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Msg Kim Breed (ret.)

Hawk Creek Blade E-VAC Review: Cutting-Edge Karambit?

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)
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Hawk Creek Blade E-VAC Review: Cutting-Edge Karambit?

Cutting-Edge Karambit-Style Knife? Or Dull Player? The author searches for his cutting mojo with the Hawk Creek Blade E-VAC.

Though karambits/ringed knives are popular, I am not a fan. New from an equally new knife company—Hawk Creek Blade E-VAC is such a special-use knife, and it requires practice to use it to its full potential.

Normal cutting situations just don’t feel right to me with this knife pattern. I’m sure that with enough repetitions—that’s why they provide a mild steel training blade with the standard version—it would feel normal during most cutting chores.

Hawk Creek Blade E-VAC Edge Test

In slicing 20-pound bond copy paper, when the author got the cutting angle correct he was rewarded with an aggressive slice. When he got the angle wrong, the result was more of a torn slice.
In slicing 20-pound bond copy paper, when the author got the cutting angle correct he was rewarded with an aggressive slice. When he got the angle wrong, the result was more of a torn slice.

In slicing 20-pound bond copy paper, when I got the cutting angle correct I was rewarded with an aggressive slice. When I got the angle wrong, the result was more of a torn slice. I need more practice with the E-VAC to get the hang of it.

E-Vac Heavy-Duty Cutting

The E-VAC worked great skiving 8-ounce leather. The size of the cuts was controllable both in width and depth. Again, using the ulu style of rolling into the medium worked great.
The E-VAC worked great skiving 8-ounce leather. The size of the cuts was controllable both in width and depth. Again, using the ulu style of rolling into the medium worked great.

On single-walled cardboard I did better with a push cut than a pull cut. Again, when I got it right, the knife cut aggressively. On the cardboard, I rolled into the push cut like cutting with an ulu. Using more of the wrist than the hand seemed to work best.

Moving on to some 8-ounce leather, I tried my luck at skiving. The E-VAC worked great. The size of the cuts was controllable both in width and depth. Using the ulu style of rolling into the medium worked great for me.

Batonning The E-Vac

The author batonned the E-VAC through some left-over fencing 1/2-inch thick by 6 inches wide.
The author batonned the E-VAC through some left-over fencing 1/2-inch thick by 6 inches wide.

I batonned the E-VAC through some left-over fencing 1/2 inch thick by 6 inches wide. It was somewhat of a challenge to keep my knuckles out of the path of the dead blow hammer. However, once I got a rhythm going, the knife made short work of the scrap wood. The thin blade split deep on each blow.

E-Vac Smaller Wood Cuts

The E-VAC gave the author some decent curly-cues on the wood pieces left over from the batonning. Depth of cut was quite controllable.
The E-VAC gave the author some decent curly-cues on the wood pieces left over from the batonning. Depth of cut was quite controllable.

Since I had a bunch of smaller pieces of wood, whittling was next. The knife gave me some very nice curly-cues. Depth of cut was quite controllable. Some thin scales or a 550 cord wrap would have given me a better grip for power cuts.

E-Vac Vs Sisal Rope

Once he got a rhythm going, the knife made short work of the scrap wood.
Once he got a rhythm going, the knife made short work of the scrap wood.

I did not do a sisal rope cut as I did not have the time to work on my rope-cutting technique with the E-VAC. Nonetheless, the edge feels plenty sharp enough to work well on rope.

As noted, Hawk Creek Blade provides a non-sharpened, coated mild steel trainer blade to practice your twirls and swirls without cutting yourself. It’s a very good addition to the overall package.

Assessment Of The Hawk Creek Blade E-VAC

The E-VAC works great for its designed purpose. Thinness and lightweight add to its usability.

Recommendations…

A somewhat thicker handle would give a more comfortable grip for stronger cuts.

Hawk Creek Blade warrants its knives against defects in material and workmanship. For more information contact Hawk Creek Blade Co., www.hawkcreekbladeco.com.

