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.
In a fascinating feature article written by Mike Haskew in the October 2015 issue of BLADE®, the point is driven home that the Asian influence is ever present in the knife industry. As Haskew notes, “From tanto-inspired blades to the temper lines, fittings and finishes that are hallmarks of the Eastern look and feel, the new designs keep coming.”
From Columbia River Knife & Tool’s Asian-influenced collaborations with Lucas Burnley, to knives with Eastern flair from CAS Iberia, United Cutlery and Condor Tool & Knife, Haskew covers a lot of ground … all the way to East Asia. See the October 2015 issue of BLADE for the full story.
The temper line alone on Michael Burch’s flipper folder is enough to catch the old knife enthusiast eye, not to mention a Samurai warrior, that, thanks to Jody Muller color engraving, emerges from the gold, copper and stainless steel bolsters of the 1095 folding tanto.
The Samurai remains partially concealed by a crosshatching of mammoth ivory, as well as that smoky temper line. The handle treatment gives it an exotic, bamboo-like look that fits the engraved subject matter, as well as the blade style, and all taken together propels the knife to the status of an “Editor’s Favorite from the Knives 2013 book.” (SharpByCoop.com is responsible for the photography.
Honestly, it’s not difficult to choose the “Editor’s Favorites from the Knives 2013 Book,” not because there are only a couple dozen great knives in the publication, but instead they’re all incredible (at least to this humble editor), so how could one go wrong? Such is the case with a sea-worthy locking-liner folder from the hands and genius of Scott Sawby and his favorite engraver, wife Marian.
Latest cleavers are a hot ticket on the camp scene
By Pat Covert
The cleaver has been sneaking up on the cutlery market for several years now. However ironic it may seem, along with the razor, it was in demand on the tactical market before it became popular for culinary attire on the camping/survival scene.
Not anymore. Cleavers are now making their case as viable tools for outdoor use.
An interesting FYI here: Why do most cleavers have a curved blade edge? The curve allows the butcher to rock the blade back and forth to make sure he or she cuts the ends of the meat cleanly.
SMALL ’n SLICEY: CRKT Folts Minimalist Cleaver Blackout
The Columbia River Knife & Tool Folts Minimalist Cleaver Blackout is the most diminutive of the test bunch. It’s billed as a neck knife and aptly so. The blade features a hollow grind for enhanced slicing, and the deeply finger-grooved—three grooves total—handle has orange G-10 scales. All black is also available.
The diminutive CRKT Minimalist Blackout is more suited for small tasks than food prep. The blade was wicked sharp and whipped through 3/8-inch rappelling rope with verve.
A cleaver this light is not made for chopping—there’s simply not enough weight behind the blade. That said, the Minimalist Cleaver is not without utility. The old rope knives had deep, flat-edged blades preferred by many sailors, so I decided to try the small cleaver out on some 3/8-inch rappelling stock. The blade is wicked sharp and proved plenty long enough to slice through the rope in clean, one-stroke pulls. It even handled upper-guided pull-throughs with ease. All in all, the Minimalist Cleaver is a handy little neck knife—as long as you use it for slicing.
At 1.7 ounces, the CRKT Minimalist Blackout is hardly noticeable when carried about the neck. The small necker is handy around camp. Those who cut rope, such as rock climbers, will find it handy on the inclines.
SPECS: CRKT FOLTS MINIMALIST CLEAVER BLACKOUT
Blade length: 2.125”
Blade steel: 5Cr15MoV stainless
Handle material: G-10
Special features: Deep finger grooves
Weight: 1.7 ozs.
Overall length: 5”
Sheath: Black thermoplastic w/neck cord
Country of origin: China
MSRP: $39.99
SLICK ’n WICKED: RMJ Tactical Jackdaw
The RMJ Tactical Jackdaw is a small cleaver with a blade not unlike a miniature dao, a type of Chinese sword. In true RMJ fashion, the Jackdaw’s hollow-ground blade has upscale steel with a tungsten Cerakote® finish. The handle includes a nice index finger groove. The scales are machined blaze olive G-10 over orange liners, with diagonal grooves for enhanced purchase. The sheath can be worn for horizontal outside carry or reconfigured vertically inside the waistband.
RMJ Tactical’s Jackdaw is more of a slicer than a chopper, and excelled at taking off super clean slices of Boudin Cajun sausage. Self-defense may be the Jackdaw’s primary purpose but it’s at home in the camp as well.
