Mike Ableson, Author at BLADE Magazine

Trench Knife: The WW1 Relic Still Endures

Mike Ableson

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September 23, 2022

With More Than A Century Of History, The Trench Knife Soldiers On As A Historical Collectible And A Modern Outdoor Knife.

The trench knife may be the ultimate weapon for close-quarters combat. With a sharp blade designed for stabbing, and a finger guard that doubles as a knuckle duster, the blade is excellent for messy, claustrophobic situations, which you would expect as it was named for the intimate and brutal trench warfare of World War I.

By the time World War II began, trench warfare was nowhere near as common as it had been previously. In turn, the trench knife evolved.

The United States issued the Mark I in 1942 and 1943 to certain special military groups like the Army Rangers and Marine Raiders. The Mark I was a newer version of WWI trench knives, including a finger guard, a stiletto blade, and a skull crusher cap built into the pommel.

However, over the course of WWII, the trench knife gave way to the combat knife. Most notable of these, the US M3 fighting knife, which was adopted in 1943. The M3 became the framework upon which more contemporary bayonets and fighting knives like the M4 and M7 were built.

Can I Own A Trench Knife Today?

That’s a complicated question to answer.

The trench knife is classified as a dangerous weapon in many states and countries for a variety of reasons. Some places prohibit them because they have double-sided blades while others focus on the knuckle dusters or the length of the blade as reasons to ban them.

Owning or carrying a trench knife is banned in numerous countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, Canada, China, and Singapore, among others.

In America, the knife is outlawed in some form in 23 states, and even among the states where it’s legal to own and/or carry, 18 of those states either only allow you to keep the knife in your home or require a permit to carry it on your person.

The only states with no permit rules for owning a trench knife are Texas, South Dakota, Indiana, South Carolina, Idaho, Hawai’i, Georgia, Arizona, and Alabama.

Modern Trench Knives

There aren’t many companies left making trench knives similar to those blades from a century ago. However, the two below are modern takes on the combat classic.

M48 Liberator Trench Knife

This is the souped-up version of the original trench knife. Everything about the Liberator is big and bold and in your face.

It starts with the 7.5-inch 2Cr13 cast stainless blade that is ground sharp on both sides. The blade has a satin finish and black oxide coating to add to its intimidating aura. The handle scales are made from a light, rugged fiberglass-reinforced nylon that provides a strong grip without adding too much weight.

And then there’s the knuckle duster tang. It both acts as a knuckle guard and an intense defense weapon. The added spikes on the handle allow you to use more force in case you are defending yourself. The knife fits into an injection-molded Vortec and nylon belt sheath that snaps shut and easily fits on your person.

It’s bad. It’s unapologetic. It’s the ultimate modern version of the trench knife.

MSRP: $79.99

Cold Steel Chaos Double Edge

A more muted version of the trench knife, the Chaos Double Edge from Cold Steel gives a modern, tactical spin on the old classic.

The blade itself is made from SK-5 high-carbon steel and is 7.5 inches long. The full-tang construction allows for a well-weighted knife that can be used to defend or to slice through dense brush. Both sides are ground sharp and meet at a spear point so the knife can puncture as you would expect.

The handle is made from 6061 aluminum and features a pair of D ring guards, which are a newer version of the old-school knuckle duster guards that is used for the same purpose. The pommel of the knife is tapered to allow for more force when using the cap to strike.

The included sheath is made from Secure-Ex and is both Molle-Lok and Tek-Lok compatible so transporting the Double Edge will be a breeze.

MSRP: $99.99

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First Look: Browning Timber

Mike Ableson

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September 20, 2022

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This Beautiful Little Folder From Browning Is A Modern Take On A Classic Style, And It’s Done Well.

Browning is known around the world for their high-quality firearms, but they are also a fine maker of knives. The new Timber is a contemporary version of a classic folding pocketknife. Elegant and smooth to use, this knife is a perfect EDC and will satisfy a first-time knife buyer or a seasoned collector.

