle is beefy but rounded in the right places, and fills your hand without generating hot spots. The Micarta is fastened to the tang using three sets of flat-head Torx screws. A lanyard hole comes with a length of paracord, making the 4HM easy to extract from the well-made, sewn pouch sheath of brown leather. The knife sits down in it securely but loose enough so it comes free smartly when needed.

It is a great all-around fixed-blade high-carbon steel knife. The blade and handle shapes are universal and work well in most scenarios. The drop point shape is also a great scraper, if needed. The fat handle cross section gives a reassuring grip, as opposed to shapes that might be comfortable but, due to being too thick, are not as secure in the hand. If you enjoy hunting, camping and hiking and use a fixed blade a lot, this is the knife you need. Country of origin: USA. MSRP: $178.

KA-BAR BK18 Harpoon

The BK18 Harpoon’s tall, flat grind engages whittling and carving jobs with gusto. The swedge provides a bit of visual attitude, too.

The BK18 Harpoon is Ethan Becker’s latest design for KA-BAR. The 4.5-inch drop-point blade offers plenty of length for food prep and outdoor tasks. The prominent harpoon-style swedge projects attitude. The ergonomic handle features multiple swells for comfort and a non-slip grip. A palm swell fills your hand and provides excellent stability and control. The harpoon blade forms an integral forward guard, and the slightly dropped handle butt helps capture your hand. There’s an oblong hole for a lanyard.

At 9.3 inches overall, it’s a great mid-sized sheath knife. The blade belly slices easily, while the handle provides the ultimate in control. Traction notches on the spine allow you to choke up. The sheath is a molded Celcon® polymer with a heavy duty nylon webbing belt loop. The knife fits/clicks in to avoid inadvertent loss. A nifty feature is the two molded-in vent channels that reduce moisture by allowing inside air flow. A secondary webbing button snap secures the handle in place, though the way the knife clicks tightly into the sheath, I cannot imagine it popping loose accidentally. The belt loop also can be re-mounted to set the knife up for left-hand carry.

The KA-BAR Becker BK18 Harpoon is equally at home with food prep or work tasks. The blade’s sweeping belly tackles a host of chores inside and out. — The KA-BAR Becker BK18 Harpoon is equally at home with food prep or work tasks. The high-carbon steel knife’s blade’s sweeping belly tackles a host of chores inside and out.

One thing many remember about seeing their first Becker design is the chunky handle design. As awkward as it may look, it works. No matter the model, basically the same handle shape is used, a hallmark of Becker designs. The BK18 Harpoon has the same configuration but it’s slimmed down considerably. It’s comfortable for extended use and helps keep your hand in place with no awkward sliding in either direction. It also helps prevent the handle from rotating in your grip.

Speaking of handles, there is an optional upgrade. The tan Micarta kit, which replaces the stock molded grip, is $35. It’s worth it. The Micarta has a nice grab-you-back feel that holds well even with wet hands—a feature the stock handle somewhat lacks. MSRP is $120, also not bad for a USA-made fixed blade.

Also Read:

Ballistic Knife: The Most Illegal Knife In America
Spike Tomahawk Reviews: RMJ Tactical, Cold Steel, SOG, Browning
A Quick History Of The Tomahawk In The United States
11 Tips For Starting A Knife Shop At Home

Best Hunting Knife: Four Fab Factory Fixed Blades

Featured

Dexter Ewing

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January 10, 2022

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Best Hunting Knife: Four Fab Factory Fixed Blades

Planning for a backwoods excursion? Here are four of the best hunting knife options, the fixed blade variety, presently rolling off factory lines.

As the fall outdoor season approaches, it’s important to assess your gear and decide if you need to purchase new equipment—hunting knives included. It’s time to maintain what you have or buy brand new models that will assist in camp chores and/or dressing game.

Fixed-blade hunters play an important role on the hunt as they do a lot more than just field dress. They also help prepare meals, prep firewood for cooking, and any other cutting chores that crop up.

Ontario Knife Co ADK Keene Valley Hunter

An example of one of the latest such edged tools is the ADK Keene Valley Hunter from Ontario Knife Co. The wide drop-point blade of 420HC stainless steel adapts to cutting or camp tasks easily. It offers plenty of belly to do the aforementioned chores and field dressing, too. Full-tang construction provide plenty of strength and balance. Interesting multicolor Micarta® scales supply a great grip in all weather conditions, and are highly resistant to cracking, chipping and peeling. The material’s highly stable nature and purchase qualities make it a favorite among users. The scales are tapered from the handle spine, allowing the knife to rest in your hand comfortably. The integral single guard and distinctive choil work in harmony to enable you to choke up on the handle for ever-greater cutting control and user confidence.

