Best Custom Knives and Factory Knives

BLADE 101: Types Of Kitchen Knives

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June 29, 2022

There Are So Many Types Of Kitchen Knives It’s Hard To Know Which Are Necessary. We’ll Set You Straight.

Watch any cooking show or pursue the cutlery section of a kitchen store, it’s easy to wonder why chefs have so many knives. Are they all necessary? Are some there just so they can show off?

Far from it. Each has its place in the kitchen. But before groaning over the cost and space constraints of procuring each and every type of kitchen knife take solace, you don’t need them all.

That’s what this guide is for. We’ll walk you through some of the most important types of kitchen knives and a few of the oddballs. Afterward, you should stand ready to stock your galley with the tools that count.

Types Of Kitchen Knives: The Must-Haves

When it comes to the necessities, these four types of kitchen knives are the ones everyone should own. Whether you buy them individually, or as part of a knife set, these are the ones you absolutely need.

Chef’s Knife

To use a sports analogy, your chef’s knife is your quarterback/point guard/ace pitcher. If you can only have one knife, this is the knife you need to buy. A good chef’s knife should be able to handle almost every task in the kitchen.

Since chef’s knives are usually 8-10 inches long, they are great for slicing meats and cutting produce. The wide, weighty blade is good for crushing aromatics like garlic and ginger. You can choke up on your grip to do more precise, fine knifework although that puts your hand closer to the cutting edge–not ideal. Some use a pinch grip, “pinching” the blade between the tips of the thumb and index finger near the spine just forward of the handle, for precise cuts.

Made from either stainless or carbon steel, the stainless varieties will be easier to maintain at home. The chef’s knife is the ultimate all-rounder, thus why it is without question the most important knife in the kitchen.

Bread Knife

The bread knife, aside from being excellent at cutting bread, is the go-to knife for cutting fragile food items like tomatoes. The serrated blade can get a better bite on thin-skinned produce with a fragile core. Of course, the crunchy exterior of a loaf of bread is no match for it either.

An extremely sharp chef’s can also do these softer tasks, but if it’s dulled it tends to be more destructive than beneficial while cutting. Most bread knives are quite long, but no matter the length, it’s your best option in the kitchen for safely cutting softer foods.

Paring Knife

Rounding out the main trio of types of knives is the paring knife. The nimble little slicer is much shorter than the chef’s knife and is designed for small cuts and precision. Looking to hull a strawberry or thinly slice garlic? Choose the paring knife. Want to devein shrimp or score a steak? Choose the paring knife.

Many paring knives have blades similar in size to pocketknives. This limits its utility. Much as you wouldn’t want to clear brush with a pocketknife, you wouldn’t want to butcher a whole slab of ribs with a paring knife.

A point to consider: a good handle is as important as a quality blade with paring knives. Control is the name of the game, and that comes from the handle.

Steak Knives

Henckels 8-Piece Serrated Steak Knife Set. MSRP: $49.99

While not a kitchen knife in the sense it’s a famous cutter, having a good set of steak knives is incredibly important. Whether you realize it or not, how you slice meat affects its overall taste and enjoyability. A set of blunt-edged knives can reduce the savor of a ribeye to that of a cubesteak.

Steak knives come in both serrated and plain-edge varieties so you won’t necessarily be locked into one style of knife.

Most knife blocks come with steak knives as part of the package, yet there are many quality options available individually. Don’t skimp on these. Six to 10 quality steak knives, made of good high-carbon stainless steel, ensures all your hard work in the kitchen doesn’t go to waste at the table.

Types Of Kitchen Knives: Nice To Haves

Once you have the main four types of kitchen knives, you can start filling out your collection with some specialty pieces. These five are the next group of models to look at buying.

Santoku

The santoku is a Japanese knife designed to handle the tasks of chopping, slicing, and cutting. It’s smaller than a chef’s knife and sometimes features small dimples, or a Granton Edge, on the blade to help shed pieces of food and aid cutting.

The advantage of the knife is its flexibility, moving seamlessly between culinary tasks. Additionally, the generally shorter blade makes it easier to control than the traditional chef’s knife. Also, the santoku’s ample blade safely facilitates a pinch grip for those who use this particular technique.

When it comes to types of kitchen knives, this one resides right on the line of must and nice to have. If you like to learn more, we have a great breakdown of some of the best Santoku knives.

Boning Knife

As its name suggests, a boning knife is meant for one task: deboning meats. Whether it’s butchering a chicken thigh or getting bone out of a pork chop, the boning knife is up for the task. A good boning knife will be thin, sharp, and, most importantly, flexible so it can bend around bones and get into crevices to free the meat.

For most this knife isn’t an everyday necessity. However, if you happen to buy sides of beef or process wild game, you do well to have one at your beck and call.