The Timber features a 2.75-inch modified drop point blade made from Sandvik 12C27 stainless with a satin finish and stainless steel bolsters. The handle scales are a rich, vibrant burled wood, and the whole thing secures via a lockback when deployed. The blade opens with a nail nick.

Classics are classics for a reason; they never go out of style and are always in demand. The Browning Timber is a new addition to the EDC world and a worthy addition at that.

MSRP: $34.99

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First Look: Dawson Chief

Mike Ableson

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September 16, 2022

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When It Comes To Beautiful Custom Knives, Few Are Doing It As Well As Dawson Knives. This Fixed Blade Shows Everything The Maker Can Do.

A knife doesn’t just need to be a showpiece. A knife doesn’t just need to be a utilitarian tool. The Dawson Chief perfectly blends the two into a piece that could be mounted in a case or used out on a hunt.

The knife is a behemoth. At 10 ounces in weight with a 5.25-inch blade, the Chief is anything but dainty. The blade can attack almost anything. Made from a CPM MagnaCut stainless powder steel, its heat treated to a rugged 60-61 HRC and can hold an edge like a champ.

The finger choil and thumb ramp allow for maximum control and smooth cutting strokes when in use. You can choose between a G10 or carbon fiber handle. Both provide a secure grip and won’t warp. No stone was left unturned in the design of this knife.

Visually it’s beautiful thanks to the two-tone Specter finish. The custom hybrid leather/Kydex sheath is just as tough as the blade and allows you to carry the Chief on your belt line or on a pack. Everything together makes for the total package when it comes to a fixed blade.

MSRP: $385 (G10)/$415 (carbon fiber)

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The M7 Bayonet: From Combat To Campsite

The M7 Bayonet: From Combat To The Campsite

Mike Ableson

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September 14, 2022

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The M7 Bayonet Has Been Used By The United States Military For Almost 60 Years. The Dynamic, Multi-Purpose Tool Is Just As Useful Now As When It First Went Into Service.

When you first think of a bayonet your mind probably goes to the battlefields of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. But no, bayonets aren’t some relic from a bygone era. While the days of bayonet charges are long long, the knives are still in use by the military today and have evolved into a multi-faceted tool.

The M7 Bayonet stands out due to its longevity. Built on the back of the M4 bayonet, which was issued toward the tail end of World War 2, the M7 is designed to be used with the M16 or the M4 carbine, although it can fit on numerous other rifles.

The History Of The M7 Bayonet

The M7 was first introduced in 1964 during the Vietnam War. The knife was initially made by Bauer Ord Company, but numerous companies did eventually manufacture the M7. Today, the lone remaining maker of combat-deployed M7 bayonets is Ontario Knife, though the knife is still available from at least one other company (Smith & Wesson).

Despite being issued by the United States military, the M7 was also made in Canada, West Germany, Australia, and in several countries in Asia.

How Does The M7 Work?

The M7 connects to the M16 via a lug thanks to a dual-lever locking mechanism. This secures the blade to the barrel while keeping the muzzle unblocked. A release mechanism on the pommel of the knife allows it to detach from the firearm easily.

Ontario Knife Company M7 Bayonet

Ontario Knife Co. was one of many makers to manufacture the M7, and it is the last to make the military issue variety of the blade. There is also a commercial version as well, which will be reviewed here.

It starts with a 1080 carbon steel blade with a zinc phosphate finish married to a modified Kraton handle. The blade is 6.7 inches long, and the whole construction is just shy of a foot in length. It tips the scales at 1.15 pounds. It looks beefy and feels hefty in the hand, as you would expect from a such a knife.

The included molded plastic sheath is a pistol belt clip. The lightweight sheath allows for safe, easy transport of the knife. While this knife is designed for combat, it’s burly design allows for multiple different uses. This would be a an excellent all-rounder when camping.

MSRP: $114.95

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First Look: Imarku 9-Piece Knife Block Set With Sharpener

Mike Ableson

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September 13, 2022

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New Kitchen Knife Set From Imarku Looks Spectacular And Is Packed With Features That Any Home Chef Would Want.

The new 9-piece knife set from Imarku has everything a home cook could ask for. The most noticeable thing about it is the color and design. The rich blue hue of the knife block is complemented by the acrylic window that lets you look inside and see the knives while they’re inside the block.

