Msg Kim Breed (ret.), Author at BLADE Magazine

First Degree Forge EDC Fighter Review: It Looks The Part But Does It Cut?

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)

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April 12, 2024

First Degree Forge EDC Fighter Review: It Looks The Part But Does It Cut?

The EDC fixed blade proves itself more than just a pretty face.

After finding First Degree Forge’s website, I reached out to Joshua Brown about testing one of his knives for “Spec Sheet.” He agreed and sent me his EDC Fighter. The shape really caught my eye, along with the blue-and-black handle. The grinds are symmetrical from side to side. I checked the handle for any epoxy gaps and found none, though I did find a few areas that might cause a hot spot or two while cutting.

Light Cutting Tests

I went straight to the 20-pound bond copy paper for the initial sharpness check. The EDC Fighter zipped through the material quickly and repeatedly. I had to really concentrate on moving my fingers quickly so I didn’t leave any DNA on the paper or the knife. Joshua’s blade is very sharp indeed.

I had an extra box to pull a slicing piece from. The cardboard parted quickly. I could feel some friction as I finished the cuts. It was the medium dragging on the thick blade spine, giving the cardboard a slight curl. However, there was no slowdown in cutting.

EDC Fighter crunched its way through sisal rope. — The EDC Fighter crunched its way through 190 cuts in the sisal rope.

A piece of 8-ounce leather was next. The EDC Fighter sliced it smoothly and aggressively. I could hear every crunching slice, a sound that brings a smile to my face. The handle was comfortable but felt a tad thick for my hand.

I rolled right into some skiving with the same leather. The edge crunched into the material cleanly. Overall, the EDC Fighter was quite controllable at keeping the spacing between slices even. The flat-ground blade indexed perfectly off my finger.

Heavy Cutting Tests

Whittling time! The edge produced some thick curly-cues and wanted to bite deep into the wood (there was some possible wood grain deflection). The handle made for a secure cutting grip but the steel near the choil was sharp on my skin. A little sandpaper would remove the unwanted sharpness.

Next on the menu was some baton work on a knotted pine 2×4. The large handle was comfortable and stopped any shock from transferring to my hand. The blade drove smoothly through the wood with little damage—only a little smear on the finish.

EDC Fighter produced some thick curly-cues — The edge produced some thick curly-cues and wanted to bite deep into the wood. The handle made for a secure cutting grip but the steel area by the choil was unnecessarily sharp on the author’s skin. A little sandpaper would remove the unwanted edge.

The sharpness test on sisal rope awaited. The EDC Fighter crunched its way through 190 cuts. I found that the thumb rest also had a sharp edge to it—again, an easy fix with sandpaper. The handle was comfy and the palm swells worked great.

The final paper slice was barely different from the first. What little problem there was mostly was caused by the paper picking up some dampness in the air. The edge remained very sharp.

Last of all was my regular semi-destructive test—whacking the edge into a whitetail deer antler. I gave the knife 30 good antler chops and didn’t hurt the edge at all. Heat-treatment grade: great!

Botton Line

The EDC Fighter is a very nice knife, comfortable to hold and an outstanding performer.

Changes

Soften the previously mentioned non-blade sharp edges where fingers or thumb meet steel.

EDC Fighter Specs
Maker: Joshua Brown of First Degree Forge
Blade Length: 4”
Blade Material: 1084 carbon steel
Blade Finish: Blackened
Blade Grind: Flat w/fuller
Blade @ Thickest: 1/8”
Blade @ Widest: 1.5”
Handle: Blue-and-black G-10
Handle Pins: .25” black Micarta®
Spacers: Blue-and-black G-10
Overall length: 9.5”
Sheath: Leather
Maker’s price: $350

OKNIFE Beagle Review: Nice Doggy

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)

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March 6, 2024

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The OKNIFE Beagle emerges from testing as one well-bred blade.