Meat Cleaver

Zhen VG-10 67-Layer Damascus Large Cleaver, 8-Inch. MSRP: $135

If the chef’s knife is the quarterback, the meat cleaver is the massive, brawny linebacker. The cleaver features a thick, heavy blade so it can chop right through the breastplate of a chicken or break down a whole cow.

Super fun and satisfying to use, the cleaver is great if you’re looking to butcher cuts of meat at home. Furthermore, if you deal with frozen foods–say a tube of breakfast sausage–it really lightens the work.

All that said, not everyone requires a meat cleaver. The exceptions again are folk who buy partially butchered meat or hunters with a freezer full of wild game. On the other hand, you might find if you add one to your collection it could turn out more versatile than expected.

By the way, we have an excellent piece about the best meat cleavers available today.

Carving Knife

A classy kitchen tool, the carving knife can be a showpiece brought out to carve the Thanksgiving turkey or the Christmas ham right on the table. Other than that, it’s pretty one-dimensional.

Many times carving knives come in sets complete with a matching carving fork to keep what’s being carved in place. Don’t confuse the carving knife with its close cousin the slicing knife. The former has a point, the latter is blunted and longer. Its whole jam is to slice girthier cuts of meat uniformly.

Unless you serve a slew of prime rib, you want a carver. The tip makes it more useful at the table, particularly on fowl. Try getting a turkey thigh off with a slicer. Even if the knife’s sporadically used, spend the money on a quality blade made of steel that holds an edge. You want to carve during the holidays, not sharpen.

Bench Scraper

The bench scraper is a great multi-purpose tool, particularly if you bake. It can precisely cut through doughs and it can quickly help clean a messy, dusty workspace. Nothing corrals rogue flour as quickly as a bench scraper. But if you prefer buying your baked goods, you can take a pass.

Types Of Kitchen Knives: The Specialist

These types are knives are great at doing one particular task and not much more. Unless you really love doing these things in the kitchen, you probably won’t need these. But they are all distinctive blades in their own way.

Mezzaluna

You rock this back and forth to chop herbs and other soft, mostly leafy, greens. While it may sound like the name of an opera, this knife only sings one tune.

Tomato Knife

Do you really, really, really like tomatoes? Do you wring your hands over making sure you perfectly cube a tomato for a salad or make precise slices for a BLT? Then this is the knife for you. Otherwise, your bread knife should work just fine. By the way, since everyone is dying to know, the forked tip aids in peeling tomatoes without cutting the pulp.

Salmon Knife

Mercer Culinary 10.3-inch Salmon Slice. MSRP: $26.67

If you’re looking to skin or slice salmon, or most other types of fish, or if you want to make sushi at home, look no further than the salmon knife. Long, thin and flexible, it’s great at cutting through the fragile flesh of fish.

Cimeter

This massive meat-cutting knife is great if you want to feel like a marauding pirate or just want a big butcher’s knife specifically to cut large pieces of meat. A chef’s knife or carving knife would also work here.

Oyster Shucker

OXO Good Grips Oyster Knife. MSRP: $10.99

This rounded blade is necessary if you want to open and eat oysters and not your thumb. If you’re not a fan of raw shellfish, there isn’t a reason to have this knife.

Mandoline

The mandoline is great at two things: cutting produce into thin slices and removing a knuckle from your fingers. If you get one of these always remember to use the guard. Otherwise, take your time with a paring knife to cut your veggies thin.

Cheese Knife

Different types of cheese require different types of cheese knives. The folks at Epicurious have a great video showing the correct way to cut dozens of different cheeses. I’ll stick with slices or just futzing with a butter knife.

Confectioner’s Knife

Do you like cake? Of course you do. Do you want a knife specifically for cutting cake? Maybe you do, and if so, this is the type of knife you would want to use.

Read More

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5 Best Meat Cleaver Options [2022]

Mike Ableson

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June 27, 2022

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The Meat Cleaver Is The Heavyweight Of Kitchen Tools And Can Cut Things As Hard As Bone. These Five Are Among Some Of Today’s Top Models.

Today we’re talking cleavers, specifically meat cleavers. Industry folks prefer the shorter form when referring to the cutting implement, but we’re going with the longer, common man vernacular for this piece.

Why? Because cleaver abound nowadays, but we’re specifically talking about the type meant to cut meat. And with the way folks find stuff online, going long is likely to get the right person to the right information. Sorry if that bends any noses out of place.

What Is A Cleaver?

The cleaver is a fascinating tool that has existed in some form for millennia. Tools described as cleavers date as far back as the Acheulean period more than 1.5 million years ago, and probably date back even further. It’s a stout, heavy piece that differs from the standard kitchen knife in numerous ways.