Imarku has made a comprehensive knife set with this new release. The blades are made from high-carbon Japanese stainless steel, and the flat-edge knives are sharpened to a 16-degree edge with a Rockwell hardness of 57-59 HRC.

The set includes an 8.5-inch chef’s knife, 8.5-inch bread knife, 8-inch slicing knife, 7.5-inch Santoku, 6-inch boning knife, 5-inch utility knife, 3.5-inch paring knife, and a honing rod. The ergonomic pakkawood handle and tapered bolsters allow for an easy, firm grip when slicing and matches the bright blue of the solid walnut block.

This knife set is not only an excellent set of tools for your kitchen, but it’s also a great conversation piece and will add a bright splash of color to any countertop.

MSRP: $599.99

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Best Hunting Knife Kits: Process Your Game With Ease

Mike Ableson

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September 12, 2022

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Whether Large Or Small Game, A Good Hunting Knife Kit Is A Must

Skinning knives. Gut hooks. Fillet knives. There are so many different tools for a hunter to use when dressing their kill. However, having just one of those knives could make the process incredibly difficult. That’s where hunting knife kits come in.

These kits feature multiple knives and other tools to help make the process of, well, processing much easier.

Why Should I Buy A Hunting Knife Set?

One word: convenience.

Sure, you could try to skin, dress, and clean a whole buck or fillet a fish with just a caping knife, but good luck with that. A quality hunting knife kit should cover all the bases and give you the confidence of knowing that your needs will be met on a hunt.

What Do I Need In A Hunting Knife Kit?

Your specific needs may differ depending on the types of animals you’re hunting. However, regardless of the species there’s a few items you will definitely want in your hunting knife set.

Skinning Knife

Your list should start here. Any land animal, whether it’s a 10-point buck or a small rabbit, will need to be skinned as one of the first steps of processing. Having a nimble skinning knife in your kit will make your life far easier than trying to brute force it with a pocketknife or something much larger like a kukri.

Caping Knife

A capable caping knife is necessary to get into the little nooks to get all off the meat off the carcass. Small and nimble, a good caping knife is worth its weight in gold and absolutely necessary for hunters of all types.

Boning/Fillet Knife

This is a must especially if you’re fishing. The boning and fillet knife will allow you to remove the flesh from the skin and cut through smaller, more finicky, bones.

Bone Saw/Cleaver

While both are vastly different from each other, they both accomplish the same thing: breaking through large bones. A boning knife won’t be able to easily cut through something like the sternum or hip bones. A bone saw or a cleaver is the way to go. The cleaver, though, is more versatile as you can also prep the meat for cooking with it.

Gut Hook

The gut hook, at least a good gut hook, should open up the belly of a kill like a zipper and allow you to easily pull the guts and innards out. There are many high-end gut hook/skinning knife combo tools available so look for those as they’ll do both the jobs while also saving room in your pack. Standalone gut hooks are available as well.

5 Best Hunting Knife Kits

Gerber Myth Field Dress Kit

This is a perfect mix of rugged tools and true portability. This kit from Gerber only has two knives, but they’re both of the highest quality. A 7.25-inch caping knife and an 8.5-inch gut hook are both strong enough to process big game thanks to the stainless blades. The rubber handles provide an excellent grip while also being moisture resistant.

The piggyback sheath is just as important here, too. Both knives easily fit into the sheath, which is paracord friendly if not fully MOLLE compatible, and the built-in carbide sharpener will keep your blades slicing true when in the field.

The only knock on this set is that there is no saw included, but the quality of the tools here is more than enough to dress deer, rabbit, quail, and a whole lot more.

MSRP: $75

Ruko 131

The last kit came in a sheath. This one comes in a briefcase. The 131 set from Ruko comes with eight different tools. The list includes a caping knife, skinning knife, bone saw, fillet knife, game shears, gut hook knife, standalone gut hook, and a cleaver. Yes, two gut hooks.