The deep-bellied blade of the Ontario ADK Keene Valley Hunter slices large cutting jobs down to size. ADK is short for the Adirondack Mountains, a range in Ontario’s home state of New York. — The best hunting knife? The deep-bellied blade of the Ontario ADK Keene Valley Hunter makes a case for it. It easily slices large cutting jobs down to size. ADK is short for the Adirondack Mountains, a range in Ontario’s home state of New York.

While 420HC is not my blade material of choice on such a knife, it has a good combination of both edge holding and ease of sharpening. Rounding out the package is a nicely sewn and riveted leather sheath that sports button-snap retention to hold the knife. Sheaths are often an area some manufacturers cut corners on to save money and hit the targeted price point, but not the ADK Keene Valley. The sheath is very nice in quality and holds the knife quite securely.

The handle feels a bit blocky but there are no crisp edges or anything to create hot spots. Micarta is one of my favorite handle materials due to its strength, light weight and color selection. It also has a nice grip-you-back quality. At 11.2 ounces the knife has a noticeable heft. The blade at its thickest is around .2 inch, which also contributes to the heavier weight but also plenty of thickness to withstand tough, unforgiving use. The flat grind thins it out nicely yet remains thick enough for strength. With its wide blade and generous belly, the knife slices really well—one of the traits to look for in a hunter.

Kizlyar Supreme Caspian

Ten inches overall, the Kizlyar Supreme Caspian features a hollow-ground blade of D2 tool steel and a handle of hornbeam wood. The classic clip-point-bowie blade never gets old and has a defined tip along with a prominent swedge. The bowie shape does equally well in the tactical and outdoor genres, a great overall pattern for both a tool and weapon. The hollow grind thins out the edge and gives the blade an extremely good bite. D2 has respectable edge-holding ability and is widely used in the production knife industry as an upgrade to lower-grade steels. It is well known for toughness and high impact resistance, which makes it an ideal inexpensive steel for outdoor knives.

The ergonomic handle features multiple finger recesses, and the butt turns down to form a pinky catch to prevent your hand from sliding rearward. The tang helps form an integral single guard, resulting in a comfortable, smart, secure handle design. Largely flat, the scales are secured via two hex-head screws. The handle edges are contoured for comfort.

The leather sheath is a riveted, sewn fold-over design. As a nice visual touch, contrasting thread is used for the stitching. The belt loop is a dangler type, allowing the hunting knife to ride a bit lower when affixed to the belt, as well as promoting greater freedom of movement to accommodate you in a seated position. Not every fixed blade has this sheath design and it is a plus in my book. To top things off, the sheath is stamped with the Kizlyar Supreme logo and website address.

The knife performs very well. It has the power to slice through various media with ease. It’s somewhat large for a hunter but does multiple cutting jobs, including camp chores and some food processing. The hornbeam scales are not stabilized so extra care might be required, such as but not limited to drying off the handle immediately after you wash the knife.

Spyderco Bow River

The FB46G Bow River is one of Spyderco‘s latest fixed blades. The design by custom knifemaker Phil Wilson is based on his experience as an avid hunter and fisherman. Spyderco has produced several of Wilson’s fixed-blade designs but those were always higher-end knives in terms of materials and price—until now.

The Bow River is designed for the budget-minded outdoor enthusiast who demands performance and superior design in an edged field companion. Starting with the blade, 8Cr13MoV stainless steel is used for a good balance of edge holding and ease of resharpening in the field. The 4.36-inch blade is big enough to tackle most hunting chores but small enough to easily manipulate, as well as carry comfortably in a belt sheath. Wilson selected a trailing point blade design due to its generous sweeping belly that tackles slicing chores with ease. The full flat grind and distal taper enable the blade to sail through media easily.