The Jackdaw is another small cleaver that lends itself to slicing more than chopping. The blade rivals that found on many tactical knives but since the focus here is on camping, I needed to keeping it in its lane. I gave it a go slicing some Louisiana-made 1.25-inch Boudin sausage—Asian meets Cajun, if you will. It made quick work of taking off nice, clean slices. There’s no doubt the Jackdaw would excel in other chores such as cutting rope and paracord, skinning bark, cutting notches in wood and the like. While its looks may not scream camp knife, it’s more than willing to prove you wrong.
The RMJ Jackdaw definitely had the most versatile sheath of the group, here in Scout carry mode on a belt behind the back. It also configures for a vertical tote inside a waistband.
SPECS: RMJ JACKDAW
Blade length: 3.25”
Blade steel: Nitro-V stainless
Handle material: G-10
Special features: Chinese dao-style blade
Weight: 2.9 ozs.
Overall length: 6.625”
Sheath: Molded black Kydex, Scout carry
Country of origin: USA
MSRP: $200
Of the test bunch, the mid-sized Condor Tool & Knife Primal Cleaver most resembles the shape of the archetypical cleaver. It has a decent amount of heft, the bead-blasted, flat-ground blade does the heavy lifting and there’s an ovate hole in the blade for hanging. The curvaceous handle sports layered scales and there’s a tube lanyard hole in the base replete with a paracord lanyard ready for duty.
Note the scale of the Condor Primal Cleaver in relationship to a medium-sized hand. The cleaver more than excels as an efficient chopper/slicer when weight savings on the trail are at a premium (which they usually are).
I first tested the Primal Cleaver on a variety of veggies. The blade easily chopped through tomatoes and bell peppers in clean, single whacks. Then I tried it at dicing both and the blade performed like a champ. I also tried it on 2-inch-thick beef tenderloin and it chopped out slices admirably. The handle is very comfortable and, though it didn’t fill my medium-size palm, what you give up in length you gain in lighter weight and portability over a full-sized cleaver. I rate this as a very competent bulldog with enough heft to perform a myriad of cooking chores.
The Condor Primal Cleaver is a mid-sized chopper/slicer with the tenacity of a bulldog. It chopped and diced tomatoes and bell peppers with gusto, and did an admirable job on beef tenderloin as well.
SPECS: CONDOR TOOL & KNIFE PRIMAL CLEAVER
Blade length: 4.09”
Blade material: 1095 carbon steel
Handle material: Orange Micarta®
Weight: 5.75 ozs.
Overall length: 7.89”
Sheath: Brown leather belt model
Country of origin: El Salvador
MSRP: $84.98
DUAL PURSUIT: White River Knife & Tool Camp Cleaver
The White River Knife & Tool Camp Cleaver somewhat resembles a shortened Malaysian parang, which is ideally suited for chopping. This is the beast among the test group. The stonewashed blade sports a durable flat grind. A hole in the blade allows for hanging around the campfire for ready access. The handle is nicely sculpted with an ample palm swell and there’s a lanyard hole in the base. White River provides a well-crafted square-based belt sheath.
The White River Camp Cleaver is the beast of the test bunch. It chopped slices off like a house afire on a 2-inch-thick beef tenderloin en route to making a hearty stew. Other veggies like potatoes and mushrooms were a breeze as well.
Anything but typical, the full-size Camp Cleaver’s blade design struck me as one useful for both chopping and slicing, so I gave it a go both ways. I tested the blade on a couple of 2-inch-thick beef tenderloins for a stew. I know, extravagant, I love a good stew. The Camp Cleaver’s heft and sharp edge took off slices of the tenderloin effortlessly, and performed equally as well cubing the meat into squared chunks. Potatoes fared likewise. If you don’t mind packing a full-size cleaver, the White River offering will return the favor by prepping meals for a horde of campers.
The White River Camp Cleaver is 10.125 inches of chopping and slicing heaven. At 8.2 ounces it’s a cleaver with plenty of heft for group food prep, and its CPM S35VN stainless steel blade provides superb cutting ability.
SPECS: WHITE RIVER KNIFE & TOOL CAMP CLEAVER
Blade length: 5.625”
Blade steel: CPM S35VN stainless
Handle material: Black Micarta®
Special features: Traditional hole in the blade for hanging
Weight: 8.2 ozs.