All of these tools come with an easy-to-see orange handle and are contained in a black polypropylene case. It truly is a one-size-fits-all set for hunters.

The tradeoff is in blade quality. All of the tools are made from 420HC stainless which, yes has good corrosion resistance but isn’t the top-quality steel of some other sets on this list. Regardless, if you’re looking for a high-volume, fairly-priced hunting knife kit, Ruko has you covered.

MSRP: $59.99

Victorinox Fish Fillet Kit

The first animal-specific set on our list is from Victorinox, the maker of the iconic Swiss Army knife. The company’s high quality and attention to detail is on display in this kit just like it is their famous red multi-tools.

This set includes a 3.25-inch paring knife, 6-inch boning knife, 8-inch fillet knife, and 10-inch breaking knife. There’s also a handheld sharpener and an included 8-slot knife roll. The high-carbon stainless steel blades are made in Switzerland and are just as at home at the campsite as they are in the kitchen.

While made for fish and smaller game like rabbits, especially the three smaller knives, the beefy breaking knife can also be used when processing larger kills.

MSRP: $172.99

Outdoor Edge ButcherLite Game Processing Kit

This eight-piece hunting kit from Outdoor Edge is designed to process game all the way from field to freezer. The set includes a gut hook skinner, caping knife, boning/fillet knife, bone saw, rib cage spreader, game cleaning gloves, and a tungsten carbide sharpener so you can reset your knives’ edge when out in the field.

The blades are made from 420J2 high-carbon stainless steel that provides quality edge protection and the full-tang construction, along with rubberized handles, provide a well-balanced knife that’s easy to grip.

All of the tools tuck neatly away into the included nylon roll pack that converts to a belt scabbard for easy access when processing the animal. And, at just 2.4 pounds, this hunting knife set is light enough to easily tuck away in your pack.

MSRP: $64.95

Smith And Wesson Campfire Set

This three-knife set features beefy blades and a straight-to-the-point ethos. With a caping knife, gut hook skinner, and cleaver, Smith and Wesson has made a no-nonsense set of knives that’s easy to pack away and versatile enough to break down your kills.

Made from 3Cr13 stainless, these blades come sharp and can handle the abuse you’ll most certainly throw at them. The included all-in-one sheath allows you to neatly pack away your knives for easy carry and transport.

There is no fillet knife so processing fish might be difficult, but the cleaver in place of a bone saw provides added flexibility. The cleaver can chop through most bones while also helping to prep food around a campfire.

MSRP: $45.66

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Utility Knives: A Worker’s Best Friend

Mike Ableson

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September 11, 2022

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Utility Knives Are The Great All-Rounder For The Home. These Small Blades Are Popular With Contractors And Homeowners Alike To Solve All Sorts Of Problems.

Yes, there is a kitchen knife called a utility knife, but if use the phrase “utility knife” in conversation it’s almost a certainty that you’re talking about the diminutive yet mighty knives that are ubiquitous on job sites and in homes around the country. Even if you call it a box cutter, the person you’re talking to will absolutely know what you mean.

Also called a Stanley knife, because of the company that helped to pioneer them, utility knives are compact blades meant to breeze through the small and mundane tasks that can slow down your flow.

Cutting through some rope? Utility knife. Need to score a piece of glass? Utility knife? Looking for the best tool to quickly open a box? The utility knife has your back there.

Whether folding, fixed-blade, or even retractable, these are five of the best, most dynamic utility knives on the market today.

Milwaukee Fastback Flip Utility Knife

First on our list is this bright red folder from Milwaukee. Traditionally, folding utility knives have needed two hands just to open, but Milwaukee engineered a deployment system that not only drastically cuts down on time but is also a ton of fun to use.

By pressing the button on the handle you’re able to quickly flick the blade out and into a locked position. Sticking with the convenience theme, you can store a second blade in the handle and can change blades without tools.

The fact that there is also a built-in gut hook and wire stripper that cuts up to 10 gauge is just ridiculous on top of all the other tech in the knife. The ergonomic handle in the famous Milwaukee red sits well in the hand. This knife really does do it all.