Hawk Creek Blade E-VAC
Knife: E-VAC
Company: Hawk Creek Blade
Knife Pattern: Karambit
Blade Length: 27/8 inches
Blade Material: A2 tool steel
Extras: Includes a coated mild steel trainer for training purposes
Weight: 3 ounces (7 ounces w/sheath)
Overall Length: 5 inches
Sheath: Kydex
MSRP: $135

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D’souza Cerberus Review: Strong Showing Budget Blade

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)
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D’souza Cerberus Review: Strong Showing Budget Blade

A budget option, the D’souza Cerberus punches above its price point.

Adrian D’souza’s Damned Designs folders are very sturdy and exhibit smooth action. D2 tool steel for the blade and a G-10 handle highlight his Cerberus model. Adrian paid a lot of attention to the handle to make it feel very comfortable during use.

As for how well it performs, well, let’s see.

D’souza’s Damned Deigns Cerberus Initial Test

The Cerberus cruised through the initial test of slicing 20-pound bond paper. It was very aggressive slicing and I had to move my fingers out of the way quickly to keep from nipping them. I used the weight of the knife only for the pull stroke. Cutting the paper was kind of addictive—I just kept rotating it looking for a clean edge to slice.

The Cerberus was very aggressive slicing cardboard.
The Cerberus was very aggressive slicing cardboard.

Moving on to a piece of single-walled cardboard, the Cerberus didn’t slow down a bit—zip, zip, zip on every slice. Again, the hardest part was moving my fingers out of the way fast enough for the next cut. The Cerberus was very aggressive slicing cardboard. The handle was extremely comfy and caused nary a hotspot.

Cerberus Heavy Use Tests

Splitting Wood

I had some leftover fencing slats that work great for kindling. The Cerberus penetrated half to three-quarters of an inch on every chop. With a quick twist of my wrist, the half-inch wood split. The lock stayed 100 percent engaged throughout chopping. The softened handle edges kept my hand comfortable during the hacking as well.

Batoning

To add more pressure to the lock, the author batonned the blade into the kindling eight times. It split the half-inch wood very fast, with the author using only a light tap from the dead-blow hammer. No loosening of the lockup occurred.
To add more pressure to the lock, the author batonned the blade into the kindling eight times. It split the half-inch wood very fast, with the author using only a light tap from the dead-blow hammer. No loosening of the lockup occurred.

To add more pressure to the lock, I batonned the blade eight more times. It split the half-inch wood very fast, using only a light tap from the dead-blow hammer. No loosening of the lockup occurred. Grade: very stout design in the lock department with excellent workmanship.

Whittling Firesticks

I whittled firesticks from some of the split pieces. The Cerberus provided excellent control on the depth of cut. It powered through thicker pieces as well as thin, making some great curly-cues. There were still no hotspots and the edge was hair-popping sharp.

Skiving And Slicing Leather

When the author started cutting the full thickness of the leather, the crunching sound became quite audible. The handle shape aided in controlling skiving and slicing depth.
When the author started cutting the full thickness of the leather, the crunching sound became quite audible. The handle shape aided in controlling skiving and slicing depth.

Moving on to some 8-ounce leather for slicing and skiving, I skived a corner very quickly. I could hear the crunching cuts. It worked quite well, yielding very thin slices of leather. When I started cutting the material full thickness, the crunching sound became quite audible. The handle shape aided in controlling skiving and slicing depth. This puppy is really comfortable to use.

Sisal Rope

I looked for half-inch sisal rope for the final test medium and realized I had only a foot length of it left. Well, it was better than nothing! The challenge was to make short but full rope cuts. Any dullness on the edge would be very easy to detect, as a dull edge would just slide out and over the sisal. After 20 crunching cuts, I had two nicks in my thumbnail. It was time to don Kevlar® gloves. In record Spec Sheet time the Cerberus crunched out 141 cuts in the rope, and I still had my fingertips to boot—an excellent outcome! The blade was not even close to slowing down. (I apologize for the shortage of rope. I have more on order.)

