Here are BLADE Magazine’s Featured Knives of the Week. Browse through these articles to find the best knives available from both custom knifemakers and factory knives.
Deer & Deer Hunting knows what makes the best deer hunting knives. When it found one that met the criteria, it put its name on it. Then it made three versions of it.
BLADE‘s media sister over on the deer hunting side is Deer & Deer Hunting, and you can imagine that it knows a thing or two about knives. Deer & Deer Hunting editors recognize how a dependable blade makes all the difference. When you need a knife, you need a knife.
That’s why BLADE was thrilled to hear that Deer & Deer Hunting partnered with the American Knife Company to produce an exclusive line of hunting knives. Here are the must-know details straight from the editors themselves:
Emblazoned with the DDH logo right on the blade, this classic design puts a modern twist on an old favorite of deer camps across North America.
Micarta handles offer a firm grip in slippery conditions common to bad weather, field dressing, butchering and the rugged demands of the hunt. A healthy dose of chromium in the A2 steel blade means it’ll stand up to the worst you can throw at it. The clip point blade design is as versatile as it comes, ready to make any task at deer camp a treat.
That sounds like the makings of the best deer hunting knives around. Whether you’re a collector or a hunter, click here to get the best knife for deer hunting you can shake an antler at.
It’s my pleasure to share with website visitors some research I conducted on knives that will debut at the BLADE Show in Atlanta, May 31-June 1. These are models some of the largest knife manufacturers in the world plan to debut at the show, so consider this a “sneak peek,” if you will.
The BLADE Show has fast become one of two main venues companies use to introduce knives, entire knife lines, accessories, and for new outfits and divisions themselves to be launched.
Coast Products FX350
Unlike the SHOT Show, the BLADE Show is a consumer and trade event ideal for debuting new models to a targeted, educated knife-loving audience as diverse as the show offereings. It’s the place to be for all industry pros, dealers, collectors, purveyors, users and enthusiasts.
Smith’s Abrasives Pocket Pal X2 Sharpener and Survival Tool
As Russ Cowen, marketing manager for the sporting goods and hardware division of Smith’s Abrasives, says, “The BLADE Show will expose this product to knife enthusiasts and media outlets that will, in turn, communicate the message to the consumer base. There is no faster way to create buzz about a new product than exposing it to BLADE Show exhibitors and attendees, who happen to be the most passionate and verbal people in the industry.
Boker Plus 02BO610
“BLADE Show attendees like to talk about knives, other cutting tools and accessories,” he adds. “They’re also creators, inventors and marketers, so when they see something they classify as neat or innovative, they naturally want to talk about it.”
BLADE Show West ’25 leaves them smiling in Salt Lake City.
What a difference a year makes—and most involved with BLADE Show West October 10-11 in the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City probably would be the first to agree.
While BLADE Show West ’24 didn’t exactly bomb, neither was it one of the best. Among the reasons for what some fairly or unfairly portrayed as an average event was the uncertainty surrounding the presidential election and how it would affect consumer spending, and the proximity of the show dates to the beginning of hunting season, among others. Whatever the excuses last year, no excuses were needed for the ’25 show as it met with approval from a large segment of exhibitors.
One of those exhibitors was BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame member Bill Ruple. He was very pleased—and not just because he won Best Slipjoint in the custom judging.
“I thought the show was really good!” he exclaimed. “Attendance seemed a little higher than last year, but I think sales were much higher. I took six knives and sold them all on Friday. All the [South Texas] Slipjoint Cartel guys sold out.”
BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Bill Ruple won Best Slipjoint for his five-blade stockman (see page 60). Bill’s winning knife sits atop one of the trophies made especially for the show by Princeton Wong.
Counting Bill, those included Tanner Couch, Toby Hill and Luke Swenson.
Though there were the usual number of exceptions, exhibitor sales seemed up almost across the board, both custom and factory.
“It was a really good show for us with increased sales,” Jonathan McNees noted of his McNees Knives production knife company. “We brought about 100 knives and sold about 25 to 30 percent to customers and the rest to dealers.”