MSRP: $15.59

Workpro Retractable Utility Knife

Retractable utility knives allow you to slide the blade in and out of a fixed handle. This model from Workpro is an excellent example of that with the added bonus of having a huge amount of storage.

The multi-color handle is made from a zinc alloy and rubberized, ergonomic grip. The knife features a four-stage deployment system so you can use just the tip of the blade for finite tasks or send out the whole thing to slice through something beefier.

Inside the handle there’s enough room to store five blades so you’ll never be without a fresh razor to switch to at a moment’s notice.

MSRP: $9.99

Gerber EAB Lite

This tight little folder from Gerber is great for your pocket or your purse. When folded, it can tuck away easily thanks to a beefy pocket clip, and when deployed it secures via a liner lock to provide a sturdy hold and cutting edge.

The stainless steel body looks good and will serve you well when in use. At just 2.5 ounces it’s incredibly lightweight and easy to maneuver. The only knock on this knife is that there is no built-in storage compartment like the knives above. Even without the storage, this is a great utility knife to have with you for daily use. You could even make this your EDC.

MSRP: $18

Stanley 6 In Swivel-Lock Fixed Blade

From the company which innovated the utility knife, this multi-dimensional tool from Stanley is robust enough to be a handy companion on a job site. The contoured handle sits well in the handle and won’t slip even when sweaty on a hot day.

The handle swivels open to hold multiple replacement blades and is compatible with most Stanley replacement blades so you won’t need to stress about finding the right ones. It also comes with three replacement blades in the package to get you off on the right foot.

For a knife this inexpensive, it swings well above its weight. Whether a professional contractor or just a home DIYer, this knife would be perfect for you.

MSRP: $7.99

Olfa LA-X

Our list wraps up with the longest blade of the bunch from Olfa. This retractable knife has a massive, by the standard of a utility knife, 3.25-inch blade which is great for long cuts and can be retracted for more precise slices. The blade is also scored so the top section can be broken off to reveal a sharper tip section.

The handle is made from reinforced fiberglass with an ergonomic rubberized grip which gives you a secure hold of the knife when in use.

The blade does have a few drawbacks at expense of the longer blade. The locking mechanism is a little wiggly and not as robust as some of the other knives on this list, and the flathead screwdriver tip at the end of the handle isn’t as strong as you might want it to be.

The LA-X is great for less intense cutting tasks, especially those when more extra blade length is needed.

MSRP: $12.50

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Mike Ableson

With More Than A Century Of History, The Trench Knife Soldiers On As A Historical Collectible And A Modern Outdoor Knife.

Can I Own A Trench Knife Today?

Modern Trench Knives

M48 Liberator Trench Knife

Cold Steel Chaos Double Edge

This Beautiful Little Folder From Browning Is A Modern Take On A Classic Style, And It’s Done Well.

When It Comes To Beautiful Custom Knives, Few Are Doing It As Well As Dawson Knives. This Fixed Blade Shows Everything The Maker Can Do.

The M7 Bayonet Has Been Used By The United States Military For Almost 60 Years. The Dynamic, Multi-Purpose Tool Is Just As Useful Now As When It First Went Into Service.

The History Of The M7 Bayonet

How Does The M7 Work?

Ontario Knife Company M7 Bayonet

New Kitchen Knife Set From Imarku Looks Spectacular And Is Packed With Features That Any Home Chef Would Want.

Whether Large Or Small Game, A Good Hunting Knife Kit Is A Must

Why Should I Buy A Hunting Knife Set?

What Do I Need In A Hunting Knife Kit?

5 Best Hunting Knife Kits

Gerber Myth Field Dress Kit

Ruko 131

Victorinox Fish Fillet Kit

Outdoor Edge ButcherLite Game Processing Kit

Smith And Wesson Campfire Set

Utility Knives Are The Great All-Rounder For The Home. These Small Blades Are Popular With Contractors And Homeowners Alike To Solve All Sorts Of Problems.

Milwaukee Fastback Flip Utility Knife

Workpro Retractable Utility Knife

Gerber EAB Lite

Stanley 6 In Swivel-Lock Fixed Blade

Olfa LA-X

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