The handle is rounded, contoured black-and-gray G-10. The alternating colored layers form a wood-grain-type pattern that is very eye-catching. The hunting knife rests in your hand comfortably and has no hot spots or crisp edges. The way the end of the handle is rounded off tucks into your palm snugly. Some with larger hands might find the handle a bit lacking but for me it’s just right. The surface finish is slick and devoid of texturing, though with the way the handle is shaped you can always get a secure hold no matter what. There is a large hole in the butt for a lanyard. The leather sheath is a sewn and riveted fold-over design with belt loop. It’s simple and executed very well, just like the Bow River. The knife fits inside the sheath well.

As for performance, it is definitely one efficient cutting tool. It is a well-designed fixed blade regardless of price. It is tailored for fine precision work such as field dressing and camp food prep. It would make a great kitchen knife as well.

Case Winkler Kyle Lamb Hunter

The Case Winkler Kyle Lamb Hunter salutes the design expertise of Daniel Winkler and military service of retired U.S. Army Sergeant Kyle Lamb. The 5-inch spear-point blade’s saber grind leaves enough material for strength—the full .195-inch thickness runs to the tip—but removes enough to thin the blade out for effective cutting. The choil and pronounced thumb rest help exert extra control when choking up on the blade. The 80CrV2 carbon steel is extremely tough and sharpens easily.

The black canvas Micarta® handle offers a great grip in most all weather conditions. It is rounded for comfort and has no hot spots. Two thong-tube pins secure the slabs, and there’s an extra-large oblong hole in the butt for a lanyard.

The hunting knife is a substantial tool. It has a good heft that conveys a solid feel and instills user confidence. It is equally at home as a tactical or outdoor knife because it has the features of both: great user blade shape, ergonomic handle and superior-grade materials. The blade is scary sharp out of the box. It dispatches large cutting jobs easily and quickly. Because the handle accommodates most hands very well, you can easily bear down and power through media. And when finesse is needed, you can choke up on the choil and thumb rest. The spear-point blade adapts to a wide range of tasks.

One word of note: some might find the gimping on the thumb rest and choil a bit harsh. It does bite into flesh just a bit but that can be a good thing, especially when your hands are wet, covered in animal blood or freezing. The gimping also works well if you wear gloves. They do a great job of biting into the glove material to keep the knife positioned in your grip.

The Kydex sheath is top-notch. Instead of a typical fold-over design it is a riveted one that incorporates a phenolic spacer material. The interior is lined with a felt-type material to reduce clatter. The exterior sports a laser cutout of Lamb’s Viking Tactics logo, a very nice touch. On the reverse side is a heavy-duty metal clip that affixes the hunting knife to belts up to 2 inches wide. The knife fits firmly inside the sheath with absolutely no play and no fear of falling out whatsoever.

More Hunting And Bushcraft Knife Info:

Unzip ‘Em: Best Gut Hook Hunting Knives
What Makes a Bushcraft Knife a Bushcraft Knife?
Four Battle Tough Military-Style Fixed Blade Knives
We Review 4 Drop Point Knives Priced $74-$450

How To Determine The Best Angle To Sharpen

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Dexter Ewing

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November 1, 2021

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How To Determine The Best Angle To Sharpen

What determines the best sharpening angle? The answer is one that plagues knife neophytes and old hands alike.

“The best angle of sharpening is one of those very intriguing topics that many have explored but most have come up with different answers,” states Jake Broce, online marketing coordinator for A.G. Russell Knives. Agrees Kyle Crawford, brand manager for Work Sharp, “The answer is often different for everyone.”

He says the two keys are knife type/use and edge retention/maintenance. In fact, all of our story sources cited the intended use of the knife as a deciding factor. For tough chores such as chopping or batoning, a wider angle is best. “Generally, the wider the angle of edge, the more steel is behind it, which increases the edge’s toughness,” Broce observes. “For kitchen knives that see light-duty cutting food on cutting boards, or a task-specific hunting knife like a camping knife, a low angle is ideal,” counters Crawford. By “low” he means an edge angle between 15 and 20 degrees.

Edge angle also affects edge retention. “If you sharpen your heavy-use EDC knife to a low angle such as 15 degrees, it will be incredibly sharp,” Crawford says, “but the trade-off you are making is edge retention and durability.” Conversely, he adds, if you sharpen at a wider angle, such as 25 degrees, the edge will still be very sharp but you gain improved edge retention and, thus, eliminate the need for more frequent maintenance.