The Beagle by OKNIFE is a mid-sized folder that rides great in a pocket—big enough to handle most cutting chores but small enough to be comfortable to carry every day. As a heavy knife user, I always carry. It has to ride comfortable and perform or I won’t consider it. The Beagle was on my side for 30 days with no carry issues. Check the first block. Now for the performance side.

The Beagle was very sharp out of the box. A quick paper slice with 20-pound bond copy paper proved it. Via a push cut it sliced quite smoothly with no snags or tears. The handle shape made for easy control of the width of slices.

Next up: single-walled cardboard. The Beagle made zipping noises during the push cuts. Again, it was very controllable on the slice widths, nice and aggressive on every pass, with no snags or tears.

A scrap piece of 8-ounce leather was next. I sliced it similarly to the cardboard to see if I could get the same zipping noises. The Beagle didn’t disappoint. It zipped and crunched during every cut. I really liked the forcefulness in the leather cutting.

The knife made thin, even slices in the 8-ounce leather. The handle shape aided in controlling the thickness of each cut.

Using another piece of leather, I did some skiving. The knife made thin, even cuts. As noted, the shape of the handle really aids in controlling the thickness of the cuts. The blade was smooth and uncompromising on each slice.

I grabbed some scrap pine and whittled a bit. The Beagle produced excellent curlicues, taking deep bites. The notches on the blade spine are just grabby enough to keep your thumb in place without abrading it. There were no hot spots on the handle.

The Beagle took deep bites in producing excellent curlicues. The notches on the blade spine are just grabby enough to keep your thumb in place without abrading it.

STRENGTH TEST

Baton cutting with a linerlock folder is not recommended but I did it anyway. On the other hand, it is a serious strength test for the lockup and liner. After several whacks there were pine pieces all over the work bench. The lockup stayed at 100 percent on every whack. The handle was comfortable throughout.

It was time to break out the half-inch sisal. The Beagle made 192 crunching cuts in the rope. I was surprised at how comfortable the handle was during cutting—not a single hot spot, warm spot or liner pinch. I’m very pleased OKNIFE paid attention to this detail. Job well done!

The Beagle made 192 crunching cuts in the half-inch sisal rope. The handle was comfortable throughout—not a single hot spot, warm spot or liner pinch.

The last test for the edge and lock was chopping into a whitetail deer antler. Thirty hard whacks later and the edge had no damage. The lock was just as tight as when I started—100 percent.

In the final test, the Beagle chopped the antler 30 times with no edge damage. Verdict: heat treat spot on!

CHANGES

Maybe a few grooves in the handle for added grip?

BLADE GRADE

With its comfortable handle and sharp blade, the Beagle is a great folder for everyday carry.

OKNIFE BEAGLE Specs

Blade length: 33/8”
Blade steel: 154cm stainless
Blade grind: Flat
Blade finish: Satin
Blade pattern: Harpoon
Blade opener: Thumb stud
Handle: Green canvas Micarta®
Lock: Linerlock
Liners: Stainless
Pocket clip: Yes
Weight: 4 oz.
Closed length: 4.25”
Country of origin: China
MSRP: $79.95

More Knife Reviews:

Review: Bare Bones Buffalo Skinner
Hawk Creek Blade E-Vac Review
Manzano: Appealing Look And Performance
Case Marilla: A True Light Heavyweight

Breed’s Battle Blade Review: Author Puts His Knife To The Test

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)

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February 9, 2024

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Breed’s Battle Blade Review: Author Puts His Knife To The Test

The author takes his Battle Blade to the next test level and up.

Ever since I started writing for BLADE® in 1990, I generally stick to similar cutting media to check the performance of the knives I test in “Spec Sheet.” That way it gives me a baseline as to how the different blades and their steels should perform. However, as a writer, I find it sometimes gets old doing the same testing. So why not beat the heck out of one of the test knives?

Well, first off, the knives are owned by someone else. They might be scheduled to be sold. You can see why I only push Spec Sheet test knives to a certain point. Unfortunately, the craving to give a test knife a brutal workout keeps coming, only to be done during my own testing using my knives.