The most obvious difference is the shape. A cleaver doesn’t taper to a point but is usually rectangular in shape. It may have a curve along the spine, but the basic shape of any cleaver will be a rectangle.

Many cleavers, and almost every one on our list, have a large hole in the corner opposite the handle. This is because many butchers prefer to hang their cleavers on a hook rather than leave them on a flat surface to avoid potentially damaging the blade.

Five Top Cleavers Available Today

The best meat cleavers all have one thing in common: toughness. They’re all able to stand up to the abuse of the job. These five are among the top cleavers available today at a variety of price points.

Wusthof Classic 6-Inch Cleaver

When it comes to kitchen knives there are few companies with more history than Wusthof, and they have once again made a leader in the field with their Classic 6-inch Cleaver. Forged in Germany, the Classic looks like the archetype of what you expect a cleaver to be.

The blade is 6.3 inches long and 2.8 inches wide, which allows you to do things like crush garlic and ginger or use it like a bench scraper to scoop up ingredients. It comes with a triple-riveted handle that is easy to grip and feels good in your hand.

It’s a bit pricey, with an MSRP of $300, but this is a cleaver that should last you years.

Messermeister Four Seasons Heavy Cleaver

Messermeister Four Seasons Heavy Meat Cleaver, 6-Inch

If you’re looking for a quality cleaver at an affordable price, Messermeister has you covered. The Four Seasons (no connection to the hotel chain) is stamped from a single piece of 1.4116 stainless steel with a 56-57 HRC and features a molded polypropylene handle.

The fact that it is stamped, rather than forged, keeps the costs down tremendously, and it comes in two versions: a 6-inch and a 7-inch. It’s a good tool. It might not have the fanciest steel or hand-carved wood handle, but if you’re looking for a tough cleaver at a fair price, this is the one for you.

The MSRP of the 6-inch is $47.95, and the 7-inch costs $59.95

Zhen VG-10 67-Layer Damascus Large Cleaver, 8-Inch

This one is beautiful. The Damascus Large Cleaver from Zhen Premium Knives is visually stunning and one heck of a cutter. The blade was made with VG-10 stainless steel (60-62 HRC) and features a Pakkawood handle.

The damascus pattern waves and curls across the blade to give it a dynamic, kinetic energy. That’s not even discussing the caliber of the cleaver, which is professional grade and comes with a lifetime warranty against defects.

Four inches wide, this cleaver is large in terms of overall area and is a phenomenal multi-use tool in the kitchen. At an MSRP of just $135, it’s actually a bargain for a professional-quality model of this caliber.

Dalstrong Obliterator Cleaver 9-Inch With Stand

Dalstrong Obliterator Meat Cleaver 9-Inch

From Dalstrong’s Gladiator series comes the Obliterator, a massive cleaver built to withstand anything you can throw at it in the kitchen. The massive blade is made from heat-treated 7Cr17MoV steel with a 60 HRC. It weighs 2.9 pounds and is .236-inch thick. It truly lives up to its name.

The handle is made of thick G-10, which is great to withstand the forces of cutting up a rack of ribs or spatchcocking a turkey.

The Obliterator also comes with an acacia wood stand so you can proudly show off your chopper. With an MSRP of $120, the Obliterator won’t obliterate your wallet.

Henckels Classic 6-Inch Cleaver

Forged from German stainless steel, the Henckels Classic is a quintessential cleaver. Not as girthy as the Obliterator, the Classic is well constructed and designed to be used every day. The blade isn’t as hard as most of the others on this list, with a 55-58 HRC, but this is still an excellent tool.

The satin-finished blade is sharpened and honed to stay sharper longer, and the full-tang, triple-riveted handle gives the cleaver balance in your hand. You’ll feel confident using this one each and every time

It’s a lightweight piece, at just around 12 ounces, and is about 10.5 inches in overall length. MSRP: $64.99.

Read More

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7 Of The Best Kukri Knife Options

Dexter Ewing

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June 23, 2022

3

The Kukri Is A Historic Knife With A Long History Of Military And Outdoor Use. These Are Seven Of The Best Kukri Knives Out There Today.

The way a kukri feels in your hand makes you want to obliterate thick foliage and saplings. The blade’s forward-weighted feel, the ultra-secure handle, and the reach the knife provides all work together in an ancient cutting and chopping tool that packs more punch than a machete for tackling the tough stuff.

What Is A Kukri?

The kukri is a variant of the machete with a recurve blade that developed in South Asia hundreds of years ago. It may have evolved from the sickle and is today used as the standard utility knife for the Ghurkas in Nepal. The kukri is the national weapon of Nepal and still synonymous with the Nepalese Army. It remains the main weapon for all Ghurka military units around the world including the British Army’s Brigade of Ghurkas.