“The edge angle is seldom impacted by the blade grind,” says Work Sharp’s Kyle Crawford. “Be mindful that the sharpener you are using may not be able to replicate the blade grind. But for most of us, sharpness is the goal, not maintaining the exact factory grind type.” The DMT Duo-Sharp sharpener does the honors here.

However, Kendra Tobler, marketing communications manager for Benchmade Knife Co., indicates grades of blade steel also factor in as well. “A harder steel with higher yield strength can be ground to a small included angle with less worry about rolling or deforming the edge,” she says. “Conventionally cast steels with large carbides are better suited to larger included angles.” This is done so for edge durability.

A prime example of Tobler’s point is Benchmade’s 15017-1 Hidden Canyon Hunter, a compact drop-point fixed blade in premium CPM S90V stainless steel well known for its extreme edge-holding ability. Benchmade uses its SelectEdge 14-degree included edge on the knife. It is ground thinner because S90V is a high-yield-strength steel that can retain its strength with a thinner edge without deforming or chipping. Blade thickness is a factor as well. “Thin blades are much easier to sharpen to low edge angles than thick knives,” Crawford states. “The thicker the blade, the more material you will have to remove to create a low edge angle.” And it usually takes time to thin down a thick blade. As he warns, “If you choose to sharpen a low edge angle onto a thick blade, be prepared to be patient.”

Sharpening To Steel Grade

“Modern super steels have really changed the game for low angles and edge retention,” Crawford says. By this he means
blades of lower quality steel are prone to low edge retention as well as edge deformation and damage incurred from use. Higher quality steels have the high yield strength that enables them to be sharpened with lower edge angles, resist deformation and damage, and have higher edge retention overall. Crawford specifically cites CPM S45VN and CPM 154 as types of high-yield stainless steels. For lesser grades of steel, opt for a wider angle to save you from having to deal with damaged edges and/or frequent edge maintenance. Any steel designated as CPM (manufactured by Crucible Industries) or any other high end/high-performance steel can be taken down to lower edge angles for enhanced performance. Such steels include M4, 20CV, S30V, S35VN, S45VN, S60V, S90V, S110V, CRU-WEAR® and the CPM version of D2.

Knives come with a standard edge from the factory, around 22 degrees inclusive. The edge is sharp and durable, and a good middle-of-the-road angle that is a good balance between durability and cutting ease. The Work Sharp Ken Onion Elite sharpener is set here to sharpen at 22 degrees.

Lesser grades of steel that should not be taken down to acute angles mostly are found on entry-level to mid-grade factory knives, and some higher-end non-CPM steels found in high-end factory knives. Such stainless steels would include 440A, AUS-8, 8Cr13MoV, 1.4116 and VG-10. The high-end non-CPM stainless steels would be 154CM, ATS-34 and 440C. Also, any grade of carbon (non-stainless) steel should be treated like this as well. Examples would be 1095, 5160, D2, O1, A2 and so forth. If the steel’s specs do not state that it is a CPM steel, avoid applying acute edge angles and stick with wider ones to be safe.

Consequently, it is very important to educate yourself on the different grades of steel and their performance characteristics and edge retention qualities. Such information will further help you understand how the steel type will perform and how maintenance should be handled.

Sharpening To Blade Grind

The many different types of blade grinds are largely influenced by the knife’s intended use. As Tobler notes, “The bevel grind and the sharpening angle should complement each other.” For instance, hollow-ground blades have thinner edges. “This complements a small included angle,” she states. “A convex edge provides plenty of material behind the edge for strength and support and works well with a larger included angle.” Adds Broce, “The blade grind determines how much steel is behind the edge. More steel behind the edge improves edge stability, whereas less material behind the edge can improve the pass-through” of the material being cut.

Blade thickness is a factor as well. “Thin blades are much easier to sharpen to low edge angles than thick knives,” Crawford states. “The thicker the blade, the more material you will have to remove to create a low edge angle.”

Crawford takes a different tack. “The edge angle is seldom impacted by the blade grind,” he says. “Be mindful the sharpener you are using may not be able to replicate the blade grind. [Author’s note: Hollow grinds are converted to flat grinds when using a stone, or too convex grinds when sharpening on a flexible abrasive belt.] But for most of us, sharpness is the goal, not maintaining the exact factory grind type.”

