Spycraft Knives SK-4 Sentinel Review: Covert Ringer

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)
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Spycraft Knives SK-4 Sentinel Review: Covert Ringer
Brutish and sharp, the 4.09-inch blade SK-4 Sentinel was designed with input from the ex-SpecOps operatives. It certainly has a cloak-and-dagger look. (Elwood Shelton image)

Spycraft Knives’ wharncliffe gives you an undercover edge.

Spycraft Knives is a new player in the game and offers some cloak-and-dagger in its design. As the company’s name suggests, its SK-4 Sentinel is designed with input from ex-SpecOps personnel and is designed for carry on your person or gear.

It’s a ringed knife with a handle shape that feels good in the hand and feels heavy in the hand. Its wharncliffe-shaped blade is a great all-around style, and the angled false edge slims the tip a little. It’s definitely a stout knife, but above all, it must cut. So, let’s run it through the basics.

Light-Duty Testing

Cardboard did curl, but the author didn’t chalk that up to issues with the knife’s hollow grind. Instead, it was more a factor of the knife’s thickness binding on cuts through the stiffer material.
Cardboard did curl, but the author didn’t chalk that up to issues with the knife’s hollow grind. Instead, it was more a factor of the knife’s thickness binding on cuts through the stiffer material.

Up first I tested the edge out of the box with paper slices. The SK-4 sliced fairly quickly with its factory edge and produced a clean cut on all but one attempt. I had a tear, but I put that on operator error as I caught the sharpening notch. Overall, the edge seems to have a medium grit finish designed for heavier work.

I moved on to single-walled cardboard with the Sentinel producing nice, clean cuts with plenty of curling. This was thanks to the knife’s hollow grind in its thick blade steel. It’s possible to get a bit of binding in certain materials with the blade, but it’s possible to push through it. Here, the edge was aggressive, and I had to make sure to keep my fingers clear and had a few close calls with shaving skin.

Through leather, the Sentinel was particularly aggressive, the author reports. Both cutting and skiving the hide were audible. Skiving was especially impressive, with the knife producing thin, uniform slices.
Through leather, the Sentinel was particularly aggressive, the author reports. Both cutting and skiving the hide were audible. Skiving was especially impressive, with the knife producing thin, uniform slices.

On to 8-ounce leather, the SK-4 was really aggressive. Slicing, I got a crunching sound with every cut and found the thumb notch helped keep the cuts evenly spaced. When I switched to skiving, the knife was still talking to me with every cut. Honestly, I didn’t feel any resistance when I was attacking the leather.

Heavy-Duty Testing

The knife had some nice attributes when challenging tougher materials, such as this pine. The author was able to exert more force when creating curly cues thanks to a smartly placed thumb notch on the spine.
The knife had some nice attributes when challenging tougher materials, such as this pine. The author was able to exert more force when creating curly cues thanks to a smartly placed thumb notch on the spine.

Pinewood was the SK-4’s next task and some whittling. I had to use a steeper angle because of the grind, but the knife produced very uniform curly cues for a fire stick. The contoured handles gave me plenty of control while making the longest cuts and thickest curly cues.

 I batoned the SK-4 into seasoned Hackberry wood. The first hit buried the blade, then I banged on the tip till the wood split. I tried holding the knife by the ring to give my hand room once the tip was buried. It worked, but I felt a lot of shock in my hand. Once the larger chunk of Hackberry was split, the SK-4 quickly split the thinner pieces. I found no noticeable damage to the edge, though it had a few wood smears to oil out.

The SK-4 was up to the tasks of splitting seasoned hackberry, however, it did leave the author with a sore hand when he tried to hold on to the ring while batoning.
The SK-4 was up to the tasks of splitting seasoned hackberry, however, it did leave the author with a sore hand when he tried to hold on to the ring while batoning.

Time for my favorite medium, sisal rope. The SK-4 crunched its way to 146 cuts before the edge started to slide. Nicely done. What was especially nice was that I found no hot spots on my hand from the handle. Overall, the wharncliffe blade aggressively zipped through the rope.

Overall Take

The SK-4 is a lot of knife in a smaller package. It has good edge retention with a comfortable handle. I am not a big fan of ringed knives, and I would like thinner steel used to keep weight down.

SK-4 Sentinel Specs
Maker: Spycraft Knives
Steel: K340 tool
Grind: Hollow
Overall Length: 9”
Blade Length: 4.09”
Weight: 7.26 ounces
Finish: PVD
Blade style: Wharncliffe
Handles: Textured G10
MSRP: $399

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