Here’s a crazy idea—I’ll test one of the knives I make! So, after pleading my case to the BLADE management, it was OK’d. Now it’s time to get down and dirty with my Battle Blade that has been my truck knife for the past year.
Let the whacking begin.

Battle Blade Vs Normal Media

Serious whacking aside, I still executed a 20-pound-bond paper slice to show initial edge sharpness. The Battle Blade zipped quickly through the paper even with rust spots on the blade and edge. It was very smooth and aggressive during slicing.

Battle blade cuts paper — To test initial sharpness, the author executed a 20-pound-bond paper slice. The Battle Blade zipped quickly through the paper even with rust spots on the blade and edge.

On to a nice 2×8 pine board locked in my shop leg vise. After 20 whacks I had a deep “V” chopped into the wood. The exercise didn’t bother the edge at all; it took a three-quarter-to-1 inch bite on each chop. The handle was comfortable but slightly smooth. (I should have put a thong cord on it.)

Since the whitetail antler I normally use in stories for edge whacking was all whacked up, it was time to replace it. As a result, I chopped it up into 1-inch pieces. The Battle Blade removed all the tines with nice, clean chops. The edge was still very sharp with no damage. Now I have chunks of deer antler all around my forge!

Battle Blade Vs Abnormal Media

For the first “abnormal medium” I went with 3/8-inch-diameter twisted copper wire. I used the Battle Blade as a draw knife to flatten the 2×8 for a surface on which to chop the copper braid. Six hard whacks and the edge still didn’t make it through all eight wires. It seems the Battle Blade drove the last two wires into the 2×8. Note to self: use a hardwood next time. The copper braid only put a few streaks on the blade. There was no damage to the edge.

Battle Blade cuts copper wire — For the first “abnormal medium” the author used 3/8-inch-diameter twisted copper wire. Six hard whacks and the edge still didn’t make it through all eight wires. The copper braid only put a few streaks on the blade. There was no damage to the edge.

Next up: the acetone can stab. The Battle Blade fully penetrated both sides of the can repeatedly. I was worried about stabbing the leg vise more than any damage to the blade from the can. There were some nice scratches on the finish but the edge held up perfectly, as well as the tip.

It was time to get some steel involved: an older patio chair headed to the scrapyard, and its steel tubing. Bingo! So I dragged the chair into my forging area and prepared to trash my Battle Blade. Swinging as hard as I could, I chopped down into the arm of the chair. A loud clang let me know it was a solid hit. The Battle Blade bit a half-inch deep, through the top and bottom corners of the chair, along with the sidewall. I saw a little glint from the blade’s edge. Oh well! I gave the chair arm seven more very hard whacks. The edge had two little glints of rolls and three very small nicks.

Knife chops board — After 20 whacks the Battle Blade had a deep “V” chopped into the 2×8 pine board. The edge took a three-quarter-to-1 inch bite on each chop and emerged unscathed.

The edge still felt sharp, so I returned to the 20-pound-bond paper slice. The edge sliced the paper, though not as smooth as at the start. I’ll take that anytime.

Final Cut

I’m very happy with the performance and feel of the Battle Blade. Normally I use a better gripping handle material for this model but this one’s mine. It had to be bold. The only change I’ll make, thread some cord through the thong hole for a more secure grip.

Battle Blade Specs
Maker: Breed Custom Knives
Blade length: 75/8”
Blade material: 80CrV2 carbon steel
Blade grind: Full flat
Blade @ thickest: 3/16”
Blade finish: Bead blasted
Heat treatment: Differential
Handle material: Swirl by J. Hue Customs
Weight: 15 ozs.
Overall length: 13 1/8”
Sheath: Kydex w/Ulticlip
Weight w/sheath: 1.25 lbs.
Maker’s price for a similar knife & sheath: $450

Montana Knife Co.’s Marshall Review: Big Sky Bush Blade

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)

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January 22, 2024

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Montana Knife Co.’s Marshall Review: Big Sky Bush Blade

Josh Smith’s new knife company tackles the wild with bushcrafter Marshall Knife.