Overall length: 10.125”
Sheath: Brown leather belt model
Country of origin: USA
MSRP: $250
CLEAVER CORNUCOPIA
As you have no doubt deduced, cleavers come in all shapes and sizes. The CRKT Minimalist necker is a nifty companion for a variety of small chores. The RMJ Jackdaw will slice with the best of them, and its versatile sheath is a nice bonus. Condor’s Primal Cleaver is a great blend of chop-ability and portability. The beastly White River Camp Cleaver is a full-size workhorse at preparing food for a cadre of campers. Next time you’re getting your gear together for an outing, consider the cleaver as part of the package!
Anyone who has ever been to the BLADE Show will tell you that there are more production knives, handmade knives, antique knives, collectible knives, knifemakers, dealers, factories, purveyors, collectors and enthusiasts at that show than anywhere else in the world. But the BLADE Show has always been much more than that, and today it is becoming the Ultimate Knife Experience like never before.
Not only does a visit to the 2015 BLADE Show, June 5-7 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Marietta, Georgia, afford you the opportunity to go to the show, but the chance to attend BLADE U or BLADE University classes covering everything from grinding a knife blade to engraving, choosing a survival knife, knife design and function, using 3D CAD/CAM Software in knife design and much, much more.
Visitors are invited to attend the American Bladesmith Society knife auction, see a glass showcase filled with the Blade Magazine Knife-Of-The-Year® Award entries from all the major knife companies around the world, witness the BLADE Show World Championship Cutting Competition hosted by BladeSports International, view knife displays, see BLADE Show demonstrations covering knife throwing, testing, forging, hand-to-hand-combat and a host of other subjects and even see Japanese sword demonstrations.
Afterwards, enjoy a nice meal and a cool drink at the host hotel, including the infamous ” The Pit” sunken bar—the Renaissance Waverly Hotel in Marietta.
Join us at the BLADE Show and enjoy the Ultimate Knife Experience!
The history of cutlery has many different facets but none any more glorified than the fixed-blade knives that have seen battle for centuries. Fixed blades are still a major part of our fighting forces’ need for strong steel and they’ve become more diverse since the modern tactical age began in the early-to-mid 1990s.
Condor Tool & Knife’s Neck Gladius
One thing hasn’t changed: such knives must perform duties outside of combat. An example is Condor Tool & Knife’s Neck Gladius, a diminutive version of the classic Roman combat sword. Designed by writer/outdoorsman and BLADE University instructor Joe Flowers, its double-edged blade is handsomely ground in Condor’s favorite blade material: 1075 high carbon steel. The black-paracord-wrapped handle has a tail at the base. A black Kydex neck sheath includes a nice length of paracord for neckwear.
The black Kydex sheath of the Neck Gladius includes a suitable length of paracord for neck wear.
One of the best uses I’ve found for small neck knives is preparing tinder as a firestarter. The neck knife makes for an excellent companion to a larger knife for doing detail work, so I put the Neck Gladius to work doing just that.
Hitting my sweet spot, a pine forest north of town, I used the small blade to dig out some nice chunks of pine resin, which burns nice and long as tinder. I complimented the pine resin with some fine pine shavings to complete the kit. The little Condor will handle other small tasks as well, such as cutting paracord to length. “Handy” is its middle name!
Condor Tool & Knife Neck Gladius Designer: Joe Flowers Blade Length: 3.14″ Blade Material: 1075 high-carbon steel Handle Material: Baracord wrap Weight: 2.12 ozs. Overall Length: 6.06″ Sheath: Kydex with paracord lanyard Country Of Origin: El Salvador MSRP: $54.98
DoubleStar Blades Chico Diablo X
Designed by BLADE® field editor Kim Breed, the Chico Diablo X from DoubleStar Blades is, as you might expect, tough as nails. It is a medium-sized sheath knife with a harpoon-pattern blade. A deep index finger groove extending from the bottom/front of the checkered scales into the tang adds grip when getting down to business. The black Boltaron sheath has a real-deal Tek-Lok for carry options. Weight is a manageable
6.24 ounces.
A deep index finger groove extending from the bottom/front of the checkered scales into the tang of the DoubleStar Chico Diablo X adds grip when getting down to business.