Overall Evaluation Of The Cerberus

The action is smooth and the blade locks up nice and tight.
The action is smooth and the blade locks up nice and tight.

The Cerberus is an excellent folder. The D2 blade has outstanding heat treatment, the handle is very comfortable and lockup is 100 percent secure. I would use it as my EDC.

Potential Changes

I really couldn’t find anything to change. I would recommend that Damned Designs continues to not get too sharp on the handle edges and keep them soft like they are.

Damned Designs warrants its knives to be free of defects. No knife abuse is allowed! For more information contact Adrian D’souza at www.damneddesigns.com, info@damneddesigns.com, and Instagram @damneddesigns.

Cerberus Specs
Company: Damned Designs
Knife Type: Flipper folder
Blade Length: 3.5 inch
Blade Material: D2 tool steel
Blade Thickness At The Thickest: 1/8 inch
Blade Finish: Stonewashed
Handle: G-10
Pocket Clip: Blade tip up
Lock: Linerlock
Liners: Titanium
Weight: 6 ounces
Closed Length: 4.5 inch
MSRP: $49

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Manzano: Appealing Look And Performance

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)
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Manzano: Appealing Look And Performance

Visually Appealing Thanks To A Distinctive Rasp Pattern On The Blade And Attractive Handle, The Manzano Proves A Sharp Operator.

Old-school knives often have a classic look, and it’s even better when you can tell what the original material or tool was before it was transformed into a blade. When using recycled steel, more time is involved to prep the material for its new life. Can it be hardened, will it forge, will the steel take a polish?

Paul Gonzales did his homework in producing the Manzano Farrier Rasp Blade. There’s no doubt as to what the blade was before it became a knife.

Manzano Farrier Rasp Blade Edge Assessment

To assess the original edge, I sliced 20-pound-bond copy paper. The Manzano performed smoothly, making a zipping noise as it went through the paper. The knife’s weight made the push cuts easy to control.

As a final test, the author checked the edge once again on the copy paper. The Manzano didn’t skip a beat, slicing smoothly.
As a final test, the author checked the edge once again on the copy paper. The Manzano didn’t skip a beat, slicing smoothly.

Heavy Cutting With The Manzano Farrier Rasp Blade

Next up, single-walled cardboard. At the start of the slice, the cardboard parted smoothly. The sliced strips crinkled from the grind bevels as the cut went deeper, maybe due a little bit to the rasp pattern in the steel. The Manzano’s sharp edge cut smoothly.

I used some dense foam left over from my Kydex press for the next test medium. I had great control over the slices using push cuts. The edge easily passed through the foam.

The author used the dead-blow hammer to baton the Manzano through a chunk of 2x10. The knife split the wood in two smacks with no excess shock transferred to the author’s hand, and then produced some nice kindling, too.
The author used the dead-blow hammer to baton the Manzano through a chunk of 2×10. The knife split the wood in two smacks with no excess shock transferred to the author’s hand, and then produced some nice kindling, too.

From there, on to 8-ounce leather. The Manzano was very aggressive skiving the material, producing nice crunching noises on each cut. The mirror-polished blade slid through the leather with ease. Paul did a nice job abrading the steel by the choil so there were no sharp edges where there shouldn’t be.

Firesticks were next. It was very simple to make smooth, fine curly-cues, as well as larger coarse ones. The handle is contoured perfectly for my hand for deeper cuts. The edge performed great while whittling wood.

The author checked the edge for toughness with the antler chop. Twenty hard whacks later and the edge and, therefore, the blade’s heat treatment, passed with flying colors.
The author checked the edge for toughness with the antler chop. Twenty hard whacks later and the edge and, therefore, the blade’s heat treatment, passed with flying colors.

For splitting larger wood I used a chunk of 2×10 and the dead-blow hammer. The Manzano parted the wood in two smacks with no excess shock transferred to my hand. The knife was very comfortable to use in this manner.

It was time for my favorite test material, sisal rope. Positioning half-inch sisal on my cutting board, I started with push cuts. The Manzano crunched its way to 200 cuts with no signs of stopping. That was plenty for my hand. There were no hot spots with the handle and the thumb notches were grippy but not sharp. This is a very comfortable knife to use—or did I already say that?