I was surprised at the thickness of the Marshall—.17 inch. Great design makes the blade wider, which adds weight for chopping, yet still keeps the knife lightweight enough to wear all day long without discomfort. The addition of a finger cutout just before the choil is perfect for control during smaller tasks. It is a nice knife on first glance. However, it has to cut and be comfortable to pass muster.

Light-Duty Cutting

To test the edge I sliced 20-pound bond copy paper. Supported by a full flat grind, the edge cut the paper effortlessly. The wide blade made indexing the slices very safe and smooth on each pass. It should be a cutter for sure, I figured.

Knife Cutting Cardboard — The knife zipped quickly through the double-walled cardboard. The slices were straight with no distortion of the cut pieces.

On to double-walled cardboard. I thought the blade would drag some with the deeper cuts but the Marshall zipped through quickly. The slices were straight with no distortion of the cut pieces. I enjoyed slicing the cardboard with the bigger blade.

I grabbed a piece of plastic board to dispatch while choking up via the finger cutout. This really helped in controlling the finer slices. The Marshall passed through the material quickly. I really like the finger cutout. It balances the knife in use.

Marshall Medium-Duty Chores

On to my favorite medium, half-inch sisal rope. As I used a push cut, the Marshall started crunching. After 200 clean crunching cuts, I wanted more out of the larger blade, so I switched to 1-inch manila rope. It took 35 crunching cuts to slow the Marshall down. The handle was comfortable throughout. Excellent work from Montana Knife Co.

Cutting leather with — Crunch, crunch; the Marshall cut nice and aggressive in skiving the 8-ounce leather.

I almost forgot to skive some 8-ounce leather. Crunch, crunch; the Marshall was nice and aggressive cutting the material. The knife provided great control, again using the finger cutout.

Heavy-Duty Cutting

It was time to whittle a firestick. The knife rendered large curly-cues. I tended to push the knife too far and cut the curly-cue off the stick. Don’t you hate it when that happens? The Marshall was controllable during whittling but the blade wanted to take bigger bites. Still, it did a nice job.

Montana Knife Co. Bushcraft knife chopping — The blade bit deep into the 2×8 every swing and soon the author had wood chips scattered over the driveway. The handle was comfortable and transferred no shock up the author’s arm. It was easy to free the blade from the wood for each subsequent chop.

After rearranging the storage area, I found a piece of 2×8 that would work great for chopping. The blade bit deep every swing and soon I had wood chips scattered over the driveway. The slightly blade-forward balance really shines with chopping. The handle was comfortable and didn’t transfer any shock up my arm. It was easy to free the blade from the wood for each subsequent chop.

I split some seasoned hackberry using my trusty dead blow hammer as a baton. I split a 3.5-inch piece four ways for kindling. The Marshall penetrated deep with each blow of the hammer, averaging 3.5 whacks per split. The results were outstanding!

Splitting logs with the Marshall. — The author split some seasoned hackberry with the help of his dead blow hammer. He split a 3.5-inch piece four ways for kindling. The Marshall penetrated deeply with each blow of the hammer, averaging 3.5 whacks per split. The results were outstanding!

It was time for the whitetail antler chop to check for edge toughness. Thirty hard wrist snaps into the antler didn’t damage the edge at all, a sure sign of spot-on heat treatment. Wow!

The last is first—back to the 20-pound bond paper. The Marshall still sliced cleanly. It incurred a snag in the paper but I don’t know if it was because of a mistake on my part or the knife.

Final Cut

The Marshall is an excellent bushcraft knife with a large blade that’s not too heavy. I might make the handle a tad thicker for my personal use.

Marshall Specs
Knife style: Bushcraft
Blade length: 7”
Blade material: 52100 carbon steel
Blade grind: Full flat
Blade thickness: .17”
Blade finish: Parkerized
Handle: G-10
Weight: 9.8 ozs.
Overall length: 125/8”
Sheath: Kydex
MSRP: $350

Presnell Utility Hunter Review: The Ultimate Field Companion?