How To Use A Kukri

The kukri knife is designed for chopping outdoors. Like other machetes, the kukri has a longer blade of 10-15 inches depending on the type. It is a useful military weapon because its center of mass allows the fighter to slice as they chop to penetrate an enemy deeply and even slice through bone.

As an outdoor tool, the kukri machete can do a bit of everything. Nepalese use it to do everything from chopping wood, digging, slaughtering livestock, chopping vegetables, and even opening cans.

Due to its shape, with a more narrow blade by the hilt and a wider blade by the tip, the kukri can function as a nimble utility knife up close and do the work of a small spade or even an axe as well.

The 7 Best Kukri Knives Today

Today, the kukri is made of modern materials and is used around the world for its durability outdoors. These are seven of the best kukri knives on the market today that would make any lover of the outdoors happy.

CAS Iberia APOC Kukri

At 16.25 inches overall, the APOC Kukri from CASIberia is a formidable chopper. The 10.25-inch blade of this knife is .22-inch-thick 9260 spring steel with a low-glare, rust-resistant black coating. Though it doesn’t hold an edge as long as some other steels, expect it to be easy to maintain in the field. It also is a forgiving material, able to withstand heavy use and abuse.

The ultra-ergonomic handle is machined black G-10 fastened by three Torx-head screws. The multi-faceted grip features a pronounced index finger recess, an integral front guard, and a flared butt to prevent backward sliding of your hand. At 23 ounces, the knife harnesses the devastating cutting power of traditional kukris, and amplifies it using modern materials.

I found rather crisp edges on the tang and guard where crispness shouldn’t be. The easy fix? Lightly file the harsh edges to soften them a bit.

Once past the aesthetic imperfections, what you see is a forward-weighted chopping tool whose overall blade shape was inspired by traditional kukris as well. The graceful curve of the belly houses the sweet spot.

I found the handle rather interesting with its varied curves and prominent finger groove. When I first held it, I didn’t like it. My initial impression was it didn’t “fill” my hand. However, once I took the kukri into the woods and began swinging it, only then did the handle start to make perfect sense. The dip behind the guard acts as a sort of pivot. The knife will move a bit in your grip because of this, but it doesn’t move so much that it’s distracting or impossible to use. The slight movement actually works with your hand in creating powerful chopping strokes. And, due to the blade’s weight and thickness, I found the knife a really effective chopper.

The APOC Kukri excels at chopping, with the sweet spot in the middle of the blade belly. It was the surprise of the bunch in terms of how well it performed, especially for such a relatively unknown brand.

Out of the box the cutting edge was sharp but rough—rough as in a coarse edge and not looking very refined. Nonetheless, that’s also good because the coarse edge has “teeth’’ and bites in harder. The APOC kukri really turned out to be the surprise of the test bunch. It performed very well. I was able to modify the edge by hand, evening it out a bit—and it does seem to sharpen up fast in the field.

The Kydex sheath is a side-break design, allowing the kukri to tilt itself out of the sheath. However, the sheath needs more tension as it locks onto the handle to secure the knife. A secondary button snap strap extends around the upper part of the handle to secure the kukri into the sheath. Be sure it is securely fastened or it may fall out of the sheath accidentally. The belt loop webbing is fairly flimsy as well, but it will do the job. It does, however, allow the kukri to move around in the sheath in response to your movements, so, in case it snags a branch while you’re walking through the woods, it might free itself as you move.

All in all, I think this would make a great use-and-abuse chopper, one that you won’t be hesitant to go out and beat up. Made in China, it has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $175.

SOG Knives SOGfari

The SOGfari kukri is sharp all the way around—both the plain-edge blade and the sawtooth spine. Not as heavy as the other test knives, the author rates it for intermittent use.

The SOGfari Kukri Sawback Machete from SOG Knives combines three tools in one: kukri, machete and saw. The 12-inch blade is .1-inch-thick 3Cr13 stainless steel.

Overall length: 18 inches. The recurve blade adds cutting power and the double-cut sawback spine easily zips through saplings. The handle is molded Kraton rubber and sports dual guards at either end to prevent forward or rearward sliding of your hand. There’s plenty of handle belly to fill your grip and make the knife feel comfortable and secure. The exposed pommel is notched and can be employed as a hammer if needed. A black blade coating enhances rust resistance and cleans easily.

The sheath is heavy-duty, sewn-and-riveted ballistic nylon with plastic liners. It secures via a zipper pull. A fabric fastener flap protects the zipper to prevent accidental unzipping—a very thoughtful design. A large loop of ballistic nylon accommodates all belt sizes and a button snap secures the handle. The sawback makes it more difficult to slide the blade in and out, though the sheath unzips partially to provide more room.

The SOG SOGfari Kukri is the only piece in the test bunch with sawteeth. While not intended to replace a nice, high-quality folding saw, it is better than no saw at all. The only problem is its tendency to bind up due to the blade’s thickness.