The Manzano crunched its way to 200 cuts in the half-inch rope with no signs of stopping. There were zero hot spots with the handle and the thumb notches were grippy but not sharp.
The Manzano crunched its way to 200 cuts in the half-inch rope with no signs of stopping. There were zero hot spots with the handle and the thumb notches were grippy but not sharp.

Time to stress the edge and check its toughness with the antler chop. I gave the medium 20 hard whacks, flinging chips all over my work bench. The results? The antler was chopped up and there was no damage to the edge. Kudos on the heat treatment.

Manzano Farrier Rasp Blade Edge Retention

Finally, it was time to return to the 20-pound bond paper. The Manzano didn’t skip a beat, slicing smoothly. I caught the paper with the choil/sharpening notch a few times, tearing it a bit. That was on me.

I Would

Bring the grind up closer to the spine for smoother slicing.

Final Cut

The Manzano is a great performer—classic looking all around and a very comfortable daily user. It’s made to cut.

Paul Gonzales warrants his knives against defects in materials and workmanship as long as the knives have not been abused. For more information contact Gonzales Blades 505-480-7982.

Manzano / Paul Gonzales
Blade Length: 3.25 inches
Blade Material: Farrier’s rasp
Blade Temper: Differential
Handle: Kirinite synthetic
Handle Liners: White G-10
Handle Pins: Nickel silver
Weight: 6 ounces
Overall Length: 7.5 inches
Sheath: Belt pouch design in 8-ounces leather
Weight of Sheathed Knife: 8.5 ounces
Maker’s Price: $200

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Case Marilla: A True Light Heavyweight

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)
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Case Marilla: A True Light Heavyweight

The BLADE Magazine 2021 American Made Knife Of The Year®, The Case Marilla More Than Pulls Its Weight.

The BLADE Magazine 2021 American Made Knife Of The Year®, the Marilla from W.R. Case & Sons is a drop-point-blade EDC folder made for slicing and fine work. Aluminum framelock construction and CPM S35VN stainless blade steel result in a lightweight folder that doesn’t weigh your pocket down.

The Marilla opens fluidly via a flipper and closes positively. I really like the fact that the knife does not interfere with your hand when you reach into your pocket. That said, the Marilla must slice and dice to be an effective EDC.

How Sharp Is The Case Marilla

First, I like to do a quick sharpness test with copy paper. In full blade-length slices, the Marilla zipped through the stationery smoothly and with nary a snag. I could have sliced faster if I could have moved my fingers faster. The edge cut in outstanding fashion!

Heavy Cutting With The Marilla

Next up: double-walled cardboard. I used a push cut for a full blade-length slice. The Marilla was very aggressive parting the medium. The handle shape was a plus in controlling cut widths. The minimum curl of the sliced pieces was great.

The Marilla bit very aggressively while skiving a scrap piece of 8-ounce leather. It was very controllable on the thinness of the slices.
The Marilla bit very aggressively while skiving a scrap piece of 8-ounce leather. It was very controllable on the thinness of the slices.

The Marilla bit very aggressively while skiving a scrap piece of 8-ounce leather. I could hear the crunching sound as the blade cut away. It was very controllable on the thinness of the slices and experienced no issues at all.

From there it was on to whittling firesticks. The edge made smooth cuts in the pine with a tight curl in the curly-cue. Thin curly-cues or thick, the Marilla kept the curls clean. The handle was very comfortable while making the deeper cuts, exhibiting no sharp edges in the wrong places to hurt my hand.

Marilla Edge Retention

To test edge holding, I like to use sisal rope. The Marilla crunched to 189 cuts before I felt the edge sliding a bit. Performance: excellent! The thumb notches helped in controlling the cuts. Again, the Marilla handle was comfortable even when I applied hard pressure to it.