Custom maker Jared Oeser brought 11 knives and sold them all.
Lots of folks handled lots of knives at the TOPS Knives booth.
“I had a mix of FCFS [first come, first served], lotto and auction knives,” he observed. “I was busy pretty much the whole time. I judge it based on whether I can get away from my table, and I never had a chance to leave.”
It was the first-ever BLADE Show West in Salt Lake City for Cutlery Hall-of-Famers Daniel Winkler and Karen Shook, and they sold every production knife they brought.
“About half to individuals and half to dealers. We were well stocked,” Daniel wrote. “There were good sales and traffic. It seemed to be more of a user clientele than the collectors at the BLADE Show, which is good for us. Our focus is users rather than collectors.”
Maker Princeton Wong—who made the cool custom and factory award trophies for the judging competition winners—brought 12 knives and sold out. John Cammenga of White River Knife & Tool also sold out—about 90 percent to attendees and 10 percent to dealers. Maker Frank Edwards brought six knives and sold four. ABS Master Smith Shane Taylor brought six and sold only one, but was happy because it was the most expensive of the six. Zach Thull of Dauntless Manufacturing said his company sold about 30 knives and Eddie Johnson of CobraTec enjoyed another banner sales show.
Old friends Mick Strider of Strider Knives (left) and BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame member Paul Bos (right) got caught up at the show.
“We always bring an overabundance of knives to the BLADE Shows, trying to ensure the customer’s experience is satisfying,” Johnson observed. “We sold 30 percent more knives this year over last year.”
As for customer experiences, Eddie’s favorite show moment consisted of a most satisfying one.
“[It was] when the son came to the table several times with his dad,” Eddie related. “The son was enamored with a particular model that was a little more expensive than our others. His mother was being ‘Mrs. No.’ After the father and son touched every knife we had displayed, dad looked at son and told him to go ahead. The genuine joy and appreciation were evident in the son’s facial expression and body language. Then hearing, ‘Thank you, I love you, Dad,’ was the best experience I had and witnessed.”
Fast Start
The show got off to a fast start Friday, no doubt sparked by many who thought the best knives might go quick—which in a number of cases they did. While opinions varied on which day and time were busiest, most seemed to think attendance was up markedly over last year.
Knife accessories moved fast.
“It was way better than last year for sure,” Edwards noted. “It seemed like from opening till 3 p.m. both days were pretty busy.”
McNees indicated his booth had the most sales on Friday morning, but probably more traffic on Saturday morning. According to Ruple, attendance was about the same on both days. Taylor stated that while traffic was impressive and has been every year at BLADE Show West in Salt Lake City, Friday morning to mid-day was the busiest. Wong remarked that the opening times, the initial rush from early bird and general admission, were most hectic for him.
“Friday appeared to carry more steady foot traffic,” he stated, “with more people stopping by the table than Saturday.” Johnson indicated the inclement weather may have affected the crowd a little on Saturday, though overall attendance was definitely better than the previous year.
“For us, Friday was the busiest, fairly steady beginning an hour after the show opened until the later afternoon. Saturday had small flurries of activity followed by slow times. It seemed like a better Friday than last year and a slower Saturday than last year,” Cammenga assessed. “We definitely saw more return customers than in the last few years. We assume that’s from being in the same place a few years in a row.”
ABS Master Smith James Rodebaugh puts the finishing touches on a rough-forged hidden-tang knife at the indoor forge of Lonnie Jensen’s Mountain Shadow Forge.
“The show seemed like the busiest of the Salt Lake shows,” Oeser commented. “There were surprisingly a lot of locals coming through on Saturday and the line outside was down the street.”
When asked to rank the attendance on a 1-to-10 scale, with 10 the busiest, Jared qualified his answer.
“Of my limited time at shows the attendance at this one was about a 6, but I feel like shows and the knife market right now are not high,” he opined. “For current show standards I would adjust it to an 8 or 9.”