I found the SOGfari lacking in the weight-forward design of most kukris. This is good in that there’s less weight on your belt or pack—bad in that you must put more muscle behind chop strokes, which can be tiring. Normally, with a weight-forward blade you’d benefit from gravity on the down stroke. The sawback is more gimmick than anything. It really doesn’t work well and forces you to open the cut more to enable the thicker blade to slide through. If not, the saw binds up every time. Conversely, in a survival situation having the saw is better than no saw, so in that case it’s a plus. I would not rely on the SOGfari as your primary saw, so carry a dedicated folding saw if you’re exploring the woods.

The SOGfari is well made for the price but the lack of a weight-forward blade keeps it in the occasional-use category. Made in China, it has an MSRP of $29.99.

KA-BAR’s BK21

The KA-BAR BK21 Becker/Reinhardt Kukri is an exceptional all-around performer. It can be used as a chopping tool, machete or a utility knife as demonstrated here. It balances very well. Inset is Ethan Becker, one of the knife’s designers, outlining the rules of the chef’s knife cutting competition at the 2019 BLADE Show West. (Becker image by Eric Eggly)

KA-BAR’s BK21 Becker/Reinhardt Kukri was designed in conjunction with Ethan Becker and the Hank Reinhardt Estate. The 13.25-inch blade offers reach and power with plenty to spare. The blade is .195-inch-thick 1095 Cro-Van carbon steel epoxy coated for rust resistance. There is that forward-tilt signature of kukris, and the blade’s profile gently swells toward the center. Along with the flat grind, it enables the BK21 to be used as both a machete and a chopping tool.

Molded from an impact-resistant polymer called Ultramid®, the handle is dense and lightweight. It resists absorbing liquid and moisture, which makes it almost impervious to the elements. The rounded/blocky handle shape may look a bit awkward at first, but don’t knock it until you try it. The contours make for a very comfortable grip that isn’t tiring when evaluating for long-term use. Three rather large hex-head bolts secure the handle onto the full tang design, and the exposed pommel can be used as a hammer.

The BK21 has a high-quality sewn & riveted nylon sheath with a hard-plastic reinforced tip to prevent puncturing. An integral nylon loop promotes easy belt carry. A button snap closure secures the blade.

Due to the weight distribution of the KA-BAR BK21 Becker/Reinhardt Kukri, it excels as a machete in clearing tall grass, weeds, and vines.

The overall shape and weighted feel of the BK21 is reminiscent of traditional kukris. It’s not forward-heavy like some and is balanced well. Due to its length and weight/balance, it excels as both a chopping tool and a machete. It can cut vines and tall weeds as well as fell saplings. It’s really two tools in one. The entire kukri is solid. The designers knew what they were doing.

The BK21 is 18.75 inches overall, retails for $240.74, and is made in the USA. The sheath is imported from China.

Ka-Bar Becker/Reinhardt Kukri Fixed Blade Knife BK21

$216.95

Blade HQ $216.95

Prices accurate at time of publishing. Affiliate disclosure.

TOPS Knives A-Klub

The gunstock war club used by Native Americans inspired Amanda Kaye of Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid
TV show in the design of the TOPS Knives A-Klub. The blade’s curvature accentuates cutting and chopping power.

Heavy duty and ruggedly built perfectly describes the A-Klub chopper by TOPS Knives, the company’s first knife designed by a female—Amanda Kaye of Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid television series.

She is an avid hunter and outdoor enthusiast, as well as having an interest in Native American primitive skills. Kaye employed the gunstock war club as the design inspiration for the A-Klub.

The gunstock war club was a blunt-strike weapon used primarily in the 18th and 19th centuries by Native Americans of the Eastern Woodland, Central, and Northern Plains tribes. Named for their resemblance to the wooden stocks of muskets and rifles, gunstock war clubs were fashioned from ash, oak or hickory. The swinging force put into the weapon meant it would strike with the points of the design, and it proved very effective and devastating.

Due to the blade’s curve and angular tip somewhat reminiscent of a tanto, the A-Klub is also effective and devastating as a chopper. The blade is just over 12 inches of .19-inch-thick 1095 spring steel in the company’s subdued Acid Rain finish. The overall length is 18 inches.

The 23.8-ounce A-Klub is a beast. It has a forward-weighted tendency, though not as much as some choppers or even a traditional kukri. However, the blade curve accentuates swinging power and presents the edge at an angle in relation to the target, so the knife shears on contact.

Kaye designed the handle to maximize user comfort and control. An index-finger groove assists in locking in your hand, along with a curved main grip area that accommodates your other fingers. The green Micarta® handle is very lightweight and durable, and practically impervious to the elements, fluid absorption, and impact. Three hex-head screws fasten the scales to the full tang, and there’s a hole for a lanyard.