Batonning The Marilla

To check the lock, I locked the knife open and batonned the blade into a piece of half-inch pine to make kindling. I hit the blade spine opposite the tip and middle and directly on top of the lock multiple times. The wood split with no problem and the lock stayed tight very well, maintaining 100 percent lockup throughout. There were no blade wobbles or looseness during opening, lockup or closing.

The final hurdle was the antler whack—wrist snapping the blade into an old whitetail deer horn to see if the edge would chip or roll. Thirty whacks later and the edge survived with no damage, indicating excellent heat treatment of the S35VN blade steel.
The final hurdle was the antler whack—wrist snapping the blade into an old whitetail deer horn to see if the edge would chip or roll. Thirty whacks later and the edge survived with no damage, indicating excellent heat treatment of the S35VN blade steel.

The final hurdle was the antler whack—wrist snapping the blade into an old whitetail deer horn to see if the edge would chip or roll. Thirty whacks later and the edge survived with no damage, indicating excellent heat treatment of the S35VN blade steel.

Report On The Case Marilla

The Marilla is an excellent EDC knife. It’s comfortable in the hand as well as the pocket. The blade stays sharp longer than most. It is a great choice for EDC.

I WOULD …

… prefer a hollow blade grind for keener slicing, though such a grind might compromise the blade steel.

As long as its knives are not abused, Case warrants them against defects. For more information, contact Case, attn: F. Feightner, Dept. BL2, 50 Owens Way, Bradford, PA 16701 800-523-6350 or 888-442-1932 CR@caseknives.com, www.wrcase.com.

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Review: Bare Bones Buffalo Skinner

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)
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Review: Bare Bones Buffalo Skinner

Bob Dozier’s Bare Bones Buffalo Skinner is sharp—and comfy, too!

There’s nothing quite like holding a great-feeling knife that makes you want to cut something. Bob Dozier has been making custom knives to be used for over half a century and understands the importance of two major things: comfortable handles and sharp blades. They still have to cut and perform to be carried daily.

Let’s start cutting with the Bare Bones Buffalo Skinner.

Using a dead-blow hammer, the author batonned the skinner into and through thin kindling. The knife proved a solid splitter. No damage occurred to the edge.
Using a dead-blow hammer, the author batonned the skinner into and through thin kindling. The knife proved a solid splitter. No damage occurred to the edge.

The quickest check to see if the knife has a sharp edge is to slice paper. You probably know by now that I use 20-pound bond copy paper for the job. The Bare Bones aggressively sliced into the paper using the knife’s own weight. The skinner is very controllable in use. The high hollow grind slid through the paper.

Moving on to single-walled cardboard for slicing, the aggressiveness continued. You could hear every cut made—the Bare Bones is a very loud slicer. I didn’t have any hang-ups during the test, just full, noisy cuts. The handle shape made controlling the cuts easy.

The knife performed aggressively in slicing single-walled cardboard. The handle shape made controlling cuts easy.
The knife performed aggressively in slicing single-walled cardboard. The handle shape made controlling cuts easy.

Next up: 8-ounce leather. This is where the Bare Bones was sweet. It zipped through the leather like it was cutting the 20-pound bond paper—just louder. It was super aggressive in slicing the medium, with hardly any resistance. I would love trying the Bare Bones on field dressing whitetail deer. Maybe come fall …

OLD-SCHOOL KINDLE

On to harder material. It was February, and I like to keep a supply of kindling and fire sticks to light a blaze faster. The Bare Bones made tight curlicues in the old pine. The wide blade and high grind worked out great for curling the wood. The handle shape excelled at controlling depth of cut. The single guard protected my fingers from getting splinters. Dozier’s knife embodies top-notch work.

The Bare Bones crunched to 225 cuts. The author stopped at 225, as he didn’t want to risk slicing a finger.
The Bare Bones crunched to 225 cuts. The author stopped at 225, as he didn’t want to risk slicing a finger.

It was time to make some thin kindling. Using a dead-blow hammer, I batonned the skinner into and through the wood. The knife’s solid overall construction prevented vibrations to my hand. The skinner proved a solid splitter. No damage occurred to the edge.