All the exhibitors but one quoted for the story said they would be back next year, which may be the best sign of a successful show of all.
Only Time?
Frank Edwards displayed his heavily engraved damascus automatic dagger.
Enthusiasts came, they saw knives, they talked knives and, perhaps most important of all, spent time catching up and talking with each other at an event that may be the only time they see each other all year. But then that’s the way it is with a lot of knife shows, including the year’s last event in the BLADE Show triad of shows—BLADE Show West. Speaking of, plan now to attend next year’s sharp gala, Oct. 9-10, once again at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake.
Friedly/Rudolph collaboration is an homage to American Indian culture
Based on the famous sculpture by James Earle Fraser, The End of The Trail by Dennis Friedly memorializes the struggles for survival of the American Indian and the Plains bison. Gil Rudolph did the copious amount of 24k-gold inlay and raised gold engraving in assorted American Indian motifs. (SharpByCoop knife image)
The End of The Trail by Dennis Friedly is a theme piece dealing with the separate battles that American Indians and the Plains bison fought for survival in 19th-century America.
The famous sculpture of the same name by James Earle Fraser is reproduced in 24k gold inlay engraving by Gil Rudolph on one bolster and an American bison on the other. The look and even of the texture of the distinctive ancient bark ivory slabs resemble that of a bison. Meanwhile, Rudolph’s spectacular 24k-gold and raised gold work engravings are configured to represent various symbols of American Indian culture, including all over the guard, pommel and spines of the handle and blade.
SPEC CHECK
Knife: The End of The Trail
Maker: Dennis Friedly
Blade length: 8.5”
Blade steel: Robert Eggerling damascus
Handle material: Ancient bark ivory
Engraving: 24k gold in inlay and raised gold work, all by Gil Rudolph
Construction: Take down
Maker’s price for a similar knife: $14,500
For more information contact Dennis Friedly, Dept. BL9, 12 Cottontail Ln. E, Cody, WY 82414 307-527-6811 [email protected], friedlyknives.com.
A simple, minimalist concept with great cutting power in a compact, discreet package.
The new Talon tactical knife is extremely quick to access and easier to retain in a struggle or emergency situation than any other knife design.
Smart Design
The unique custom-fitted Talon can be deployed without impacting the normal use of your hand. With a 1.75-inch blade crafted from X45CrMoV15 steel and Rockwell hardened to 59-60RC, the Talon knife comes in five different handle sizes designed to fit the personal dimensions of your hand. It is quickly accessible under stress and almost impossible to drop once deployed. Weighing in at just over 1 ounce, its small size and ultra-light weight ensures that you will never be without a tactical edge. Because its unique design leaves both your fingers free while deployed, normal activities such as carrying items, driving, climbing, pushing or pulling as well as tactical actions such as reloading, grappling or striking are all possible with the Talon knife in hand.
Fast Deployment
In virtually any situation, you can deploy your Talon EDC knife and continue the normal functions of your hands: using a flashlight, opening doors, using a cell phone, carrying bags or a purse, climbing, pushing, pulling, striking, driving, bicycling, reloading a firearm, swimming. Combined with the included Kydex™ sheath and aggressive clip system, the Talon can be carried or worn with just about any type of clothing in a huge number of carry options.
This New Folder From Kizer Is Described As A Folding Santoku Knife. It’s A Bold Claim For A Bold Knife From The Chinese Maker.
The new Kizer Towser X blurs the line between kitchen knife and robust EDC folder. When open it really does look like a Santoku minus the Granton edge. The cleaver-like blade is 3.39 inches long and made from a stain-finished 154CM steel. While it is described as a sheepsfoot, the blade is more akin to a smaller version of the kitchen knife.
This makes for an exciting piece that is as comfortable slicing rope in the garage as it is butterflying a chicken breast in the kitchen. The dual thumb stud openers and liner lock make the knife easy to open and secure to use. The red micarta scales provide excellent grip and a classic look.