Coming off the index-finger groove, folks with smaller hands can shift their grip rearward on the handle for increased swing leverage. The A-Klub has a pronounced rectangular profile, which helps make it feel more secure in your hand.

Due to its weight-forward design, the TOPS A-Klub harnesses very effective cutting and chopping power. No matter how you swing the blade, the edge is almost always going to catch the target at an angle and, therefore, cleave through it cleanly.

The knife includes an expertly designed side-break Kydex rig. The rig’s leather-dangler attachment permits the heavy knife to swing and pivot freely on your belt in response to your movement, being accidentally snagged on brush, etc. Having the knife swing freely makes it more comfortable to carry.

Performance-wise the A-Klub bites in deep and hard, consistently discharging large chunks of wood with each blow. The blade’s “sweet spot” extends from the bottom of the tanto tip about two inches back toward the curve.

The handle can be gripped in at least two ways. One is with your index finger nestling inside the forward finger groove to provide a degree of control and also leverage. In the second, back your hand out of the forward finger groove and grip the handle further rearward toward the butt end. The latter handhold will enhance the power of each stroke.

Of the test bunch, I rate the A-Klub the best chopper, hands down. Made in the USA, it has an MSRP of $350.

Tops Knives A-Klub Fixed Blade Knife 1095 RC 56-58 Canvas Micarta Handle

$299.95

Blade HQ $299.95

Prices accurate at time of publishing. Affiliate disclosure.

Cold Steel Magnum Kukri Machete

It’s been said that good things come in small packages. Cold Steel has no time for that. Their Magnum Kukri Machete comes in two varieties with the larger having a massive 17-inch blade and an overall length of 22 inches.

At 2.8 mm thick, the blade is made of 1055 Carbon Steel with a black baked-on anti-rust matte finish. It weighs in at 20.1 ounces and is weighed forward to give you better leverage while slicing.

It has a five-inch polypropylene handle and comes with Cor-Ex sheath. It will most likely need some sharpening when you get but with an MSRP of just $35.99, the price can’t be beat.

Cold Steel Kukri Machete Fixed Blade Knife 97MKM

$29.97

Hinterland Outfitters $29.97 Blade HQ $37.95

Prices accurate at time of publishing. Affiliate disclosure.

Condor Heavy Duty Kukri

Condor Tool & Knife of El Salvador have made a kukri that combines the best of machetes and the best of an EDC knife. It’s smaller than traditional kukri machetes, with a blade at just nine inches, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in manuverability.

The blade is 6 mm thick and made from 1075 high carbon steel with a blasted satin finish. It has a more pronounced bend in the knife than most other kukris which allows for more precise knife work when needed.

With a sturdy walnut handle, and a sheath of welted leather, Condor’s kukri is made of quality materials from top to bottom. The only knock on it is that it will need sharpening out of the box to get the type of edge you want when cutting through brush. With an MSRP of $117.91, it’s a good knife for its price.

Condor Heavy Duty Kukri Fixed Blade Knife Walnut

$100.23

Blade HQ $100.23

Prices accurate at time of publishing. Affiliate disclosure.

Smith & Wesson Outback Kukri

Smith & Wesson makes more than just guns, and their Outback Kukri is a great example of the company’s knifemaking prowess. The 11.9-inch blade is made of 7Cr17Mov Stainless Steel and finished with a black powder coat. The rubberized steel handle provides great grip while slicing.

It’s a light knife at just under 20 ounces, and that lightness brings both pros and cons. The pros are that you can a better feel of what the knife is cutting through and can slice with more speed. The cons are that it could get damaged more easily than heavier kukri knives due to overuse.

The balance comes with its price. The MSRP is just $34.15, which is a great price. If you’re not looking to become the next Bear Grylls, this kukri might be all the knife you need.

Smithwesson Smith WessonA SWBH Outback Kukri Fixed Blade

$47.99

Smith & Wesson Accessories $47.99

Prices accurate at time of publishing. Affiliate disclosure.

Editor’s Note: Mike Abelson contributed to this piece

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First Look At The OKC RAT-3 Gobar & RAT-3 Utility

Featured Knives

BLADE Staff

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June 15, 2022

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Once Again The Ontario Knife Company Has Produced Two Stellar Knives In Its RAT Series. The RAT-3 Gobar and RAT-3 Utility Are Both Strong, Compact Blades.

The new RAT-3 Gobar from the Ontario Knife Company is a sturdy knife that is worthy of carrying the RAT name. A chisel-style knife, the Gobar has a 3.5-inch straight cutting surface and a flat chisel head.