Know The Use

“The required cutting task affects the angle,” Broce says. “Chopping requires good edge stability, so an increased edge angle is necessary.” He also explains that finer chores such as slicing and dicing work better with more acute angles due to the precision cutting. “Whittling introduces more variables than normal knife use,” he states. In other words, whittling exerts a lateral force on the blade and, therefore, the cutting edge. “Generally, you want a thicker blade stock with a thin edge [on a whittling knife],” he sums up. Agrees Tobler, “Smaller angles, like our SelectEdge, work best for finer, delicate slicing cuts.” The primary goal for Benchmade’s 14-degree SelectEdge is for field dressing, and the acute-angle edge slices through thicker hide and meat almost effortlessly.

Knives come with a standard edge from the factory, around 22 degrees inclusive. The edge is sharp and durable, and a good middle-of-the-road angle that is a good balance between durability and cutting ease. Some users are harder on a knife and require the larger edge angle. Nonetheless, with task-specific knives of high-yield-strength steels for hunting/field dressing, you may opt for a more acute edge angle, anywhere between 15 and 20 degrees.

Establishing The Sharpening Angle

How should you go about establishing the edge angle when you sharpen? A safe bet is to invest in a sharpener that sets and maintains the edge angle for you—all you have to do is set the sharpener to the desired angle.

Lesser grades of steel such as the 7Cr17MoV stainless of the Gerber Tri-Tip should not be taken down to an acute angle.

“Angle guides are tried and true and solve one of the biggest sharpening challenges—establish the angle and be consistent,” Crawford says. Cautions Broce, “The first time you use [a guide kit] on your knife will usually take the longest, as your edge angle adjusts to the way you use the sharpener.” The angle guide kits subtract the science of maintaining a consistent angle, so all you need do is concentrate on getting the edge sharp. The kits have been a game-changer for consumers who struggle with freehand sharpening on a bench stone.

Another good tip, regardless of which sharpener you use, is the tried-and-true black marker trick. Using a permanent black marker with a wider chisel tip, color the edge bevel on both sides of the blade. The goal is to sharpen the blade,
removing the black marker ink from both sides. When you accomplish this, your edge angle is correct and you should have a sharp blade.

“The goal is to remove all of the ink in one swipe,” Crawford says. “If you are removing the marker at the cutting edge, your edge angle is too high and you are micro-beveling.” From there adjust your edge angle to a lower degree and take a few more passes to see how the ink is being removed. “It is a process of trial and error,” Crawford notes.

According to Jason Broce of A.G. Russell Knives, “The blade grind determines how much steel is behind the edge. More steel behind the edge improves edge stability, whereas less material behind the edge can improve the pass-through.”

Tobler is another proponent of the marker method. “It helps for matching the edge angle already on the blade when resharpening,” she observes. You can use the method in conjunction with one of the guide kits even if the kit holds the angle constant for you. The method enables you to see how much more you must sharpen off in order for the edge bevel to be reestablished. In this regard, you’re using it to determine how much more you have to go as opposed to if you’re holding the angle correctly.

Another tip is to sharpen in a well-lighted area. Good visibility is very important and key to doing a thorough, well-executed sharpening job. And if you use the marker method a lot, abundant lighting helps you see clearer without eye strain.
Finally is sharpener selection. You can use any quality sharpener as long as it fits the steel type. The key here is to select a sharpener you feel very comfortable in using.

Also Read:

Ballistic Knife: The Most Illegal Knife In America
Spike Tomahawk Reviews: RMJ Tactical, Cold Steel, SOG, Browning
A Quick History Of The Tomahawk In The United States
11 Tips For Starting A Knife Shop At Home

Best Barlow: 4 Of The Sharpest Factory Offerings

Featured Knives

Dexter Ewing

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September 28, 2021

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Best Barlow: 4 Of The Sharpest Factory Offerings

Four of the latest factory barlows that are sharp in more ways than one.

What Are The Top Barlows:

BÖker Dalichow

Kershaw Culpepper

Bear and Son’s 2281R Rosewood

Lionsteel CK01

Probably no pocketknife pattern has as rich of an American history as the barlow. It is perhaps one of the most well-known patterns even among non-knife people, because their fathers or grandfathers carried and used one.

What exactly is a barlow? It’s a simple pocketknife comprised of either one or two blades, a lengthened steel bolster, and a teardrop-shaped handle, usually of bone. There’s nothing fancy about the barlow. It was and still is a workhorse knife that gets the job done.