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)

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January 8, 2024

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Presnell Utility Hunter Review: The Ultimate Field Companion?

The author gets to test one of his favorite classic knife styles.

I have always been a fan of clip-point utility hunters such as those by Michael Presnell, especially the feel of the handle. The leather washers provide a non-slip grip, and in colder climates such a handle has a warm feel to it. Combine that with a very sharp blade and you are ready for most chores in the outdoors. How sharp is it? We shall see.

Utility Hunter Light-Duty Tasks

As always, I start with a paper slice using 20-pound bond stationery. The paper cut produces a fast assessment of sharpness. The knife sliced very fast and smooth—it even managed to get a piece of my skin in the process. It was a very sharp starting point.

Next: heavier double-walled cardboard. The clip point blade made short work of the medium. I used smooth, aggressive push cuts with the flat-ground blade. It sliced as fast as I could get my fingers out of the way.

It was on to some old, dried-out 8-ounce leather. The blade made very loud crunching noises as it cut the material. The positive grip of the handle made control very easy. The knife was extremely aggressive cutting leather. I selected a narrower piece of leather to do some skiving. The blade sliced and diced the material as fast as I could move it. It’s gratifying to hear the crunching noises, a sign of outstanding sharpness.

Utility Hunter Medium-Duty Cutting

I whittled some firesticks out of pine. The utility/hunter gave some nice fine curlicues. Control was positive and I was able to vary the depth of the cut quickly. It really excelled at the fine curlicues. I also noticed that the edge along the guard face was sharp. A quick touch up with 400-grit sandpaper knocked the edge right off.

Half-inch sisal rope was next. With a loud crunching sound the utility/hunter started cutting. After 200 noisy crunch cuts my wrist was slowing down, so it was time to stop. The edge was still sharp but I was done. The handle was very comfortable on the pressure cuts, with no hot spots on my hand.

To add an extra test medium, I grabbed an old serpentine belt for a dozen cuts. It didn’t phase the edge at all. I could hear it cutting through the belt’s cores. Still, there was no damage to the edge. Very well done, Michael.

Heavy Cutting

The last test was to assess the heat treat by whacking the edge into a white tail deer antler. After 30 whacks the edge was still in perfect shape. To prove it, I returned to the 20-pound bond paper. The knife sliced just like it did at the beginning of the test. Great heat treatment, Michael.

The knife was up for a batonning into a hackberry log. I used a dead-blow hammer to pound the blade’s spine. I split a few pieces and checked for damage. The edge was still in perfect shape and the handle and guard remained tight. The leather handle absorbed all the shock of batonning through the hackberry.

Final Cut

This is a high-performance knife that is very comfortable to use. It is a great companion for the field.I softened the edge on the front of the guard. It was a tad sharp for my sidewinder grip.

Presnell Utility Hunter Specs
Maker: Michael Presnell
Blade length: 4.25”
Blade material: Forged 52100 carbon steel
Blade grind: Flat
Blade pattern: Clip point
Blade @ thickest: 5/32”
Handle: G-10 spacers, stacked leather washers, stag buttcap
Guard: Brass
Weight: 6 ozs.
Overall length: 85/8”
Sheath: 6-oz. leather pouch belt model
Weight w/sheath: 8.5 ozs.
Maker’s price for a similar knife: $330

Delight Valley Veggie Slicer Review: Roughing Up Roughage

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)

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December 1, 2023

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Delight Valley Veggie Slicer Review: Roughing Up Roughage

Specially formulated to knock vegetables down to size, the Veggie Slicer has an edge in the kitchen.

Never judge a book by its cover. That holds true for knives, too.

When I opened the box containing the Veggie Slicer from Delight Valley Blades, I noticed it did not have a tip like most knives. Well, at least I wouldn’t stab myself. The knife has a full flat grind to sharp, with a very fine edge. It’s made for slicing and dicing, though you know I will do more with it than that.