The knife’s size is perfect for medium-duty field tasks such as dressing game, prepping meals, cutting rope and working wood. It’s not heavy enough for chopping but is a serious slicer. I tested the blade across the grain on a 4.5×2.25-inch slab of cold corned beef brisket. Despite the blade being shorter than the chunk of beef, the Nitro-V stainless steel glided through the brisket, taking off one clean quarter-inch slice after another. The Chico Diablo X is a well-built multi-tasker worth every penny of its surprisingly affordable price tag.
Doublestar Blades Chico Diablo X Designer: Kim Breed Blade Length: 3.75″ Blade Material: Nitro-V Stainless Handle Material: Black G-10 with green G-10 liners Weight: 6.24 ozs. Overall Length: 8″ Sheath: Black Boltaron with Tek-Lok attachment Country Of Origin: USA MSRP: $149.99
Kizlyar Supreme Senpai
The Kizlyar Supreme Senpai is the longest knife of the test group, including a tanto blade in more of a traditional Japanese curved-tip style. The handle is spare of curves save for a slight finger groove and short guard. The scales are nicely rounded and Kizlyar provides a sandwiched matching green synthetic belt sheath for carry.
The Senpai includes a traditional Japanese tanto blade. The handle has nicely rounded scales spare of curves save for a slight fi nger groove and a short guard. The knife comes with a matching green synthetic belt sheath.
Given its weight and slim blade profile, I liked the Supreme Senpai for slicing and shaving from a utility standpoint. I roughed out a seasoned hardwood tent peg using a small hatchet, and tested the blade at finetuning the pointed tip and shaving the sides. The long blade came in handy as I could pull it through while slicing and shaving rather than simply pushing it downward against the tough hardwood—my reasoning being, if it could handle stout wood, simpler chores like meal prep and cutting rope would be a snap. The Supreme Senpai blade performed well shaping the challenging wood, leaving no doubt it could be handy around camp.
Kizlyar Supreme Senpai Blade Length: 6.75″ Blade Material: AUS-8 stainless Handle Material: OD green Kraton/ABS plastic Weight: 10.3″ Overall Length: 12″ Sheath: Polyamide Nylon Country Of Origin: Russia MSRP: $150
Halfbreed Blades Medium Infantry Knife
How brutish is the Aussie-made Halfbreed Blades Medium Infantry Knife? Consider this—it’s around just one ounce shy of the other three test knives combined in weight! The blade is a whopping .23-inch thick at its thickest, features 1.5 inches of serrations from the tang forward, and has a black, rust-resistant Tefl on coating. The ample handle scales are “chunked” black G-10 and there’s a wicked skull crusher. The sheath has rear attachments for MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying
Equipment) or belt carry.
The Halfbreed Medium Infantry Knife incorporates brutish .23-inch blade steel. The author pulled it through five lengths of 3/8-inch rappelling rope in one clean slice using the forward plain edge portion of the blade.
This overbuilt brute is a handful capable of chopping, slicing and shaving. Given its near three-quarter-pound weight it will no doubt chop, but the serrations somewhat limit the chopping ability of the blade’s plain edge portion. (Serrated edges will chop but it’s hard on them, and resharpening the teeth is a royal pain.)
I tested the knife at slicing and started with lengths of ⅜ -inch synthetic rappelling rope. Working my way up, I was able to slice cleanly through five lengths of the rope side-by-side before I ran out of rope. The handle offered superb grip throughout the testing process. The Halfbreed entry has the ability to perform heavy-duty camp chores like
shelter building, chopping branches for firewood and shaving wood.
Halfbreed Blades Medium Infantry Knife Blade Length: 6.69″ Blade Material: Bohler K110 D2 Handle Material: Black G-10 Weight: 17.08 ozs. Overall Length: 11.77″ Sheath: Black Kydex Country Of Origin: Australia MSRP: $335
One of the most satisfying things an artist can experience is large-scale exposure, and the San Francisco Chronicle would qualify as a mass audience. American Bladesmith Society master smith Aaron Wilburn was recently featured in a human interest news story written by Tom Stienstra on the San Francisco Gate online blog. It also goes to show that the general public is interested in learning about age-old handcrafts brought current into the modern era. Not everyone is solely a reader of sensational headlines, and in-depth stories like this one should be shared.
(Michael Short / The San Francisco Chronicle photo)