If you trace the barlow’s U.S. lineage, it goes back at least as far as John Rus sell, an American entrepreneur who established Green River Works in 1834 in Greenfield, Massachusetts. One of the knives his company was famous for is the barlow. Green River Works manufactured barlows in mass quantities, and even today vintage Green River Works barlows are highly sought after by collectors. The bolsters are distinctly marked with an “R” pierced horizontally by an arrow.

The Lionsteel CK01 and Böker Barlow Expedition have half stops (page 28), meaning the blades pause
midway through the blade rotation cycle. Half stops allow safer closing of the blade and provide good tactile
reference of where the blade is even if you can’t see it when opening or closing the knife.

Aside from manufacturing excellence, the barlow was immortalized with appearances in literature (Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn and James Fenimore Cooper’s The Pioneers); in music (bluegrass legend Doc Watson); and even Abraham Lincoln was said to have recounted a story from his past that included a barlow. Few patterns have as rich a history. Even in today’s knife market where aerospace-grade materials and advanced blade steels rule the day, slip joints remain popular, including the bar low. They simply are great working tools stripped down to the bare essentials.

BÖker Dalichow

“Traditional patterns like the camp knife or barlow have been a part of our product line from the very beginning onward, and they always will be,” says Carsten Felix-Dalichow, CEO of BÖker Germany. “In the last couple years, those patterns enjoyed a renaissance in the international knife markets.” Dalichow adds that both modern interpretations and classic versions sell well—including the BÖker Barlow Expedition (manufacturer’s suggested retail price [MSRP]: $199.95).

Böker’s Barlow Expedition is a smaller barlow that rides in the pocket easily and is ready for general tasks like cutting a length of twine.

The 2.5-inch clip point blade is 440C stainless, which at one time was aboutthe best knife steel money could buy. It remains a great blade material even by today’s standards. It exhibits superb edge retention and enhanced corrosion resistance, and is fairly easy to resharpen. The blade opens via a long-pull nail nick. The action is nice and stiff. The extended-length bolster is brass, and the scales are green canvas Micarta®, the left one inlaid with the BÖker Tree logo shield. Brass liners complete the overall color combination, which looks marvelous. The blade is bead blasted, not satin finished, which rounds out the subdued appearance.

Size-wise, the Expedition is pretty much average for barlows. It’s a great balance of utility and pocket-friendliness. The thin profile carries well and is not heavy at all. The Micarta is lightweight, weather/impact resistant and an excellent choice for any working folder. I did note during heavy cutting when a tighter grip is required that the thin handle left me wanting a handle thicker and perhaps longer as well. However, for large or extensive-use cutting tasks, select a knife with a more appropriate handle size.

“The response of the international knife markets on this new product line of modern traditionals is tremendous,” Dalichow says, and BÖker will continue to develop new iterations of classic favorites using both up-to-date materials and modern knifemaking techniques. “The trend will be long term. We at BÖker are happy to be a part of it.”

Kershaw Culpepper

The Kershaw Culpepper ushers the barlow into the modern-day knife market in contemporary materials and economy pricing. “Opening mechanisms, blade steels, handle designs—a lot has changed since the peak in popularity of barlows,” says Dominic Aiello, marketing manager at KAI-USA, manufacturer of Kershaw and Zero Tolerance knives. “I don’t believe that barlow-style knives will see the popularity they once had. However, they are still enjoyed by many users, and we want to provide them with a quality, affordable option.”

The Kershaw Culpepper has a 3.25-inch clip-point blade suitable for larger and tougher cutting tasks. The 7Cr17MoV stainless steel provides good edge holding abilities. The long, large handle offers a good grip.

The 3.25-inch clip point blade is 7Cr17MoV stainless steel for increased strength, toughness, and wear resistance. The Culpepper is a larger modern barlow suited to heavier cutting tasks. The blade spine boasts gimping for a non-slip rest and extra control when cutting, a feature often found on tactical folders. The satin-finished blade has long-pull nail nicks milled into each side. This offers ease of opening with either hand, but also the convenience of using a pinch grip to pull the blade open as opposed to digging your fingernail into the nail nick and pulling up as you would with a traditional slip joint.