Veggie Slicer In The Kitchen

Since hunting season was starting, I made a big pot of vegetable beef soup before heading to the woods. I used the Veggie Slicer to slice and dice the veggies. It powered through the carrots very quickly and diced up the celery cleanly. I did my thinnest slice of onion ever. I could easily see the layers of the san-mai through the wafer-thin onion. I chopped the rest of the onion in a flash. On to the potatoes!

Veggie Slicer through a potato — The author sliced the potato so thin with the Veggie Slicer you can see the layers of san-mai through it.

I was expecting more resistance from the spuds. Light pressure was all it took. The knife being so sharp, I had to take care to keep all finger parts away from the edge. The Veggie Slicer will peel the skin from your finger before you can say Veg-O-Matic—and I had a few close calls.

Veggie Slicer Light Cutting Duty

With everything in the pot cooking, I headed out to the garage to slice up the non-edibles. I grabbed a sheet of 20-pound bond copy paper for slicing. I managed to suffer only one nail nick in making the paper fall apart. The knife is nasty sharp for sure. The slices were smooth and I used only the weight of the blade on the pull cuts.

I jumped up to double-walled cardboard to try and slow the edge down. That didn’t work, either. The Veggie Slicer ate through the cardboard as fast as I could get my fingers out of the way. I used both push and pull cuts to see if there was a difference. There was none.

Delight Valley Veggie Slicer vs pine — Thin pine curlicues were the order of the day for the Veggie Slicer.

Heavy-Duty Cutting

It was on to whittling pine. The Veggie Slicer made very thin curlicues. I couldn’t choke up on the blade as the spine was cut at a 90-degree angle—too sharp for the insides of my fingers. As a result, control was a tad more difficult. The blade still cut deep and shallow without a challenge. It zipped into the pine quickly, still scary sharp.

It was time for some half-inch sisal rope. After the first 100 crunching cuts I let my guard down enough to take a nick out of my rope-holding finger. Thanks to all my callouses no blood was shed, but it was close. The second 100 went off without any dulling of the edge (or my finger).

I had to go one step further to see if the fine edge would hold up. I grabbed a whitetail deer antler and gave it 30 chops. The result: no edge damage whatsoever, a sign of perfect heat treatment.

Final Cut

The Veggie Slicer can slice, dice and a lot more if needed. It has one long-lasting edge.

Soup prep with Veggie Slicer by Delight Valley Blades. — The kitchen knife sliced and diced the veggies, powered through the carrots very quickly and diced up the celery cleanly. It’s soup!

I would soften the blade spine and choil and ricasso area so a wider selection of hand grips can be used.

Delight Valley Blades Veggie Slicer Specs
Blade length: 7.5”
Blade steels: 26C3 carbon core and 416 stainless cladding in a san-mai construction
Blade grind: Full flat
Blade width: 1.78”
Handle: Masur birch and carbon fiber
Pins and liners: G-10
Weight: 10.5 ozs.
Overall length: 12.25”
Maker’s price: $600

Bob Dozier’s Skinner Review: A Hammering Humpback

Buyer's Guides

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)

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November 15, 2023

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Bob Dozier’s Skinner Review: A Hammering Humpback

Bob Dozier’s skinner in CTS 40CP is the patient.

Once in a blue moon I get lucky. This time I get to cut with a knife by Bob Dozier, winner of the BLADE Magazine 2023 Industry Achievement Award and one of the legends of the custom knife industry.

I’ve known Bob since my first BLADE Show in 1992. He’s made his mark in the knife world time and time again, always willing to help a new knifemaker out with great advice. D2 is Bob’s favorite steel, so to test one of his knives made from a different steel type makes my day. I know of the extensive testing that Bob does on the steels he uses, so I was excited to see how well his humpback skinner in CTS 40CP performs.

Dozier Skinner Light Cutting Tests

Dozier’s knife cutting leather — The knife zipped through the wide leather quite forcefully.

I checked the edge first with a slice of 20-pound bond paper. The “humpy” sailed through the slicing very fast with push cuts. The handle is extremely comfortable and makes controlling each slice easy. The knife is handle-heavy, so I felt no resistance on each slice.