Made of high-carbon steel and with a flat grind, the blade has a black phosphate coating and a handle made of Micarta. It’s a lightweight, nimble knife and comes with a shetah so you won’t have to worry about chipping or damaging it because it doesn’t fold like many other knives.

The RAT-3 Utility is for more detailed work and is just as beautifully constructed. It’s made of the same materials as the Gobar but features a slightly curved belly to go with the flat chisel head. It also has a larger finger choil than the Gobar to aid in detailed knifework.

At 3.4 inches in length, the blade is slightly shorter than the Gobar, but the overall length is slightly longer (7.9 vs 7.81 inches in total length). This is a high-quality knife that stand up to daily use outdoors or in the shop.

Both knives come with a nylon MOLLE compatible sheath, which is perfect to attach to your pack and keep the blade safe and secure. Both knives have an MSRP of $91.95.

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5 Best Pocket Knife Sharpener Options [2022]

Mike Ableson

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June 15, 2022

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Sometimes You Need A Sharpener On The Go. These Five Pocket Knife Sharpeners Are Everything You Could Want In A Mobile Sharpener.

Many knife sharpeners are designed exclusively for the kitchen. Whether handheld or electric, they’re made to be used on a countertop in the kitchen or in the home. But what about when you’re out and about and need to sharpen a knife.

Maybe your EDC took a beating while you were cutting up boxes as you cleaned your job site. Maybe your rough-and-tumble Bowie knife needs a little love after hacking through some brush while hiking.

That’s where pocket knife sharpeners come in.

Small and easy to use, the best pocket knife sharpeners can fit anywhere and go anywhere. These are five that we’ve found can handle the tough task of sharpening your knives while also easily hiding away when not in use.

Lansky Quadsharp Knife Sharpener

What’s better than a knife sharpener with one sharpening option? How about a sharpener with five ways to sharpen. You read that right — five.

The Lansky Quadsharp is a quintessential pocket knife sharpener. It is easily held in the palm of your hand, and its bright blue color helps it stand out if its buried in your work bag or in your hunting equipment.

The Quadsharp features four angled carbide slots to pull your knife through and a ceramic benchstone for more routine maintenance and honing. The slots each have a different angle (17, 20, 25, and 30 degrees) so you’ll be able to get the right angle for each of your knives.

The carbide slots are meant to revive dull and damaged blades. The 800-grit ceramic benchstone is meant for more regular use and can sharpen both straight edge and serrated knives. The slots are only good for straight-edged blades. The ceramic is harder than steel so it will never wear out and can keep your knives sharp for decades to come.

With an MSRP of $23.99, the Quadsharp swings way above its weight thanks to its small size, durability, and versatility.

Smith’s Pocket Pal X2 Sharpener & Outdoors Tool

Smith’s has made a product that not only sharpens but does a whole bunch more. The Pocket Pal X2 features a coarse carbide angled sharpening slot and a fine 1000-grit ceramic sharpening slot. It also features a fold-out diamond honing rod that is perfect for sharpening serrated knives, single-bevel knives, and gut hooks.

The Pocket Pal X2 is so much more than just a sharpener. It comes with a compass and a built-in LED flashlight. There’s also a high-pitched signal whistle so you can call for help if in distress. And, what I think is the coolest part of the Pocket Pal X2, is the built-in fire starter. Use it by pulling it through the coarse sharpener to make a spark.

You can see all of the tool’s features in action in this video below.

Coming it at an MSRP of $17.99, the Pocket Pal X2 is a great pocket knife sharpener and all-around tool if you’re planning to do anything outdoors or to just keep in the car in case of an emergency.

AccuSharp Knife And Tool Sharpener

AccuSharp takes the concept of “grab and go” to a whole new level with their Knife and Tool Sharpener. Rather than pulling the knife through or across the sharpener, you pull the sharpener across the knife.

By using tungsten carbide blades, and a finger guard so you don’t slice your hand, AccuSharp has made a tool that subverts what you think a knife sharpener should look like. You can see how the tool works in AccuSharp’s own video below.

The most affordable sharpener on this list, with an MSRP of $10.99, AccuSharp’s Knife and Tool Sharpener can sharpen your kitchen knives, your EDC, and even the axe you keep in the shed.

Victorinox Dual Knife Sharpener

Shaped like a pen, the Victorinox Dual Knife Sharpener can sharpen and hone knives in a sleek, elegant package that can easily tuck away in a pocket or clip onto your belt line.

Opening one end reveals an angled pair of ceramic discs to pull across your blade to sharpen it. On the other end, there is a honing stone so you can polish and maintain the edge of your knives.

You can see how nimble and easy to use the sharpener is by watching this quick video below.

The sharpener is so compact and light, coming in at just 1.4 ounces in weight, that there’s no place it can’t go. From the same company that makes the iconic Swiss Army Knife, you can trust that the Dual Knife Sharpener, with an MSRP of $19, will be sharpening your knives for years to come.