The frame and liner are both made from stainless, and the tip-up pocket clip make this blade easy to carry. If there is to be a future for folding kitchen knives, this might be the blueprint for many to come.
There’s something irresistible about pressing the button of folding automatic knife and having the blade spring out with a resounding “THWACK!” as it locks open.
Types Of Automatic Knives
Automatic knives or autos come in two basic styles: the traditional side—or radial—openers and out the fronts (OTFs). There’s a great selection of both in today’s factory market. The majority center around the tactical trend in which the spring-powered opening action enjoys viability in high-stress situations where you need instantaneous blade deployment with little effort in action and thinking.
Side-Opening Auto Knives
Pro-Tech TR-3 1X Operator
When it comes to tactical automatic knives, Pro-Tech is a leader in the field. Its designs are highly refined and manufactured with the utmost attention to detail. The Tactical Response folder series is a company best-seller, the TR-3 being one of the most sought-after designs. Eight inches open, it is a great working knife featuring an ergonomic handle of T6-6061 aluminum paired with a drop-point blade of 154CM stainless steel. While the company manufactures different variations of the TR-3, the most eye-catching is the TR-3 X1 Operator Series model.
Something you will notice first is the knife is sterile—in other words, there are no markings denoting brand, blade steel or country of origin. It is all black, including the clip and hardware. Topping it off, the lock button is inlaid with a tiny vial of tritium, allowing the button to “light up” in total darkness. The handle has ProTech’s fish-scale machining pattern to aid in grip retention and cool looks. The clip is mounted toward the handle butt to carry the closed folder blade tip up and as low in a pocket as possible.
All black and stealthy, the Pro Tech TR-3 X1 Operator Series folder gets the job done with little fuss and effort.
The TR-3 is how you properly execute an all-black-finished knife. The modified drop-point blade tackles a variety of tasks with ease. American-made 154CM is an industry standard for heavy-use knives, holds a decent edge, and is not as difficult to resharpen as CPM high-performance steels. The handle shape is very appealing with its two large finger recesses to help index your grip, and the slightly tapered profile rests in your hand comfortably with no hot spots. Blade action is very snappy. Pro-Tech officials like strong springs in their automatic knives, so have a firm hold on the handle before you deploy the blade. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP): $320. The knife is made in Pro Tech’s Placentia, California, factory.
Boker Plus Karakurt
Danish knifemaker Jesper Voxnaes is one of the hottest knife designers going, and Boker Plus has tapped him for several designs, the Karakurt auto being one of them. Starting with a modified clip-point blade a hair over 3 inches, the material of choice is 154CM stainless steel. The flat grind allows the edge to be thin and exert a great bite, much like the knife’s namesake. (Karakurt is the Eurasian equivalent of the black widow spider.) The handle is T6-6061 aluminum. A large finger recess permits easy indexing of your grip, and the handle curves accommodate the rest of your fingers nicely for a nonslip purchase. A deep-carry pocket clip totes the closed Karakurt blade tip up and low in the pocket for maximum concealment.
Action-wise, the knife is very quick. Press the firing button and the blade opens instantaneously. The overall design isn’t really tactical, though it does share some tactical traits. The Karakurt is designed more for everyday carry, and is excellent at opening mail, packages, breaking down cardboard boxes, stripping electrical wire, cutting corrugated plastic, etc. It carries very well, the slim profile allowing it to blend right into the pocket and have a lightweight footprint. It carries just as easily in casual dress as formal. The blade is available in a stonewash finish or black PVD coat. With an MSRP of $199.99, the Karakurt is priced very competitively to other knives of its class. It is made in the USA by Hogue Knives.
The flat grind of the Boker Plus Karakurt blade helps give it a nice bite. The Karakurt is made in the USA for Boker by Hogue Knives.
OTF Auto Knives
OTFs fall under one of two categories. One is single-action, where the blade deploys automatically and you must pull out the charging bar to retract it. A double-action OTF has automatic deployment and retraction of the blade, all by respectively pushing and pulling a slide button on the handle spine. The latter is the most popular, as most every OTF manufacturer makes one.