On deck: double-walled cardboard. The CTS 40CP was very aggressive in cutting the material. You could hear the zipping sound on each cut. I really like the overall grip shape for cutting control; it provides good, positive handling.

To check the knife for what I call the “crunch effect,” leather skiving was next. The humpy was very aggressive slicing leather, crunching loudly on every cut. The high hollow grind made for easy thickness control on each slice. Just for kicks I grabbed some wider leather to cut. The knife zipped through the leather quite forcefully. I barely managed to keep my fingers out of the way of the sharp edge.

Dozier Skinner Heavy Cutting Tests

Batoning the Bob Dozier’s skinner — During the baton through firewood, the handle absorbed the shock and didn’t transfer it to the author’s hand. The humpback design provided a high spot to baton the blade. There was no damage to the handle or the edge.

It was time to whittle a firestick. The high hollow grind made controlling the depth of each cut simple. The blade produced good curlicues, both fine and thick. Again, the comfortable handle provided positive blade control.

I just had to smack the humpy through firewood. The handle absorbed the shock and didn’t transfer it to my hand. The humpback design worked out as it provided a high spot to baton as the blade bit into the wood. There was no damage to the handle or the edge.

It was time for my favorite all-around test medium: sisal rope. The humpy smoked through 200 crunching cuts before my hand started to tire. I experienced no hot spots from the handle. It was very comfortable. The blade just kept on crunching. Very nicely done, Dozier Knives!

Normally when I have a knife that cuts like a razor blade, the steel can be brittle along the fine edge. Thirty edge whacks on a whitetail deer horn would let me know if the heat treatment was on point. There was no damage whatsoever. I even returned to slicing 20-pound bond paper to see if the edge would hang up. Nope, nothing but smooth slices.

Overall Take On The Skinner

This is a very nice knife in form and function. It has an extremely comfortable handle design with a stainless blade that keeps on cutting. Excellent job, Dozier Knives. I might make the blade a tad thicker to even out the balance of the humpy.

Dozier Classic Nessmuk/ Dozier Knives Specs
Blade Length: 37/8”
Blade Steel: CTS 40CP stainless
Blade Grind: Full hollow
Blade Style: Modified humpback skinner
Blade Thickness: .156” @ thickest
Blade Finish: Satin
Guard: Stainless steel
Handle: Butterscotch Micarta® w/ivory Micarta®, brass, red and melamine spacers
Overall Length: 8.5”
Sheath: Custom-fit and molded-leather Snap-Lock belt/pouch model all handsewn by Bob Dozier; features custom-molded Kydex liner inside
Maker’s Price: $725

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)

The EDC fixed blade proves itself more than just a pretty face.

Light Cutting Tests

Heavy Cutting Tests

Botton Line

Changes

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The OKNIFE Beagle emerges from testing as one well-bred blade.

STRENGTH TEST

CHANGES

BLADE GRADE

OKNIFE BEAGLE Specs

The author takes his Battle Blade to the next test level and up.

Battle Blade Vs Normal Media

Battle Blade Vs Abnormal Media

Final Cut

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Josh Smith’s new knife company tackles the wild with bushcrafter Marshall Knife.

Light-Duty Cutting

Marshall Medium-Duty Chores

Heavy-Duty Cutting

Final Cut

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The author gets to test one of his favorite classic knife styles.

Utility Hunter Light-Duty Tasks

Utility Hunter Medium-Duty Cutting

Heavy Cutting

Final Cut

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Specially formulated to knock vegetables down to size, the Veggie Slicer has an edge in the kitchen.

Veggie Slicer In The Kitchen

Veggie Slicer Light Cutting Duty

Heavy-Duty Cutting

Final Cut

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Bob Dozier’s skinner in CTS 40CP is the patient.

Dozier Skinner Light Cutting Tests

Dozier Skinner Heavy Cutting Tests

Overall Take On The Skinner

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