I had to warm up my fingers for the rope cutting. With no heat in my garage and the temperature at 17 degrees, I separated the test into 25 cuts per warm up. The Bare Bones crunched to 225 cuts. As I used the push method, it kept cutting. I stopped at 225, as I didn’t want to risk slicing a finger.

CHANGES

I might add some grooves to enhance grip.

OVERALL

This knife is a beast in the cutting arena. The comfortable handle made control easy. This knife is excellently made and perfect for the outdoors or hunting.

Bare bones Buffalo Skinner
Maker: Bob Dozier
Cutting edge length: 3.25”
Blade material: D2 tool steel
Blade grind: High hollow
Blade thickness (at the thickest): .25″
Scales: Brown canvas Micarta®
Guard: 416 stainless steel
Extras: Tapered tang; thong
Weight: 8 ozs. (123/8 ozs. w/sheath)
Overall length: 8”
Sheath: 8-ounce leather, pouch style
Maker’s list price: $477

Katz Knives Stockman Executive: Complete Review

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)
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1
Katz Knives Stockman Executive: Complete Review

Katz three-blade Stockman Executive Drop Point stacks up against the knives of old school.

Most in my age group were raised with a slip joint knife. It’s the knife Dad always carried in his pocket. Being raised with a dad who was a commercial fisherman, I used knives as tools every day—everything from cleaning fish to making fishing nets.

The main blade carved nice curly-cues with great control. The sheepsfoot had a tendency to dig deeper into the pine for thicker curly-cues. The spey was about midway on the curly-cues and depth of cut.
The main blade carved nice curly-cues with great control. The sheepsfoot had a tendency to dig deeper into the pine for thicker curly-cues. The spey was about midway on the curly-cues and depth of cut.

My father, Jacob, always used a three-bladed stockman for working with twine while making or repairing 90-foot trawl nets. It would take him 30 days or more to hand-tie every square in the massive nets. He would always work with the knife’s smallest blade. When it was sharpened down to a nub, he would go to the next blade. The knife would last him five years of heavy work. Then he would put it in his junk drawer and start using a new one. Only carbon steel blades knives were allowed—stainless steel had not evolved to the performance levels of today.

Katz Knives has taken old-school looks and added blades of high-performance XT-80 stainless steel on its Stockman Executive Drop Point. Let’s see if Dad would have approved.

TEST ’EM UP
In a quick sharpness test on 20-pound bond copy paper, all three blades sliced cleanly and smoothly. The shorter blades can be a bit challenging till you get used to them. The sharpening notch/choil caught on the paper during testing.

My wife, Melissa, wanted to play with the knife so I got an apple from the fridge for her to slice. The drop-point main/master blade worked great for sectioning the apple into wedges. Next was the sheepsfoot blade for seed removal and skinning the wedges. (The wedges were yummy.)

The main blade crunched to 74 clean cuts on the half-inch sisal rope before the edge started to slide.
The main blade crunched to 74 clean cuts on the half-inch sisal rope before the edge started to slide.

Single-walled cardboard was next. All blades bit into it aggressively. The cardboard got hung up on the sharpening notches of the two smaller blades while slicing. As a result, I had to slow down the slicing and control the edge placement. The master blade made short work of the cardboard.

It was time to make some firesticks as camping season was in full swing and I needed a fire to roast marshmallows. The master blade gave me nice curly-cues with great control. The sheepsfoot blade had a tendency to dig deeper into the pine for thicker curly-cues. The spey blade was about midway on the curly-cues and depth of cut. SAFETY NOTE: Care must be taken while doing heavy cutting with a slip joint. It does not take much pressure to accidentally close a blade on a finger.

To make kindling from end cuts of a fence, I softly batonned the main blade into the slabs. This worked very well and smoothly with no damage to the blade. Again, care was taken to avoid a blade closing on a finger.

The final test was cutting half-inch sisal rope. Only the main blade was consistent during cutting due to its ample enough length giving me the stand-off needed to make crunching cuts. The XT-80 stainless crunched to 74 clean cuts before the edge started to slide.