Heretic Knives Hydra
The Heretic Knives Hydra is a single-action OTF. It offers a choice of 3.6-inch drop-point or tanto pattern blades in CPM S35VN stainless steel. Handles are aluminum alloy machined with traction notches in strategic locations. The pocket clip is a distinctive “H”-shaped fold-over deep carry design and uses four screws as opposed to the standard two. It is anchored to the handle ultra-securely.
The firing button incorporates an unusual safety. It’s a teardrop-shaped cover that pivots downward to allow button access. When released, it covers the firing button to prevent accidental blade deployment. Very ingenious! The bad thing about single-action OTFs is that retracting it requires using both hands: one to hold the handle and press the firing button to unlock the blade, the other to pull back on the charging bar until the blade is fully retracted and locked closed. (Pull a paracord lanyard tied to the charging bar or grab the end of the bar and pull.) The Hydra is well made, and the ergonomic handle is comfortable and offers multiple-grip positioning.
Most OTFs have a boxy profile and maybe two grip positions at most, depending on the size. Admittedly, I am not a fan of the humongous clip but it does a great job at holding the knife to the pocket, and is a deep carry design that positions the Hydra low in the pocket.
The Hydra also has a safety (inset) by the fi ring button to guard against inadvertent opening of the blade.
When you fire the blade, it hits hard! Out of the box the blade was plenty sharp and the hollow-ground tanto offered great slicing ability. Heretic provides the knife in multiple handle colors and two blade finishes—we received the black-coated blade with a nice handle anodized blue (MSRP: $435).
Single-action OTFs are probably better suited for occasional use since the two-handed blade retraction can get cumbersome, especially if you have the use of only one hand at a time. Double-action OTF’s are what you need for more frequent use. However, if you collect OTF automatic knives, you need a single action in your collection. In this case, the Hydra is a perfect choice to fill the slot.
Microtech Scarab II
Easily the largest OTF in the Microtech line, the double-action Scarab II is a nice handful. The base steel of choice for the 3.9-inch drop-point blade is M390 stainless, though Microtech also uses other high-end steels depending on what’s on hand in quantity. The 5.25-inch handle is T6-6061 aluminum for lightweight and strength. Inlays of textured rubber tape are integrated to enhance grip in most all conditions.
A hefty push moves the textured actuation button forward to deploy the blade and a backward pull retracts it. The robust push is also a safety feature to avoid inadvertent blade actuation. The action is very quick given the blade’s size and
thickness.
Microtech added three fullers—two in the standard style on the blade’s side, as well as one on the blade spine. They look pretty cool but don’t add to performance. A few mini fullers are close to the blade’s base, where they are partially visible when the blade is deployed.
Given the knife’s size, it works quite well, and blade deployment is very easy even if you’re wearing work gloves. If you wear gloves frequently, this is the OTF for you. The handle is blocky and therefore fits the hand well with or without
gloves.
The Microtech Scarab II is the latest auto Microtech manufactures and the largest of the test group. This formidable-sized OTF is ready to tackle the toughest cutting jobs you may have and does so with aplomb.
The Scarab II is adept at handling bigger cutting tasks, and has excellent slicing capabilities given the blade’s length. It could easily be used as a food prep knife, as it does great in the kitchen. The flat ground blade sails through a variety of media and is easy to resharpen. M390 holds an excellent edge and, unlike S30V, is relatively simple to resharpen. Carry is a snap thanks to the heavy-duty steel pocket clip. It’s secured to the handle butt with a special conical glass breaker screw that has an inlaid steel ball bearing for transmitting impact energy to the glass.
If you’re looking for an EDC-able Microtech OTF, the Scarab II may not be your choice due to its larger size. You’ll need to look at the company’s smaller Ultratech series instead. However, for tactical or extended-period hard use, the Scarab II fits the bill perfectly. The MSRP is $551, making it one of the most expensive production OTFs—but it’s worth it!