The handle is black G-10, a lightweight, strong synthetic associated with tactical and outdoor knives. It’s a stable material and resistant to fluids, impact, and weathering. The finish is polished, giving an ultra-smooth look and feel. The black and silver appearance is timeless and never gets old. In my opinion, the 4.15-inch closed length pushes the limit of how big a pocketknife should be to carry comfortably in the bottom of a pocket. When you carry it, you’ll know it’s there. The trade-off is the extra blade length to tackle tough, tradesman-like cutting jobs. My only complaint lies with the back spring. Ideally, I would like to have a stiff spring action and a half stop (page 28). The half stop provides great tactile reference as to where the blade is during opening and closing. If not a half stop, then a stiff er spring would suffice.

The Culpepper’s spring tension needs to be increased. I found that if the blade hangs up on what you’re cutting, and you lift up a bit on the handle trying to free it, sometimes the blade will close slightly. Normally you apply downward pressure, so during most use this isn’t an issue. Otherwise, it seems to make a great work knife for tasks unsuitable for a higher-end slip joint. And, in case you lose the Culpepper, the price is such that you can procure another one easily due to the low MSRP ($39.99). One of three traditional slip joints Kershaw offers, the new barlow is made in China.

Bear and Son’s 2281R Rosewood

Bear and Son’s 2281R Rosewood Barlow is the only two-blade of the test bunch, sporting a small pen pattern (21∕16 inch es) in addition to the larger clip point (2.75 inches). The pen gives the option of a shorter blade for smaller cutting tasks or to get into tighter areas. It is also good for scraping, thus saving the main blade’s edge for traditional cutting jobs. Ground from 440A stainless steel, both feature matching long-pull nail nicks for ease of opening. Nice satin finishes round out the overall look and hide scratches.

Trimming string is one of the general utility tasks performed by working knives like the Bear & Son 2281R Rosewood Barlow.

The handle features nickel silver bolsters paired with rosewood scales, adding a touch of class. Some prefer the look and feel of a wood handle as opposed to bone or a synthetic. Moreover, rosewood has a reddish-brown hue some find quite attractive, kind of like finely crafted upscale furniture. Granted, the two-blade barlow has a wider handle but the trade-off is the extra width makes the knife easier to grip and bear down on to apply pressure to the cut. The knife’s pocket presence is more noticeable due to the added weight and width, though no more noticeable than some other popular multi-blade slip joints.

The 2281R Barlow balances value with function in a good ol’ USA-made pocketknife. It adapts well to a variety of tasks, from wire stripping to cutting cardboard. It might not be as fancy in appearance as some of the others in this article, but it works well. The blades are easy to resharpen as well. MSRP: $53.75.

Lionsteel CK01

Offering four different blade shapes, the Lionsteel CK01 series is about as high end as you can get for a production barlow. Built from Bohler M390 super steel, titanium liners, and bolsters, and a variety of higher-end natural and synthetic handle materials, the CK01 barlows are show stoppers.

The M390 blade of the Lionsteel CK01 Don model was super sharp right out of the box. It provided plenty of bite for tough tasks such as cutting thick rubber hose.

The Don model has a 2⅞ -inch sheeps-foot blade. The 3.75-inch closed length makes the knife large enough to tackle tough cuts while small enough to be carried comfortably in a pocket. The light brown Micarta® scales are handsome.

The bead-blasted titanium bolsters sport a subdued appearance. Torx-screw construction and a half stop augment the mix—and so do the crowned liners and titanium handle spacer. The knife’s overall slightly rounded/not flat appearance lends an interesting visual appeal. I really dig the crowning—any manufacturer who does this on its knives definitely pays special attention to detail.

The sheepsfoot blade is less common in barlows but is a highly effective pattern for a variety of cutting and slicing chores. The straight-line edge severs cardboard, tape, and plastic sheeting quickly. It also strips electrical wire easily. The pattern is rather easy to resharpen due to the straight-line edge—that is, there is no blade belly with which to hassle. Since the sheepsfoot lacks a defined blade point, there is enough tip left for effective scoring. The Don’s sheepsfoot incorporates a couple of visual features that stand out. First is the long pull on each side of the blade for easy ambidextrous opening. A swedge on the blade spine is a refreshing look. The knife slices like a dream and the M390 steel really holds an edge well. MSRP: $122, plus shipping, and is available exclusively through CollectorKnives (collectorknives.net).

This about as high end as you can get for a production slip joint, integrating titanium, a high-end super steel, and a lightweight, high-tech handle material. For an additional $9.95, you can order the optional leather slip sheath available in multiple color options

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