WorkSharp Guided Field Sharpener

From one of the top companies for all things knives, comes a sharpener that is made for you to take into the field, keep in the shop, or use at home. This sharpener from WorkSharp can sharpen straight-edge knives, serrated knives, and fish hooks.

Utilizing five stages of sharpening and honing, the Guided Field Sharpener is as dynamic as they come. Features include 20-degree angle guides of 320 and 600-grit diamond to sharpen your knives and the pair of a fine ceramic rod and leather strop to polish and hone your edges.

You can even remove the diamond sharpening plates to get access to the storage cavity and broadhead wrench inside of the device. There’s also a small hole in the casing so you can attach the sharpener to a lanyard or strap.

WorkSharp made this in-depth video showing off all the sharpener’s features and how to sharpen different blades with it.

With an MSRP of $34.95, you are getting an absolute steal of a sharpener. Packed with features, and tough enough to last for years, WorkSharp once again has made a sharpener that stands out from the pack.

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Mike Ableson.

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First Look At The SOG Recondo FX Knife

Featured Knives

BLADE Staff

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June 14, 2022

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The SOG Recondo FX Is A Top-Tier Knife For The Hunter Or The Outdoorsman. A Nimble Fixed Blade, It Can Withstand The Wear Of Regular Use With Ease.

Sometimes you need a knife with a little more heft and a little more punch than a standard pocket knife. When you’re out on the hunt it’s imperative to have tools that can hold up to tasks big or small, easy or debilitating.

The new SOG Recondo FX is the knife you’re looking for. A full-tang, fixed blade made of 440C steel and cryogenically treated to a black nitride finish, the Recondo FX is the type of knife you’ll be able to trust in a pinch.

You can choose between a straight edge or a partially serrated blade when buying the knife. Both versions have a clip point and are 4.6 inches long. Additionally, you can choose between a black handle or a dark earth handle. Each is made with an overmolded grip and rubberized texture. This is designed so you can maintain a strong hold of the knife even if your hands get wet or slippery.

Regardless of the style you choose, your knife will also come with a UMS-compatible sheath that won’t need any tools to set thanks to its adjustable tension system. The sheath is made of Kydex and can be mounted in a variety of positions.

This knife won’t be your normal EDC. What it will be is a tool worthy of being added to your set when you go hunting or into the outdoors. Strong, light, and easy to maneuver, SOG has, once again, made a top-quality knife.

MSRP: $129.95

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Mike Ableson.

First Look At The New Hogue K320 AXG Knives

Featured Knives

BLADE Staff

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June 12, 2022

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Hogue Has Paired With Sig Sauer To Create A New Line Of Folding Knives, And They Are Beautiful.

Hogue, in conjunction with Sig Sauer, has released a new line of knives known as the K320 AXG. Inspired by the P320 line of the pistols, the K320 AXG series come in many varieties that you can tailor to your specific tastes. The knives get their name from the Alloy XSeries Grip (AXG) on the P320s.

While Hogue does make the knives, they feature the Sig Sauer name and branding.

Let’s start with the blade. You can choose between a tanto or a drop point, and each style comes in at 3.5 inches in length. More importantly, each blade is made of CPM 30V steel so you know it’s designed to hold up to regular use.

You can also pick between a variety of blade finishes and handle styles. There are three styles of K320 AXG: Pro, Classic, and Scorpion. The Pro and Classic models have a black Cerakote finish to the blades and feature a plain edge. The Scorpion has a flat earth-tone Cerakote finish and is partially serrated.

The handle is an aluminum, and the inserts vary depending on the model. The Pro features G10 laminate while the Scorpion has a G-Mascus Green laminate. The Classic has a Heritage Walnut insert instead.

MSRP is between $219.95 and $229.95

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Mike Ableson.

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Once Again The Ontario Knife Company Has Produced Two Stellar Knives In Its RAT Series. The RAT-3 Gobar and RAT-3 Utility Are Both Strong, Compact Blades.

Sometimes You Need A Sharpener On The Go. These Five Pocket Knife Sharpeners Are Everything You Could Want In A Mobile Sharpener.

Lansky Quadsharp Knife Sharpener

Smith’s Pocket Pal X2 Sharpener & Outdoors Tool

AccuSharp Knife And Tool Sharpener

Victorinox Dual Knife Sharpener

WorkSharp Guided Field Sharpener

The SOG Recondo FX Is A Top-Tier Knife For The Hunter Or The Outdoorsman. A Nimble Fixed Blade, It Can Withstand The Wear Of Regular Use With Ease.

Hogue Has Paired With Sig Sauer To Create A New Line Of Folding Knives, And They Are Beautiful.

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