Melissa uses the drop-point main blade to cut the apple into nice bite-sized sections.
Melissa uses the drop-point main blade to cut the apple into nice bite-sized sections.

This knife is well-executed in design and manufacture.

REPORT
Using the stockman was a very nice experience and provided good memories. You have three blades to work with, so you should always have a sharp edge on hand. The Katz is a very welcome addition to your pocket.

CHANGES
I love the straight edge of a sheepsfoot blade. I would add a midsize wharncliffe blade instead of the smaller spey.

Stockman Executive Drop Point Specs
Company: Katz Knives
Blade Lengths/Patterns: 23∕4” drop point, 23∕16” sheepsfoot & 2” spey
Blade Steel: XT-80 stainless
Handel: Stag bone
Bolsters: Nickel silver
Liners: Brass
Weight: 2 ozs.
Closed Length: 3.75”
Country Of Origin: Japan
MSRP: $181.90

To learn more about the Stockman Executive, please visit katzknives.com

Also Read:

Knife Review: A $7 Bolo?

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)
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1
Knife Review: A $7 Bolo?
  • Purchase Price: $7
  • Maker: Unknown
  • Blade Length: 14 1/8″
  • Blade Material: Hardened carbon steel
  • Handle: Hand-carved wood
  • Handle Design: Dropped at butt
  • Collar: Aluminum conduit
  • Knife to Know: Blade has a forged distal taper; handle butt flared to enhance purchase
  • Weight: 12 ozs.
  • Overall Length: 20″
  • Sheath: Wood with handcarved details
  • Sheath Weight: 3 ozs.

I received a bolo made in the Philippines from my friend, Mike Key, as a gift a couple of years ago. He went on a three-day search for good bolos made from carbon steel in villages, not the souvenir type. He was successful in his quest.

I ran a triangle file down the edge and it skated off, an indication the blade is hardened steel for sure. The forged blade has a smooth distal taper, starting around 3/16-inch thick down to 0 inches at the tip. The knife sports hidden-tang construction. The wood for the sheath and handle are from a local shop in the Philippines. Of course, a blade must cut no matter where it’s made.

Cutting Tests

Up first: the paper slice. Despite a coarse edge, the bolo still managed to give clean slices in 20-pound bond paper. Normally, a bigger blade is cumbersome slicing paper, but the bolo has a perfect balance due to its distal taper.

Best bolo knife reviews
The bolo was very aggressive on the plastic foam. The author held the pool noodle suspended in air with one hand and sliced it. He indicated the knife is very controllable and the handle is indexed perfectly.

A pool noodle was next on the test menu. The bolo was very aggressive on the plastic foam. I held the pool noodle suspended in air with one hand and sliced it. The knife is very controllable and the handle is indexed perfectly.

Next up: chopping into a hard cardboard tube with the noodle inserted to prevent wall collapse. It worked on the first two chops, but then I hit too close to the previous pair of chops and the tube crushed under the force of the blows. Still, the blade made it halfway through the tube.

When you have trees encroaching on your property, you have to take steps to keep your yard clear. One such branch had scraped me for the last time while I was mowing the lawn. Its 2.5-inch diameter was a breeze for the bolo. Five whacks and the branch was down.

Bolo knife reviews
Five whacks and the 2.5-inch-diameter branch was down.

I dragged it away from the fence to whack it into smaller pieces. This is what the bolo was designed to do. One chop per branch and it was in pieces quickly. Just a wrist snap carried the blade halfway through a 1.5-inch-diameter branch. The bolo is a very fast chopper.

A note on the wooden sheath: It’s flat on one side for resting against your body and slightly rounded on the other. The maker even added some hand-carved detail into the wood. Excellent workmanship!

A big thank you goes out to Mike Key for finding this gem of a bolo for me.

Changes

On a blade this long, I would like to see a pin in the handle for a mechanical connection.

Final Results

The bolo is a very balanced working model. You can use it all day without wearing your hand or arm out. It exhibits great workmanship in the forging and the woodwork!

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